THE FINEST PEARL

Evan Lazdowski, Shantal Martin, Juan Lázaro, Thomas Muraco, Sungah Baek, Laureano Quant, and Esteban Zuniga .   


Conductor/collaborative pianist/coach/educator Thomas Muraco has been on the faculty of Manhattan School of Music for a quarter of a century and we have lost count of how many operas he has conducted for the MSM Opera Repertoire Ensemble; but we haven't forgotten how much we have enjoyed them. His attention to musical detail is highly impressive and his hands are highly expressive.  No baton needed!

Last night he conducted Bizet's 1863 opera Les Pêcheurs de Perles (composed when Bizet was but 25 years old) in a reduction of the score for two pianos, four hands devised by Sungah Baek. Those twenty fingers, belonging to Ms. Baek and Juan José Lázaro, simply flew over the keys and brought out voices we had totally overlooked in orchestral performances. Sitting "up close and personal", certain aspects of the superficially silly libretto by Eugène Cormon and Michel Carré began to make psychological sense, thanks to some astute direction by A. Scott Parry.

The absence of sets and costumes (save for Léïla's white dress and exotic veiled headpiece) allowed us to focus on the music. Anyone who has attended voice competitions would be familiar with "Au fond du temple saint", the deliciously harmonic duet sung by the tenor and the baritone early in Act I. The tenor's soliloquy "Je crois entendre encore" is often heard as well.

However, the score offers several more treats worthy of audition or competition pieces, highlighting the singer's expressiveness. We were highly impressed with the authoritative performance of baritone Laureano Quant who created the character of a tragic hero undone by jealousy but redeemed through generosity. At the conclusion of the opera, Zuniga sacrifices his own life to allow his old friend Nadir to escape the funeral pyre, along with the temple priestess whom they both love.

Mr. Quant's rich round tone filled out his song of remorse "L'orage est calmé" which paralleled the subsiding of the storm endured by the villagers-- who believe that the betrayal of Léïla is responsible. He refuses Léïla's request for mercy in "Je suis jaloux" but changes his mind when he sees the deus ex machina necklace that he had bestowed upon her years earlier when she saved his life. All these changes of emotion were reflected in Mr. Quant's phrasing and coloration. It was a masterful and memorable performance.

As Léïla, soprano Shantal Martin was convincing in her acting and excellent in her command of the vocal line. Her conflict was between spiritual duties that she had promised to execute faithfully and her lust/love rekindled by Nadir from a prior period in their lives. Ms. Martin conveyed Léïla's weakness of character without sacrificing vocal strength. She was particularly fine in the melismatic passages that amounted to a gorgeous vocalise. Her voice soared in the upper register making us almost forget that she's a "bad girl".

Nadir is a "bad boy" as well. He has betrayed his friend Zurga in an earlier period, after the two of them had promised to preserve their friendship by giving up their love for the tempting Léïla. As portrayed by tenor Esteban Zuniga, he appears sly, shifty, sneaky, and aware of his guilt. As a matter of fact (or opinion) we thought Mr. Zuniga overacted a bit with an excess of mugging. Sometimes less is more! Mr. Zuniga's light tenor seemed suitable for bel canto opera. He harmonized beautifully with Ms. Martin in their Act II duet, and also in Act III as they faced death.

Evan Lazdowski used his fine bass instrument successfully in the role of the High Priest Nourabad. His character is dour, suspicious, stern and forbidding as one might expect. The unfamiliar ending (from an 1886 revival) has him stabbing Zurga to death. Mr. Quant succeeded in making Zurga a sympathetic character but he did set fire to his village so we guess he deserved his fate.

Particularly noteworthy was the excellent French diction, coached by Elsa Quéron. We did not even need the titles; every word was clear.

Also noteworthy was the performance of the chorus. They sang well and added the necessary backdrop for the drama.

There is a matinée performance at 2:30 on Sunday and we urge you to attend. Although the cast will be different, the music will be the same. We found a great deal of aural enchantment in the repetitive Oriental motifs.

