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Interview: How to Make a Cad—BUTTERFLY’s Pinkerton—Appealing, According to Jonathan Tetelman
It’s a big season at the Met for tenor Jonathan Tetelman—born in Chile, raised in New Jersey—and he’s taking every advantage of it. He’s come to town with a reputation as a Puccini specialist (not that there’s anything wrong with that). How does he feel about that?
“Well, I basically built my voice on Puccini repertoire. I’ve taken it as a gift because he’s a great writer for my voice.” His debut at the Met in March was in LA RONDINE but he’s looking forward to showing off more of his dramatic chops with Pinkerton in MADAMA BUTTERFLY, starting this week, because there’s more 'there' there.
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Review: John Adams’s EL NINO Finally Arrives at the Met After World Travels
Back in December, I saw the chamber version of John Adams’s EL NINO—dubbed EL NINO: NATIVITY RECONSIDERED—at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. Pared down to its essence, it was wonderful, starred two of the singers who made their debuts in the premiere at the Met, soprano Julia Bullock and bass-baritone Davone Tines plus countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo, who were at their best. It was a somber evening in a dramatic setting—a far cry from the oratorio/opera’s over-the-top welcome to Lincoln Center last night, in Lileana Blain-Cruz’s production that made me wonder what Franco Zeffirelli might have done with it. Think the Parisian throngs in Act II of the Met’s LA BOHEME (which, of course, is one of the Met’s most popular productions with audiences).
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