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Monday, 22 September 2008 |
Melodrama, drama. comedy. science fiction. Whatever you want (as long as you want opera).
Los Angeles Opera Season Openers.
Three one act operas by Puccinni collectively named Il Trittico, played
out on magnificently epic sets by Santo Loquasto and conducted with
verve by James Conlin. In a gritty (all things being relative) dockside
love triangle, gruffly mellow Mark Delavan just knows his wife, lush
Anja Kampe and her feisty "friend" Salvatore Licitra, passionately
piping, are up to no good (for him). He's right and slays who is
stalking him with evil intent on a quaint french waterside.
Suor Angelica is a dramatic and vocal triumph for Sonia Rodvanovsky
playing a wealthy woman who enters a convent after giving birth to an
illegitimate child. When vengeful Larissa Diadkova, harshly informs her
that the child is dead, Angelica kills herself with systematically
gathered poisonous herbs from her convent garden. Rodvanovsky is
immensely moving. Her soprano voice has a grainy, slow vibrato as
though colored by her anguish, she soars in beatific flights of fate.
The piece de resistance for many is the Woody Allen-directed Gianni
Schicci, jam packed with juicy Italian greed, sex, and family feuding
which Puccinni and his librettist supplied bountifully. Thomas Allen,
got up in Marcello Mastroianni drag, threatens, cajoles, and schemes
(in short, he rampages) about a dead man's decayed mansion. He triumphs
briefly (in this version) and snatches a fine dowry for his daughter
(Laura Tatulescu) as well. The way that she and swain Saimir Pagu have
been lip locking and body melding, to the ire of his domineering,
gusty, voiced aunt Jill Grove, throughout makes marriage seem a mere
detail. Woody Allen created an week's worth of frenetic business for
this one act opera, almost all of which is hilarious as it is displayed
in front of a monumentally busy urban set.
The next day, The Fly had its world premiere. It’s the subject of two
movies, the second of which (released in 1989) achieved cult status
(disclaimer- I have seen neither). The opera and David Cronenberg's
production—he also directed and co-wrote the 1989 film—reek of film
noir atmosphere for this eery, faintly disturbing science fiction tale.
Howard Shore's relentlessly grim score (he composed the movie sound
track) has a role for a computer suitably sung by the chorus as an
automaton. Daniel Okullitch is the increasingly manic scientist and
Ruxandra Donode is his brittle love interest. It is a shade too weird
to be disturbing, and a tad too disturbing to be sympathetic. David
Henry Hwang 's libretto is said to closely follow the movie
In repertory through 9/27 at the Music Center. Call (213) 972-8991 or browse LosAngelesOpera.com
Byplay
E Hula Mau, a delightful chunk of Hawaiian culture, has come and gone
from Long Beach's Terrace Theatre. An annual Labor Day event, mark your
calenders if you any affinity with the islands. This year's version
pitted the big three of LA area hula halaus in friendly but tough
competition. Kealii O Nalani, Lilinoe, and Kamuela (along with its Oahu
branches) are perennials at the Merrie Monarch, the Olympics of Hula
held each April in Hilo. The performance level has risen so high that
this year Nani Ola from Las Vegas was also invited to the Merrie
Monarch. So the system is working. Island eyes are on this event. For
news of next year, browse NaMamo.org.
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