My review of Friday night's (Oct.19) Trovatore

[+ Charlie]

Puzzled looks from opera lover and whipped guy: "But there was no performance of Trovatore at the Met on Friday night." Ah, but there was one in Salt Lake City. It was my first attendance at the Utah Opera, and my expectations were not too high, but the production was even worse than I expected. Probably as a result of the limited backstage facilities at the Capitol Theater, there was a single dark set that was hard to interpret (outside a castle?), and small props were brought on for each scene, but sometimes left behind for the next one, where they were incongruous. The less said about the acting by most of the principals, the better (though the frequent chuckling by the couple behind me was just rude).

 

I had never heard any of the singers before. The Count di Luna, Michael Chioldi, had only two volume settings: loud and louder, which sometimes resembled shouting, and there was a lot of flinging his arms about. Manrico, Scott Piper, sounded pretty wavery at the beginning, but he got much better as he warmed up, and by the end he was getting really exciting to hear, occasionally with an echo of Carlo Bergonzi (OK, only very occasionally). He didn't quite hit the final note in "Di quella pira," but at least his voice didn't crack, as I have heard from more than one celebrated tenor in major houses. The Leonora was Jennifer Cheek, and her dramatic interpretation was irritating--she's also pretty hefty--but her singing was beautiful, and she, too, got even better as she warmed up. The most pleasurable voice to listen to, however, was that of Elizabeth Bishop, whose Azucena riveted me from the moment she opened her mouth. By the end of the performance, everyone was singing up a storm, and the overdressed audience was ecstatic, The orchestra, conducted by Robert Tweten, was fine, as was the chorus.

 

Utah Opera only does four productions per year, and none of what is coming up in the rest of the season interests me, but I would definitely consider a return to SLC next year.

[+ Lucky]

"though the frequent chuckling by the couple behind me was just rude...

I would definitely consider a return to SLC next year... "

 

 

Try to choose better seatmates if you do!

[operalover21]

Puzzled looks from opera lover and whipped guy: "But there was no performance of Trovatore at the Met on Friday night." Ah, but there was one in Salt Lake City. It was my first attendance at the Utah Opera, and my expectations were not too high, but the production was even worse than I expected. Probably as a result of the limited backstage facilities at the Capitol Theater, there was a single dark set that was hard to interpret (outside a castle?), and small props were brought on for each scene, but sometimes left behind for the next one, where they were incongruous. The less said about the acting by most of the principals, the better (though the frequent chuckling by the couple behind me was just rude).

 

I had never heard any of the singers before. The Count di Luna, Michael Chioldi, had only two volume settings: loud and louder, which sometimes resembled shouting, and there was a lot of flinging his arms about. Manrico, Scott Piper, sounded pretty wavery at the beginning, but he got much better as he warmed up, and by the end he was getting really exciting to hear, occasionally with an echo of Carlo Bergonzi (OK, only very occasionally). He didn't quite hit the final note in "Di quella pira," but at least his voice didn't crack, as I have heard from more than one celebrated tenor in major houses. The Leonora was Jennifer Cheek, and her dramatic interpretation was irritating--she's also pretty hefty--but her singing was beautiful, and she, too, got even better as she warmed up. The most pleasurable voice to listen to, however, was that of Elizabeth Bishop, whose Azucena riveted me from the moment she opened her mouth. By the end of the performance, everyone was singing up a storm, and the overdressed audience was ecstatic, The orchestra, conducted by Robert Tweten, was fine, as was the chorus.

 

Utah Opera only does four productions per year, and none of what is coming up in the rest of the season interests me, but I would definitely consider a return to SLC next year.

 

There's opera outside of NYC? Really? LOL. Just kidding. Of course, there's lots of great opera being produced all over the USA. Glad you enjoyed yourself. Sometimes I find that I enjoy myself far more when I'm seeing opera in an out-of-the way place. I don't bring the same expectations as when I got the MET so I have a tendency to just sit back and enjoy.