Word: serafine
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Conductor Tullio Serafin threw up his job at the Metropolitan Opera 18 years ago and headed home to Italy; opera in the U.S., he said, was "dying." Last week, at 74, Conductor Serafin was back in the U.S., ready to admit that his pessimism may have been premature. After half a century of conducting in such world-famed opera houses as Milan's La Scala, Rome's Royal Opera and Buenos Aires' Teatro Colón, Maestro Serafin had signed up to lead the Italian wing at Manhattan's lively young City Opera...
...There is a flavor of music about this place," said Serafin after he had met other members of the company and taken a good look around the unpretentious hall. "It is a theater with the desire to make art." For two weeks he coached the singers in Italian bel canto, worked with the orchestra, sweetening a pianissimo here, strengthening an accent there, whipping up a tempo to a swirling climax. Last week, on opening night, he lowered his baton on Puccini's Tosca...
...orchestra never sounded better. Serafin's sure hand brought out all of Puccini's colorful instrumentation, without drowning out the singers. Critics praised the conductor, but had a few reservations about the performance: Tenor David Poleri was still forcing his fine voice; Baritone Walter Cassel sang beautifully, but could not resist a few hammy moments as the villainous Scarpia; U.S. Soprano Anne McKnight, who has been singing in Italy as Anna di Cavallieri. proved to have a big dramatic voice and sang an appealing Vissi d'arte, but her acting was weak. In Act II, a leak...
That will be Serafin's main job. He is also eager to take a hand in some of City Opera's new productions. He is scheduled to conduct Ravel's puckish L'Heure Espagnole last week...
...Metropolitan is international opera," says Serafin. "It is rich in money. The City Opera has not even the smell of money, but it is rich in ideas. All those enthusiastic young people learning great music! Opera is not dying here. Here we are young together...