No more tickets for ‘Cabildo,’ being staged during FQF – Living/Lagniappe:
As dusk descended across Jackson Square on Thursday, April 16, the light softened in the courtyard of the Cabildo. On the hour, the bells of the St. Louis Cathedral offered the prelude for a magical and historic evening of music as Amy Beach’s opera “Cabildo” came home.
The one-act chamber opera, written in 1932 by the foremost female American composer of her time, received its New Orleans premiere in the very setting of the opera itself. Presented by Music @ Madewood and performed by Houston’s Opera Vista, “Cabildo” is a charming and melodic entertainment, which stands well the test of time.
It will be repeated at Saturday, April 18, at 7:30 p.m. at The Cabildo. All tickets for this performance, however, had been claimed by 9:05 a.m. this morning, Saturday, April 18.
The opera tells its story through the eyes of a group of modern visitors touring the Cabildo. As one tourist drifts to sleep on a bench in the courtyard, she dreams an elaborate sequence that tells the story of the pirate Pierre Lafitte and his escape from the Cabildo’s jail with the assistance of the ethereal presence of a former lover.As the tour guide/barker, sung strongly by Joe White, regales the group with the tale of pirates and romance, newlywed Mary (Shelley Auer) expresses skepticism of such a sentimental attitude – before drifting off into the dream that revels in that sentimental Southern Gothic romance. She may well represent the composer herself, a staunch New Englander, seeking permission to tackle this bodice-ripping tale of buccaneers and battles.
Bass-baritone Joseph Rawley brought Lafitte to life with a vibrant charisma and deeply rich voice. Dominique You, who brings word that Lafitte has been enlisted with his brother, Jean, to aid Andrew Jackson’s troops in defense of New Orleans, was powerfully sung by tenor Daniel Buchanan.
The Lady Valerie, Pierre’s love, was utterly captivating in the hands of soprano Lynelle Rowley. The lengthy love duet she sings opposite Rawley was the vocal highlight of the night.
The jailer was well played by Dennis Arrowsmith; Auer gave the tourist Mary a lovely voice. The rest of the members of the strong ensemble are artists of the Houston-based company.
From the dancing overture, conductor Viswa Subbaraman leads the three-piece orchestra with a swashbuckling sweep, fitting to the tale and evoking a strong sound that belies the number of musicians. The music is distinctly of its time, but heard through impressionistic ears. Beach didn’t create pastiches of the dances and folk songs of the day, but reimagined them. Subbaraman moved the 45-minute work along at a steady clip.
That “Cabildo” will be repeated Saturday, April 18, in conjunction with the French Quarter Festival is indeed reason to celebrate.
