Giovanni Meoni Makes MET Debut

Giovanni Meoni will make his Met debut singing the role of Ezio in the premiere of Verdi's Attila, tomorrow evening, replacing Carlos Alvarez, who is ill.

Meoni has sung in many of the most important Italian opera houses including Venice's La Fenice and the Rome Opera, as well as in Hamburg, Berlin, Vienna, and Moscow. He has previously sung the role of Ezio in Bari.

Attila is conducted by Riccardo Muti in his Met debut. The production is by Pierre Audi, with set and costume designs by Miuccia Prada and Herzog & de Meuron and lighting design by Jean Kalman. The cast stars Ildar Abdrazakov in the title role, with Violeta Urmana as Odabella and Ramón Vargas as Foresto.

Champion of the Verdian tradition Riccardo Muti makes his Met debut with one of the composer's rousing early operas. This story of civilization's encounter with barbarism is explored in a new production by director Pierre Audi. Some of the brightest lights in contemporary design, including Miuccia Prada and the architecture team of Jacques Herzog & Pierre de Meuron (the 2008 Beijing Olympics "Bird's Nest" stadium), have created the costumes and scenery. "Our approach is to stay very close to the descriptions supported by Verdi: destruction, rubble, lagoon, forest, darkness-all in a very naturalistic way," explain Herzog & de Meuron. Ildar Abdrazakov sings the title role, joined by Violeta Urmana, Ramón Vargas, and Carlos Alvarez.

 

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