Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, February 24, 1993 TAG: 9302240087
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: SETH WILLIAMSON SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES & WORLD-NEWS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
`AIDA' IS A REAL CROWD-PLEASER
It's hard to say without an applause meter, but Monday night's concert production of "Aida" may have earned more bravos and yells of approval than any Opera Roanoke production in the past three or four years.The standing ovation from the 1440 opera-goers was one of the most enthusiastic seen in recent Roanoke Civic Center history.
It wasn't Opera Roanoke's finest achievement, but it was a strong and lovely performance of one of the greatest operas ever written.
The story of the Ethiopian princess-become-slave, torn between love for her father and her Egyptian captor, was the second major collaboration among Opera Roanoke, the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra and the Roanoke Valley Choral Society.
In what has become an unfortunate Opera Roanoke tradition, both female leads and one of the male singers were on antibiotics. This fact was not announced to the audience however, and the solo singing was almost uniformly excellent in spite of illness.
Baritone Craig Fields was tremendous in his role as Aida's father, Amonasro, the king of Ethiopia - this despite his respiratory distress. A veteran of the American and European opera stage, he was nothing less than thrilling in the great Act III scene.
Soprano Deborah Mayer's professional premiere was self-assured and confident. She possesses a dramatic and characterful instrument that is surprisingly mature for a 24-year-old singer. Her finest moments came in the romanza "Qui Radames," in which she conveyed to a fault the devotion of Aida's character.
Tenor Neil Breeden sang the role of Radames. His big heroic tenor was heard to better advantage than his previous Opera Roanoke appearance, when he battled a sore throat while singing Don Jose in "Carmen."
As Aida's rival Amneris, Heather Meyers is one of the finest contraltos to perform on an Opera Roanoke stage. Her dramatic mid-range and crystalline upper register earned her raucous applause.
Basses Wayne Kompelien and George Reid turned in solid performances as the king of Egypt and the high priest Ramfis, respectively. Veteran Opera Roanoke tenor Gary Fulsebakke had the small role of the Egyptian messenger. And Roanoke soprano Marianne Sandborg did yeoman duty as the priestess, leading the female chorus members in the eerily chromatic paeans to the god Ftha.
Music director Victoria Bond coaxed fine performances from her players and chorus. The familiar Grand March was as big and lush and emotional as Verdi could have wished, with great individual performances led by trumpeter Allen Bachelder, who had a fine night.
Seth Williamson produces feature news stories and a classical music program on public radio station WVTF (89.1 FM) in Roanoke.