A Success Inside and Outside the Opera House |
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Seattle Gay News
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posted Friday, May 11, 2012 - Volume 40 Issue 19 A Success Inside and Outside the Opera Houseby Rod Parke - SGN A&E Writer Puccini's Madama Butterfly McCaw Hall May 5 While the opening-night performance of Madama Butterfly at Seattle Opera failed to pluck tears from my eyes, there was much to admire and enjoy in this production. Everything in this opera hangs on the soprano who sings and acts the 15-year-old Butterfly - she is on stage during more than 90 percent of the opera. If she fails to wring your heart, the opera fails. Patricia Racette, in her Seattle Opera debut, delivered essentially the same portrayal we saw in the Met's Live in HD presentation at the cinema - her vocal condition was the same, which is to say healthy and often quite lovely. She no longer has secure high pianissimos; when she tried, the tone lost its core. But her technique still gives her impressive endurance. Except for that devilishly difficult entrance, she avoided a late-career wobble even in the loudest dramatic outcries. I still miss the optional note above high C in Butterfly's entrance, but Ms. Racette is nonetheless a great Butterfly. In the program interview with Jonathan Dean, Seattle Opera's director of public relations and media, the soprano states, 'The most important thing in my life is my relationship [with mezzo Beth Clayton, Racette's wife of fifteen years]. Opera comes in second!' I could not write this review without mentioning that! Seattle Opera assembled an excellent cast for opening night. (I'll review the alternate cast performance next week.) Tenor Stefano Secco combined good looks with an absolutely beautiful voice and stunning top notes (which he held beyond good taste). The role of Lieutenant Pinkerton is limited to that of an insensitive American cad. Stefano conveyed that arrogance very well. He sang with great breath control and excellent legato line. Of greater emotional impact were the roles of Suzuki, Butterfly's loving maid/companion, and Sharpless, the U.S. consul. Mezzo Sarah Larsen, from Minnesota, is an alumna of Seattle Opera's Young Artists Program. She was a forceful Suzuki, with a strong voice completely free of wobble (unlike the Suzuki in the Met Live in HD). In making us feel her concern for Butterfly, she greatly amplified our own involvement with the tragedy of the central character. Canadian baritone Brett Polegato impressed us with his ample, rich voice, including easy tops and fine legato. He acted well the stressful situation of the great letter scene, which is for me the best moment in the opera. He was also a handsome figure and easily commanded the stage. Another major 'character' in the spare production, with sets and costumes from Canadian Opera, was the effective lighting by Duane Schuler. The long night-watch scene, which bridges acts 2 and 3, provides a great opportunity for lighting to underscore the story, and Schuler made the most of it. The slow appearance of a beautiful screen of stars refreshed the eyes. The set consisted of a bare, raised platform upon which sliding screens represented the house. The abundance of flowers that appeared during the duet between Suzuki and Butterfly helped relieve any visual boredom. Bulgarian conductor Julian Kovatchev kept things moving well and urged the orchestra to expressive support of the emotions of each scene, with sweeping phrasing and judicious use of rubato. Orchestral volume soared when appropriate without ever swamping the singers. Kovatchev indulged the tenor's held high notes somehow without ruining the overall line. He also made the off-stage humming chorus sound more beautiful than I have ever heard it before. This performance marked the first time Seattle Opera has tried an off-premises simulcast in high definition. The audience for the free video presentation at Key Arena, combined with the attendees at McCaw, totaled more than 7,500 people. Director Speight Jenkins appeared before curtain to welcome new guests and explain the presence of the TV cameras among the side orchestra seats. This step into the modern age of theater technology was most welcome and, by most accounts, a great success. Rod Parke can be reached at rmp62@columbia.edu. |
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