Tag: Mariusz Kwiecien

The End of an Era

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For nearly nine years, I have lived for the opera. As soon as the golden jacquard curtain would make its final descent on the Met stage in New York, I would leave the cinema dreaming about my next opera and its corresponding outfit. The passion I felt when planning my opera outings would fuel me with a year-round energy that could only be described as the ultimate adrenaline rush. Truly, it was a love affair for the ages.
Sadly, an opera friend of mine delivered some devastating news in early October: the local theater where we would go to see the Live in HD simulcasts had been stripped of its standing and would no longer be carrying the Saturday matinees.
The news, which was magnanimous in its weight, left me subdued, but not surprised; the local attendance for the broadcasts had been steadily declining over the years and I had subconsciously questioned how long the theater would continue with the act. With my lack of transportation to the next closest movie theater (almost an hour away), I considered the news as the end of an era.
But don’t despair ─ I’ve always believed that when a chapter in life closes, a new one begins. I still plan to continue sewing and blogging, albeit, it won’t necessarily be centered around opera costumes. Besides, with the Met’s trend of embracing more and more abstract, modern productions, my window for creating real costumes was becoming narrower and narrower.

In celebration of the wonderful performances I have had the pleasure of seeing over the past 9 years, I thought it would be fitting to relive some of my favorite moments from my time at the opera.

My Top 5 Favorite Opera Performances

Although these are not ranked in any particular order, there is an undisputed #1.

1. Il Trovatore ─ October 3, 2015

Dmitri Hvorostovsky and Anna Netrebko in Il Trovatore / Metropolitan Opera

What can I say ? This is the opera that started it all for me. Not only did I almost bolt out of my seat at the shocking ending (he killed his brother ?!), but I was introduced to an artform that I never dreamed I would love. Additionally, because of this performance and two of its singers, I took an interest in watching concerts from Russia’s Kultura channel on YouTube and there started to teach myself the Cyrillic alphabet, which rapidly expanded into learning the Russian language.

2. La Fanciulla del West ─ October 27, 2018

Eva Maria Westbroek and Jonas Kaufmann in La fanciulla del West / Metropolitan Opera

There was no one more wrapped up in the romance of bandit Dick Johnson and saloon owner Minnie than me. It was my first time seeing Jonas Kaufmann on the big screen and I was smitten. Once I learned of the opera’s stage origins, I bought a novel adaptation of David Belasco’s “The Girl of the Golden West” and further immersed myself in the majestic California setting. And, I loved feeling like a frontier marksman with my Stevens .22 (no, it didn’t go to the theater with me).

3. Turandot ─ February 3, 2016

Nina Stemme in Turandot / Metropolitan Opera

How could I make a compilation of my favorite performances without including at least one from Turandot ? While each of the three performances I attended had its detractors, I chose the 2016 encore performance as my favorite due to my unsuspecting nature during my original outing. It was exhilarating, spine-tingling, and stunning. The way I felt while watching the Riddle Scene unfold was something I’ll never forget.

4. Der Rosenkavalier ─ May 13, 2017

Elīna Garanča and Renée Fleming in Der Rosenkavalier / Metropolitan Opera

Okay, I’ll admit it: I was in total belief of Elīna Garanča’s masculine alter-ego in this performance. Her movements combined with her statuesque height had me turning away from the screen while watching the hot love affair between Garanča’s teenaged Octavian and Renée Fleming’s seemingly much older Marschallin. Coupled with the sentimentality of both ladies retiring their respective roles from this particular opera, one could say it was a landmark performance. Strauss’s music wasn’t so bad either.

5. Les Pêcheurs de Perles ─ January 16, 2016

Matthew Polenzani, Mariusz Kwiecien, and Diana Damrau in Les Pêcheurs de Perles / Metropolitan Opera

Choosing a Top 5 was no easy feat, but Bizet’s buried gem was a treasure. I remember seeing this as my third opera performance and decided to throw around some sophomoric clout with an elderly patron buying her ticket at the theater. “Are you going to the opera ? I’ve heard Matthew Polenzani is very good in this performance.” I airily inquired. “Well, I’ve heard Mariusz Kwiecien is very good as well !” she smartly slung back at me. The combination of dreamy music, along with a production that blended the sacred with the modern, edged this performance as one of my most memorable.

