San Francisco Opera’s Tosca

November 15, 2012

San Francisco lost its Tosca a little ahead of schedule Thursday. Romanian soprano Angela Gheorghiu, having delivered an excellent first-act performance, was suddenly off to the hospital, suffering the ravages of intestinal flu. (Next-day reports had Gheorghiu resting comfortably, recuperating from severe dehydration.)

Fortunately, SFO’s high-stakes run of Puccini’s opera – featuring Patricia Racette in the alternate cast – also featured a top-notch understudy. Soprano Melody Moore, a product of SFO’s Adler Fellow program, has performed Figaro’s Contessa, Bohème’s Mimi, and also created the role of Susan Rescorla in SFO’s 2011 world premiere of Heart of a Soldier.

Following an extended intermission while Moore got into costume and make-up, she was thrust into the turmoil of Act 2, but not before a beautifully apt introduction, Baron Scarpia’s comment on the delayed concert next door: “With the diva still missing, they can’t start the cantata.” Conductor Nicola Luisotti duly paused as a round of laughter rolled through the opera house.

Moore seemed a little unsure at the opening of the act (conveniently fitting the mental state of her character), but a few well-placed screams at the torturing of her Mario had her fully warmed up, exhibiting a tone a bit more on the dramatic side of Tosca’s lirico/drammatico split. The lyricism was certainly there, however, for “Vissi d’arte.” Moore sang the piece to perfection, applying a bracing piano to its penultimate phrase, and seemed to be held aloft on the wishes of an entire opera house, all of them seemingly holding their breaths. I don’t know if I have witnessed a more inspiring moment in the theater.

Moore then shifted back to dramatic, applying a forceful vocal presence to her wrestling match with Scarpia, and then to the chilling taunts delivered over the villain’s corpse. Considering the circumstances, her execution of the scene’s complex movements was a miracle unto itself. The trick seemed even more amazing the following day, when SFO reported that this was Moore’s first performance of the role. She was duly rewarded for her courage: the audience remained subdued during the other singers’ curtain calls so that they could burst to their feet at Moore’s appearance, certainly a more memorable ovation than most performers will receive in a lifetime.

The evening’s drama had the unintended effect of overshadowing some superb performances. Italian baritone Roberto Frontali, a memorable Jack Rance in SFO’s 2010 La Fanciulla del West, delivered a Scarpia that was divinely creepy. Frontali was particulary good in the Act 1 Te Deum, savoring his lascivious dreams of Tosca even as his followers sing the sacred liturgy behind him (even today, Puccini’s musical meshing of the sacred and profane – including the Act 2 cantata-interrogation scene, seem astoundingly radical).

The pronounced vocal technique of Pompeiian tenor Massimo Giordano was initially a little distracting, but it’s hard to argue with the results, first revealed in the heart-melting tribute to Tosca’s eyes preceding the “Mia gelosa” duet, and later in a beautifully understated performance of “E lucevan le stelle.” We can also assume that both Frontali and Giordano played a significant part in navigating Moore through her maiden voyage.

Dale Travis endowed the Sacristan with an endearing crabbiness, helped by a particularly rascally group of altar boys. Bass-baritone Christian Van Horn delivered the fugitive Angelotti with a thunderous tone and a genuinely desperate countenance. Luisotti’s orchestra played sumptuously, particularly the sweeping strings following Scarpia’s killing and the many outbursts of brass announcing Scarpia (has anyone short of Darth Vader had better entrance music?). The set is Thierry Bosquet’s 1997 trompe l’oeil masterpiece, based on a set originally used by SFO in 1923.

Through Dec. 2, alternating casts, War Memorial Opera House, 301 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco. $22-$340, 415/864-3330, wwwsfopera.com.

Images: Melody Moore as Tosca, Roberto Frontali as Scarpia (taken from the wings during the performance). Photos by Kirsten Loken.

Michael J. Vaughn is the author of the novel Operaville, available at amazon.com.

