Monday, April 03, 2023

LA Opera Pelleas et Melisande: Run, Do Not Walk

 I saw LA Opera's Pelleas et Melisande yesterday, and it is magnificent. A David McVicar production, but McVicar at his best (Leah Hausmann directs the revival). James Conlon conducts this beautiful score magnificently; the cast is superb. Will Liverman's Pelleas, Sydney Mansacola's Melisande, Kyle Ketelsen's Golaud, Feruccio Furlanetto's Arkel - they will all haunt you. All are gorgeously sung and intensely acted.

Arkel seems like the perfect role for Furlanetto (as did Don Alfonso in the SFO Cosi); his sheer authority is exactly right. Ketelsen was a revelation to me: I cannot believe that SFO has had him only as Escamillo in the last two Carmen runs. He was fine, but his Golaud is a roiling mass of conflicting emotions.

Boy soprano Kai Edgar is marvelous as Yniold and Susan Graham her customary excellent self as  Genevieve.

I'll be going back to see it again while I'm here.

2 comments:

Paul McKaskle said...

"Run, don't walk" reminds me of Martin Bernheimer's urging his readers to do anything to see SF Opera's 1971 Rosenkavalier (with Te Kanawa). I don't recall if he said "run, don't walk", though he might have, but one of the things he said "sell your sister" if you have to to see the Rosenkavalier. Extreme praise.

Santa Fe has a Pelleas this summer with (relatively) recent Merola participant (2018?) Samantha Hankey, fresh off singing Octavian at the Met.

Lisa Hirsch said...

Yes, indeed! I'm hoping to see it in Santa Fe as well.