The musical excellence and theatrical puerility of the Stuttgart "Alcina"
arrived in San Francisco tonight, the former intact, the latter modified
by abridging frontal nudity and oral sex, probably to spare this city's
notorious prudishness.

"Musically great, theatrically asinine," you will hear the mantra again
here, far from Stuttgart, where the Stuttgart-based Opernwelt swoons
every time the Stuttgart Opera does something "fresh and brave"...  for
the umpteenth time.  But here, the carping over the new wave of trench-coat
clad counterpoint to music is becoming just as predictable and boring
as the EuroCaca diversion from music and text.  So let's start with the
good stuff instead.

Up from the pit, on a platform that brings it almost on level with the
stage, the orchestra played the Handel score wonderfully well, under Roy
Goodman's steady (if occasionally rhythmically lax) direction. Robert
Waters was the concertmaster for evening, playing affecting obligati.
Shining in the overture and a lengthy (and brilliant) entr'acte, the
orchestra faithfully kept its role as an accompanist.

Catherine Naglestad sang the title role here, as in Stuttgart, brilliantly,
although dazzling more with steady and impressive voice production than
with colors and emotional content. Catriona Smith's Morgana was a vital
vocal presence as the sorceress' sister-apprentice. Added to those San
Francisco debuts were Helene Schneiderman's Bradamante, Sarah Castle's
Oberto and Toby Spence's Oronte - all with near-flawless performances.
David Pittsinger, as Melisso, was the only familiar face.

The production is by Jossi Wieler and Sergio Morabito. The modern-dress
version, on Anna Viebrock's interesting set, with its dominant central
"mirror," provides some fascinating views, occasionally serving the theme
of enchantment well. But the Wieler-Morabito idea is to do something -
anything - at all times to draw attention from the work.

As little brats playing with their food (to keep this discussion
presentable), the directors have the singers touch, kiss, feel, wriggle,
hit, slash, kick (the wall, objects, each other), lick, dress, undress,
put shoes on, take shoes off, shoot, leap, twirl... Sellars on steroid,
hysterically busy, pointless. Whatever you get out of the music will
have to be by overlooking, getting around these lazy, tired, unimaginative,
teenage-hormonal formulae.

There is no attempt to present the story, and heaven knows Ariosto's
convoluted drama needs help. Still, there is a text there - about "the
uses of enchantment" - and the Stuttgart motif of the characters smelling
each other shoes provides no assistance.

Although nowhere near the poetry and true drama of "The Tempest," this
story too has various characters show up on a magic island, disguised,
trans-gendered, seeking and despairing. Everybody falls in love with the
wrong party, but passions run big and true. On a $1,000 budget, Donald
Pippin's Pocket Opera recently presented an "Alcina," which conveyed
much of the potential dramatic truth in the work. The Opera's considerably
more expensive presentation punted on all that.

Still, if you want to HEAR one of Handel's masterpieces played and sung
superbly, you will have six more opportunities - and, most likely, many
empty seats; scheduling any Handel in any production seven times in a
3,000-seat house is not very wise, especially in the days of dealing
with a $7.7 million deficit. Go, by all means, and carry three blindfolds:
one to enhance your own enjoyment, two to provide humane treatment for
the Messrs.  Wieler and Morabito when the time comes to line them up
against the wall.

Janos Gereben/SF
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