PITTSBURGH-- Pittsburgh Opera general director Tito Capobianco has made every effort to bring operatic excitement to this city since he arrived here three seasons ago. The company's Opera Jubilee 1985 (December 15 at HEINZ HALL) achieved Capobianco's aim in no uncertain terms Agnes Baltsa and José Carreras were on hand to offer their first joint concert in the United States, and it certainly was an occasion for rejoicing. Of course, programmes filled with solo and duet goodies, plus a Few orchestral sideshows to give the voices a breather, ultimately do more teasing than some operatic devotees might prefer. Still, this concert provided Pittsburgh with a thrilling introduction to two singers who next time should be put into costumes and make-up and allowed really to demonstrate what opera can be all about.

From a purely dramatic standpoint, the extended Act 4 duets from Aida and Carmen were destined to be the concert's most satisfying items. Miss Baltsa's haunting Amneris possessed a measure of desperation that proved mesmerizing. Carreras was a Radames of heroic force. In the Carmen duet, he unleashed a hurricane of impassioned sound as his Don Jose pleaded with Miss Baltsa's ferocious, abundantly alluring Carmen. As in all of the afternoon's fare, Edoardo Müller's conducting in these excerpts was expressive and vital, even if his orchestra often evinced operatic inexperience.

Carreras occasionally failed to join tones in smooth lines or hit notes squarely in the centre, but was nevertheless tremendously poetic in 'O souverain, o juge, o père' from Le Cid and, especially, 'Un di all'azzurro spazio' from Andrea Chénier. He was less vivid and fluent in 'Che gelida manina', which opened the programme, and the Flower Song from Carmen. Miss Baltsa, whose mezzo produces a spectrum of colours, easily managed the florid challenges in 'Tanti affetti' (La donna del lago) and 'Non più mesta' (La cenerentola), and in the Séguedille she added sandpaper to her timbre to capture Carmen's earthiness. Her singing of 'O mio Fernando' (La favorita), however, lacked clarity and temperament.

Each of the three encores came as a delightful gift. Miss Baltsa offered a gutsy, exhilarating performance of a Greek folksong, and Carreras toasted the holiday season with a charming 'White Christmas'. Then, when the conductor began the he introduction to 'Libiamo', Miss Baltsa darted for the wings, only to be grabbed by Carreras, who handed her the music. Miss Baltsa studied her part with bulging eyes as Carreras sang, and then she proceeded to give us a Violetta slightly daffy in appearance but totally disarming of voice.

Copyright © 1986 OPERA Magazine