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Atlanta Opera’s ‘Tosca’
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
OPERA REVIEW Giacomo Puccini’s “Tosca.”
Atlanta Opera. Thursday at the Boisfeuillet Jones Atlanta Civic Center in Midtown. The opera repeats Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. www.atlantaopera.org, 404-881-8885.
People were shouting “booo!” before the music even started.
Puccini’s “Tosca” opened Thursday evening at the Atlanta Opera, but most of the audience’s passion is already funneled toward the fall of 2007.
What’s their beef? Microphone in hand, Greg Johnson, the opera’s board president, had taken the stage of the Boisfeuillet Jones Atlanta Civic Center to announce the company’s planned move away from Midtown and into the suburban Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre.
A couple of vociferous patrons disapproved, followed by a smattering of applause of approval. Although attendance (and fund-raising) continues to drop at the civic center, the hecklers’ brazen behavior suggests the opera will have a tough time herding all its fans to the new venue.
And until the opera has a settled home, non-musical affairs will likely continue to dominate the agenda, which is a pity: this “Tosca” is a strong achievement at the regional opera level — not a riveting production, but likely the most steady and evenly balanced show the company has ever produced.
Since its premiere in 1900, “Tosca” has withstood a lot of critical drubbing, but it’s always lovable. The heroine, Floria Tosca, is a bratty, noodle-headed opera diva who’s dragged into a political cause she obviously cares nothing about.
And that’s how soprano Cynthia Lawrence sang the role. Her character doesn’t grow emotionally so much as merely react to increasingly desperate circumstances. Thus vocalism was the central appeal: her instrument purred smoothly in quiet, legato phrases and, with nice control, sparkled at the high, loud end of her range.
The villainous police chief Scarpia was sung by Donnie Ray Albert, who’s the sort of baritone you hire when no better baritone is available. His withered voice lacks charm and excitement, but he can sing the correct notes and, as a physically imposing man, deliver the role with reasonable assurance.
As Tosca’s lover Mario, a painter and secret resistance fighter who is ultimately sentenced to death by firing squad, Philip Webb sang with a bright, appealing tenor. With a mild demeanor and a voice devoid of baritonal richness or warmth, Webb came off as likeable but vanilla bland.
Smaller roles were carefully cast, led by bass Wojciech Bukalski as the escaped political prisoner Angelotti and baritone Philip Cokorinos as the sacristan, the sniveling church lackey.
Still, the basic fact that every singer on stage could navigate his role and do a plausible acting job is a major step up from previous Atlanta Opera seasons. Given where the Atlanta Opera was a couple of years ago, this “Tosca” is the product of a completely new and revitalized company. Only the cavernous, 4,500-seat building is the same. For general director Dennis Hanthorn, the next step — wherever they perform — has to be a steady improvement in the quality of the cast.
Edoardo Muller’s conducting wasn’t overtly dramatic or forceful — a drawback — but he drew a transparency of sound from the orchestra, breathing with the singers. In “Vissi d’arte,” among the most rewarding arias in all of Italian opera, Muller coaxed exquisite shades, breathing beautifully with Lawrence.
The traditional sets, rented from Baltimore Opera, helped keep the singers at stage front. John de Lancie’s stage direction relied on clear-headed realism, as when Tosca kills Scarpia with his dinner knife, inexpertly lunging and stabbing him till the big bully (somewhat realistically) crashed to the floor.
But for de Lancie, who’s best known as a TV and Hollywood actor, this “Tosca” is only his third exposure to opera and his first crack at Puccini, and the inexperience showed.
Given what we’ve seen of Tosca, a self-abssorbed and infantilized creature, her bloodlust comes unexpectedly as she knifes Scarpia and taunts him to choke on his own blood. But once he expires — with Lawrence saying “Or gli perdono” (“I forgive him”) — it should come as a moment of enlightenment: the pious young woman has just avoided rape by killing a man, and with these words she’s trying to regain her inner equilibrium.
Instead, the audience laughed at the disconnect between the libretto and de Lancie and Lawrence’s clueless portrayal. Thankfully, an instant later Puccini’s orchestra swept in with visceral, dark-hued angst — the sort of power that keeps “Tosca” among the most compelling (and fail-safe) operas in the repertoire.
