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Music Reviews May 6, 1999 - Nevada Opera's Brilliant Wagnerian "Faust" By Jack Neal Nevada Opera's new look for Gounod's gothic "Faust" gives this devilish opera the "light" motif treatment that out dazzles most rock concerts. "Faust" opened at the Pioneer Center Thursday night (5/6/99). It's daring. It's exciting. It is, in Mephistophelean terms, one helluva show. At Bayreuth over a half century ago, Wieland Wagner set the operatic world on its ear by scrapping representational productions of grandfather Richard's epic music dramas in favor of scant scenery and wild infusions of Freudian lighting. A half century later, Nevada Opera impressario Frank Kistler - faced with a budget crunch and the need to do a money-saving production sans sets, extensive costuming and much in the way of staging - goes Freudian himself in a grand Wagnerian way. The results? A sometimes puzzling "Faust," but - far more often - a gripping, beautifully musicalized, indelibly focused "Faust" that reveals characters through music as they are rarely revealed in tradition-bound operatic productions. Audiences will have to get rid of stodgy mind-sets to turn on to this outing with Faust, the still deranged chap who sells his soul to the devil for a one last fling at romance with an unsuspecting Marguerite. NO's "Faust" gives audiences a chance to wallow in the freshness of its casual contemporary look, a chorus that operates in the Greek chorus milieu, and the fascinating lighting Don Smith has created that sends this "Faust" reeling into the darker depths of the mind. If this "Faust" is a dream, and it looks like it might be, it is in Smith's mind's eye a vividly traumatic one of swirling color and striking symbolic imagery. The mating of Smith's vibrant visual conceptualizations, with the ripped (no fat) staging of director Nelson Sheeley and the voluptuous musical approach of conductor Timm Rolek (recently appointed artistic director of Sacramento Opera) creates - when its purring along on all eight cylinders - a thrillingly dramatic and superbly musical "Faust." It's all very impressive, with the times I couldn't fathom one connection or another, quickly forgotten in the wake of so much that's exciting.
Rolek, who sees the opera in broad, sweeping terms, gives strong support from the pit. The conductor displays total commitment to Gounod's lushly sentimental, often powerful score. His is a moving and entirely captivating interpretation. The orchestra responds in kind for a dynamic, if occasionally less than secure reading.
As is almost always the case, "Faust" depends on a dominant Mephistopheles. The cadaver look and menacing demeanor of bass-baritone Dean Elzinga provides enough domination for several good "Fausts." Elzinga, in splendid voice, is agile, enigmatic, charming, and - scary. His "Golden Calf" aria is sneeringly twisted and spellbinding. Sharon Davis makes a touching Marguerite - vulnerable, tender, lost in love for Faust - and believable. She has plenty of voice for the garden scene, a slender in timbre honest-to-goodness French soprano sound, as well as an appropriate sadness for "Il ne revient pas," one of Gounod's finest inspirations.
Carlo Scibelli's lyric tenor is a gorgeous match for Faust's exquisite outpouring of love, "Salut! demeure chaste et pure." Scibelli is a stylish tenor who brings passion to his desire for Marguerite and genuine pathos to his realization that he is her downfall. As Valentin, robust baritone Jeff LaVar displays a smooth, firm vocal line. Best of all, his rich sound does full justice to the ravishing cavatina, "Avant de quitter ces lieux."
In the trouser role of Seibel, mezzo-soprano Sarah Helen Land sings well - a sweetly presented "Faites lui mes aveux" - and is, as she should be, consistently loyal and forthright. Donna Olson's Marthe is on the floozy side, but that's what one gets for cavorting with the devil. Trace Robbers is an expressively adept Wagner. As prepared by chorusmaster Lisa Riley, "Faust's" extensive choral work is elegantly managed throughout by the NO chorus. With "Faust's" dramatic closing trio between Mephistopheles, Marguerite and Faust followed by the final choral glories of heavenly ascension, Gounod has created one of opera's most moving and thrilling moments. In this production that moment is fully realized. Other than "Faust's" ballet sequence (which was an add-on by the composer in 1869) none of the opera's eloquent moments is short changed in this with-it and excellent Nevada Opera production. NO's "Faust" is poignant, well sung and acted, tremendously inventive and too good to miss. "Faust," which is sung in French with English subtitles, plays its final performance Saturday night (5/8/99) at 8 at the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts, 100 South Virginia Street, Reno. For ticket information call 775 686 6600. For information about other Nevada Opera productions and events call 775 786 4046. [an error occurred while processing this directive] |
