SALOME by STRAUSS

Alex Penda as Salome at Santa Fe Opera (photo by Ken Howard)

We have always thrilled to Richard Strauss' 1905 opera Salome but the current production at the Santa Fe Opera offered a fresh and Freudian interpretation by director Daniel Slater that kept us on the edge of our seat.  Mr. Slater chose to set the opera at the turn of the 20th c. when Freud's ideas about sexuality and the unconscious were still new and shocking but not yet accepted.  The titular character is revealed by some innovative staging to have observed her father's murder at the hands of her uncle Herod, the same tetrarch who now lusts for her.

This is a family right out of Krafft-Ebing. The lascivious tetrarch Herod makes no secret of his lust for his niece. Salome's mother is unsuccessful at reining him in. She believes that Salome wants Jochanaan's head out of loyalty to her because he has been cursing her from his place of imprisonment. It is not difficult to believe that Oscar Wilde penned the scandalous story on which the opera is based.

The air is heavy with lust.  Herod, Salome, and Naraboth, captain of the guard, are all passionate about beauty. Herod and Naraboth are both driven wild with desire for Salome who is similarly driven wild by lust for Jochanaan who is passionate only about his religious beliefs. Her perceived rejection by the prophet leads her to the final mad request for his head. Hell hath no fury, as they say!

The Dance of the Seven Veils, in Mr. Slater's version, has no veils and no nudity. Salome dances for her father using mainly her graceful arms in a most seductive way.  Part of the way through the dance, her mind drifts to her childhood memories of Herod murdering her father and leading her away. (Shades of Hamlet!) Although this is a directorial innovation, it seems right there in the music.

In the role of Salome, Alex Penda shines like the star that she is. She is sufficiently petite in form to convince as an adolescent with a powerful soprano that cuts right through Strauss' sizable orchestra. 

As Herod, tenor Robert Brubaker tackled the high-lying tessitura without strain and injected his character with a real personality--not a sympathetic one but an interesting one. He is clearly at odds with his wife Herodias; he is a bit frightened but also fascinated by Jochanaan and his preaching while Herodias is offended by Jochanaan's attacks on her and wants him eliminated. Mezzo-soprano Michaela Martens fulfilled her role in a most believable way. This is a marriage like many we have seen in contemporary times, a marriage in which husband and wife barely tolerate one another

Bass-baritone Ryan McKinny made a swell Jochanaan with his resonant portentous instrument.  He does not appear as a filthy starving prisoner chained in a cistern, but rather an intellectual writing at a desk in a room of the palace.  This of course goes a long way toward helping us understand Salome's attraction to his white skin, black hair and red lips.

The opera opens with tenor Brian Jagde as Captain of the Guard mooning over "die Prinzessin Salome".  Pun intended. He compares her to the moon. Page Megan Marino tries to talk him out of it. He kills himself when he realizes that she is lusting after the prophet and not him.  Mr. Jagde's singing was filled with luster and passion; we were sorry to lose him so early in the opera!

Just as Shakespeare provided comic relief in his tragedies, Salome provided a few giggles in the form of five Jews arguing theology. We were delighted to see several of our favorite apprentices in these roles: Christopher Trapani, Roy Hage, Cullen Gandy, Aaron Short, and Kevin Thompson. Nicholas Brownlee and Tyler Putnam appeared as soldiers.

We could not have asked for a better conductor than David Robertson who captured the passionate sweep of Strauss' thrilling music. Although this opera scandalized audiences at the time of it's premiere, it established Strauss' career as a composer of operas. The work has earned its place in the canon.

Set and Costume Design by Leslie Travers worked out well. We particularly liked Salome's virginal white dress and Herodias' elaborate gown. The men all wore military uniforms, replete with sashes, epaulettes and emblems. This only struck us as peculiar on the bodies of the five Jews!  Who knew that Jews were so honored in fin de siecle Austria!

(c) meche kroop

TOSCA TRADIZIONALE

Brian Jagde

 Amanda Echalaz

Most of the time when a substitution is announced, there is an outcry of disappointment.  Not so this time, when celebrated young tenor Brian Jagde assumed the role of Cavaradossi in Santa Fe Opera's excellent production of Puccini's Tosca.  Scheduled to sing the role at the San Francisco Opera next season, Mr. Jagde stepped in with aplomb, singing with admirable luminosity and acting the part with consummate conviction.  Having enjoyed his performance as Elemer in Strauss' Arabella a few nights ago, we were thrilled with the opportunity to hear him in a major role. His voice warmed up beautifully and his "E lucevan le stelle" was heartbreaking.  His vocal and dramatic skills were perfectly matched with those of his Florio Tosca, the South African soprano Amanda Echalaz.  The two of them were completely convincing in their attraction to one another, such that we admit to a bit of weeping at the final curtain.

