Also this issue: Eye Candy The tantalizingly decorative work of Candy Depew draws the viewer into its complex, multicultural core. -Robin Rice Marcel Marceau -Deni Kasrel Art in Northern Liberties -Debra Auspitz Rambleshoe -Janet Anderson Self-Criticism George Pelecanos’ previous work is his own toughest judge. -Justin Bauer

March 20-26, 2003

opera

Macbeth

by Peter Burwasser

Giuseppe Verdi turned to his literary hero, Shakespeare, three times in his operatic output. The last two encounters happened to conclude Verdi’s career, in works of extraordinarily insightful emotional impact, including Falstaff, produced in the composer’s 80th year. An interpretation of Macbeth came almost a half-century earlier, and while the overall gestures were broader, the composer’s genius for constructing emotionally complex and morally conflicted characters was fully intact.

Macbeth is an opera that thrives on solid acting as well as beautiful singing, and this Opera Company of Philadelphia production delivers the goods. The much-anticipated title performance by baritone Gregg Baker does not disappoint. This OCP regular has garnered a solid reputation for dignified and thoughtful portrayals, delivered in rich and supple tones. And yet Baker is very nearly upstaged by a powerhouse performance by Lauren Flanigan as the demented Lady Macbeth. Hers is not a sumptuous voice, and her breath control occasionally slips, but such considerations are swept aside by a memorably visceral impersonation. When she contemplates her next murder, she hisses "nuovo delitto" ("a new crime"), with a chillingly hushed glee that instantly illuminates her psychosis.

That she does not dominate the theatrical structure is a testament to both the overall strength of the production and the dramatic clarity and intricacy of Verdi's work. When Baker and Flanigan sing together, they project a stunning counterpoint of his dreadful misgivings and her monstrous ambitions.

The balance of the cast, which Verdi mainly fills with male voices, is excellent, with a notable big-stage debut by recent Curtis grad Eric Owens as Banquo. Much of Canadian conductor Jacques Lacombe's work in the pit seems restrained, as if to tone down some of the opera's youthful bombast, but in such challenging ensembles as the two glorious waltzes that conclude Acts 1 and 2, he balances a rainbow of vocal and orchestral colors with radiant elegance.

The set and the director, Ralf Långbacka, are Finnish imports. Macbeth's court is portrayed not in royal splendor, but in dark, medieval tones that reflect the grim subject matter. The gross symbolism of the 300-pound crown that hovers over the stage seems appropriate to an exploration of the coarser elements of the human psyche. Apart from the insipid sword battle at the opera's close, Långbacka's sense of stage flow is a marvel to behold, with remarkably fluid transitions from scene to scene that honor Shakespeare's original vision.

Macbeth

Through March 30, Opera Company of Philadelphia, Academy of Music, Broad and Locust sts., 215-893-1999