Unknown identities and secrets hamper the leaders of Genoa: The Doge and the former Doge do not realize Amelia is their kin, and revealing that calms some strife in the city-state - too late for some.
Director: Brian Large
Conductor: James Levine
Place: Genoa
The music and performances are good, as are the sets and costumes. The problem is the plot.
Politically, SB opposes JF and GA. But SB is the sire of JF's illegitimate granddaughter AG (her mother died offstage before the show began), love match with GA. That's not so tough. But the details are excruciating: AG was sent away by SB to be raised by an old nanny, who dies, and so AG wanders away, location unknown. By Act I, she somehow is an adult, living as the ward of JF, neither of them knowing they are actual kin, nor does SB know her identity. But SB & AG figure out they're father/daughter at the end of Act I Scene 1, yet decide to keep that secret; also SB doesn't know her intended is GA, his enemy. It's really all too much secrecy. And when the secrets are revealed, the enemies call an immediate truce. So perhaps there's supposed to be a moral to the story, but mine would be to write a better story. (My synopsis above had to be vague to fit the 240 character limit on IMDb. And I added the runtime.)
Cast:
SIMON BOCCANEGRA, Doge of Genoa Baritone : Vladimir Chernov
AMELIA, his daughter Soprano : Kiri Te Kanawa (Amelia Grimaldi)
JACOPO FIESCO, her grandfather Bass : Robert Lloyd
GABRIELE ADORNO, a young patrician Tenor : Plácido Domingo
PAOLO, a politician Baritone : Bruno Pola
PIETRO, another Bass : Hao Jiang Tian
Met Opera, cond. Levine; 7+
