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By: Paul Joseph Walkowski
OperaOnline.us

A slimmed-down Lisa Daltirus walked on stage Saturday evening October 1st in the colorful art-deco Bushnell Auditorium in Hartford Connecticut and from the first note of what turned out to be a stunning performance as Verdi’s fated Leonora she seduced the audience with her magnificent smooth voice and commanding stage presence and never let go – much to the packed audience’s pleasure.
The last time I saw Ms. Daltirus perform was in Boston as Tosca, and while her voice was as captivating then as ever, her weight detracted from the overall effect that was meant to be in the role she was cast to play as seductress. Not so here! Ms. Daltirus, obviously aware of the controversy that weight generates for opera singers, has taken heed and the result is a regal and statuesque lady who has STARDOM indelibly written all over her.
But if that is all this show was -- Daltirus, as magnificent as she was -- it would have been less a show than what the audience experienced. The entire cast of this well-staged production soared and gave Verdi’s romantic tragedy the kind of excitement that is palpable in an audience – it is almost reverent.

Once again, OperaOnline.us’ award winning Lighting Designer for last year’s production of “Elixir”, Julie Duro, met our expectations and provided a light show that was wonderfully crafted and at times sublime in its elegance. The use of backlighting to highlight one side of a single column so that it shines orange against a setting that is dark and blue and black – ingenious! The flashes of heat lightening in the first act against a brooding backdrop of a castle’s gate and high brick walls: superb! The list of adjectives to describe Ms. Duro’s fertile imagination in lighting a scene could be endless. Suffice to say when she is lighting a production, that’s a production to see.
Like Ms. Daltirus’ voice, if the lighting stood alone against a barren stage, it would suit this reviewer just fine – she’s that good. But here, as noted earlier, there was more. Here we had both creative and realistic sets by Boyd Ostroff, provided by Syracuse Opera, and full, richly detailed costumes provided by Charles R. Caine. When taken as a whole, the combination of thoughtful lighting, costumes and set design, combined to make this production a stunner for the eye as well as the ear. All this gave the stage director Matthew Lata, ample raw material to work with, and he clearly worked the pieces to make a perfect fit.

THE PERFORMANCES:
Where does one begin? First, Verdi’s music for “Il Trovatore” is a true gift of melody and magic that comes from the mind of a genius composer of old who clearly understood that opera is, foremost, entertainment, and understanding this, scripted his music around a central theme that is most enjoyable. Under the direction of guest conductor Cal Stewart Kellogg, principal conductor of the Arizona Opera, and performed flawlessly by the Hartford Symphony Orchestra, Verdi’s score resonated with depth and fullness and became so inextricably intertwined with the singing that at times both music and voice combined sublimely to make one voice from all. It was a sheer pleasure from first to last.
Backing up Ms. Daltirus’ Leonora, was the evocative and distinctive voice of mezzo-soprano Patrizia Patelmo as the tortured Azucena. Ms. Patelmo’s Act II lament of her mother’s firey execution and of the terrible deed of inadvertently casting her own baby into the flames, like an all-consuming firestorm itself, simply drew the air from the Bushnell and left the audience breathless. Her performance was glorious, rich, nuanced and appealingly humane. Brava!
Mezzo-soprano Meredith Ziegler, the recipient of a 2005 Connecticut Opera Guild Competition award, gave a solid showing of her considerable talent in the role of Inez, Leonora’s maid. She demonstrated poise and a well modulated and controlled voice that, even when on stage with the powerhouse of Daltirus, managed to hold her own and give a solid accounting for the role in which she was cast. Well done!

Baritone Mark Ruker, cast as Count di Luna, demonstrated why he is such a favorite of Maestro Willie Anthony Waters (who was unable to conduct last night’s performance due to illness), he has the power, range and comfortable tone to make his dramatic delivery effortless – or seemingly so – while at the same time, managing to make one empathize with his sometimes unlikable character’s plight. It was a strong performance worthy of the equally strong approval from the audience received at curtain.
Tenor Jeffrey Springer, cast as Manrico, competed with di Luna for Leonora’s attention, and ultimately succeeded in winning her heart, even though it cost him and Leonora their lives in the end. His performance was compelling; he had a good stage presence; and his range never came off as stretched. In short, it was an excellent performance that deserves and gets high marks for both effort and delivery.
Kudos must also go to bass Stephen Kirchgraber as Ferrando, Captain of the Guards. I thought his opening in Act I, given as it was, amidst such a moody backdrop, and the fact that he has a pleasing, unstressed bass sound AND commanding stage presence, was a perfect Verdi touch. He delivered his role well and believably and demonstrated, if a demonstration was needed, just how much a bass can add to a production when done well – as was the case here.
Lastly, in terms of individual acknowledgement, we give a Bravo to tenor Michael-Paul Krubitzer who sang the role of Ruiz. As a secondary character, he still played an important role, and sang as if he was in the lead. I liked that confidence, and trust we will see more of this fine singer in the future.
A major well done must also go to the Connecticut Opera Chorus, both on and off stage. They did a superb job throughout and added immeasurably to the success of this production. It was a full sounding chorus, confident and on mark each time they were called upon to sing. Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful!
It is unfortunate that this review is seen AFTER the show’s two performances. I wish the show could have been repeated a dozen times, and seen by an even greater audience. Connecticut Opera deserves a huge pat on the back for this truly enjoyable evening, and the full cast and crew deserve great credit for providing such a memorable opera experience. I loved it!

Conductor, Cal Stewart Kellogg
Stage Director., Matthew Lata
Set Designer, Boyd Ostroff
Costume Design, Charles R. Caine
Lighting Designer, Julie Duro
Wigs & Makeup, Jamie Carson