Skip to main content

Pittsburgh Opera Stages Haydn's Armida for the First Time

Erik Nordstrom as Ubaldo, Fran Daniel Laucerica and Lauryn Davis as Armida Credit all photos to David Backman Photography for Pittsburgh Opera

 Last evening I attended my very first Haydn opera titled "Armida." Sure, I was curious to hear what an opera by this Austrian composer might sound like, but the fact that it's now rarely staged gave me even more reason the catch the Pittsburgh Opera production at the CAPA School in Downtown Pittsburgh. I found the music very much in the vein of Mozart, who actually considered Haydn a friend and mentor.

Haydn, who spent much of his time as court musician for the Eszterhazy family in Hungary was a prolific composer who wrote 68 string quartets, 50 piano trios, more than 100 symphonies, 14 masses and 20 operas.

The narrative centers around the mutual love of the sorceress Armida and her lover, Rinaldo, a knight fighting to capture Jerusalem during the First Crusade. Armida was sent by The Prince of Darkness to enchant Rinaldo to impede his military endeavors, but she too falls in love with him as strongly as he does with her. The two lovers undergo mental anguish that conflicts their ideas of personal duty with their passion and romantic attachment.

Two of Rinaldo's knights try to pry him away from Armida and eventually succeed. The opera ends with a gorgeous trio in Act 3 that certainly made me remark to my opera chum that Haydn really knew how to close with a piece of thrilling music.

I sat on the edge of my seat much of the performance all agog with the magnificent, powerful and sensuous voice of Lauryn Davis, who made her Pittsburgh Opera debut. Both me and my opera chum believe that the soprano has a great future in opera. Not only does her voice enchant, but she's a talented actress as well. As Rinaldo, Fran Daniel Laucerica handled some of the works vocal pyrotechnics with ease and a beautiful voice that made the Act One duet with Amida shine and sparkle with excitement.
Fran Daniel Laucerica and Lauryn Davis as Armida


Erik Nordstrom as Ubaldo, Rinaldo's friend and fellow crusader, sported an earnest voice that had both clarity and strength.

The rest of the cast was solid and praiseworthy. As Zermila Shannon Crowley lit up the stage with an Act III aria. Bass Matthew Soibelman was a commanding presence, both vocally and dramatically as the King. Audrey Welsh was convincing in her "pants role" of another of Rinaldo's knight warriors.
Costume designer, Yinxue Wang's costumes were elegantly colorful and opulent, while set designer, Keja Yu's layered setting was eerily evocative and appropriate for a narrative that focuses on a sorceress with a pair of dark and brooding myrtle trees at the top of a rise that sheltered a mysterious portal.

Idreno (Matthew Soibelman) has a nymph (Melissa Burke, courtesy of Attack Theatre) remove Clotarca (Audrey Welsh) from his presence

Three dancers from the Attack Theatre – Melissa Burke, Anya Epstein and Olivia Nellis – reinforced the narrative with expressive movement and choreography that mimicked the mood of each particular scene.

Stage director Haley Stamats had a few tricks of her own up her sleeve. (I found especially effective the use of scarlet ribbons of fabric that spun down from the top of the stage in Act 3 along the staircase that both suggested the blood bath of war and passionate love of the plays two main characters).
Fran Daniel Laucerica and Lauryn Davis as Armida
Handling the conductor's baton for this Pittsburgh performance was Anthony Walker, who made Haydn's music from the classical era ring with contemporality.

Credit artistic director Christopher for bringing this opera first performed in 1784 to the attention of a modern Pittsburgh, and I might add, appreciative audience.
A final performance of Armida will take place tomorrow, Sunday, Feb.2 at 2 p.m. at the CAPA Theater School in Downtown Pittsburgh. For tickets and more information, visit www.pittsburghopera.org.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Exciting Things are Happening at PFO!

  Dear Friends, I invite you to join me in experiencing the voice of opera legend Csilla Boross as she kicks off our Legends in the Limelight concert series on September 24 at the Carnegie Free Library and Music Hall in Carnegie! Csilla performed the title role of Adriana in PFO’s concert opera debut of  Adriana Lecouvreur  on September 8 at the Carnegie Music Hall. Please enjoy the below video of Csilla singing Poveri fiori aria Act 4 from our final dress rehearsal! It was truly and amazing performance! I am hopeful you can join us for this magical evening! As you know, at PFO it’s all about the VOICE!!! Much love, Click below for a sneak peak of Csilla Boross: Sneak Peek of Adriana Lecouvreur! - YouTube For More Information and Tickets CLICK HERE Calling all young professionals! Please join us for a PFO Happy Hour this Wednesday, September 18 at the Mansions on Fifth! Come meet our staff as well as other Pittsburgh area young professionals! You will also have the opport...

Mon Valley Fans of Live Theater Get a Sumptuous Taste of Future Possibilities

The Cast of "What Do I Wear, 2,500 Tears of Fashion in Theatre" Credit all Photos: Kelly Tunney     The Mon Valley YMCA in Monongahela never looked so festive, so blatantly celebratory, as on the evening of April 13 when a troupe of 16 actors arrived with a trailer full of colorful costumes, many of which were quite elaborate.     The audience barely understood the full depth of the dazzle that awaited them as they took their seats for an event exuberantly titled “What Do I Wear, 2,5000 Years of Fashion in Theatre.”     The fundraiser for Pittsburgh International Classic Theatre was the brainchild of PICT’s artistic director, Elizabeth Elias Huffman. Elizabeth Huffman at the Podium     Huffman conceived of an idea that called for choosing selections from plays that started with the era of the ancient Greeks, marched on through Elizabethan England and Shakespeare, popped in on Restoration England via an American playwright,...

Sanctified Explores Through Music How Diverse Attitudes are Transformed into an Inspired Unity

  Marissa Lily, Mils James, Manny Walker, Emir Hardy, Chuck Timbers, Cheryl El Walker, Katy Cotten & Brenda Marks Set by Mark Clayton Southers Credit all Photos: Kim El One of the many things live theater does well is taking its audience to different places, times and moods through the power of story-telling. While this is a fairly obvious observation, this thought became especially poignant when, over a period of less than 24 hours, when I found myself on board a battleship in late 18 th century Portsmouth, England, then, 17 hours later, walking into a small Black church in rural South Carolina in the present day. The vehicles for this geographic time travel to places and times worlds apart were Gilbert and Sullivan’s comic opera, “H.M. S. Pinafore” and playwright Javon Johnson’s “Sanctified.” Both works, while musical comedies with morals to the story, came from diverse and rich cultural backgrounds. I’ve already published my review of Pinafore on my arts and enterta...