Seldom do opera goers get to see Ravel’s little-known and only operas, L’Enfant et les sortileges and L’Heure espagnole. The Boston Conservatory featured both last night, with an entrancing approach to the largely unfamiliar pieces. L’Enfant et les sortileges opened the program and functioned as both as a creative outlet and a showcase for many of the conservatories young voices. The story of a destructive, rebellious child whose surroundings come to life to teach him a lesson, is so bizarre in and of itself, that the company could really let loose its artistic flair.
The scene opens with the young boy, sung by Anna Maguire, throwing a destructive tantrum. Soon aftwerwards the supernatural beings begin to emerge from all crevices of the room. The opera, in one act, features 22, very small, but distinctive roles. The fire, for instance, played by soprano Katy Kelly, featured rapid and volatile coloratura in imitation of a flickering flame. By the end, the child has learned to understand the hurt and destruction he has caused. When he bandages the wounded animal and calls out for his mother in desperation, the boy’s tormentors realize they have become the very evil they sought revenge on. Thus the opera ends on a sympathetic note, with the boy in arms of his mother who he now appreciates.
With the quick comings and goings of all these objects and animals, the opera can get a little overwhelming and confusing. Especially towards the end, as animals start to appear, the costumes become harder to interpret. The costumes were beautiful in their ability to capture the bizarre nature of the piece, but differentiating insect, bird, or bat became harder.
On the second half the program was Ravel’s one-act comedy, L’Heure espagnole. With a cast of only five, the story was very easy to follow and brilliantly cast. Christina Pecce played the star role of Conception, the clockmaker’s wife, who has a rendezvous with her lover in the hour her husband is away. At first annoyed by the presence of the muleteer, sung by Zachary Ballard, who awaits the clockmaker’s return, Conception puts him to work so that she can meet with her lover, Gonzalve the poet, sung by Salvatore Atti.
Pecce and Atti played the scene of the lovers’ encounter to its full comic potential. Conception throws herself seductively on the table and Gonzalve, inspired, writes poetry. Conception vies ardently for Gonzalve’s attention, but he is always preoccupied with his poetry and ignores Conception. When the muleteer returns, Conception hides Gonzalve inside the Catalan clock, which she asks the muleteer to bring up to her bedroom in place of the one he previously brought up.
Similarly, Don Inigo Gomez, sung by Ian Bowling, after being rejected by Conception in his advances, hides in another Catalan clock. Disappointed by Gonzalve, Conception succumbs to Gomez pleas and asks the muleteer to bring Gomez’ Catalan clock to her bedroom. Gomez’ silly frock and bumbling persona only exasperate Conception further.
Finally, Conception has an epiphany: the muleteer. Strong enough to carry a clock with a full-grown man in it up and down flights of stairs, Conception gives the burly, soft-spoken muleteer a try and is ultimately satisfied.
Every voice in the cast was a perfect fit for their respective characters. Pecce was able to achieve astounding vocal expressivity both in a dramatic and comedic sense. Her full voice soared and blended beautifully with those of her colleagues. Atti’s voice was charming in its legato, romantic phrases, but his upper rang was often flat. Ballard’s even, nonintrusive voice was effective as the calm, nervous muleteer, but was sometimes too stoic.
The orchestra had its moments, especially in L’Enfant et les sortileges, where the instrumental music is often as important as the vocal, but fell flat on occasion. The sweeping elegance of Ravel's better known music remains thoroughly intact in his only operatic ventures. With an overall decent performance by the orchestra,the cast of L’Heure espagnole, whose comedic cleverness brought on an massive ovation, really stole the show.
Comments