BWW Reviews: Opera Lafayette Proves That It Takes a VILLAGE(OISE) to Charm New York

It didn't have a ten-ton set, a fake diva flying from a parapet, or a star-studded cast, but Opera Lafayette's L'EPREUVE VILLAGEOISE (THE VILLAGE TRIAL) had one thing noticeably absent from the opera stage in New York this season: charm aplenty, charm galore.

The Washington, DC, troupe landed for two performances of this overlooked work at the French Institute-Alliance Francaise's Florence Gould Hall at the tail end of the season, under the direction of Nick Olcott and founder-artistic director-conductor Ryan Brown, celebrating the period-instrument ensemble's 20th anniversary year.

With a score by Andre Gretry, a leading light of 18th century opera-comique, and a libretto by Desforges, the opera had made its debut in the court of Versailles in a much-bloated form (three acts, two intermissions), a different title, THEODORE ET PAULIN and disdain from the audience. Luckily, Gretry and his collaborator took the hint when the "comic relief" from the rustics overshadowed the drama about nobles and reshaped it into a spirited farce. Here, the opera lasted a scant 90 minutes--every one of them used effectively.

What's the story? There's not much of it, mostly centering around Denise, the widow farmer's daughter, and the two men after her affection. While resetting the story to New Orleans didn't do much for the presentation, neither did it detract from it, with minimal scenery by Luciana Stecconi, colorful costumes by Kendra Rai and lighting by AJ Guban. With a winning cast headed by Canadian soprano Pascale Beaudin in an endearing, cheeky performance, you could imagine lying under a tree in a meadow with a picnic, being entertained within an inch of your life.

Beaudin's enchanting soprano made a delightful pivot to the proceedings, but she was in good company. Plummy French baritone Thomas Dolie was La France, the stuffy overseer of the local plantation who had earlier been chasing her mother, Madame Hubert (the winning American soprano Talise Trevigne in a pithy performance) and seems to have bedded every other girl in town. The "fourth corner" of the triangle was the boyish Spanish tenor Francisco Fernandez-Rueda, as the bumpkin who is the object of Denise's affection, but with a jealous streak that tries her patience. As the two women try to teach the men a lesson in love, the lively choreography and performance by Aaron R. White, and the sonorous Opera Lafayette Orchestra and Chorus pulled us along to the inevitable happy ending--especially happy for the audience.

Opera Lafayette specializes in rediscovering neglected works from the French repertoire and is producing a premiere recording of L'EPREUVE VILLAGEOISE. If it captures even half the allure of the live performance, it should be a welcome addition to opera discography.

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Photo by Louis Forget