Umsagnir um fyrri framleiðslu
4The staging Pittsburgh Opera presented was originally created for Canadian Opera Company in Toronto by Diane Paulus. While it does generate plenty of laughs, it shows no sympathy for many of the opera's more serious aspects that motivated its creators. The staging's concept is ostensibly a play within a play. In practice, it's not much more than an initial frame soon dropped entirely. The stage action in this production begins during the overture, when the curtain is usually closed. We see the opera's characters preparing for a performance of “The Magic Flute” as part of a birthday party for a wealthy family's daughter, Pamina. The opera's first act is performed on a small stage, observed at first by Pamina, her father, others in the household and Pamina's mother, who is divorced from her father. Her father will be Sarastro in the opera, her mother, the Queen of the Night. The audience on stage is gone well before the end of the first act and dispensed with entirely in the second act, along with the tiny stage within a stage. most of the cast was excellent Nov. 9, and the entire performance was shaped superbly by conductor Antony Walker. Nearly all the cast was a past or current member of a resident artists program. Most were from Pittsburgh Opera's program, and Layla Claire, who played Pamina, completed the program at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. Pamina and her prince, Tamino, are the principal romantic couple in the opera, and both roles were superbly sung. Soprano Claire has an exceptionally appealing voice in her middle and upper registers — clean and clear with just the right amount of warmth. She retains tonal luster up to the high B flats and has ample agility. Once the ditsiness of Pamina's personality during the overture is past, Claire's portrayal was a bit more assertive than one usually encounters in this part. While Oren Gradus was impressive in some passages, Sarastro's tessitura requires a singer with a much stronger lower register. The orchestra played extremely well throughout the opera, though more violinists would have been welcome. Woodwind solos were full of personality and admirable tone, while the brass and timpani were sonorously remarkable. The glockenspiel part was expertly performed on an electronic keyboard. Pittsburgh Opera Chorus was superb, consistently producing firm, well-centered singing. Some of the staging was unintentionally funny, such as bearded ladies playing the three spirits
The orchestral part is of primary importance, evidenced from the first notes in a splendid rendition of the Prelude, which juxtaposes themes of the children’s prayer and the witch’s music. Act 2 (here played without a break from the opening scene) further showcased the orchestra, with the Witch’s Ride, forest music reminiscent of “Forest Murmurs” from Wagner’s Siegfried, and the great balletic pantomime that closes the act. The singers, all past and present members of Pittsburgh Opera’s resident artist program, were delightfully into their parts, individually and as a theatrical ensemble. Corrie Stallings, a lovely mezzo-soprano whose voice type puts her in line for lots of “trouser roles” (operatic teenaged boys) was totally convincing in gesture and demeanor as an awkward adolescent asserting his masculinity while desperately trying to conceal his fears. Ashley Fabian pranced around appealingly as his more sensible but nonetheless unpredictable sister, while Leah Heater (formerly Leah De Gruyl) and Craig Verm lent an element of pathos to the parents who cannot provide for their offspring. Marianne Cornetti, a Pittsburgh favorite who sings the big Wagner and Verdi parts all over the world, stole the show as the Witch, even though her character doesn’t sing until late in the opera. She has a formidable stage persona with voice to match. She was funny, forbidding and altogether riveting in conveying the evil glee of anticipating baking the youngsters into her dinner. The younger artists, however, struggled to be heard above the orchestra, even as somewhat reduced here, and kept in tight rein by the sensitive conductor. Ms. Fabian sang with clarity and accuracy, but her voice is not large enough for a theater of this size, and many of Gretel’s loveliest lines were lost in the fray. Ms. Stallings came through intermittently better, but the irresistible tunes of the opening scene dance duet, for one example, just didn’t have their intended effect. Ms. Heater and Mr. Verm both have solid, mature voices, but the Mother’s Act 1 solo turn demands more heft than this admirable mezzo could muster, although she conveyed convincingly the conflicting emotions. Mr. Verm brought verve and fervor to the feckless Father, but struggled with the highest notes that the role calls for. With her forceful, pungent soprano, Caitlin Gotimer had no problems being heard in the dual roles of the Sandman and the Dew Fairy – turning the Dew Fairy’s brief solo into an unexpected highlight.
The sets for the Pittsburgh Opera production are quite magnificent. In Act II there’s a Paris street scene replete with tall buildings and even some snow falling, as Parpignol (tenor Terrence Chin-Loy) pushes his cart of toys through the street, captivating a group of children. In the Cafe Momus scene of Act II we are also introduced to a whirling dervish of a character, Musetta (soprano Sari Gruber) and her sugar daddy, Alcindoro (also played by Glavin). During the scene, a past love affair rekindles between Musetta and Marcello to humorous effect. The Cafe Momus set is quite striking, too, with decorative lighting, wooden booths, and tables. The entire cast of La bohème does a fantastic job of acting and singing their arias. There are many light touches of comedy throughout. One especially funny scene comes when Colline (Zimmerman) sings about having to sell his nice coat. The talented orchestra in the pit, led by Conductor Jean-Luc Tingaud, beautifully played Puccini’s score. Scenic design by Michael Yeargan and costume design by Zack Brown help to set the 1800s Paris mood. Lighting is by Andrew David Ostrowski and James Geier is wig and makeup designer. The production is stage managed by Cindy Knight and Mark Trawka is the chorus master.
The Pittsburgh Opera staging by Stephanie Havey, which opened Saturday evening at the Benedum Center, captures the spirit of that novel remarkably well. The lithe and supple cast, though not in fact particularly young, looks and acts like young people – students and aspiring artists – just barely keeping the wolf from their door. The ensemble scenes came off best: the antics of the four Bohemians at the start of the first and fourth acts, the Christmas Eve revelry at Café Momus (with excellent choral work prepared by Mark Trawka), the Act 3 quartet in which one couple separates while the other reunites. Among the solos, Mimi’s arias, deliciously vocalized by Ms. Cabell, took first honors. She is a beautiful singer who acts with her voice as well as her body. Her timbre was slender but nonetheless luscious, her shaping of every phrase that of a seasoned artist. Her Act 3 farewell to Rodolfo was the evening’s vocal highlight. Mr. Panikkar, too, is an admirable artist, who phrases exquisitely and makes every word count. But his lean voice is more suited to Mozart and the French repertory than to Italian “slancio,” which taxes him to his limits. He took the famous “Che gelida manina” down a half step, and even so had all he could do to get through the climactic phrase (here touching high B rather than a C). His best work was in the lyrical late-on duet with Marcello (baritone Craig Verm, dry-voiced but athletic and exuberant). The always delightful Sari Gruber pleased the audience with Musetta’s familiar Waltz aria. Her shriek when the character pretends to have a painful misfitting shoe is the best that I have ever heard on any stage. Another Pittsburgh favorite, Kevin Glavin, delivered his predictable comic wiles in the dual roles of the landlord Benoit and the ludicrous old sugar-daddy Alcindoro.
