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Misguided Don Disappoints Houston
Brown Theater, Wortham Theater Center
01/25/2013 - and January 27, February 2, 5, 8, 10, 2013
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Don Giovanni
Kyle Ketelsen (Leporello), Rachel Willis-Sørensen (Donna Anna), Adrian Eröd (Don Giovanni), Morris Robinson (Commendatore), Joel Prieto (Don Ottavio), Veronika Dzhioeva (Donna Elvira), Malin Christensson (Zerlina), Michael Sumuel (Masetto)
Houston Grand Opera Orchestra and Chorus, Trevor Pinnock (Conductor)
Harry Silverstein (Director), Carl Friedrich Oberle (Set and Costume Designer), Duane Schuler (Lighting Designer)
J. Prieto, R. Willis-Sørensen (© Felix Sanchez)
The last time Houston Grand Opera staged Don Giovanni, in 2006, it was a knockout. Ana María Martinez was quickly ascending to international stardom and sang a stunning Donna Elvira. Music director Patrick Summers led his fine orchestra and chorus with an assured, rhythmically secure hand. Indeed, the virtues of the musical production overcame the plain visual production and staging.
The current revival of that same visual production, now filled with new voices and led by a different baton, feels tired. It isn't difficult to pinpoint the source of the problem. While half of the leads are making their debuts with HGO, all are in good to stunning voice. The orchestra and chorus have shown that they can play and sing this score with utmost conviction. The production is still banal, but should be unobtrusive. Indeed, it seems that the faultiness of the affair stems almost exclusively from the person at the musical helm: Trevor Pinnock.
Mr. Pinnock is a storied conductor of the Classical repertoire. Indeed, I cherish his recordings of Haydn's symphonies for their rhythmic tautness, innate sense of structure and overall excitement. On paper, then, it seems that he would be an ideal maestro to conjure a dramatically successful Don Giovanni. Sadly, it was clear from the incongruous shift from Andante to Allegro in the overture--a clumsy jolt instead of a Ferrari-style change of gears--that something was amiss. The problems continued throughout the production. There were miscues in familiar arias, phasing problems in duets and ensemble numbers, tempo choices that made wordy arias sound hectic and sloppy and, overall, a ubiquitous lack of successful rhythmic cadence. Even the final chord seemed inconclusive.
This is a pity, as there were many fine voices in the cast. Rachel Willis-Sørensen was the star of the evening, with a powerful and flexible voice that easily conveyed Donna Anna's horror, anger and grief. Adrian Eröd was a mixed bag as Don Giovanni, but at his best was charismatic and musically accurate. Kyle Ketelsen was also in fine form as Leporello, hamming the character up perfectly and singing with focused tone. Malin Christensson's small but beautiful voice added to Zerlina's vulnerability, and Michael Sumuel navigated carefully around her voice, the two young lovers ending up as the most believable and completely formed couple (as is often the case). Joel Prieto was strained by the demands of Ottavio (especially when interacting with Willis-Sørensen), and Veronika Dzhioeva, possessing a fluid coloratura and lovely tone, seemed to have the most problems following Pinnock's baton.
Because the music wasn't as organized as it could have been, attention shifted to the visual production. Carl Friedrich Oberle's sets and costumes are in desperate need of updating. The incongruity of Giovanni's Zorro-esque costume, Zerlina's milkmaid outfit and Donna Anna's Victorian attire was distracting, and the banal single set felt depressing. The twee choreography during the wedding party scenes was also a disappointment.
Houston Grand Opera is without a doubt a jewel in the American opera scene. This production, however, seemed like a place filler as we await the ambitious 2013-14 season, recently announced with great fanfare. One hopes that the remainder of this season reverses course and ushers in the future with a brilliant crescendo.
Marcus Karl Maroney
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