One word to describe the premiere of “Iolanta” and “Bluebeard’s Castle” at the Metropolitan Opera on Thursday: Arresting — and in more ways than one.
It goes for the pro-Ukrainian activist who hopped onto the stage in protest as star soprano Anna Netrebko and the cast were cheered for performances in “Iolanta,” conducted by Valery Gergiev.
The protester unfolded a sign likening Russian president Vladimir Putin to Adolf Hilter and displayed it to the Met audience. Then he turned and showed it to Netrebko. She and Gergiev, who are Russian, have previously come under fire for their support of Putin.
The protester “was immediately apprehended by Met security and arrested,” the Met noted in a statement. “The company has increased security for future performances.”
The disruption was but a minor hiccup in a robustly sung and evocatively designed pair of intimate one-act operas with overlapping themes of lightness and darkness. The double bill brought a “Twilight Zone” vibe to the Met.
In Tchaikovsky’s “Iolanta,” Netrebko’s titular heroine can’t see but doesn’t know even she’s blind — or what that means — thanks to machinations by a father determined to keep her in the dark. Creepy, no? The young woman literally and figuratively sees the light thanks to an ardent knight played by Polish tenor Piotr Beczala.
After a rather low-watt start, Netrebko shows what makes her a star. And her late duet with Beczala, a thrilling performer who makes it all seem effortless, is rousing as it is brilliant. And Russian baritone Aleksei Markov merits mention. He’s excellent at the knight’s best friend.
In Bartok’s grim two-character “Bluebeard’s Castle,” drawn from a blood-streaked fairy tale, the spouse-murdering title character indulges his curious wife Judith’s desire to see every room in his haunt. No good comes of it. But performances by German soprano Nadja Michael, as Judith, and Russian bass Mikhail Petrenko as her Bluebeard are very good.
Both one-acts, co-productions of the Met and Teatr Wielki-Polish National Opera, are enhanced by director Mariusz Trelinski’s striking visions. Overlapping images of flowers, deer and bare light bulbs link the stand-alone works and give a cohesive feel.
jdziemianowicz@nydailynews.com
