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OPERA REVIEW
A Distracted Company
April 14, 2001
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By Ching Chang
Opera San Jose's unveiling of Puccini's La Bohème on Saturday at the Montgomery Theater offered a surprisingly revealing snapshot of the organization in its current transitional state. Led by the company's music director, David Rohrbaugh, and directed by Lorna Haywood, the energetic if uneven performance of Puccini's perennial verismo favorite suggested an organization busily distracted with other projects and in the process of redefining itself.
There was much to admire on stage, but the oddly mismatched voices made this a problematic Bohème. The cast displayed widely varying levels of skill, with the clear standout being baritone Scott Bearden as Marcello. Bearden, who has an exceptionally appealing voice, sang with brilliance, clarity, clean diction, and a marvelously spontaneous phrasing.
As Rodolfo, tenor Thomas Truhitte cut a dashing and agile figure on stage. But despite his obvious gifts and a valiant effort, he failed to reach Bearden's level. His instrument, a light and lyric tenor, required effortful additional breaths to get through the expansive, climatic phrases of "Che gelida manina." He also sounded constantly overwhelmed by the smallish orchestra, even within the modest confines of the Montgomery Theater.
As Mimi, soprano Heather Calvete offered a luminous and pleasantly blooming upper extension, crowned with solid top notes. But otherwise, Calvete's voice is markedly uneven throughout its range, with a fluttery nasal quality in the middle register that audibly affects her intonation. As Musetta, soprano Erina Newkirk also offered rather more potential than dramatic presence. Conductor David Rohrbaugh led the proceedings at a brisk pace, accentuating the jittery feel of Lorna Haywood's stage direction. Some portions felt a bit metronomic, but the large ensemble numbers were cohesive and lively.
With a reputation carefully built over nearly two decades, Opera San Jose has already made a marked local and national impact, having graduated several distinguished singers through its European-modeled artist residency program. Currently, this dynamic South Bay company is advantageously positioned among regional companies on the West Coast, enjoying the luxury of being directly involved in the massive renovation project of San Jose's historic Fox Theater, which will be the company's permanent base of operations beginning with the 2003/04 season. But after attending this performance, I hope I can be forgiven for wondering whether Opera San Jose wants to be seen as a top-flight professional training program or as a professional opera company. For a training program, this current staging of "La Bohème" would rate as an unqualified success. Yet this is a company administered by many distinguished professionals, charging upwards of $54 a seat, and with a list of corporate sponsors that includes prominent high-tech industries and major airlines. Are we not entitled to expect more? (Ching Chang is a regular contributor to the SF Bay Times and The SF Gate.) ©2001 Ching Chang, all rights reserved |