opera queen in queen city
[La Cieca is happy to present a guest review by Our Own Lindoro Almaviva.]
Cincinnati Opera makes a good case for the 4 act version of Don Carlo. I think it is a great idea that they used projected titles to give us the background of the opera (since we lose the Fontainebleau scene). This gave the production an almost cinematic start and maybe this was the reason why I was more receptive to it. Kudos to whomever had the idea, it worked.
The opera was performed in a unit set with some movable parts that gave it variety. Overall, they were pretty to look most of the time. The set designer did not give us a set that inspired awe, but it was not on the way either, so I feel it worked. The one problem I found with it was that it felt claustrophobic. It made the Cincinnati stage look quite small.
Since the production is co-owned by Cincinnati, Hawaii, Vancouver and Hong Kong, that might explain some of it. Yet, I do not see a reason why some of the parts (the stairs that dominated either side of the set) could have not been made to adapt to each stage’s size. At one point we were able to see several stagehands bring the proscenium for the auto da fe.
Cincinnati Opera Orchestra played well for Richard Buckley. Maestro Buckley on the other hand gave us conducting so routine and uninspiring it was frustrating. For starters, he wasn’t able to hold the orchestra at a volume level that would allow the singers to deliver the text consistently. Music Hall does not have a deep pit and the orchestra sits also right in front of the singers, not below like in most opera houses.
This means that the conductor has to work hard in creating a balance in a house where the orchestra could dominate the proceedings and cover the singers. Maestro Buckley did not achieve this. My other complaint was the edition that he chose. Let me describe it with this: We heard extended excerpts of act 1, extended excerpts of act 2 and extended excerpts of the auto da fe. The cuts were coming left and right at a maddening pace. The Veil song was shred to only 1 verse, the “Dio che nell’alma” duet was so fast it was rushed. There was no time to express anything. Towards the end of the act (the opera was performed in 2 acts with a break after the Auto da fe) I witness the maestro conducting while looking at his watch. That did it for me.
Now to the performers. Davis Lawrence Michael as the Friar/Carlo V was imposing and sang well. Elisabeth Pojanowski as Tebaldo and Amita Prakash as the celestial voice sang beautifully. Special kudos to Ms. Prakash for singing her part from the 3rd balcony, several feet above the orchestra and with no clear view of the beat. She did beautifully, sang on time and in tune and did a beautiful trill.
Morris Robinson’s Inquisitor was a disappointment to me. For starters he was not imposing. His acting did not show the Inquisitor as the true power behind the throne. His voice was also a little woofy. The color of his voice is quite beautiful and it carries well. Let’s hope that he will continue to sing basso cantante roles and avoid basso profundo roles for a while.
Michele De Young as Eboli had roller coaster night. Her costume was not flattering and the design didn’t allow her to stand out from the chorus. Her make up also did her no favors. The Veil Song was a little labored and in the Fountain Scene trio she was not menacing. She reached her peak at the “O don fatale,” which she sang quite beautifully. Interestingly enough, what gave her trouble consistently through the night was her lowest notes.
She reached the Cb and the B’s in O don fatale with ease that would make any soprano turn around and take notice. I am not sure if this was Ms. De Young’s first outing as Eboli, if it was, it might explain why her character was not well defined. Let’s hope she will get to sing this role more often and with directors that will guide her and challenge her to create a three dimensional character. The vocal goods are there in spades.
Marco Caria as Rodrigo provided some truly amazing vocalism. His singing was strong and on pitch; he can also trill (thank God). His acting could use some work, but he remained a presence you noticed. Overall, we were very impressed with him. One thing, I have a feeling that we might have a Siegmund in training. His high notes were bright and had presence, even more so than his lower register. For a moment I thought that he might at one point or another test the waters in a studio and see if what we have is a helden tenor in the making. Bravo, Mr. Caria.
James Morris’s Filippo was a lot better than I expected. After his rather wobbly contributions to the Met’s 125 Gala I was expecting more of the same. I am glad to report that he was in very good form. His singing and acting were both solid. His Filippo will never reach the heights of his Wotan, but it was a very good performance.
