Rusalka

Photo by Robert Kusel

Photo by Robert Kusel
Lyric Opera of Chicago

I think it's important to see those once-in-a-lifetime, twice-if-you-are-lucky operas when you can. I expect to have an opportunity to see more full Ring cycles than I will Rusalkas. And, this was a mostly magnificent production with only a few problems. I can imagine seeing it better done, but because perfection is fleeting and rare, I doubt I will truly see it better than this.

The problems were not musical. Or, at least hardly. The musical is beautiful and was well played. Brandon Jovanovich wowed me with his singing and even his acting, which is simply a bonus. Good singing is all I require (Johan Botha is a good example of this. I've heard him sing many times. I'm not sure I've seen him act).

Ana Maria Martinez is the whole package. She has the technique, the voice, the acting, the look, even the lungs. She just hasn't let go. There is something about practice, practice, practice and then letting everything you know go. You can hear her thought process through the phrase, instead of simply hearing the phrase. You can hear the breath perfectly placed for the support that she needs to make it through a high part. You can hear the movement up. You can hear the movement into a perfectly placed note. It just lacks that last centimeter of fluidity, I don't know how else to describe it, before it sounds effortless.

In contrast, Jovanovich sounded effortless. He made it sound like he had never sung another part in his life, ever. I was astonished to open the program and find he is all over the place. This is unusual, I think. He hasn't met a role he won't try. If he can do half of them as well as he did this one, I'll fly to see him.

Eric Owens, who I found dynamic in Hercules and where I became a fan - he was amazing in the part that he was cast. Cast as nymph father, the director basically had him playing the part of sewer rat. And, this was one of a few unfortunate things about this performance.

This is a director, with confidence, I can now say I do not like. I've seen two productions now (Elektra and this) and they have commonalities, all things I don't like:

• the stages look dirty and dingy
• the characters look dirty and dingy
• exaggerated darkness throughout the entire performance
• the stages were set up exactly the same - big, unshapely building on the left, big wall-like structure on the right, messy looking action in the middle
• the characters writhe around on the floor - this is a pet peeve - in my experience people do everything they can in real life to not fall down on the floor to express emotion - I find it a cheap way of trying to get an acting point across
• general lack of movement - I'm not watching a picture being painted - I'm watching a drama

Even with direction I did not like, and a real attempt, you couldn't keep the beauty out of John Macfarlane's sets. Or, the magic. I am guessing he is first a painter, because the painting aspect that creeps in far outdoes any of the actual painting I've seen in other sets. I'm pretty sure I saw his Hansel at the Met and it was as magical as this could have been, with better directing. He has a particular talent for making crazy kitchens and grand rooms, as evidenced in both productions.

As evidence to how dirty and dingy the set was, when the dryads sing at the end of the opera about how beautiful they are, emphasizing the carefree existence Rusalka could have had, but has missed out on, and we hear the lyric:

Hair, golden hair have I,
Glow worms like to whirl around them at night,
My alabaster hand has now untied my hair,
And the moon is combing them with silver rays

You wish that the character would pick up a comb. Maybe even a lice comb.

The choreography was intentionally grotesque. And, that got conveyed. I was watching it and I was thinking, "This is grotesque." And, while what was aimed for was achieved, who wants to watch grotesque movement in an opera of beautiful music all night? I, for one, do not. I would not have gone for grotesque.

Should you go? Yes! Absolutely! Get there as fast as you can. As a bonus, and this doesn't happen often with less-performed operas - this is a great opera. The music is beautiful. There is no down time. The pace is great. The action moves. The sets are gorgeous, in spite of every attempt to keep them dark and dingy. The singing is fine. The orchestra sounds good. And, you won't see it again. At least, not like this.

Ana María Martínez

Ana María Martínez