Netrebko Goes Mad

Last weekend I saw the Met simulcast of Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor starring the now commonplace pairing of Anna Netrebko and Rolando Villazon. Netrebko sung the role of Lucia early in her career with the Kirov opera, which is probably why she did as fabulous a job as she did with the role (that and the fact that she is hot and talented). I am not much of a fan of bel canto opera, but Lucia may be one of them I can stand. There are several tings that urk me about bel canto: more diva than character, more recital than drama, and the stalling and stuttering of the text. Nevertheless, Netrebko did a fine job, and obviously held my attention. When it came to the mad scene, she was adorned in a white costume with white hair to make the splattered blood more prominent. To boot, the Met used the glass harmonica, an invention of Benjamin Franklin, there's American ingenuity for you, for the scene. Even though Donizetti was unable to use the glass harmonica in time for the premiere of the opera and had to re-score the scene for flutes, many companies honor his creative intentions. Here is a clip of the mad scene using the glass harmonica, which certainly adds a mystique to the drama.