Lawrence Edelson, the new general manager of Chicago Opera Theater (COT), is off to a great start with a season opener that plays to the company's strengths while simultaneously offering something new and familiar.
It's Edelson's entrepreneurial acumen that first caught your attention this season. That's because when he learned that the Lyric Opera of Chicago would be playing Beethoven's “Fidelio,” he knew it would be the perfect time for COT to present Ferdinando Baer's opera “Leonora,” which had debuted just a year before Beethoven's only opera, and which tells the same story, only in a different way. Very different. Bayer's opera was hugely popular when it was first performed over 200 years ago, but has declined since then. So much so that last week's three performances of “Leonora” at the Studebaker Theater represented the North American premiere of this remarkable piece.
Both “Fidelio” and “Leonora” are based on a true story (as are other operas from the same period). In the aftermath of the French Revolution, a man is unjustly imprisoned, and his wife disguises herself as a young man in order to work in the prison until she can free her husband. All four of these operas take a libretto by Jean-Nicolas Pouillet as their starting point, but each ends up going in slightly different directions.
Before offering Lyric or COT versions of this opera, the two companies held a joint panel discussion in the Loop to discuss the opera. Among the participants were two conductors: Enrique Mazzola for Lyric's “Fidelio” and Ms. Jane Glover for COT's “Leonora”. It was a fascinating exploration of two similar artistic works and an impressive joint project by two organizations dedicated to bringing opera to Chicago.
“Leonora” has no chorus, so the story of injustice revolves entirely around the main character’s husband, while “Fidelio” features a very moving chorus of prisoners that is one of the highlights of Beethoven’s operas. The music of “Fidelio” certainly looks to the future, while “Leonora” still has a Mozartian sound, albeit one that hints at some bel canto styles to come. Both operas have a humorous subplot about the jailer's daughter and her would-be suitor, and this is a much larger part of Bayer's treatment than Beethoven's.
So, when I sat down to try out “Leonora” on October 1st (a Tuesday, an unusual evening for an important opening) I was not in the dark about what to expect, but I nonetheless ended up being quite surprised. That's because at every turn Edelson's production (he was stage director with the scenic design of Cameron Anderson) was an engaging and entertaining experience.
COT has always had to do more with scarce resources, and in recent years some problems have been exposed more often. But this “Leonora” had it all: a wonderful cast of wonderful singers; A theatrical setting that was evocative and always helped tell the story rather than cloud it; The vitality of the pit that pushed the opera forward and, most importantly, the work that was worth the time and effort of the COT specialists.
The production was stunning, opening with a simple, bright white frame containing a garden of bright red flowers, a stunted tree in an awkward alcove and double doors. The symbolism was clear: the red represented marital affection and the tree represented Florestano, the imprisoned husband. When the double doors opened, we saw the prison wall and the terrifying barbed wire, showing that tyranny exists side by side with comfort and beauty.
The second act, set in Florestano prison, was in striking opposition to the first act. It was dark, sometimes almost completely black and most of the stage was empty or covered by an amorphous wall of rock. This allowed for a powerful vision, that of Florestano dreaming of Lenora, who appeared in a long, sheer black dress, with her husband reaching out to touch her, but never able to contact her.
The singing was sublime, led by soprano Vanessa Becerra, whose powerful voice made her daring mission to free her husband believable. She had a full-bodied voice to the top and beautiful vocal agility. She's also effectively dressed up as a young male (perhaps even a boy) and when she finally removes her hat and lets her long hair fall, it's a great moment.
Tenor Edgardo Rocha Florestano was wonderful, with a sadness and pain in his singing that made your heart ache. He conveyed suffering with just the right amount of burning hope that left you mesmerized.
Soprano Kelly Fetterer played the vivacious Marcellina, a young woman who falls in love with Fidel (Leonora in disguise) and rejects the attentions of the man who actually loves her, Giacchino. Her voice was beautiful, only occasionally marred by the somewhat shrill upper notes. Her description was attractive and she was well behaved.
Baritone Jo Won Kang knew how to exploit the humor introduced in the script by the jailer Rocco, and his voice gained authority when it really mattered. Tenor Matthew Pearce stars as Don Pizzaro, a villain who is willing to kill Florestano in order to cover up his crimes. His singing was fluid and exuded a chilling authority.
Bass Alex Soare was entertaining as Giacchino, a young man who is in love with Marcellina but can't get anywhere with her. His sense of comedy was charming and his singing seemed to smile from beginning to end. Tenor Kameron Alston did a good job in the small role of Don Fernando, the government minister who shows up just in time to help Leonora rescue Florestano.
The music coming from the pit was beautiful, and because it was unfamiliar, it had the ability to surprise the listener at every turn. Jane Glover conducted the orchestra with effortless control and played the keyboard for the recitatives herself.
In the end, I think most opera fans will find Fidelio the superior opera, as Leonora in the second act becomes embroiled in the ridiculous story of Marcellina's desperate desire to marry Fedele. (She is the one sent to fetch the government minister to save Florestano from death, but she refuses to carry out her mission until she has extracted loving words and actions from Fidel, which seem horribly out of place at this dramatic stage of the opera.)
However, I had fun.”Leonora“Very much so and I will certainly see it again. Chicago Opera Theater has presented an unforgettable work, an interesting and important work that deserves to be dusted off.