Permalink | Comments (12) | Categories: Classical Music
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By Hal Smith
May 19, 2006 9:13 AM | Link to this
I don’t agree with the comments re: Mr. Albert - he was grand, perfect for the role. All in all, a terrific evening of opera. This was my third opportunity to enjoy Tosca. As noted - a giant step from Atl Opera’s previous presentation. Good Job!
I suggest that Mr. Johnson assure the gay patrons of AO that we will be welcomed in Cobb County. We are an important part of AO.
By Erin
May 19, 2006 9:46 AM | Link to this
I agree with the review. I had a hard time with the beginning of the first act because I thought it was a comedy or farce - Tosca’s jealousy seemed silly and Mario seemed a little silly.
But once Scarpia entered things really picked up. Albert may not be the best baritone but he brought great drama.
Lawerence voice was beautiful. Again once she hit her stride she was fantastice.
And I also thought Webbs voice was great. He didnt have as much presence as Tosca and Scarpia but had a lovely sound.
There were some really great moments. The church scene ending Act 1 was great. The stabbing scene was also very well done.
Over all I enjoyed it.
I live in Decatur and I also am not thrilled about the move to Cobb County. They have taken the Opera from a somewhat central location, to a NE suburb.
By Shelton Jones
May 19, 2006 10:42 AM | Link to this
I thought the overall strength of the cast was the best I’ve heard - there didn’t seem to be a noticable weak spot as there have been in other production. Agree with the earlier comment re the move to Cobb (although it’s a NW suburb). I feel a central, in-town location is the most appropriate for an ATLANTA opera. I wonder how many patrons picked an in-town home to be close to the opera, only to have it move?
By Bob
May 19, 2006 11:37 AM | Link to this
Last night was horrible! I thought it was a total dismal failure and I am disgusted that The Atlanta Opera represents “arts” in our city. Get a new company, a new Director! Dennis Hanthorn must be a moron.
By Cindy B
May 19, 2006 12:24 PM | Link to this
I agree with the last review. Last night was HORRIBLE! What does the Atlanta Opera continue to be so bad. Time for the Opera to clean house and get new leadership that knows how to run an Opera. This ongoing stinkfest is embarassing to our great city!
By Cindy B
May 19, 2006 12:25 PM | Link to this
I agree with the last review. Last night was HORRIBLE! What does the Atlanta Opera continue to be so bad. Time for the Opera to clean house and get new leadership that knows how to run an Opera. This ongoing stinkfest is embarassing to our great city!
By Brison
May 19, 2006 1:42 PM | Link to this
Opening Night of TOSCA was ABSOLUTELY MARVELOUS. It is a MUST SEE! The performance was packed, and must have been a SELL OUT last night.
Pierre Ruhe twisted the truth in his review several times. First he failed to mention that some few scenes were so well received that they were delayed due to the BRAVOs and CLAPPING welling up from the audience. Piere Ruhe was very misleading to say that the opera started off with booing. IT DID NOT. Greg Johnson, a superb President of The Atlanta Opera Board of Directors, was attempting to speak to the audience and introduce the great news of The Atlanta Opera’s glamorous new venue for Fall 2007. A clod and a cad in the audience were so rude to interrupt Mr. Johnson while he speaking.
Regarding comments made by Erin, The Confused: It is well known that everyone should review the opera synopsis beforehand. You will be familiar with the story and can easily follow and enjoy the performance. Also, operas often contain silly, illogical, and irrational scenes and lines. That is part of the fun of opera!
Regarding Cindy B: Cindy, PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE YOUR MOUTH IS! Instead of complaining , provide support to build a world-class opera company. You must be very hard to please - and obviously have not attended enough Atlanta Opera performances in the past 10 years to see the dramatic improvements made in the past year under Dennis Hanthorn.
