BWW Reviews: Soprano Mariella Devia is 'Queen for a Day' at Opera Orchestra's ROBERTO DEVEREUX

In New York, Donizetti's ROBERTO DEVEREUX will forever be associated with Beverly Sills' powerful portrayal of Elizabeth I, and her stern photo glaring out from the cover of Time Magazine (when it was still a medium to be reckoned with). However, Italian soprano Mariella Devia, a vocal miracle at 66, nearly caused a riot in the role at Carnegie Hall on June 5, performing with the Opera Orchestra of New York under the baton of its founder, Eve Queler, proving once again that fireworks happen when the right role and the right voice align.

In the palm of her hand

And align they did. To say that she had the audience in the palm of her hand would be an understatement. She was the aging queen incarnate, without the benefit of the makeup, wig and other accoutrements that a staged performance might offer.

But the condition of her voice wasn't a given, going in, not at an age when a majority of sopranos have packed it in (Sutherland and Nilsson retired at 64, Sills at 61) or moved along to character roles if they have the desire. Devia has the technique and attention to vocal excellence that make it certain that she's not ready to slow her pace anytime soon.

Specialist in bel canto operas

The ads for the concert billed Devia as a "belcantonista"--specialist in bel canto operas--and no one hearing her performance could deny the purity, flexibility and excellence on display. Yes, there was a bit of time to warm up--lots less than most of the singers we hear regularly at the Met--but nothing that made the audience nervous about what lay ahead in the evening.

Yet, Devia has never been a hot commodity in the US, though she sang many performances at the Met in the 70s-80s. The last time I heard her was as Konstanze in Mozart's DIE ENTFUHRUNG AUS DEM SERAIL at Covent Garden decades ago and, frankly, I recall a very enjoyable performance but nothing that would have prepared me for the excitement at Carnegie the other night.

She has obvious taken good care of her voice--I can think of much-younger sopranos who would kill for that full-toned, dead-on high D natural that finishes the opera--and I wonder whether this will open more opportunities for her in New York. (She puts many singing at the Met, these days, to shame.) The only thing lacking, for me, was a sense of spontaneity and abandon, except for the final note of "Vivi ingrate!" that brought the audience to its feet.

Queler knows how to put on a show

What can one say about conductor Queler? One doesn't go to her concerts for skill at bringing insights into a score--though her orchestra seemed be want to give more than she asked of them-and there are no "aha!" moments. She's not about to give James Levine a run for his money at the podium, but she certainly knows how to put on a show. The Maestro founded The Opera Orchestra of New York in 1972 and has presented many little-known operas with first-class casts, such as Placido Domingo and Grace Bumbry in Massenet's LE CID, Donizetti's GEMMA DI VERGY with Montserrat Caballe, and Puccini's EDGAR with Renata Scotto and Carlo Bergonzi.

While ROBERTO DEVEREUX may be better known than those just mentioned, thanks to Sills and Queler's own performance with Montserrat Caballe as Elisabetta, many years ago, it's far from being a warhorse and good to encounter the right singer as the Virgin Queen. (The Met has it scheduled for 2015-16, with Sondra Radvanovsky.) That makes it even more the pity that the rest of the cast didn't quite hold up.

Loud singing

I hope that up-and-comer tenor Stephen Costello was under the weather (though nothing was announced) because came on looking like his dog died and didn't much change expression throughout the opera. The voice was there all right--with plenty of loud singing, mostly on key--but his greater presence wasn't, though Devia soldiered on as if it were. His final aria sank from view.

The other two principals were somewhat overparted. Mezzo Geraldine Chauvet did the best, as Sara, Duchess of Nottingham, in a role that lay a bit too high for her, but she had good stage presence when her nose wasn't buried in the score. (Was it nerves?) Nonetheless, she has an attractive sound and volume to spare. As the Duke of Nottingham, baritone David Pershall was pushed to his limits; I think that with a more sympathetic conductor he might have come across better. Nevertheless, he did an admirable job, in a role that was probably way too demanding at this stage of his career: Think Papageno, not Conte di Luna (though he has indeed sung both)--and I hope he will, too.

Fine character roles

The three character parts were done quite well. Serbian bass Sava Vemic was an imposing presence as Sir Walter Raleigh, with good low notes and poise. As Lord Cecil, tenor John Kapusta was a lively actor and singer. Bass-baritone Andre Courville was fine as Nottingham's servant. The New York Choral Ensemble, under Italo Marchini, did well as a variety of ladies of the court, courtiers, guards and so on.

Still, it was La Devia's night--and oh what a night it was!

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