Rossini Opera Festival (ROF) Pesaro (1) La Cenerentola:

Seattle Opera, soloists, cond. Asher Fisch, dir. Peter Kazaras, set and costume designer Robert Israel, lighting designer Duane Schuler, chorus master Beth Kirchhoff, Marion Oliver McCaw Hall, Seattle, 31.7.2010 (BJ)

Annalena Persson (Isolde) and Clifton Forbis (Tristan)

Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde, which opened Seattle Opera’s 2010-2011 season in a new production by Peter Kazaras, is justly regarded as the most influential work in the history of music since the mid-19th century. Whether that redounds entirely to its credit is a fair question.

As a consequence of the chromaticism that the composer took further here than in any other of his works, the music suffers from a pervasive lack of harmonic pulse. Vitiated by the absence of a truly propulsive bass line, everything happens on the beat, with a squareness that stands in stark contrast to Brahms’s combination of equally striking harmonic invention with life-giving rhythmic flexibility. The ultimate legacy of what Wagner achieved here may be found in 20th-century atonality, and only those untroubled by the want of real movement in the music of the Second Viennese School can reasonably regard Tristan’s influence as a good thing.

Such stylistic considerations aside, however, there could hardly be any doubt of the overwhelming sonic glory the opening-night performance achieved under Asher Fisch’s masterful baton. The orchestral sound, crucial in any Wagner opera, was magnificently full, rich, and delicately nuanced, from soaring strings, plangent woodwinds, and threatening drums and heavy brass to offstage hunting horns and a solo on a Holztrompete, or wooden trumpet, borrowed for the occasion. With this sumptuous support, every voice projected a quality to match that of any operatic cast in the world.

As Isolde, Swedish soprano Annalena Persson, making her US debut, unfurled a securely centered tone that could dominate the ensemble with apparent ease. There is an edge to her sound, but an edge that thrills rather than disturbs. And for once we could watch a singer whose slim, tall figure and facial beauty made a truly credible Isolde. Her worthy partner as Tristan was Clifton Forbis, a tenor with a warm baritonal tinge to his voice, and equally adept in portraying the intermingled torment and ecstasy of his role.

Brangäne and Kurwenal were those familiar company favorites, Margaret Jane Wray and Greer Grimsley. The smaller roles of Sailor, Shepherd, and Steersman were well taken, and Danish bass Stephen Milling, as King Marke, revealed perhaps the richest voice of all.

In terms of production Peter Kazaras, an unfailingly creative director, presented Tristan und Isolde as an opera of the mind. Citing inspiration drawn from Ambrose Bierce’s short story An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge, he showed us a extra-temporal drama taking place not in the physical world but in the characters’ imaginations, perhaps in that instant of insight that is supposed to come just before death.

This notion explains the deliberate non-realism of Robert Israel’s spare sets and simple costumes. Enhanced by Duane Schuler’s subtle lighting, and by some modest but effective use of projections, it was exemplified in the disjunction between the implicit urgency of the action and the almost catatonic leisure with which it was played. Being the story of two people whose lives are derailed by a drug, Tristan is, after all, a tract for our times, if not necessarily for our place–perhaps you have to be German, at least in your cultural sympathies, to respond to the work’s obsessive association of love with death. In the greatest of all 19th-century operatic epics, Berlioz’s Les Troyens, death comes to Dido as it does to Isolde. She embraces it, however not because she identifies it as some sort of mystical validation and crown of love, but precisely because love has been lost to her.

A second fair question, indeed, might be whether “love” is an appropriate word for what transpires between the protagonists in Tristan und Isolde. Even in the second act (where, by the way, this performance made a cut of about five minutes in the score), words of love are outweighed by pretentious pseudo-metaphysical claptrap. “I myself become the Cosmos” (rendered thus in Jonathan Dean’s customarily clear and helpful supertitles) may serve as a typical sample. And again, while the spectacle of two people yelling their heads off against a background of hectic orchestral din constitutes a major part of Wagner’s conception of what makes music erotic, a comparison with the lyrical tenderness of “Nuit d’ivresse” in The Trojans supplies a healthy corrective clue to what a real love duet can be like.

The fact, then, that in this production the two supposed lovers never actually touched each other until Tristan was dead might almost be taken as a mordant directorial insight into the true nature of the drama; and it was by no means a weakness, but rather suggested an unblinking realization of the egotism Wagner shared with his characters, that Kazaras made no attempt to moderate the horror of seeing Tristan and Isolde calmly discussing their future plans not five feet away from the stricken figure of King Marke, whose life their betrayal has just destroyed.

