Review: Così fan tutte"New Jersey Opera Theater Opens Season With Lively Performance of Mozart Favorite"Town Topics (Nancy Plum) New Jersey Opera Theater began its latest summer series of concerts and staged operas this past weekend at McCarter Theatre with productions of two operatic classics. The opening performance of Mozart's Così fan tutte on Friday night in the intimate Berlind Theatre (Donizetti's L'Elisir d'Amore was presented on Saturday night) was energetic and animated, with a cast including fresh and vibrant voices. New Jersey Opera Theater is proud of its alumni — former cast members who have gone on to be featured in major opera companies. Through its Festival and Studio Artist programs, the company seems to provide a performing forum for singers at all stages of development. Studio Artists participate in the chorus and smaller roles, and Festival Artists come with regional or international experience. The compactness of the Berlind Theatre encourages the NJOT directors to keep things simple, and this current production demonstrated that simplicity could be both elegant and well-designed. Così fan tutte, one of the last operas Mozart composed, has a cast of six major characters, three female and three male. Two of the women are sisters, two of the men are best friends, and all are kept in line by the omnipresent don and a nosy maid. The intricacies of all this personal chemistry must work, both vocally and dramatically. One of the great strengths of this production was the ensemble among the performers; their collective timing was exact, both in singing and action, and they moved seamlessly in and out of scenes with one another. The two officers, Ferrando and Guglielmo, were cast contrarily, both vocally and physically. Tenor Fabián Robles played the role of Ferrando with joviality and cheerfulness, contrasting with the understated suaveness of Jason Kaminski's Guglielmo. Mr. Robles brought an operatic vocal force to his role, while Mr. Kaminski demonstrated vocal freshness and vitality. As their two love interests Fiordiligi and Dorabella, Emily Newton and Fenna Ograjensek were also of differing vocal styles. Ms. Newton sang with a dramatic color reflecting her experience with the 19th century operas of Puccini, yet handled the 18th century coloratura of Mozart well. Ms. Ograjensek sang with solid control and a distinctive sound. When the two women sang together, their vibrati matched perfectly, adding to the illusion that the two characters were related. Despina, the sister's interfering and conniving maid (performed by soprano Elizabeth Russ) seemed to be more from The Nanny than the traditional 18th century school of maid-dom. Despina was quick to comply with the plan of Don Alfonso (sung by Princetonian Matthew Curran) to trick the sisters into betraying their lovers. Ms. Russ was sassy and brazen, and very quick in her interpretation of the extensive recitative of her role. She also fit in expertly with the ensemble of Fiordiligi and Dorabella. Mr. Curran settled into his role well, adeptly presenting himself as the older and wiser advisor to the young officers. Steven Mosteller conducted a small orchestra which fit perfectly in the Berlind space and which excelled particularly in its winds. Instrumental solos were precise in the hall, and the orchestra consistently and crisply accompanied the singers throughout the opera. Harpsichordist Akiko Hosaki kept the recitative moving along especially cleanly. A chorus of Opera Theater Studio Artists was well trained in a full and vibrant choral sound, especially considering the fact that all the chorus members were soloists in their own right. Ron Kadri's set design was refreshingly simple and uncluttered on the stage, and director Albert Sherman moved the performers well (often in tandem to match their duet singing) through the space. With a total run time of just over three hours, Così is a bit of a long sit, yet the vitality of the performance will keep the audience's attention throughout the show. |
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