Opera in Review
CANADA
BURLINGTON
On September 16, artistic director and conductor Sabatino Vacca launched Southern Ontario Lyric Opera’s (SOLO) 17/18 season with Puccini’s La bohème. The popular crowd-pleaser is so well known that it can be a mundane experience—however, this is not the case with SOLO’s production. The strong cast, creative staging and historically accurate costumes fully embody the spirit of Puccini’s turn-of-the-twentiethcentury love story.
The young cast was completely believable—each lead not only looked their part, but sang their role with utter sincerity. Natalya Gennadi’s Mimì was quietly sensitive despite her soaring vocals, and her skillful acting made the seamstress’s demise all the more pitiful. Michael Marino (Rodolfo) delivered a “Che gelida manina” so powerful that he forwent Act I’s final offstage note; Marino’s voice continued to strengthen throughout the production, and he skillfully portrayed the emotional roller coaster that Rodolfo endures. Sara Papini was a charming Musetta, and her “Quando me’n vo’” was delivered as the show stopping piece that Puccini meant it to be. Diego Catalá portrayed a handsome and conflicted Marcello whose powerful vocals in the finale of Act II were particularly stirring. Peter Bass (Schaunard) sang with force in addition to his adept acting, and showed innate sensitivity in the final death scene. Dylan Wright (Colline) delivered a moving and sonorous “Vecchia zimarra, senti,” while Austin Larusson (Benoit/Alcindoro) was an accomplished ensemble member within the small cast
Vacca’s sensitive conducting ebbed and flowed with the beautiful score, which allowed the singers to make the most of Puccini’s phrasings. The orchestra showed great improvement from their first SOLO production; however, at times the woodwinds were flat and the trumpets were jarring. The chorus was enthusiastic, strong, and in sync, and the
addition of members of the Burlington Teen Tour band—Canada’s oldest and largest marching band—during the parade in Act II was visually stunning. The children’s chorus from the Burlington Student Theatre displayed impressive vocals and were a delight to watch.
Director Lesley Andrew’s use of the entire theatre space for the character’s entrances and exits made for exciting transitions throughout the production, and Jane Coryell’s set design and Chris Humphrey’s lighting were simple and elegant. As SOLO’s third fully staged opera, La bohème proved that for this company the third time was, indeed, a charm. —Dawn Martens
HALIBURTON
This summer, Highlands Opera Studio in Haliburton produced a condensed Così fan tutte using two alternating casts over four performances. Conductor Philip Morehead and accompanist Janelle Fung beautifully led singers through its intricate ensemble work, while also capturing the tender nuances of its slower arias. It was obvious the young singers enjoyed this comedic romp as well as the more introspective character interactions unearthed by Francois Racine’s carefully paced directing. Every participant—from the leads to the stagehands—provided laugh out loud moments. The set was minimalistic to the point of looking sparse and the lighting simple, while costumes were a mixed bag of colours with varying skirt lengths and no unifying historical style. It was the glorious singing and detailed acting that ensured the success of this production. Nathan Keoughan’s Don Alfonso was a smirking comedic masterpiece, always at work in the background while never overshadowing the ensemble. Keoughan’s resonant baritone just keeps getting richer and more polished with each listening. In the alternate cast, Matthew Gamble’s Alfonso was a more sinister manipulator and his voice reacted powerfully to the trouble he manages to stir up. Katie Miller (Dorabella) and Mikayla Sager (Fiordiligi) not only looked like sisters, but also were a vocal match, providing some sumptuous harmonies. The other cast’s sisterly pair—Lauren Margison (Fiordiligi) and Caroline Gélinas (Dorabella)— were vocally on point and hilarious. Their performances in particular stood out as they demonstrated the great breadth of vocal and acting skills needed to deliver the emotional roller coaster that Così should be. Tonatiuth Abrego made a dashing and believable Ferrando. Mathieu Abel’s interpretation of the same role was particularly effective during the aria “Un’aura amorosa”, his sensitive and pure vocal tonality leaving the audience breathless. Max Van Wyck and Andrew Erasmus were vocally strong and comedic as the Guglielmos, contributing strongly to the effectiveness of the ensembles. Both Despinas were excellent: Andrea Nuñez’s brilliant soprano and strong acting skills made for a delightful evening of comedy while Elizabeth Polese’s polished performance left no doubt that Despina is one of the chief instigators of the chaos. Kudos to General Director Valerie Kuinka and Artistic Director Richard Margison for providing this excellent opportunity for young singers who we will, no doubt, be hearing more from in future productions. —Dawn Martens
HALIFAX
For the past 13 years, the Halifax Summer Opera Festival has proven that rumours of opera’s demise are false. The Festival’s passionate young performers and exuberant audiences of all ages clearly share a love for the art form and a commitment to its future. At this year’s festival, the three operas performed were Francesco Cavalli’s L’Egisto, Georges Bizet’s Carmen and Benjamin Britten’s Albert Herring.
Cavalli’s early Venetian opera L’Egisto(1643) takes its inspiration from classical mythology and the consequences that follow gods and humans as they love and betray each other. Director Carmen C. Kruse’s modern dress production incorporated cell phones as props, reconciling the discord between modernity and the early baroque score with a lively, often humorous presentation. At the August 6th matinée, the star-crossed lovers were soprano Katherine Lerner Lee as Clori and countertenor Andrew Pickett as Lidio. Perfectly matched, they were delightfully flirtatious, unrestrained, and cleverly insincere. As charming as they were, though, suggestions of excess in their protestations of fidelity were reinforced by the overuse of the selfie, which also served as a reminder that this was a very modern adaptation. The secondary couple were soprano Francesca Alexander as Climine and tenor Edward Larocque as Egisto, both vocally splendid in their grief. Alexander has a mature, warm voice capable of great depth, and her Climine required no self-conscious digital image, while Larocque succeeded in conveying a man increasingly incapable of dealing with his emotions. There were many splendid performances within the cast of over twenty, but the clarity and range of alto Landon Westerfield as Dema was outstanding. Mezzo-soprano Sarah Nadreau captured the stage in the minor role of Apollo with the strength of her vocal personality and acting, and soprano Kaitlyn Krough, as Amore, was mercurial with a voice twice her actual size. The performers were buoyed by an orchestra of violins, cellos and harpsichord under the direction of Eszter Horvath.
When Bizet’s Carmen premiered in 1875, it shocked audiences with its depictions of immorality and the inclusion of characters from lower classes of society. Today, the opera is so well known that it is a challenge to convey the elements that originally made it so scandalous. Despite this, on the evening of August 6th a picture-perfect Carmen took the stage. Mezzo-soprano Zita Bombadier-Touret had all the elements required for the title role—a strong, rich mezzo; a seductive stage personality; impeccable timing and a dancer’s grace. There was clearly no hope for Micaëla’s character, performed sweetly, if somewhat meekly, by soprano D’Arcy Blunston, nor for Don José (tenor Joel and proved to festival audiences how dazzling this opera can be.
