Much like the paddle wheel steamer that chugs its way up river in Daniel Cátan’s opera, “Florencia en el Amazonas,” the composer spent most of his creative life bucking the current.
In 1997, a year after its premiere at Houston Grand Opera, Los Angeles Opera presented Cátan’s “magic realism” opera, “Florencia en el Amazonas,” directed by Francesca Zambello.
The production was well received in Texas and resoundingly greeted in L.A. Its exotic jungle setting combined with Cátan’s lush musicality was appealing and seen as something of a novelty — a modern opera with mass appeal. And while it was not likely to rival “Tosca,” it was certainly more musically sophisticated than “Cats!” Its music, Cátan wrote, was designed to be “seductive, glittering and mesmerizing.”
The fact that it was also the first contemporary opera to feature a Spanish libretto also appealed to Plácido Domingo, who, following the success of “Florencia,” arranged for L.A. Opera to commission a new opera from Cátan. The result was “Il Postino.” The results were again positive and forged a deepening bond between Cátan, Domingo and the company. Had all gone according to plan, L.A. Opera would have presented the premiere of a new opera by Cátan based on Frank Capra’s 1941 film “Meet John Doe.” Sadly, on April 8, 2011, Cátan died, leaving the opera unfinished.
In homage, the company decided to present a revival of “Florencia en el Amazonas,” which opened Saturday night at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in L.A. Again directed by Zambello, it stars Chilean soprano, Veronica Villarroel as the internationally renowned diva, Florencia Grimaldi. And as the opera opens, Grimaldi (a star famous for her reclusive nature) has returned to her homeland to perform a celebratory recital at the long-shuttered grand opera house in Manaus, deep in the Brazilian jungle. At the same time, she hopes to reunite with her long-lost lover, Cristobal, a butterfly hunter who disappeared into the jungle in search of the rare and illusive Emerald Muse.
Inspired by the “magic realism” novels of Gabriel Garcia Márquez, the libretto by Marcela Fuentes-Berain sets the action aboard the El Dorado as the boat and its passengers (including Florencia, who is traveling incognito) make their way up river.
The lush tropical atmosphere of the Brazilian jungle is illuminated in Cátan’s score, replete with bird-chirping winds and native percussion instruments. Pucciniesque duets, arias and ensembles also abound. The visual scheme is equally vibrant, accented by the rainbow-hued lighting design by Mark McCullough and the animated projections by S. Katy Tucker, replete with flitting butterflies, swooping flamingos and prowling panthers. Think of it as a cross between exotic jungle paintings of Henri Rousseau and a cruise on the Jungle Boat ride at Disneyland.
Intended or not, Villarroel brings a definite sense of verisimilitude to her role as a renowned diva nearing the end of her career. Villarroel’s voice, which for more than 20 years has illuminated the fate of Puccini’s heroines, has turned brittle with a wavering vibrato that frequently slides off pitch. She does, however, capture the pathos of Florencia.
The man at the helm is bass David Pittsinger. As Captain of the El Dorado, he knows how mysterious and temperamental the river can be and he has great respect for its magical spirit. Pittsinger’s resonant voice provides just the right air of authority. His nephew, Arcadio, on the other hand, is a feckless young man with a head full of unrealistic fantasies. The role is sung with ardent intensity by Arturo Chacón-Cruz.
Lisette Oropesa (a 2007 Operalia winner) sings the role of Rosalba, a young journalist who has devoted herself to writing a biography of the great diva she idolizes as the model of “a free woman.” Oropesa is a rising star with a sweet soprano that shines. Her duets with Chacón-Cruz provide the vocal high points of the production.
Mezzo-soprano Nancy Fabiola Herrera and baritone Gordon Hawkins play Paula and Alvaro, a middle-age couple whose capacity for sniping is endless. But as the voyage unfolds, and everyone’s survival becomes less than certain, the couple comes to appreciate their need for one another.
And then there is the character of Riolobo, sung by baritone José Carbó. Like a Brazilian Prospero, he is able to manipulate the drama and interact with the spirit world of the jungle and the river.
The spirit realm is represented by a small corps of dancers who move fluidly to the balletic choreography by Eric Sean Fogel, led by former Alvin Ailey company member Yusha-Marie Sorzano.
The lush ebb and flow of Cátan’s score and vocal lines is led with precision and atmospheric coloration by Grant Gershon.
Jim Farber is a Los Angeles-based freelance writer.
