Metropolitan Opera Review: Bryan Hymel Demonstrates Great Promise in 'Les Troyens'

On Saturday, the Met Opera ended its run of Berlioz's masterpiece "Les Troyens" triumphantly. The performance included yet another rousing turn by Susan Graham as Didon and also showcased Deborah Voigt's passionate Cassandra. However, the night's biggest draw was the heroic performance of Bryan Hymel as the Trojan hero Enée.

Back on Dec. 21, I watched the opera with Marcello Giordani in the role of the hero. However, the following day Giordani announced that he would no longer sing the role as it did not suit his voice any longer. Hymel came in on Dec. 26 to take over the run and earned tremendous reviews from such publications as the New York Times.

To call Hymel's performance a triumph is somewhat of an understatement. Hymel does not boast the largest of sounds, but his voice has a dark hue with a sunny brightness in its upper registers. From his first entrance in the frenzied narrative to his final ringing B flat  over the chorus and orchestra in the final act, Hymel emitted confidence and artistic assurance. Hymel's Enée starts off as a secure man, but descends into a tortured hero. He sang sighing phrases during his final aria that almost sounded like cries of desperation. During the faster section of the work, he nailed the fearful high C with no sign of difficulty and proceeded to hold the final high B flats for what seemed like an eternity. His long sustains on those notes over the orchestra created a tremendous sense of tension as one wondered whether he'd be able to pull of the titantic feat for so long. When he finally released the final note at the end of the orchestral coda, it gave off a cathartic effect and resulted in thunderous applause. These high notes were sung as laments and he brought the same pain and anguish during the famous line "For the death of a hero, I leave you Didon." At the start of this phrase, Berlioz has the singer hit a B flat and Hymel made this phrase vibrate with the tragic dimension of the text. At the end of Enée's night he is asked to sing another high B flat over the chorus and orchestra as they proclaim "Italie" over the triumphant march. Hymel had a pained expression on his face as he held this long note for another extended period. When he let it go, he sunk his face into the arms of one of his colleagues in an expression of anguish; a tremendous display of how empty Enée's heroics feel for the tragic figure.

Hymel's breathtaking singing during the monumental love duet at the end of Act four must also be noted. He matched Susan Graham's suave phrasing to perfection and brought a tenderness in his sotto voce that will not easily be forgotten.

I usually do not write reviews for repeat performances of the same opea, but Hymel's emergence on the scene is a major event that cannot be overlooked. Many have complained about the lack of "great tenors" in the current opera generation but at the age of 33, Hymel is already a mature artist with a glorious voice that combines potent sound, brilliant and secure high notes, sensitive phrasing, strong acting, and great stage presence. He is well on his way to filling the aforementioned void and will hopefully return to the Met and other major opera houses for seasons to come. The fact that he drew the night's most rousing applause from the Met audience indicates that the opera goers clearly want him back.

My impressions for the remainder of the performance, including the cast and the production are reflected in my review for the performance I witnessed on Dec. 21; in fact, the performance was all the more fulfilling in every respect. To read that review, click HERE.

The Dec. 21 performance of Les Troyens will be broadcast to Television audiences over the summer on PBS.