Michael Hendrick‘s Tenor was funny throwing hissy fits in the Prologue, but even funnier as an overly dramatic Bacchus in the opera. His booming voice was a sure fit with Eaglen’s.
Every so often, Tragedy and Comedy need to remove their masks and get better acquainted.
Richard Strauss’ comic opera “Ariadne auf Naxos” essentially asserts that once we get behind the facade of stereotypes, we discover that other styles of entertainment have substance. It is a lesson most still don’t heed, as Pittsburgh Opera brilliantly staged “Ariadne” at the Benedum Center on Saturday night.
Certainly when it comes to music, we often are guilty of dismissing the unfamiliar — whether it’s hip-hop, country or classical music. With gorgeous music from two opposing camps, Strauss shows the pomposity of the lowbrow/highbrow debate in this glorious parody.
Revised in 1916, “Ariadne auf Naxos” is an opera about an opera. A wealthy host decides the fireworks for his party should begin at 9 o’clock. That means the evening’s other entertainment — a serious opera (called “Ariadne”) and a slapstick comedy troupe — must perform simultaneously. Everyone complains at first. However the show eventually goes on, leading to clowning as the disparate productions collide. In Chris Alexander’s smart production, it’s clear that both sides learn not only that the others have merit but also that they all aren’t that far apart.
Updated to Pittsburgh in contemporary times — including several local celebrities on stage and a full-fledged fireworks display — the production was sophisticated and detailed. The first act took place in the service entrance to the host’s huge art gallery. Complete with handicapped-accessible restrooms (used for dressing rooms), exposed concrete and caterers, this backstage was the setting for typical artistic quarrels and demands. The second act moved into that gallery for the combined performance.
Among the “guests” watching from tables at the side of the stage were Bob O’Connor, Jim Roddey and Dan Onorato (who got his head rubbed by the coquette Zerbinetta at one point). If the celebrities were occasionally distracting, their inclusion drove home Strauss’ point about the simultaneous support and intrusion of patronage.
The high and low battle of “Ariadne” was furthered by singers from each “side” who could stand toe to toe: Jane Eaglen as the Prima Donna, who sings Ariadne, and Lyubov Petrova as Zerbinetta, the leader of the comedy troupe. Both played up their stereotypes, only to lift the curtain on their true nature later: Eaglen’s high priestess betrays herself as an ill-tempered snot, and Petrova’s bawdy flirt unveils her hidden depth.
Both also sang spectacularly. Petrova sparkled even as she offered her difficult aria (“Grossmachtige Prinzessin”) in a “don’t let them see you sweat” Broadway fashion. Her control over a cascade of coloratura while she flirted with her troupe was magnificent.
Eaglen may be the world’s reigning Brunnhilde and Isolde, but she seemed born for this role. Her comic flair sprang naturally from her stand-and-sing persona as the Prima Donna, but only because she embodied that serious role with supreme vocals. Her voice is not huge in the sense of hard and strong, but rather it’s like a beautiful light voice magnified. Even when she projected close to full volume, it washed over the audience with nuance and color.
Suzanne Mentzer offered a compelling performance as the Composer of “Ariadne.” She perfectly portrayed the ridiculously sensitive yet strong-willed youth and set the tone for the entire night with ebullient yet clear singing. Michael Hendrick’s Tenor was funny throwing hissy fits in the Prologue, but even funnier as an overly dramatic Bacchus in the opera. His booming voice was a sure fit with Eaglen’s.
The commedia dell’arte troupe appropriately overplayed their wacky antics: Daniel Teadt, Arthur Espiritu, Charles Unice and Jason Karn. Richard Stilwell (Music Teacher), Doug Perry (Dancing Master) and Jan Eberwein (Butler) were spot-on in smaller roles. The orchestra under John Mauceri had its work cut out with the restless score, but largely it performed well.
As the fireworks exploded (safely) at the back of the stage, Zerbinetta and the Composer initiated their unlikely relationship, touchingly punctuating Strauss’ theme that nothing human is black and white.
First published on October 24, 2005 at 12:00 am
Post-Gazette classical music critic Andrew Druckenbrod can be reached at [email protected] or 412-263-1750.
http://old.post-gazette.com/pg/05297/593806.stm
by Andrew Druckenbrod
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette