Anyone who claims that operas are boring and too difficult to understand should head over to the Shubert Theater for the Boston Lyric Opera (BLO) production of Don Pasquale. Though the opera is sung entirely in Italian, English surtitles translate the lyrics into English so that anyone with a little patience can easily figure out what is happening. And the performers interact with one another so dynamically, and offer such precious facial expressions, that it is often possible to understand the witty storyline simply by observing the action on stage.
Such movement helps the story flow gracefully, and the opera flies by so fast that it is hard to believe that the performance was nearly three hours long. From the moment the first notes of Don Pasquale's spirited overture ring from the orchestra pit, the audience is transported into a unique, old-fashioned world filled with excitement, humor, and romance. While it isn't always clear where exactly BLO's first-ever production of this 19th century Donizetti opera takes place on a dramatic timeline, the company delivers such a stellar evening of entertainment that any flaws in interpretation - and there aren't many - are forgivable.
The creative team behind Pasquale tried hard to place the opera in the 17th century style of commedia dell' arte - a setting that works very well given the plot structure: Young lovers Norina and Ernesto are kept apart by Ernesto's uncle Don Pasquale, who resolves to disinherit Ernesto and get married himself. Dr. Malatesta helps the lovers unite by tricking Don Pasquale into falling in love with his imaginary sister Sofronia, who is actually Norina in disguise. Several humorous duets and arias and a dramatic revelation scene later, the story is resolved and Don Pasquale realizes that he is in fact too old for marriage: "Any old man with a young wife should have his head examined," as Norina so eloquently sings in the opera's finale.
The problem with the presentation is that only a few of the large chorus numbers make use of the masks that so characterize commedia dell' arte, and some of such numbers seem to come out of nowhere - particularly a fawning chorus of servants that served as the finale of one of the acts. Also, many of the costumes - namely some of Norina's dresses - seemed to be a little too modern for the time period. Though it can be argued that masks are used in a figurative sense in that the characters all have something to hide, the fact that they were not used in an all-or-nothing format made for a few inconsistencies.
But structural details aside, the performers themselves were solid. One of the nice things about opera is that some of the repertoire is so difficult to sing that it requires artists with lots of talent to begin with. And the singers in Don Pasquale have just that, alongside great gifts for stylistic interpretation and comedic timing. Soprano Sari Gruber is delightfully charming as Norina, with glorious high notes that flowed freely and easily. Gruber uses her own acting prowess to play up Norina's role as an actress both on the stage and in real life as she aids in the plan to deceive Don Pasquale.
Perhaps the greatest moment in the entire opera is a duet sung between Gruber and the dynamic baritone Jeff Mattsey, who plays Malatesta. Malatesta has a particular vision for how Norina should act while tricking Don Pasquale into marrying her, and attempts to explain this to her in a marvelous scene in which Gruber plays everything from a damsel in distress to what finally becomes, in Malatesta's words, "a sweet young thing." Though not at all pompous, Mattsey carries himself with an air of distinction on stage and impresses with both strong singing and acting.
Tenor Charles Castronovo plays Ernesto, serving up some fine singing in his central aria and throughout the opera. And while Kevin Glavin as Don Pasquale could have added a slightly darker tone to his bass voice, he makes up for it with hilarious antics like hugging the bed curtain as he longs for romance and flitting about the stage in his undergarments.
Situations like these add flavor to an already clever story as a result of excellent staging. Though not entirely successful in developing benchmarks for time and place, the staging pulls together the talented cast of lead singers and chorus into a farcical world filled with romance, laughter, and a moral that, as Norina describes, "is benign enough."
The Boston Lyric Opera's 'Don Pasquale' plays at the Shubert Theater through tomorrow evening. Tickets are available through Telecharge.
