The Golden Cockerel soars in Santa Fe

By Ilana Walder-Biesanz, 20 July 2017

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“not just a fairy tale but a political morality play”

Reviewed at Santa Fe Opera, Santa Fe on 19 July 2017

Rimsky-Korsakov, Le Coq d'or (The Golden Cockerel)

Santa Fe Opera

Emmanuel Villaume, Conductor

Paul Curran, Director

Gary McCann, Set Designer, Costume Designer

Timothy Mix, Tsar Dodon

Venera Gimadieva, Queen of Shemakha

Barry Banks, Astrologer

Meredith Arwady, Amelfa

Kevin Burdette, General Polkan

Kasia Borowiec, Golden Cockerel

Richard Trey Smagur, Prince Guidon

Jorge Espino, Prince Afron

Hidden tears season the comedy in Santa Fe's enchanting Elixir

Thomas May, 31st July

In this revival of Stephen Lawless' busy production, set in 1945 Italy, young American tenor Jonah Hoskins' endearing performance tilts Donizetti's charmer in a Nemorino-centric direction.

****1

Bewitched, bothered, and bewildered

Thomas May, 29th July

David Alden's staging of Alcina mines the rich theatricality of one of Handel's best-loved operas with enchanting but also perplexing results.

****1

Steve Jobs scores a success in Santa Fe

Ilana Walder-Biesanz, 22nd July

Mason Bates's much-hyped first opera, The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs, excited Santa Fe audiences despite its dramatic shortcomings.

***11

Brenda Rae carries Santa Fe Opera's Lucia

Ilana Walder-Biesanz, 21st July

Static blocking and an uneven cast can't kill a Lucia di Lammermoor with a star this bright.

***11

Majeski stars in a superb Santa Fe Capriccio

Maria Nockin, 5th August

Maestro Leo Hussain’s translucent rendition of the score made Capriccio the crowning glory of the Santa Fe Opera Season.

*****

Santa Fe Opera Stages Puccini's Fanciulla del West

Maria Nockin, 2nd August

Richard Jones's production of Puccini’s Western opera La fanciulla del West is well sung, but fails to tap in to the Wild West atmosphere of the surroundings.

***11

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Ilana Walder-Biesanz

Ilana Walder-Biesanz is a product manager for Yahoo, a theatre and opera critic, and a classically trained mezzo-soprano. She explored theater and opera stagings as a Gates Scholar at Cambridge and as a Fulbright Scholar in Germany. She currently writes for Bachtrack, San Francisco Classical Voice, and Stark Insider. Twitter: @ilana_wb.