Talamantes enchants as Verdi's Violetta

By Eman Isadiar

FREMONT—The 700 or so spectators attending Fremont Opera last weekend would agree that the show was well worth the wait. Local opera fans, as well as a growing group of commuters, have come to know Fremont Opera as something of an oyster that stays shut for a year; sometimes longer. But when it opens, it reveals a shiny, new pearl. Verdi's La Traviata was indeed a gem of a production, thanks in large part to the dramatic flair of stage director Jonathan field.

Soprano Danielle Talamantes and tenor Benjamin Bunsold star in
Fremont Opera's 'La Traviata' (photo by James Sakane).

The cast featured not one, but two winners of the prestigious Irene Dalis Vocal Competition, namely soprano Danielle Talamantes in the title role and baritone Scott Bearden who sang the part of Giorgio Germont. Gifted tenor Benjamin Bunsold appeared as Alfredo Germont.

Other distinguished artists who each made an important contribution to the production as a whole were baritone Igor Vieira (Baron Douphol), tenor Brian Thorsett (Gastone) and mezzo-soprano Sonia Gariaeff (Flora). Shira Renee Thomas brought much talent and dimension to the character of Annina the maid.

The opera tells the story of Violetta Valéry, a high-class 19th century Parisian courtesan, who at first resists the advances of nobleman Alfredo Germont but ends up falling in love with him. She leaves her former lifestyle to be with Alfredo, much to the dismay of Alfredo's father who plots to separate them. He visit Violetta and asks her to leave his son, which she does out of a mix of shame and altruism.

Not knowing his own father is behind the separation, Alfredo publicly humiliates Violetta in a heartbreaking scene, which worsens Violetta's already poor health due to tuberculosis. The two meet again when Violetta is poverty-stricken and in her deathbed. She finally tells Alfredo the truth and dies moments later in his arms.

Danielle Talamentes has the pipes, the looks and the smarts for a very promising future in opera. But when you add her impressive Italian diction and acting skills to the mix, you have a bona fide star on your hands. It comes as no surprise that Talamantes will join the nation's largest opera company, Metropolitan Opera, as an understudy next spring.

Her rendition of “Sempre libera” (“Forever Free”) of Act 1—where Violetta sings of her inner conflict between her attraction to Alfredo and her desire to stay free and single—was one of the production's brightest highlights. Another stunning Talamantes moment was the aria “Morir si giovane” (“To Die so Young”) of the last scene, which left the audience breathless and reaching for the elusive Kleenex pack.

Other deeply emotional and memorable moments of the opera were Alfredo's aria “Miei bollenti spiriti” (“My Spirit Boils”) of Act 2, which Bunsold delivered in soul-stirring tones, and Scott Bearden's “Di Provenza il mar” (“The Sea of Provence”), which brought the first scene of Act 2 to a close on a particularly powerful note.

Since its inaugural production of Puccini's La Bohème in 2007, Fremont Opera has presented semi- and fully-staged productions that encapsulate the emotional essence of each opera in its most compelling form, but with less of the glitz and sparkle of elaborate sets and costumes.

Two productions later, Fremont Opera has bottled the formula. The secret recipe: principal roles sung by young vocal talent just rising to stardom, a brilliant stage director and a top-notch professional symphony orchestra.

Of course, only a well-admired and influential conductor like David Sloss has the artistic clout and skill to bring the prized ingredients together, and, voilà, it is done.

Love and betrayal to begin Friday

Up-and-coming soprano Danielle Talamantes will appear in the title role in Fremont Opera's La Traviata (photo courtesy of Fremont Opera).

Fremont Opera performs Verdi’s La Traviata

FREMONT—Opera fans prepare for a potent dose of forbidden love and tragedy as Fremont Opera’s eagerly anticipated third production—Verdi’s masterpiece La Traviata—opens on Friday, August 27, 2010 at 8pm at the Smith Center of Ohlone College, followed by a 2pm matinée performance on Sunday, August 29.

