But this time I took a friend who was more familiar with opera!  And she thought it was beautiful.

Jouvanca Jean-Baptiste as the fiery opera diva in Puccini's passionate, political thriller Tosca at Opera San José. Photo by Chris Ayers

The story of Tosca is a tragedy of grand proportions:  there are tortured political prisoners, executions, shattered romances, and the tragic death of almost every major character.  Even the set designs are dark and gloomy, though still rich and sumptuous.  But to me, the novice, it seemed that this opera was much more about the singing and the music than the story.  While this might be good news for the seasoned opera lover, it was a little difficult for me to pay attention.  My loss, absolutely.

But there is nothing about Tosca to complain about.  The music really was beautiful, perfection as always at Opera San Jose, and the singing too was amazing.  This was my first time seeing Jouvanca Jean-Baptiste (Tosca) in a role and she was certainly a treat.  Her huge expressive eyes made her appear vulnerable and childlike, however Tosca really was anything but.  I loved her voice and the petulant way she directed her lover to repaint the eyes of a portrait on the church wall.  Jean-Baptiste also gives Tosca a certain ferocious quality, and a will to get done whatever is required.  Tosca is quite the tragic heroine.

I thought the singing and music were beautiful as well, but Tosca might be less newbie-friendly than my previous two operas.  It is slightly less exciting or overtly entertaining.  On the other hand, it seemed the audience of opera aficionados was much happier with Tosca than with the previous two operas.  My guest, the opera-lover, was overjoyed to finally see this opera, but I was just not so excited about this one as I have been with the others.  Both of these summations can be correct.

My recommendation for this one:  Opera fans should absolutely go see it!  The knowledgeable opera critics I have read appear to love it and as far as my untrained ear could tell it was fabulous.  My fellow Opera Newbies might want to wait for the next show:  The Barber of Seville. I am sure that one will be a delight for us all!  (But don’t let me stop you — go see it and report back your own opinion!)

Tosca
by Giacomo Puccini
Libretto by Giuseppe Giacosa and Luigi Illica
Based on the drama
La tosca by Victorien Sardou
Sung in Italian with English supertitles
November 13 – 28, 2010
California Theatre
345 South 1st Street, San Jose
Ticketing Information

Magda in La Rondine

Opera San Jose recently invited us to attend opening night of Puccini’s La Rondine, and as I have a few friends who are crazy about opera, I decided to give it a go.  The result was that I loved La Rondine and cannot wait to attend more shows at Opera San Jose.  I also think that everyone would love this show whether you think you would like opera or not.  The problem in which I find myself now is that I realize I have no real knowledge of opera, so this review is going to be written from a strictly layperson’s point of view.

But perhaps this is a good thing.  Because I went into this show with an open mind and came out a huge fan, and I am a little disappointed to realize I have missed a lot of opera productions over the years.   But perhaps I can encourage some readers to give it a try with my novice’s take on the delightful show.

Cancan Dancers!

First, the opera productions are held in the beautiful California Theatre, and really I’ll take any excuse to attend an event at the Cal Theatre.  Second, the audience is dressed to the nines.  If you’d like an excuse to dress like a movie star, you’ll fit right in at the opera!  On the other hand, I wore black slacks and a nice blouse and my friend wore a dress with boots and we felt fine.  I do not recommend jeans.

Second, there are subtitles!  That’s right, subtitles at a live opera production!  There is a long screen hanging from the top of the stage where the subtitles are broadcast.  This puts it completely out of the way for anyone who wants no part of this technology, but is 100% helpful for those of us opera newbies.   So there is nothing to not understand, it is right there in front of you. (more…)