OPERA OMNIA’S AUSPICIOUS DEBUT Le Poisson Rouge, 158 Bleecker St., N. Y.; August 25, 2008 New York City is behind many of the world’s major music centers when it comes to Early Music and Baroque Opera in particular. The big opera houses are simply too large for these works, which were conceived for far more intimate settings. Change is in the air, as can seen and heard, in Opera Omnia’s inaugural production of Claudio Monteverdi’s The Coronation of Poppea (L’incoronazione di Poppea 1643) staged August 21-27 in the intimate cabaret environment of Le Poisson Rouge in Greenwich Village. General Manager and Artistic Director Wesley Chinn has exceeded all reasonable expectations in creating a young, uniformly enthusiastic ensemble of singing actors and instrumentalists who for their first production have given New York a highly credible interpretation of arguably the most complex and profound of Baroque operas. The stage direction of Crystal M. Manich and music direction of Avi Stein worked to create exactly the kind of intimate “play with music” which was the hallmark of early Italian opera when it made its commercial debut in Venice. The company offers a refreshingly all-American mix of careful scholarship in musical realization and a vibrantly contemporary aesthetic for presenting early opera for a modern audience. Sung in a miraculously accurate and graceful English translation by Anne Rider, the cast had no problem in communicating virtually every heart beat of Monteverdi’s work within the relaxed cabaret setting (with its “two drink minimum”), bringing us far closer to the irreverent environment of the Venetian opera house of the 1640s than would be possible in any tradition-encrusted opera house, either in the US or Europe. The largely contemporary costumes and settings were simple and eclectic, and variously effective as might be expected with a young, beginning company. Most striking was the cast’s ability to let the opera’s overwhelming irony speak for itself while allowing all the characters, however vile they may ultimately prove, to display the humanity given them by Monteverdi and his brilliant librettist Giovanni Francesco Busenello. Much of the long first act was delivered with greater directness and emotional honesty than I have encountered in dozens of higher profile “heavy concept” productions which reduce the work to camp. There was no camp here; and consequently what an emotionally and ethically disturbing work we are confronted with! The fine Poppea of Hai-Ting Chinn was attractively sung and played with a refreshing naturalness. Her manipulative handling of Nero was perfectly revealed without the underlining most performers indulge in. Cherry Duke was an effective Nero, her voice blending exquisitely with Chinn’s especially in the great closing duet. Duke played Nero’s (troubled) masculinity with conviction and, like Chinn, did not overact Nero’s unpleasant traits; she let the actions, words and music speak for themselves. In their musical assurance and beautifully understated acting they were the finest Nero and Poppea I have encountered in the theatre. Steven Hrycelak (Seneca) and John Young (Arnalta) were equally pleasing musically and theatrically. Melanie Russell’s creamy soprano and engaging stage presence impressed in the roles of Virtue and Damigella. Marie Mascari utilized appropriately broad comedic skills for Fortune and Valletto, where the Commedia dell’ arte heritage is most keenly felt, though some of her vocal divisions in Valetto’s first act monologue were not ideally clean. Molly Quinn’s Drusilla was beautifully sung but not as dramatically engaging as some. Melissa Fogarty brought a pleasing voice and good acting to the role of Ottavia, uncovering layers of anguished eroticism most singers miss in her opening monologue. For all that, Fogarty did not accent enough her music’s almost consistently angular, torturous line which would have helped make the arc of Ottavia’s journey from wronged wife to attempted murderess more believable. Jeffrey Mandelbaum’s voice was unpleasant to the ear and his acting, while earnest, did not begin to uncover the conflicted depths of Ottone’s role. The instrumental group of seven players were as alert and lively as the cast and the spirited dueting of violinists Aaron Brown and Dong-Myung Ahn gave particular pleasure. The opera was wisely pared down to about two hours and forty-five minutes of music. Virtually every aspect of this production leaves an audience desiring more from this young company whose ambition to specialize in seventeenth century opera will fill a vital gap in the city’s musical culture. All five performances sold out – surely a good sign. Mark Ringer