THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, February 19, 1996 TAG: 9602190059
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B5 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: MUSIC REVIEW
SOURCE: BY PAUL SAYEGH, SPECIAL TO THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
LENGTH: Medium: 64 lines
Music lovers got a fascinating glimpse into the bygone days of opera Sunday as the early-music group Capriole performed at Old Dominion University's Chandler Recital Hall.
Antonio Cesti was one of the most popular composers of opera during the 17th century, although today he is little more than a historical footnote. Capriole presented excerpts from ``Orontea,'' his best-known work, interspersed with ballets by another forgotten figure, Johann Heinrich Schmelzer. The aim was to reproduce the sort of evening at the opera that an audience in the 1660s would have experienced.
If the result did not make Cesti's obscurity seem like a gross injustice, the fault lies more with the composer than with Capriole. Cesti seems to have lacked that extra flair of greatness that would have lifted his music beyond competence. There are many lovely passages, but the characters and their predicaments do not engage the listener in the direct way that Monteverdi - a composer from Cesti's time - does.
Capriole provided Cesti (and his contemporary Schmelzer) a solid musical realization. Gayle Johnson led the excellent group of instrumentalists. Their playing was impressive for its confidence and security, as well as for its colorful sound. The warm acoustics of Chandler Recital Hall added to the pleasure of the group's playing.
The singers were less consistent, although soprano Christine Brandes and contralto Jennifer Lane contributed outstanding performances. Brandes, singing the secondary role of Silandra, used her light but well-projected voice to create a delightful character. Her acting was as unforced as her singing.
Lane displayed a rich and powerful contralto in the title role. Her large voice did not move easily at times, but she compensated with some lovely soft singing. Her portrayal of the Egyptian queen was dignified and serious.
Bass-baritone Frank Ward was superb in the comic role of the drunken servant Gelone. His incisive phrasing, full tone and pointed diction made his scenes amusing. Countertenor Steven Rickards, as Silandra's suitor Corindo, sounded strained at times, and did not seem particularly engaged with his character.
Tenor Neil Farrell, in the role of Alidoro, the object of Orontea's attentions, sang smoothly. But his light tenor was unsuited to the dramatic force required of his character.
The ballet interludes were performed by Paige Whitley-Bauguess and Thomas Baird. While their dancing was expert, only in the final interlude did it move beyond the decorative.
Edward Whitacre supervised stage direction and also served as the production's narrator, filling in the gaps in the Cesti opera and providing commentary on the characters. His narration seemed too focused on the characters' silliness, however, thereby diminishing them and Cesti's opera. And his handling of the performers' comings and goings was at times slow and tedious, detracting from the excellence of the musical presentation. ILLUSTRATION: MUSIC REVIEW
Who: Capriole
Where: Chandler Recital Hall, ODU
When: Sunday
by CNB