FROM AROUND THE WORLD: WASHINGTON, DC.(opera productions, Don Carlos, Turandot)(Brief Article)(Review)

Don Carlo may not be entirely reliable as history, but it still delivers compelling lessons on patriotism vs. rebellion, church vs. state, love vs. lust. Those lessons hit home in Washington Opera's production March 22. Verdi's grandly scaled score was served by a cast with grandly scaled voices and a seasoned conductor who knew how to make four hours pass quickly. (The four-act Italian version of the score was used, with the addition of the brief cloak-exchanging scene between Elisabetta and Eboli at the start of Act II.)

Gianni Quaranta's scenery drove home, a little too relentlessly, his point about the cold supremacy of a despotic authority. Huge, unadorned stone walls appeared in every scene, oppressive, confining. They were sometimes complemented by thick, towering tree trunks (no branches or leaves in sight to soften the imagery). Thus framed, the characters attempted to resolve their problems with the cards, or the sets, invariably stacked against them.

The conflict between religious and secular authority was underlined with particular force by Paata Burchuladze as Philip and Daniel Sumegi as the Grand Inquisitor. Burchuladze's penetrating sound (though prone to sharpness) and sensitive phrasing got to the heart of "Ella giammai m'amo." His subsequent exchange with the Inquisitor was masterfully shaded to reveal slowly simmering fury. Sumegi, likewise producing rich bass tones, was just as effective at conveying his character's inner strength and determination.

Rodrigo was sung by Dwayne Croft with exceptional warmth and a flair for the eloquent arch of a Verdian line. Dramatically, too, he was highly persuasive. Ramon Vargas, in the title role, started out with a somewhat edgy tone but steadily warmed up to deliver vibrant, ardent phrases that made up for rudimentary acting that rarely had him connecting with others onstage. As Elisabetta, Veronica Villarroel used her subtle soprano instrument with great intelligence and eloquence. Her delicious soft notes were as arresting as her emotion-packed outbursts; all of her phrases invariably rang true. Her farewell to her maid-of-honor in the first act was a particularly exquisite moment. Elizabeth Bishop had the vocal weight and color for Eboli. Although she could have milked the ending of "O don fatale" a little more, her singing was otherwise sizzling. Throughout the performance, she made this troublesome woman a strangely sympathetic presence.

There were ringing sounds from Rosendo Flores as the monk. Juliana Rambaldi floated soothing tones as the Celestial Voice. The chorus, prepared by Steven Gathman, provided disciplined, expressive work. A few more personal touches in terms of phrasing and emphasis would have been welcome, but there was much to admire in the propulsive, detailed conducting by Edward Downes. Except for scattered bloopers in the brass, the orchestra turned in a solid performance. Sonja Frisell, whose direction tended toward by-the-numbers blandness, wasn't able to make the notoriously problematic, deus-ex-machina finale look any less anti-climactic than usual. ...