The little model held up to symbolize the approach of Isolde’s ship was a frankly silly idea–and Isolde went beyond a too familiar directorial cliché by standing at one moment not on a mere chair but on a chaise longue. But such minimal weaknesses were outnumbered by innumerable positive touches, often including the avoidance of prosaic literalism. A good example was the extinguishing of the signal flame in Act 2 without any visible human intervention.

For Tristan fans, then, this was a production of great musical splendor, and one that in dramatic terms was at once challenging and satisfying.

In 1998, the University of Arizona foundation received a gift from the estate of Riddle’s widow, Naomi, establishing the Nelson Riddle endowed chair. A. Edward Ezor, Naomi’s executor, saw to it that the gift also included more than 500 of the composer’s musical scores, royalties from his works, letters and photographs. In 2000, this tremendous financial boost led to the hiring of Thomas Cockrell, a well-respected teacher and conductor on the faculty of the University of California, Irvine, before coming to the U of A. Since that time Cockrell has served as the Nelson Riddle Endowed Chair in Music, as well as, the director of orchestral activities and music director of the U of A Opera Theater.

At that time, little did anyone on the U of A music school faculty know an unexpected benefactor, in the person of James E. Rogers, was going to extend the school’s musical recognition to an even higher artistic level. In 2007, Rogers, a graduate of the University and already a well-known donor (the university’s law school bears his name) was to fulfill a long-held dream of fostering a conducting program at the music school.

The James E. Rogers Institute for Orchestral and Opera Conducting opened in August, 2008, with funding of $1.8 million that was to be doled out over a ten year period. Even better news was the fact Cockrell’s guiding hand would oversee the educational and musical experiences of Jackson Warren and Keitaro Harada, the first conducting students to enroll in the program.

Outsiders might think with that amount of money available and the temptation for the music school to show off its growing notoriety, Cockrell would fill the program with more than two students. But the conductor’s good judgment and varied musical experiences proved with only Warren and Harada in the program, he could offer them a wider variety of musical experiences that would give them solid conducting careers in the future.

Cockrell’s approach has paid off handsomely for Warren and Harada. Both men have been conducting fellows with the Arizona Opera and the Tucson Symphony during their time with the program. Cockrell has also seen to it that they have had opportunities to speak before professional music groups and to organize a variety of orchestral programs. It’s all part of the requirements in today’s musical world for emerging conductors. “They need to have more skills than just to stand on the podium,” said Cockrell.

To finish off their studies at the University, both men have challenging jobs for the summer. Warren is an assistant conductor with Opera in the Ozarks in Arkansas for their 2010 season. And Harada has been invited by the Boston Symphony Orchestra to be a conducting fellow at the Tanglewood Music Festival in Lenox, MA.

It’s no secret the budget cuts in all educational areas in Arizona have been severe for the 2009-10 academic year. It’s to the credit of James E. Rogers, Cockrell and all those involved in fostering music education at the University of Arizona, that their Orchestral and Conducting program is still thriving and financially healthy.

Soloists, Bayerisches Staatsorchester. Chor der Bayerischen Staatsoper. Conductor: Marco Armiliato. Nationatheater, Munich 19. 7.2010. (JMI)

Juha Uusitalo (Scarpia) and Karita Mattila (Tosca)

What a great pleasure it is to attend Munich’s Summer Opera Festival year on year, one of the most important events in the calendar. Although Munich probably lacks the glamour of Salzburg or the mystic ambiance of Bayreuth, its quality is second to none as far as I am concerned. My stay in Munich however, began with an almost all star Tosca, which unfortunately failed to meet my expectations.

This is the production that had its premiere at New York’s Metropolitan last September, where it was caused an almighty scandal. The truth is though – at least my truth – is that while different people might like it or hate it, there’s nothing terribly scandalous about it and I can only assume that New York’s reactions to it had more to do with the disappearance of Franco Zeffirelli’s old and much loved production, which seemed to be set as an integral part of the Metropolitan’s structure.

First of all, this is a traditional production, less spectacular than some others, but it follows the libretto faithfully; a rather spartan church in the first act, the Farnese Palace in the second – although it might just as easily be a less that luxurious room in a hotel, and finally a terrace on the fortress, but without the famous statue of the Angel. Costumes are appropriate to the time of the action, and are quite appealing as far as Tosca goes. The lighting could be improved, especially in the first two acts and the stage direction has some interesting details here and there but nothing radical since the three protagonists are what they have always been in so many other productions. The more personal touches happen in Act II, where Scarpia is entertained by a few women of easy virtue, before being stabbed several times by Tosca. Luc Bondy takes away the chandeliers and the crucifixes at the end of the Act, showing Tosca lying on the couch for the last few bars, calming herself by using the Marchesa Atavanti’s fan. It seems that she is not in any hurry to rescue Cavaradossi, even though there are only a few hours (Scarpia says one hour) of life left to him. In fact, she wears a different costume in Act III, presumably having had ample time to go to their villa to change her clothes. Her choice of costume did not seem the particularly suited to take “una tartana por Civitavecchia” either, but the third act remains totally traditional. In short then, the production is fairly conventional, less spectacular than some and not completely convincing at times but it’s certainly no kind of Eurotrash.

