![\"Anja](\"http:\/\/www.musicalamerica.com\/mablogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/whHarterosTerfelTosca.jpg\")
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By ANDREW POWELL MUNICH \u2014 When Anja Harteros<\/a> was singing her first Toscas three seasons ago, it was clear she had the vocal resources for the role, and the Mediterranean temperament. Even so, the portrayal didn\u2019t quite compute.<\/p>\n Enter Bryn Terfel<\/a>, a Scarpia to rattle the aloofest, longest-legged of prima donnas. And Jonas Kaufmann<\/a>, trusted stage buddy, sweet Cavaradossi. Now the diva\u2019s doubt, fear, passion and rage turn on the instant, her slashing knife grip extending a ferrous will.<\/p>\n Harteros fairly lived the part July 1 here at the National Theater<\/a>, teamed as she must have wanted and apparently undeterred by Luc Bondy<\/a>\u2019s clunky 2009 stage conception. Warm chest tones and creamy highs, floated or hurled, came into thrilling dramatic focus this time around. Illica and Giacosa\u2019s words made inexorable sense, the Attavanti canvas and Terfel\u2019s guts sure targets.<\/p>\n The tenor, too, had a great night: astutely colored phrases, gleaming top notes, a clarion but unexaggerated Vittoria!<\/em> For once, E lucevan le stelle<\/em> emerged as spontaneous thought, always in Kaufmann\u2019s wonderfully lucid Italian.<\/p>\n If the mighty Welshman sounded a smidgen less opulent of voice than in previous Munich Scarpias, his characterization was as potent as ever, and his savoring of Puccini\u2019s lines most enjoyable.<\/p>\n The snag, alas, was Kirill Petrenko<\/a>\u2019s conducting. Forceful and weighty, it never felt rooted in the language it was supposedly driving. Still, a terrific night for the Munich Opera Festival<\/a>, and nowhere more refined than during Io de\u2019 sospiri<\/em> as sung by the T\u00f6lzer Knabenchor<\/a>\u2019s uncredited soloist.<\/p>\n Photo \u00a9 Wilfried H\u00f6sl<\/p>\n Related posts:
Published: July 17, 2016<\/span><\/p>\n
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