Gaetano Donizetti's "Maria Stuarda" is the central chapter in the composer's Tudor trilogy and in many ways is the strongest of the three works. The work centers around a fictitious confrontation between Queen Elizabeth of England and Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots. The first half of the opera builds toward this titanic meeting, while the second takes on a more ponderous tone and reflects on the consequences.
The Met premiered the opera for the first time in its long history this past New Year's Eve with a stellar cast that headlined Joyce DiDonato in the title role, Matthew Polenzani as her lover, Leicester, and Elza van den Heever in the role of Elizabeth. The Friday Jan. 4 performance featured a cast change as Polenzani was announced sick and was replaced by Tenor Salvatore Cordella.
The new production directed by David McVicar is difficult to comment on. The production is traditional in almost every sense. The action is set in its original time and place with the costumes tailored to the era. However, despite the costuming and overall staging, the production seems to aim for a minimalist aesthetic as John McFarlane's sets are massive but hardly elaborate or actively furnished. The opening curtain showcases a lion and a bird, the symbols of the warring countries and their respective queens. The opening scene showcases a large hall with a bright red wall that is piercing at first. There is a stage in the center that features a few dancers and a man juggling fire which certainly creates a festive atmosphere. However, their departure from the stage indicates the end of any other dynamic movement on stage for the remainder of the night. The second scene takes place in a forest by Mary Stuart's prison. The third set is a grand hall in Elizabeth's palace with a massive table in the center; the fourth features Stuart's prison and showcases a wall with scribbling that represents the prisoner's letters over the years. The final set is the most impressive of all with a ladder upstage leading to the executioner. Save for the last scene which is littered with chorus members, every single one of these sets feels too large and the space poorly utilized. One of the things McVicar does well in this production is keep the focus on the singers and characters by minimizing the commotion on stage, but his massive sets dwarf the singers throughout and almost distract from the intimacy. Had he gone for smaller rooms, the level of immersion may have been heightened and the empty space would not have created monotony and the feeling that more could have been done to occupy it.
Despite the uneven feel of the production, McVicar does manage to create some striking imagery at crucial moments. His staging of the confrontation scene with the two women poised in the center of the stage and Elizabeth circling Mary like a serpent is unforgettable. The final image of Mary taking off her black attire to reveal the red dress is equally powerful and her ascent up the perilous looking stair case creates heroic and defining moment for Mary.
McVicar is also blessed with a solid cast that helps carry the viewer through some of his less inspired staging moments. On first glance, Mezzo Soprano Joyce DiDonato seems like an odd choice to sing the title role as it was originally written for a soprano. The American mezzo however proved that she was an excellent proponent for the role of the tragic heroine. Her first aria "O nube! Che lieve par l'aria ti aggiri" is a reflection on Mary's youth in the French countryside. DiDonato sung the aria delicately without ever really using the full resources of her voice. The quality almost felt dream-like and the nostalgia dominated the singing. It portrayed the initial fragile state of the heroine wondrously. During the ensuing love duet however, DiDonato brought more potency as she quarreled with her lover Leicester over how to behave in the presence of Elizabeth. DiDonato ended the first act in vicious fashion during the final confrontation scene. She prostrated herself in front of Elizabeth and did her best to control herself as the latter hurled one insult after another. The inner battle was clear in DiDonato's face until the rage took over and she blasted her rival with the famous insult "The Throne of England is profaned, vile bastard, by your foot" with a raw harsh sound that contrasted wonderfully with the sweetness of the earlier aria.
The second act saw DiDonato's Mary singing in more subdued tones; the deterioration of the character was reflected in the lightness of the singing. Her confession to Talbot was an impassioned plea for forgiveness and one of the most breathtaking moments of singing in the entire night. However, DiDonato's crowning achievement came in the sublime prayer to God in which she is joined by the entire chorus. During this moment, Mary is asked to sing two extensive high notes over the chorus. DiDonato demonstrated the true meaning of Bel Canto on both notes as she started them softly and slowly built them into a full flowered crescendos that were gut-wrenching in there execution. By the end of the opera, one should feel Mary's growing strength and the idea that her death would finally be liberation from her suffering. DiDonato's performance not only created this catharsis, but revealed the inner beauties of an often overlooked score.
As Mary's rival Elizabeth, Elza van den Heever was also a big success. Some may be turned off by the raw edge that her voice packs and may bemoan that it is not a bel canto voice, but it suited the role to perfection. From the first note to the last, van den Heever's Elizabeth had power and a virility that contrasted beautifully with DiDonato's frail Mary. Her first cabaletta "Ah! dal Ciel discenda un raggio (corrected from initial publication which included the recitativo line instead of the cabaletta)" demonstrated van den Heever's heroic quality as she soared in her upper range over the full chorus and orchestra. However, she did showcase a sweeter quality during her duet with Leicester, but it was a fleeting glance that demonstrated her ability for more sensible emotions. During the major confrontation scene, van de Heever took to a more mocking tone as she insulted Mary instead of an aggressive approach. It actually added to the dynamic of the scene as it seemed that Elizabeth was playing mind games with Mary and trying to force her into the aggression rather than starting the fight herself.
Some critics complained about van den Heever's walk and stance throughout the production. This Elizabeth holds her hand to her waist consistently and walks about in a masculine gait. There are some historical sources that suggest that Elizabeth might have had somewhat of a strange walk, but the strength of this portrayal is how it furthers the contrast between the two women. The masculinity of Elizabeth justifies the attraction to Mary and adds to the sense of envy and frustration in the queen toward her more attractive counterpart.
Cordella made his Met debut as Leicester and was not completely satisfying. He possesses a bright timbre in his midrange and his phrasing in this area was really pleasant. However, as soon as he was asked to hit notes in his upper range on open vowels, the sound came off as a bit of an unpleasant shout and seemed to lack security. Fortunately, his closed vowels carried over the brilliance of his mid-range well. In the second act, Cordella sounded tired and nervous as a persistent wobble started to permeate his entire range. Throughout the performance, Cordella did a solid job of portraying Leicester as an emotional being; the libretto and Donizetti's music certainly support the notion of this character's volatility. However, at the decisive moment to emphasize this intense passion, McVicar and Cordella did not deliver. At the end of the opera, Leicester berates Lord Cecil before Mary implores that he calm down. It seemed for a moment that Leicester was going to run over and pummel Cecil to the ground, but Cordella simply stood in place and lessened the potential dynamic of the action. It is hard to blame him for that choice as it likely a part of McVicar's direction. Nonetheless it was a missed opportunity.
The casting of Cecil and Talbot was extremely well done. Both characters share specific allegiances to the two woman in the opera; Talbot sides with Mary while Cecil is Elizabeth's right hand man. Matthew Rose brought elegant and tender singing that matched the sweetness DiDonato brought to Mary. Meanwhile Joshua Hopkin's potent and raw sounding bass not only matched the quality of his preferred queen, but also had an imposing quality that made him all the more despicable. Maria Zifchak was solid as Anna and had an earthy quality. Conductor Maurizio Benini brought a propulsive feel to the score, which really helped move the drama along in the opera's slower, drearier second half.
Overall, the performance was highlighted by strong singing that made up for some shortcomings of the production. McVicar's work is not bad in any sense, but it feels a bit repetitive of his unimaginative work in "Anna Bolena" last year. In earlier interviews, the director stated that he wanted to go for a more romantic style than in his previous effort. Unfortunately, the contrasts are not large enough and the production ultimately feels like a hurried effort that was never really finished.
Audiences looking for a night of great singing will likely enjoy "Maria Stuarda," but those looking for a transformative theatrical experience will likely feel a bit unsatisfied.
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