| . | 11/18/2002
EUGENE ONEGIN - Young Talent at Juilliard
By: Bruce-Michael Gelbert
Hanan Alattar & Anton Belov
(photo by Lisa Yelon)
The Juilliard Opera Center's opening production of the season, mid-November, was Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's "Eugene Onegin." The Romantic drama, after Pushkin, could have constituted an apt showcase for young singers, not much older than the highly emotional characters of the opera, but the restrained performance I heard, the middle one of three, took almost half the evening to jell.
Hanan Alattar lent the shy Tatiana's lengthy letter aria a brighter, more slender soprano than the customary full-bodied lyric or lirico spinto. Heralded as winner of awards given by the George London Foundation, Metropolitan Opera National Council, and Licia Albanese-Puccini Foundation, baritone Anton Belov made a handsome devil of the blasé Onegin, but introduced himself with understatement in music often boomed out by bass-baritones. Conductor Julius Rudel, keeping the orchestral forces in check, could scarcely be faulted for the faint first impressions these singers made. Belov was inspired to far more impassioned singing in the later scenes, when Tatiana's newfound allure and sophistication seize Onegin's interest, and Alattar rose to the challenge with her most full-throated vocalism of the opera as well.
Tenor Richard Cox's Lensky had more treble overtones than one expects in his music, but this made for a haunting account of the lyrical "Kooda, kooda," before the fatal duel with Onegin. Christianne Rushton sang agreeably as Olga, with no need to force in order to encompass her lowest lines. Alison Tupay (Larina), Abby Powell (Filipyevna) and Daniel Gross (Prince Gremin) took other key roles.
Director Eve Shapiro kept the chorus upstage, behind the white sliding screens devised by Christopher H. Barreca, in the initial scenes, and Rudel severely abbreviated the peasant chorus near the start of the opera. The ensemble, joined by the dancers, came into its own, however, and helped perk up a hitherto frustratingly sedate affair with its contributions to Tatiana's birthday party and the princely ball. Shapiro deserves credit for pointing up such moments of contrast as the one in the party scene when Triquet (Benjamin Sosland) extravagantly serenaded Tatiana while Lensky, shunted to one side, seethed in the wake of what he perceived as betrayal by his beloved Olga and his friend, Onegin. Barreca's screens and single branch laden with cherry blossoms, in Act One, brought "Madama Butterfly" disconcertingly to mind. Set pieces were used sparingly throughout and costumes by Susan Memmott-Alfred and James Scott helped set the scene.
Juilliard Opera Center's other effort this season will be Mozart's "Don Giovanni" on April 25, 27 and 29, 2003.
"Eugene Onegin" November 13-17
and "Don Giovanni" April 25-29, 2003
Juilliard Opera Center at the Juilliard School
60 Lincoln Center Plaza
Tickets $20 212/721-6500
|
|