OperaNotes Review

Metropolitan Opera House

November 20, 2003
by Charlene Frank
 

LA JUIVE

Music: Fromental Halévy
Libretto: Eugene Scribe
Conductor: Marcello Viotti
Director: Gunter Kramer

Cast:
Rachel: Soile Isokoski
Eléazar: Neil Shicoff
Leopold: Eric Cutler
Cardinal Brogni: Ferruccio Furlanetto
Princess Eudoxie: Elizabeth Futral
 

The lights went down. Joseph Volpe walked onto the stage with a microphone. Everyone quietly said "oh no". He announced that Neil Shicoff had a sore throat and everyone cringed. But then he said that Mr. Shicoff wanted to perform even with his soar throat and asked us to be understanding. Neil Shicoff, with a sore throat brought tears to my eyes during "Rachel, Quand Du Seigneur". Would I have sobbed out loud if he were in perfect voice?

Fromental Halévy's 5-act La Juive was first performed in Paris in 1835. It was a tremendous international success and true French Grand Opera. Enrico Caruso's portrayal of Eléazar, was his last new (and triumphant) role at the Met. The last Met performance of La Juive was in 1936, the timing of its rebirth, given the political situation in the world, was necessary. It is a powerful work, with several historical interpretations, some of them quite questionable.

I will not review the set design other than it say it was awful. Thank goodness it was borrowed. Please Mr. Volpe, give it back and never use it again.

I will also not review the love triangle. But I will shrug off its sappiness because this is opera. We love Aida, but do we really believe that any sane woman would willingly entomb herself for love? I don't think so. Would Violetta really be so forgiving of Alfredo's father even though he wanted to ruin the best relationship she had ever had in her life? I doubt that seriously. So, in opera a rich prince can disguise himself as a poor orthodox Jew and sneak off to a Passover seder in the home of the woman he loves while his beautiful and loyal princess waits lovingly at home. I didn't even shake my head when Eléazar (Neil Shicoff) hatefully tells Cardinal Brogni (Ferruccio Furlanetto) that the daughter he lost in a fire when she was a baby is really alive, having been rescued, kidnapped and raised by a Jew. After all, I've seen Il Trovatore. Anything is possible in opera.

But this opera is more than a sappy story about love and betrayal. It is an intense a chilling work. The glee of the townspeople celebrating their holy day is transformed instantly when they become a mob and their song changes from "Te Deum" to chants of Kill the Jew. The fear on the faces of Eléazar and his daughter Rachel (Soile Isokoski) was unfortunately poignant at any time in history, including today.

When Ferruccio Furlanetto (Cardinal Brogni) stepped in to plead with the mob to forgive the Jews, because who knows, maybe their forgiveness might even make the Jews decide to become Christian, the sadness and compassion he felt was beautifully portrayed in the tones of his exquisite bass.

Soile Isokoski was very good as Rachel, not magnificent, but very good. The wealth of emotions she needed in both her voice and her acting were well done. Eric Cutler's tenor was quite good as was his interesting portrayal of the self-centered, but not villainous, Prince Leopold who although he seemed to have some idea of the pain his deception would cause people was selfish enough to keep going anyway. Elizabeth Futral's sweet soprano made people feel empathy for the deception the beautiful and kind Princess Eudoxie was going to have to endure.

Neil Shicoff was brilliant throughout the entire opera, the pinnacle being his heart wrenching "Rachel, Quand Du Seigneur". Never did he seem like Neil Shicoff playing Eléazar, he was Eléazar. Sore throat or not, this part was for him.

You know the power of an opera when you wake up in the morning and as soon as you open your eyes, you still feel the emotions you felt the night before when you were at the opera, and it continues all day. This reviewer is thrilled that Mr. Shicoff worked hard to bring this opera back to the Met. Let's hope the Met doesn't wait another 40 years to do La Juive again. Bring it back soon. Just please, forget the little flags and get a new set.

Neil Shicoff as Eleazar in Halevy's "La Juive."
Photo by Ken Howard/Metropolitan Opera