I went to the Barns at Wolf Trap Performance Arts Park for this production. I love this little venue for small ensembles and vocals as it has great lively acoustics. It's the first time for an Opera though. It has a different atmosphere from the usual big houses and I like it. Small recessed pit (I counted about 20 pc orchestra) really puts you intimately close to the stage. I certainly didn't need the glasses to see the make up.
Performance was mixed. The orchestra was good and the volume was just right for the venue. Chorus was good and some singers were good but not some others. It wasn't that the singers couldn't sing but it was more a case of vocal mismatch. The most sentimental heroine, Antonia, had no warmth in her voice. Also I didn't like the direction that left Giulietta with no seductiveness at all. All in all though I really liked it at the Barns and am considering subscribing to the opera series next year. There is a charm in seeing singers in their development. We have to support these budding singers in the municipal level or the genre will not survive.
