Strauss, Der Rosenkavalier: San Francisco Opera, War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco, 27.6.2007 (HS)

Cast:

Octavian - Joyce DiDonato
Marschallin - Martina Serafin
Baron Ochs - Kristinn Sigmundsson
Sophie - Miah Persson
Faninal-Jochen Schmeckenbecher
Valzacchi - David Cangelosi
Annina - Catherine Cook
Italian singer - Robert McPherson
Marianne - Heidi Melton

Conductor - Donald Runnicles
Director -Sandra Bernhard

Martina Serafin

There was much to appreciate in San Francisco Opera's Rosenkavalier, not least the North American debut of soprano Martina Serafin. Born in Vienna, she has a voice to be reckoned with and a compelling stage presence. But most of all she invests Strauss' music for the Marschallin with an innate feeling for the melodic line and all the nuances that lift it into something special. Singing the final two performances of the run (spelling Soile Isokoski), she earned the loudest curtain call, and deservedly so.

Vocal greatness was in short supply in the rest of the cast, however, leaving it to Runnicles and the orchestra to provide the thrust and Viennese character to the music. They raced through the prelude with tremendous energy, the horns dropping any pretense at decorum to thrust away at the, um,  climax. Later, they refined the sound to an exquisite filament in the final moments of the Act I. Concertmaster Kay Stern's solo was especially affecting.

Kristinn Sigmundsson (Ochs) and Joyce DiDonato (Octavian)

It was one of Serafin's many fine moments, as well. After delivering a superb monologue, each nuance tenderly evocative of the character's fragile emotional state, she responded to the departure of Octavian, her young lover, with an extraordinarily scene. Using the wistful music as a touchstone, she turned to the bed where they had enjoyed each other earlier with a twinge of regret playing across her face, slowly walked around to her vanity, reached tentatively for the mirror, and, as the delicate final chords sustained in the orchestra her eyes seemed to tear up. So did ours.

This was the third time around for the production, first seen in 1993, by Lotfi Mansouri and Elizabeth Söderstrom, designed by Thierry Bosquet to emulate the original 1911 Vienna sets by Alfred Roller. It's not as elaborate and showy as some modern Rosenkavalier settings, but the rooms really look like the sort of things one would actually see in 18th-century Vienna, especially the Faninals' spacious but not very opulent drawing room in Act II, and the inn in Act III, a bit worn around the edges.

Miah Persson (Sophie) and Joyce DiDonato (Octavian)

Though uneven vocally, the rest of the cast delivered a remarkably cohesive performance long on energy and individual personality. Making a company debut, Swedish lyric soprano Miah Persson looked adorable and floated a creamy, silken sound as Sophie. As Baron Ochs, Icelandic bass Kristinn Sigmundsson lacked the rock solid low notes to anchor his musical line, but whenever called upon to sing above the staff he sounded great. He played an endearing oaf, no mean trick. As Faninal, Jochen Schmeckenbecher sang mundanely, rather like the character is.

Mezzo soprano Joyce DiDonato got a great deal of attention for her Octavian in the early performances of the run, but in this one she sounded vocally bland. Although all the notes were there, they didn't spring to life. Musically, one can appreciate the natural way she blended into ensembles, anchoring them when needed, floating nicely at other times. And, taken on its own, her performance as a 17-year-old boy in love had all the right moves, and she looked perfect as Mariendel, the boy masquerading as a chambermaid. Unfortunately, she stands a good six inches shorter than Serafin, which made the love scenes with the Marschallin unintentionally funny. Even Persson, as Sophie, is an inch or two taller. It was as if Cherubino had escaped from Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro.

The rest of the cast showed tremendous brio, especially David Cangelosi and Catherine Cook as Valzacchi and Annina, the small-time scam artists. Tenor Robert McPherson was less persuasive as an Italian singer, coming off more like an Irish tenor, and a reedy-sounding one at that. Best vocally among the small roles was Heidi Melton, standing in for Elza van den Heever (who was drafted at the last minute to sing Donna Anna in Don Giovanni). As Marianne, Sophie's duenna, she displayed a powerful, radiant soprano that had voice fans buzzing at intermission.

But the big response went to Serafin, who looks like the real thing. Her voice has a thrilling edge to it, yet it can soar sweetly as needed and blend effortlessly into the mix, as she did in the famous Act III trio, splitting the difference between Persson's creamy top and DiDonato's precise mezzo. She also looked stunning in a brocaded gown, not a bad thing in a Marschallin.

 

Harvey Steiman

Pictures ©  Terrence McCarthy