[ WEEKEND ]
FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM
Hawaii Opera Theatre begins its season with the production of "Otello." Jim Price, left, and Gary Simpson practiced their parts of Roderigo and Iago, respectively, in a dress rehearsal at the Blaisdell Concert Hall Monday.
‘Otello’ begins
season
If you'll allow us to use a word from the common vernacular in relation to the rarified world of the finer arts -- Hawaii Opera Theatre's season-opening production of Giuseppe Verdi's "Otello" this weekend should be a doozy.
With a libretto by Arrigo Boito, taken from Shakespeare's play "Othello," it's got every heart-busting emotion that you can think of, guaranteed to even affect the folks up in the balcony seats. It's got love, passion, jealousy and tragedy. It's the perfect way to start what's being called the Grand Opera Season, filled with "Songs of Love and War."
'Otello'
Presented by Hawaii Opera TheatreWhere: Blaisdell Concert Hall
When: 8 p.m. today, 4 p.m. Sunday and 7:30 p.m. Tuesday (with two lectures -- an hour and one half-hour -- before each performance)
Tickets: $29 to $100, with season subscriptions for all three operas available from $81 to $288
Call: 596-7858 (or order online at hawaiiopera.org)
For those unfamiliar with the story, here's the Cliff Notes version: On the island of Cyprus circa 1400s, when the isle was under the Venice's rule, Otello, a Moorish mercenary in the service of the Venetian Army, is there to repel a Turk invasion. With him is his wife Desdemona, a Venetian beauty who married him against her father's wishes. This relationship figures into the schemes of Otello's ensign, Iago, who is mighty angry over the promotion of Cassio, Otello's captain, who he feels jumped over him in rank. Thanks to Iago's jealousy, we have the makings of an opera as he goes about his evil machinations to get back at his boss.
All of this is surrounded by what is widely considered as Verdi's crowning achievement. But the road leading up to tonight's production could've been a treacherous one, as original lead tenor Wolfgang Müller-Lorenz bowed out early in rehearsals due to bronchitis.
Enter Mark Lundberg, who arrived in the islands just last week to take over. He will reprise the role at the Opera Ontario in late April-early May, so this Honolulu engagement affords him a headstart.
"It's a role that never ceases to grow," he said. "It's vocally demanding and such an emotional part, which is not usually the case in every opera. To prepare, I had an opportunity to study the play by Shakespeare, and to see the motion pictures with Laurence Olivier and Laurence Fishburne in the title role.
"I'm trying to model my performance on their characterizations, and it's really gratifying. It's my favorite role, because it's so in-depth. And it's an honor to sing this music, because Verdi was a master composer, 'Otello' was the culmination, and the greatest Italian piece, in my opinion. The music is lush and intense, encompassing all human emotion.
"Verdi was very elderly when he wrote it, and it brought in his entire life experience. He was a master composer at his absolute peak. He put everything into the score. Every time I open it, I find something new -- a note to react to, a nuance you didn't feel before. It's an epic, and we're fortunate that conductor Ivan Törza is able to bring it out in the orchestra," Lundberg said.
HOT'S GENERAL and artistic director Henry Akina is glad guest conductor Törza is back for the fifth time, having previously conducted the company's "Macbeth," "Elektra," "Tristan und Isolde" and "Salome."
"He's well-loved by the orchestra, and is also the chief conductor at the Flemish National Opera in Antwerp," said Akina, who compares HOT's production to a Northern German production he guest conducted in 2000, to the point of purchasing one of the large Venetian lion set pieces to be used here.
"It's a good point of departure -- it was done not long ago, and they were cooperative in getting the lion out here. The production makes it a big point between the statue and Otello's position as chief of the Venetian colony. He's referred to as the Lion of Venice, and the lion was an emblem for the republic.
"Our set design is very flexible, with three units of scaffolding and a ceremonial staircase. It has a Shakespearean feel and helps focus on the environment and the action. We're creating a musical theater of words, and it sounds beautiful in Italian, along with a brilliant score," Akina said.
"I think this one of the more dynamic operas we've done. It's a challenging piece and it's coming together really well with Mark Lundberg on deck. He's really a big guy and I think he'll bring a kind of performance that hasn't been seen on the local stage in some time."
WHEN AKINA refers to Lundberg's large presence, he's not exaggerating. According to his co-star, spinto-soprano Robin Follman, her 5-foot-5, 125-pound Desdemona is dwarfed by his approximately 6-foot-6, 300-pound frame.
"Even though we're supposed to be different in look," she said, "we're well-matched vocally -- I'm loud, too. How Mark looks helps with the character, because we're supposed to look at him as a great warrior, and it's a distinct pleasure to see how he fits into the role.
"We had pretty much staged this entire thing with Wolfgang, but due to illness, he couldn't get into the character development. Mark is a truly amazing artist, considering he was able to squeeze us in on his busy schedule. It's not been a hardship, to say the least," Follman said.
