The Virginia Opera Association, always seeking ways to increase awareness, appreciation, interest and support, kicked off its “From Screen to Stage” initiative Friday in the Harrison Opera House in Norfolk. In keeping with the project’s aim of showcasing operas that were inspired by films, VOA presented Hispanic composer Daniel Catán’s “Il Postino”– its Virginia premiere and VOA’s first presentation of it.
“Il Postino” (“The Postman”) is partly adapted from the 1994 Oscar-winning Italian film of the same name and debuted in 2010. The VOA’s is a new production of this work, done in collaboration with Chicago Opera and Opera Southwest to help expand the power and persuasion of quality opera across the land.
Sung in Spanish, the second time the company has done so (the first being Thea Musgrave’s “Simon Bolivar” in 1995), “Postino” is a work of diverse emotions, crafted around love and loss, joy and sadness and the bonds of friendship. Quite basically, it focuses on Chilean poet Pablo Neruda, exiled to a tiny Italian island, and meek Mario, the postman, who delivers Neruda’s mail. Mario eventually seeks the poet’s help in wooing Beatrice with poetry. Love wins but not before politics turn bliss into tragedy.
The Spanish libretto supplies comedy and drama and Catán’s lush, lyrical score shades of the likes of Puccini, Debussy and Villa Lobos throughout — all the ingredients for beautiful music and captivating vocals, of which there were many.
Delivery of the work’s flowing lines fell to a top drawer-cast who could sing and, quite essentially, act, given the work’s layered emotions and motivations.
Daniel Montenegro sang Mario. Interestingly, as a young singer, he worked with Catán in shaping what would ultimately become his role. He also made his European debut in this work and role, singing with Placido Domingo as Neruda, the latter a role Catán wrote for him. He brought to his performance a bright tenor quality that soared as needed, although at times he was not clearly as audible as desired.
Tenor Raúl Melo, a Metropolitan Opera regular, sang Neruda, bringing to it an appealing sound that easily filled the hall. The interaction between Melo and Montenegro, as poet and pupil, was a touching exploration defining friendship.
As Beatrice, Virginia-born soprano Danielle Talamantes did the honors, displaying a crystalline voice, as did Inna Dukach as Matilde, Neruda’s wife, both having the ability to float notes effortlessly in the air. Rounding off the female roles was mezzo-soprano Dana Beth Miller as Donna Rosa, Beatrice’s mother. Her delightful acting as a mom suspicious of Mario’s intentions, was matched by her equally delightful rich, color-filled voice.
The VOA chorus enriched Catán’s inviting score, the latter played to perfection by the Virginia Symphony under Turner’s care, the collaboration between pit and stage being pitch perfect.
Crystal Manich made her VOA stage direction debut, skillfully moving people and props about the set and taking full advantage of the stage’s space limitations. Also keeping things moving was scenic designer Liliana Duque Piñeiro’s rotating platform, the singular focus of which was a spiral stairway to infinity, looking much like an abstract sculpture or portions of a Jenga set. It rotated for 28-some scenes, props quietly added and subtracted to set location and mood. And, always present was a stationary but free peddling bicycle used for Mario’s daily mail delivery. Tláloc López-Watermann’s projections constantly changed according to mood and lyrics and were mesmerizing and magical, as was this VOA first, “Il Postino.”
It plays next in Fairfax, Nov. 16 and 17, and in Richmond Nov. 22 and 24.
Shulson, a Williamsburg resident, has been covering the arts for over 40 years. He makes a guest appearance in Margaret Truman’s “Murder at the Opera.”
