  |
|
May 15, 2007
|
Laugh-out-loud funny Smart and sassy and slick—that’s the kind of “Cosi Fan Tutte” staged this past weekend by Granite State Opera in Portsmouth and Concord. And those were key qualities that made the Sunday matinee performance at Concord’s Capitol Center for the Arts consistently entertaining. At times it was laugh-out-loud funny, and throughout it was a worthy showcase for one of opera’s best theater scores. Strong singing, a tight orchestra and excellent production values were the foundation for this superb home-grown edition that played Mozart’s classic 1790 farce for laughs, and got plenty of them by virtue of the professionalism on display everywhere. Rarely have I heard such sustained laughter from an audience throughout an opera, comic or otherwise. But Granite State’s version of “Cosi” tickled the collective funny bone early in Act I and kept the hilarity on high boil thereafter. Stage director John Bowen augmented the material — the story concerns two soldiers testing the faithfulness of their girlfriends — with broad physical comedy that in other hands might have risked making a mockery of the piece, but instead came across as entirely in character with the material. Musically, conductor Phil Lauriat made the production truly sing from start to finish. With a few appropriate exceptions, he kept the orchestra light as a feather, allowing the vocal glories of Mozart’s arias and ensemble numbers to soar. The extended number that ends Act I was thrilling to hear, with everyone — singers and orchestra alike — in the zone. A powerhouse cast of lead voices each hit the ball out of the park in their own way, both as singers and as comic actors. Baritone Phil Lima as Don Alfonso sounded clear and bright, while tenor Jason Karn as Ferrando and baritone Ross Benoliel as Guglielmo both sang wonderfully while bringing out the slapstick in their roles. Soprano Heather Parker was superb as Despina the maid, while sopranos Theresa Cincione as Fiordiligi and Meredith Ziegler as Dorabella were both hilarious as the two women tempted by infidelity. Special kudos to accompanist Michele Alexander, who delivered seamless keyboard continuo playing so in tune with the cast’s approach that it managed to get a few laughs, too. High production standards helped it work. Set design (from the University of Michigan) was simple, elegant and effective, augmented with lighting design by Quentin Stockwell that brought out the warm colors on stage, giving the production a happy, sunny look. Costumes by Patricia Hibbert were convincingly of the period and consistently good. Even the wigs (by Molly Weinrab) seemed perfect, lending an air of overall polish that allowed the comedy to come to life. Though a family emergency caused this reviewer to miss the final 10 minutes of Sunday’s production, there was no doubt that Granite State’s “Cosi” was a complete comic triumph. • Next season in Nashua: Jonathan McPhee, newly appointed conductor of the Nashua Symphony, will lead an interesting series of programs for his first season, which emphasizes traditional repertoire but is spiced with a few contemporary works. The schedule, finalized this week, includes the following highlights: Oct. 4, an all-Czech/Bohemian concert featuring Dvorak’s “New World” Symphony No. 9; Nov. 22, Mendelssohn’s lively “Italian” Symphony No. 4; Dec. 14, a holiday pops cabaret; Jan. 31, Mozart’s “Prague” Symphony No. 38 plus works by Prokofiev and Dello Joio; March 14, Haydn’s “Lord Nelson” Mass; and on April 4, an all-Beethoven concert including the Coriolan Overture, Piano Concerto No. 3, and the “Pastorale” Symphony No. 6. For more info, visit nashuasymphony.org or call 595-9156. Jeff Rapsis is a working musician and a member of the board of directors of the Manchester Community Music School, and contributes program notes to the Palace Festival Orchestra and other groups.
|
5/08/2008 How's it going to end? 5/01/2008 Unleash your inner Pavarotti
|
Navigation
