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OPERA REVIEW One Flew Over the Swallow's Nest March 24, 2002
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By Janos Gereben
Puccini's La Rondine ("The Swallow"), an unjustly neglected small (if lengthy) opera/operetta, fit perfectly into the small-stage treatment Sunday afternoon by Donald Pippin's Pocket Opera in the tiny jewel box of the Legion of Honor's Florence Gould Theater.
It's hard to believe that Pocket Opera is a quarter century old, and it is
equally amazing how much of Pippin's unique handiwork is still in evidence.
Pippin's constant, imaginative search for communication — woefully in short
supply at the world's biggest opera houses — still dominates at Pocket
performances. Typically, Pippin first gives his inimitable story-telling
introduction. Then follows the work itself, in Pippin's sparkling English
translation, making the gloriously melodic story of young Parisians' search
for true love simple and clear. If he had the funds, I bet he would have had
supertitles too, this friend of "understandable opera."
Against that background and tradition, it was all the stranger that the cast had varying luck with diction. When Lisette, the colorful maid, entered breathlessly, I made a note: "No diction," but then William Neely as the fine, seasoned Rambaldo, told her the same thing: "I cannot understand a word you're saying." OK, so it's deliberate then. Alas, no. New Zealander Marla Kavanaugh, otherwise a good singer, kept delivering her lines in some kind of pidgin — very unPocket.
Another important thing about the Pippin tradition is to maintain good communication in singing as well — to perform to the audience at hand, in the given space. This time, a break with that tradition came from the lead soprano, Elin Carlson as Magda. A very tall singer with a very big voice, she disregarded the venue, the audience sitting close by, the nature of the music, and she belted out those lovely, intricate notes in a Merman mode, often going shrill in the process, although her diction was fine. Daniel Alejandro Montenegro produced Pippin-standard singing and diction. He made up for his smallish voice with good delivery of all but the most demanding notes of his arias, his diction crystalline. There were also credible performances by Susanna Uher, Desiree Earl and Sonia Garaieff as Magda's three friends. A questionable change from Pocket Opera's 25-year tradition is "full production," complete with a simple set, fairly elaborate costumes and everything fully acted out. My (happy) memories from years of old are of concert performances, singers with scores in hand, the focus on the music and words. When you try for an approximation of a staged performance, something has to give. The tradeoff is not fortuitous for fans of opera-as-music, while those who prefer opera-as-theater get little in exchange. A very important continuing Pippin contribution to "miniature opera" remains the Pocket Philharmonic, eight excellent musicians making up for a full pit, rallying around Pippin's consistently grand piano accompaniment. They are: Violinists Lylia Guion and Daryl Schilling, violist Mark Fish, cellist Sarah Fiene, flutist Diana Grubbe, oboist Kathleen Conner, clarinetist Diana Dorman and bassoonist Alice Benjamin, each sounding as a whole section and twice as sweet. Of the live "Rondine" productions I heard, this was my favorite orchestral performance. There is something authentically Italian about the sound of this sub-chamber orchestra. Many years ago, when the central piazza was still the heart of small towns in Italy (instead of individuals gathering around their TVs separately), I often heard small bands at night play music from opera. That is the nostalgia-making, charming sound of the Pocket Philharmonic. (Janos Gereben, a regular contributor to www.sfcv.org, is arts editor of the Post Newspaper Group. His e-mail address is janos451@earthlink.net.) ©2002 Janos Gereben, all rights reserved |