Diana Damrau and Juan Diego Flórez star in La Fille du Régiment, Donizetti's comedy about the tough-hearted young woman who was rescued and raised by the 21st regiment of the French army, and her romance with a hapless soldier-suitor. Flórez returns to his triumphant portrayal of Tonio of two seasons ago, when he electrified audiences and was hailed as the "new hero of the high C's" by Newsweek. He garnered a rare, on-the-spot encore of his aria "Pour mon âme," which the New York Times called "one of those thrilling moments that opera impresarios live for." Kiri Te Kanawa returns to perform her first role at the Met in twelve years, taking on the comic part of the Duchess of Krakenthorp. Maurizio Muraro sings his first Sergeant Sulpice at the Met, and Meredith Arwady makes her Met role debut as the Marquise of Berkenfield. Laurent Pelly's 2008 production, his Met debut, was hailed by the New York Times as "one of the hottest tickets of the Met's season." Pelly also designed the costumes, and the sets are by ChantAl Thomas. Joël Adam designed the lighting, and choreography is by Laura Scozzi. Performances run through February 22.
About the Performers
Diana Damrau, who sings the role of Marie for the first time at the Met, received wide acclaim for the two roles she added to her Met repertoire last season: Gilda in Rigoletto and the title role of Lucia di Lammermoor, which she sang for the first time anywhere. Damrau made her Met debut in 2005 in the brilliant coloratura role of Zerbinetta in Strauss's Ariadne auf Naxos. The German soprano has since appeared with the company as Rosina in Bartlett Sher's 2006 new production of IL Barbiere di Siviglia and as Aithra in the 2007 new production of Richard Strauss's Die Ägyptische Helena. Also in 2007, she became the first soprano in Met history to appear as both Pamina and the Queen of the Night in Mozart's Die Zauberflöte in the same season. In 2008, Damrau performed the demanding role of Konstanze in Mozart's Die Entführung aus dem Serail at the Met. Earlier this season, Damrau reprised her role as Rosina in IL Barbiere di Siviglia, and on January 24 she appeared as soloist with the MET Orchestra and Music Director James Levine at Carnegie Hall in a concert that included Strauss lieder and the aria "Grossmächtige Prinzessin" from Ariadne auf Naxos.
Tenor Juan Diego Flórez made his Met role debut as Tonio in the 2008 premiere, a role the New York Times hailed for his "bull's-eye high C's fired off with parade-ground panache." The production was transmitted live in HD. Flórez made his Met debut in 2002 as Almaviva, a role he reprised in the Met's 2006 hit new production of IL Barbiere di Siviglia, featured live in HD. Flórez followed his Met debut with two more Rossini roles: Don Ramiro in La Cenerentola and Lindoro in L'Italiana in Algeri. He starred as Ernesto in the 2006 new production of Donizetti's Don Pasquale. Last season, the Peruvian tenor was seen as Elvino in Mary Zimmerman's new production of La Sonnambula, transmitted live in HD.
New Zealand soprano Kiri Te Kanawa gained legendary status almost overnight following her sensational debut as the Countess in Le Nozze di Figaro at the Royal Opera, Covent Garden in 1971. Te Kanawa made her Met debut when, on extremely short notice, she sang the role of Desdemona in Otello in a 1974 Saturday matinee performance that was also broadcast live, a surprise appearance that proved a huge success. Te Kanawa last appeared at the Met as the Countess in the 1998 company premiere of Capriccio. Other notable roles at the Met include Fiordiligi in a 1982 new production of Così fan tutte, the title role in a 1983 new production of Arabella, and Rosalinde in a 1986 new production of Die Fledermaus. Her Met repertoire also includes the Marschallin in Der Rosenkavalier, the Philistine Woman/Israelite Woman in Handel's Samson, Amelia in a 1995 new production of Simon Boccanegra, Violetta in La Traviata, Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni, and the Countess in Le Nozze di Figaro.
