Voicebox: Opera in Live performance | Gluck: Alceste. Lauren Margison, Alceste. Colin Ainsworth, Admante. Suzy Smith, piano and music path. Robert Cooper, choir path. Jeanne Lamon Corridor on Jan. 12, 2025.
Pivotal as they’re within the historical past of music, the operas of Christoph Willibald Gluck (1714-87) aren’t carried out all that usually. It fell to Voicebox: Opera in Live performance on Sunday to current Alceste in what the corporate billed because the Canadian premiere of its French-language revision of 1776.
This work is legendary (in its unique Italian model) for a written preface that requires the suppression of artifice and florid ornamentation in favour of “lovely simplicity.” No prohibition is advisable of mythological settings and acquainted poetic tropes. Primarily based on a play by Euripides, Alceste pits mortals in opposition to gods.
Even by operatic requirements, the expressions of a desire for dying over separation appear insistent.
Nonetheless, the devotion of the title character to her husband, Admète, scans as genuine, as does the misery felt by the populace over the approaching dying of their king. This opera holds the stage.
Performances: Leads
At the least it did on this event, with Lauren Margison because the central heroine. This Canadian soprano has an enormous voice with a dramatic edge. After a forceful begin, she conveyed quite a lot of feeling in her signature aria, “Divinités du Styx.” Performing was assured, particularly after intermission. Flashing eyes had been very a lot a part of her expressive arsenal. Excessive notes held no terrors.
Colin Ainsworth, additionally Canadian, made a practical and three-dimensional Admète together with his clear, mature timbre and pure phrasing. Diction was so good (in his case) I might usually do with out the projected surtitles. In some introductory remarks, OIC common director Guillermo Silva-Marin talked about that Ainsworth was recovering from surgical procedure. No viewers indulgence was required. The tenor had his music on a stand, however not often consulted it.
Supporting Roles
Supporting roles had been crammed solely passably, in lots of instances by members of the refrain. I don’t envy anybody tasked with the ridiculous a part of Hercules, whom Gluck (apparently following Euripides) conceived of as a comic book character.
In any case, the essential third occasion in Alceste is the refrain, which each participates in and feedback on the motion. Robert Cooper led his cohort of about 20 voices with a certain sense of ebb and movement. Music path got here from pianist Suzy Smith, who received all the pieces she might out of a so-so Steinway. The OIC co-pilot system works nicely.
Dramatics had been restricted to necessities. Among the choristers donned masks when the scene modified to Hades. Daylight light, appropriately, because the story moved south. Jeanne Lamon Corridor ought to work nicely as a brand new house for OIC. Presumably the crowds can be bigger as individuals get used to the change.
Ultimate Ideas
In all, this was profitable afternoon, though it have to be mentioned that the absence of an orchestra was felt keenly. Gluck was an ideal instrumental colourist. What a nice factor it might be to listen to (and see) a full manufacturing. Kudos to OIC for pointing the way in which.
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Arthur Kaptainis was classical music critic of the Montreal Gazette from 1986 to 2022 and wrote for the Nationwide Submit from 2010 to 2016. His articles seem in Classical Voice North America and Gramophone in addition to Ludwig Van. Arthur holds an MA in musicology from the College of Toronto. He’s president of the Music Critics Affiliation of North America.