Word: lyrical
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Fosse is not completely without heart; Mr. Bojangles, in which Sergio Trujillo gracefully portrays an aged, down-at-heels dancer, is genuinely moving. In general, though, the show's rare lyric moments are as unconvincing as the synthesized string sounds that swirl out of the orchestra pit in I Wanna Be a Dancin' Man. For all its compulsive flair, Fosse is cold and enigmatic at the core, as glittering as a perfect diamond--and hard enough to cut glass. What makes it work is its maker's willingness to stare into the abyss, backed up by the taut, pellucid brilliance...
Wagnerian heldentenors have rarely stirred the hearts of more than a minority of opera buffs, though, which is where Jose Cura and Marcelo Alvarez come in. Alvarez, 36, is a light lyric tenor whose high notes are fresh sounding and secure; Cura, 36, is a weightier lirico-spinto with an impressive touch of baritonal muscle. Alvarez made his Met debut last month in Franco Zeffirelli's bloated new production of La Traviata, in which his engaging singing was overshadowed by the spectacularly vivid Violetta of Patricia Racette. Cura's turn comes with next season's opening night, when he will...
...finally, this is soprano Dominique Labelle's debut in the lead role of Violetta Valery and her second performance with the Boston Lyric (she debuted with last season's Lucia de Lamermoor...
Under the baton of BLO Music Director Stephen Lord, the Boston Lyric's in-house orchestra proved their worth as a tightly focused ensemble that rarely overpowered the singers. The orchestra consistently rose to whatever musical tasks Verdi's score demanded--be it charming and bubbly Parisian waltz music, subtle love aria music, or even the passionate, bombastic, coronary-inducing orchestral forces sometimes needed in the more histrionic scenes of high tragic opera...
Looking at what Boston Lyric can do with their first show in a new venue, it's understandable that they are one of the fastest-growing opera companies in the world. If this sumptuous and thrilling production of La Traviata is any indication of what this not-so-little "company that could" can do on a first try, Bostonians--blue-bloods and musical thrill-seekers alike--have a lot to look forward...