(c) meche kroop

EXOTIC EROTIC PEARL

Nicole Cabell

Christopher Magiera

Eric Cutler

Could one ask for anything more than gorgeous music, beautifully conducted and sung in the service of  bringing to life the never ending conflict between individual desire and community duty?  It's a problem that exists for every generation and we are glad of it since it provides countless opera plots.  Composed by Georges Bizet when he was only 24 years old, the setting for this conflict is exotic, erotic and totally captivating.  As usual, the Santa Fe Opera got everything right in their presentation of The Pearl Fishers.

We are in the last third of the 19th c. on the island formerly known as Ceylon; we are among a community of pearl fishers whose lives are fraught with peril and whose mentality is given over to superstition.  We have two men in love with the same woman who returns the love of one of them.  Zurga the head fisherman and Nadir have close bonds of brotherhood and have vowed to give up their love of Leila to preserve their friendship.  Zurga has gotten himself chosen to lead the group, a power play that perhaps consoles him for the loss of his love.  Nadir has chosen to live in the woods, but as the opera opens he has returned to his community.  Leila has been selected to be a priestess of Brahma whose role it is to pray and remain chaste to guarantee the safety of this fragile community. If she adheres to her vows of chastity she will be given the most valuable pearl; if she fails, she will be put to death.  Nadir discovers her behind her veil and importunes her until her resistance is nearly overcome.  They are discovered and threatened with the most extreme punishment.  To learn how this plot evades the customary deaths of the star couple, you will have to take a ride up to the Santa Fe Opera to find out.  You won't be disappointed.

Exotically beautiful Nicole Cabell, heard to great advantage a few days earlier at the Santa Fe Concert Association recital, carried the role of Leila with consummate artistry.  Her clarion soprano offered intense feeling supported by admirably precise coloratura technique; her trillssounded like silvery water.  Tenor Eric Cutler, well remembered from his Santa Fe Opera debut as Don Giovanni made a compelling Nadir with his fluid legato and right-on acting, letting the audience know just how conflicted he was by his lust/love for Leila and his brotherly love/loyalty toward Zurga. His "Je crois entendre encore" hit the goosebump level.   Christopher Magiera used his sturdy baritone to great advantage as Zurga, showing the audience just how a man disappointed in romance can seek power as a substitute.  His ultimate sacrifice is heartbreaking.  French diction was so excellent that the titles scarcely needed to be consulted.

Bizet's youthful music is always tuneful, at times evincing a delicate filigree and at other times raw passion.  One readily appreciates the origins from which sprang his Carmen, many years later.  We are only 15 minutes into the piece when we are treated to the gorgeous tenor/baritone duet "Au fond du temple saint" and this heart-stopping melody recurs several times during the all-too-short evening.  But perhaps one shouldn't complain about the brevity since the action moves forward without ceasing and gives a sense of unity and conciseness.  As conducted by Maestro Emmanuel Villaume we hear every motive as it skips around the orchestra.  Particularly notable were some woodwind solos and some lovely harp playing.

Director Lee Blakeley and scenic designer Jean-Marc Puisssant created a production that was straightforward dramatically but a bit puzzling.  We wondered about the vermeil picture frame bisecting the stage on an angle; was this meant to suggest that we were watching a storybook event?  When the erring couple was apprehended the frame was lowered, perhaps meant to be an earthquake that punished them for their violation of vows.  Were the European looking elements at stage right meant to refer to a British presence during the Raj?

We loved the costume design of Brigitte Reiffenstuel.  Leila's exotic costumes were set off by the dull-colored but interestingly styled costumes of the fishermen and their women.  That the chorus of apprentices sang so well under the directorship of Susanne Sheston was another plus in this production.  Each one seemed to have an individual personality and appearance.  In sum, it was another stellar evening at the Santa Fe Opera.  It made us wonder why this gorgeous opera is so rarely performed.  It deserves better.

(c) meche kroop