The
numerous contrasting dimensions of Verdi's Un ballo in maschera – the personal
and the political, the secular and the sacred, the comedic and the
tragic – were brought to the fore at the War Memorial Opera House for
this San Francisco Opera's revival, thanks to an elegant and passionate
orchestral rendition and excellent vocal performances.
If this San Francisco Opera revival of Un ballo (created for the
Washington National Opera) remains a pretty conventional and somewhat
uncreative production, I believe it serves this opera well. In every
scene, the space on stage is intelligently shaped by columns,
staircases, and other architectural elements so that a wider sense of
perspective is enhanced while at the same time not dwarfing the
performers. The clever use of space, enhanced by the play of light and
shadows, was due also to the creative lighting designed by Gary Marder. Costumes by John Conkling appeared somewhat
dated – too much fabric and too many colors at times, especially during
the final scene, when the stage is crowded with people attending the
masked ball and the cumbersome costumes become distracting and
unhelpful to the action. Jose Maria
Condemi's direction was efficient – in particular, I appreciated
the numerous tableaux-like scenes ending Act I and Act III,
choreographed with great beauty and grace.
Vocally, this SF Opera's Un ballo was a success. RamónVargas' lyric tenor is always
pleasant to hear. Riccardo (or Gustavus III, in original version that
was censored during Verdi's time) is one of his signature roles, which
he has sung for many years all over the world. As Vargas himself
remarked during an interview to MusicalCriticism.com,
the King of Sweden “is nice, a little bit superficial perhaps, but very
honest and noble. He makes mistakes and tries to correct them.” Vargas'
interpretation certainly brought to the fore the contrasting aspects of
the king's personality: his legato is delicate and always precise, and
his timbre is warm and mellow – characteristics which sometimes make
his voice prone to being overpowered by the orchestra. It's a shame
that acting is not Vargas' best asset, and his portrayal suffered from
a somewhat dramatic stiffness and lack of charisma.
Julianna Di Giacomo's debut as
Amelia was magnificent. Di Giacomo – a 1999 graduate of the Merola
Opera Program – shone from the moment she sang her first lines, trying
to forget her love for Riccardo by means of magic, to the end,
attempting to instil compassion in her husband Renato (“Morró, ma prima
in grazia”). Her entrance in Act II – at night, in a tenebrous, lonely
field – was explosive: her beautiful, warm, crystalline and, at the
same time, powerful timbre filled the whole – and otherwise bare –
stage. I look forward to witnessing many more of her Verdian
roles in the years to come!
Brian Mulligan, replacing
Thomas Hampson during some of the performances in this run of Un ballo,
gave life to a convincing and incredibly passionate Renato (Count
Anckarstrom). His vocal performance wasn't homogenous, and towards the
beginning he struggled to achieve evenness in his timbre. Once he
warmed up, he offered an intense performance. His heartbreaking “Eri
tu... O dolcezze perdute” was one of the highlights of the night, for
this member of the audience, not only from a vocal point of view but
also because of the urgency carried by his dramatic interpretation.
Thanks to both Mulligan's and Di Giacomo's performances, the whole
first scene of Act III was a masterpiece of intensity.
Dolora Zajick was fantastic –
as always – portraying the mysterious, powerful storyteller Ulrica.
Constantly in perfect harmony with the orchestra, her round, intense,
and graceful voice filled the auditorium. What a joy to see and listen
to her perform!
The dramatic engagement was equally strong from the comprimario
singers. Heidi Stober was a
fabulous Oscar, both in her acting and in her vocal performance. She is
a wonderful interpreter of this peculiar Cherubino-like character: her
tone is bright her singing is precise, and her performance was
entertaining and lively. Efraín Solís'
Silvano (Christian), one of the fishermen interrogating Ulrica about
his future, gave a vocally excellent and spirited performance, as well.
Christian Van Horn and Scott Conner, as the two
conspirators, also portrayed their characters with great vocal
precision and effectiveness.
After five years that I have been attending the San Francisco Opera,
music director Nicola Luisotti's
interpretation of the Italian repertoire never failed to impress, to
these ears in any case. The play of contrasts, the fullness and the
silence, and the intensity of the drama to come, were all present in
the overture. Luisotti's choice of long pauses at the end of Act II,
when Amelia's identity – and hers and the king's betrayal – are
revealed to her husband – made the scene superbly poignant. As the
opera went on, the ambiguous and intense aural colors of the story
unfolded in the orchestral interpretation – from the delicate, almost
fragile, lines of the strings to the vigour of the full orchestra.
Whether you are a Verdi lover or not, this Ballo is not to miss.
Photos credits: Cory Weaver
