The Academy of Vocal Arts stepped admirably outside of its comfort zone by programming The Rape of Lucretia in its opera season, its first foray into Britten since 1998. The Philadelphia conservatory – which, of late, has largely favored bel canto and standard repertory fare – required no learning curve for wading into the thorny thickets of this oratorio-like melding of mythology and Modernism. Musically and dramatically, the assembled forces delivered an inventive and satisfying gloss on a work that can occasionally seem alienating in performance, with top-notch singing across the board from a game young cast.
Stage director Tara Faircloth smartly invented a frame narrative for the Male Chorus and Female Chorus, casting them as contemporary graduate students researching an ancient tragedy. The side panels of Peter Harrison’s set were ringed with overflowing bookshelves, suggesting a university library, and Val Starr costumed the interlocutors in the kind of contemporary fashions one might encounter on any college campus in the Northeast. Center stage, the Roman narrative unfolded with verisimilitude. The contrast introduced a particular poignancy to the Female Chorus’ rising distress over Lucretia’s treatment, which gained echoes, intentional or otherwise, of the #MeToo movement.
On the podium, conductor Robert Kahn – a late replacement for Music Director Cristofer Macatsoris – nicely balanced the score’s Classical style with a furtive edge. He produced a taut reading that generally matched the drama onstage. Especially impassioned playing from the woodwinds made up for the occasional intonation problems, and Helen Gerhold provided personality and beauty in the harp interludes. This was essentially a pick-up orchestra, and one cannot expect them to play with the same level of finesse as a standing band with regular rehearsals. Still, their overall commitment and attention to detail shone through.
At the opening performance, Shawn Roth and Emily Margevich anchored the evening as the Male Chorus and Female Chorus. (As is customary for AVA performances, all roles are double cast.) Roth brought a cool outsider’s perspective to his narration, along with a gleaming, pliant tenor. In a voice secure and attractive from bottom to top, Margevich convinced the listener of the Female Chorus’ mounting anxiety, building in tension to a shattering conclusion. A committed actor, she never wavered in her sense of fidelity to the storytelling, and she used her voice superbly as a dramatic tool.
Jenny Anne Flory tempered Lucretia’s righteousness with an aching sense of innocence. Monique Galvão brought a stern countenance and secure low notes to the servant Bianca, and Ethel Trujillo was a sweet-voiced Lucia. The male contingent of lower voices was rock solid, with Benjamin Dickerson using his attractive, silvery tone to mask the malevolence of Tarquinius and Dylan Gregg intoning moral rectitude in a sturdy bass-baritone as Collatinus. Although the character of Junius has less to contribute to the overall action of the piece, Nan Wang sang with distinction, auguring well for larger parts in the future.
Located just a few blocks away, the Curtis Institute has largely bested AVA in terms of varied repertoire and creative productions in recent years when it comes to opera. This Rape of Lucretia, however, shows they can compete on any level. Here’s to more thinking outside the box and fresh blood in the pit.