Equally impressive was baritone  Raymond Aceto in the role of Scarpia, one of the most hateful villains in all of operadom.  Slimy, oily, evil, powerful and extremely dangerous, this Scarpia was also seductive.  All of these qualities were superbly created with vocal and dramatic finesse.  Smaller roles were well cast and well performed; we especially enjoyed the Sacristan of Dale Travis whom we had previously enjoyed as Count Waldner in Arabella.  He added appreciable notes of humor in his portrayal, snitching food and wine from Cavaradossi's picnic basket and singing with his mouth full; this comic relief did well in setting off the tragedy to come.  Zachary Nelson excelled as the frightened Cesare Angelotti whom Cavaradossi was trying to help. Dennis Petersen was appropriately scary as the police agent Spoletta.

Much credit must be given to director Stephen Barlow for retaining validity of time and place, thus honoring the intentions of Puccini and his librettists Giuseppe Giacosa and Luigi Illica.  The director's notes state that he did a successful production updated to London in the 60's but we are personally grateful that the Santa Fe production reverted to authenticity.  The production was traditional but there were some interesting twists which we are reluctant to reveal but which clarified some of the plot holes.  All of the stage business was apt and relevant, contributing the forward momentum.  Indeed, this is one opera in which economy is evident--there is not a wasted action or word or note.

Costumes and sets by Yannis Thavoris suited the story and provided beauty as well.  Sets were simple but did the job of suggesting the Church of Sant' Andrea del Valle, the Farnese Palace and Castel Sant' Angelo.  In line with the theme of the opera--the destruction of art by politics--we see the golden cupola overturned.
In honor of Santa Fe, Tosca's gown in Act II is rendered in turquoise, rather than the customary red, and what a gorgeous gown it is!  The scene in Act II allowed Tosca to demonstrate her extreme ambivalence toward killing Scarpia, much as Act I permitted Cavaradossi to demonstrate his being torn between Tosca's demands for attention and the needs of the fugitive Angelotti.

Musical values were up to their customary high standards.  The reknowned conductor Frederic Chaslin led the orchestra through their paces and kept the tension at the correctly high level without ever rushing or overpowering the singers.

Although we find comparisons odious for the most part, we can't help mentioning how much more we enjoyed this production compared with the latest incarnation of Tosca at the Metropolitan Opera.  And you can quote me on that!  We calls 'em as we sees/hears 'em!

(c) meche kroop

ARABELLA OPENING IN SANTA FE

Well known for scheduling operas by Strauss in their delightful summer season, the Santa Fe Opera came through this summer with a delightful presentation of Arabella, a truly Viennese confection, the ultimate collaboration of Richard Strauss and Hugo von Hofmannsthal.  The weather was perfect, the singing glorious and the conducting by Sir Andrew Davis of Strauss' melodic but conversational score could not be faulted as massive orchestral forces were employed to bring out the master's lavishly complex harmonies.

Soprano Erin Wall, well remembered from her performance of Daphne, did a fine job interpreting the role of the eponymous heroine, a most sought after debutante from a newly enobled family, the Waldners.  Much of the opera involves the not very welcomed courtship of her by her many suitors.  Tenor Zach Borichevsky not only sang with fine Straussian style but created a most sympathetic character as Matteo, a young officer beloved by Arabella's sister Zdenka but pining after Arabella.  Zdenka, in an interesting twist, has been raised as a boy to save her parents the expense of "coming out".  Until the third act "reveal", poor Matteo thinks of the young man as Zdenko, his only friend.

The theme of the opera would seem to be the farewell Arabella makes of her girlhood at the Fasching Ball and her assumption of the role of adult in romantic partnership with Mandryka whom she spies from the window and with whom she falls instantly in love.  Fortuitously, Mandryka is the nephew of an old army buddy of Count Waldner and an acceptable suitor;  the Count has gambled away the family fortunes and Mandryka is a wealthy landowner.  The first act offers the listener a marvelous duet between the two men; Count Waldner is superbly portrayed by bass-baritone Dale Travis while Mandryka is well sung by baritone Mark Delavan.  There is a slight sense of unbelievability in the romance between Arabella and Mandryka since their duet in Act II simply lacks connection and chemistry and his character is portrayed without any charm.  All of Arabella's suitors are wealthy and charming and it is difficult to understand her choice.  But then, the heart wants what the heart wants and who are we to judge!

In a charming and superbly sung performance as  Zdenka, soprano  Heidi Stober, well remembered from Platee, won our hearts and thunderous applause from the audience.  Kiri Deonarine thrilled us with her coloratura in the role of Fiakermilli.  Mezzo Victoria Livengood made a fine and funny Countess Waldner and baritone Brian Jagde was impressive as Count Elemer, one of Arabella's many suitors.  We were pleased to see Jonathan Michie, well remembered from Albert Herring as Dominik, one of Arabella's suitors.

The production, directed by Tim Albery, was updated without any valid dramatic reason, from the 1860's, chosen by the creators, to about 1920, judging by the Poiret type costumes.  The costumes and sets by David Finn were lovely but lacking in color.  Wigs were ill-fitting and unbecoming.  Dramatic fluidity  seemed somewhat lacking and the final act which is supposed to take place in the Waldner home seems to take place in some ill-defined area of the hotel.  It can be annoying when such liberties of time and place are chosen.  But that is a small reservation in what amounted to a delightful evening.

(c) meche kroop