Opera News & Press

The Master Singer

Read an article about the Plácido Domingo Gala in the Times Picayune.

The Master Singer

January 22, 2009

Theodore P. Mahne

Placido Domingo might have put it best in his final duet of the evening with soprano Sarah Jane McMahon: "Tonight, tonight, a miracle did happen."

On Saturday evening, concluding a weeklong celebration of the reopening of the Mahalia Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts, the superstar tenor headlined a gala concert presented by the New Orleans Opera Association as the company returned to its theatrical home for the first time since Hurricane Katrina. In doing so, Domingo not only showed his commitment and devotion to a city that played an important part in his early career, but also displayed why he still is considered the world's greatest living tenor.

In a program of operatic arias and scenes that emphasized new beginnings and the power of art, the night also served as a survey of Domingo's near half-century career. While he has taken on a heavier, darker repertoire in recent years, that instantly recognizable and ringing tenor voice is as strong as ever.

For example, in "Wintersturme" from Wagner's "Die Walkure," he sang with the depth of a heldentenor while still bringing a crystalline purity to his top notes. And while a role such as Andrea Chenier might not likely appear in his regular repertoire any longer, Domingo still attacked "Nemico dell patria" head on, hitting the farthest reaches of the theater with seeming ease.

With a couple of zarzuela arias, Domingo passionately showed why he is such a prominent proponent of the Spanish operatic form with a pair of gutsy, hot-blooded performances.

While Domingo was the biggest draw of the night, he was generous with stage time for his colleagues, both veteran stars and up-and-coming young singers whom he has mentored.

Veteran baritone Mark Rucker showed why he has become a favorite with local audiences, bookending the evening with a warmly rich "Prologue" from "Pagliacci" and a powerfully bold reading of "Urna fatale del mio destino" from Verdi's "La Forza del Destino."

Soprano Sondra Radvanovsky sparkled throughout the night with a particularly moving performance of Puccini's "Vissi d'arte," Tosca's paean to art and love, and a stunningly gorgeous rendering of Rusalka's "Song to the Moon" by Dvorak. She sings with strength and a smooth, quicksilver tone that I hope to hear again soon.

New Orleans' own Sarah Jane McMahon sang an especially sweet rendition of "O mio babbino caro" from Puccini's "Gianni Schicchi." Her "Tonight" duet with Domingo from "West Side Story" was elegantly heartbreaking. She joined mezzo-soprano Kristine Jepson for a wistful, bell-like performance of the beloved "Barcarolle" from Offenbach's "Tales of Hoffmann." Jepson also richly sang that opera's "Violin Aria."

It takes guts for a young tenor to take to the stage with one of opera's legends. Lawrence Brownlee went one step farther and tackled one of the trickiest arias in the tenor canon -- "Ah! mes ami" from Donizetti's "The Daughter of the Regiment." Brownlee nailed the tour de force, and its final string of consecutive high C's, with aplomb and wit. He also showed a pleasing bel canto sound in an aria from Rossini's "L'Italiana in Algeri."

Academy Award-nominated actress and New Orleans native Patricia Clarkson was the gracious and charming emcee.

The New Orleans Opera Chorus, under Carol Rausch's direction, offered bold support all evening, standing out proudly, particularly in the opening chorale from Wagner's "Die Meistersinger" and with the Coronation Scene from Mussorgsky's "Boris Godunov."

The Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra also shined throughout the performance, under the batons of New Orleans Opera General Director Robert Lyall and the orchestra's own music director, Carlos Miguel Prieto. Lyall's attention to detail was evident across the board, from program selection to the conductor's podium. Now celebrating his 10th anniversary with the company, he deserves much credit for getting the New Orleans Opera to where it is today.

Before the intermission, following a brief film highlighting Domingo's past performances in New Orleans, city and state officials honored the singer with civic accolades before officially naming the theater's stage the Placido Domingo Stage.

By its very nature, opera inspires memories of the past, and returning to the Theater for the Performing Arts stirred thoughts of many past performances and glowing nights there. With Saturday's concert, the New Orleans Opera signaled that the outlook now is to the future, and this performance will be the first of many new memories to be savored.