SFist Goes to the Opera: Fidelio

The orchestra seemed a bit sluggish, a bit flat, and since we heard it so tight and crisp only a week ago, we have to assume it was due to the weight of the schedule and not to the return of principal conductor Donald Runnicles in the pit. The overture took a deliberate pace which avoided the lighter Mozartian reminiscence of other versions. We found the orchestra a bit tentative and hesitant, and it sounded a bit gooey. It is an overture that should zing and scintillate, full of explosive contrasts. Here it kinda dragged. Maybe part of it was our seating on the very side of the orchestra, near the wall, hearing a muffled sound with the acoustics somewhat out of balance.

We also found the theatrical direction heavy-handed. It opens with Jacquino telling Marzelline "We're alone, my love, we can talk" leaning against the wall of the fortress, as if he was talking about what he had for lunch. He then casually sits on a chair when singing the line "I want you to be my wife." Silly us, we believed you'd have to take a knee to propose, or at least pretend to show some interest in the object of your attention. This was a bit symptomatic of this production, however: It felt as if they were only going through the motions, but were not carrying the emotional charge to take the opera higher. Many scenes were desperately static and the stage direction was utterly predictable. The set also was rather dull in Act I, a dark and claustrophobic prison wall towards the front of the stage. It only got a little more interesting in Act II, especially for a witty transition between the two scenes which drew applause from the audience.

Marzelline comes out unscathed from the evening: sung with grace and confidence by soprano Greta Feeney, her appearances bookend the opera and she stands out both at the beginning and the end. She adds a luminous note to the group finale, her voice clearly heard above all others. Another character who fares well is Rocco, Marzelline's father, sung by bass Arthur Woodley. Fidelio has spoken parts in German instead of recitatives. Woodley, and the whole cast, had an excellent German enunciation, but they all sounded very deliberate, which slowed the pace instead of moving the action briskly. The only leap forward comes in not playing the Overture "Leonore 3" in the middle of Act II, respecting Beethoven's original intent (some productions need the time of this overture to do a set change).

The other characters performed their duties, but seemed to lack conviction. Juha Uusitalo as Don Pizarro was physically towering over the rest of the cast, but not vocally: his voice did not carry the menace of his character. Christine Brewer, as Fidelio, suffered from the same lack of passion. She has a nicely colored voice, but without the requisite fire, and she missed a few of the high notes that have to be reached abruptly. We could enjoy her singing, but we could not really care for her character. Her outfit did not help either: it made her look like Rosie O'Donnell, and we did not want to be reminded of afternoon television.

Why is she given Fidelio, a man's name? She really is Leonore, but she got hired under the Fidelio disguise to work in the jail where her husband, Florestan, is wrongfully incarcerated. Rocco is the warden, a benevolent figure, and Marzelline, his daughter, fell in love with Fidelio. Don Pizarro, the governor of the prison, and Rocco's boss, acts as the villain. This set-up is ripe with themes which begged to be exploited more thoroughly: the Marzelline/Fidelio (unrequited) love is oh-so San Francisco. More seriously, it looks like this production, which originated in 1987, has become outdated. The torture and secret imprisonment of Florestan echoes the procedure of detention currently followed by the CIA. The Geneva convention has been pronounced "quaint" and new Don Pizarros operate in some remote undisclosed locations. The Napoleonian garb worn by the cast --the soldiers wore "bicorne" hats, just like the emperor-- is timely for Beethoven's period, but it adds an emotional distance as the opera themes are, unfortunately, timeless.

Fidelio
San Francisco Opera
War Memorial Opera House
301 Van Ness Ave.
Box office: 864-3330.
Approximate Running Time: 2 hours 30 minutes.
Sung in German with English Supertitles
Tickets from $25, $10 for standing room only
Sat. November 12, 8 pm
Wed. November 16, 7:30 pm
Sat. November 19, 8 pm
Tue. November 22, 8 pm
Fri. November 25, 8 pm
Sun. November 27, 2 pm