If music in general is an imitation of history, opera in particular is an imitation of human willfulness; it is rooted in the fact that we not only have feelings but insist upon having them at whatever cost to ourselves,” the poet W.H. Auden once wrote. “The quality common to all the great operatic roles, e.g., Don Giovanni, Norma, Lucia, Tristan, Isolde, Brunnhilde, is that each of them is a passionate and willful state of being. In real life they would all be bores, even Don Giovanni.”
Well, maybe so, but there’s little chance that those attending Opera New Jersey’s current production of Don Giovanni will be leaving McCarter Theatre in anything less than a state of exhilaration. At final curtain of the opening performance, which took place Sunday, the cast was greeted with a standing ovation, with much whooping and hollering. Bored, this audience wasn’t — nor would anybody be who has a taste for sublime music, lots of fine, fresh singing and lively stage action. This was a memorably youthful Don G, with all the advantages of the same, we’re simply delighted to report, and none of the drawbacks.
Pledging he would not make a practice of pre-curtain speeches, Richard Russell, ONJ’s newly named general director, warmly welcomed the audience and announced the renaming of the company’s much heralded young artists’ program as the Victoria J. Mastrobuono Emerging Artists Program. The renaming recognizes a bequest of nearly $800,000 by the late resident of Bay Head, whom ONJ described as “a patron, friend and donor.”
The company has now launched “Opera New Jersey: Envision the Future,” a $2 million campaign to “continue (the company’s growth ... solidify ONJ’s and Princeton’s place as one of this country’s most important opera destinations ... (and) ensure ONJ’s bright future by providing it with a secure financial base.”
Let’s get one thing out of the way, just in case. The prominence of “emerging artists” in the company’s profile should not lead anyone to think that ONJ casts neophytes in major operatic roles — although, you know, there’s nothing wrong with that, if and when the newbie can deliver the goods. But that’s not the company’s practice.
As was exemplary from the
Don Giovanni cast, ONJ pays close attention to who is singing what, where, with companies such as the Met, New York City Opera, Boston Lyric, San Francisco Opera, etc. ONJ focuses on young, experienced, professional singers who, over the next five years or so, can be expected to “pop.” For
Don G, you need no less than eight of them, straight across the vocal spectrum — and they had better be ready to sing Mozart at the height of his powers.
Everybody sang well, although one suspected that we weren’t hearing our Donna Elvira — Laquita Mitchell — on her best night, and one would have preferred a bigger sound from our Don Giovanni — the otherwise elegant and impeccable Andrew Garland. Matt Boehler’s Leporello and Jennifer Black’s Donna Anna are worthy of just about any stage on the planet. Kudos, all, to Young-Bok Kim (Commendatore), Steven Sanders (Don Ottavio), Abigail Nims (Zerlina), and David Cushing (Masetto).
Arizona Opera maestro Joel Revzen conducted the New Jersey Symphony Chamber Ensemble with suave authority.
Don G is a long opera — “long” from the point of view of all the action that takes place within its span, “long” in the extraordinary richness of the score, which touches upon virtually every human emotion throughout its course. This opera has it all — comedy, tragedy, the fantastic, the supernatural. But Maestro Revzen managed to bring down the final curtain at three hours, 15 minutes, including intermission. While never rushed, this performance moved — and
Don G has to move, or it sinks like a stone. “You could die,” I once had a world-famous soprano confide about a “Don Giovanni” she’d had to sing. Not with Joel Revzen in the pit, that’s for sure.
I thoroughly enjoyed everything about John Hoomes’ staging except the occasional use of projections, which just seemed gimmicky, sorry, and two pantomime elements — the faceless “naked ladies” and the roaming monk. I guess monks are scary and ominous, because, Heaven knows, an entire monastery of them showed up to witness the Don being dragged down to hell. But I’m carping, I guess, because Mr. Hoomes’ did succeed in drawing vivid, specific characterizations from the singers and establishing credible relationships between and among them. His coup de theatre? Well, the Don puts in an appearance subsequent to his eternal damnation. It’s funny, it’s quick, and it’s, well, true, so I’m not giving it away. It’s a lagniappe for ONJ’s stalwart Mozarteans.
People who know this spectacularly famous opera — the greatest ever written, some would argue, and I suspect they’re right — don’t need to be told the plot. Those who don’t know the opera — please, I beg you, do yourself a favor: Look up the story online. Ten minutes will do the job. Even so, ONJ’s English supertitles bring conceptual clarity to the sonorous beauty of Lorenzo da Ponte’s Italian libretto.
Opera New Jersey’s 2010 Summer Season continues Saturday, July 17, on McCarter Theatre’s intimate Berlind Stage with Donizetti’s romantic comedy
Don Pasquale, staged by Michael Scarola and conducted by Mark Laycock, who is well known to Princeton audiences, and Sunday, July 18, on McCarter’s main stage with Gounod’s
Faust, staged by Trevore Ross and conducted by Mark Flint. The three operas continue in repertory through Aug. 1.
Opera New Jersey will repeat
Don Giovanni Saturday, July 24, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, Aug. 1, at 2 p.m. in McCarter Theatre. For tickets, call 609-258-2787 or visit
www.mccarter.org. Opera New Jersey on the Weeb:
www.opera-nj.org.
