leonardk 18 Apr 2010 at 12:15am (Report this message)

One of the highlights of this season at the Israel Opera is a production of Halevy's "La Juive". first performed in Paris in 1835.

Rarely performed in recent years, the Israel Opera offered a production by the British director, David Pountney, which updated the action from the 15th century to the time of Dreyfus.

The story is one of impossible love between a christian man and a jewish woman, set against a background of religious intolerance. Pountney emphasises this by the use of anti-semitic cartoons drawn from the period of the updated setting.

The opening Gala night audience on 13 April was full of expectation and it was not disappointed. The Israel Opera fielded an "A" cast of vast international experience, with Neil Shicoff appearing as Eleazar, the role that was a favourite of Caruso

The son of a cantor, Shicoff has very much made the demanding role of the jewish goldsmith his own in recent years and he grew in stature and voice as the evening went on. However, the role is problematic, as it is difficult to sympathise with Eleazar, portrayed by the libretto as secretive, vengeful and materialistic

Marina Poplavskaya was in simply glorious voice as Rachel in the title role of the Christian girl saved as a baby by Eleazar and brought up as a jewess. She was well supported by Robert McPherson as her secret lover Leopold

The other leads were taken and well sung by Annick Massis as Eudoxie (Leopold's wife) and Roberto Scandiuzzi as Cardinal Brogni, the latter revealed at the very end as Rachel's father

The large chorus was in excellent form and, in the pit, the Israel Symphony Orchestra Rishon LeZion was driven on to ever greater heights by an animated Daniel Oren.

It all contributed to an exhilarating, if long evening. Even after dropping one of the two proposed intervals, the opera ended at approaching midnight, but it was an experience no one in the audience would have missed

Leonard Klahr 16 April, 2010