Ars Minerva's La Flora

* Notes * 
Ars Minerva gave the modern premiere of Antonio Sartorio and Marc'Antonio Ziani's 1681 La Flora last weekend at ODC Theater in San Francisco. The Sunday matinée was delightful, the music kept moving, the playing bracing but buoyant, and the singing absolutely beautiful.

The libretto, written by Novello Bonis, deals with historical figures from the Roman Republic in a very convoluted plot that includes overlapping love triangles. The dictator Silla has just put down a rebellion with the help of the Roman general Pompeo. Silla wants his son-in-law, another Roman general named Servio,  to divorce Silla's daughter Emilia because he wants to marry her to Pompeo. Unfortunately, Pompeo loves our titular Flora and Emilia loves her husband. Pompeo's friend Geminio also loves Flora and Pompeo's father Strabone wants his son to marry Emilia. Flora almost manages to seduce the dad, Flora and Pompeo fight and make up multiple times, and there is a conspiracy against Silla from Servio that ends in the latter's death.

The singing was very lovely. Tenor Maxwell Ary is funny as Flora's servant Probo, he's charming and his voice is pretty. Tenor Sidney Ragland was more authoritative as Strabone. Mezzo-soprano Nina Jones was perfectly clean and clear as Geminio, their sound is resonant and sweet. Bass Wayne Wong is convincing as dictator Silla.

Contralto Sara Couden is always impressive with her effortless sound, and did well as Servio. Soprano Aura Veruni has a fine physical presence, her mocking of Pompeo was hilarious. She also has a lot of control and nuance, and can sound jealous, angry, or smitten quite clearly in her voice.

Contralto Jasmine Johnson (Pompeo) has some incredible low notes, and truly sounded like a baritone at times. Soprano Alexa Anderson (pictured) is a seductive Flora, with a lucid and brilliant tone. It was amusing to see how many costume changes she had, in one-shouldered gowns or lots of sequins.

The staging was tame by Ars Minerva standards, but this served the opera well given how complicated the plot was. There were the usual video projection backdrops that looked blurry but realistic and the costumes looked contemporary. There were cell phones that were pulled out by the singers and Amazon boxes, so it seems the action was moved to present day.

The orchestra, led by harpsichordist Matthew Dirst, was two violinss, two violas, a cello, theorbo, and saved from being utterly dry by the trumpet.

* Tattling * 
There were a number of latecomers at the beginning of the first act, and most if not all of them had to climb over people to get to their seats. There was also someone in the last row who kept using their cellular phone, which angered another person who very audibly insisted it be shut off at least twice in Act I.