Honorable Mention

Agrippina
Ariadne auf Naxos
L’Elisir d’Amore

Toi, Toi, Toi,

Mary Martha

Roberto Devereux

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From the sextet of wives belonging the brutishly fickle Henry VIII to the bloody tug-of-war between Catholicism and Protestantism, the Tudor period in history is a meaty bone of tumult and fascination. The drama of the time must have captured Donizetti’s mind as well: his trilogy of Tudor operas is a tour-de-force for singers and a favorite haunt for acting potential. And so, here I was, at the finale of my first opera season, with the opportunity to see a spectacle of costumes and make-up prowess.

Sondra Radvanovsky in a promotional photo for Roberto Devereux / Metropolitan Opera

The buzz around this performance of Roberto Devereux was Sondra Radvanovsky’s daring run at the Tudor Triple Crown ─ she performed all three of the Donizetti Tudor queens in one season to riotous acclaim. However, I found more appeal in the light Italian strings of the overture than the flapping voice of Radvanovsky. Furthermore, the duets and trios were the hallmark in this opera, especially with the creamy-toned Elīna Garanča and the drama surrounding her character (caught between her husband and her forbidden love for the Queen’s favorite suitor).

  • Elīna Garanča as Sara, Duchess of Nottingham in Roberto Devereux / Metropolitan Opera
  • Mariusz Kwiecień as the Duke of Nottingham and Matthew Polenzani in the title role in Donizetti’s Roberto Devereux/Metropolitan Opera.

More than anticipated, the make-up was sensational, undoubtedly its very best on Sondra Radvanovsky’s aged Elizabeth. The perfectly coiffed paprika peruke was doffed at the opera’s end to reveal a withering white fray of “natural” hair that was a remarkable feat of theatrical trickery.

Sondra Radvanovsky as Queen Elizabeth in Roberto Devereux / Metropolitan Opera

Moving onto the costumes, I knew this opera would feature extremely intricate pieces that were beyond my scope of sewing skills. I did, after all, just teach myself to sew almost 6 weeks earlier for when I needed an outfit for Madame Butterfly. What was I to do ? An offhanded observation of Tudor portraits easily pointed out the garment of ubiquity, the ruff. Oh, yes, I MUST have a ruff, but a different kind of ruff… “Tudor Couture on the Cheap !”

Queen Elizabeth I

Something that was crafty and unique was in order and the first thing I wanted to tweak was the color of the ruff. Instead of a glaring white starched collar, I imagined a more earthy accessory to compliment the neutral colors of the outfit I had planned to wear. Configuring the ruff was crucial: who would want to wear an all encompassing collar, especially when sitting in one of the high backed chairs of the theater ? No, that wouldn’t do. Rather, I opted for an open ruff, one that swooped around the back neckline and left the chest exposed.

Much better.

Now for the construction… Since sewing was out of the question, I devised a plan to use a large cardboard pizza round and cut away part of the front for the neck and chest opening, which worked well. But the most extraordinary feature of the ruff was the actual “ruffle” material: unbleached coffee filters ! With their curly edges and cost effective efficiency, the coffee filters were perfect when artfully folded and glued onto the pizza round. Both the top and bottom of the cardboard round were layered with the filters and attached using hot glue. All that was left was to glue two inward facing clothespins to the undersides of the ruff near the front points and I now had an accessory worthy of the Tudors.

Alas, I misjudged the back protrusion ─ throughout the day in the theater, I was forced to sit with my head bent downward and forward because of the ruff’s extended back edge. By the curtain call, I had a crick in my neck.

With my first opera season in the books, I unclipped the paper ruff and admired its beauty and ingenuity… but not its discomfort.

