Stemme returns to Metropolitan Opera

New York: Nina Stemme returned to the Metropolitan Opera for the first time since her debut run nearly a decade ago, and sang a radiant performance in a charming revival of Strauss` "Ariadne auf Naxos."The Swedish soprano has made her mark in Wagner — her only previous Met appearances were as Senta. Her Ariadne on Thursday night showed off both glimmering high notes and a powerful, honey-filled lower register, holding together a cast that despite the absence of top-rank stars combined for an entertaining night. "Ariadne," nearing the 100th anniversary of the 1916 premiere of its settled version, has quite a humorous premise concocted by librettist Hugo von Hofmannsthal. The richest man in Vienna is hosting a party and has hired two sets of musicians to entertain his guests: a dramatic opera company and an Italian commedia dell`arte troupe. To get both performances done in time for fireworks, the host instructs his Major Domo to command that both works will be performed simultaneously, much to the dismay of the singers and the opera Composer. British mezzo-soprano Sarah Connolly sang the pants role of the panicked composer, a role that requires as much attention to acting as to voice. After initially panicking at the loopy demands of the host, with the help of the Music Master (Jochen Schmeckenbecher), she finds a way to cope. The prologue, showing the backstage maneuverings, is dominated by the Composer. Then comes the performance, in which Ariadne and Zerbinetta, the dell`arte coquette, have to coexist on the same stage. Kathleen Kim, Olympia in December`s new production of Offenbach`s "Les Contes d`Hoffmann (The Tales of Hoffmann)," was given her second coloratura star turn of the season. While small in stature, Kim has a big, agile coloratura voice that sparkled in "Grossmaechtige Prinzessin (Most gracious Princess)." Still, she couldn`t quite match the combination of charm and vocal accomplishment of some of her recent Met predecessors in the role, Natalie Dessay and Diana Damrau. Bacchus was the evening`s difficult point. Lance Ryan, who was to sing the role, got sick. His replacement, Michael Hendrick, sang despite a cold and had difficulty hitting high notes. Kirill Petrenko, who also conducted the 2005 revival, led a sumptuous account of the score, perhaps quickening the pace as Hendrick had trouble in the closing love duet. Elijah Moshinsky`s 1993 production, with sets and costumes by Michael Yeargan, remains light and bright. While it was recorded on video in 2003 with Deborah Voigt, Dessay and Susanne Mentzer, it has never aired on television or been commercially released. Bureau Report