Idomeneo 3, Opera San Jose, Sept. 23 2011

I normally see both casts; this production is sufficiently spectacular that a third visit was called for. Everything was the same as the performance of Sept. 17, except that Tony Quartuccio replaced George Cleve on the podium, and Andrew Whitfield replaced Nova Safo in the relatively minor role of Arbace. I tried to evaluate whether I actually heard any difference with different conductors, and concluded that Cleve’s performance was just a tiny bit “crisper.”

I had spoken with Silas Elash after the Sept. 22 performance, and learned where he was positioned as The Voice. I thought he had been just out of sight on the third level of the palace, but no—he was on the other side of a grate at the very top of the ceiling of the theater, way up there. He sounded even better than he had before.

I spoke with one of the cellists afterward, and she said that the orchestra had been told not to get used to all the money and care and attention lavished on this performance—“After this, it’s back to JC Penney.” Thank you, Dr. Packard and Opera San Jose, for a magnificent cultural contribution.