Follman opened the HOT's 2002 season in another Verdi opera, "La Traviata," as Violetta. "I specialize in Italian opera in general," she said, "but this is the first time I'm performing Desdemona as a full role. I've been working in-depth with Henry to develop the character from the ground floor.
"(Desdemona) is a patrician's daughter, with a sense of self-respect, strength, independence and knowledge about her. She is not a woman easily coerced and pushed around. She was strong to marry Otello, since her family was not supportive. But she's gradually beaten down by Iago's manipulative means.
"And Iago (played by baritone Gary Simpson) is a bad guy! There's no glimpse of purity anywhere ... Gary plays him honestly, though; based on his words and delivery, we see the evil in him, but not in an overt, obvious and trite way. In fact, you don't realize he's bad at first, and when he finally shows himself for who he is, the audience is almost taken aback."
Follman is relishing doing Desdemona. "Singing this kind of role requires a certain voice type -- it's not a role for a lighter lyric-soprano voice -- the orchestrations can be thick and loud, to the point that you can injure yourself. But it should be that way. Singing Verdi is almost medicinal, because it requires such technical finesse and discipline."
"OTELLO" kicks off a season that will include, for the first time in several years, a fourth offering later this summer. After "Otello," "Cosi fan Tutte" and "The Merry Widow," Gilbert and Sullivan's light opera "The Mikado" will be staged in August.
In choosing this year's offerings, Akina said "Cosi" was chosen through an audience poll "and it scored the highest of all the Mozart operas, right up there with 'Madame Butterfly.' It's one we haven't done for many years, and it'll be staged in conjunction with Diamond Head Theatre's 'Amadeus' (playing Feb. 6-22). And there were many requests for 'Merry Widow.'
"We chose 'The Mikado' because we want people to see the company in an audience-friendly manner, and this year also marks the 150th celebration of Japan-America relations.
"This season emphasizes the great drama between the sexes," he said. "We took our season's title from a Renaissance madrigal book, starting with the tragedy of 'Othello,' the confusion of 'Cosi' and the comedy of 'Merry Widow.' "
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Pre-opera lectures scheduled
Hawaii Opera Theatre will be presenting a full schedule of informative preview lectures for each of its 2004 season productions "Otello," "Cosi fan Tutte" and "The Merry Widow."
The talks will take place at Borders, Ward Centre, and the Honolulu Academy of Arts in advance of the performances.
Admission is free for the Borders talks offering "Great Insights for New Opera Patrons." Admission to the Academy talks is free for HOT members and $3 for others.
Here is the schedule:
"Otello"
Today: 7 and 7:30 p.m. at the Blaisdell Concert Hall Lanai
Sunday: 3 and 3:30 p.m. at the Blaisdell Concert Hall Lanai
Tuesday: 6:30 and 7 p.m. at the Blaisdell Concert Hall Lanai
"Cosi fan Tutte"
Wednesday: 10 a.m. at Honolulu Academy of Arts; in-depth preview lecture, $3; repeats at 4 p.m. Feb. 7.
Feb. 8: 1 to 2 p.m. at Borders Books & Music, Ward Centre
Feb. 13: 7 and 7:30 p.m. at Blaisdell Concert Hall Lanai
Feb. 15: 3 and 3:30 p.m. at Blaisdell Concert Hall Lanai
Feb. 17: 6:30 and 7 p.m. at Blaisdell Concert Hall Lanai
"The Merry Widow"
Feb. 18: 10 a.m. at Honolulu Academy of Arts; in-depth preview lecture, $3; repeats at 4 p.m. Feb. 21.
Feb. 22: 1 to 2 p.m. at Borders Books & Music, Ward Centre
Feb. 27: 7 and 7:30 p.m. at Blaisdell Concert Hall Lanai
Feb. 29: 3 and 3:30 p.m. at Blaisdell Concert Hall Lanai
March 2: 6:30 and 7 p.m. at Blaisdell Concert Hall Lanai
March 4: 6:30 and 7 p.m. at Blaisdell Concert Hall Lanai
Other HOT events:
Monday: Hawaii Opera Theatre soprano Lea Woods Friedman, who returns as Valencienne in "The Merry Widow," joins the musicians of Chamber Music Hawaii for an evening of vocal chamber music. Samuel Barber's "Knoxville -- Summer of 1915" will be featured. The performance takes place at 7:30 p.m. at the Doris Duke Theatre at the Honolulu Academy of Arts. Admission is $25.Feb. 15: HOT accompanist/coach Mary Dibbern will be heard during a 7 p.m. interview with KHPR's Gary Hickling regarding her research and book on Jacques Leguerney. The book, "Interpreting the Songs of Jacques Leguerney: A Guide for Study and Performance," was prepared in direct collaboration with the composer, who died in Paris in 1997.
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calendars and events.