The musical direction was by Marco Armiliato. As I’ve written many times before in these pages, Mr. Armiliato has become the preferred conductor for many of today’s star singers, since he guarantees that the music will always be at their service and not the other way round. This time though, Maestro Armiliato’s dedication to the singers, seemed to cause him to forget that Tosca is an opera in which the music is merely incidental, but is really a first-rank protagonist in itself. His reading felt too routine in the first two acts, especially in the crucial second one where there was too little drama and tension. Things improved in the third act, but probably too late to make the performance particularly gripping and even the magnificent Bayerisches Staatsorchester seemed at less than its best.

The cast had three big names, particularly for the two main protagonists, but none of them have especially Latin voices. Finnish soprano Karita Mattila has been one of the greats in recent years, but has never had a strong affinity with the main Italian repertoire. Here she seemed not at her best, her voice having lost harmonics and, consequently, much of the attraction that this singer had until recently. Her performance was largely disappointing, with some rather forced top note and a lack of brightness in her timbre. She is still a consummated interpreter of the role, but this itself is not enough for a truly great Tosca.

Munich born tenor Jonas Kaufmann is surely one of the most important singers in the opera world. I find his dark timbre particularly attractive, even if his vocal projection is not always easy. But he is certainly a great singer, one of the very few able to move his audience. As Cavaradossi I found him slightly uneven, with some magnificent moments and others rather less so. I thought that there was a certain coolness in his interpretation and also what it seemed to me as certain lack of chemistry with Tosca. “Recondita Armonia” was good, finishing on an almost endless and beautiful piano but his “Vittora, vittoria” felt slightly cool although always bright and nicely sustained. “E Lucevan le stelle” was also well done, with a first part sung piano, almost whispered, which is not necessarily to everyone’s taste, and a second part full of commitment and passion. His “O, dolci mani”, one of those delightful pages, to which tenors normally pay insufficient attention, since is not a true aria, was also one of his best moments.

Finnish baritone Juha Uusitalo is not well suited for Scarpia, except in appearance to my mind, since I don’t feel that this is a good role for his voice. Scarpia is also a far more complicated charcater than a pure villain and needs an interpreter able to offer more nuances and intention in his singing which I simply did not find to be the case this time.

In the supporting roles the best was Kevin Conners as Spoletta, the veteran Enrico Fissore was an appropriately traditional Sacristan in and Christian Van Horn, as Angelotti, offered a lighter timbre than Kaufmann, when they met in the church.

There was a sold-out out house and plenty of “Suche karte” signs around. There were applause at open stage for Recondita Armonia and Vissi d’Arte, while Mr. Armiliato did not stop the Orchestra after “E lucevan le stelle”. At the final bows there was a warm reception for all the artists, in which the outright winner was Jonas Kaufmann. Marco Armiliato was received with sonorous and repeated booing, mixed with some applause.

NES Production in coproduction with Metropolitan Opera, New York and Teatro alla Scala, Milan.

Direction: Luc Bondy.

Sets: Richard Peduzzi.

Costumes: Milena Canonero.

Lighting: Michael Bauer.

Cast:

Floria Tosca: Karita Mattila.

Mario Cavaradossi: Jonas Kaufmann.

Baron Scarpia: Juha Uusitalo.

Sacristan: Enrico Fissore.

Cesare Angelotti: Christian Van Horn.

Spoletta: Kevin Conners.

Sciarrone: Rüdiger Trebes.

Jailer: Christian Rieger.

Shepherd: Soloist des Tölzer Knabenchors.

Orquesta Sinfónica de Madrid, Conductor: Michele Mariotti, Teatro Real de Madrid 29. 6.2010 (JMI)

Teatro Real’s ‘Great Voices’ cycle comes to an end with this concert featuring two of Madrid’s most well loved singers. The concert raised great expectations, especially after Leo Nucci’s triumph in another concert in Bilbao a few weeks back. The Madrid concert was truly spectacular and I have never seen the Teatro Real audience as excited before, a real madhouse.
The first outstanding performance of the evening came from conductor Michele Mariotti, who at 31 is already a splendid maestro. In addition to accompanying the singers with much care and delicacy, he also provided some excellent overtures. If he was very good with La Favorita, his interpretation of the prelude to La Traviata was truly breathtaking and he also gave two other outstanding performances of the overtures to Luisa Miller and Nabucco. He was not quite at the same level of quality – it is true – in I Capuleti but he drew a wonderful result from the orchestra, which has, in fact, improved remarkably in the last two years.