Ailing Gheorghiu Leaves Tosca Opener in San Francisco

A bit of excitement at San Francisco's opera house last night. Angela Gheorghiu, playing Tosca, was sent off to the hospital after the first act with intestinal flu (haven't heard how she is, but hopefully that means everything's okay). Melody Moore, her cover, filled in and, after a little warming up in Act 2, just absolutely shone. Gorgeous "Vissi 'd'arte," standing O, all the things you'd expect to see in a Hollywood movie. I'll have a full review up tomorrow, but meanwhile here's a shot by SFO photog Kristen Loken of Moore taking what must have been some very memorable bows.

SFO reports that Gheorghiu is doing fine, having recovered from severe dehydration. They also report that, though Moore has done many roles with SF Opera before, this was her role debut as Tosca. I might add, you never would have known Gheorghiu was ailing from her performance; she was her usual excellent self.

Below, another shot, captured from the wings: Melody Moore with baritone Roberto Frontali as Scarpia. Photos by Kristen Loken.

 

Opera San Jose: Die Fledermaus

November 10, 2012

Stage director Marc Jacobs has fashioned a raucous Fledermaus, making the most of the comic possibilities despite some flaws in his cast. The Act 2 party scene is so genuinely spontaneous and energetic, one is tempted to jump onstage and grab a bottle of bubbly.

Fledermaus’s vast silliness demands a solid core, and Saturday’s pair, soprano Melody King as Rosalinde and tenor James Callon as Eisenstein, proved a little low on presence. King had her moments – a solemn introduction to the insincere Act 1 trio “So muss allein ich bleiben?” – but her delivery of the Act 2 csárdás was terribly unfocused, particularly for a character who’s trying to convince the party guests that she’s a Hungarian duchess. Callon improves as he gets more fake-drunk, and he delivers some fetching top-notes by opera’s end.

The supporting cast is packed with gems both musical and comical, beginning with OSJ alum Michael Dailey, the epitome of the dashing tenor Alfred, taking some time out from his bad accent to deliver a lovely rendition of the seduction song “Trinke, Liebchen, trinke schnell” (and later being throttled halfway through “La donna é Mobilé). Baritone Zachary Altman plays the practical joker Dr. Falke with a calm treachery, and gives a velvet performance of the poignant waltz “Brüderlein und Schwesterlein.” Bass-baritone Isaiah Musik-Ayala contributed his usual strong vocals to the jailer Frank, along with some hilarious visual comedy in the final act. Mezzo Nicole  Birkland was suitably over-the-top as Prince Orlofsky, but did a few too many conductor staredowns, looking for cues.

But now I save the best for last. I’ve seen (and heard) Jillian Boye in many smaller roles, and have always loved her voice, a brilliant lyric instrument, light in flexibility but surprisingly powerful. It’s wonderful to see her getting heftier roles, including last season’s Musetta and, in Fledermaus, the fantastically entertaining soubrette Adele. Her evening began with the chambermaid’s cadenzas of joy at the receipt of a party invitation, and continued into two of the opera’s most entertaining pieces, the Act 2 ‘laughing song’ (“Mein Herr Marquis”) and the Act 3 tribute to bad acting, “Spiel’ ich die Unschuld vom Lande,” both delivered with great aplomb. Boye displayed a perfect comic sense, a seamless stage presence and a fake sob (à la Carol Burnett) that never failed to bring gales of laughter.

Prince Orlofsky’s wild Act 2 ball is helped immensely by dancers from the Ballet San Jose school and their athletic polka, as well as the enthusiasm and some purposely bad dancing from the chorus. Conductor David Rohrbaugh and his orchestra proved especially adept at the score’s many tempo changes and gradual accelerandos. Charlie Smith’s all-purpose set is at its best as the Eisenstein’s Act 1 conservatory, an airy solarium with soaring walls of faux glass. Costume designer Cathleen Edwards saved her best for Rosalinde, stunning dresses in, respectively, green, pink and copper, one for each act. The scrim was a clever touch, an enormous front page from a newspaper titled (what else?) Die Fledermaus, reporting on the events of the opera. And yes, someone managed to slip a quote from “Lady Marmalade” into the English (and sometimes French) dialogue.

Alternating casts. Sung in German, with spoken dialogues in English. Through November 25, California Theater, 345 S. First St., San Jose. $51-$111, 408/437-4450, operasj.org.


