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Monday, April 22, 2002

By Andrew Druckenbrod, Post-Gazette Classical Music Critic

When the curtain rose Saturday evening on "Lucia di Lammermoor" revealing a stark set with soldiers pointing rifles at the audience, it appeared we were in for a long night of overcooked imagery.

	'Lucia Di Lammermoor' WHERE: Benedum, Downtown. WHEN: 7 p.m. tomorrow; 8 p.m. Friday; 2 p.m. Sunday. TICKETS: $13 to $95; 412-456-6666.

But soon it was clear that the foreboding world was for the characters alone, an interpretive element that built to stunning climax in the Pittsburgh Opera's final opera of the season.

With this production by James Robinson -- in conjunction with the Minnesota Opera -- the Pittsburgh Opera ascended to new creative and artistic heights, as high as those of the mountains of rigid concrete that composed the striking minimalist set.

Never did one miss the castles and Scottish countryside of the plot, because the production made the interior landscape of Lucia's deteriorating mind so compelling. Psychological interpretations are always a cheap nightmare scene away from B movie status, but Robinson and set designer Christine Jones kept things appropriate.

Harsh lighting cast long shadows over the walls and, metaphorically, the action. Also brilliant was the use of color. The lack of it symbolized the bleakness of the situation between Lucia and her brother, Enrico; color entered with her forbidden lover Edgardo; red and orange represented death and insanity (lack of reason, such as suicide and murder).

The set drew one in, inviting interpretation and attention, but it never intruded rudely. In fact, it retained some traditional wisdom, such as the placement of singers largely at the forefront of the stage to enhance their sound.

What made this evening so special, however, was not the radical take on a traditional opera. Rather, it was the time honored qualities of singing and acting. Get these right, and you could stage a bel canto masterpiece like Donizetti's "Lucia" in a cardboard box. Well, the Opera got them right.

Annick Massis' Lucia was gripping from start to finish. Her voice alternated from thrilling to winsome, as it embraced the virtuosity and sorrow of the part. She embraced the part in its entirety, too, acting out Lucia's slowly progressing madness in riveting fashion. Robinson's interpretation emphasized that barbarous circumstances made Lucia mad -- she wasn't a nervous weakling who snapped under pressure. But Massis' mad scene was, well, to die for -- as compelling and complete as performance as you'll see.

How wonderful it was to have a strong performance bolstered by several others, where often before the Opera would cast lesser talent around its star. The burnished voices of James Westman (Enrico) and Rolando Villazon (Edgardo) had the audience believing we were in an Italian opera house of old.

Westman held a noble timbre through his portrayal of the cruel and egotistical brother who forces his sister Lucia to marry against her will. The sky's the limit for Villazon, a young tenor with tremendous potential who combined polish with dramatic depth. His impassioned yearnings in Act II cut straight to the heart.

Bass Eric Owens as Raimondo the chaplain displayed a textured timbre and a mien of sincere caring about the troubled Lucia.

Three Pittsburgh Opera Center singers rounded out the major roles. That's too many for my liking, but they fared well. Javier Abreu sang Normanno with a gorgeous voice, though on the quiet side. Matt Morgan delivered the part of Arturo better than anything he has done yet at the Opera, and Karin Caspi was cast well as Alisa.

In short, I left the Benedum Center totally satisfied. Everything from the orchestra -- lush and dexterous under conductor John Mauceri -- to the lighting was superb. The chorus was outstanding, and even the supertitles weren't rough (though they still had a hiccup).

Of course, now that we know what the company is capable of, we should all expect this high level -- truly a national one -- every time.