Arts Alive San Antonio

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor

Romeo and Juliet, the best-known fictional lovers of literature and stage, will be among us again this weekend in Opera San Antonio’s production of The Capulets and the Montagues, an opera composed by Vincenzo Bellini and first performed in 1830.

Also known  by its Italian title, I Capuleti e i Montecchi, the work has been sort of rediscovered recently, with a number of new productions staged across the U.S. and Europe, but what OSA is bringing to us is something different: a concert version of the work adapted and directed by Antony Walker, the founder and artistic director of Washington Concert Opera in D.C.

In this type of production, sets and costumes are disposed of, and the emphasis is on the music, the singers and the musicians.

“Capuleti is a perfect piece to present (in concert form) as the score is melodically so rich, easy to follow dramatically and makes a beautiful impact even without staging,” said Walker via email. “The main thing is that you need wonderful principals with beautiful voices who understand how this music works stylistically and dramatically… We certainly have wonderful bel canto voices for this concert version here… Bellini had a gift for consistently writing the best melodies of the Bel Canto period, and understood the technical and dramatic capabilities of the human voice so perfectly.”

The concert format is also a more intimate experience for the audience. That’s why, the two OSA performances will take place in the Luella Bennack Music Center at the University of the Incarnate Word instead of at the Tobin, where operas are usually presented.

But there’s no downsizing of talent. The principal roles will be sung by two outstanding vocalists, the acclaimed coloratura soprano, Rachele Gilmore, and rising star, mezzo soprano Corrie Stallings. Both have graced the stages of grand opera houses and received ample critical praise. And both are women. If that confuses you, that’s because Bellini decided to follow an old tradition of casting women in young men’s roles.

The tradition goes back to at least Handel, wrote Walker. In the past, young males were sometimes castrated to preserve their high voices. “Composers liked the virile high sounds of the castrato and the more feminine sound of the female mezzo for different types of male characters,” he explained. So, casting a tenor as Romeo in Capuleti “just doesn’t work” musically.

Walker is also known for bringing back lesser known operas of famous composers, such as is the case here.

“ I am very passionate about presenting works that are outside “the top 20” because there are so many superb operas out there that not only are a joy to experience per se, but also enhance our enjoyment of the art form in general and increase our understanding of the operatic canon as a whole,” he noted…. “I love to give audiences the opportunity to broaden their repertoire of favorite operas by presenting rarer ones that I love myself and want to share.”

In this weekend’s production, the adapted score will be performed by eight musicians, including the Agarita Chamber Players, a quartet of talented local players who love to collaborate with other artists. When OSA’s board chairman Blair Labatt first approached them about this particular collaboration, they immediately said “yes.”

“We are all about collaborating, so this was like a dream come true for us,” said Marisa Bushman, the violist of the group. “It made sense to pair up with Opera San Antonio to perform an opera in an intimate environment.”

They will be joined by four others: Jeff Garza (horn), Jessica Petraska (flute), Daniel Silver (clarinet) and Emily Herdeman Kelly (violin). Walker will conduct. And OSA’s artistic adviser (and outstanding opera stage director in his own tight) Garnett Bruce will provide narration.

“The melodies of this opera are beautiful, for the horn and for the cello,” added Bushman. “It’s light instrumentation that feels like an extension of the singers’ breath. Working with Antony is phenomenal; his expertise and knowledge of what we are playing is impressive. We are better players now because he has guided us through this process.”

Also appearing will be Grammy Award-winner, baritone Daniel Belcher; tenor Jonas Hacker, and bass Matthew Trevino.

The concert performance is a way for OSA to “bridge the gap” between the fall and spring productions and create a sense of continuity for opera lovers in the city, said general and artistic director Loren Meeker in an earlier interview.

And it’s just in time for Valentine’s Day! How perfect is that?

The Capulets and the Montagues, opera by Vincenzo Bellini; Feb. 13 and 15 at 7:30 p.m.; Luella Bennack Music Center, University of the Incarnate World; tickets $45, www.tobincenter.org/box-office/2020-02/capulets-and-montagues or at the door. For info call 210-673-7270