BestOf1

We discussed this back and forth and gave it a lot of thought. There were some truly memorable occasions where lighting, independent of set design, really did stand out. Franco Zeffirelli's "Madama Butterfly" at the Met employing one set throughout, creating different times of day and mood with lighting was accomplished expertly and employed in such a manner that the changes were fluid, natural and stunningly beautiful. Christopher Ostrom's lighting in Opera Boston's "Nixon in China", set against a minimalist but effective set design also demonstrated what an effective lighting scheme could add to a performance. And the Kaliedescopic lighting of Benjamin Pearcy in Baltimore Opera's "Salome" was truly impressive. But the one opera that stood out for its incredible lighting was Washington National Opera's "Street Car Named Desire" with lighting design by Robert Wierzel. We reviewed the opera and didn't care for the music at all, however both reviewers were truly impresed by the effective use of color throughout, and when weighed against all other performances we reviewed last year the "Best Of" what we saw is owned by Robert Wierzel. His lighting was superb, dramatic and powerful and made this opera worth seeing if for nothing else than that.

Here again, there were many impressive sets. Ercole Sormani's impressive interior setting at the Lammermoor Castle in Connecticut Opera's "Lucia Di Lammermoor" was superb, rich and colorful; as was Michael Scott's elegant and simple setting for the Met's "Madama Butterfly". Eric Levenson's debut with Opera Boston's "Luisa Miller" complimented the fine production with lavish and finely detailed sets. However, there has to be one, and the One that stood out against the very best comeptition, had to be Franco Zeffirelli's "La Boheme" at the Met. Every act outdid the other, and none more so extraodinary than the magnificent setting outside the Cafe Momus.

(A) When you go to the opera there are very few halls that are comfy and cozy, although Washington National Opera's Kennedy Center, Connecticut Grand Opera's Palace Theater, Connecticut Opera's Bushnell Center, Summer Opera Theater's Hartke Theater on Catholic University campus and Opera North's Lebanon Opera House are perhaps the most roomy theaters we have visited. While they are not the only roomy theaters out there, they are the one's that come to mind, and so they are the contenders. Of those, we pick the renovated Kennedy Center for its new seating, space for one's legs and overall good accoustics and comfort. (B) But when we rate opera houses for luxuriousness we are not necessarily looking at the above features -- here we are evaluating "the look" and feel of opera, and there are many fine theaters around, such the the Academy of Music which houses the Opera Company of Philadelphia and, of course, there is the Met. But none has the grandeur of Boston's Cutler Majestic, home of Opera Boston. Seeing an opera at the Cutler is seeing an opera in an opera house that is dripping with elegance and sophistication. The accoustics are great, the veiw from just about everywhere is fantastic and the color and lighting are rich and mind boggling.

A good chorus is as important to an opera as the lead singers. If the chorus is not positioned on stage correctly, if they simply stand around and don't make the scene look natural, and most importantly if when they sing they don't provide the sound that one expects from a chorus, well, a scene can fail on its shortfalls, regardless of how good the lead singers or orchestra may be. There was some fine chorus singing in Opera Company of Philadelphia's superb, "Don Carlo", lead by Chorus Master Sharon Bjorndal who made her debut with Philadelphia. And the Chorus in Opera Boston's "Luise Miller" under the direction of Andrew Clark was notable for its power and support, as was the work of Michael Conley in Connecticut Grand Opera and Orchestra's marvelous Macbeth. But there has to be one that really stood out, and that One was Boston Lyric Opera's combined work of William Cutlet (adults) and Johanna Hill Simpson (children) for their work in "Tosca". The chorus played an important role in Puccini's work and none more so than when they gather for the Mass at the Church of San't Andrea della Valle in Act One.

This is an almost impossible task, since if you look at each of the operas we reviewed for 2003-04, we had wonderful things to say about each orchestral performance. Keith Lockhart's debut leadership in "Tosca" was magnificent, as was the full bodied Verdi sound captured by Maurizio Barbacibi in Philadelphia's "Don Carlo", as was Laurence Gilgore's fluid and even conducting in Connectiucut Grand Opera and Orchestra's cursed "Macbeth", and Gil Rose's exacting baton in "Nixon in China" and Willie Water's smooth guidance of the orchestra in Connecticut Opera's "Lucia Di Lammermoor", and Heinz Fricke's outstanding "behind the curtain" directing in Washington National Opera's, "Die Walkure" and Placido Domingo's expert efforts in "Madama Butterfly" -- and on and on. But there can only be one and the One we chose here has to be the performance by Gil Rose in leading the Boston Modern Orchestra Project through the mine field of staccato and syncopation and complexity that is John Adams' "Nixon in China". Just being able to figure out where one is in the score has to be a chore of Herculean proportions and Rose did so here marvelously and with great precision and perfection.

