|
|
Der Rosenkavalier
By Michael Van Duzer
For Opera Pacific's first foray into the world of Richard Strauss they chose his ever popular, Der Rosenkavalier. A bittersweet Valentine to Mozartean opera and a Vienna long gone, Rosenkavalier brilliantly balances romance and comedy; scoring it with some of the most achingly beautiful music ever written. Like Mozart's operas with da Ponte, the libretto (by Hugo von Hoffmannsthal) is every bit as sparkling and dramatically viable as the music. Its' challenging principal roles demand singers who can create multi-layered characters and convey the subtleties of the text.
Veteran singer Helen Donath sang the key role of the Marschallin with delicacy, lyricism, and enough sustained tone to satisfy even the most exacting critics. During the first act she seemed slightly ill-at-ease (possibly the result on an unflattering costume and some awkward staging), but her take on the role was original and surprisingly fatalistic, as if she had relinquished her lover before the curtain ever went up. Her final act presented a regal and imposing figure that easily commanded the stage and all that shared it with her. Playing Octavian, the enthusiastic young man the Marschallin is introducing to the adult world of love, Patricia Risley managed the feat of seeming appropriately male without compromising her singing. Markus Hollop was taller, thinner and younger than the traditional Baron Ochs (think Ichabod Crane rather than W.C. Fields) but he managed to get his laughs, even if some of the lower notes in the role defeated him. As Sophie, Nancy Allen Lundy used her small, clear voice judiciously and didn't overdo the soubrette mannerisms.
Bruno Schwengl's sets seemed strangely bare for the period but his transformation of the last act's tavern into a haunted beer garden was witty and quite fun. Jay Lesenger's direction was clear and unfussy without illuminating much beyond the story. John DeMain led the orchestra with his customary elan but with an added sense of urgency. At four hours plus and, with a startling number of walkouts during the intermissions, perhaps this was the best decision for Orange County.
Der Rosenakavalier April 3, 5, 6, 7 at 7:30 PM; April 8 at 2PM Orange County Performing Arts Center (800) 346-7372.
|
|
|
|