The program was quite demanding for the two singers on stage. Rather than arias, they mostly sang full scenes, ending with real firework encores, as if they had not sung enough during the official concert.

Patrizia Ciofi is one of those singers whose performances must be taken as a whole. Her voice is not spectacular in volume or timbre, her top notes don’t leave the audience breathless, nor is her figure full of “charm” and “glamour” either. She possesses none of these qualities in especially large doses, but all of them are present in her performances all of the time, coupled with a capacity for communication that makes her one of the world’s few singing artists. This is not a singer made for studio recordings, but an artist – here is the word again – to be enjoyed in full on on the stage. After a good prison scene from Maria Stuarda, she sang “Il faut partir” from La fille du Régiment, where she was as exciting as usual in the role of Marie. She finished the concert’s first half with the duet betweeb Lucia and Enrico, in which both she and Leo Nucci brought the house down with a marvellous “Si tradirmi tu potrai”. She was superb when singing Violeta’s scene in Act I from La Traviata.

The official concert ended with two big scenes with Mr Nucci. Firstly, the duet between Violeta and Germont, and finally, the duet from Act II of Rigoletto, “Tutte le feste al tempio” and then crowned by ‘la Vendetta.’ A year ago these artists were forced to encore this last part by the sheer enthusiasm of their audience, which is exactly what happened again this time.

Leo Nucci is another singer who cannot be judged by separate elements in his performances or even by comparison with other other baritones from opera’s history. This can be done, of course but actually it doesn’t mean much: at 68 he is King of Baritones today, reaching the position after an exemplary career and remaining in miraculous vocal shape for a singer of his age. Nucci’s voice is not as impressive as some other baritones of the past, but few of them have been able to offer so many thrills onstage. The ability to move the audience is not simply in his voice, but in what might be called his internal “hard drive” so that he continues to be able to perform at the highest level possible with great consistency.

He began his concert with the Riccardo’s scene from I Puritani, where the voice was not at its best. He continued with the aria and cabaletta from La Favorita, in which the voice had already improved in the duet from Lucia Lammermmor Nucci was at his very best. In the concert’s second part he sang Renato’s scene from Un Ballo in Maschera, crowned with the aria “Eri Tu”, in which he was magnificent from beginning to end. In the concluding duet Nucci was more brilliant that deep as Papa Germont, and his Rigoletto in a spectacular Vendetta, was an exhibition of power, technique and breath control that put the house structurally at risk.

To end, I should decribe what happened next. The program ended at 22,30 and we finally left the Teatro Real at 2 minutes past eleven, where there were still people cheering to an empty stage. In those 32 minutes, the ovations and cheering were difficult to believe, at least for Spain. As could be expected, they sang La Vendetta again and afterwards, Patrizia Ciofi sang the aria from La Rondine “Chi il bel sogno di Doretta” very well indeed. Then Leo Nucci asked the audience how about Chenier and he offered a spectacular “Nemico della patria”, which simply couldn’t have been any better. There was no way at all to stop the cheering and the singers decided to encore La Vendetta again. All told there were 13 minutes of encores and a further 18 of wildly enthusiastic cheering. This was the longest applause I ever have witnessed in Spain except after a performance of Gounod’s Faust at Barcelona’s Liceu in 1986. Alfredo Kraus and Mirella Freni were in the cast then.

The Teatro Real was apparently sold out, although a few empty seats were noticeable and I’d guess that the ticket holders decided to stay at home to watch the football game between Spain and Portugal.

Those that stayed at home missed something very special. Three great Italian artists at their best, baritone, soprano and conductor – with almost three generations between them in fact.

Wagner, Die Walküre: Soloists, chorus and orchestra, Donald Runnicles, conductor. San Francisco Opera, War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco. 22.6.2010 (HS)

Valkyries parachuting down in aviatrix garb, warriors dressed in World War I uniforms, Wotan as a three-piece-suited captain of industry, and Valhalla as a vaguely Art Deco high-rise overlooking a Gothan-like city set San Francisco Opera’s newest installment of Wagner’s Die Walküre firmly in the first half of the 20th century. It was a time of conflicts between good and evil that made it seem as if the world could come to an end, which is more or less what Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen is all about, and why this co-production with Washington Opera, updated in several details since its debut in 2007 there, works on many levels.

Michael Yeargan’s set designs remain sketchy enough to integrate with the overall thrust of Wagner’s drama, in which Wotan’s optimism that he can sort out his problems and save the world are shot down, only to find a glimmer of hope that a yet-unborn Siegfried could save the game in the next two chapters. Francesca Zambello’s direction focuses tightly on the personal interactions of the characters, right down to a brilliant team of eight valkyries that not only sang spectacularly well but created unmistakably individual characters.

