Kevin Puts
' opera
The Hours
is an adaptation of both
Michael Cunningham
's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel and the subsequent film. Much like the film version, which starred
Meryl Streep
,
Julianne Moore
, and
Nicole Kidman
, the opera's debut, as heard here from a live performance during its initial run at the Metropolitan Opera, received similar treatment. The featured trio,
Joyce DiDonato
as Virginia Woolf,
Kelli O'Hara
as Laura Brown, and in her return to the opera house for the first time in five seasons,
Renée Fleming
as Clarissa Vaughan, are all in wonderful voice, and there is no lack of conviction as they convey the struggles of their characters. The entire cast is stacked with notable Met veterans such as
Denyce Graves
and
Kathleen Kim
. Most of the audience coming to this work will likely know the tragic and difficult nature of the story, and
Puts
proves himself adept at heightening the inherent emotions. He does add moments of musical levity every so often (see Clarissa's fantasy romance with the florist Barbara, as
Kim
displays her coloratura with spritely musical quotations of
Mozart
Offenbach
). The tension brewing in the three women's lives comes to a tumultuous climax at the end of the first act; one can imagine holding that throughout the intermission, but thankfully, listeners here will have a quicker release, at least musically, since we are met directly by the strain of Laura's contemplation of suicide. The second act duet, "Did it matter then, she asked herself," between
DiDonato
O'Hara
, is beautifully written and performed; the pair -- in their different decades but similar mental spaces -- deliver heart-wrenchingly powerful performances.
' deliberate musical choices for each character's timeframe are cleverly done and are perhaps the strongest in the metropolitan sound of late 20th century New York. These choices put a lot on the orchestra's plate, and few are better at present than Met music director
Yannick Nézet-Séguin
to lead the venerable
Metropolitan Opera Orchestra
. The finale, "All Along," brings the lead trio together in a transcendent time where they are aware of each other through their interwoven stories, delivering the timeless message that "you are not alone," which will likely resonate with audiences of any time or place. ~ Keith Finke