BWW Reviews: Collegiate Chorale's MEFISTOFELE Makes a Deal with the Devil at Carnegie Hall

It's easy to see why the Collegiate Chorale chose Arrigo Boito's MEFISTOFELE for its season opener at Carnegie Hall last Wednesday. The opera, which is the only one completed by the librettist of Verdi's OTELLO and FALSTAFF, can't be mistaken for any other. Besides providing a rich score and marvelous roles for three soloists--the title character (a bass-baritone), a dramatic soprano and tenor--the choral writing is gorgeous.

Under the direction of James Bagwell and backed by the resources of the American Symphony Orchestra, the Chorale gave a lively, involved performance that showed some of what the opera has to offer. This held true not only for the Chorale but also for the Manhattan Girls Chorus, who provided some angelic work.

The title role is key

But a performance of this opera rises or falls based on the skills of the singer in the title role. For a generation of New York opera-goers, that meant Samuel Ramey (earlier, Norman Triegle) at the late, lamented New York City Opera, who thrilled audiences with an athletic performance that simply had to be seen and heard.

Unfortunately, the Collegiate Chorale's devil wasn't up to the task. Bass-baritone Eric Owens was off his considerable game, laid low from a bout of strep and medication. There were glimpses of his marvelous voice in evidence, but the kind of bristling performance that brings the role to life was not, particularly since he was forced to sing from a sitting position. Anyone who heard his sensational Alberich in the recent performances of Wagner's RING cycle could only imagine what he might do as the devil, but that's for another season.

Stress on the other soloists

That put considerable stress on his colleagues to put the opera across--and they tried. Soprano Julianna Di Giacomo, in the dueling roles of the chaste Margherita and the siren Helen of Troy, was the most successful. She took a while to warm up, but by the time she delivered Margherita's chilling aria, "L'altra notte in fondo al mare," she had the audience where she wanted them. Her affecting duet with tenor Arturo Chacón-Cruz as Faust, "Lontano, lontano," won admirers for them both, but it was not enough to save the evening.

The devil, it seems, was in the details.

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Photo: Soprano Julianna Di Giacomo and tenor Arturo Chacón-Cruz with the Collegiate Chorale.

Photo credit: Erin Baiano

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