Voices, not the acting or staging, drive Il Trovatore

Il Trovatore

(out of 4) By Giuseppe Verdi. Directed by Charles Roubaud. Conducted by Marco Guidarini. Until Oct. 31 at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, 145 Queen St. W. 416-363-8231 or coc.ca If opera were about nothing more than singing, then the Canadian Opera Company’s production of Il

Trovatore, which opened their season on Saturday night, would be an unqualified success.

The four leading roles were performed with distinction, the conducting was superb and, as always, the chorus sounded splendid.

But, as the COC has taught us over the years, opera — at its best — is a fusion of the musical, dramatic and visual arts. On the last two fronts, this production falls down heavily.

And while it’s generally acknowledged that the strength of Il Trova

tore is in its passionate characters and sublime music, it needs a strong hand on the design and directorial elements to make its overwrought saga of gypsy vengeance ultimately not seem risible or dull. It doesn’t get that assistance here.

Let’s deal, however, with the good news first. South African soprano Elza van den Heever makes her COC debut here and will be making her Metropolitan Opera debut at the end of the year. Her performance as the piece’s tragic heroine, Leonora, beloved of two brothers who are also sworn enemies, hits all the emotional touchstones the part requires: vulnerability, ecstatic love and heart-rending despair.

From the opening notes of “Tacea la notte placida,” it was obvious we were in the hands of a singer for whom delicacy and power were not mutually exclusive things.

There is also a welcome spontaneity in her acting, which made that difficult toboggan ride of the opera’s penultimate scene, where she hurtles through some of the plot’s more melodramatic turns, something to be believed and cherished. The same can be said of the work of Russell Braun, one of this nation’s operatic treasures. As the egomaniacal Conte di Luna, he once again displays the sophistication of approach and subtlety of execution that make such a great artist. He offers us a man whose passions are almost as chilly as his intellect. And of course, the polished lustre of his baritone is always worth savouring, especially in an aria like “Il balen del suo sorriso.” Elena Manistina was a refreshingly robust presence as the gypsy Azucena, playing the woman and her situation for reality, rather than going in for clichéd stereotypes or melodramatic rant. Ramón Vargas gets the star billing and the final curtain call in this production. He tackles the title role of the revolutionary troubadour Manrico, that claims all the guts and glory in the opera, because he gets the showiest arias and the juiciest dramatic scenes. But while Vargas certainly has a clear, big voice, capable of ringing out in those trumpet tones beloved of Verdi aficionados, his acting and presence leave a lot to be desired. That brings us to what’s wrong with this production. Director Charles Roubaud seemingly has no vision of what he wants us to feel about the material. “Stand and deliver,” is the standard blocking mode and it’s very hard to get any sense of inner life on stage. Who are these people? What are they fighting for? And why, more importantly, do they all seem to be living on a Tim Burton soundstage? Sculptor JeanNoël Lavesvre’s set of giant walls looked unattractive, meant nothing and took forever to change between scenes. If you closed your eyes, you could adore this Il Trovatore unconditionally, but the COC has taught us it’s better to enjoy an opera with all of our senses.