MISSION

We are here to encourage the development of gifted young singers and to stimulate the growth of New York City's invaluable chamber opera companies. But we will not neglect the Metropolitan Opera either. Get ready for bouquets and brickbats.
Showing posts with label Keith Jameson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Keith Jameson. Show all posts

Saturday, August 24, 2013

SANTA FE OPERA GETS FIGARO MARRIED OFF IN HIGH STYLE

Lisette Oropesa, Zachary Nelson, Susanna Phillips, Daniel Okulitch--photo by Ken Howard
When the Santa Fe Opera gets it right the delight factor is a 9.9 on the Richter Scale.  Perfect casting and a fine production are responsible for the enormous success of Nozze di Figaro.  High art embellished with great entertainment values?  That's what opera should be but often isn't.  One can always tell when this magic occurs.  Members of the audience walk around with big grins during intermissions and on the way home.

In a fortuitous confluence of casting wisdom, the entire cast operated as an ensemble.  We felt as if we were visiting an aristocratic household in which the inhabitants had known each other for years and were familiar with each other's quirks.

One could not have asked for a better Figaro than fast-rising baritone Zachary Nelson who was an apprentice at SFO just last year!  His fine expressive voice is matched only by his spot-on acting choices.  "Se vuol ballare" never sounded so good; this is a lovable Figaro!  His Susana was an equally wonderful Lisette Oropesa whom we have enjoyed long before she graced the stage at The Metropolitan Opera.  Her silver soprano and the spunky character she created were a great match with her Figaro.  Her love for her husband showed through in her "Deh vieni non tardar".

Just as perfect was the pairing of lovely soprano Susanna Phillips as the neglected Countess whose "Porgi Amor" brought tears to our eyes, as did her "Dove sono".  Her Count was portrayed by the handsome Daniel Okulitch, his elegant and aristocratic appearance joining with his resonant bass-baritone to create an entitled aristocrat whom young women would not work too hard to fight off.  He excelled at demonstrating the Count's cluelessness.

Mezzo Emily Fons did a splendid job in the trouser role of Cherubino--looking amazingly like a hormonal youth and throwing herself into her "Non so piu" and "Voi che sapete" with excellent breathless phrasing that somehow managed not to lose its legato line.  Bass-baritone Dale Travis was effective as the pompous Dr. Bartolo who must go through even more changes than the Count during the course of the bridal day.  Mezzo Susanne Mentzer delighted as the snarky housekeeper Marcellina who also must make an attitudinal about-face.  Tenor Keith Jameson, who always turns in a fine performance, was true to form as the slimy Don Basilio.

Apprentice Rachel Hall was just as adorable as Barbarina should be and has a promising voice.  We hope to hear more of her.  As her bibulous father Antonio we heard apprentice Adam Lau who was so effectively made up that we didn't recognize him.  Apprentice Jonathan Winell sang the role of Don Curzio and apprentices Lindsay Russell and Samantha Korbey appeared as bridesmaids.  We just love seeing apprentices onstage!

John Nelson conducted Mozart's endlessly melodic music with appropriate elan.  Bruce Donnell directed with a sure hand.  Susanne Sheston ensured that the chorus sang beautifully.  Sets and Costumes by Paul Brown hit the mark consistently.  But whoever was responsible for Ms. Phillips' wig in Act III should be forced to wear it in public!  EWWW!

And one final quibble in a 99% wonderful production by Jonathan Kent--all that flower picking and replacing has GOT to GO.  All that stage business during the overture gives the impression that someone didn't trust the audience to enjoy Mozart's masterpiece without some eye candy.

© meche kroop


Tuesday, August 20, 2013

VALIANT VIOLETTA

Brenda Rae as Violetta: photo by Ken Howard
The valiant courtesan Violetta was sung by the valiant soprano Brenda Rae whose gorgeous singing compensated for the abominable production of La Traviata directed by Laurent Pelly.  We were moved to find our notes from four years ago to see if memory served us correctly.  We had heard that some of the directorial excesses had been corrected.  True, some of the antics of Act I with Natalie Desssay cartwheeling over the cement blocks onstage did not happen but that was not enough to make this production at all palatable.  Mr. Pelly's "concept" was and still is way off the mark.

Violetta must have the nobility of character written into the libretto of Francesco Maria Piave and the music of Giuseppe Verdi.  She is a courtesan, something akin to a "kept woman".  She was never meant to be a cheap whore.  She led a life devoted to pleasure--champagne, dancing, gracing the arm of a nobleman.  Portraying her circle as debauched is just plain wrong.

The set design by Chantal Thomas is ugly and uncomfortable for the singers who must jump from concrete boulder to concrete boulder in Act I.  Their behavior was lewd in a very modern way with gratuitous and public sex acts that belied the original story. A wag of my acquaintance thought the partygoers were dancing on their tombstones.  Tongue in cheek?  Maybe.  Maybe not.

And why would Germont père and Germont fils, having traveled a ways to reconcile on Violetta's deathbed, abandon her as she dies?  Nothing about this production rang true; nothing was believable.  Such excesses were so alienating that it was difficult to focus on the gorgeous music, conducted by Leo Hussain.

Brenda Rae's soprano is luscious and her pianissimo singing is outstanding;  we believe she did her best with what the director wanted of her.  Michael Fabiano as Alfredo got lost in the hubbub of Act I and did not project much chemistry with Violetta.  It could not be believed that he was "crushing" on her for a year and finally met her.  His voice picked up some steam in Act II but the damage was done.  Jennifer Panara was excellent as Flora.  Jonathan Michie made a fine presence as Violetta's unloving lover Baron Douphol.  Roland Wood as Germont père sounded best in his duet with Violetta in Act II.  But if he underwent much character change by Act IV, it was difficult to tell.  Keith Jameson always turns in a fine performance and did so here as Gastone.  Apprentice André Courville did well as the Marquis d'Obigny.

Mr. Pelly's costumes looked like contemporary high fashion in Act I; I understood that the openings were designed to facilitate sex acts but this is not something we believe happened in that epoch except behind closed doors--not at parties.   This was not an atmosphere from which a well-born young man would choose a woman with whom to fall hopelessly in love.

Although no one was credited with wig and makeup design, we found both atrocious.  Brenda Rae is a beautiful woman and she was horribly bewigged, even in Act I when Violetta is meant to be at the top of her form.  We understand that a dying woman might look truly awful in Act IV but there's awful and there's AWFUL.

We do acknowledge that there are people who enjoyed the production but we are not of that ilk.  We hope this production will be retired and a more genuine and believable production of this (our favorite opera!) be mounted in the future.

© meche kroop