Toi, Toi, Toi,

Mary Martha

Cast and Credits:

Roberto Devereux ─ Gaetano Donizetti (1837)
Live in HD air date: April 16, 2016

Cast:
Queen Elizabeth ─ Sondra Radvonovsky
Roberto Devereux ─ Matthew Polenzani
Sara, Duchess of Nottingham ─ Elīna Garanča
Duke of Nottingham ─ Mariusz Kwiecien

Credits:
Conductor ─ Maurizio Benini
Production ─ Sir David McVicar
Set Designer ─ Sir David McVicar
Costume Designer ─ Moritz Junge
Lighting Designer ─ Paule Constable
Choreographer ─ Leah Hausman
Live in HD Director ─ Gary Halvorson
Host ─ Deborah Voigt

L'Elisir d'Amore

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Love potions and promises of love. A snookered bumpkin, a wealthy proprietress, and… a bottle of Bordeaux ? Rife with hijinks and hilarity, it’s hard not to love Donizetti’s bubbly comedy. As a part of the Met’s “Summer Encores” series, the biggest draw to this past performance of L’Elisir d’Amore was its stellar cast. And therefore, the decision to make the long trip to a distant theater to see Anna Netrebko and Matthew Polenzani perform was an easy one.

Anna Netrebko and Matthew Polenzani in L’Elisir d’Amore / Metropolitan Opera

Did I mention that L’Elisir was funny ? So hilarious was Matthew Polenzani’s “drunk” scene that I was half bent out of my seat, cackling with laughter. The sweat that poured from Nemorino’s brow as he danced around the town square with his magic “elixir of love” was enough to fill a bucket ! Surreptitiously, Matthew Polenzani dropped to the floor in an act of pleading desperation while furtively taking the moment to wipe his perspiring hands (and nearly his drenched head !) on the stationary skirt of Anna Netrebko’s lingering Adina ─ a clever improvisation. Too bad the snooty people in the theater could not see the comedy of the ruse… they barely chuckled ! Stiff crowd, but nothing could spoil my amusement.

Anna Netrebko as Adina and Matthew Polenzani as Nemorino in L’Elisir d’Amore / Metropolitan Opera

I should say that amid all the chicanery and cavorting, the opera ended in the manner in which all comedies must wrap: with a wedding and a happy outcome ! No one ever weeps by the end of a Donizetti bel canto romp.

Anna Netrebko as Adina, Mariusz Kwiecien as Belcore, and Ambrogio Maestri as Dulcamara in L’Elisir d’Amore / Metropolitan Opera

Adina, the opera’s heroine, is a wealthy landowner in the Basque region of France. In Bartlett Sher’s entertaining (and characteristically quirky) production, her attire consists of a peasant blouse, underbust corset, skirt, crop jacket with tails, and occasional top hat.

Mariusz Kwiecien as Belcore and Anna Netrebko as Adina in L’Elisir d’Amore / Metropolitan Opera

While the underbust corset and top hat were out of the question with such short notice, I felt I could pull together a knock-off look with garments I already had in my closets… and so I did ! The coral crinkle skirt has been in my mother’s closet for ages… who would have thought that it would be perfectly suitable for Adina ? And although my brown shawl can’t claim to be a crop jacket with tails, it certainly added to the coordinating color scheme of the model outfit worn in the opera.

But the real story belongs to the sashed blouse…

In 2004, my mother and I were bridesmaids in my aunt’s Colorado wedding where we wore matching peach satin skirts and ivory blouses with pearl buttons. Even as the years have passed, the two identical blouses have remained burrowed deep in our closets. Unsurprisingly, my original child’s blouse no longer fits… that is, unless I wanted to dress like Britney Spears from her “…Baby One More Time” music video.

Britney Spears in her “…Baby One More Time” music video

Maybe some other time…

For now, my mother’s blouse fits me fine and recalls to mind memories of my aunt’s autumn wedding day in Steamboat Springs. Here’s what the blouse looked like when paired with the peach skirt:

Look, 303 ! Doesn’t this bring back memories ?

