Photos by Kristen Loken Anstey
When Eleazar Rodriguez sang Fenton's aria from Nicolai's The Merry Wives of Windsor Friday at Herbst Theatre, I experienced a multiple déjà vu.
This was the opening concert of the Merola Program Class of 2010, but I was brought back to a similar occasion 12 years ago; listening to Charles Castronovo for the first time.
Even more, I time-traveled to a small rehearsal hall at the Oregon Bach Festival many years ago, listening to James Taylor (before reflux interfered with his career), sing a glorious Fenton from Verdi's Falstaff.
These three — as, before them, József Réti and others — have the same quality of voice: lyrical, beautiful, and elegant — the kind of sound that goes right to the heart.
Rodriguez is also an exceptional comic singing actor, who made Almaviva in a too-riotous Act 2 scenefrom Rossini's Barber of Seville work well, even against Roy Rallo's usual excessive direction — a collection of nonstop shticks, that took attention away from the music and the voices.
It was an eventful, rewarding evening, after a debatable beginning. Fine conductor that Mark Morash is, and as well as the (anonymous, uncredited) San Francisco Opera "summer orchestra" performs, you can start to wonder: What need is there for a time-wasting overture at a concert all about voices?
Adding to that, the powers that be at Merola scheduled two lengthy scenes from Handel's Rodelinda, overtaxing four young singers trying to cope with roles too tough at this point in their careers.
The program picked up with the opening of Act 3 from Massenet's Werther, Renée Rapier singing a powerful, if somewhat insufficiently shaded, Charlotte. And then came a demonstration of "she who sings least sings the best" with the arrival of Janai Brugger-Orman in the relatively minor role of Sophie.
Clearly born to the stage, the young soprano has a bright, full voice, and the ability to command attention musically and dramatically. There are some great comic roles out there for her soon — with directors less "busy" than Rallo — to take to any big old opera house. Which is not to say that she was less than wonderful as a romantic Anne Page to Rodriguez' Fenton.
It takes somebody with special affection for lyric tenors to talk about Fenton before homing in on the extraordinary Falstaff of the evening, but the time is here: If Merola does its job and the stars come together in the right constellation, Kevin Thompson just may yet become not simply a good bass, but a great one.
His is a mountain of a voice, with resonance from the Escorial of Philip II, the throne of Boris Godunov, and the majestic court of Sarastro. Thompson delivered all the goods as Falstaff, but sounded musically less secure as Basilio. If he develops more musical consistency, that voice will take him to the greatest heights ... along with the lowest depths of range.
Photo by Michael Strickland
There were attention-commanding, promising performances from Rebecca Davis as Marenka from The Bartered Bride, Colleen Brooks as Rosina, Dan Kempson as Figaro, and Ryan Kuster as Bartolo and Dr. Caius.
One of the busiest of the program's four tenors tonight was Kevin Ray singing Grimoaldo, Jenik, and Slender. He has a good stage presence, overcoming some obvious nervousness, and an impressive voice, with ringing heldentenor notes — but only within a range. Ray too is one of the young artists (he is 25) who could benefit enormously from the Merola Program.
Other participants in the Class of 2010 will sing in the Aug. 5-7 performances of L'Elisir d'Amore at Cowell Theater. Singing lead roles in the double-cast production are Nadine Sierra and Valentina Fleer as Norina, Daniel Montenegro and Alexander Lewis as Nemorino.