Images: Soprano Jillian Boye as Adele. Baritone Isaiah Musik-Ayala as Frank. Photos by Pat Kirk.

Michael J. Vaughn is the author of the novel Operaville, available at amazon.com.

San Francisco Opera: Wagner’s Lohengrin

October 24, 2012

Under director Daniel Slater and designer Robert Innes Hopkins, Lohengrin takes flight from its original tenth century to the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, a shift that provides apt political parallels and the increased relevancy of a more contemporary time-stamp. The central setting is a cavernous abandoned library; the pivotal wedding-night scene takes place in a postage-stamp bedroom resembling a diorama or a television screen.

The primary vocal delight is tenor Brandon Jovanovich, who played Siegmunde in SFO’s 2011 Ring Cycle. Jovanovich is a wonder, delivering the lyricism and phrasing of a Verdian tenor without losing the sheer force of a heldentenor. His instrument is almost a magic trick, and a fitting attribute for a mysterious, god-like hero (delivered by a swan to save an unstable country). His reading of Lohengrin’s confession, “In fernem Land,” is filled with indescribably gorgeous passages of legato.

Playing Lohengrin’s love interest, Elsa, soprano Camilla Nylund proves an able match – particularly in the Act 2 Breeze Song – but her acting doesn’t come across. When Ortrud hurls Elsa’s wedding bouquet to the ground, she shows barely any reaction at all.

Quite the opposite is Petra Lang’s portrayal of Ortrud, a whirling dervish of evil intent. Her sustained end-notes go on forever, musical evidence of of Ortrud’s obsessiveness. Her husband and co-villain, Friedrich, is played by bass-baritone Gerd Grochowski with quirky charisma and a chilling lower range. His performance of Friedrich’s list of grievances, “Durch dich musst’ ich verlieren,” is resoundingly creepy. Together they make a pair worthy of the Macbeths or “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf,” and offered a welcome antidote to the glacial pace of Wagner’s storytelling.

Sometimes I fear for Nicola Luisotti’s well-being, he conducts so energetically, but he certainly draws the most from his orchestra. The tastiest offerings were the elegantly shifting strings of the prelude, the celebrated Act 3 introduction and the sheer force of the opera’s many triple-forte blasts, particularly in the horns (the brass also shone in Elsa’s account of her dream-knight, “Einsam in trüben Tagen”). A cozier delight came from the four onstage herald trumpets – David Burkhart, Scott Macomber, John Freeman and Jeffrey Lewandowski – who introduced the many royal pronouncements, and also the six trumpets that played from the second-tier organ bays.

The men’s chorus was superb, especially in the unaccompanied passages. It’s a shame that Wagner later rejected choruses, which he abjured as a part of the grand opera tradition.

A note of intrigue came from the child role of Gottfried, which had to be divided between Dylan Zorn (Act 1) and Ivan Kiryakin (Act 3) due to child labor laws forbidding more than three hours’ work on a school night.The production appeared previously at the Houston Grand Opera and Grand Thèatre de Genève.

Through November 9 at the War Memorial Opera House, 301 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco. $22-$340, www.sfopera.com, 415/864-3330.

Images: Gerd Grochowski (Friedrich von Telramund) and Brandon Jovanovich (Lohengrin). Petra Lang (Ortrud) and Gerd Grochowski (Friedrich von Telramund). Photos by Cory Weaver.

Michael J. Vaughn is the author of the novel Operaville, available at amazon.com.

San Francisco Opera: Heggie's Moby Dick

October 13, 2012

Having sailed its way through Dallas, San Diego, Calgary and Australia, Moby-Dick made port in San Francisco, providing powerful evidence that Jake Heggie, with his dedication to singer and story, is the best opera composer going. Heggie also has a view of musical history as not something to be avoided (as so many composers in the late 20^th century seemed to do) but as a toolbox to be applied in relating a story to an audience.

A great example is the use of tonal cycling in Moby-Dick. Opera minimalists use the device as an hours-long drone. Heggie takes advantage of its propulsive, rolling sounds to evoke the ocean and drive the tension, and then moves on to something else. He also writes (gasp!) set pieces containing (gasp!) actual, lyrical melody. Some of these pieces even contained the kind of melodic arches native to Puccini’s arias.

