 |
| Photography by Cory Weaver | Courtesy Portland Opera |
Even though his music is 400 years old, Claudio Monteverdi’s madrigals can still strike a chord with contemporary audiences, because they wonderfully explore love with all of its thorns and fragrance. The intimacy of the madrigals made them a good fit for “Songs of Love and War,” which Portland Opera staged at its newly christened Gregory K. and Mary Chomenko Hinckley Studio Theatre on Friday (February 17). The music was evocatively conveyed by members and alumna of Portland Opera Resident Artists program under the direction of Christopher Mattaliano, and the production was the first in the company’s inaugural Vino e Voce series.
From the age of 40 to the end of his life, Monteverdi wrote nine books of madrigals. “Songs of Love and War” featured eighteen selections from Books 7, 8, and 9 plus two songs from his “Scherzi Musicali.” The selections were grouped under an arc of themes, starting with “The Dance of Courtship and Seduction” and ending with “Acceptance with Pleasure – Whatever the Cost.” The three themes in the middle were “Sensual Pleasure and Fantasy,” “Unrequited and Forbidden Love,” and “Lessons Learned or Not.”
 |
| Photography by Cory Weaver | Courtesy Portland Opera |
Within that framework, each madrigal could be experienced as a separate episode. In “O mio bene” the men longed for love. In “Bel pastor” the women tried to extract a promise of how much the men will love them. There were sensual moments punctuated by statements, such as “Love mixes flame and ice,” that have lost nothing in the last 400 years.
 |
| Photography by Cory Weaver | Courtesy Portland Opera |
Still, it was difficult to avoid imagining the characters in a story that had continuity For example, the bass might pursue the mezzo in one song, but he might be involved with someone else in the next, and that would then be followed by something completely different.
All of the action took place on top of and around an extremely large bed, which was placed in the center of the hall surrounded by the audience on all four sides. Sopranos Lindsay Ohse and Antonia Tamer, mezzo Kate Farrar, bass James Harrington, baritone Ryan Thorn, and tenor Aaron Short flirted, frolicked, fumed, and fought with élan. They impeccably expressed the content and emotion of each piece with ardent singing, and their ensemble numbers were remarkably well balanced.
 |
| Photography by Cory Weaver | Courtesy Portland Opera |
But with the singers running around in satin pajamas and nightgowns for 90 minutes, the production became a bit one-dimensional. Besides the super-large bed, the only other prop was a large satin sheet. Since the text referred once in a while to flowers and food, a bouquet or a picnic basket would have been a nice diversion.
The chamber orchestra, sequestered in one corner of the hall, sounded terrific. It consisted of Dylan Rieck (cello), Hideki Yamaya (theorbo and Baroque guitar), and Nicolas Fox, who conducted the entire enterprise from the harpsichord.
Because most of Portland Opera productions have been moved to the summer, the new Vino e Voce series marks a brave attempt by Mattaliano and company to redefine opera for the winter months. “Songs of Love and War” was a good start.
 |
| Photography by Cory Weaver | Courtesy Portland Opera |
No comments:
Post a Comment