BestOf

In the 2003-2004 season we viewed and reviewed eighteen operas from Washington D.C. to Lebanon, N.H. We saw a lot of truly memorable performances in different forums under varied conditions and from different perspectives in the theaters we visited. It was a wonderful year. And like all things wonderful there comes a time when you look back and think about what you witnessed and heard and say: "Yes, but this was the best." And that's what we wanted to do here: reflect back on what we saw and acknowledge those, which in our opinion, gave us some of the "Best Of" what we reviewed for the 2003-2004 season.

Die Walkure
Washington National Opera Co.
DAR Constitution Hall, D.C.
November, 2003

Rigoletto
Boston Lyric Opera
Schubert Theater, Boston
November, 2003

La Boheme
Metropolitan Opera Co.
Lincoln Center, N.Y.
November, 2003

Madama Butterfly
Metrololitan Opera Co.
Lincoln Center, N.Y.
January, 2004

Don Carlo
Opera Company of Philadelphia
The Academy of Music
February, 2004

Cav/Pag
Cape Cod Opera Co.
Harwich High School Auditorium
February, 2004

Nixon in China
Opera Boston
The Cutler Majestic, Boston
March, 2004

Salome
Baltimore Opera Company
Lyric Opera Hall, Baltimore
March, 2004

Lucia Di Lammermoor
Connecticut Opera Co.
Hartford, Ct.
March, 2004

Tosca
Boston Lyric Opera
Schubert Theater, Boston
March, 2004

Macbeth
Connecticut Grand Opera & Orchestra
Stamford, Ct.
May, 2004

Luisa Miller
Opera Boston
The Cutler Majestic Theater, Boston
May 2004

Carmen
Baltimore Opera Co.
Lyric Opera Hall, Baltimore
May 2004

La Traviata
Washington National Opera Co.
Kennedy Center, D.C.
May, 2004

A Street Car Named Desire
Washington National Opera Co.
Kennedy Center, D.C.
May, 2004

Otello
Summer Opera Theater Co.
Hartke Theater, Catholic Univ. D .C.
June, 2004

Romeo & Juliet
Opera North
Lebanon Opera House, N.H.
August, 2004

Midsummer Night's Dream
Opera North
Lebanon Opera House
August, 2004

This was tough. There were many. Robert Honeysucker singing the role of Luisa Miller's father in Opera Boston's "Luisa Miller" comes to mind, as does the fine singing and command of a role by Scott Piper as Edgardo in Connecticut Opera's, "Lucia" or Todd Thomas' conflicted Macbeth in Connecticut Grand Opera & Orchestra's "Macbeth". But there can only be one and the One we remember most was Placido Domingo singing the title role of Siegmund in Washington National Opera Company's astounding presentation of "Die Walkure". Domingo had a lot working against him at first: there was virtually no set, D.A.R. Constitution Hall is not a conventional theater, but still is a great place to view opera, and the orchestra was behind a curtain, not up front -- but it was still magnificent. By sheer strength of performance, Domingo took command and, in the judgment of many, gave one of his very finest performances. The negatives turned oddly enough into positives as Domingo became the focus of everyone's attention when he was on stage. He electrified the theater and made believers out of those of us who, viewing the set design at the start asked: what kind of Die Walkure is this? Boy, did we end up being wrong. DAR Constitution Hall turned out to be a wonderful venue for opera, the orchestra was clear and superb, and Domingo truly gave an outstanding and electrifying performance.

This was also a tough call. Many women come to mind. Eglise Gutierrez' Lucia in Connecticut Opera's "Lucia di Lammermoor" was a show stopper, as was the performance of Nina Warren in Baltimore Opera's "Salome". Catherine Murphy gave an electrifying performance as Lady Macbeth in Connecticut Grand Opera & Orchestra's, "Macbeth", Christina Gollardo-Domas seduced us with her Mimi in the Met's "La Boheme", Lisa Daltirus wowed us with her performance in Boston Lyric Opera's "Tosca", and Jodi Karem demonstrated that small opera company did not mean small talent when she poured her heart out as Santuzza in Cape Cod Opera's "Cav/Pag", and there were more. But again we can select only one and the One we select has to be Anja Kempa as Sieglinde in her debut performance in Washington National Opera's "Die Walkure". At the end of the first Act, a skeptical audience erupted into the kind of applause usually reserved for a final curtain. She and Domingo so dominated the stage when they were on it together it was impossible to hear or see anyone else.

It's important to set some ground rules at the outset, since what we are doing here is very subjective. Therefore, some explanation of how the "Best Of" were chosen. First, we went back and reviewed every opera seen last year -- that would be eighteen. Then we established categories, and looking at our notes, once again reviewed each category. The performance or category that stood out immediately was placed at the top of the list because it obviously left the most striking and favorable impression. Then, we went back and reconsidered that choice, and measured it once again against those performances or categories that next came to mind. In this filtering process, if the initial pick stood above what it was compared against, then it stood as the selection for our "Best Of". Honorable mention is given to runners-up because the calls were all close. It's not a perfect system, but it gives every performer or designer a chance for consideration and then reconsideration in light of the standard that is applied scrupulously to all. We are human, and miss things, and what we offer we do so with the hope that it will be fun. With those guidelines, we begin with:

This is easy. Eglise Gutierrez as Lucia and Scott Piper as Edgardo in Connecticut Opera's "Lucia di Lammermoor" were electrifying together. They exhibited youthful energy and their body movements when on stage together reflected a natural rythym and symmetry that caused sparks to fly. They looked like a couple in love, looked like they were enjoying each other's company, and looked every bit the parts they were playing. They are young, fit, attractive and both very talented. They had the kind of chemestry that made you wait eagerly for the next time they would be onstage together again.

Again, this is one of those categories where there was no shortage of talent. Gustav Andreassen as the Grand Inquisitor in Philadelphia Opera Company's "Don Carlo" was superb, as were the performances of Daniel Cole as the evil "Wurm" in Opera Boston's "Luisa Miller", and Zelotes Edmund Oliver's equally striking role of Count Walter in the same production. And it would be hard to forget Alan Held's powerful Woton in Washington National Opera's "Die Walkure" or Chris Merrit's hopelessly outmaneuvered and shamelessly lustful King Herod in Baltimore Opera's "Salome", or the evil manipulations of a wonderful Gaetan Laperriere, in Boston Lyric Opera's, "Tosca", but there can only be one, and the One chosen here goes to Gaetan Laperriere for his performance as the evil Scarpia in BLO's "Tosca". Laperriere had great command of the stage, great control of his voice and it seemed he really enjoyed the sinister role he played.

Wonderful performances again distinguished this category. Ewa Podles as Princes Eboli in Opera Company of Philadelphia's, "Don Carlo" left no doubt about her stature as a star attraction and great contralto. She commanded the stage; her voice projected and filled the grand old theater, and her every movement was in sync with the words she sang. Great acting, great singing, great performance. And this takes nothing away from Anne Harley's equally powerful and commanding portrayal as the controlling and manipulative Madame Mao Tse Tung in Opera Boston's "Nixon in China", or Linda Watson for her stunning Brunnhilde in Washington National Opera's, "Die Walkure." And these are just a few of the fine performancrs we witnessed. All these women delivered magnificently. But there can only be one, and the One chosen here has to be Anne Harley for her portrayal of Madame Mao. Her "I am the wife of Mao Tse Tung" was simply riveting and delivered with just the right amount of dripping condescension and veilded threat the role required.