The opera opens with a stunning projection of stars turning into constellations turning into a sailing ship, followed by a small opening scene and then a grand chorus of brass and sailors as they work an impressive collection of masts and riggings. The proceedings are interrupted by Ahab’s stentorian shout of “Infinity!” (Could an icon have a better entrance?) From there, Gene Scheer’s libretto moves quickly from one conflict to the next, most of them concerning Ahab’s white-whale obsession and Starbuck’s belief that this obsession will lead the Pequod’s crew into danger. The architecture and pace of the libretto is beautiful, and makes much use of the language in Melville’s novel.

The first whaling scene takes that conflict and makes it physical. Robert Brill’s ingenious set curves steeply at the back, allowing the sailors to ride boat-shaped projections (designed by Elaine J. McCarthy) as if they were navigating the face of a wave. (Those tossed overboard slide down the curve into the drink.) The cast performs with great athleticism, both in this scene and in a wild fight in Act II (stage director Leonard Foglia, fight director Jonathan Rider). The sole female, soprano Talise Trevigne one-ups them all by singing aloft, a bracing facsimile of the cabin boy Pip’s journey beneath the water’s surface.

Vocally, the cast is high on testosterone and force – most of all Jay Hunter Morris, who endows Ahab with a heldentenor presence (he sang Siegfried in SFO’s 2011 Ring Cycle), and also delivers Ahab’s unexpected moments of intellect and poetry. Heggie provides him with a masterful manifesto, “I leave a white and turbid wake.”

Baritone Morgan Smith gives Ahab a reasoned, capable opponent in Starbuck, whose many reflections on his home and family in Nantucket carry folk touches reminiscent of Carlisle Floyd. His soliloquy, “He would have shot me,” goes the other direction, carrying the kind of morbid tension exhibited in Heggie’s confession scene from Dead Man Walking, as Starbuck considers murdering Ahab in his sleep.

Samoan bass Jonathan Lemalu possesses both the heritage and the presence for Queequeg, adding an exotic element to the story and music (if he had a leitmotif, it would be percussion). Lemalu brings out a noble gentleness amid the storms of the Pequod crew, especially in the friendship duet with the Greenhorn, sung as they dangle from the riggings.

Tenor Stephen Costello performs superbly as the Greenhorn, who serves as the “innocent eyes” of the narrative, and also, in Scheer’s deft conflation, in place of the narrator Ishmael. (The placement of the novel’s first line is itself a piece of goose-bump genius.) Baritone Robert Orth provides comic relief with the second mate Stubb, in the chanty-like “Spanish Ladies.” An additional old-fashioned melody appears in “Lost in the heart of the sea,” sung by the chorus as they search for Pip. The chorus’s unison cry of “We are one” is a riveting, Verdian device, driven by snare drum and brass.

Ahab’s final cataclysm is delivered by striking projections of water, constellations, the Pequod and the eye of the whale. The sum is certainly effective, but not a match for what I imagined. Sadly, what I imagined is probably not possible on an opera stage.

Patrick Summers led his orchestra through Heggie’s score with great gusto. I especially enjoyed the xylophone, which lent a sharp edge to the dicier moments. The second act begins to drag toward the end, but the slowdown makes a good prelude to the sudden sighting of the white whale. Ahab’s call of “There she blows” is answered by heart-stopping explosions from the orchestra.

Images: Jay Hunter Morris (Captain Ahab). Talise Trevigne (Pip). The whaleboats. The deck of the Pequod. Stephen Costello (Greenhorn) and Jonathan Lemalu (Queegueg). Photos by Cory Weaver.

Through Nov. 2, War Memorial Opera House, 301 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco. $22-$340, www.sfopera.com, 415/864-3330

Michael J. Vaughn is the author of the novel Operaville, available at Amazon.com.

San Francisco Opera: Heggie’s Moby-Dick

October 13, 2012

Having sailed its way through Dallas, San Diego, Calgary and Australia, Moby-Dick made port in San Francisco, providing powerful evidence that Jake Heggie, with his dedication to singer and story, is the best opera composer going. Heggie also has a view of musical history as not something to be avoided (as so many composers in the late 20^th century seemed to do) but as a toolbox to be applied in relating a story to an audience.

