James Gill
William Meinert and Emily Birsan in the Madison Opera production "Rusalka."
The numerous operas of Antonin Dvorak are little known to non-Czech audiences. That is a pity, because they include some wonderful things. However, Rusalka, his penultimate stage work, which premiered in 1901, has won increasing attention internationally, especially as opera in Czech (think Janacek) is acquiring a place in the operatic world.
Now Madison has joined the current, with its first production of any opera in Czech.
This one is based mainly on Slavic folk traditions, as partly filtered through Hans Christian Andersen’s “Little Mermaid” story. By tradition, rusalki were water spirits who sought to kill humans, especially if they had been betrayed by them in love. The plot shows one of them, daughter of the Vodnik or Water Goblin, pursuing her love for a Prince, only to be disillusioned and betrayed, leading to the death of both of them.
An immediate point of interest in this Madison Opera production is the casting in the title role of Emily Birsan, a local vocal talent now making a very big career for herself. Her soprano voice is clear and handsomely toned. But loveliness aside, it lacks a degree of heft, and pales a bit in comparison with the two mezzo-sopranos — Lindsay Ammann, a sensational Jezibaba or witch, and Karin Wolverton, an impressive Foreign Princess. To be sure, Birsan’s voice does gain strength as things proceed, and her acting is superb.
Emily Secor, Saira Frank and Kirsten Larson deliver excellent performances as the vivacious Wood Nymphs. (Frank is a familiar performer to Madison audiences, and the other two come from the company’s Opera Studio.) Tenor John Lindsay may not have an opulent voice, but he has a clear voice with good diction and a feeling for the character of the Prince. On the other hand, William Meinert lacks the proper bass darkness and resonance that the Vodnik deserves.
Stage director Keturah Stickann contributes resourceful ideas, but they are somewhat constrained by the production materials obtained from the Minnesota Opera. For Acts I and III, in the woods, the “set” simply consists of constantly changing projections on drop cloths. In act II, the opening episode, in which a gamekeeper and his nephew gossip, is cut, allowing the action to be transferred indoors. There are good results from that: relegation of the humans, in modern dress, to the background, with Rusalka’s anguish forefront. But it leaves the appearance of the Vodnik unexplained.
In all, this is a beautiful and fresh experience, a real piece of Madison Opera enterprise.
Rusalka will be performed again on Sunday, April 28 at 2:30 pm in Overture Hall.
