Friday January 19, 2007 SGN.org |
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Volume 35 Issue 03 |
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Friday, Jan 09, 2009
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The ladies suffer in Seattle Opera's new Don Giovanni |
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| The ladies suffer in Seattle Opera's new Don Giovanni | ||
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by Rod Parke -
SGN A&W Writer Because opera can be the most complex of all art forms, it possesses the most possibilities both for success and for disappointment. When the successes sufficiently outweigh the failures, I get very excited. Such was the case with the Metropolitan Opera's two latest live satellite relays to local movie theaters: 'I Puritani' with Anna Netrebko and 'The First Emperor' by Tan Dun. Such was NOT the case with Seattle Opera's new production of Mozart's 'Don Giovanni.' Despite some excellent elements, this show left me distinctly disappointed. On the plus side were the male leads in both casts and the conducting of Andreas Mitisek, whose guidance brought great clarity, buoyancy, and lovely playing from the orchestra. The textures were especially pleasing when the woodwinds played. Coordination between the pit and the stage was nearly always perfect. In Mariusz Kwiecien we had a Don who could not only act with athletic grace but also truly sing every minute of his music, often shading the voice with tones that varied to support the drama. One of the most important differences between a merely good singer and a great one is the ability and the artistry to sing softly while retaining focus. Loud singing is easier but leaves the artist nowhere to go vocally if he can't sing softly as well. Kwiecien was equally comfortable at both ends of the dynamic range. And it certainly didn't hurt that his looks matched his sensual singing. Morgan Smith, the Don in the Sunday matinee, was just as attractive physically and nearly so vocally. My only objection was that both men, while playing the sexual appeal to the hilt, missed the charming appeal of a man who is supposed to be also a gentleman. (Okay, I'm spoiled, having seen Cesare Siepi many times in this role.) This slant was of course the choice of the Director, Chris Alexander, a man by now very familiar to Seattle Opera audiences. Otherwise, the direction worked quite well. Although both tenors singing Don Ottavio (Richard Croft and Patrick Miller) were barely adequate, the other men were excellent. Baritones Eduardo Chama and Brian Kontes each handled the vocal and dramatic demands of the role of Leporello with apparent ease and élan. Of special merit was the Masetto of Kevin Burdette, who showed both dramatic skill and musical artistry. But where on earth did poor Masetto get those red alligator shoes?! He and his bride, Zerlina, are supposed to be poor country folk. Well, the costumes are supposed to tell us that the tale of the Don (Don Juan) is universal to all times and places. Some of them worked, while others drew attention to themselves and away from the story (like the huge Honda motorcycle in the very first scene). Both Zerlinas (Ailish Tynan and Heather Parker) were stuck in truly ugly wedding dresses that did nothing for their matronly looks. Each acted well but lacked the light lyric vocal line one looks for in a Zerlina. The two Donna Annas (Pamela Armstrong and Franzita Whelan) were both adequate in this demanding role, although the former was in shrill territory by the end of her cemetery aria. Neither seemed willing or able to float any soft high notes. Marie Plette was vocally assured but dramatically bland as Donna Elvira, whereas Dana Beth Miller (Sunday matinee) was dramatically strong but sang everything VERY loud with a voice that was as hard and ugly as Don Giovanni's heart. Since none of the sopranos ever sang softly, the great masked trio was doomed from the start. In the short but important role of the Commendatore, it helps if you have a true Russian basso; and in Vladimir Ognovenko Seattle Opera had exactly that. A huge, evenly produced sound with that special Russian depth made his ample stage presence powerful indeed. The set (by Robert A. Dahlstrom) looked cheap, with same black wall of a thousand doors for all 3 hours and 10 minutes. (One kept thinking of the farce 'Noises Off'!) It did work extremely well in the banquet scene, but a missed lighting cue on Sunday ruined the spectacular effect of a wall of fire as the Don was dragged through a trap door to his damnation. The trouble with memories of superior performances is that they can diminish an appreciation of the current offering by suggesting standards that are very difficult to attain. Certainly the audiences last weekend seemed to enjoy these performances even while I was disappointed. Reviewer Rod Parke can be reached at rmp62@columbia.edu. |
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