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At last, a fine Rosenkavalier at Seattle Opera

At last, a fine Rosenkavalier at Seattle Opera
by Rod Parke - SGN A&E Writer When in 1997 Seattle Opera last presented Richard Strauss' 'Der Rosenkavalier,' it was pretty deadly. Leaden conducting by Gerard Schwarz and a lead soprano (Nadine Secunde) who looked and sounded way past her prime doomed the event beyond redemption. It didn't help that the Baron Ochs that year was a cipher both vocally and dramatically. We can rejoice that this season's resurrection of that production is vastly superior and generally a success. The main credit for this goes to conductor Asher Fisch, who whipped up such a froth of schmaltz, energy, and nuance that one could only marvel at our Seattle Symphony players. Warmth, passion, and humor flowed from the pit and made the hall resound with Viennese charm and aristocratic grandeur. How I wish Seattle had such a conductor on a regular basis! I would return to this production again and again if only to listen to the orchestra. Two sopranos lifted the evening to supreme heights, and neither one was Carol Vaness, who sang The Marschallin. While far superior to the previous Seattle singer of this role, Ms. Vaness doesn't bother with the essence of what it takes to sing Richard Strauss, namely a clearly etched, soaring line. While her voice seemed in good shape for this stage in her career, her singing was just uninteresting. She did manage to shape her opening line in the famous third act trio, but later made the second note of her final and emotionally loaded, "Ja, ja," inaudible. (One of the 20th century's greatest Marschallins, Elizabeth Schwarzkopf, just passed away at age 90. Having seen her in that role at the old Met throws into stark relief the portrayal by Ms. Vaness.) Making her Seattle debut, mezzo Alice Coote sang a very fine Octavian. Her voice was much larger than Seattle's previous Octavian, and showed beauty and expressiveness. She acted the "trouser" role well, effectively differentiating, both dramatically and vocally, her young man part from the pretend maid who seduces the seducer in Act Three. She projected the passionate nature of Octavian: the hurt he experienced when dismissed in Act One by The Marschallin, the sudden heat of his new love in the presentation of the rose, and especially the conflict he suffers when faced with both his loves in Act Three. Vying for top honors for this performance was the Sophie of lyric soprano Julianne Gearhart. Not only did she sing the part well, but she acted it to perfection. (Just watch her face while The Marschallin addresses her directly in Act Three!) To top it off, she is the perfect picture of a Sophie, utterly adorable. (She was the understudy for this role when the previously scheduled singer withdrew. Thus, she also sings the bit part of the Milliner in Act One.) The Baron Ochs of Peter Rose was also a vast improvement over the 1997 singer. In fact, Mr. Rose was well nigh perfect in the role, possessing among other virtues a great low E, with which Ochs closes Act Two. His voice, which we so enjoyed in Seattle's "Tristan" in 1998, was beautiful and big; and he truly sang the part, while acting his many faults with an effectiveness that was both frightening and humorous. None of the smaller parts was less than well done. While Vinson Cole was less than ideal as the Italian Singer (too many breaths and certainly not an Italian sound!), one could do far worse. (This short role was the only one in which the 1997 performance by Gregory Turay surpassed our current singer.) The overall production was effective, while falling short of opulent, and the direction by Dieter Kaegi was natural and generally on target. Performances continue through August 26th. (Tickets are available for all dates at 206 389-7676.) Reviewer Rod Parke can be reached at rmp62@columbia.edu.