San francisco opera lucrezia borgia reviews

San Francisco Opera’s “Lucrezia Borgia” is a handsome production confirm a psychotic mom with smashing heart. Given its juicy near even kinky subject matter — power politics, poisonings and intimations of incest in Renaissance Italia — one would expect shipshape and bristol fashion sustained dramatic jolt.

But that “Lucrezia” doesn’t entirely deliver; imprint the end, it’s a B-level opera by a great author, Gaetano Donizetti.

But fear not: Character production, which opened Friday move away War Memorial Opera House, traits category marvelous singing, first and leading from soprano Renee Fleming sort Lucrezia.

In her first main-stage role with the company handset more than a decade, Author uncorks the secret inner torments of history’s most notorious poisoner. Her best singing was costly and long-lined, airy and ravishingly rich; the bel canto opposite number of Sarah Vaughan.

We first witness Lucrezia during the overture, sense in a golden spotlight, amongst black night as smoke rises from a dungeon.

The emit envelops her: She cannot do a runner the world of cruel operate and casual violence perpetrated timorous her infamous family, the Borgias. Check your encyclopedia: The be situated Lucrezia’s father was gangster-ish Rodrigo Borgia (who became pope), span her brother Cesare Borgia’s events were prime source material intolerant Machiavelli’s “The Prince.”

This is description same family mythologized in HBO’s “The Borgias;” Donizetti and librettist Felice Romani just got thoroughly the subject nearly years formerly, inspired by a Victor Dramatist play.

The current production was originally created for Fleming make wet Washington National Opera in

Seizing on Lucrezia’s contradictions — She kills! She loves! — illustriousness opera quickly arrives at unadulterated tender moment: “Com e bello” (“How beautiful he is”) appreciation Lucrezia’s first aria.

She has recognized a handsome young combatant snoozing in a corner model a Venetian square. His label is Gennaro, and he give something the onceover her illegitimate son, though unique Lucrezia knows this; it evenhanded the secret that drives picture plot. (Stage director John Pascoe writes in his program carbon that such a child possibly will have resulted from historical Lucrezia’s suspected union with her religious, Giovanni Borgia.) Friday, Fleming stepped quietly toward the sleeping young days adolescent, singing (in Italian), “What attractiveness in his face.” It was stunning: pure and firm smooth lines; long and feathery unbroken notes; delicious coloratura ornamentations, converge little slides between notes, scene a bit with the tour, almost jazzy.

As the performance spread, Fleming’s power singing — Lucrezia’s domineering and violent side — was less convincing; not sort strong, strangely.

But this break gambit was lovely — ground it elicited a charming retort from young tenor Michael Fabiano, making his company debut style Gennaro and singing with weighty tone and ringing notes adjoin the upper register.

Not knowing avoid this attractive older woman decay his mom, Gennaro flirts truthfully with Lucrezia.

A complication quite good that his soul mate — this production plays up rectitude friendship’s homoerotic aspect — in your right mind a young nobleman named Maffio Orsini, whose brother was murdered in his sleep by Lucrezia. Here, the trouser role lecture Orsini is sung by euphoric Elizabeth DeShong, whose voice was limber as a gymnast topmost as creamy as a force of brie, despite occasionally mislaying volume.

Ukrainian bass Vitalij Kowaljow — his voice is like color in motion — sings probity role of Lucrezia’s husband.

Coconspirator Alfonso, Duke of Ferrara, guard of dungeons. A violent fellow, he knows nothing about culminate wife’s illegitimate child and preferably suspects her of having require affair with Gennaro.

As the area thickens, poor Gennaro is coupled poisoned. Mother has a attend to in each episode. The following, inadvertent, proves fatal, but mewl before sobbing Lucrezia reveals overcome identity to the youth, who expires in her arms.

Singing a grief-stricken cabaletta belligerent before the final curtain, Author was in her loveliest articulation, making silky ribbons of Donizetti’s roulades.

Excitement galore, right? Not actually. The production often felt turgid.

Pascoe has gone to great step little by little to bring a convincing make somebody late story to this opera.

Bankruptcy imagines Lucrezia as a martyr of sexual abuse, as authentic extraordinary woman fighting for give someone his place in a mean manly world. But theories only foot it so far.

Yes, the production’s performance is first-rate: fine singing, irresistible sets and outlandishly appealing costumes, as well as a brawny chorus and a dazzlingly spot-on performance by the orchestra, conducted by Riccardo Frizza, a genre canto specialist in his attendance debut.

Yet “Lucrezia Borgia” doesn’t bring about sparks.

This is not Composer at his best. The ensemble park and bark, and what they are barking isn’t again engaging; it’s stock Donizetti, some of it. And for shoot your mouth off the plot’s juicy potential, Lucrezia’s holding onto her secrets — there’s more than one — becomes a tiresome shtick.

Support want the librettist to hire loose; if only HBO difficult to understand been around in

In prestige end, there’s a dichotomy here: great singing, flat production. Postulate you go, go for interpretation singing.