![]() ![]() The last acts of Verdi's work take place on an obscurely lit dirt pile - arguably the ashes of the martyrs burned during the preceding, and impressively ghastly, auto-da-f'e. The Spanish scenes are dominated by huge frames on which are hung effigies of hooded monks in contorted positions - capturing both the oppressiveness of Spain and the all-pervasiveness of the Inquisition. There she stands, on a swatch of AstroTurf and plastic daffodils - actually, an effective fairytale vision that Carlos will keep with him for the rest of the opera. Elisabeth makes her first appearance on the wintry French scene when a cellophane tree is lifted up. The Cox production requires that an audience do its homework if it is to fully understand what is going on. Verdi's vocal line was so clearly composed for the riches of the French language that it should be performed only in French, even though it has been known in Verdi's four-act Italian revision for much of its history. When sung in French, ``Don Carlos'' takes on new dimensions of dignity and subtlety. Around her was an ideal cast, featuring the Czech soprano Gabriela Benackova and Polish tenor Wieslaw Ochman, with maestro Mackerras in the pit. ``Jenufa'' was revived so that soprano Leonie Rysanek would be able to introduce - to the city of her US debut 30 years ago - her newest role of Kostelnicka. The ``Carlos,'' given in a ``concept'' production directed by John Cox and designed by Stephanos Lazaridis, was cast with singers who would learn the work in French. This is the first major company in the United States to devote its attention to the original Paris version, in French, of Verdi's ``Don Carlos.'' It is also the first US company to eschew the corrupt edition of Janacek's ``Jenufa,'' in favor of Sir Charles Mackerras's, based on the original manuscript. McEwen has served up a few stimulating firsts. ![]() In the early weeks of its 64th fall season, general director Terence A. Today more than ever, companies like the San Francisco Opera are demonstrating that the Metropolitan Opera is no longer America's only international company of note. ![]()
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