I will start my comments of Angela Brown’s Elisabetta with my full disclosure statement. I have known Angela for a good 10-15 years now. We went to school together and we are now neighbors. I say this because if you want to take what I say with a grain of salt so be it. I thought Angela, or more accurately half of Angela, as she has lost 100 pounds, sang beautifully. Her “Non pianger” was beautifully vocalized with those pianos that she produces. Her acting was quite good and her regal bearing worthy of the queen. Her “Tu che le vanita” was another highlight of the evening.
Overall, I though Angela improved from the last time I saw her do the role (Philly several years ago). This is a good role for her and let’s hope she will continue singing it for a while. Indianapolis residents will be able to sample her Ariadne next season and she will be in Vienna in November as Amelia in Ballo.
This leaves us with Don Carlo, Frank Porreta. I have tried to find ways to say this, but I have been unsuccessful; so here it is: a Don Carlo without a Don Carlo is not fair. Mr. Porreta treated us with a cardboard character and singing that was unacceptable in my book. He had 2 body positions (when he was standing): One foot on front of the other, knees bent and one hand on the air. Position no 2 was a mirror image of no. 1. His singing was not any better than his acting. He sang loud most of the time, some of the high notes were exiting (even I’ll admit to that) but no more. He was successful in portraying the stress of Carlo, but not the love. The one moment when he did sing piano, his voice got disconnected and it sounded falsetto. Overall, a disappointing performance.
Now to Sandra Bernhard’s stage directing. Lemme tell you, the irony of her name did not escape us. This woman’s stage direction was so clumsy it was frustrating. I wanted to slap her. Remember that I told you that the stage felt a little claustrophobic? Well, in a Don Carlo, that shouldn’t matter too much if you get a director that seizes that and makes the staging and the actors react to all those wall closing in on them. The court, after all, was not the most welcoming place to be. Ms. Bernhard’s characters could not relate to each other or just ignored each other while they sang. There was not a scene where I didn’t find myself lowering my head while moving it east-west. It was embarrassing. Here are some of the passages that I thought were the worst of the night.
- Carlo and Rodrigo not talking to each other while they expressed their brotherly love. They were looking to the front and not relating to each other. It was uncomfortable and amateurish.
- King Phillip discovers that there is Carlo’s portrait on Elisabetta’s box AFTER she has entered and he has already started bitching her out. Hello! the reason why he sings Ella giammai is because he has open her jewelery box ALREADY! Bernhard was clueless and the scene started without real purpose. Phillip’s anger and resentment had no base.
- Elisabetta passes out, Phillip calls for help, Eboli and Rodrigo come in and they start singing. Did you notice that I have not said who helped Elisabetta up? Hello! the queen of Spain is on the floor, passed out, the king called for help, she is still on the floor NOT moving! This went on for several minutes. I wanted to scream. Elisabetta helped herself up, “I’m OK, don’t mind me…”
- Eboli confesses her sin. Her cross is taken from her and Elisabetta storms out (a valid interpretation) Eboli proceeds to take 2 steps (that’s all the room she had) and stop and the bottom of the stairs with her right hand extended. You knew this was her position to start her aria. It looked so clumsy and amateurish it was risible. The movement had no intention, it would have been a lot better had Eboli remained on her knees extended her arms and realized that she was not going to make it up to try to explain herself further to the queen. She could have started the aria on her knees and then work up.
- The crowd is out for blood. Eboli walks in and tells Carlo that he needs to escape NOW. You would think that a man who is seeing a crowd ask for his head will make a run for it. Nope, they just exited leisurely…
Don Carlo plays again Sat evening. If you are in the area I encourage you to go and make up your own mind. I found the performance has enough virtues to recommend anyone who has never seen this opera, or fans of it, to go.
Wow. Great review! I was at the performance last night, and I agree with almost everything the reviewer says.
