San Francisco Classical Voice

How uplifting it is to see the progress and gradual transformation of a performing arts group! Judging from Sunday's performance of Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro, the San Francisco Lyric Opera has found firm footing and can certainly be regarded as a respectable small opera company. Promoting the motto "classical opera at prices that more people can afford," and with a sleek professional program, a growing list of impressive supporters, a working relationship with the Eureka Theatre, and performers of consistently fine calibre, the Lyric is showing promising signs under its recent new management.

The singing, both the voices themselves and the clear crisp diction, was consistently enjoyable throughout the entire cast. This was clear right from the beginning, with Paul Thompson's fine rich baritone voice singing the part of Figaro. He has a glorious instrument, with firm low notes and some soaring high notes. Only in the upper register did he find any difficulty; when the music was soft and lyrical he relaxed into fine, beautiful singing, but he strained at times when the dynamic called for more support, and the top octave notes on "si" in "Se vuol ballare" were especially problematic. But Thompson's splendid renditions of "Non piu andrai" and "Aprite un po' que gl'occhi" more than made up for any small faults. He was matched by Susanna Chubarian's portrayal of Susanna. Chubarian delivered beautifully pure sound, lacking some strength in the lower register but consistently well supported throughout, and a delightful compliment to Thompson.

There was impressive singing among the upper-class characters as well: Jo Vincent Parks' strong voice captured both the noble and the flirtatious natures of Count Almaviva, and his Act-Three recitative and aria "Hai giàvinta la causa" was especially notable. Tara Generalovich's Countess Almaviva was strong and confident, which is necessary for her character to stand up to her husband, the Count.

Sharon Kaye gave plenty of depth to Marcellina, convincingly showing both the plotting and the caring sides of her character. Sergey Zadvorney's Bartolo was equally fine, and Ross Halper displayed his usual comic flair, doubling as Basilio and the stuttering Don Curzio.

One of the true delights of the performance was Terry Alvord as Cherubino. With chuckle-inducing facial expressions, Alvord provided one of the most convincing trouser roles I've seen, perfectly capturing the adolescence ofthe character.

Sometimes, in small-scale companies, the lesser characters are played byweaker singers, but not so here. Andrew Chung as Antonio and Tiffanie Cromartie as Barbarina were both splendid. Cromartie sang with such enthusiasm and fabulous tone that I hope to hear her soon in a more substantial role.

Certainly this cast sets a new standard of singing for San Francisco Lyric Opera. Unfortunately, it might have been better to close one's eyes and listen, as the stage antics could have been executed more smoothly. All of the cast seemed fairly uncertain in the first two acts; confidence crept in around the third act and continued to improve. Chubarian seemed incurably uncomfortable, which was frustrating since her character should be one of the most likeable characters on the stage. It also didn't help that she kept a very obvious eye on the conductor, which became distracting. Then again, the rest of the cast could have checked in more often, especially in the finales of the second and third acts, which came dangerously close to splitting at the seams.

Ross Halper's direction kept the action moving but I wasn't convinced that this cast was capable of carrying off his typically wacky ideas, which ended up coming across as either unsuccessful or inappropriate. I found the hatred displayed at the end of the second act a bit extreme, and the Count's brutality with the Countess in the same act seemed unnecessary.

Cherubino's crotch-rubbing while singing "If no one will listen to me, then I'll talk of love to myself" and frequent implied erections could have been very funny but, like most of the added humor, were not obvious and over-the-top enough to make the humor clear. Most of the jokes received no laughs. The actors seemed unsure whether their lines or actions would be funny, and this automatically results in comic failure.The confidence with which one delivers a silly line or gesture ensures the comic result. Hopefully the cast will gain that element by the end of the set of performances. Ironically, it was the humor already present in the libretto which drew the greatest response from the audience.

Sets, costumes and lighting all contributed positively to the performance, with the one exception of the garden setting of Act Four, which featured obviously constructed and badly painted trees which, unlike the rest of the production, might have seemed more appropriate for a fourth-grade pageant.

Music director Barnaby Palmer kept firm control of the proceedings, and his chamber orchestra, which consisted of string quartet and piano (a harpsichord also accompanied the recitatives), featured fine musicians. Mozart's rich harmonies and orchestrations were still missed, however, and hopefully the company will eventually be able to afford a larger orchestra. The whirlwind overture and Cherubino's aria "Non so più, cosa son cosa faccio," a favorite of mine, suffered especially without the layers of horns and winds (and dragging under a rather slow tempo). The strings simply played their orchestral parts, and the piano most likely played from the vocal score, constantly doubling the strings. In some places, Palmer might have had only the strings play, or just the piano, to vary the balance and timbre of the accompaniment and be closer to the original orchestration. I understand, however, that he also helps with costumes, librarian work, and many other duties, so such musical details may receive greater attention when the company has more people to cover the jobs that he must currently juggle! But certainly, with as many strengths as this production demonstrates, this company deserves support so that it can continue to grow and develop its talents and abilities.

(John Kendall Bailey is the founder and music director of the Berkeley Lyric Opera, a conductor, composer, lecturer, oboist, and pianist.)

©2002 John Kendall Bailey, all rights reserved