For Jerusalem-"See Lombardi, I"¹

If you look in The Harper Dictionary of Opera and Operettas² for the opera Jerusalem you will find just a cryptic cross-reference-"see Lombardi, I. Clearly, this is an oversight on the part of the editor. The Vienna Staatsoper production of Jerusalem-with a cast headed by José Carreras, Eliane Coelho and Samuel Ramey-is worthy of an entry all its own!

In March of 1847, the Paris Opera commissioned a new opera (in French, of course) from Giuseppi Verdi. Given time constraints, Verdi did what Rossini had frequently done-he recycled! Verdi reworked the score of an earlier opera, I Lombardi all Prima Crociata. The new French libretto by Alphonse Roger and Gustave Vaez streamlined the plot, moved the opening from Milan to Toulouse, changed names and added-at least for tenor fans-a happy ending! Jerusalem's Gaston, unlike I Lombardi's Oronte, lives! Which for this Carreras fan was a pleasant surprise the first night I attended a performance. The opera was an immediate success when it opened in Paris on November 26, 1847 and eventually it came full circle, translated back into Italian and opening in Milan on the day after Christmas 1850 as Gerusalemme.

Overall, the Staatsoper production was superb. As Gaston, Carreras was in excellent voice-warm, dark and rich. I once read an article that described his voice as "plangent." It is this very expressive, almost plaintive, quality in his voice that appeals to me and it was very much in evidence at the two performances that I attended. Also, as I've come to expect, his acting was first rate. The beard, which I'd watched him grow since his recital in Philadelphia a few weeks before was now neat and trim-adding to his romantic, heroic appearance.

However, Carreras was not giving a great performance in a vacuum. Ramey was wonderful in the role of Roger; as were Coelho as Hélène, Davide Damiani as the Count, and Peter Koves's as the papal legate. All the principals worked well together. No one tried to "upstage" anyone. Jerusalem offers many wonderful opportunities for ensemble singing and each time the voices were distinct and recognizable; yet blended together beautifully. You could say-yes, that's Carreras's voice or Ramey's or Coelho's-but you never felt that one voice was drowning out another. Under Zubin Mehta's baton, the Staatsoper's orchestra provided a robust accompaniment and the chorus was it's equal.

Visually, the sets and the costumes were stark and perhaps a little dark. In contrast to last fall's Staatsoper production of Herodiade, which was designed in bold, primary colors, with blood red being the favorite-Jerusalem was dark and subtle in hue. This starkness served to emphasize the singing and the acting. The only distraction was-the fire! Campfires, plus a torch light procession in one scene caused more than a few moments of nail biting on my part. With the recent rash of opera house fires in the past few years, I found myself looking for the nearest exit.

While I thought both of the performances I attended-June 6th and 9th-were excellent, there was an indefinable "something" about the last performance. Yes, it was a gala and many in the audience were formally dressed, but that wasn't the only reason. When the curtain came down after the last act, I looked over at the podium and saw Mehta standing there-beaming! The audience was also more enthusiastic that night. Not only were there more curtain calls, but Carreras was showered with bouquets which he graciously shared with Coelho, Mehta and Ramey. The audience's enthusiastic applause continued on even after the fire curtain was brought down and the house lights came up-the perfect ending to a special evening.