The leading roles of Violetta and Alfredo are sung by two rising opera stars, soprano Danielle Talamantes and tenor Benjamin Bunsold, in a cast of such distinguished artists as Scott Bearden, Igor Vieira and Brian Thorsett. Stage director Jonathan Field and chorus master James Richard Frieman will join forces with artistic director David Sloss in what promises to be yet another unforgettable production by Fremont Opera.

The opera’s title, which can be loosely translated as “The Fallen Woman,” refers to a famed Parisian courtesan, Violetta Valéry, who captures the heart of a certain nobleman named Alfredo Germont. The two fall passionately in love and begin a life together in Violetta’s country villa. Violetta abandons her former life—which has severe financial consequences unbeknownst to Alfredo—and becomes a faithful companion while trying to maintain a lavish lifestyle for both of them.

She is also secretly battling tuberculosis.

Alfredo’s father pays a surprise visit to Violetta and convinces her to leave his son because her reputation as a courtesan has lowered his family’s social status and has even jeopardized his daughter’s engagement to nobility. Heartbroken, Violetta feels compelled to make this ultimate sacrifice, but does so with a dash of cruelty so Alfredo will no longer love her and is able to fall in love with a more deserving woman. Alfredo must also remain unaware that his own father has caused the break-up.

The pain of separation is unbearable for both Violetta and Alfredo. She returns to her former wealthy lover while her health continues to deteriorate. But she comes face-to-face with Alfredo once again at a party in the story’s climactic scene and arguably the most powerful operatic moment of all time.

In the third and final act, Alfredo finally discovers the truth as Violetta succumbs to the illness and dies in his arms.

About the artists

Danielle Talamantes (Violetta) makes her Fremont Opera debut in La Traviata after winning first prize in the 2010 Irene Dalis Vocal Competition. In the spring of 2011, she will be covering roles at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. She has appeared in many productions throughout the United States and won numerous prestigious awards including Concurso de Trujillo, Liederkranz Competition and the International Lotte Lehman Cybersing and Vocal Arts Society Competitions. She has also appeared in recital at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall as the winner of the National Association of Teachers of Singing Artist Awards.

Benjamin Bunsold (Alfredo) has appeared this season with Opera Columbus, St. Petersburg Opera, and Opera Idaho. He has performed for companies throughout the country, including Opera Delaware, Shreveport Opera, New Opera St. Louis, and Memphis Opera. He has been in resident artist and apprentice programs at Glimmerglass Opera, Utah Festival Opera, Fort Worth Opera, and Tampa Opera.

Jonathon Field has directed over ninety productions throughout the United States for Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco Opera's Western Opera Theatre and Seattle Opera. Over the past ten years he has directed ten productions for Arizona Opera, and has been hailed as “their most perceptive stage director”. Mr. Field introduced computer-generated scenery to opera production in Candide, and has pioneered the use of video-projected scenery in productions of The Tales of Hoffmann and Der Freischütz. He assisted Robert Altman with the world premiere of William Bolcom’s McTeague in Chicago, and David Alden with Conrad Susa’s The Love of Don Perlimplin in San Francisco. As artistic director of Lyric Opera Cleveland, Mr. Field staged a production of Don Giovanni that was nominated for the Northern Ohio Live Award of Achievement. Other notable productions at Lyric Opera Cleveland have included a unique Così fan tutte in which the audience votes to choose one of three alternative endings.

David Sloss, artistic director of Fremont Opera, conducted the Fremont Opera productions of La Bohème and The Barber of Seville, and returns now for his third appearance. Since 1980, he has been music director and conductor of the Fremont Symphony, which also serves as the orchestra for Fremont Opera. During his long association with West Bay Opera, he conducted over twenty productions for the Palo Alto-based company where he served as general director from 1997 to 2005, and also as stage director for productions of Carmen, Il Trovatore, The Barber of Seville, and Lucia di Lammermoor. He has conducted operas for Pacific Repertory Opera, Berkeley Opera, the Lamplighters, the San Francisco Talent Bank, and the Oakland Symphony. He was Professor of Music at Sonoma State University and has worked as a producer and director for WGBH-TV in Boston, where he received an Emmy nomination for the National Educational Television series A Roomful of Music. He holds degrees in music from Harvard College and Stanford University.

