Page 29 - AT

A29
PEOPLE & ARTS Friday 28 december 2018

Anna and Anita star in epic opera rivalry

By MIKE SILVERMAN jealous of them and want-
Associated Press ing that person to disap-
NEW YORK (AP) — The fire- pear from my life, but not
works start early this New die.
Year’s Eve at the Metro- AP: The climax of the op-
politan Opera, where two era comes in Act 3 after
jealous divas locked in a Adriana learns her rival’s
deadly rivalry will be setting identity. She recites a
off sparks in a new produc- monologue from Racine’s
tion of Francesco Cilea’s ‘Phedre’ and — just as she
“Adriana Lecouvreur.” reaches the final line about
Russian soprano Anna a shameless adulteress —
Netrebko stars as the title she points her finger at the
character, loosely based Principessa. Does Adriana
on a real-life 18th-century realize she’s risking her life
French actress. Anita Rach- when she does this?
velishvili, a mezzo-soprano Netrebko: I think at that
from the Republic of Geor- moment she doesn’t think
gia, plays the evil Principes- anything. She just comes
sa di Bouillon. The women into this kind of trance of
compete for the dashing speaking this. It’s just com-
Maurizio and, in keeping ing out for her, all this en-
with legend, the Principes- ergy because of the stress
sa dispatches Adriana by of what happened a few
sending her a bouquet of minutes before.
poisoned violets. In this 2018 photo, Ambrogio Maestri, from left, as Michonnet, Anita Rachvelishvili as the Princess of Rachvelishvili: As some-
The David McVicar produc- Bouillon, and Anna Netrebko as Adriana Lecouvreur perform during a rehearsal of the Metropolitan one who sits there onstage
tion, which also stars tenor Opera’s new production of “Adriana Lecouvreur,” which opens New Year’s Eve, Dec. 31, 2018, at and listens to her, it is very
Piotr Beczala as Maurizio, the Metropolitan Opera in New York. emotional, very beautiful,
will be broadcast live in HD Associated Press and that’s the most dif-
to movie theaters world- AP: What’s it like playing ro- bad, she’s a cold-blooded how I’m going to do it be- ficult moment for me to
wide on Jan. 12. mantic rivals when you’re killer. cause it’s not in me at all. be hating her. And this re-
“Adriana” marks the sec- friends off-stage? Netrebko: But it’s so cool. Amneris could be me as ally happened. She came
ond time this season the Rachvelishvili: Knowing Rachvelishvili: Yeah, it’s a person. Because I could to the party and insulted
divas have squared off at Anna, how she is as a per- really cool to play. And I hate someone who takes the Principessa in front of
the Met over their love for son, it’s very difficult to look was thinking a lot about my man, and you know be everybody.q
the same man. In Verdi’s at her with the hate the
“Aida,” Netrebko sang the Principessa must look at
title role, while Rachvelish- her with. I think we are both
vili portrayed the Egyptian emotional people so that
princess Amneris. The Asso- helps a lot.
ciated Press sat down with Netrebko: We both love
them following a rehearsal music, we’re passionate
last week, and here are ed- about what we’re doing,
ited excerpts from the con- we have experience on
versation: the stage and we love our
AP: You had never ap- work.
peared together before AP: What are the differing
this season, but you’ve challenges of the two op-
known each other awhile. eras?
How did you meet? Netrebko: Aida for me is
Netrebko: I first saw Anita very hard. Vocally it’s a
when she was rehearsing killer. And her personality is
for her first-ever ‘Carmen’ not very interesting. I mean,
at La Scala. She was a I did what I could from that.
baby (25 years old, in 2009), But Adriana is more act-
with a very grown-up voice ing, of course, more fun for
and an already grown-up me personally, and there’s
personality artistically. more scenes together, the
Rachvelishvili: Of course I big fighting.
knew who she was, and Rachvelishvili: In ‘Aida’
she comes in and I was there’s not that much hate
shocked. I was like, oh my between them. Amneris
god, Anna Netrebko is in loves her as a sister, it’s just
my rehearsal. It was a really that something comes be-
beautiful feeling because tween them (their rivalry for
I was a student who was Radames) and she never
starting. Now after just nine wants her to die, it just hap-
years of my career I’m here pens and that’s all. But in
singing next to her. I have ‘Adriana,’ my character
to be a lucky person. is really mean, she’s really