So dear gentle readers, you are getting a four-fer!
The most recent opera I saw was the crowd pleaser, La Boheme. It has all the features of opera a non-opera person like me would like: beautiful colorful costumes, nice sets, brisk pace, moments of humor, romance, likable characters and pleasant music.
It is the stereotype that there is death at the end of the opera and so I'm not giving anything away by saying one of the main character dies at the end. And so as I watched the characters get introduced and began to like them, I got that sad feeling inside just like watching any flavor of Romeo and Juliet. Inside I feel, falling in love is worth it even if in the end it is a hopeless love.
I'm told the LA Opera company opted to go with a young cast in line with the story of young love in 19th century Paris. I think the lead character Rodolfo was sung by Arturo Chacon Cruz. Good strong voice. Mimi looked like the lovely Maija Kovalevska and she sounded great in her sympathetic portrayal of Mimi.
UPDATE: Hear the two stars in the LAO podcast.
Hartmut Haenchen was conducting the performance I attended.
Because of the large number of performances, all the major roles were double cast.
image source: http://operainfo.org/broadcast/operaBio.cgi?person=500000000000641&language=1
UPDATE: It is possible that I could be mistaken about who sang the lead rolls. Rodolfo might have been Massimo Giordano and Mimi was played by Virginia Tola.
Of the three Puccinni operas I have seen, I enjoyed this the most. Romeo and Juliet has stood the test of time as a love story and I think there is a similar appeal to the fans of La Boheme. Of the other Puccini works, I like Turandot because of the story and the spectacular staging. I have to say Madama Butterfly left me cold. Its beautiful music, its tragic and in the end, too tragic to me. Call me a wuss it but was too dang depressing.
A few months back, I saw Fidelio. My interest in seeing Fidelio was born while visiting Vienna in 1999. While visiting my friend Claudia, we saw the rather dreadful film Eyes Wide Shut. Anyway, in the film, there is a reference to the opera Fidelio. While chatting about the film after the film, Claudia put her CD of Fidelio in the player and told me the story. I've wanted to see Beethoven's only opera ever since. Well, 8 years later, I finally saw it!
The usage of rear screen projection to show the dungeon was creative. It reminded me somewhat of being inside a Borg cube!
The Lenore overture during one of the scenery changes is just wonderful music and worth the price of admission already. Apparently, there were actually four overtures in the evolution of the opera.
In any case, the story of Fidelio is a rarity in opera: a happy ending where love triumphs without death of either of the lovers. Additionally, freedom and justice is restored and all of these are celebrated in a rousing end. It so much reminded me of the joyous end to Beethoven's Ninth symphony!
Opera War Horses liked LAO's version of it too.
A number of months before that I saw, Tannhauser.
The LAO decided to get "controversial" by including R rated stuff to open up Act I. For a full accounting of this production, check this post at Opera War Horses.
Personally, I think the ploy was intended to shock and must have been from the school of any publicity is good publicity. Fast forward past that part, you get to the story of Tannhauser the everyman: sinner in need of forgiveness, tempted by the immediacy of pleasurable lust and drawn to redemption by sacrificial love.
If Puccini's magic is his signature romantic arias then Wagner's forte is big epic music full of emotion.
And a number of months before that (in 2006 during the 250th birthday of Mozart), I saw Marriage of Figaro. That was lighthearted fun Mozart music at its best.
It is toe-tapping stuff and you walk out of the opera house feeling pretty good.
Past opera-blogging:
Aida
Madama Butterfly and Turandot
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