* Notes *
Final month Pocket Opera placed on three performances of Wagner’s No Love Allowed (Das Liebesverbot). I attended the pleasant Might 15 matinée on the Hillside Membership in Berkeley. The English language manufacturing had a number of appeal and a few stunning voices, and although I did miss Pocket Opera’s founder Donald Pippin’s wry feedback, his humorousness got here via translation of the libretto.
The 2 leads (pictured, {photograph} courtesy of Pocket Opera) had been very robust. As Isabella, soprano Leslie Sandefur has a sprightly, metallic sound, whereas tenor Michael Dailey (Luzio) was brilliant and legato.
The remainder of the big forged was likewise full of advantageous voices. Baritone Spencer Dodd was suitably villainous because the hypocritical Viceroy Friedrich, his Act II aria was nuanced and tormented. As his deserted spouse Mariana, soprano Aléxa Anderson sang easily and with a fragile prettiness. Her duet with Sandefur on the convent in Act I used to be very pretty. Tenor Justin Brunette as Isabella’s licentious and imperiled brother Claudio had some hovering excessive notes.
Different notable contributions got here from mezzo-soprano Sonia Gariaeff as libertine Dorella who had a saucy good humor and baritone Michael Grammer as Brighella, captain of the watch, whose deep, darkish voice embraced the silliness of his function. There are 9 different voices that I have never gone over, however suffice it to say they did properly, particularly with the raucous carnival scene in Act II.
Music director and conductor Jonathan Khuner lead the Pocket Philharmonic and performed the piano. Since there have been a lower than a dozen musicians, errors had been reasonably uncovered. Nevertheless it was nice enjoyable to listen to this rarity in individual nonetheless.
* Tattling *
One needed to present proof of vaccination to attend and a lot of the viewers members had been masked. There are distinctly fewer watch alarms on the hour nowadays, maybe everybody has switched to good watches. There was some chatter however no digital sounds had been famous.
