Matthew Gamble brought an appealing lyric baritone voice and uncommon intensity to Ford, Alice Ford's husband.
Matthew Polenzani, the appealing lyric tenor, stayed in character yet sang with elegance as Klaus the Jester.
Pavol Breslik, now in Mozart's "Così Fan Tutte" at the Met, brought his appealing lyric tenor to "Una furtiva lagrima" from Donizetti's "Elisir d'Amore".
Mr. Abbado's winning cast includes the rosy soprano Rachel Harnisch as Marzelline, the appealing lyric tenor Christoph Strehl as Jaquino and the veteran bass-baritone Falk Struckmann as an uncommonly cagey villain, Don Pizarro.
Jussi Myllys, an appealing lyric tenor, does well as Tammu.
Marie Lenormand brings a rich mezzo-soprano voice, grace and spunk to Périchole, and the appealing lyric tenor Philippe Talbot makes an earnest and befuddled Piquillo.
Ji Young Yang, an appealing lyric soprano playing Lee's winsome daughter, and Noah Stewart, a gifted young tenor as the courageous black journalist T. Morris Chester, were standouts.
Alek Shrader, a 25-year-old tenor, exuding boyish charm, has an appealing lyric tenor voice with a solid high C.
It was performed as a quartet by the evening's singers: Meredith Lustig, a radiant soprano; Kristin Hoff, a mezzo-soprano whose voice had body as well as beauty; Brenton Ryan, an appealing lyric tenor; and Eugene Chan, a mellow-voiced baritone.
The music is polished, the melodies softly appealing, the lyrics straightforward and written in the sober, simple voices of the characters.
