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L.A Opera'sOrfeo and Euridice
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Genaux, Bayo
Photo by R. Millard
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By Michael Van Duzer
Although it’s hard to see today, Gluck was a rebel. Disgusted with the excesses of Baroque Opera and its increasing dependence on showy vocal effects and artificially inflated drama, he composed Orfeo ed Euridice with the idea of getting back to basics. Like the first opera composers, he took his cue from what was known of ancient Greek theatre and devised a lean and elegant music drama. Until recently, Orfeo was the oldest opera still in the standard repertoire. It may be easier for us to see productions of Handel and Monteverdi today, but the importance of Orefeo can’t be overstated in operatic history. Its simplicity, not to mention its success, paved the way for Mozart, in the next generation, to further humanize the form.
There were two versions of Orfeo produced, and, though most modern productions combine elements of both, Los Angeles Opera decided to tackle the earlier and more
spare Vienna score of 1762. For this new production, they had the inspired choice of using choreographer Lucinda Childs as director. Although the Vienna score actually contains less pure dance, Child’s sensibility brought graceful movement and appropriate dramatic weight to a production that could have easily been a series of yawn-inducing tableaux vivants. She was aided in no small way by the exquisitely designed set by Tobias Hoheisel. Utilizing a stylized frame as the major set piece, he quietly suggested the earth with projections of trees, angled the frame, and opened flaming jets to simulate the gates of Hades and then used it to form a metaphoric barrier between Orfeo and Euridice. Hoheisel’s costumes were a mostly monchromatic hodgepodge of styles (Orfeo in Victorian great coat and Euridice in an ersatz 50’s cocktail dress) that blended seamlessly with the concept.
Certainly up to the burden, the opera rests squarely on the shoulders of the mezzo-singing Viveca Geneax as Orfeo. Her voice contains the rich, dark coffee tones of a contralto but warms and blossoms effortlessly into a brilliant upper register. True to the intent of the composer, her singing was at all times intelligent and refined, taking no liberties nor adding any of the vocal pyrotechnics that have made her name. María Bayo sang Euridice with such passion and palpable longing that she very nearly stole the show. Her voice blended beautifully with Genaux and one lamented the producers not cheating a little and using Euridice’s lovely aria that was added for the Paris production. Perched upon a suspended globe, Carmen Giannattasio chirped prettily as the god Amor.
In the pit, Hartmut Haenchen marshaled the orchestra with admirable agility and impeccable style.
November 29-December 21 2003: Dorothy Chandler Pavilion www.losangelesopera.com
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