By Janice L
May 19, 2006 4:17 PM | Link to this
TOSCA was TERRIBLE. I appreciate the zest of the last reviewer to sweep the truth under the rug and save face for the Opera but the truth is the Atlanta Opera is in terrible trouble. Debt, moving to Cobb, and poor artistic quality will be this company’s mark of shame on Atlanta. Boo Hiss
By Al
May 22, 2006 2:09 PM | Link to this
As you rant and rave about the inconsistencies of AO, don’t forget that Atlanta has more than one opera company. Capitol City Opera is stable and has doubled in size during the last three years and seems to always get decent reviews. Americolor Opera Alliance is a new and promising start-up. Why not patronize Atlanta’s opera companies still located in town instead of the now suburban Atlanta Opera?
By Dr. Rachovsky
May 22, 2006 3:27 PM | Link to this
I attended Saturday night’s production of Tosca and was suprised to witness such as drastic disconnect between the comments of Pierre Ruhe and the actual opera. While if such a show had been performed at the Metropolitan Opera house, I would have been slightly more in line with Mr. Ruhe, I am not quite sure of the standards to which he is applying a performace at an opera comapny such as the AOC.
Immediately I noticed that the orchestra was well rehearsed and in top form throughout the evening and were in lock step with Mr. Muller and one another. Secondly, as I was fortunate enough to obtain tickets close enough to the stage to allow me to actually see the acting and facial expressions of the singers and I was thoroughly impressed. Acting and actually developing believeable manorisms on stage is usually taken for granted at even the most prestigous opera houses, yet Saturday’s Tosca provided wonderful charactor dramatization. Regarding the actual singing of the production, Cynthia Lawrence demonstrated unbelievable control of her dynamics and pitch while contorting her body all over the stage. The lead tenor role, though not on stage as much as Tosca, delivered two fantastic arias with impecable control and power on the high end of his voice, sustaing notes above a high B-flat for what seemed to be minutes at a time. Finally, the staging was magnificent, especially the third act where the lighting was almost so good it would have been a distraction had the singing not been so compelling. Overall, a great performance. Good work AOC!
By Dan
May 24, 2006 5:12 PM | Link to this
Oh, how the intown crowd loves to rant and rave when “their” Arts are moved away! I live intown, btw.
First of all there is no real choice here. The Atlanta Opera must move or it will certainly go bankrupt. This is a result of the Pre-Hanthorn regime moving from the Opera from Fabulous Fox to Hitler’s Bunker.
Unfortunately, the old group made a deal with the devil(a/k/a City of Atlanta) and we’ve suffered in facility Hell or at least Limbo ever since with declining attendance, funds and interest.
You can thank Dennis Hanthorn and the Board of Directors for saving the Atlanta Opera from certain bankruptcy! This is a brilliant move and those against it should consider that the new facility will be world class in design and intimate in seating and it’s still technically inside the perimeter.
Look at the bright side, with fewer seats to fill, the AO is less likely to have to practically give away so many tickets to the rude, loud, one-opera-only bufoons who seem to always sit directly in front or behind me. I sit in a good seat, btw.
I would fully support a dedicated Opera House in Midtown or a future move to a vacant Atlanta Symphony Hall (maybe 2011). However, those moves are years away and quite uncertain. Dennis Hanthorn is world class and we are lucky to have him! Please support him and the AO.
By Peter Stelling
May 26, 2006 2:41 PM | Link to this
I absolutely agree that the move to the Galleria Performing Arts Center is the only sensible choice at this point in time. Nothing is carved in granite for the years beyond 2011. Atlanta Opera should continue to carefully explore all their options, one of which definitely involves a thorough evaluation of ways to reconfigure the present Symphony Hall as Atlanta’s permanent Opera House. There is a lot of dead space on either side of the auditorium that might permit (with some knocking out of walls) a widening of that hall to provide more than the current ca. 1700 seats.
My greatest concern over next season is the inclusion of a “stand and sing” Handel opera. You may have to populate ORLANDO with Disney characters to get this audience to attend. I don’t think Atlanta will buy it. I am also puzzled at the programming of CARMINA BURANA, which is not opera and which has been done so many times already by the Atlanta Symphony and ASO Chorus and in choreographed versions by the Atlanta Ballet. We are so starved for opera here, give us the mainstream product and don’t duplicate the efforts of others. There should be at least one American opera at least every other season. Douglas Moore’s THE BALLAD OF BABY DOE is a wonderful work that every opera lover should experience.