The Pearl Fishers, Opera San Jose, Sept. 23 2012

Back to San Jose to see Bizet’s The Pearl Fishers with a different cast than the cast we saw last week. Same sets, of course; same different ending from my recording, of course. I should note that the back of the stage, above the platform, was a blank slate on which could be projected a deep blue sky with a few stars, a sunset, or a night sky with lots of stars. High above the platform, in front of the sky, were suspended a number of vines. The legs on the sides of the stage were enhanced with tall, narrow intricately carved wooden panels facing the main stage.

Our cast:
Leila: Melody King
Nadir: James Callon
Zurga: Zachary Altman
Nourabad: Silas Elash
Conductor: Anthony Quartuccio
Director: Richard Harrell
Set Designer: Charlie Smith

The first three principals are all brand-new resident artists, singing their first Opera San Jose performances. Of these, Altman (Zurga) was the standout. This company has been very fortunate over the years, with many fine baritones; he sounded as though he would continue the tradition.  Callon (Nadir) was almost as good, though his “Je crois entendre” in the first act sounded weak and thin. King (Leïla) got off to a rocky start. In act 1 she sounded out of her depth, but sang relatively well in the final two acts—though her vibrato was too pronounced for my tastes. Elash (Nourabad) sounded much better than he had the previous week. Perhaps it was the second row of the orchestra vs. the first row of the balcony? The chorus sounded particularly fine, as did the orchestra under Tony Quartuccio. My companions and I thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon. A strong beta.