The supporting roles were well taken, with special kudos to Apprentice member soprano Murrella Parton as a deliciously droll housekeeper Berta. Bartolo, but his physical agility was put to good use, his agile body contortions brought gales of laughter from the audience. Veteran bass Kevin Burdette, with his slim build, may not look the stereotypical old and rotund Dr. He was totally game when it came to all the crafty shenanigans demanded of his character in this production. Tenor Jack Swanson, a wholesome boy-next-door type Almaviva, sang with sweet tone and great high notes.
Mezzo Emily Fons, a fine Cherubino at the Canadian Opera Company a few seasons back, was a lively Rosina, her lyric mezzo with its excellent agility a real pleasure. Figaro is arguably his signature role, and he delivered a fabulous “Largo al factotum,” sung with warm tone and plenty of stage swagger. His voice has darkened and grown in volume over the years, while retaining its freshness. Seen on August 1, Il barbiere di Siviglia boasted a superb cast led by Canadian baritone Joshua Hopkins in the title role. If you want to hear wonderful voices, Santa Fe Opera is the place to go. This year was no exception, with such top-flight veterans as Tamara Wilson (Isolde) and Quinn Kelsey (Falstaff) singing alongside fast-rising young artists the likes of Elena Villalon (Nannetta) and Nicholas Brownlee (Kurwenal). It’s the practice of Santa Fe Opera to engage a mix of established stars and up-and-coming talents in principal roles, with supporting roles and chorus mostly taken by Apprentice singers.
The five performances I saw were well attended but not sold out, a sign of the lingering ill effects of the Pandemic on the performing arts. After two seasons of cancellations and restricted offerings due to COVID-19, the Santa Fe Opera(SFO) returned to its former glory this summer, with a full offering of five operas: Barber of Seville, Carmen, Falstaff, Tristan und Isolde, plus the world premiere of M.
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