MOVIE DIRECTOR BRINGS STYLE, RESTRAINT TO OPERA PIECES.

Byline: Rick Mortensen Staff Writer

THE LOS ANGELES OPERA'S season-closing double bill showed how powerful and beautiful opera can be in the hands of a skilled director.

William Friedkin, the Oscar-winning director of ``The French Connection,'' tells the stories of ``Duke Bluebeard's Castle'' (a drama) and ``Gianni Schichi'' (a comedy) simply and clearly, allowing the actors to behave naturally. Friedkin also adds a few delightful surprises.

Bela Bartok's dark tale ``Duke Bluebeard's Castle,'' which interprets the legend of the ogre who murdered his wives, began with a spoken prologue, expertly delivered in English with a slight Russian accent by Neno Parvan. With black lights shining on him, Parvan appeared to be suspended in midair, and his one prop - which he dropped on the stage at the end of his speech - was the red scarf that would be pivotal to the ensuing drama.

Sung in Hungarian, the opera features only two characters, and the production held the audience's attention by not revealing too much about either one right away. A taciturn Bluebeard and his new bride, Judith, soberly approach his castle, and the audience immediately feels pity for Judith because she has married a cold and joyless man. They arrive at the gloomy castle and Judith desperately tries to brighten the place up.

All the on-stage movements looked free and purely motivated, which created a few moments where the characters just stand and sing. Friedkin's courage not to fill every moment with movement gave more room for the tension to grow as Judith opened each of the seven doors hiding Blubeard's secret. Everything built to the opening of the final door, and the audience's anticipation was as great as Judith's.

Samuel Ramey slowly revealed Bluebeard's tortured soul, and the duke's struggle to resist his horrible compulsion made him a sympathetic character. Denyce Graves brought a confidence and sensuality to Judith, and her fear and love for Bluebeard carried real emotion without being overdone.

The couple displayed a genuine chemistry without distracting from the main thrust of the drama. Their warmth after the opening of the fourth door built to smoldering sexuality at the sixth door. The emotional climax came as Judith demanded that Bluebeard open the final door. It was accentuated by a stark change in Graves' voice, which seemed to push Ramey to the breaking point.

Graves' gorgeous, versatile voice was also effective in projecting her character's warmth, and her lower range gave depth to Judith's fear and suspicion. Ramey's full, rich baritone was also the servant of the drama, increasing in inflection and intensity toward the climax.

In addition, the set's simplicity allowed the audience to use its imagination. Large doors swung open on progressively lighter-colored screens, and the characters described and reacted to what was behind each door. The sparseness of the sets made the surprises at the end much more spine-tingling.

The most frightening set piece from ``Bluebeard'' was used for comic effect at the beginning of ``Gianni Schichi,'' the story of a medieval Florentine rogue mentioned by Dante that has been updated to postwar Italy. Not only did it get big laughs, but it signaled to the audience in a powerful way that it was now OK to laugh at death. And laugh the audience did.

The ensemble of snobbish, greedy Donati relatives brimmed with zany energy, and all actors displayed robust voices and impeccable comic timing in the physical comedy that abounded. Rolando Villazon's mugging and prancing got a little out of control at times, but it never compromised his role as the romantic lead, and his voice was perfect.

Danielle de Niese lent a girlish petulance to her character's sweetness, which she retained during ``O Mio Babbino Caro,'' delivering the oft-times maudlin aria with farcically exaggerated pleading.

For energy and wit, none could match Ramey as the title character. He came blustering on the stage like Groucho Marx, and he maintained his sardonic bearing throughout the show. He was particularly hilarious as he threatened the Donatis with exile and amputation. The role was in the upper part of his range, and he sang it forward, with a light comic twinkle.

DUKE BLUEBEARD'S CASTLE and GIANNI SCHICHI - Three and one half stars

What: The L.A. Opera presents one-act works by Bartok and Puccini directed by William Freidkin.

Where: Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles.

When: 7:30 tonight, Friday, Saturday and June 12; 2 p.m. June 15.

Tickets: $35 to $165. Call [phone].

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Samuel Ramey and Denyce Graves brought chemistry to their portrayals of Bluebeard and his wife, Judith.