The Opera Tattler

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SF Opera’s Don Carlo

_B5A5263* Notes *
The latest Don Carlo (Valentina Simi as Countess of Aremberg, Ana María Martínez as Elisabetta, Nadia Krasteva as Princess Eboli, René Pape as King Philip II, and Mariusz Kwiecień as Rodrigo in Act II Scene 2; photograph by Cory Weaver) that opened at San Francisco Opera this afternoon is impeccably cast from top to bottom. Michael Fabiano is a brilliant Don Carlo, with powerful high notes. Ana María Martínez sings Elisabetta with icy purity and strength. Her formidable vibrato is controlled.

René Pape is completely believable as King Philip II, his rich tones sounded mature if not slightly weathered. Mariusz Kwiecień made for a warm, sympathetic Rodrigo, his famous duet with Fabiano in Act II Scene 1 ("Dio, che nell'alma infondere") was beautiful, as was his death scene aria "Io morrò, ma lieto in core." Nadia Krasteva (Princess Eboli) has a darkness and a hard edge that works well for the role. Her "O don fatale" in Act IV Scene 1 was surprisingly lovely.

Even the smallest roles had fine singing, including Andrea Silvestrelli as the Grand Inquistor, Pene Pati as Count Lerma, and Toni Marie Palmertree as a Heavenly Voice.

The orchestra members also acquitted themselves well under the direction of Maestro Nicola Luisotti. There were moments that were fuzzy, but for the most part the music flowed nicely and was phrased skillfully.

The sets are spare and costumes lavish. Everything was very pretty to look at but a bit dull. The scene changes require a lot of pauses and this dampens the dramatic import of the proceedings.

* Tattling *
I arrived 30 minutes late as I did not realize the curtain time was 1pm rather than the normal 2pm because of the length of this opera, so I missed the first scene. Terrible!

Sadly there was much misbehavior other than my own in balcony standing room. Lots of talking and fidgeting, and at least one cellular phone. Someone exclaimed very loudly to himself during Act IV when the Grand Inquisitor tells the King that God sacrificed His own son for mankind, so he can surely kill Don Carlo without a bad conscience.

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6 responses to “SF Opera’s Don Carlo”

  1. Michael Strickland Avatar
    Michael Strickland

    Had press tickets for this in Row V today. There was a young woman across the aisle in Row T or U who kept checking her mobile during the performance, which was very distracting. Finally, at the beginning of Act V, I jumped up from my seat, nudged her shoulder, gave her a “no” signal with my hands, and gave her a look that would have frightened the Grand Inquisitor. Thought of you, and sorry not to have run into your delightful self this afternoon. What a great work “Don Carlo” can be.

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  2. Richard_ersted2 Avatar
    Richard_ersted2

    Arguably some of the finest singing I’ve heard; superlative performances today by Fabiano, Martinez, Krasteva, Kwiecien, and Pape. Gockley and company have pulled together a very strong cast; top talent in evidence today. Fabiano, Krasteva, and Kwiecien group together in Act III Scene 1, putting together a highlight of the opera. Krasteva’s solo later was another high note for me. Today was perhaps Michael’s strongest performance to date at SF Opera. Sold out or nearly so. With just six performances, including today, high chance perhaps of doing very well with the run, I think. This season, I was a big fan of Lucia do Lammermoor, believing it a highlight of the season. But, today’s strong singing, across so much of the cast, was very memorable. Row K seats today.

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  3. The Opera Tattler Avatar
    The Opera Tattler

    It was really a terribly behaved audience. There were numerous other examples of this that I didn’t mention for the sake of brevity.
    That said, what a performance! Hope to see you soon.

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  4. The Opera Tattler Avatar
    The Opera Tattler

    Agreed!

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  5. Sacto OperaFan Avatar
    Sacto OperaFan

    I’ll be glad to finally hear a strong Eboli. In all the live performances I’ve seen Eboli has been the weak link. I think if I were a mezzo-soprano, I’d want to use this role as a calling card. You can steal the show if the other singers are dull.

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  6. The Opera Tattler Avatar
    The Opera Tattler

    Interesting! I’ve usually found the Don Carlo to be the weak link in live performance. But I can see how it would be hard to cast the right mezzo for Eboli. It is a great role!

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