Dicapo in the News

Everyone Knows the Ballet, but Who Knows the Opera?

Paul Griffiths
New York Times
December 22, 1997

While "The Nutcracker" is well established among holiday season in evitabilities, the opera Tchaikovsky wrote to go with his ballet, "Iolanta," lies generally forgotten. This year though, it was possible to reconstitute the double bill, thanks to a highly successful production of the dormant partner by Dicapo Opera, in their little theater under the church of St. Jean Baptiste on Lexington Avenue.

"Iolanta" is a fairy tale, and its subject is that of many fairy tales: how love transforms. The heroine of the title is a princess born blind. Her father the king has kept her from knowledge of this affliction, until her prince arrives and inadvertently spills the beans. There is some consternation at this from the reassembled court, but luckily we have already met a Moorish doctor who has promised that Iolanta's blindness can be cured. So it is.

Tchaikovsky's music for this story does not aim for much more than charm, but in that area it maintains a high level. The overture is a gentle, easeful piece for wind instruments, scored that way so that Iolanta's entrance can be marked by silky strings. As the opera continues, the orchestral music remains caressing and sophisticated, and one of the great virtues of the Dicapo production was the excellent performance of this music under Timothy Lindberg. The sound throughout was luxurious and flecked with beautiful detail from soloists.

The singers were not universally quite so wonderful, though some were. In particular, Gary Lehman as Robert, the prince's friend, was splendid in his aria, displaying a youthful baritone, ardent and maneuverable. Michael Hendrick as the prince himself, came through to an excellent lyrical sweetness in the love duet, and his high notes rang sure. Kevin Short had fine control of slightly Moorish music for Moorish doctor, and there were so striking spurts of high soprano from Aleksondra Hrabova as Brigitta, one of several companions:

Iolanta introduced to provide variety in female roles. Colleen Gaetano the rich-voiced Iolanta, unsettled a bothersome wobble. Everybody seemed to be coping well with the Russian, and it was a joy to experience an opera for once without the running commentary of titles.

Albert Takazauckas's simple production was done in a simple set by John Farrell and in modern clothes: evening suits for the men, and gowns by Alicia Mugetti for the women.

Copyright © The New York Times

RETURN TO DICAPO IN THE NEWS

about Dicapo | current season | special events | Dicapo in the news | children's chorus | resident artist program | rental information | become a subscriber | ticket information | contact Dicapo | home

dicapo.com is a production of OperaWeb.com