Roberto Alagna

8 January (#1) ♫ 7:25 pm (i.e. 9 January 1:25 am CET)

13 January (#2) ♫ 12:30 pm (i.e. 18:30 CET) 

29 January (#6) ♫ 7:25 pm (i.e. 30 January 1:25 am CET)

Press Review 

✪ REVIEWS - CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA / PAGLIACCI The Metropolitan Opera | " Roberto Alagna shines and plays both tenor leads with commitment and brightly shining tone, effortless and ringing voice, envied facility on stage. His 'Vesti la Giubba' is tip-top. Alagna brings an array of vocal colours with his customary, commanding vocal ease"

New York Classical Review - Eric Simpson - January 2018 

❝ Alagna and Kurzak make Met’s devastating “Pagliacci” a night to remember ❞ 

EXCERPT: "Vocally, this was the most compelling Cavalleria at the Met since the production’s 2015 debut. Roberto Alagna, taking on both lead tenor roles in this run, was in fine voice Monday night—his sound is firm and focused, and there is still a forceful power to his singing, even though he seemed to be saving his energy for Pagliacci. The Pagliacci has been the stronger partner in every iteration of the McVicar production, but in the Monday showing it reached new heights. The cast gave a taut, gripping rendition of the piece that ranks among the most emotionally devastating performances I have ever seen at the Met.

There are few actors as convincing than Roberto Alagna on the operatic stage when truly invested in the drama. From the moment he made his first entrance, there was a lively energy about him. “Vesti la giubba,” the desperate aria that closes the first act, was rich in pathos, conveying through its driving phrases the intense sorrow of a broken man. Many facets combined to make Alagna’s vividly human take on the character difficult to watch. Violent, abusive, jealous, and drunk, he earned sympathy nonetheless: deeply flawed but also deeply wounded, his Canio is the perfect antihero, making us hate his actions even while we feel his grief almost as our own. As much as his overt acts of violence were terrifying, he found powerful moments in nuance, as well—his defiant “No, Pagliaccio non son” thrilled with a deep, roiling passion. Aleksandra Kurzak and Alagna are partners offstage as well as on, and there is a clear, natural chemistry between them." 

Operawire - Francisco Salazar -  January 2018

❝A triumph for Roberto Alagna, a virtuoso tenor in stellar form, an incredible actor. His 'Vesti la Giubba' was a masterclass in how to sing verismo❞ 

EXCERPT: "The tenor came on stage with his usual elegance and grace giving Turiddu somewhat of a sympathetic air. He is an artist that pours every emotion into his work. In his duet with Santuzza he sang with an ardent tone and powerful high notes. [...] In his exchanges with Lola, the tone gained a softer feel and a flirtatious nature. In his drinking song, Alagna moved about with swagger singing each line with delight. Then in his confrontation with Alfio, Alagna returned to that cocky air that seemed in control. [...] His “Mamma, quel vino e generoso” stopped the show. Alagna sang with desperation each time embracing his Mamma Lucia, Jane Bunnell, trying not to let go. His timbre gained weight as the aria also gained momentum and one felt Turiddu’s torment with his final “Addio.”

If his Turiddu was hot-headed, Alagna’s Canio was a jealous drunk from the onset. From the moment he walked on stage, Alagna’s Canio was charismatic but also dangerous. At one moment a chorister looked at his Nedda and this Canio jumped off the car going after him. [...] But rather than being an uncontrollable clown, Alagna seemed to internalize his desperation. With the simple act of grabbing her by the neck during his “No, Pagliaccio non so,” this Canio showed the violence he could do against Nedda without overdoing the physicality. [...] Alagna sang with a full voice that expressed every emotion of despair and jealousy the character needs to make the scene visceral and emotional.

“Vesti la Giubba” was a masterclass in how to sing verismo. Alagna never over emoted any line or tried to overemphasize or stretch any musical phrase. The exaggeration accentuations we often hear in this style were virtually absent, Alagna opted for more of a bel canto approach. It was his vocal phrasing from his pianissimi to his fortes that made the aria work. Additionally, his approach to the text allowed audiences to understand what this character was going through in this moment. Alagna, an incredible actor, took the curtain and wiped the character’s tears with it. Overall this was a triumph for Alagna!"

Bachtrack - Isabella Steppan - January 2018 

"Roberto Alagna, in absolute great form, impresses in Cav/Pag at the Met. An all passion verismo-matinee" 

EXCERPT (translated from German): "Unquestionably, Roberto Alagna - with a voice more juicy and fresh than ever - was brilliant in both operas. With a powerful emission, endless notes, bombproof high range and differentiated dynamic, he was certainly the highlight of the afternoon. Vocally, his characterization of Turiddu is not so much a macho seducer as a loving son, victim, and torn apart by the situation. Especially in his duet with Santuzza, he consequently opts for softer and more empathic colors, which clearly underlines that it is by no means the intention of this Turiddu to treat Santuzza bad.

OperaLively - Luiz Gazzola - January 2018

"Roberto Alagna sang both roles elegantly, with an attractive timbre of voice and a greatly convincing acting " 

EXCERPT: "Singing was overall better than the last time I saw these two operas at the Met. [...] I always liked very much Roberto's timbre of voice and his acting was more convincing [...] He sang both roles elegantly, and like he explained to me backstage after the show  had to pace himself because it is not easy to do this double bill. [...] All things considered, singing gets an average of A+, with Aleksandra and Roberto pushing the average up."

Vogue - Hamish Bowles - January 2018 

Opera News - Joshua Rosenblum - January 2018

And after

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