All that would matter little if the music did not come through. Conductor Donald Runnicles, who led complete Ring cycles in 1990 and 1999 when he was music director of this company, shaped a muscular, vital, no-holds-barred performance from the orchestra. Nearly note-perfect, the pace and phrasing propelled the action nicely and inspired some superb singing.

Eva-Maria Westbroek (Sieglinde) and Christopher Ventris (Siegmund)

Act I belonged to Dutch soprano Eva-Maria Westbroek, in her house debut. Her Sieglinde, which she has sung at both Covent Garden and the Metropolitan Opera, oozed vulnerability even as she made the melodic lines gleam. As a Siegmund just a few decibels short of heroic, English tenor Christopher Ventris still managed to create a believable character and ride the musical lines effortlessly. His “Winterstürme” had a beautiful arc, and the final duet melded well with Westbroek.

From the first moments, this production made effective use of moving images, starting with a mad run through the forest seen from Siegmund’s eyes, projected onto a forward scrim. Changing sky views on the rear scrim added to the visual richness. In Act I the walls of Hunding’s hut open to reveal a gigantic moon rising against a dark blue sky, followed by red and orange pre-dawn skies.

As Hunding, bass Raymond Aceto manhandled Sieglinde, aptly demonstrating and why she wants out. His dark voice carried plenty of menace.

In Act II, bass-baritone Mark Delavan created a Wotan who started out joyful only to see his planning exposed and crumbled after a fateful visit from his long-suffering wife, Fricka (German mezzo soprano Janina Baechle, making her U.S. debut). Deploying a rich, focused sound, and done up rather like Margaret Dumont, she knows she has the upper hand in this conflict as the goddess of marriage, and she savors it.

Delavan relished every turn in the long monologue/scene that follows. His voice has the requisite richness and, when needed, power, but it’s essentially a bel canto sound. That’s perfect for this long scene in which he explains his dilemma to his favorite daughter, and despite her reluctance, he commands her to let Siegmund die in his confrontation with Hunding.

Nina Stemme (Brünnhilde) and Mark Delavan (Wotan)

Nina Stemme, singing Brünnhilde despite an announced bronchial infection, displayed no obvious effects of illness. In fact, she bounded around the stage without missing a note. Her opening salvo of ho-yo-to-ho’s might have had a bit more snap up top, but she drove the second scene of the act with impressively long singing lines. Her death-announcement scene with Siegmund felt true and affecting, as a stately parade of soldiers, holding photographs of the faces of actual U.S. servicemen who have perished in Iraq and Afghanistan, walked solemnly past in the background. Her decision to defy her father’s order and help Siegmund emerges naturally.

On the technical side, Siegmund’s sword actually broke in half on cue as Wotan pointed his spear at it. At the end of the act, in a telling dramatic choice, rather than disposing of Hunding with a flick of his wrist, as is often done, this Wotan walks up to him and twists his neck, another reference to 20th-cenruty warfare and an indication of how involved this god has become.

Scenically and musically, Act III brought the opera to a fitting climax. In a marvelous coup-de-theatre, the valkyries parachute in two or three at a time, and enter holding some of the photographs from the previous scene, indicating the warriors they were bringing to Valhalla. A ramp and stairs surround a circular rock center stage. The famous “Ride of the Valkyries” got an especially deft reading from Runnicles and the orchestra, as the singers distinguished themselves in both senses of the word. Delavan entered with barely controlled bluster, setting up a crackling final scene with Brünnhilde.

From an acting standpoint, there were several nice touches here. Once he decides how to punish her, Wotan sits on a step and Brünnhilde nestles against his lap in a picture-book father-daughter moment. This valkyrie, accepting her fate, walks to the rock on her own and lies upon it. Once Wotan puts her to sleep, he lifts her head and lovingly rests it on her backpack.

Musically, Stemme’s plea, with its a cappella phrases, was impeccably sung, and her entire scene felt movingly human. Although Delavan showed signs of flagging vocally, he tapped into some hidden reserve to deliver a full-bore, heart-rending “Leb wohl.” As the Magic Fire Music welled up, real fire sprang up around the stairs and ramps left, right and behind Brünnhilde’s rock. Finally, a scrim fell to show flames projected in front.

Media and public reaction to this production, which debuted June 10, has been ecstatic. The company presents three complete Ring cycles next June, with only Stemme and Delavan scheduled to reprise their roles from this cast.