A bridesmaid’s blouse worn as a costume to the opera ? That almost sounds like a crafty trick from L’Elisir d’Amore !

Toi, Toi, Toi,

Mary Martha

Cast and Credits:

L’Elisir d’Amore ─ Gaetano Donizetti (1832)
Live in HD air date: October 13, 2012
(Encore seen: June 29, 2016)

Cast:
Adina ─ Anna Netrebko
Nemorino ─ Matthew Polenzani
Belcore ─ Mariusz Kwiecien
Dulcamara ─ Ambrogio Maestri

Credits:
Conductor ─ Maurizio Benini
Production ─ Bartlett Sher
Set Designer ─ Michael Yeargan
Costume Designer ─ Catherine Zuber
Lighting Designer ─ Jennifer Tipton
Live in HD Director ─ Gary Halvorson
Host ─ Deborah Voigt

Les Pêcheurs de Perles

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Set in a modern day Ceylon, the Met’s new revival of Bizet’s Les Pêcheurs de Perles was a delightfully exotic romance of uncharacteristic story standards. Penny Woolcock’s production perfectly mingled the secular with the sacred, the grime with the gilt, and enchanted me from start to finish.
The shanty fishing village with its rickety cardboard and tin hovels added a realistic element to the production as did the mix of costumes on the chorus members: while some were dressed in filthy baseball caps and torn overshirts, others bedecked themselves in saris and turbans, just as Southeast Asian tradition dictates.

A scene from Bizet’s Les Pêcheurs de Perles / Metropolitan Opera

This opera was a beautiful escape from start to finish. The music perfumed the theater and left a trailing scent as the curtain descended. I especially loved the enchanting tenor/baritone duet, “Au fond du temple saint”.

Matthew Polenzani and Mariusz Kwiecien sing an excerpt from “Au fond du temple saint” / Metropolitan Opera

While the romance of The Pearl Fishers may have started as a typical opera love triangle, the ending was anything but conventional: the man who kept his promise and was faithful to his honor lost everything and the traitorous one, escaping death with the defiled priestess, made out like a bandit. All elements combined, I loved this opera so much that I went to see the encore showing the following Wednesday.

Diana Damrau as Leïla in Les Pêcheurs de Perles / Metropolitan Opera

My outfit is one crafted from my closet. Modeling in front of my bedroom mirror, I experimented with different scarves and skirts to come up with an Indian subcontinent look.
Layer upon layer the outfit built itself into a makeshift “sari” that was instantly recognizable by its onlookers. (Weeks after The Pearl Fishers encore, I once again stepped into the far off theater location for the encore showing of Turandot. There I was greeted with inquisitive queries from strangers of vague familiarity: “Were you the one dressed as the Indian the last time ?”)

Of course, I knew I needed to accessorize with gobs of pearls in every shape and size, but also rings of topaz and bangles of gold. The crowning touch was my matha patti headpiece, which was reworked from a cheap, broken necklace.

I think my favorite aspects of this outfit are the ones that came from far away lands ─ the teal and aqua fringed pashmina wrap was bartered at a local market in Afghanistan while the cowrie shell necklace traveled from Tanzania (thank you, Uncle Kim, for the precious gifts !). Just think ─ the shells around my neck came from the Indian Ocean, just like the pearls in the opera !

Toi, Toi, Toi,

Mary Martha

Cast and Credits:

Les Pêcheurs de Perles ─ Georges Bizet (1863)
Live in HD air date: January 16, 2016

Cast:
Leïla ─ Diana Damrau
Nadir ─ Matthew Polenzani
Zurga ─ Mariusz Kwiecien
Nourabad ─ Nicolas Testé

Credits:
Conductor ─ Gianandrea Noseda
Production ─ Penny Woolcock
Set Designer ─ David Bird
Costume Designer ─ Kevin Pollard
Lighting Designer ─ Jen Schriever
Projection Design ─ Fifty Nine Productions
Live in HD Director ─ Matthew Diamond
Host ─ Patricia Racette