Premiered in Munich two weeks before his 19th birthday, Mozart’s La finta giaridniera (“The Pretend Gardener”) is a complicated story of seven people, most of whom love (or pretend to love) at least two of the other characters. As presented by the Merola Opera Program at Cowell Theater, Ft. Mason, it was an evening well spent.
The same set served all three acts. On a slightly tilted square platform a foot or two above stage level, we saw a large round oak single-pedestal oak table with five chairs arranged around it. To the left and right were suspended four (for a total of eight) 4-foot by 5-foot photos of formal English gardens—simple but effective, and a far cry from the “obscenely stupid” production of the same opera by the same organization (but different director) ten years ago.
Our cast:
Nardo: Gordon Bintner
Sandrina: Jennifer Cherest
Podesta: Casey Candebat
Belfiore: Theo Lebow
Ramiro: Sarah Mesko
Arminda: Jacqueline Piccolino
Serpetta: Rose Sawvel
Conductor: Gary Thor Wedow
Director: Nicholas Muni
The standout performer of the evening was Jacqueline Piccolino, whose rage aria immediately made me want to hear her as Elektra in Idomeneo. Also notable was Gordon Bintner as Nardo. I’ll be watching for those two at the upcoming Grand Finale. The castrato part of Ramiro was taken (adequately) by Sarah Mesko, whose short wig, goatee, and formal black suit were so convincing that I took the performer for a countertenor until I looked at the program. The orchestra was a bit sketchy at the beginning, but before long they had reached cruising speed. Overall, somewhat short of a beta.
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