Cast

Brünnhilde: Nina Stemme

Wotan: Mark Delavan

Sieglinde: Eva-Maria Westbroek

Siegmund: Christopher Ventris

Fricka: Janina Baechle

Hunding: Raymond Aceto

Ortlinde: Molly Fillmore

Schwertleite: Suzanne Hendrix

Waltraute: Daveda Karanas

Gerhilde: Wendy Bryn Harmer

Helmwige: Tamara Wapinsky

Siegrune: Maya Lahyani

Grimgerde: Pamela Dillard

Rossweise: Priti Gandhi

Production

Conductor: Donald Runnicles

Director: Francesca Zambello

Set Designer: Michael Yeargan

Costume Designer: Catherine Zuber

Lighting Designer: Mark McCullough

Projection Designer: Jan Hartley

Choreographer: Lawrence Pech

Soloists, chorus and orchestra of San Francisco Opera, Nicola Luisotti, conductor. War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco, 9.6.2010 (HS)

Deborah Voigt has proven herself formidable in Wagner roles such as Sieglinde in Die Walküre or Senta in Die Fliegende Hollander, and Strauss heroines such as the Prima Donna in Ariadne auf Naxos or the Dyer’s Wife in Die Frau Ohne Schatten. In her role debut as Minnie in Puccini’s Fanciulla del West at San Francisco Opera last week, not so much, at least not vocally.

The company has been billing this as “The Girl of the Golden West” and cleverly promoting it as “the original spaghetti western.” Puccini set the scene in California’s Gold Rush, a time and place that must have been as exotic to him as the Japan of Madama Butterfly or the China of Turandot. Voigt, familiar to San Francisco audiences since her days here as an Adler Fellow, brings a straightforward American openness to the character, along with warmth and real charm. You can understand why the miners in the story would love her good-hearted saloonkeeper.

Unfortunately, the vocal demands do not suit her strengths. Heard on the production’s opening night June 9, her singing was blunt, lacking in Italianate legato and in the ebb and flow that makes Puccini’s music so immediate and enthralling. Dramatically, the big crowd scenes never jelled musically because she could hold the center vocally. The more intimate scenes, such as the love duets with tenor Salvatore Licitra and the confrontation with baritone Roberto Frontali, revved up to a higher intensity, but the difference between her choppy melodic lines and the plangent phrases of the two Italians created a wide gulf.

As the bandit and love interest Dick Johnson/Ramerrez, Licitra wielded a robust tenor that may have pulled back a tad on the top notes but played out the shapely lines with clarity and refinement. His Act 3 arietta, “Ch’ella mi creda,” was a moment of sweetness and glory. Frontali played and sang Rance, the sheriff with an unrequited yen for Minnie, with an emphasis on power over refinement. He made a frightening nemesis for Voigt’s Minnie.

The rest of the male cast hit their marks and sang well enough. As Wowkle, Minnie’s Indian housekeeper, rich-voiced mezzo soprano Maya Lahyani made a strong impression. What made this a successful, ultimately satisfying performance, however, was conductor Nicola Luisotti. The company’s music director has a passion for this score, and it showed in the loving details he brought out on every page. There was no lack of ebb and flow in his approach. The music pulsed and surged, sometime a bit too strongly for some of the singers, but no matter. The effect was exciting.

The production fell well short, however. Director Lorenzo Mariani brought no clarity to the opening bar room scene, creating a muddle. Other scenes that involved the large cast, with 17 credited singing roles, ran aground lifelessly. The Act II confrontation between Minnie and Rance had some snap, though, even if the shooting of Johnson/Ramerrez offstage was awkwardly handled.

The sets, designed by Maurizio Balò in a co-production with Teatro Massimo di Palermo and Opera Royal de Wallonie, did not help much. The opening tableau of miners wielding pick axes as they were suspended in front of a steep rocky wall, and the attempt at theatricality as the cast then unpacked black boxes with lamps and other props, distracted from rather than explicating the mis-en-scène. In the final scene, two men leading a docile horse delivered Minnie to save the day, drawing laughs instead of admiration. The horse-driven cart carrying the hero and heroine into the sunset started too soon and had to stop again before the curtain fell.

OK, there are more than a few risible moments in this opera, anyway, especially to a California audience familiar with the real history of the Gold Rush. Chuckles rippled through the house as Italian singers conclude that a character who wanted water in his whiskey must be from San Francisco, and nervous laughter greeted the portrayal of an American Indian muttering, “ugh.” The object should be to slip past those moments and get to the heart, and that only happened in fits and starts. When it did happen, the old Girl came to life.

If an audience’s enthusiastic response to an opera performance can be taken as an indicator of a successful production, then the U of A’s Opera Theater presentation of Domenico Cimarosa’s 1792 opera buffa, Il matrimonio segreto can be considered as one of its best.

