Photo by Dario Acosta
A young "cover singer" rarely gets the promotion to the role she is to sing if the originally scheduled artist cannot perform. In case of soprano Amanda Majeski (Merola, 2008), not only will she make her Metropolitan Opera debut in a major role, but will do so at the Sept. 22 gala opening night, replacing Marina Poplovskaya as the Countess in Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro.
Watch Majeski in rehearsal for the new production, to be conducted by James Levine, directed by Richard Eyre, setting the work in Seville, during the late 1920s. Bass-baritone Ildar Abdrazakov is Figaro, Marlis Petersen is Susanna, Peter Mattei the Count, and Isabel Leonard is Cherubino.
Although those days are far behind her, Majeski's San Francisco performances made a big impression. At the 2008 Merola Program Grand Finale, I wrote:
Leah Crocetto and Amanda Majeski have both crossed the line between talent and accomplishment, equally impressive ... An Adler is certain to await Majeski, last month's spectacular Donna Anna, with two wonderful performances tonight — a soaring Nedda duet with Austin Kness' Silvio, and then in the title role of Barber's Vanessa, in the "At last I've found you" duet with James Benjamin Rodgers's Anatol. The quality of Majeski's voice, her projection and legato coalesce in a thing of joy.
All true, except for the Adler, which Majeski skipped in order to attend Chicago Lyric Opera's Ryan Center, and a subsequent good run at the Lyric before branching out to other companies, including Philadelphia, Zürich, Frankfurt, Glyndebourne, Madrid, Dresden, and elsewhere.