Few Solo Standouts, But a Striking ‘Faust’

Earl Staley’s old-fashioned and colorful production of Gounod’s “Faust,” created for Houston Opera in the 1980s and last seen at San Diego Opera exactly 13 years ago, has returned to Civic Theatre. It is a striking, handsome, beautifully lit production, with gorgeous costumes, and its revival Saturday night was happily applauded by a full house of opening-nighters.

The singing, quite acceptable but undistinctive, is nothing to shout about, yet the musical leadership is expert.

Returning to Southern California for his annual spring visit, Richard Bonynge conducts a stylish, nuanced, tightly balanced performance, a bracing reminder that Gounod’s masterpiece is just that. Throughout a well-paced evening, Bonynge kept all elements in resonant balance, presided over sensible, motivated tempos and assisted his singers with loving, but never indulgent, care.

The best of these, though no paragon of subtlety or pointed characterization, is Ferruccio Furlanetto, who also sang Mephistopheles in the 1988 San Diego production. The Italian basso’s Satan is more jolly than menacing, but large of voice, stageworthy and visually imposing; he is strong if not faceted.

Even more one-dimensional, Mexican tenor Octavio Arevalo, in his United States debut, proved a pleasant but uncharismatic Faust, one severely limited in dynamics and vocal color. He sang valiantly throughout and made unstrained sounds over an admirable range, yet never became dramatically compelling or interesting to watch.

The Polish soprano Izabela Labuda looked stunning in Staley’s flattering costumes and acted with more conviction than her colleagues on the Civic Theatre stage. Yet her singing of Marguerite, not always well-tuned, is gentle rather than assertive; her Jewel Song never revealed an audible trill, and the top of her voice lacks brilliance. As an actress, she shone in the dramatic finale and spectacularly billowing apotheosis, with no particular thanks to Linda Brovsky’s routine staging.

The rest of the cast varied, from the pointed and charming Siebel of Zheng Cao, to the solid, hearty Marthe of Judith Christin--another carry-over from 1988--to the highly promising Valentin of Jeff Mattsey, who sang a successful Death Scene but earlier disappointed greatly in his aria. Under Bonynge, the orchestra played brilliantly, and with more than its usual discipline. Trained by Timothy Godd Smmons, the chorus acquitted itself admirably, particularly in the final act.

* San Diego Opera presents Gounod’s “Faust” in Civic Theatre, 202 C St., San Diego, Tuesday and Feb. 28 at 7 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. $33-$124. (619) 232-7636.