San Diego Serves Up Sumptuous ‘Ballo’

SAN DIEGO — Closing its 34th season in high style, San Diego Opera has mounted “Un Ballo in Maschera” in the imposing production designed by Ezio Frigero and Mauro Pagano for Cologne, lighted here by the imaginative Marie Barrett, and with the compelling stage direction of Michael Hampe.

At its opening Saturday night in Civic Theatre, this “Ballo” looked like one of Verdi’s masterpieces--which of course it is. A lot of the singing came up to that appropriate exalted level too, in particular the often incandescent performance by Richard Leech as an impassioned and ringing Riccardo--here called Gustavo in deference to the libretto’s convoluted roots.

Leech dominated, not just with the richness of his singing and the fearlessness of his high notes but with his entire command of the many facets of this complex Verdian portrait. He sang every part of it with full musical detailing and beauty of tone, never tiring. And, with high-energy support from conductor Edoardo Muller and an accomplished orchestra in the pit, this became a performance of dramatic fire and urgent pacing.

“Ballo” has seldom seemed so short: The plot moved forward in a straight dramatic line, each set-piece adding to the impact. Even with intermissions somewhat restraining the impetus, the drama proceeded in an unbroken line.

The composer’s arch also kept its shape, with sterling contributions from Barbara Dever as a credible, handsome-sounding and solid Ulrica, and Elisabeth Comeaux, the musical, dramatically apt and non-mincing Oscar.

Sympathetic and believable as Amelia, American soprano Jeanne-Michele Charbonnet seemed out of voice, her strong dramatic appeal compromised by recurring weakness in the vocal line and unblooming high notes. Her best moments promised more, but less kept emerging.

Mark Rucker’s gripping, totally involved Renato consistently held interest, but in a context of only adequate singing. Among the rest of the cast, good contributions came from David Downing and Alexander Anisimov (Sam and Tom, respectively) and James Scott Sikon (Christiano).

The chorus, trained by Timothy Todd Simmons, proved game but ragged, though its members moved confidently about the stage and wore their handsome costumes (by Pagano) with panache. The last-act ballet, choreographed by Maxine Mahon, became a visual delight, its performance as polished as any other element in the production.

* San Diego Opera presents Verdi’s “Un Ballo in Maschera” in Civic Theatre, Third Avenue at B Street, San Diego. Tuesday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 8 p.m., Sunday at 2 p.m. and May 12 at 7 p.m. $31-$112. (619) 570-1100.