With the exceptions of Baby Doe's Willow Song and Horace's Warm as the Autumn Light, seeing this production on Youtube was the first time seeing Douglas Moore's Ballad of Baby Doe in full. While not one of my favourite operas, it's one of the finest from America, the music is sublime and the story's emotionally resonant.
This production is a treasure, the lighting is a little too dark, making one wish that they saw more of the attractively detailed sets, otherwise it is a fine example of New York City Opera at their peak. People will always express disappointment of the quality of the video's picture and sound quality, neither are great but for me they were nowhere near bad enough to stop me enjoying the production, connecting with the drama or loving the music. The costumes are fine, the ladies' being opulent and the men's being distinguished. Musically and dramatically the production is close on to flawless.
Staging is always interesting with seldom a dull spot and intelligently done with a very poignant final scene, the love between Baby Doe and Horace is charming and the tension between Horace and Augusta edge-of-your-seat-worthy. Above all it always respects the story and its mood as well as sympathetic to the music, never cheapening it with irrelevance and gratuity like some modern concept productions have been prone to. The orchestral playing is lyrical and accommodating while also forceful and intense, the sound they make never less than attractive. The chorus don't have an awful lot to do dramatically actually but their singing is glorious while Judith Sumegi's conducting is sympathetic to the singers while always giving the story pace.
Ruth Welting not only has a beautiful bright soprano voice(that somewhat reminded me of a young Beverly Sills, who happened to be Moore's favourite interpreter of Baby Doe), that handles the lyrical parts of the role beautifully while never sounding taxed in the bigger moments, but she also sings and acts with feeling and commitment to the drama. All five of her arias are splendidly sung, with her at her best in The Willow Song. Richard Fredericks is beyond excellent, he shows himself to be a dignified actor while also bringing great believability to the emotional latter half of Act 2 and his voice is nobly dark in her tone and carries with ease. Frances Bible is an authoritative and richly voiced Augusta(not a surprise, she actually, strictly speaking, created the role), what Martin Bernheimer says in his tribute to her her in Opera News sums her and her talent up perfectly, all the things he lauded her with are present in this performance.
All in all, the opera was a great discovery and the production's a treasure. 9/10 Bethany Cox
This production is a treasure, the lighting is a little too dark, making one wish that they saw more of the attractively detailed sets, otherwise it is a fine example of New York City Opera at their peak. People will always express disappointment of the quality of the video's picture and sound quality, neither are great but for me they were nowhere near bad enough to stop me enjoying the production, connecting with the drama or loving the music. The costumes are fine, the ladies' being opulent and the men's being distinguished. Musically and dramatically the production is close on to flawless.
Staging is always interesting with seldom a dull spot and intelligently done with a very poignant final scene, the love between Baby Doe and Horace is charming and the tension between Horace and Augusta edge-of-your-seat-worthy. Above all it always respects the story and its mood as well as sympathetic to the music, never cheapening it with irrelevance and gratuity like some modern concept productions have been prone to. The orchestral playing is lyrical and accommodating while also forceful and intense, the sound they make never less than attractive. The chorus don't have an awful lot to do dramatically actually but their singing is glorious while Judith Sumegi's conducting is sympathetic to the singers while always giving the story pace.
Ruth Welting not only has a beautiful bright soprano voice(that somewhat reminded me of a young Beverly Sills, who happened to be Moore's favourite interpreter of Baby Doe), that handles the lyrical parts of the role beautifully while never sounding taxed in the bigger moments, but she also sings and acts with feeling and commitment to the drama. All five of her arias are splendidly sung, with her at her best in The Willow Song. Richard Fredericks is beyond excellent, he shows himself to be a dignified actor while also bringing great believability to the emotional latter half of Act 2 and his voice is nobly dark in her tone and carries with ease. Frances Bible is an authoritative and richly voiced Augusta(not a surprise, she actually, strictly speaking, created the role), what Martin Bernheimer says in his tribute to her her in Opera News sums her and her talent up perfectly, all the things he lauded her with are present in this performance.
All in all, the opera was a great discovery and the production's a treasure. 9/10 Bethany Cox
