Cav @ the Met 2009

 

 

Cura Stars In RUSTICANA And PAGLIACCI At The MET 3/19   by BWW News Desk Two star tenors, Roberto Alagna and José Cura, take on the challenge of singing the lead roles in both Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana and Leoncavallo's Pagliacci when the classic double-bill returns to the Met's repertory...José Cura  sings both Turiddu and Canio, the latter for the first time at the Met, beginning March 30. He is joined by Ildikó Komlósi in her first Met appearances as Santuzza and by Ambrogio Maestri as Tonio for the final four performances; Vasili Ladyuk sings the role of Silvio at the March 30 performance only. The rest of the cast remains the same as in earlier performances. Pietro Rizzo, who is making his Met debut, conducts all the performances, which run through April 10. About the performers […] With Turiddu, José Cura returns to the role of his Met debut, which he made on opening night of the 1999-2000 season; Canio is a company role debut for him. The Argentinian tenor has appeared in two other operas at the Met, as Cavaradossi in Tosca and as Samson in Saint-Saëns's Samson et Dalila. Next season, Cura sings the title role in Verdi's Stiffelio, which returns to the Met after an absence of 12 years. Elsewhere this season he sings Calàf in Turandot at the Royal Opera, Covent Garden, and the Zurich Opera, as well as Stiffelio, Cavaradossi, and Don José at the Vienna State Opera. In addition, Cura, who originally trained as a conductor, leads performances of La Rondine at Bologna's Teatro Comunale.   Cav & Pag at the Met   AP / Ronald Blum NEW YORK (AP) — Double duty in Leoncavallo's  Cavalleria Rusticana and Mascagni's  Pagliacci has become common at the Metropolitan Opera. Before this year, the only tenors to sing both "Cav" and "Pag" leads at the same Met performance were Kurt Baum, Placido Domingo, Frederick Jagel, Salvatore Licitra, Ermanno Mauro and Thomas Salignac. Now both Roberto Alagna and José Cura have performed the verismo doubleheader in the very same month. Cura is not ideal but is far closer, with a baritonial timbre but a big bright side. He combined for thrilling duets with mezzo-soprano Ildiko Komlosi (Santuzza) in  Cavalleria ...