Armida

Cast


Conductor: Riccardo Frizza

Armida: Renée Fleming

Rinaldo: Lawrence Brownlee

Goffredo: John Osborn

Gernando: José Manuel Zapata

Carlo: Barry Banks

Ubaldo: Kobie van Rensburg

My wife and I saw Armida on Saturday May 1st at the MET in NYC.  This is an opera that we had not seen previously.  I believe that this is the first time that the MET has staged this opera.  It was supposed to be the highlight of the season and a showcase for Renee Fleming, the American Diva.
 
Unfortunately, she just could not deliver vocal power, intensity and lacked in ability to soar through coloratura passages.  The real stars were Lawrence Brownlee as Rinaldo and Barry Banks as Carlo who actually played 2 roles that day.  My wife & I had the opportunity to meet another opera blogger from Romania prior to the concert,  Irina has 2 blogs that showcase opera and her notable travels around the world.  She is an avid photographer who has met meny notable performeers in person. 
 
Her blogs are at:  http://aroundtheworldwithirina.blogspot.com/ and http://angelagheorghiu.blogspot.com/