Boston Lyric Opera takes a chance on 'La Rondine'

There's something almost magical about going to the opera, where human voices transcend reality to produce unbelievably gorgeous sounds. The Boston Lyric Opera (BLO) has already delivered such quality performances twice this season, with a hilarious performance of Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia and a modern update of Mozart's Abduction from the Seralgio, both of which featured dynamic singing and creative staging.

Unfortunately, the company's latest production of Puccini's La Rondine fails to live up to the company's longstanding reputation. The BLO's first-ever performance of the 1917 Puccini opera is rather mediocre, though there are a few glimmers that make seeing it worthwhile.

Many of the problems inherent in this production have much to do with the general structure of the opera itself. The libretto for La Rondine in itself isn't particularly exciting, as it almost appears to be a cut-and-paste conglomeration reminiscent of both the best and worst aspects from operas such as Verdi's La Traviata and Strauss's Die Fledermaus (the latter of which BLO will produce in late April).

Though La Rondine is a comic love story, there are few twists and turns in the plot. Set in mid-19th century Paris, the opera focuses on the young Ruggero Lastouc's pursuit of Magda de Civry, a courtesan. The results of a fortuneteller's palm reading convince Magda to reciprocate, and she "flies off" (hence the title, La Rondine, which means "the swallow") to begin a new life in the hopes of achieving a second chance at love. Complementing the plot are the comic pair of Magda's maid, Lisette, and the poet, Prunier, an established couple that contrasts the newly developing relationship between Magda and Ruggero.

A true example of opera from the bel canto ("beautiful singing") period, one could say that Puccini wrote La Rondine solely with the purpose of showcasing voices, not plot. The challenge in mounting such a production today is that modern audiences are used to much more than tone, yet complexities in staging and set design often distract from the purity of the music, as was the case in this performance.

At the professional level of opera, the singers are obviously talented; otherwise, they would not be able to handle the demands of classical style. But while lead singers in La Rondine were, for the most part, excellent, none of them commandeered that certain je ne se quoi necessary to steal the spotlight.

Only soprano Pamela Armstrong came close, delivering pure high notes in Magda's famous Act I aria and creating a few terrific moments of dramatic tension opposite tenor Shawn Mathey, who sang Ruggero. Soprano Elisabeth Comeaux incorporated light and tone into her interpretation of Lisette, but it was often difficult to hear her over the powerful orchestra.

Comeaux herself could have added more dynamism to her character. But Comeaux and tenor David Cangelosi, who sang Prunier, made for a stellar comic team, especially during the finale of Act I. In what was perhaps the finest moment of the production, Prunier criticizes the way Lisette is dressed as they leave for a caf?©, and Lisette keeps appearing onstage in new outfits until Prunier is satisfied. Immediately following, Magda appears, dressed up as a grisette and hoping no one will recognize her. She then heads to the same caf?©, which sets up the events of the coming act.

Such elements were not enough to carry the opera to perfection, but they were enough to save a tired story from complete redundancy.