Cast 4/8 4/10
L to R: Asleif Willmer- Carolina • Katie Vanderhooning- Elisetta • Mackenzie Romriell- Fidalma • Greg Guenther- Count Robinson • Chris Herrera- Geronimo • Dennis Tamblyn- Paolino

This enthusiasm for Il matrimonio can be traced back to its premiere in 1792 at the court of Emperor Leopold 11 in Vienna. Leopold commissioned Cimarosa to write an Opera buffa and was so pleased with the results he requested a repeat performance the same evening- after a sumptuous dinner, of course.

The opera was an immediate hit with the public and up until the end of the 18th Century, it was performed over 70 times in Vienna alone.

Cast 4/9 4/11
L To R: Erika Burkhart- Carolina • Angeline Chairez- Elisetta • Seth Kershisnik- Count Robinson • Orquídea Guandique- Fidalma • Kyle Connor- Geronimo and Alan Stevens- Paolino

Fast forward to April, 2010, to the Opera Theater’s four performances at Crowder Hall where audiences discovered to their delight that Artistic Director Charles Roe and Musical Director Charles Bontrager had woven an aura of deja vu into their interpretation. They decided to execute the set and fit the costumes to an elegant acting style that seemed right out of what the production looked and sounded like in 1792.

In today’s operatic climate, with so many loony revisionists puncturing unrelated, chaotic holes into many operatic masterpieces, Roe and Bontrager came up with a radical idea; they opted for a traditional interpretation. It proved to be a very astute decision.

The curtain opened on Sally Day’s detailed set of an 18th Century house in Bologna, actually Geronimo’s spacious and elegantly furnished living room with two staircases on either side of the stage and a small loggia connecting the two. It was a good omen that the evening was going to be a very enjoyable one.

It appeared that Day and costumer Adam Dill worked together to foster a picture that showed unity, and, happily, good taste. The costumes Dill chose from Costume World Theatrical were a colorful spectrum of mostly browns and blues and were designed to fit the personalities of the performers. The different costume designs and colors for each singer in the two casts showed the Opera Theater’s commitment to Cimarosa’s opera.**

Well, what about the opera as a musical and comedy vehicle for audiences today? As stated in Grove Book of Opera, “The directness, exuberance, spontaneity, gracefulness and musical sincerity of this opera gave it an international appeal.” Roe and Bontager’s production was able to capture the essence of these qualities by sticking to the text as written, allowing the musical interpretation and the singing to speak Cimarosa’s musical language as clearly as he wrote it.

In Opera buffa, the notes on the page and how they are played can become a contest of artistic wills. Cimarosa’s measures are simply laid out, but the musical execution requires stamina, rhythmic vitality and an understanding of the style- without any of these, the show doesn’t fly. And for sure, Cimarosa’s music flies.

As Bontrager said to his orchestra at rehearsals, meeting the challenge of the many starts and stops in the musical phrases and the dexterity in the string fingering would be two artistic goals he hoped his players would reach.

The overture strikes at the heart of the opera. In Gordana Lazarevich’s comments in the New Grove Dictionary of Opera, we can see immediately why the overture plays such an important part in a production’s success.

“…in the Largo of the overture with three initial D major chords, the brilliant orchestration…not only provides a festive atmosphere but shows a melodic effusiveness and inventiveness full of verve, vitality and exuberance.”

On opening night on the 8th, Bontrager was able to lead his forces right into placing Il Matrimonio in a “festive atmosphere.” If there were some glitches in the strings, they did not tarnish the overall effect: an infectiously rhythmic and vibrant reading of Cimarosa’s well-designed overture, one of the best to be found in Opera buffa. What followed was all uphill.

For this Il Matrimonio production, Roe was able to put together two casts* who were evenly matched. Considering the casts were a mixture of graduate and undergraduate students with varying vocal and interpretative skills, the director made them shine in an opera that emphasizes ensembles more than individual arias. The detailed attention Roe and Bontrager gave to the trios, quartets and the ensemble that ended each act is what produced the audience’s hearty and joyful reaction to the work. Even in the duets, one could hear the pleasing and delicate harmonies that make Cimarosa’s opera the lively, droll work it is.

Individually, some performers were not able to achieve the vocal projection required, or showed some awkwardness in matching body and voice to the swift musical currents that Opera buffa thrives on. But when it came to putting their voices together, their vocals blended with ease, their bodies relaxing into Roe’s direction. Their enjoyment traveled over the footlights, picking up the audience on its way.

As the opera opens, we find that Carolina and Paolino have been secretly married and are very much concerned about how her father, Geronimo, will take the news. Both Cimarosa and his librettist Giovanni Bertati provided plenty of humor, both text-wise and musically for Geromino. As in many operas of this genre, the parental figure tries, but never succeeds in getting everyone to agree with him. Fortunately the production had two performers who presented very different, but very believable interpretations of Geronimo’s familial trials.

