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OPERA REVIEW
Conducting, Directing Undermine Aida's Promising Soprano
June 9, 2001
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By Robert Commanday
A striking Italian soprano took over the title role of Aida Saturday in the San Francisco Opera's overfed and overrated current production in a San Francisco debut that was highly promising but inconclusive. The mixed impression was attributable to circumstances both in her performance and in the production itself, specifically in the conducting and direction. Scheduled to alternate with Michèle Crider in three more performances, Norma Fantini unleashed a voice that is potent and pervasive, that has an exciting shimmer, variety, and depth and a distinctive character.
Fantini's fairly secure technique and sense of the role gives the impression that a warmer, more sympathetic interpretation may yet emerge during her three remaining performances. There's evidence in her singing that she does have the capacity to spin out the exquisite tone and draw out the captivating phrases, where the beauty and the magnetism of the role lie. Her first outing did not have enough of those qualities, and very occasionally and inexplicably she came up under a pitch.
A tall, handsome woman with a wealth of experience, Fantini also brought with her acting baggage by the steamer trunks-full. It would seem that she learned acting by studying silent films, so histrionic and mannered was her gesturing, one hand or the other repeatedly going to her face, eyes giving "the look," the whole Theda Bara business. She and the stocky, feet-planted Radames, the implacable Richard Margison, made quite a pair.
Abetting the Fantini moves, the unfortunate stage director, Paula Williams, had the slave Aida dominate the Triumphal March scene as if she were the Pharaoh's daughter, although that nonsense at least gave a little twist to as routine and punchless a series of Egyptian close-order drills as you'll ever encounter. But we can live with that, as we have in the past. The more fundamental problem was Patrick Summers' conducting. He did not control the stage or even, for much of the time, address it, while giving the orchestra unneeded attention. Neither did Summers accompany the singers or give them the essential detailed guidance or even help at critical moments. In the duets, where the style's expressive requirements demand controlled expansion at cadences, he and the singers went their separate ways, they trying to let up, he beating time, unfazed, straight to the double bar. One singer rose above this by the force of her singing, personality, and interpretive strength, Larissa Diadkova, a major Amneris. She powered through, in effect taking musical charge, her Amneris becoming the single real, human character of the opera. The perceptive Saturday night crowd, responding with appropriate listlessness and fatalism to the entire proceedings, set off a rousing reception to Diadkova's great performance in Act III, Scene 2, outside the hall where Rhadames is condemned.
Margison was vocally clean and clear as he can be, but musically square and factual to the end. Paata Burchuladze, a bass of grand, deep voice, was an impressive Ramfis, if less agitated and involved than most. Stephen Pyatnychko was an Amonasro of only moderate effect, a high baritone for a role that demands strength in the low and middle. Raymond Aceto sang well as the King of Egypt, bearing up nobly under a Beach Blanket Babylon headdress/crown topped with a giant chili pepper. As the priestess (offstage voice), Tammy Jenkins was under pitch, as were the answering, second trio of Aida trumpets. The prize for the memorably ridiculous goes to Christian Holder's stupefying faux-Isadora Duncan choreography, his dozen dancers embarrassing even this production. Holder's six female answers to the Ballet Trocadero fluttered up Amneris' apartment, the March and the Nile scenes. Douglas Schmidt's cut-up set to gawk at left the chorus with no back-wall pieces for acoustical reflection, further emasculating the tedious Triumphal March scene. There will be seven more performances of this affair, Fantini as Aida June 12, 15, 21, and 29, Michèle Crider in the role June 15, 17, and 26 and July 1. It is hard to imagine that Lotfi Mansouri is willing to leave seven more audiences — 21,000 people paying top dollar — with such a memory of his directorship's closing weeks. He can still step in and make some serious corrections. It's a matter of weighing the confidence and attitude of 21,000 against the feelings of a conductor and a director. (Robert P. Commanday, the editor of San Francisco Classical Voice, was the music critic of The San Francisco Chronicle, 1965-93, and before that a conductor and lecturer at the University of California, Berkeley.) ©2001 Robert P. Commanday, all rights reserved |
