L.A. OPERA'S 'FAUST' FILLED WITH VISUAL, AURAL DELIGHTS.Byline: David Mermelstein Correspondent THE LOS ANGELES Opera The Los Angeles Opera is an opera company in Los Angeles, California, United States. The company's home base is the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, part of the Los Angeles Music Center. opened its 18th season Wednesday with Berlioz's ``Damnation of Faust,'' the first of the city's big tributes marking the 200th anniversary of the composer's birth. Written in 1845-46, the opera, sung in French, is actually a dramatic cantata cantata (kəntä`tə) [Ital.,=sung], composite musical form similar to a short unacted opera or brief oratorio, developed in Italy in the baroque period. in four parts, yet thanks to German director Achim Freyer there was no impediment to this work's claiming the stage. L.A. Opera regulars will recall Freyer's bizarre take on Bach's Mass in B minor from 2002 and may be surprised by his triumph here. But whereas the director's earthly effects compromised Bach's spiritual masterpiece, they unlock the inherent theatricality in ``Damnation.'' The Faust legend is no stranger to musical setting. Aspects of it, usually derived from Goethe's classic treatment, turn up in songs, tone poems, symphonies and especially operas, most famously Gounod's ``Faust'' and Boito's ``Mephistopheles.'' But unlike those operas, with their relatively upbeat endings, Berlioz's take concludes on a dark note, with Faust's decent into hell - though the object of his lust, Marguerite, makes it to heaven. Freyer's staging, however, is no gloomy meditation on deals with the devil. Borrowing from an assortment of artistic traditions - including Japanese kabuki, Mexican folk art folk art, the art works of a culturally homogeneous people produced by artists without formal training. The forms of such works are generally developed into a tradition that is either cut off from or tenuously connected to the contemporary cultural mainstream. and the paintings and sculptures of Jean Dubuffet Jean Philippe Arthur Dubuffet (July 31, 1901 - May 12, 1985) was one of the most famous French painters and sculptors of the second half of the 20th century. Biography Dubuffet was born in Le Havre. - the director, who is also responsible for the set design, lighting (with Heinrich Brunke) and choreography, creates exuberant stage pictures and often invokes humor. The effect is something of a magical mystery tour, one best enjoyed without slavishly slav·ish adj. 1. Of or characteristic of a slave or slavery; servile: Her slavish devotion to her job ruled her life. 2. following the English translations projected above the proscenium proscenium In a theatre, the frame or arch separating the stage from the auditorium, through which the action of a play is viewed. In ancient Greek theatres, the proskenion was an area in front of the skene that eventually functioned as the stage. . What Freyer evokes on the stage may not always mesh with the libretto libretto (ləbrĕt`ō) [Ital.,=little book], the text of an opera or an oratorio. Although a play usually emphasizes an integrated plot, a libretto is most often a loose plot connecting a series of episodes. , but that's not a problem; the pleasures of this production are visual and aural, not literal. Credit for the impressive musical achievement goes first to conductor Kent Nagano, the company's music director, who fervently and intelligently leads his players through Berlioz's thickly harmonized score. Under Nagano's leadership, the orchestra is gaining steadily in confidence and precision. And a superior trio of singers finds exquisite expression in the leads. Paul Groves' Faust is to be praised for a soulful manner, good French diction and a beguiling purr. Mezzo-soprano mezzo-soprano: see soprano. Denyce Graves brings riveting nobility to Marguerite, especially in the ``King of Thule'' aria, even as a consistent dryness mars her sound. And the suave bass Samuel Ramey offers a refreshingly sly portrayal of Mephistopheles, a role that in various operas has long been his calling card. Robust support comes from an enhanced chorus of over 100. DAMNATION OF FAUST - Three and one half stars What: The Los Angeles Opera's production of the Berlioz opera. Where: Dorothy Chandler Pavilion The Dorothy Chandler Pavilion is one of the halls in the Los Angeles Music Center (which is one of the three largest performing arts centers in the United States). The Music Center's other halls include the Mark Taper Forum, Ahmanson Theatre, and Walt Disney Concert Hall. , 135 N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles. When: 2 p.m. today and Sept. 28; 7:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 21 and 24. Tickets: $25 to $170. Call (213) 365-3500. In a nutshell: Achim Freyer's wildly creative visuals transform a traditionally static work into a gripping theatrical event. A feast for the ears as well. |
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