Chris Herrera’s Geronimo was befuddled and perplexed with his daughter Elisetta’s complaints about her arranged marriage to Count Robinson when she discovered the Count has an eye for her sister Carolina. Kyle Connor took a different approach. His Geronimo grew steadily annoyed and put upon by the Count’s lusting after his other daughter Carolina. In the end, Geronimo is forced to accept his social climbing ambitions are a bust. Herrera and Connor’s performances showed there is more than one way to play one of Cimarosa’s most endearing characters. Both singers gave good readings to the role’s vocal impersonations, with Herrera capturing the complete vocal range of the role.

Dennis Tamblyn and Alan Stevens as Paolino were a good match for their Carolinas, Asleif Willmer and Erika Burkhart. Tamblyn’s abundant stage experience showed up in his varied vocal dynamics and his easy acting style. Stevens’ somewhat hesitant portrayal did not hamper his clean vocals in expressing Cimarosa’s musical line. Willmer filled her Carolina with vocal humor and an acting manner that the audience took to immediately. Burkhart had the vocal goods for Carolina but seemed to be holding back on the music’s expression. Still her lovely rendition of Carolina’s short lament in Act Two proved she can manage quite well.

As Fidalma, Mackenzie Romriell showed the mezzo knows her way around this buffa style. Her understated vocals in portraying the maiden aunt’s thwarted amorous longings for Tamblyn’s Paolino made their scene together, where she confesses her love and he faints dead away at the shock of it all, into a delicious comedic moment for the pair. Orquídea Guandique’s Fidalma was somewhat under projected, but that did not hide her beautifully tuned vocal line.

Both Angeline Chairez and Katie Vanderhooning showed Elisetta’s spirited indignation concerning Robinson’s roving eye without losing the dignified restraints that permeated the production.

Filling out the cast were the aptly stuffy, slightly pompous readings of Seth Kershisnik and Greg Guenther’s as Count Robinson, the man responsible for the jittery reactions filling Geronimo’s household. Kershisnik’s vocal aplomb captured all of the Count’s devious amorous attempts throwing in some quirky dance moves. Guenther’s Count, as befitting the singer’s natural look, projected a boyish charm and a unforced vocal style that made the audience smile with approval.

The last time the Opera Theater performed Il Matrimonio, the production was in English. This time Roe opted for the original Italian. It was a great choice because the Italian text is a natural compliment to the score and certainly contributed to the overall success of the production. However, there were times during the performances when this listener wished Roe and Bontrager had had the cast spend more time working on the text.

As a participant in the Riddle Endowment for conducting with the Arizona Symphony Orchestra, Keitaro Harada was given the opportunity to conduct the April 11th performance. He showed the same attention to Cimarosa’s score and in helping the singers to best interpret it as Bontrager. In the overture, however, Harada emphasized the lower parts of the score, while Bontrager went for a lighter touch in the upper parts. It was a real pleasure to hear both versions; better yet, to experience such musical variety from a music school production was a rare treat.

Cast April 8/10
• Paolino: Dennis Tamblyn
• Carolina: Asleif Willmer
• Geronimo: Christopher Herrera
• Fidalma: Mackenzie Romriell
• Elisetta: Katie Vanderhooning
• Count: Greg Guenther

Cast April 9/11
• Paolino: Alan Stevens
• Carolina: Erika Burkhart
• Geronimo: Kyle Conner
• Fidalma: Orquídea Guandique
• Elisetta: Angeline Chairez
• Count: Seth Kershisnik

** This synopsis is from the The University of Arizona Opera Theater’s program.

Geronimo, a wealthy citizen of Bologna, has two daughters, Elisetta and the more attractive Carolina. His sister Fidalma keeps house for them. Carolina is secretly married to her father’s bookkeeper, Paolino, whose former employer, Count Robinson, arrives from England with the intention of marrying Elisetta. When he sees Carolina, however, he changes his mind and decides that he will marry her instead. Elisetta and Fidalma decide to send Carolina to a convent so that Elisetta can marry Robinson and her aunt can marry Paolino. The misunderstandings which develop are cleared up when Carolina and Paolino reveal their marriage. All is forgiven, and the Count agrees to marry Elisetta.

–Quaintance Eaton

1. Tamblyn, Willmer
2.Willmer, Herrera
3.Willmer, Herrera, Vanderhooning, Romriell
4. Herrera, Vanderhooning, Romriell, Willmer
5.Romriell, Herrara, Vanderhooning, Willmer
6. Vanderhooning, Romriell, Willmer
7. Willmer, Romriell, Vanderhooning
8. Vanderhooning, Romriell
9. Willmer, Herrera
10. Willmer, Vanderhooning ,Romriell, Herrera, Guenther
11. Cast 4/10 4/12
21. Bontrager, U of A Symphony Orchestra