Show Reviews
April 5, 2005
Opera in Concert – “Maria Stuarda”
Opera in Concert offered a Donizetti’s “Maria
Stuarda” on Sunday that had some exciting moments while giving a good college
try at bel canto style. Music director-cum-pianist Raisa Nakhmanovich
emphasized the musical drama, while correctly keeping the cabalettas slow, the
cavatinas dreamy, and the recitatives intense. Robert Cooper’s OIC chorus did a
good job, particularly in the “Preghiera”.
Soprano Stephanie Piercey as Maria has the low
register this fach needs but elected not to take the very high money notes. Her
warm, pleasant voice could use more dash and vigour stylistically.
Mezzo-soprano Julie Nesrallah as Elisabetta is a wild child which makes for
thrills and chills. She has a full-bodied voice that is sharp at the very
heights, but displays a wonderful middle and bottom range. Tenor Eric Shaw as
Roberto sang well but his voice is too small for true bel canto. It fell to
talented baritones Peter McGillivray and Sean Watson, and mezzo-soprano Melinda
Delorme in the comprimario roles to give the most consistent singing.
I’m Paula Citron, arts reviewer at CLASSICAL 96.3
FM.
Review
Opera in Concert’s Maria Stuarda –
Off with her head!
By ZOE ACKAH
The Epoch Times
Maria Stuarda explores the
relationship between two Queens, Elizabeth I of England and Mary Queen of
Scots, in times when the reign of a female monarch was considered unnatural - nearly
ungodly. It’s one of history’s strange twists that these two women ruled at the
same time, in neighbouring kingdoms and had the same grandfather (Henry VII).
The fun starts when it’s decided each Queen has fairly clear rights to the
English throne. Elizabeth, having her father Henry VIII as a male role model
tries her best to stay single for life, and Mary kills her second husband as
soon as the honeymoon is over. The Scots kick out Mary, and she ends up in jail
in Elizabeth’s England. Mary plots, gets caught and Elizabeth chops of her
head. Did I mention Mary was Catholic and Elizabeth Protestant? It’s a story
with all the thrills and chills that lend themselves to great musical
interpretation.
This opera can’t be considered historically
accurate. The librettist Barardi, being Italian, made Mary Queen of Scots into
more of an innocent persecuted Catholic than the hot tempered, pride-full,
deposed monarch she more likely was. Maria Stuarda is based on the play Mary
Stuart by German Schiller, who had a more realistic view of the two rival
queens, though he too strayed from history to explore his theories on tragedy
as a concept. There is some fighting between the Queens over the Duke of
Leicester, though in actual fact he was already married to someone else at the
time of the events chronicled. What Maria Stuarda’s composer Donizetti gives us
is the WWF smackdown approach - but
since they’re queens wrestling is inappropriate. They duel with arias filled
with schemes, plots and you guessed it - a magnificent vocal cat
fight in the middle! Elizabeth growls lusty threats and Mary defends
her “innocence” with piercing high notes. The ending is of course a
beheading – pretty much the most climactic ending you can get.
Opera in Concert is to be commended for taking risks, bringing us opera off the beaten path,
presented with intimacy, and all at a reasonable price. The Jane Mallett
Theatre holds only 497 people, allowing us to experience the emotion and drama
of a rare opera like Maria Stuarda without costly costumes and sets. You will
not miss them when you are so close to the singers you can feel the spit and
sweat! April 3rd’s presentation was no exception. Mezzo-soprano Julie Nesrallah
gave a standout performance as Elizabeth I. Rolling her eyes and grinding her teeth, smiling menacingly and growling some of the most menacing low notes
I’ve ever heard. Nesrallah had us believe she was ready and willing to keep her throne by any means necessary. Soprano Stephanie Piercy gave the roll
of Mary a softer more innocent air than history indicates is likely, but her
experienced and controlled voice made every duet she sang a perfect blend, and
of course her final aria was suitably heartbreaking and breathtaking all at
once.
Opera in Concerts Director
Guillermo Silva-Marin has plans to present us with little known works by well
known composers in the 2005-2006 Season. Look out for Verdi’s I Masnadieri,
Vivaldi’s La Griselda, and Tchaikovsky’s Mazepa - all rare treasures
presented quite possible for the first time in Canada!