Fremont Opera performs Verdi’s La Traviata
Friday, August 27, 2010 at 8 pm
Sunday, August 29, 2010 at 2 pm
The Smith Center for the Performing Arts
Ohlone College, 43600 Mission Blvd., Fremont
Tickets $46-$50
www.fremontopera.org - (510) 474-1004

'Faust' opens San Francisco Opera's summer triple pack

By Eman Isadiar

Opera lovers, rejoice! San Francisco Opera's dry season which lasts from late November to early June is finally over with the opening of Gounod's Faust on June 5 at the War Memorial Opera House. The opera features Italian tenor Stefano Secco in the title role, Canadian bass-baritone John Relyea as Mephistophélès, and American soprano Patricia Racette as Marguerite.

John Relyea (Mephistophélès, center) surrounded by villagers and soldiers in SF Opera's Faust -- Photo by Cory Weaver

French composer Charles Gounod based the opera on the dramatic work by German writer and philosopher Johann von Goethe. The story's main character, Doctor Faust, is an aging scholar who is convinced that his life has been a total waste. On the brink of suicide, an incarnation of the devil named Mephistophélès appears and offers him a second chance at youth and love in exchange for eternal servitude in the afterlife. Faust accepts and is transformed into his past youthful self.

Caught in the middle of the unholy bargain is Marguerite, a young woman known for her purity and virtue. Her brother and only living relative, Valentin, conveniently ships off to war leaving her vulnerable to Faust's romantic overtures. She cannot resist him for long and becomes pregnant and subsequently a social outcast. Valentin returns from war only to find himself disgraced by Marguerite's shameful indiscretion. He attempts to avenge her honor by challenging Faust to a duel, but he is no match for the dark forces at work. Fatally wounded, Valentin curses his sister and dies.

In the final scene Marguerite is in a prison cell awaiting execution for killing her child. Faust magically appears and offers to help her escape, but she refuses. As morning breaks, Marguerite climbs the long and steep stone staircase to embrace both death and redemption. Faust has no choice but to fulfill his end of the contract.

Making his role debut, tenor Stefano Secco left a deep impression as Faust with his haunting love song“Demeure chaste et pure” (“Chaste and Pure Abode”), in which he blesses the walls of the home where his love resides.

Dramatic soprano Patricia Racette was as captivating as ever as the heartbroken and forlorn Marguerite. Her aria “Si belle en ce miroir” (“So Beautiful In This Mirror”) was one of the most uplifting moments of the opera. Racette's is a familiar voice on the War Memorial stage. Her stunning performance last fall in all three operas of Il trittico will be remembered for many seasons yet to come.

Bass-baritone John Relyea gave a powerful interpretation of the character of Mephistophélès. His role was the single most important dramatic pillar on which rested much of the premise of the story. His opening duet with Faust “Me voici” (“Here I Am”) got the opera off to an intense start. A particularly chilling Relyea moment was in Act 2 when Mephistophélès mockingly offered an apple to the statue of the Holy Virgin in the garden, in a subtle biblical reference mixing Old and New Testaments.

Baritone Brian Mulligan masterfully sang the role of Valentin. His dying aria “Ecoute-moi bien, Marguerite”(“Mark My Words, Marguerite”) was an emotional high point of this production. Soprano Daniela Mack brought much depth to the counter-gender part of Marguerite's young admirer, Siébel.

The orchestra provided a uniquely rich musical backdrop under the capable direction of guest conductor Maurizio Benini. San Francisco Opera's renowned chorus gave another solid performance as the villagers and soldiers led by chorus director Ian Robertson. Credit must also be given to stage directorJose Maria Condemi for the superb acting and overall dramatic cohesion.

A production of the Chicago Lyric Opera, Faust is presented by San Francisco Opera through July 1. The summer opera season also includes concurrent performances of Puccini's The Girl of the Golden Westand Wagner's Die Walküre.

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Eman Isadiar is a San Francisco-based pianist and music journalist.