The Opera Tattler

Anna Caterina Antonacci at SF Opera Lab

* Notes *
Last night the arresting soprano Anna Caterina Antonacci (pictured left, photograph by Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera) gave the first of three performances of songs by Berlioz, Debussy, and Poulenc paired with a piano version La Voix Humane at SF Opera Lab. Antonacci gave a compelling renditions of the various French songs, all the more impressive since it was only her voice and the spare accompaniment of Donald Sulzen's piano.

Part of her appeal is certainly her voice, which is far from your garden variety clean, pure soprano, and in fact Antonacci started her career singing mezzo roles, especially Rossini, which doesn't seem particularly well suited to her sensual sound. She did great with Berlioz's "La mort d'Ophélie", very emotionally on point and haunting. Likewise her "Le tombeau des Naïades" from Debussy's Chansons de Bilitis was particularly strong.

Poulenc's 1958 La Voix humane is essentially a monologue of a suicidal woman on the telephone with her former lover. Its success as a piece of drama rests heavily on the the one singer, and Antonacci delivered, she is an incredible actress and it was hard to look away.

Simple and concise, the 40 minutes flew by, and we experience everything from the petty annoyances of being on a party line to the utter depths of despair of being abandoned and unloved.

The plain, stripped down staging of a simple rain drop covered window with a view of Paris with only a table, chair, and a few pillows was perfect and matched the simplicity of the opera itself.

Antonacci's costume was a bit odd, it looked like a 70s floral house dress, with panels that opened in the front and a cut-out in the back. I was also confused by (though also enjoyed) her gown for the songs, which looked to be a long grey leotard-inspired tunic whose sleeves covered her hands and had the saddest tulle tutu-like skirt.

Tattling *
Many audience members were mostly quiet, though a few people had to exit during the music.

Opera San José's La voix humaine & Pagliacci

* Notes *
Last night a double bill of La voix humaine (pictured left, photograph by P. Kirk) and Pagliacci opened at Opera San José. It is something of an odd juxtaposition, one imagines it is based on the duration of these two operas and the fact that it would be difficult to present the Poulenc on its own.

La voix humaine is an unsettling piece, a one-act opera featuring one rather unhinged, needy woman on a telephone with a bad connection. The music is spare and the singing is speech-like. Mezzo-soprano Betany Coffland gave a nuanced, controlled vocal performance. The orchestra, conducted by Bryan Nies, supported her well. Coffland was only slightly overwhelmed at a few points when she did not face out to the audience because of her blocking. Her acting is strong, she looked completely distraught and devastated. J.B. Wilson's set is descriptive without being entirely literal. The silver nightgown designed by Alyssa Oania is elegant, but satin can be unforgiving.

Pagliacci was performed with an appealing immediacy. The playing was not always together but clean. The singing was straightforward, the acting again here was formidable. Evan Brummel (Tonio) has a hearty, warm voice. Jasmina Halimic made for an attractive Nedda, she has a fine command of her facial expressions. Her voice was not particularly pretty in this role, it has some grit to it at the bottom, but she was convincing regardless. Alexander Boyer (Canio) was slightly tentative, and could have sung his big aria with more anguish. Boyer has a lovely sound, his performance seemed neat and correct. The set for this opera, also by J.B. Wilson, is simple. The Commedia dell'arte costumes looked like perfect historical replicas as seen in paintings.

* Tattling * 
The person in Row G Seat 106 helpfully pointed out that the intermezzo of Pagliacci was "very dark."