Anna Netrebko Dominates or Give the Girl Her Props

I went to see I Puritani twice last week because once just didn't do it for me. All said and done I must give the Soprano her props. The first reason being (1#) Anyone who attempts to do anything that Callas did deserves their props and (#2) Anyone intelligent enough to try to sing and revive this beautiful opera deserves their props.

Although at times I thought Netrebko wasnt going to make it through certain scenes, a stretta here, or the sextet there, she pulled through if not sometimes just by the skin of her teeth. There was a moment when you sensed panic had set in when she turned her back to the audience to regroup and then turned around and sang the high note...nevertheless she soldiered on. On her aria Son vergin vezzosa, she missed a few notes in the glissando scale downward but if you don't know the score you would not know it. On her aria Qui la voce she took a breath each time in the middle of the line O rendetemi la speme, which was totally annoying being that that is the most beautiful line in the opera...but better to take an untraditional educated breath than completely destroy the line. Anyway, I am not quite sure that Elvira is hers. The voice has a beautiful dark color - but - it is small. And while I am hoping for a Sonnambula or a Lucia out of her, I definately do not look for a Norma.

Anna Netrebko is Anna Moffo revisited. She should follow Anna Moffo's career repertoire and make sure they don't push her too hard and make her sing too many big roles. To try to take on everything Callas did would be a mistake for her.

Overall, Netrebko leaves you full at the end of the opera - not empty. She gives you something to chew on and she deserves her props.