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OPERA REVIEW A Tightly-Paced Così November 10, 2001
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By Anna Carol Dudley
Così fan tutte — "So do they all" — and so they did Saturday night in San Jose's Montgomery Theater. Opera San Jose gave Mozart's tale of love, seduction and betrayal a lively performance under the masterly baton of George Cleve.
Although Cleve was director of the San Jose Symphony for many years, this was his debut performance with the city's opera company. From the very first notes of the overture, played by a small and stellar orchestra, it was apparent that Così was in sure hands. The pacing of the whole evening, and the tightness of ensemble between singers and with the orchestra, were a marvel. The audience's only standing ovations were given to him — at the beginning and at the end — and they were richly deserved.
Director Michael Edwards made imaginative use of the small stage. Several times he brought the curtain down while people moved in front of it, to finish singing a scene, so that it could rise on the next scene with no lull in the narrative. While blocking was occasionally a little busier than necessary, numerous bits of byplay involving fans, fruit, paintbrushes and easels, swords, billiard cues and boots succeeded in bringing the story to life without upstaging Mozart's wonderful music.
The opera begins with Don Alfonso needling Ferrando and Guglielmo into taking his bet that their lovers can quickly be seduced into infidelity. In this performance, sung in Italian, the opening scene was a model of recitative singing: a lively conversation full of cynical barbs from Don Alfonso, protestations from the young men, and final agreement on the terms of the bet. Although the supertitles weren't up yet, all was fully communicated to anyone having even a slight acquaintance with the plot. We were well into the first act before the supertitles began to work (even then with some glitches and misspellings). All of the singers sang with strong characterization and excellent ensemble work. Lori Decter Purcell's Fiordiligi was passionate, grieving, girlish and stalwart by turns, and she brought a lovely sound to "Per pietà" but she has persistent problems with tuning and fast passagework. Donna Olson skillfully embodied Dorabella's susceptibility to masculine charms, and Joseph Wright was a strong Guglielmo, often pivotal in the action. Adam Flowers seemed to sing with two voices — brilliant in loud singing and distressingly underpowered in soft. Sandra Rubalcava's comic gifts made her Despina a delight and she was the standout among the singers in matching the high standard of the orchestra's clarity of articulation and tuning. She does some amusing voices in her disguises but, as the doctor, risked some vocal damage. Paul Linnes' Don Alfonso kept the plot moving briskly. In the trios — the magical "Soave sia il vento" with the women and "E voi redete" with the men — he should bring out his bass line more strongly (I wondered who was listening for balance). Sets, costumes and lighting were well done. The men supposedly disguised as Albanians looked to be from further east, with their turbans and the harem-like cushions for the garden scene. I know this seraglio motif is popular but it makes them more ridiculous than dangerous. It already takes a considerable suspension of disbelief to be convinced that Don Alfonso's bet can be won in such a short time, even if you share his cynical view of women. (Anna Carol Dudley is a singer, teacher, member of the faculties of the University of California, Berkeley, and San Francisco State University [lecturer emerita] and director of the San Francisco Early Music Society's Baroque Music Workshop.) ©2001 Anna Carol Dudley, all rights reserved |
