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OPERA REVIEW
A Memorable February 23, 2002
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By Ching Chang
With its exacting requirements, Mozart's opera Così fan tutte has been butchered
by companies large and small but, against all odds, the Berkeley Opera has
delivered on a splendid and satisfying staging this past weekend. Under the direction of conductor Jonathan Khuner,
this treacherous and demanding score has been lovingly rendered with respect
and care, providing the grateful Saturday afternoon audience at Berkeley's
Julia Morgan Theater one of the most honest and vibrant musical experiences
one could expect from the lean resources of a small community opera company.
Creatively conceived and directed by Jenny Lord, this Berkeley Opera staging
updates Così's farcical Neapolitan plot and action to the 1950s. In the
garden scenes, the sisters Fiordiligi and Dorabella (sung by Jillian Khuner
and Erin Neff) wear tight-fitting dresses in patterned pastel colors, with
kerchiefs on their heads and dark glasses in the style of
Audrey Hepburn in "Roman Holiday."
The disguised Albanians have been turned into Texans called Rusty and
Charlie (tenor Alec Jeong and baritone Scott Patton). Despina (soprano
Shawnette Sulker) has been made into a chic personal assistant of sorts
rather than a housemaid, while Don Alfonso (baritone Wayne Wong) becomes a
shady bookie with a Yankee accent. Accessories and stage props looked like
"retro" fashioned plastic furniture from the IKEA store in Emeryville
and they probably were.
One suspects these conceptual and aesthetic choices were made for the sake of expediency and budget limitations rather than a discreet and calculated homage to Peter Sellars. Yet the stunt pays off, as director Lord has codified these ideas seamlessly into an aesthetic that rises above gimmicky Regietheater cliches. Most of all, the stage action is handled with clarity and an uncommon sense of musicality, supporting and supported by Jonathan Khuner's inspired leadership in the pit. From the very opening, Khuner's modest and reduced orchestra played with a vibrancy and excitement which could be envied by many larger and better-funded professional emsembles. Fiordiligi's stunning act-II rondo, "Per pieta, ben mio" had the crafty and jeweled quality of a polished baroque chamber piece, with Beth Milne's beautiful horn obbligato aptly partnering soprano Jillian Khuner's thrilling rendition of the cascading scales and arpeggios. The precious act-I terzettino "Soave si'al vento" had a touching sincerity, with each of the characters waving tenderly against the backdrop of the Bay of Naples. Act I's extended final ensemble, triggered by the sisters' duet in "Ah, che tutta in un momento," was rendered by the cast with contagious frenzy and high comedy. It was an excellently-matched ensemble cast overall, with the women particularly strong. Shawnette Sulker's Despina was infectious, commanding the stage with spontaneous grace and a pure, bell-like lyric soprano. Mezzo Erin Neff displayed a flair for physical comedy, rendering Dorabella's tongue-twisting arias with verve and skill. Jillian Khuner's sincerity was evident in much of her large solos, as it was in the wondrous stage chemistry between Fiordiligi and Ferrando during the pivotal duet, "Fra gli amplessi."
The men were only slightly less idiomatic and uneven in skill, but no less committed. A tender-voiced lyric tenor, Alec Jeong, sang Ferrando's "Un'aura amorosa" with sincerity and refinement, though his tone production can be a bit nasal at times. Scott Patton's characterization of Guglielmo could grow more comfortable and nuanced, but the singer was otherwise vocally solid, and particularly arresting in "Il cor vi dono," the duet with Dorabella. In his prise-de-role as Don Alfonso, baritone Wayne Wong was a very late addition to the cast (when the singer originally cast had to withdraw) and displayed astute skill in learning a multi-faceted role in very little time. Given the strong level of the performance, the only truly out-of-place element in this staging of Così fan tutte was Khuner's use of an electronic keyboard for the secco recitatives. Even if a harpsichord or fortepiano may not have been viable, a plain-vanilla piano would have sufficed. But even if perfection wasn't attained, it is a rare occasion when time passes so delightfully and so fast at a community opera performance. (Ching Chang writes about opera and classical music and contributes to various local and national publications. His recent interview with Renée Fleming may be read at http://www.sfgate.com/columnists/chang) ©2002 Ching Chang, all rights reserved |