Rough edges and hapless direction detract from worthy vocal moments in Lyric Opera’s “Bohème”
It was even easier to empathize with the impoverished young artists in the freezing Paris garret than usual Monday night. With harsh winter winds and subzero temperatures on Chicago’s coldest night in two years, Mimi wasn’t the only one whose hands needed warming.
The Lyric Opera opened its extended two-cast run of La Bohème Monday night at the Civic Opera House. Inevitably, most focus is on the March dates when Anna Netrebko will make her belated Chicago debut as Mimi (with Joseph Calleja as Rodolfo).
If not quite as starry, the January-February lineup looked promising on paper, with Ana Maria Martinez and Dimitri Pittas in his company bow, backed by a solid supporting cast in Puccini’s beloved romantic crowd-pleaser.
Yet despite some worthy vocal moments, Monday’s opener was a decidedly mixed affair that never caught fire, undone by a lack of vocal consistency and dramatic intensity, and stage direction that could charitably be called provincial.
For these performances, Lyric has retired its ancient traditional production and borrowed San Francisco Opera’s less-ancient traditional production. As it turned out, the scenic design was one of the evening’s more consistent elements. Michael Yeargan’s sets offered a genuinely claustrophobic garret for the outer acts—the walls gliding out as Rodolfo declares his love for Mimi in O soave fanciulla—an attractive street scene and wood-paneled Cafe Momus, and evocative, very snowy setting for Act 3. Aided by Walter Mahoney’s dead-on period costumes and Duane Schuler’s painterly chiaroscuro, the production provided ample eye candy.
Vocally and dramatically, however, this was an uneven Bohemian bag. Ana Maria Martinez’s attractive soprano is not a natural Puccini voice, and the singer lacks the opulence of tone to really open up luxuriantly at the big climaxes. She was most effective in the intimate moments, with her lovely and affecting D’onde lieta usci the evening’s clear highlight, and Martinez brought sensitive vocalism and subtle characterization to the final act.
Dimitri Pittas has received positive advance notices in a role he has performed at the Met. The New York native possesses a vibrant tenor with a notably warm, rich mid-range. Unfortunately, Pittas’s voice is weak on top where he often sounded strained, sliding up to a less-than-heroic high C in Che gelida manina.
More problematic was the young tenor’s lack of dramatic incisiveness. Pittas isn’t much of an actor and looked and sounded tentative and ill at ease in Act 1, virtually staring a hole through conductor Emmanuel Villaume. He appeared to grow in confidence as the performance unfolded but considering Pittas’s advance notices, this was hardly an auspicious debut.
Elizabeth Futral made a plucky and attractive Musetta, though her light soprano now sounds distinctly underpowered for the role, her unevenly projected singing at times inaudible in the Act 3 quartet.
As Marcello, Lucas Meachem wound up stealing the show and providing the most satisfying all-around performance both vocally and dramatically. Singing easily with a big, ripe baritone, Meachem was vocally faultless and a natural actor, hilarious in his frustration and rage-eating over Musetta’s flirtatious antics.
Having Andrea Silvestrelli as Colline is luxury casting indeed. The towering Italian bass’s huge voice has undeniable wear, but his artistry and true Italianate sonority more than made up the balance in an idiomatic, deliciously nuanced Vecchia zimarra.
In this fast company, the Schuanard of Ryan Center member Joseph Lim was serviceable but felt a bit pale next to his veteran live-wire companions. Dale Travis brought well-rounded individuality to the dual roles of Benoit and Alcindoro. The ensemble singing, directed by guest chorusmaster Ian Robertson, was magnificent.
The biggest problem with this performance was Louisa Muller’s stage direction, which ranged from awkward to abysmal. Most of her fresh ideas were bad ones and the inept blocking of the Bohemian scenes and lazy, chorus-at-the-footlights handling of Act 2 looked like amateur hour. The staging offered an object lesson in how to dilute crucial dramatic moments: not pausing the action for Silvestrelli to get some well-deserved applause after his Act 4 aria; the stiff immobility of Marcello and Musetta at the climax of Act 2; and having Pittas play busily with Mimi’s bonnet at the final curtain.
The performance also looked underrehearsed with several glitches, from Benoit’s knock accidentally opening the door to Musetta’s entrance coming several seconds too early in Act 4. The pedestrian supertitles didn’t help, often reading like they were designed with a fifth-grade audience in mind
An even greater drag on the performance—literally in the first two acts—was Villaume in the pit. The conductor has been a reliable hand in French repertoire at Lyric but sounds out of his element in Puccini, dragging tempos and dawdling at ends of phrases, which sacrificed forward momentum and led to some miscoordination with the singers. Even the Lyric Opera Orchestra had an off night with some jarring flute and horn lapses.
The current cast of La Boheme runs through Feb. 7. Anna Netrebko and Joseph Calleja will sing the principal roles March 9-28. lyricopera.org; 312-332-2244.
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3 Responses to “Rough edges and hapless direction detract from worthy vocal moments in Lyric Opera’s “Bohème””
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Posted Jan 24, 2013 at 7:52 pm by Patron
Mr. Johnson,
Thanks for your honest and extremely accurate critique of La Boheme. It is refreshing reading a review that reflects the performance that I too attended in an accurate way. You do not shy away from being critical when you see or hear something not up to par for a major opera company. (Unlike the reviews I read from the highest circulated newspaper in town)
La Boheme should inspire and move even the opera novice to return to the opera house for other productions out of pure curiosity.
This Boheme inspired me not to renew my subscription as I am tired of the amateur hour that you referenced in your review and instead enjoy real, professional grand opera at the MET broadcasts instead.
Posted Jan 24, 2013 at 10:33 pm by Irv Silverstein
Mr. Johnson,
As usual you are spot on! I agree with just about everything.
I’m glad you mentioned Joseph Lim’s underpowered Schaunard. I am furious with the Lyric these days because they put these apprentice artists in roles that require a more seasoned, professional voice. Schaunard is not a comprimario role! When Lyric patrons are paying upwards of $200 for a decent seat, having a student in a supporting role like this is frankly abominable. The Lyric is obviously trying to save money. I can tell you, Ardis Krainik would never have allowed Lim on the stage. He looked young enough to be Marcello’s son! He also could not be heard much of the time over the orchestra. Really a sorry state of affairs.
One final kvetch; I am utterly tired of Mr. Travis’s Benoit/Alcindoro; the Lyric hires him every time to do these roles and I can’t think why. His acting is OK but the voice is dry and doesn’t project. He’s no Corena or Tajo. It wouldn’t be so bad, if we saw him once in these roles, but if memory serves correctly, he’s done the parts the last 3 or 4 past Lyric Bohemes. Are there no other bassi buffi out there? Sure there are!
Anyway, thanks for your insightful reviews. You attend to details far better than the newspaper critics.
Posted Feb 23, 2013 at 8:59 am by David Lawver
By the time we saw the production on the 27th matters had improved somewhat. Particularly, Joseph Lim seemed at eased and relaxed as Schaunard, and was entirely audible at our seats.
I however completely agree with your assessment of the stage direction. Come on! A massed chorus park and bark to end Act II? And surely Cafe Momus is not that deserted on New Year’s Eve! Of course, the designer’s decision to take the party indoors contributed to the difficulties, but the problem should have been solved with more creativity.