A great example is the use of tonal cycling in Moby-Dick. Opera minimalists use the device as an hours-long drone. Heggie takes advantage of its propulsive, rolling sounds to evoke the ocean and drive the tension, and then moves on to something else. He also writes (gasp!) set pieces containing (gasp!) actual, lyrical melody. Some of these pieces even contained the kind of melodic arches native to Puccini’s arias.

The opera opens with a stunning projection of stars turning into constellations turning into a sailing ship, followed by a small opening scene and then a grand chorus of brass and sailors as they work an impressive collection of masts and riggings. The proceedings are interrupted by Ahab’s stentorian shout of “Infinity!” (Could an icon have a better entrance?) From there, Gene Scheer’s libretto moves quickly from one conflict to the next, most of them concerning Ahab’s white-whale obsession and Starbuck’s belief that this obsession will lead the Pequod’s crew into danger. The architecture and pace of the libretto is beautiful, and makes much use of the language in Melville’s novel.

The first whaling scene takes that conflict and makes it physical. Robert Brill’s ingenious set curves steeply at the back, allowing the sailors to ride boat-shaped projections (designed by Elaine J. McCarthy) as if they were navigating the face of a wave. (Those tossed overboard slide down the curve into the drink.) The cast performs with great athleticism, both in this scene and in a wild fight in Act II (stage director Leonard Foglia, fight director Jonathan Rider). The sole female, soprano Talise Trevigne one-ups them all by singing aloft, a bracing facsimile of the cabin boy Pip’s journey beneath the water’s surface.

Vocally, the cast is high on testosterone and force – most of all Jay Hunter Morris, who endows Ahab with a heldentenor presence (he sang Siegfried in SFO’s 2011 Ring Cycle), and also delivers Ahab’s unexpected moments of intellect and poetry. Heggie provides him with a masterful manifesto, “I leave a white and turbid wake.”

Baritone Morgan Smith gives Ahab a reasoned, capable opponent in Starbuck, whose many reflections on his home and family in Nantucket carry folk touches reminiscent of Carlisle Floyd. His soliloquy, “He would have shot me,” goes the other direction, carrying the kind of morbid tension exhibited in Heggie’s confession scene from Dead Man Walking, as Starbuck considers murdering Ahab in his sleep.

Samoan bass Jonathan Lemalu possesses both the heritage and the presence for Queequeg, adding an exotic element to the story and music (if he had a leitmotif, it would be percussion). Lemalu brings out a noble gentleness amid the storms of the Pequod crew, especially in the friendship duet with the Greenhorn, sung as they dangle from the riggings.

Tenor Stephen Costello performs superbly as the Greenhorn, who serves as the “innocent eyes” of the narrative, and also, in Scheer’s deft conflation, in place of the narrator Ishmael. (The placement of the novel’s first line is itself a piece of goose-bump genius.) Baritone Robert Orth provides comic relief with the second mate Stubb, in the chanty-like “Spanish Ladies.” An additional old-fashioned melody appears in “Lost in the heart of the sea,” sung by the chorus as they search for Pip. The chorus’s unison cry of “We are one” is a riveting, Verdian device, driven by snare drum and brass.

Ahab’s final cataclysm is delivered by striking projections of water, constellations, the Pequod and the eye of the whale. The sum is certainly effective, but not a match for what I imagined. Sadly, what I imagined is probably not possible on an opera stage.

Patrick Summers led his orchestra through Heggie’s score with great gusto. I especially enjoyed the xylophone, which lent a sharp edge to the dicier moments. The second act begins to drag toward the end, but the slowdown makes a good prelude to the sudden sighting of the white whale. Ahab’s call of “There she blows” is answered by heart-stopping explosions from the orchestra.

Images: Jay Hunter Morris (Captain Ahab). Talise Trevigne (Pip). The whaleboats. The deck of the Pequod. Stephen Costello (Greenhorn) and Jonathan Lemalu (Queegueg). Photos by Cory Weaver.

Through Nov. 2, War Memorial Opera House, 301 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco. $22-$340, www.sfopera.com, 415/864-3330

Michael J. Vaughn is the author of the novel Operaville, available at Amazon.com.

