
DATE: Sunday, November 16, 1997             TAG: 9711160063

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B2   EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: Music Review

SOURCE: BY PAUL SAYEGH, SPECIAL TO THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
                                            LENGTH:   63 lines

PERFECT MARRIAGE OF MUSIC, VOICES MAKES FOR POTENT ``ELIXIR OF LOVE''

The Virginia Opera unveiled a new production of Gaetano Donizetti's perennial favorite, ``The Elixir of Love,'' Friday night at the Harrison Opera House in Norfolk. Italian conductor Angelo Cavallaro, making his local debut, led a strong cast in a sparkling, musically outstanding performance.

Soprano Yunah Lee was the vivacious, pert Adina. Her lovely, agile soprano had a warmth in her middle voice that added to her character's appeal, and the slight edge in her upper register gave her voice a distinctive sound, as well as allowing it to carry easily over the orchestra.

Singing one of the prize roles for tenor, Brian Nedvin was an appealing Nemorino, the country bumpkin who woos Adina. Nemorino is not a part for high-note fanciers. Rather, it's about all the other attributes a good tenor needs to have - the ability to sing a lyric line softly and with elegance. Apart from an occasional tight sound, Nedvin sang with beauty and sensitivity, never forcing his voice. Dramatically, he was funny without overdoing the rustic aspects of his character.

Baritone Victor Benedetti sang the pompous Sergeant Belcore. His handsome stage presence and resonant baritone were well-suited to a man who thinks himself every woman's dream.

Bass David Ward sang the charlatan Doctor Dulcamara. His range of facial and vocal expressions and his rapid patter brought this lovable character fully to life.

Maestro Cavallaro chose tempos that were animated yet sensible. The opera never sagged, and the orchestra responded with playing that was accurate and lively. Balances between pit and stage were excellent, the conductor making sure the singers were always heard.

Eduardo Sicangco's gold-frame set and costumes complemented the musical performance perfectly, allowing the principals to have center stage for their comings and goings.

That is, when director Worth Gardner let them have the audience's attention. With the chutzpah typical of opera directors today, Gardner must have felt that, despite the continuing popularity of ``Elixir'' (we're not talking marginal repertoire here) and the presence of a strong cast and conductor, the opera needed his special help.

His ``solution'' was to create a new non-singing role, that of Cupid. Never mind that this opera is about the triumph of simple, direct, and honest love over artifice and manipulation. Gardner had this character, shamelessly mugged by actor Michael Pappa, relentlessly competing with the singers for the spotlight, gathering cheap laughs, flying about the stage, and in general acting as if Mae West had strayed into the opera.

One kept hoping that that one of Belcore's soldiers would take a shot at the guy and rid the opera of his annoying presence. Barring that, one could wait for those many sublime moments when the singers, conductor, and orchestra joined together to bring Donizetti's opera to magical life. ILLUSTRATION: Graphic

OPERA REVIEW

Who: Virginia Opera

What: ``The Elixir of Love'' by Gaetano Donizetti. Sung in

Italian with English SuperTitles

Where: Harrison Opera House, Norfolk

When: Friday evening. The opera is repeated today and next Sunday

at 2:30 p.m., Wednesday at 7:30 p.m., and Friday at 8 p.m. For

ticket information, call 623-1223.