New York and the world should be grateful that Eve Queler has saved her company from recent financial difficulty. Last night it proved its reputation as both an excellent venue for the introduction of new singers and a showplace for well established vocal talent. Bellini’s comedy has its moments and, in Ira Siff’s semi-staged format, Carnegie Hall was clearly delighted.
The evening clearly belonged to the wonderful Italian bass Ferruccio Furlanetto. Bringing his cavernous voice and fine dramatic ability to the role of the Count, a falsely suspected seducer, he taught us what “superstar” should mean in the operatic world and how well he would deserve the title if the times were meant for greater elegance. The opera’s star is of course the soprano title role, the sleepwalking village girl Amina whose impending marriage is nearly compromised by her unfortunate condition. In Eglise Gutteriez, Ms. Queler’s company has made a real discovery. Her lower and middle range lines and artful cadenzas delivered gorgeous bel canto singing, despite some slight strain in the ascending E flats. There was refreshingly little embellishment to the part as written in Bellini’s original score, proving the value of stricter come scritto singing than we often hear today. Elizabeth Caballero, known to New York audiences from her appearances at the New York City Opera, made an impressive Carnegie Hall debut as the mischievous Lisa. Dmitry Korzak’s Elvino, Amina’s suitor, captured the character’s milksop qualities and rendered fine musicianship. The voice, though, seemed a bit too small for a hall of Carnegie’s size. Ms. Queler’s conducting guided the performance successfully. Her chorus was a fine accompaniment.
