'Luisa Miller' is not quite one of Verdi's strongest plot-wise, it's not always plausible and is occasionally staid.
However, out of Verdi's early operas, which generally are unfairly overshadowed by his middle period and late operas (though on the most part there is a preference to the operas from those periods), 'Luisa Miller' is one of his better ones along with 'Macbeth'. The story is still compelling stuff mostly, especially in the very dramatic confrontations (the highlights of these confrontations being the Act 2 one between Luisa and Wurm and the Act 3 father/daughter duet, the latter of which a psychological masterpiece) and the intensely moving final scene (it's also easy to follow unlike 'I Lombardi' and especially the notoriously convoluted 'Il Trovatore', and doesn't feel sprawling like 'I Vespri Siciliani' and 'La Forza Del Destino'). And the music with Rodolfo's "Quando Le Sere Al Placido" and Miller's "Sacra La Scelta...Ah Fu Giusto" being the most famous arias is tuneful, catchy and beautiful.
It is very well served on record and DVD, one of the most consistent DVD competitions of all the Verdi operas where all the productions are never less than well worth watching. The one that is cherished most by me is the 1979 production with Renata Scotto, Placido Domingo and Sherrill Milnes, a treasure which saw some of the finest performers at the Met at that time at the top of their game. This 2018 production is one of the 2017/2018 season's highlights, yet another revival and a triumphant one at that.
Visually, the production is very attractive with lovely, with the dark wood being simple but not too bland, detail, beautiful use of colour and great atmosphere. The staging is always interesting and with plenty of emotional impact and drama. All the confrontations are wonderfully done, the father/daughter duet and the end of Act 1 being especially intense and exciting, the last scene raises a lump in the throat as well. Nothing is irrelevant, nothing is anachronistic, nothing is overdone, nothing is under-cooked, nothing is static, nothing is distasteful and nothing is incoherent, the production is old but there is a freshness here.
Musically, this 'Luisa Miller' is near perfect. The orchestra display some lovely playing and play with energy, sensitivity and depth, as well as lots of attack and delicacy. The chorus are involved and sound terrific too, especially at the end of Act 1. Bertrand De Billy conducts with high-voltage energy, dramatic intensity and is alive to nuances, the dramatic bits being aptly very dramatic. Lots of fire and Verdi's writing for wind really shines here, brighter than a lot of productions.
Have very little to fault the performances. Sonya Yoncheva is perfect as Luisa, singing radiantly and musically and meeting all the lyrical and dramatic elements without ever sounding too heavy or mature. She's a very, very good actress too, her acting in the father/daughter duet, the last scene and "La Tomba è un Letto Sparso Di Fiori" being tender and intense. Piotr Bezcala is a classy Rodolfo, with a ringing sound that copes brilliantly with "Quando Sere Al Placido".
Placido Domingo is generally in one of his better Verdi baritone endeavours (which have had mixed successes, the best one being Simon Boccanegra and Count Di Luna especially being a disappointment). He has seen far better days vocally, despite singing very musically, sounding a bit unsteady and underpowered and struggling a little with the difficult "Sacra La Scelta...Ah Fu Giusto". Dramatically he is spot on, he does stern, sympathetic, authoritative, dignified and poignant so well and embodies them all, the Act 3 duet being a tour-De-force of emotion.
Alexander Vinogradov is a suitably authoritative and nasty Count Walter, with a resonant, if occasionally forced, quality to his voice. Dmitri Belosselsky is evil incarnate as Wurm, the Iago of early Verdi opera, especially apparent in the confrontation between him and Yoncheva and in his rapport with Vinogradov. Olesya Petrova is a great representation of how to do such a lot with little (to the role that is), her dark voice fitting like a glove.
In conclusion, a wonderful triumph for the Met. 9/10 Bethany Cox
However, out of Verdi's early operas, which generally are unfairly overshadowed by his middle period and late operas (though on the most part there is a preference to the operas from those periods), 'Luisa Miller' is one of his better ones along with 'Macbeth'. The story is still compelling stuff mostly, especially in the very dramatic confrontations (the highlights of these confrontations being the Act 2 one between Luisa and Wurm and the Act 3 father/daughter duet, the latter of which a psychological masterpiece) and the intensely moving final scene (it's also easy to follow unlike 'I Lombardi' and especially the notoriously convoluted 'Il Trovatore', and doesn't feel sprawling like 'I Vespri Siciliani' and 'La Forza Del Destino'). And the music with Rodolfo's "Quando Le Sere Al Placido" and Miller's "Sacra La Scelta...Ah Fu Giusto" being the most famous arias is tuneful, catchy and beautiful.
It is very well served on record and DVD, one of the most consistent DVD competitions of all the Verdi operas where all the productions are never less than well worth watching. The one that is cherished most by me is the 1979 production with Renata Scotto, Placido Domingo and Sherrill Milnes, a treasure which saw some of the finest performers at the Met at that time at the top of their game. This 2018 production is one of the 2017/2018 season's highlights, yet another revival and a triumphant one at that.
Visually, the production is very attractive with lovely, with the dark wood being simple but not too bland, detail, beautiful use of colour and great atmosphere. The staging is always interesting and with plenty of emotional impact and drama. All the confrontations are wonderfully done, the father/daughter duet and the end of Act 1 being especially intense and exciting, the last scene raises a lump in the throat as well. Nothing is irrelevant, nothing is anachronistic, nothing is overdone, nothing is under-cooked, nothing is static, nothing is distasteful and nothing is incoherent, the production is old but there is a freshness here.
Musically, this 'Luisa Miller' is near perfect. The orchestra display some lovely playing and play with energy, sensitivity and depth, as well as lots of attack and delicacy. The chorus are involved and sound terrific too, especially at the end of Act 1. Bertrand De Billy conducts with high-voltage energy, dramatic intensity and is alive to nuances, the dramatic bits being aptly very dramatic. Lots of fire and Verdi's writing for wind really shines here, brighter than a lot of productions.
Have very little to fault the performances. Sonya Yoncheva is perfect as Luisa, singing radiantly and musically and meeting all the lyrical and dramatic elements without ever sounding too heavy or mature. She's a very, very good actress too, her acting in the father/daughter duet, the last scene and "La Tomba è un Letto Sparso Di Fiori" being tender and intense. Piotr Bezcala is a classy Rodolfo, with a ringing sound that copes brilliantly with "Quando Sere Al Placido".
Placido Domingo is generally in one of his better Verdi baritone endeavours (which have had mixed successes, the best one being Simon Boccanegra and Count Di Luna especially being a disappointment). He has seen far better days vocally, despite singing very musically, sounding a bit unsteady and underpowered and struggling a little with the difficult "Sacra La Scelta...Ah Fu Giusto". Dramatically he is spot on, he does stern, sympathetic, authoritative, dignified and poignant so well and embodies them all, the Act 3 duet being a tour-De-force of emotion.
Alexander Vinogradov is a suitably authoritative and nasty Count Walter, with a resonant, if occasionally forced, quality to his voice. Dmitri Belosselsky is evil incarnate as Wurm, the Iago of early Verdi opera, especially apparent in the confrontation between him and Yoncheva and in his rapport with Vinogradov. Olesya Petrova is a great representation of how to do such a lot with little (to the role that is), her dark voice fitting like a glove.
In conclusion, a wonderful triumph for the Met. 9/10 Bethany Cox
