NABUCCO Verdi
Original Air Date: 02/26/2005
Levine; Putilin, Guleghina, Buchuladze, Hughes Jones
SID.18500 103
NYTIMES ” Most of all, the production turns its singers loose. Verdi has written them big-bore, high-explosive parts, and conducted from the pit by James Levine, Monday’s cast went out and took its chances.
Maria Guleghina’s Abigaille is the big moment among many big moments, and she threw her powerful soprano ardently, sometimes recklessly into the opera. Her first extended sequence (Part II, Scene 1) was impressively done. If there were bumps in Part I’s opening, they may be due to Verdi’s habit of writing first acts with dangerously sudden soprano parts. Like Violetta in “La Traviata,” Abigaille has no settling-in period; the part pounces on her from nowhere.
There was not much vocal subtlety asked for on Monday, and not much given. Nikolai Putilin in the title role was all straightforwardness and muscle. Paata Burchuladze’s Zaccaria managed more vocal shine in an equally punishing part. Gwyn Hughes Jones as Ismaele offered a step up in refinement, but he, too, seemed to be enjoying the communal loudness. Wendy White’s Fenena, singing on the scaffold near the final curtain, offered the evening’s moment of tender, cultured musicianship.
“Nabucco” is also a chorus opera, and the Met singers were strong and touching. “Va, pensiero” made its usual impact. Others in the cast were Julien Robbins, Claudia Waite and Eduardo Valdes.