Hansel (Corrie Stallings) and Gretel (Ashley Fabian) prepare to break the Witch’s spell and free all the children the Witch had turned into gingerbread
Then the audience settled in for a thoroughly enjoyable reading of Humperdinck’s majestic orchestration, which under Antony Walker’s baton, proved to be the best feature of the evening. The composer paints in tones a vivid, evocative and extraordinarily beautiful sound picture that brings the scent of a pine-filled Bavarian forest to the listener’s ear as skillfully as did Richard Wagner with the “Forest Murmurs” sequence in his Siegfried. The orchestration is a symphony unto itself, and the instrumentalists delivered one of their best performances heard to date, which is saying much for such a consistently reliable group of musicians.
Gretel (Ashley Fabian) and her brother Hansel (Corrie Stallings) frolic in the forest
On the stage, the singers did the best they could with an English translation that strips away as much of the magic of the piece as possible, but, for the most part, does no serious damage to the beauty of the vocal parts. The sets are comically cartoonish, and a curiously confusing menagerie of strange beasts pops in a couple of times, for reasons that aren’t made particularly apparent in this staging. Any fear on the part of the children is conveyed by facial expressions alone – the English text makes them a rather brave and brazen pair, and the not especially frightened youngsters call the witch a “battle ax” – to her face – within moments of their confrontation.
The Witch (Marianne Cornetti) has Hansel (Corrie Stallings) and Gretel (Ashley Fabian) in her clutches
The translation and staging aside, the performance was satisfying from a vocal point, with Corrie Stallings and Ashley Fabian blending their voices effectively in the title roles. They were costumed very becomingly, and for the most part enunciated the English text clearly, which, in the case of this production, was not always a good thing, but they charmed the ears and eyes, which counted for much. Craig Verm and Leah Heater returned as the Father and Mother, sang well, and played nicely off the other in their brief scenes near the beginning of the first act and close of the second.
The happy family reunites and enjoys eating the gingerbread Witch with the freed children. Left to right – Gretel (Ashley Fabian), Father (Craig Verm), Mother (Leah Heater), Hansel (Corrie Stallings)
Newcomer Caitlin Gotimer did double-duty as the Sandman and Dew Fairy, garbed as a World War I flying ace in the first role, and as a magic wand-wielding ballerina in the second. She sang with a lovely voice of attractive quality and seems sure to be a valuable addition to the company’s Resident Artist Program. Marianne Cornetti rose above the translation and sang the role of the Witch, as the composer intended, rather than screaming and cackling it, which is too often the case in English productions of the opera. She reveled in the part, and the audience expressed its appreciation of her efforts in no uncertain terms. The loveliness of the children’s chorus at the conclusion was somewhat dimmed by an insufficient number of voices.
The Dew Fairy (Caitlin Gotimer) sprinkles the morning dew throughout the forest
But one listener’s opinion is merely a collection of words and little else. All things considered, the production is lighthearted and enjoyable enough to bring smiles to the faces of children of all ages, and hopefully, the remaining performances will draw crowds as large as the one that was on hand last night.
For tickets and more, visit Pittsburgh Opera.
The “Artistic Team” for Hansel & Gretel –
Conductor, Antony Walker; Stage Director, Crystal Manich; Set Designer, Robin Vest; Costume Designer, Timm Burrow; Lighting Designer, Cindy Limauro; Wig and Makeup Designer, James Geier; Assistant Conductor, Glenn Lewis; Chorus Master, Mark Trawka; Associate Coach/Pianist, James Lesniak; Assistant Director, Matthew Haney; Stage Manager, Cindy Knight
David Bachman Photography
A Pittsburgh native, George B. Parous began his studies of music and the ‘cello in grade school before his interests turned to opera, its performers and history while in his teens. He has been acknowledged as a contributor or editor of several published works (the first being “Rosa Raisa, A Biography of a Diva,” Northeastern University Press, 2001), and is currently working on his own biography of the German-American dramatic soprano, Johanna Gadski, who sang at the Metropolitan during the “Golden Age of Opera.” A retired IT Analyst, he is an avid genealogist, and has traced his maternal line to 8th century Wessex, England. He’s been a contributor to Pittsburgh in the Round since 2014.
Categories: Archived Reviews