West Bay Opera: Offenbach’s Les Contes d’Hoffmann

October 12, 2012

West Bay has assembled a production packed with vocal talent – including three of the finest alumni from Opera San Jose’s residency program – and a smart, visually stunning production design. It’s a brilliant concoction, marrying the best of Silicon Valley technology with the potent imaginations of both its composer and its protagonist.

Playing the title character, tenor Christopher Bengochea is a force of nature, singing with a broad, wolfish timbre in the middle ranges, bursting into bronze tones above the staff, and attacking the stage with great athleticism. In the opening scene, Bongochea meanders from the song about the dwarf Kleinzach, taking the audience into the ether of its impassioned bridge, and just stays in that elevated state for the rest of the opera. He is the perfect singer to play the love-tormented, charismatic writer.

Another perfect match is mezzo Betany Coffland as Hoffmann’s muse-turned-companion Nicklausse. Representing the eye of the opera’s hurricane, Coffland sings with inspiring clarity and a perfect sense for phrasing. Her performance of “Vois sous l’archet frémissant,” a paean to music and creativity, is captivating.

The third OSJ alum, Rochelle Bard, takes on all three soprano roles, which may seem crazily ambitious but, in fact, fulfills Offenbach’s original concept, the three heroines that turn out to be merely facets of a fourth, the opera singer Stella. Bard shows some hesitancy with the first, the singing doll Olympia (whose canary coloratura is not Bard’s strength), but settles in by the second verse, applying playful ornamentation and some great physical comedy. Antonia, the star-crossed singer, is more in Bard’s zone, especially the duet with Hoffmann, “C’est une chanson d’amour.” But the real delights in Bard’s singing come from the small touches: a ravishing offstage cadenza, finely felt dynamic lines, and the delicate, chilling trill that accompanies Antonia’s death. She performs the third heroine, the courtesan Giuiletta, with a bit of marinara, like Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro.

Bass-baritone Robert Stafford plays the devil-as-four-characters with a delicious creepiness, not to mention a running fashion show of rock-star jackets (Abra Berman, costume designer). The ultimate was his turn as Dr. Miracle in “Pour conjurer le danger,” interviewing an empty chair (hello, Clint Eastwood) as he torments Antonia’s father (baritone Carlos Aguilar). Stafford also drove the glorious trio with Antonia and her deceased mother, sung by mezzo Michelle Rice. By the final act, he sounded a little worn-out, and frankly I don’t blame him.

West Bay assembled an impressive cast of supporting singers, notably baritone Martin Bell as the innkeeper and Schlèmil, and tenor Trey Costerisan, who provided some fun with the aging servant Frantz’s “Jour et nuit je me mets en quatre.” The chorus delivered plentiful energy – and occasionally too much, as they got ahead of the beat (a common choral calamity). José Luis Moscovich and his musicians were on the mark all night, delivering great curtains of sound from their orchestral cave (at times, Moscovich was close enough to his tenor to shake hands).

Jean-Francois Revon’s set design is sheer genius. The accordion-shaped walls of the opening-scene tavern serve as projection screens for the three tales: a collage of gearworks for Olympia, burning candles for Antonia, Italian artworks (and a gondola) for Giulietta. The great power of this is that Hoffmann is telling these tales inside those same tavern walls. There are also two eye-catching uses of video, Antonia’s dead mother coming to life inside a portrait (hello, Harry Potter) and the theft of Hoffmann’s reflection.

Another delight are the steampunk motifs in the costumes and furniture (steampunk style is based on a fusion of modern technology with 19^th century culture – lots of gears and metal and colored glasses). Stage director Ragnar Conde did an excellent job of keeping all these elements in the flow of the action. The result is a vastly entertaining production that brings out the magical realism of Hoffmann’s fertile imagination (a century before that term was coined).

Through Oct. 21, Lucie Stern Theater, 1305 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto, California. $40-$75. 650/424-9999, www.WBOpera.org

Images: Tenor Christopher Bengochea, mezzo Betany Coffland as Hoffmann and his muse. Photo by Otak Jump.

Michael J. Vaughn is author of the novel Operaville, available at amazon.com