Please forward your comments regarding staging to 1) Cincinnati Opera and 2) the local news media(who’s published review only barely mentions the ’static staging’). The staging technique (or lack thereof) was present in Figaro as well. It seems to me Park and Bark went out of style with bell bottoms, LSD and be-ins. Maybe it’s making a come back? Let’s hope not.
Aren’t C flat and B the same thing? I think it’s a C flat and a number of B flats in ‘O don fatale’. Not that I’ve ever sung the role. It lies a little high for me, sadly.
GREAT review! Buckley and Bernhard are HACKS!
Harmonically they are the same, the sound is the same but because they are written differently on the page, they get the name they have on the page.
I have found that if you talk about the B natural on O don fatale a lot of pianists and coaches will get confused because the note is not in the key. The moment you say the Cb they immediately get on board.
Detailed review with the kind of details on the vocal aspects that I always look for and unfortunately very rarely find.
At the same time, I would have been frustrated to no end with all those cuts. I love Don Carlo. I want as much of it as I can. Nothing less that full five acts will do for me. And if they find a sixth act I’ll be first in line to hear it.
About Porreta, is he the son (or grandson) of the Frank Porret who sang regularly at the NYCO in the early 1960’s. He was listed for a debut at the Met a year or two ago but my recollection is that it didn’t happen. Is he always as described by Signore Almaviva?
Doyenne doesn’t have a score handy — but isn’t all of “O don fatale” written in a flat key signature? So we are talking about a C-flat and a number of B-flats, right?
I just read the score and the top tone is in fact a c flat.
I have my score with me Cieca and the aria is in Ab minor (if i am not wrong). So when I talk about the B’s they are obviously Bb’s and the Cb.
My comment just now was in response to Monty who asked why did I say Cb and not B natural since they are the same note.
The aria has exactly 1 Cb, 3 Bb’s and several Ab’s.
By the way, monkey, I am pretty sure by now Cincy opera has read the review, not because I anm an impistant blogger but because it was also on opera-l and i believe that they monitor that.
Anyone whjo wants to, is wlecomed to send the text or the link. I doubt the general manager will be happy with a review like that. My guess is that he will shake his head and say “This bitch didn’t get it” and move on.
It would be nice a more detailed staging of the piece and to see that some changes were made, but i am not holding my breath. Seems that these days a lot of artists get defensive when their product is criticized and treat the criticism as coming from a lowly soul who is not enlightened enough to understand the musings of a supreme being.
Speaking of Eboli’s high notes, what is the climatic high note at the end of the trio wiht Carlo/Posa: C or B?
Here’s your baritone – cute and YOUNG!!! Allegedly barely into his 30s..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdhApjL4z-o
Kashania, the high note in the trio is a b-natural.
I was at the performance last night, as well, and agree with the majority of your review.
I had the great fortune of meeting the cast backstage after the show, and they were all extremely gracious (particularly when considering the fact that they had just sang one of Verdi’s most taxing scores). I asked Michelle DeYoung if this was her first crack at Eboli, and she mentioned this was her first Verdi role ever! Considering that fact, I thought she was particularly impressive.
I found Mr. Poretta’s vocalism a little on the savage side, but thought he acquitted himself admirably (from a vocal standpoint), particularly since this was also his first encounter with the role.
The staging has already been trashed thoroughly (as it should be), so I’ll leave that dead horse beaten.
I thought that top vocal honors went to Ms. Brown, whose top was much more secure than my previous encounters with her. She looked fabulously glamorous on (and off) stage. The tip-top of the voice did not bloom in the climactic phrases of Tu che le vanita as much as I’d have liked, but I was otherwise extremely impressed.
All-in-all, a pretty terrific night of vocalism in the Nati.
Speaking of mixed bags, did anyone watch Chess the other night? I adore the show, but I have to say that in a cast that featured Idina Menzel and Adam Pascal, the only really compelling singing or acting of the evening came from Josh Groban as Anatoly. He was truly breathtaking, and he had no problems with the rather wide range of the role. Truly a starmaking performance, ans could someone please revive the show for him?
But….
