JH: The difficult thing about writing reviews of operatic productions mounted by a world-class company like the Canadian Opera Company is that when it comes to the 'technical' aspects such as vocal and musical performances, there is often much to praise and little to complain about. Or in other words, a lack of stinkers can sometimes make for a dull and frothy article - which is not necessarily a negative, as the purpose of a review by no means to be 'interesting' or pithy but rather informative and hopefully insightful.
Thankfully, the COC has also proven to be a...
Rosario La Spina (back) and Sondra Radvanovsky (front) in the Canadian Opera Company’s production of Aida. Photo by Michael Cooper
Brevity is the order of the day; go and see Otello at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts.
The Canadian Opera Company’s production of Verdi’s timeless piece, the crowning glory of a brilliant career, leaves little to be desired. Famed tenor Clifton Forbis in the title role can only be described as sublime. His voice, prowess with Verdi’s score and dramatic force combine to make his performance a masterful one. Scott Hendricks is diabolical and enticing as the evil Iago, though his rounded voice is sometimes drowned out by the orchestra or the chorus. I’m...
(l – r) (kneeling) Emanuele D’Aguanno as Cassio, Tiziana Caruso as Desdemona, Clifton Forbis as Otello, Scott Hendricks as Iago and Adam Luther as Roderigo in the Canadian Opera Company’s production of Otello. Photo: Michael Cooper
