Semperoper, Take 2

This evening I saw Rossini's L'Italiana in Algeri at the Semperoper, and I enjoyed it much more than I did Don Giovanni a couple of weeks ago.

I first saw this opera back in 1992 in San Francisco, with the legendary Marilyn Horne in the title role. Alas, at the time she must have been in her early sixties, and this did not really make her Italian "girl" very convincing (and to say that by then she had lost her "girlish" figure, if she ever had one, would be a cruel understatement -- I recall the plank she used to board the ship being reinforced with concrete struts to help bear the weight. OK, maybe that's a slight exaggeration, but still...)  I saw it again in 1998 at the Opera Garnier in Paris, with Jennifer Larmore singing Isabella, and she was outstanding despite a weird production.

This evening's lead was Carmen Oprisanu, an attractive and stylish young Romanian mezzo, and I thought she sang and acted very well. I was also impressed by the Lindoro of the young African-American tenor Kenneth Tarver; it's a very demanding role, and he sang it well albeit if with somewhat stiff body language. The Icelandic bass Kristinn Sigmundsson presented a highly amusing Mustafa, and Jacques-Greg Belobo, a bass-baritone from Cameroon, was a splendidly sonorous Taddeo.

The costumes ranged from good to dopey, the sets were colorful if a little frugal, and the orchestra and conducting were excellent.

Prior to the performance, I walked the cobbled alley behind the Hofkirche from the eastern side of the Elbe-fronting Schloßplatz, and for a few moments felt as though I was in a time machine. There were no other people visible to spoil the illusion, and as the Semperoper came into view across the expansive Theaterplatz, bathed in golden floodlight with a blue moon high above, it was truly a magical sight.