While Adam Pascal sings beautiful at low or moderate volume in the middle of his register, his top is strained. The role lies very high; his voice doesn’t.
Idina Menzel. What can I say? She strongly resembles Kate Hepburn, both the younger and older versions. Her head never stops bobbing up and down. And she sings with waaaaay too much tension in her face because she tries to belt the whole role, even the relatively delicate parts. She certainly didn’t reach the heights that Judy Kuhn did in the role.
Sorry I got off topic, but I had no one to discuss it with
Thanks, figlia!
#11 Mme Silvestri: Thank you so much for bringing that Don Carlo aria to our attention via UTube. Marco Caria has a beautiful voice that is so many ways is technically solid and musically attractive. I don’t think he’s ready for dramatic Verdi, do you? This was an excellent conservatory performance — and frankly I don’t want to hear him try for more than that right now. We have to see where the voice is going. My hunch is he should for the next five years sing Mozart’s Count, Figaro, Don Giovanni and similar — working hard on Papageno would be good for him. Certainly some Rossini is not going to hurt. But his already good technique needs to settle in — then let’s find out what he can do, say in five years. Meanwhile, everything seems right in terms of placement, breathing, relaxation, musical quality — but he’s just not mature enough for Don Carlo and wont be for a while. It does seem a ‘light’ voice, which is why I want to hear him in Mozart and related repertory for a while; that, and light French. Certainly he’s in good hands with Freni; whether he needs NYC representation is another matter. But — he’s a find! Let’s hope for good things in the future — it IS a lovely voice and easily emitted. More please!
Great review, Lindoro. I’m seeing this Don Carlo tomorrow. I noticed on opera-L there were mostly raves for Frank Porreta’s Don Carlo. From all the chatter on this production I’ve encountered on the web, it appears that Cincinnati is DEFINITELY the place to be right now!
On the subject of Don Carlo, it is gratifying to see that the piece has increasingly become acknowledged to be THE great Verdi opea — it certainly is in my book. Flawed, yes, but far richer in its themes and more compassionate than Otello, which is so often held up as the ‘perfect’ Verdi opera, but which I’ve never quite ‘got’. And it has such fabulous, varied music — from the subtlety of the encounters between Philip and Posa and Philip and the Inquisitor to humdinger showpiece arias like Rodrigo’s and Eboli’s. ‘Tu che la vanita’ is, I’ve come to the conclusion, Verdi’s most magnificent soprano aria, even if it doesn’t have a top C. Even the orchestral introduction tears your heart out!
MontyNostry, I don’t think anyone acknowledges that it is THE great Verdi opera, because that emphasis implies that there’s only one. I would agree that it is one of his greatest, along with Otello, Aida, and Falstaff, followed closely by Traviata, Forza, Trov, and Rigoletto. But I do wish fevently that it was performed more frequently in the original 5 Act French version.
MontyNostry: That’s an interesting observation about Don Carlo’s variety of music. I had never thought of that. Despite the variety, the opera never feels like a hodgepodge.
It’s difficult to pick one Verdi opera as the greatest. Otello is probably the most perfect drama. Falstaff displays a musical genius that can surprise even the biggest Verdi fan. Rigoletto achieves a musico-dramatic potency that one doesn’t find in most any other bel canto-inspired opera. But it’s perhaps Don Carlo that contains the greatest musical riches, its flawed ending aside. But then, what about Ballo? I think Verdi wrote so many great operas that picking the greatest is an impossible task.
kashania, I have to confess that, even though I am a huge fan of Verdi, I have never seen what makes Otello so perfect. The characters seem rather flat to me and everything happens too quickly. And above all, I don’t find it has the grey areas of morality and the huge reserves of compassion that my favourite Verdi operas have. Even in Macbeth you end up feeling just a little bit sorry for those two monsters, but in Otello I just feel “You screwed up”.
“grey areas of morality and the huge reserves of compassion”
Very well put!
I think Otello and Falstaff are more controlled works of genius but also (deliberately, perhaps) more monochrome. Don Carlo is so limitless, so limitlessly interesting.
