Chuck Lavazzi:
"[T]his reduced 'Walküre' still packs a considerable punch, thanks largely to some heavy-duty Girl Power in the cast...Ms. Quagliata is the same powerful presence she was in “Rheingold” while Ms. Smoke perfectly captures Sieglinde’s passion and despair...Ms. LoBianco’s really big moments won’t come until ['Siegfried' and 'Götterdämmerung'] but based on what I saw and heard here I expect very good things from her...Melissa Summer, Cecelia Stearman, and Lindsey Anderson are a formidable trio of Valkyries as well...Nathan Whitson is an appropriately thuggish Hunding...Timothy Bruno brings the kind of vocal power to Wotan that I missed last year...Wotan's famous 'farewell' scene with Brünnhilde was appropriately moving...Teresa Doggett and her crew have done well by the costumes."Gerry Kowarsky:
"Vocal honors in this production must go to Alexandra LoBianco and Elise Quagliata...from her joyous battle cries to her passionate defense of Siegmund to the defiance of her father, LoBianco's Brünnhilde is the complete package...Quagliata finds the humanity in Fricka's indignation and brings remarkable drama to narrative passages that could seem dry otherwise...Nathan Whitson's powerful voice makes him an imposing Hunding...There are only three valkyries instead of eight, but three valkyries is enough when they are Melissa Sumner as Helmwige, Cecelia Stearman as Waltraute and Lindsey Anderson as Rossweisse."
"I hope St. Louis operagoers come out for this production even if they aren't familiar with Wagner's opera. Union Avenue deserves to be supported not only for its daring but also for its achievement."Mark Bretz:
"Scott Schoonover conducts a spirited reading of Wagner’s lush composition...to complement stage director Karen Coe Miller’s uniformly polished singers in this rendition...Elise Quagliata’s mezzo-soprano soars as the angered Fricka, while Alexandra LoBianco’s clear soprano resonates in the role of the tortured Brunnhilde...James Taylor’s resplendent tenor captures the angst and turmoil of Siegmund...Amber Smoke brings a fitting melancholy to the unhappy Sieglinde...Timothy Bruno has both the look and the power of the tormented god...Melissa Sumner, Cecelia Stearman and Lindsey Anderson round out the convincing cast...[Patrick] Huber complements the settings with some fine lighting and Teresa Doggett’s costumes bring a sumptuous, mythical look to the proceedings."
"Die Walküre looked and sounded very much like a popular favorite on opening night...[it] is a rare chance, indeed, to see this titanic operatic work performed at all, even in Dove’s and Vick's abbreviated version."Sarah Bryan Miller:
"'Walküre' continues stage director Karen Coe Miller’s smart, imaginative vision...[The opera] is a big sing, and it demands careful casting...Scott Schoonover found voices up to the task...Alexandra LoBianco’s Brünnhilde, the titular Valkyrie, is a major talent, both vocally and as an actress. She’s a real dramatic soprano who uses her voice and body well, and she still sounded fresh at the evening’s end...Mezzo-soprano Elise Quagliata is a superb singing actress as well...Nathan Whitson’s Hunding...was impressive in every way, with a big dark voice that didn’t quit...As Wotan, bass Timothy Bruno offered an outstanding voice, big and opulent, and a somewhat callow characterization, especially in the early scenes...[Amber] Smoke was most impressive in her last moments onstage, when her beautiful high range was finally revealed...[James] Taylor...has a tenor vocal coloring that made him a good choice for the role."
"Any St. Louisan with any interest in opera should take in this production."Die Walküre continues its run this weekend: August 23 & 24 at Union Avenue Opera, 733 N. Union Blvd. Performances begin at 8:00pm. Production sung in German with projected English supertitles. Tickets may be purchased online at www.unionavenueopera.org or by calling 314-361-2881.
No comments:
Post a Comment