London and the Season: Netrebko and Grigolo

When you read about London ,you sometimes come across comments about The Season, that period in late May and all of June, when London comes alive with social activities. It all sounds a bit Edwardian in this day and age, but it still goes on today and is centered around the races at Ascot, crew races at Hendley, and of course tennis at Winbledon. There is also a very fine short opera season at Covent Garden, and last Sunday I heard a the debut of a great new tenor. His name is Vittorio Grigolo. a very handsome 32 year old from Arezzo, Italy. I was pleased to read he was from Arezzo, as that is the neighboring city to Cortona, where USC had a wonderful opera program for a number of years. Also, it is the birthplace of Guido of Arezzo...remember Guido's Hand from music theory class! (he is the father of modern music notation). Grigolo stunned the audience as Des Grieux in "Manon" by Massenet, first of all as he was virtually unknown, and what was known was that he writes popular Italian lovesongs very successfully, and of course records them. His Manon was no less than Anna Netrebko, the hottest ticket in opera in Europe. I went with some misgivings, as the times I have heard her I felt she was very uneven, with a sometimes sloppy regard for accuracy and rhythm. The fact that she is drop-dead beautiful and you can't take eyes away from her on stage, such is her charsima, is a given. In this role she was magnificent, and she had cleaned up her musicianship to an entirely new level. She literally threw herself into this role, where she begins as a 16 year old off to a convent school, continues on as a runaway to be with her first love, abandons him to become the mistress of the wealthiest man in Paris, gambles away everything in a casino and ends up dying in the gutter. Fabulous role! As for Grigolo,he plays the ardent young rich boy gone wrong to the hilt. He was by terns lovestruck, petulant, hysterical, repentant,and at the end, heartbroken by his own willfulness. Fabulous role! To say we were all swept away is an understatement.I continue to be impressed with Antonio Pappano, the wonderful music director of Covent Garden, who has lifted everything up tremendously. Can you believe a first class seat at Covent Garden runs to about 350. these days. Considering all else, and the limited time I have to experience these treats, its worth every penny.