La Scena Vocale

Editeur/Editor

Wah Keung Chan

Assitant Editeur

Philip Anson

Web: http://www.scena.org/

http://www.scena.org/lsv/sv2-6/sv2-6.html

Opera on Campus

by Philip Anson

Our two major university opera programs - Opéra McGill and the Atelier d'Opera de l'Université de Montreal - offered two frothy operettas in January, both very popular with the public. Opéra McGill's production of Rossini's La Cenerentola had five shows with two casts. The opening night on Thursday January 23 left mixed impressions. The McGill Symphony under Tim Vernon gave a spirited and incisive rendering of Rossini's fast paced score. The sets by André Barbe, by far the most impressive sets in McGill's recent history, were a delightfully whimsical mix of Hockney and art nouveau. Costumes by Mireille Vachon were as fabulous as the sets. McGill usually skimps on sets and costumes, but they really got their money's worth this time. Vocally, there was one star, soprano Julie Nesrallah. Her Cinderella, professional and enjoyable from start to finish, was no mere student performance. Cinderella's step sisters Melanie Esseltine and Sophie Taillefaire also sang and acted well. They were both funny and convincing. Upcoming: McGill's annual Fringe Opera (featuring L'amico Fritz, La Rondine, and Mahagonny) in the Black Box Theatre March 13-16, 20-23 at 7:30 p.m.

Over at the University of Montreal, I caught the last of four evenings of Johann Strauss's sparkling La Chauve-Souris (Die Fledermaus). This bilingual production delivered recitative in French, but sang all arias and ensembles in German - and excellent German at that. This was a workable compromise which aided comprehension in the absence of libretti or projected translations. Musically this Chauve Souris was a total delight. If I had seen it earlier I would have gone twice. The strong cast was lead by tenor Pascal Mondieig, a superb actor presently involved with the Opera de Montreal's Atelier Lyrique. His phenomenally subtle and comic Gabriel von Eisenstein anchored the whole production. Soprano Raphaëlle Paquette as Rosalinde, his wife, is also a born actor, with a voice that deserves high praise. Isabelle Metwalli brought striking physical beauty and yet another gorgeous voice to the stage as Adèle, their maid. Less astonishing but competent were Julien Patenaude's Frank, Michael Kim's Dr. Blind, and Christiane Jean's Orlofsky. The chorus of attractive women, some wearing nothing but lingerie, sang ravishingly and bravely acted their parts as lesbians at Orlovsky's party - chacun à son gout, indeed. Everyone was titillated when they left the stage to waltz with the audience. Director Renaud Doucet deserves credit for a funny tasteful show that ran like clockwork. Such talent and dedication really deserves an orchestra and a bigger hall. They're worth paying to hear. Watch out for their next show, Poulenc's Dialogue of the Carmelites, March 7,8,9,15,16 (free reservations: 343 6427).