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[MUSIC REVIEW] Berkshire Opera does Mozart

7.6.06
BERKSHIRE OPERA COMPANY
The Soul of Genius: A Mozart Celebration
Mahaiwe Theatre
Great Barrington, Mass.
July 5, 2006

Review by SETH ROGOVOY, critic-at-large, BERKSHIRE LIVING Magazine


(Great Barrington, Mass., July 6) -- The Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center's incredible weeklong opening continued last night with a concert recital of Mozart arias staged by the Berkshire Opera Company. This came days after the screening of a movie musical and rock and blues concerts, and days before a movie with live music and a jazz concert. Proving at least up front that the Mahaiwe is destined to be a versatile performance space offering different things for different people, but even more important, different things for the SAME people, because what could be more important than an audience that opens its eyes and ears to a variety of forms and styles -- to learning to appreciate a Mozart opera next to Jorma Kaukonen's folk-blues next to Regina Quartet's fusion jazz next to Marge Champion-style Busby Berkeley dancing.

Some things will obviously work better at the Mahaiwe, but it's hard to imagine anything working better than last night's opera recital. While the chamber orchestra had to perform from the stage behind the singers, this merely gave the audience a better view of the players and certainly caused no difficulty in the singers being drowned out by the players.

The first half of the program, wonderfully narrated by famed vocalist Benjamin Luxon, who did a terrific job setting the scene for each aria and vignette, emphasized the lighter side of Mozart's operatic work, with numbers from Die Zauberflote, Le nozze di Figaro, Don Giovanni, and Cosi fan tutte. The singers were all terrific, both vocally and dramatically -- with a minimum of staging and "acting" they were still able to put forth the essence of their scenes. No one of them really needs singling out, as they all performed wonderfully, except for Maureen O'Flynn, who brought the curtain down on the first half with "Dove sono i bei momenti" from Le nozze di Figaro. Wonderful doesn't even BEGIN to describe O'Flynn's performance. FANTASTIC for starters -- magnificent, too. As good as the others were, O'Flynn demonstrated why she's a first-call soprano for operas all around the world.

The performances were generous, funny, and accessible, and there is no reason why audience members of all ages could not have enjoyed it. It's too bad there weren't more children in the audience, and it's too bad the singers were mostly singing to the already converted -- this had enough sex and silliness in it to appeal to fans of AMERICAN IDOL and SEX IN THE CITY and MONTY PYTHON all put together. Someone just needs to get the message out that opera -- ESPECIALLY early opera by the likes of Mozart -- is by definition silly and ridiculous, and you are supposed to come and laugh with and at it. It's not a high church service, and fortunately, Berkshire Opera does very little to make it feel that way. The group delivers world-class performances Berkshire style -- without the unnecessary sheen and gloss.

The intimacy of the Mahaiwe only served to highlight the unique feel of the evening. THIS, it was clear, was how opera was made to be seen. That, of course, is going to be the conclusion after everything that happens at the Mahaiwe this summer and fall. And that, of course, is why we're so lucky to have it.

--Review by SETH ROGOVOY, critic-at-large, BERKSHIRE LIVING Magazine






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