I have to put a vote in for Traviata. Still my favorite opera.
I think what makes Otello suck a great opera is how Verdi composed music that so accurately reflects the state of mind of the characters. I can not think of a more deperate plight for help than Dio mi potevi, or a more beautiful prayer than the Ave Maria, or even a more menacing and beautiful atheist Credo. I have a feeling even God didn’t mind being insulted in such fabulous fashion.
Lindoro, I have sucked a great many things in my day, but never a great opera.
I would also put in a good word for Macbeth. The biggest flaw with it is that the opera really kind of ends with the sleepwalking scene. But virtually all of his operas have moments of genious
#21 Monte — the things you don’t like about Verdi’s Otello
also are present in the Shakespeare play — just take a look
at it — so much happens so fast — you want more time for
the characters to develop, esp. Desdemona in my case, yet
one can understand why the author(s) must move swiftly
in the interest of dramatic impulse and effect. I think
both those great works of art are masterful that upon
reflection leave little to be desired.
mrmyster, I bow to your greater knowledge of Shakespeare — I’ve only seen Othello once, and that was in a shoddy performance 30 years ago.
I think my main problems with Otello
stem from the the story itself and Boito’s sometimes clever-clever libretto. However, why does Verdi waste precious time he could have spent on character development with that silly ‘Fuoco di gioia’ chorus, which is really just empty virtuosity? And the section in Act II where the chorus serenades Desdemona does go on a bit. Yes, we’ve worked out that she’s a paragon of virtue and everyone loves her. And Iago really isn’t interesting. He’s just a baddie.
I don’t want to throw the baby out with the bathwater on Otello: the love duet is very beautiful (though somehow a littl cool) and there is great power in the Act III confrontation and big ensemble. I used to feel guilty about not connecting with the piece, but I’ve reconciled myself to my feelings now! I agree with Sanford about Macbeth. I adore that piece, including the rather weird and primitive final chorus. And the Act 1 finale is one of Verdi’s most breathtaking ensembles.
Check out this wonderful piece about Elina Garanca in the Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/28/arts/music/28gure.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&ref=music
Her comments on the acting vs. singing debacle are interesting – she comes across as a truue artist, aware of the pace needed to build a solid career, and not susceptible to Villazon/Netrebko pressure and self-destruction. Perhaps because she is more confident in her vocal capital…
It reads like a press release.
Thanks Florezrocks! i almost skipped the Arts section this weekend! Let’s hope Ms. Garanca stays on the vocally smart track!
As it is, Boito skipped some big chunks from the Shakespeare work, including the entire first act. Iago and Othello are supposed to be rivals and taking out the fuoco piece would have left him too one-dimensional. Boito actually added the Credo – the one piece not in Shakespeare – precisely to make Iago Otello’s match. Otherwise you’d have Otello being destroyed by a minor character.
As someone quite familiar with the play – seen and read multiple times – I still find the opera more credible.
No, kids, Cb is not the same note as B natural. It may be the same note on the piano keyboard, but Verdi was fully capable of writing a B natural if that was what he wanted instead of a Cb, so in Verdi’s mind there is a difference in pitch and color between these two notes. The piano being one of the few instruments almost consistently using equal temperament. The orchestra (strings specifically) whose tuning system is based on the division of a string is usually based on pythagorean temperament. The human voice is capable of any of the gradations of pitch in between, in general flatted notes are lower than sharped notes, and higher notes sharper than lower notes. For exact variations in pitch and historical style. Needless to say pitch is only one of the tools of the expressive singer, and as such is at the service of the text which since the Greeks (see also David’s dissertation in Meistersinger) attribute certain expressive and dramatic powers to various tones, harmonies, and text combinations. [See: http://www.dolmetsch.com/musictheory27.htm for details.] Best wishes, TD
Let’s face it, most Ebolis are happy to hit anything up there, whether C flat or B or –and we’ve all heard it — a very pushed B flat.
Let’s face it. There are kunstdivas and then there are kantdivas. I put my vote with the former.