Uthe stands out in fine rendition of Puccini's 'Edgar'
The Civic Opera Theater of Kansas City and the Kansas City
Civic Orchestra presented a fine production of the rarely
performed opera "Edgar" by Italian composer Giacomo Puccini
at the Folly Theater last weekend.
"Edgar" was Puccini's second opera, written for Milan's
Teatro alla Scala in 1889. While it does not approach the name recognition
of the composer's more mature works ("Madama Butterfly,"
"La Bohème" and "Tosca), "Edgar"
contains its fair share of voluptuous melodies.
The semi-staged production featured an onstage orchestra partially
hidden from view by sets, a small chorus veiled in monks' robes,
and five principal singers. The placement of the orchestra resulted
in a better balance between voices and instruments than has been
the case in previous productions employing the Folly pit.
The opera was cast well, particularly with regard to the women's
roles. Megan King portrayed the pure-hearted shepherdess Fidelia,
and sang splendidly with her lovely, light soprano voice.
Stacey Stofferahn Uthe was the standout singer in the role of the
lusty and wild Tigrane. The darker coloring made a fine contrast
with King's, and her rapid passages were nicely delivered. In her
opening piece, though, the low range did not project well.
Bruce Burstert as Frank and Robert Grady in the title role of Edgar
generally sang well and with expression. Grady sang with a tight
upper range that was not always attractive in Act I, but improved
markedly in later acts.
Opera librettos can be convoluted, but that of "Edgar"
was downright silly at times, with plot twists and references that
make you want to jump up and say "huh?" The music
was wonderful, though, and included a welcome number of marvelous
orchestral interludes, played with passion by the Civic Orchestra
under the direction of Andy Anderson.
The Civic Opera and Orchestra are to be commended for taking
a chance on a little known work by a major composer and turning
into a wonderful evening of summer opera.
OPERA Review: Civic Opera’s ‘Edgar’ a solo success
In opera, you can hear only so many “La Bohèmes”
before you are ready to move on to fresh fare.
On Sunday at the Folly Theater, I found myself fascinated and more
than a little amused by Puccini’s early opera “Edgar,”
in a shoestring production by the Civic Opera Theater of Kansas
City.
Despite being the composer’s first completed opera, it is
hardly a primitive piece: It predates his “Manon Lescaut”
by only four years and “Bohème” by just seven.
It contains the Debussian parallel chords and Wagnerian orchestration
of the later works, not to mention the ferocious choral climaxes.
Its voluptuous vocalism is, if anything, refreshingly unfettered
compared to the more mannered restraint of the later works.
The Civic Opera’s “Edgar” won the heart with
remarkable solo singing and an inventive stage setup that might
prove revelatory for future small-scale opera productions here.
The orchestra was upstage, largely hidden by the stage set —
designer Laura Burkhart’s low-lying representation of a wall,
a set of glass doors and so forth — and a choir of monks.
This allowed the leads to sing from the stage extension, which
thrust them into the audience’s front-and-center view. Three
video monitors allowed them to follow conductor Andy Anderson, who
was well behind them.
The setup somehow filled the hall with amazingly rich sound. From
the balcony, I heard a blend between soloist and orchestra that
was as fine as you get in any theater in Kansas City.
Granted, the performance remained earthbound by marginal choral
males and unpredictable orchestral playing by the
Kansas City Civic Orchestra. And the supertitles were so faint as
to be unreadable, leaving us to rely on our college Italian.
But none of this obscured the fine solo performances. Bruce Burstert
as the hotheaded Frank sang with a warm, mellow sound. Robert Grady
in the title role belted out the high notes, at least, with precision,
and commanded the part despite some lack of vocal support, which
might explain why his voice was failing by Act 3. Phil Eatherton
showed off a highly polished voice in the small role of Gualtiero.
Stacey Stofferahn Uthe’s focused, penetrating voice made
her ideal for the torchy Gypsy Tigrana. Act 3 belonged to Megan
King as Fidelia, which she inhabited with a sparkling, textured
soprano and a mature dramatic grasp.
The Civic Opera continues to take risks and to score marginal successes
despite its use of volunteer performers. For a few dollars
more, the company could easily pass into the ranks of truly significant
local arts groups.
MUSIC AND DANCE NOTES
An operatic portrait of Puccini...
Even those with a casual acquaintance with opera have probably seen
or heard something from Puccini’s “Tosca,” “Madama
Butterfly” or “La Boheme.”
But you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone, even opera fans,
who have seen the composer’s “Edgar” on the stage.
This week Kansas Citians will have a chance to see Puccini’s
first completed opera, a youthful morsel with flashes of the greatness
that would bloom in later verismo masterpieces.
At 8 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. Aug. 14 at the Folly Theater, the Civic
Opera Theater of Kansas City opens its 21st season with “Edgar.”
Andy Anderson is conductor and stage director of this semi-staged
production.
“It’s a love triangle. Actually it’s a love square,”
Anderson said of the story. “Boy and girl are in love, but
boy (Edgar) has loved another girl before that. And the girl has
loved others, too. Several others. It happens that the boy’s
best friend, Frank, is in love with the girl he loved earlier.”
And on it goes.
“It’s very Carmenesque,” Anderson said.
The musical language, he added, is that of the Wagner and Verdi
that the young Puccini was hearing at the time.
“In a lot of ways, it’s the Puccini that we’ve
come to know, with a twist.” The female lead sings in a florid
bel canto style, he said, while the other characters are more in
keeping with the later Puccini.
“The orchestra is thick and lush, like all his other operas,”
Anderson said.
This “Edgar” marks the inaugural collaboration between
the Civic Opera Theater and the Civic Orchestra of Kansas City,
which Anderson also directs.
The cast includes Robert Grady in the title role, Bruce Burstert
as Frank, Megan King as Fidelia, Stacey Uthe-Stofferahn as Tigrana
and Phil Etherton as Gualtiero, the father.
Tickets cost $18 ($15 for students and seniors, $10 for persons
in groups of six or more). Call (816) 235-6222.
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