Met Opera takes on 1898 tale of murder and love

NEW YORK — “Fedora,” an 1898 opera by Umberto Giordano, has long struggled to win over modern audiences. The libretto is clumsy; the plot, about a Russian princess who falls in love with the man who murdered her fiance, is distant and tangled; and the music, save for a short aria, has largely faded from the standard repertory.

But a new production opening Saturday at the Metropolitan Opera aims to give it fresh appeal by focusing on the characters’ inner struggles — with the help of a ghostlike figure — and channeling its murder-mystery sensibility.

“I’m not going to pretend that this is a neglected masterpiece,” David McVicar, who directs the production, said between recent rehearsals. “But it is an extremely effective piece of music theater that has a validity and a strength and passion all of its own.”

McVicar compares the task of reimagining “Fedora,” a frenzied opera that requires precise stagework, to restoring a grandfather clock, and his production is full of luxurious touches. There is a starry cast, with soprano Sonya Yoncheva in the title role opposite tenor Piotr Beczala, who plays murderous Count Loris. There are majestic sets by Charles Edwards and elegant costumes by Brigitte Reiffenstuel as the action moves from a St. Petersburg palace to a Parisian salon to the Swiss Alps. And there is a fidelity to detail; even the Russian telegrams of the 1880s have been meticulously researched to ensure the right look.

The stakes for the Met’s new “Fedora” are high. The company last staged the opera, a well-worn diva vehicle, 25 years ago, when it was the occasion for superstar soprano Mirella Freni’s final fullopera Met performances. The new production will debut at the Met’s New Year’s Eve gala, one of the most scrutinized events of the season.

“Fedora” might not be typical New Year’s fare, but the Met hopes it will intrigue audiences at a time when the company is struggling with tepid ticket sales and other financial problems amid the coronavirus pandemic.

“The whole confection is a sort of an operatic guilty pleasure,” McVicar said, comparing the production to binge-watching a season of “Downton Abbey.” “It has a sort of misty, nostalgic, schmaltzy appeal.”

Although McVicar started out as a skeptic of “Fedora,” he said he had become an admirer.