Monday, October 20, 2008

Virginia Opera's season-opening "Il Trovatore" is a milestone: Artistic Director Peter Mark's 100th production in 34 seasons. As Mark's conducting propelled the music with feverish intensity Friday night, stage director Lillian Groag went all out to make Verdi's over-the-top melodrama memorable at George Mason University's Center for the Arts.

The opening tableau, worthy of Edgar Allan Poe with its graveyard and ghost of the Gypsy Azucena's long-dead mother, was just one visual highlight of a dark, well-crafted production filled with telling psychological effects.

The singers also focused on the psychology underlying a plot that is absurd even by operatic standards (most of the action occurs unseen between the acts). Jeniece Golbourne was a standout as Azucena, her mezzo-soprano having near-contralto richness in her obsessive revenge aria, "Stride la vampa," and charming warmth in "Ai nostri monti."

As her supposed son, the troubadour Manrico, Gustavo López Manzitti showed a bright, slightly brittle voice, very expressive but a touch shrill at the top. Nmon Ford brought regal bearing to the Count di Luna and made this villain sympathetic -- his "Il balen" was rich and heartfelt.

Eilana Lappalainen was a passionate Leonora, swooping intensely onto her big moments but tending to gloss over other notes and swallow some words.

Smaller roles were well filled, with Ashraf Sewailam an especially effective Ferrando. The famous "Anvil" Chorus was resounding. And altering the ending to have di Luna himself kill Manrico in front of Azucena gave this "Trovatore" psychological as well as dramatic closure.

-- Mark J. Estren