Just returned from Santa Fe Opera for the opening of their first ever production of Beethovens Fidelio. I have not been to Santa Fe recently but this year I decided to make a brief visit and it was quite worth while. Aside from the spectacular setting of the Crosby theater the atmosphere created around the performance is unique in the world. The production was first rate and created by Stephen Wadsworth. He set the story out in the simplest way setting it at the end of WWII in a country with the Nazis falling from power and British troops arriving at the epilogue to save free the camp and save the day. It made a great deal of dramatic sense as this piece is often a staged set of scenes not so neatly tied together. Harry Bicket is known as a baroque conductor but in this case he proved a good choice for this piece as he kept a wonderful balance from the pit with the stage for the most part. Taking the title role also for the first time was Bulgarian soprano Alexandrina Pendatchanska know now as Alex Penda. I have know this artist a while since I managed her late Mom the eminent soprano Valerie Popova, and have heard her sing repertory across the board from Lucia and Gilda to Elisabetta in Stuarda as well as Rossinis Ermione and Donna del Lago. Penda literally threw herself in this role and made it her own, not with the usual germanic sound we are so used to but with a warmer very feminine texture, very moving in her Act I scene and thrilling in her confrontation with Pizarro in Act II. She managed the difficult tessitura with great ease and exciting climatic tops. Paul Groves singing his first Florestan was well within his range and sang the great monologue in Act II with ease and great vocal color and line. The most difficult part of the scene towards the end did not undo him and he was quite satisfying throughout. Greer Grimsleys Pizzaro here modeled somewhat on the prison camp commander in Schindlers List was riveting and he dominated his every scene. This production was anchored dramatically however by the Rocco of the Austrian bass baritone, Manfred Hemm. A seasoned interpreter of this role, his Rocco was very human and both spoken and sung with knowing authority. The Jaquino of Joshua Dennis was well sung and interpreted as a young member of the Nazi Youth taken down in the end but able to reconcile with the able and chunky Marzelline of Devon Guthrie. Two able sand outs in the Prisoners chorus were tenor Joseph Dennis (twin brother of Joshua) as the first prisoner and Patrick Guetti, bass baritone, as the second prisoner. The chorus sang all with great clarity and impact. Evan Hughess Don Fernando appeared swamped unfortunately. On the previous Thursday I attended Martina Arroyos Prelude to Performance production of Traviata at the Danny Kaye Playhouse at Hunter. It was a pleasure to see a traditional essaying of this opera by Laura Alley devoid of clock faces and unessential characters and silly staging well sung by a talented young cast assembled by Martina and idiomatically conducted by Daniel Lipton. Cecila Lopez was beautiful to look at and listen to in her interpretation of Violetta visually remarkable, invoking her teacher Diana Soviero and well on her way to becoming a fine interpreter of this demanding role. She easily encompassed her Act I scene including a well placed top E flat, good sense of legato and use of text. Her Alfredo was a very elegant pure lyric tenor, Paul Han. This role was presented in the manner of tenors of the past such as Cesare Valetti. This tenore di grazia interpretation was very popular at one time and it was refreshing to hear this role sung and interpreted with purity of tone and very elegant phrasing and musical sensibility. Prelude to Performance is fast become one of the most valuable necessities in the development of new operatic talent. Brava to Martina Arroyo and her team. The 9 hour plus travel to and from Santa Fe was passed reading Joan Rivers Diary of a Mad Diva on the planes and in the lounges. I can recommend this book if you like Rivers style, and I do. Most of it is over the top and I laughed so much I began to cry...some of it is somewhat gritty...or less than genteel to say the least. She is not at all PC, thank God...her irreverence boarders on the insane and when its mixed up with dementia its quite an omlette.
Posted on: Mon, 14 Jul 2014 22:54:24 +0000
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