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Mascagni, Cavalleria Rusticana / Leoncavallo, Pagliacci:  Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of  Lyric Opera of Chicago, Sir Andrew David (conductor) Lyric Opera Center, Chicago 14.2.2009 (JLZ)

Production:
Director: Elijah Moshinsky
Stage, Set and Costume Design: Michael Yeargan Hockney
Lighting:  Duane Schuler

Chorus Master - Donald Nally
Conductor: Sir Andrew Davis

Cast:

Cavalleria Rusticana

Turiddu: Carlo Ventre (Vincenzo La Scola March 14-27)
Santuzza: Guang Yang ( Dolora Zajick March 17-27)
Mamma Lucia: Judith Christin
Alfio: Mark Delavan
Lola: Katherine Lerner

Pagliacci
Tonio: Mark Delavan
Canio: Vladimir Galouzine
Beppe: Keith Jameson
Nedda: Ana María Martorano
Silvio: Christopher Feigum

The Cavalleria Rusticana Set

As familiar as these  two verismo operas are to modern audiences, Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci remain good theater, especially in the effective productions found at Lyric Opera of Chicago. Staged in a realistic town square resembling nineteenth-century Calabria, Cavalleria Rusticana benefits from fine stage and musical direction as the work pitches from its opening at dawn on Easter Sunday to its tragic conclusion that afternoon.

As the pivotal character Santuzza in the Mascagni, Guang Yang is moving as the scorned woman whose anger causes the murder of her erstwhile lover Turiddu, portrayed on opening night by Carlo Ventre. Yang’s approach to the role is fully in the style of verismo from the start, and her aria “Voi lo sapete, o mamma” is appropriately moving and vocally impressive. Yet Yang is particularly effective on stage with Delavan, who brings his fine diction and stage presence to the role of Alfio, Lola’s cuckolded husband. The duet “Oh! Il Signore vi manda” shows the two performers well, as they bring their characters’ situations to the forefront persuasively. Delavan commands the stage as Alfio should, and his solid vocal presence allows him to be a fine foil for Turiddu. Ventre, whose serenade to Lola opened the work, was somewhat slow to warm to the acoustic of the Civic Opera, but by the time he sang the famous brindisi, he seemed accustomed to the hall.

Unsung, but very important, Sir Andrew Davis delivered the score most effectively, with tempos that set the stage as much as the designs did. Sometimes overtly symphonic, the instrumental passages benefited from the shaping Davis gave them, especially in the well-known Intermezzo. Through such a fine, if somewhat objectified, reading of the score, Davis allowed the music to speak for itself, without the indulgence which can occur in the hands of less experienced conductors.

The Pagliacci Set

Yet the production of Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci stood out for several reasons, not the least being the successful updating of the staging to post-war France. The traveling band of players offered a fine contrast on the somewhat stark rural background, and this made the tragedy all the more realistic. As Tonio, Delavan gave an exemplary reading of the prelude to Pagliacci, a scene that has its parallel this season in Berg’s evocation of it at the beginning of Lulu. With his keen sense of musical line and clear diction, Delavan brought some subtle, ironic twists to various passages, such that the audience was prepared for the tragic dénouement which keep Pagliacci on stage perennially.

Vladimir Galouzine approached the title role aggressively, and while that fit the character he depicted, it was sometimes at the expense of the musical line. A performer of Galouzine’s caliber could bring a somewhat softer approach to some of the lines, which work equally well in a more understated way. Nevertheless, Galouzine was fully in command of “Vesti la giubba,” which ends the first of the two acts.  Yet as Nedda, the soprano Ana María Martorano was captivating. Her only aria, “Stridono lassù” was appropriately effortless, as Nedda meditates on the freedom the birds have, but which is impossible for her to achieve. In the subsequent passages, including duets with Christopher Feigum as Silvio, Martorano remained in character vocally and dramatically. In fact, all of the principals in this production were uniformly even in their roles and this, in turn, allowed the familiar Pagliacci to stand out for a delivery worthy of festival performances. Again, Andrew Davis’ conducting contributed the appropriate timing to the final scenes as Pagliacci’s jealousy finds expression in murdering Nedda and, ultimately, Silvio. Here Delavan’s timing rounds out the evening as Tonio’s prologue finds an ironic conclusion in the closing lines in which he declares the comedy to be ended.

It was ironic to find the premiere of this traditional double-bill on Valentine’s Day, but such programming cannot always be avoided. This was another fine production of the current season, and it is to Lyric’s credit that it can bring great casts to Chicago so that even familiar operas like Cav and Pag, as they are called, can seem wonderfully fresh. The production continues through March, and those visiting Chicago can still enjoy these operas – the cast change already announced brings back to Lyric’s stage the familiar presence of Vincenzo La Scola and Dolora Zajick in Cavalleria Rusticana.   

James L Zychowicz

Pictures © Dan Rest/Lyric Opera of Chicago

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