Il Trovator - Indy Opera, Indianapolis

 
Clicca la foto per ingrandire

Indianapolis Opera opened its thirty-third season with a sizzling performance of Verdi's Azucena - aka Il Trovatore. Azucena should indeed have been the title for the opera at this October 3 performance, which marked the sensational U.S. debut of Italian contralto Laura Brioli. Brioli is a vocal force of nature, delivering a steady stream of molten vocal lava, solid in every bit of the range from clear, highflying top notes to inky, black lows. With unquenchable power and strength, Brioli built an Azucena of vocal and dramatic greatness. This Gypsy was possessed: she ranted; she raved; she rampaged, yet hardly ever left her assigned position downstage center, the better to communicate with her audience. They were her audience, and communicate she did! Even David Cano's massive sets from New Orleans Opera - seemingly recreating all of Spain and atmospherically lit by Jeff Davis - failed to overshadow Brioli.