STAGE

A VIBRANT AND COLORFUL CARMEN HIGHLIGHTS THE GLIMMERGLASS SEASON

By Jane Dieckmann

As one of the four mainstage productions at the Glimmerglass in Cooperstown this summer, opera lovers can see a leading and masterful work in the entire opera canon, Carmen, by French composer Georges Bizet. e opera premiered at the Opéra-Comique in Paris in 1875 and is considered by most historians and musicologists as one of the greatest operas ever written, admired especially for its almost perfect balance of music and drama.

Over the years Carmen has been very popular, and former staging challenges have faded as overt sexuality, illegal activities, murder, and violence can be seen every day on opera stages. is production, directed by the Festival’s artist-in-residence Denyce Graves (who has sung the role many times at the Met and elsewhere), was particularly strong, due to a special understanding of the characters and the staging.

Playing Carmen was Briana Hunter, whose voice is forceful and dusky. Her two major arias come early by way of introduction. One only wishes she could have exuded more sex appeal and conveyed somewhat better the reasons why all the men in sight are drooling over her. e famous Habanera spells out her particular attitude toward love while the Seguidilla invites the hapless hero Don José to fall for her and help her escape from going to prison. Young American Artist (YAA) at Glimmerglass Matthew Pearce, stepped in at the last minute to play Don José and was admirable. His singing of the “Flower Song” was both moving and beautiful. roughout, he was particularly e ective in conveying the way his love for Carmen basically destroyed his life. As Micaëla, the pure and gentle girl from the country who loves him, YAA soprano Symone Harcum had too big a voice and could have bene tted from a sweeter tone. As the toreador Escamillo, baritone Richard Ollarsaba was handsome, agile, and sang with great style and assurance. A er all, he has the most famous music in the whole opera. Unfortunately, most performers did not shine in their singing of French. e ensemble scenes were lively and very colorful. e women bursting out of the factory was a vivid mob scene. Here is a group of young artists, moving like professionals, dancing as gypsies, singing in amazing ensembles. Staging and lighting were excellent. Following the Overture, energetically led by Glimmerglass music director Joseph Colanari, the stage glows in dark red suggesting blood. e lights go up on the wall of the factory where Carmen works and causes endless trouble. Once she appears she basically controls the action. Here is a ghter, who is the center of attention and knows it. She is angry, and strong, and, as we see at the end, absolutely fearless. We see her as a free and independent person. She uses her sex appeal to control the action and to bring all the men onstage into her orbit. She appears at the end, beautifully dressed (in red with black mantilla) and radiantly happy, to perish all too soon. e staging and lighting helped set o the divisions in the story. In the scene where the smugglers are accumulating their booty, they carry in barrels and boxes, which provide seating for the singers. e lighting made some scenes magical. e beautiful orchestral interlude with ute solo, which introduces the scene in mountains, was done with silhouettes that showed the action in pantomime against a pale background. And this moonlit break in the action gave the audience a chance to breathe before the nal death scene. is is a show to see. e Glimmerglass Festival opened this season with e Sound of Music, by Rodgers and Hammerstein, a show of boundless popularity. e cast includes soprano Mikaela Bennett as Maria and baritone Michael Mayes as Captain van Trapp. One matinee and two evening performances remain before the festival closes on August 21.

To add some levity to the season there’s Tenor Overboard, which not only provides music from Rossini but includes a crazy plot with two sisters whose father has decided whom they will marry, who dress up as men and audition for e Singing Sicilians, entertainers on a cruise ship called the S.S.Lindoro (a name known to Rossini lovers). Two evening performances remain. e fourth mainstage production is a double bill: Taking Up Serpents / Holy Ground. Both operas deal with issues of religious belief and understanding and both are directed by women making their debuts at Glimmerglass. Two evenings and two matinees remain. e Festival o ers two performances, on August 15 and 16, of e Passion of Mary Cardwell Dawson, the true story of founding of National Negro Opera in Washington. e show had two performances last year, with Graves playing the lead. It will be repeated this year with Alyson Cambridge replacing Graves and the addition of three songs.

For more information, consult information@glimmerglass.org or call the box o ce, Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at (607) 547-2255.

Masks are required.

The ensemble scenes in this season’s Glimmerglass production of Carmen are lively and colorful. (Photo: Karli Cadel) Arts & Entertainment