We considered four summer opera productions, and all the one's we saw were good -- very good. Michael Hayes, in the title role of Otello in Summer Opera Theater Company of D.C.'s "Otello" sang with intensity and power and carried the role superbly, and Ray Bauwens' performance as both Canio and Turiddu in Cape Cod Opera's "I Pagliacci" and "Cavalleria Rusticana" was passionate and powerful. And Eric Fennell's portrayal of Romeo, in Opera North's production of "Romeo & Juliet" was riveting, as was bass David Cushing in the same company's "Midsummer Night's Dream". However, Michael Hayes' performance stands out, because his forceful and intense delivery. He had good command of the stage and his body movements were natural and fluid -- and he looked a little on the edge, too. Hayes is an intense singer with a powerful voice, strong stage presence, good pitch and a sense of dramatic timing that makes his casting in such roles a natural.

A number come to mind: Cheryl Mereiros Nancarrow singing the role of Nedda in Cape Cod Opera's "I Paggliacci"; Jodi Karem singing the role of Santuzza in the the Cape's "Cavalleria Rusticana", Fabiana Bravo, singing the role of Desdemona in the Summer Opera Theater Company's, "Otello", and Leah Partridge singing the role of Juliet in Opera North's, "Romeo & Juliet". Each singer delivered their roles convincingly and brilliantly: the flirt, the scorned lover, the victim of a jealous husband, the fated lover. But there can only be one, and the One we chose here is Leah Partridge, if for nothing else than the sheer stamina she exhibited in delivering such a consistently powerful performance over the course of this three hour opera. But it wasn't only that, Partridge gave us solid singing and moments of technical brilliance in her sensitive and moving portrayal of Juliet and combined that with good command of the stage and the ability to hold her own against some equally impressive singers -- male and female.

In period pieces you really have to get it right, and in those operas we viewed this year those responsible for costume design did a superb job. To name only a few standouts, there were the truly impressive costume designs of Charles R. Caine in Connecticut Opera's "Lucia Di Lammermoor", Michael Stennett's wonderful costumes in Boston Lyric Opera's sumptuous "Tosca", Peter Hall's myriad costumes for the Met's Cafe Momus scene in "La Boheme", Gail Astrid Buckley's rich outfits for Opera Boston's "Luisa Miller, and Giovanni Agostinucci's lavish costumes in Washington National Opera's, "La Traviata". All worthy of merit, and not inclusive of some of the other productions that had equally notable costumes. But one stood out and that One was the outfitting of the nobility in Connecticut Opera's "Lucia Di Lammermoor" where every costume had to speak to the individuality of the status of the person wearing it in the great court. Nicely done!

Here we looked at a number. Donald Sherrill singing the role of Iago in Summer Opera Theater Cmpany's Otello; Mark Wilson sining the role of Tonio in Cape Cod Opera's I Pagliacci, Sam Chung, singing the role of the vengeful Tybalt in Opera North's "Romeo & Juliet" and in the same production the powerful drama and singing of baritone Mark Womack as Romeo's friend Mercurtio. And we can't dismiss Arthur Espiritu's Flute or David Cushing's Nick Bottom in Opera North's, "Midsummer Night's Dream". Each was superb, and each could be cited as best in our view for different reasons. But there can be only one, and that One is Sam Chung as Tybalt in "Romeo & Juliet". Tybolt did some fancy choreography and acting in the sword fight with Mark Womack. He had a strong stage presence, and demonstrated a strong tenor voice that commanded our attention.

Here we see have to select between Mezzo AnnMarie Sandy for her role as Gertrude, Juliet's nurse in Opera North's "Romeo & Juliet", soprano Elizabeth Batton as Hermia in "A Misdummer Night's Dream" or Mezzo, Jena Eison for her role in Cape Cod Opera's "Cavalleria Rusticana". All women sang well and evenly and gave stand-oput performances. However, there can only be one and the One we select is Elizabeth Batton for her consistently good performance in "Midsummer Night's Dream". Batton, was sulky, moody, petulent, seductive and she could belt out a tune, even if we were not that crazy for the score of this modern opera.

No sixty piece orchestras here, but very competent orchestras ranging from about a little over a dozen musicians in Cape Cod Opera's "Calavleria Rusticana/I Pagliacci" to a little over thirty in Summer Opera Theatre, D.C.'s "Otello" , to forty in Opera North's "Romeo & Juliet" and "Midsummer Night's Dream". Interstingly, at no performance did one sense an absence. Each of the three orchestras we listened to delivered according to the need under the truly outstanding conductorship of Dr. Thomas Vasil; H. Teri Murai; and Louis Burkot, respectively. The performance that stood out here, though, was Summer Opera Theatre Company's performance of "Otello", with H. Teri Murai, conducting. Maybe it's because it was Verdi, and the mix of instruments called for in Otello, gave the orchestra a heavier, fuller sound. Murai drew out that sound in what seemed like a flawless performance.