Michael Hendrick brought a big voice and lots of style to the role of Levko, the villager who must compete with his own father for a charming maiden.

To mark its 40th anniversary, SARASOTA OPERA emphasized what is arguably its most distinctive and respect-enhancing element—novel repertoire. Perhaps not so novel in major cultural capitals, but far from the beaten paths of many American, and certainly all other Floridian, opera companies. To complement a single chestnut (Carmen), there were productions of Luisa Miller, May Night (its first US staging) and La rondine.

The company seems to have a special knack for folk-tale operas, as past productions of The Kiss, Konigskinder and others have demonstrated. May Night received warm-hearted, imaginative care. Everything in the libretto was taken at face value: there was no deconstructionist attempt at ‘interpreting’ the Gogolinspired story of romance, slapstick and water sprites. David P. Gordon’s cute and colourful fairy-tale set, complete with on-cue billowy waters for the spiritfilled lake, framed the action; Howard Tsvi Kaplan’s storybook costumes added to the fun. On March 27 at the Sarasota OPERA HOUSE the producer Darko Tresjnak kept things flowing nimbly, engagingly, propelled by a steady stream of charm. By the time, in the first act, that hand puppets popped up inside a dollsized manor house far up-stage, acting out the story of the hapless Pannotchka, who drowned herself to escape her stepmother-witch, any resistance to cuteness just had to melt away.

Conductor Valery Ryvkin’s obvious affection for the piece likewise proved irresistible. A moment or two of raggedness aside, the orchestra responded potently to that enthusiasm, often sounding double its size as it revelled in the richness of Rimsky’s scoring. The cast got beyond phonetic memorization of the Russian text to make phrases truly expressive. Michael Hendrick brought a big voice and lots of style to the role of Levko, the villager who must compete with his own father for a charming maiden.. Amy Ellen Anderson, as Levko’s beloved Hanna, had an occasional edginess in her tone, but likewise proved captivating. Madeline Bender revealed sufficient sweetness for Pannotchka’s Act 3 appearance. The townspeople included lots of deftly drawn characterizations and some particularly vivid, telling vocalism from David Langan (the Mayor), Stephen Eisenhard (Kalenik) and Patrick Jones (the Distiller). The chorus sang with considerable flair, especially in the finale, when the lighting designer Barry Steele bathed the stage and the theatre in a bright, golden glow as the exultant sounds of ‘Slava!’ filled the air.

http://opera.archive.netcopy.co.uk/article/august-1999/38/america-rare-rimsky

by Tim Smith

Opera (U.K.)