Handel Rides Into Cowboy Land
George Frederic Handel, February 23, 1685 – April 14, 1759
If Artistic Director Joel Revzen’s intention in 2006 is to give his Arizona Opera Company an operatic face-lift and move it into the national spotlight, he has succeeded handsomely. This was the first time the opera company delved into the world of Baroque Opera and from the viewpoint of vocal accomplishments and visual innovations, Revzen made the right choices. With his production team and in his light-handed musical approach to George Frideric Handel’s secular oratorio, he turned Semele into a full blown operatic work.
And it seemed as if Director Chas Rader-Shieber found the right combination of drollery and heartfelt sentiment in Handel’s opera along with Set and Costume Designer David Zinn and Lighting Designer Lonore Doxsee: all three contributed to a delightful and rewarding evening at the opera. But the production, while certainly pleasing to the eye, paid the highest tribute to Handel with the thoughtful and well-rehearsed musical values Revzen instilled in his merry band of talented singers.
