Passion and poetry are highlights of first Spanish-language opera from Opera Columbus
Who says the story is everything in opera?
In the Spanish-language opera “Maria de Buenos Aires,” composer Astor Piazzolla and librettist Horacio Ferrer offer only the barest outline of a plot: A woman named Maria is born amid disadvantaged circumstances in Argentina, lives a life of passion and tumult, perishes at a young age and then continues to exist in some sort of ethereal form.
“You’re never really going to get a clear story through this,” said Dennis Whitehead Darling, the director of Opera Columbus’ new production to be performed Friday and next Sunday in the Southern Theatre. “You’ll only kind of get glimpses of a story.”
Opera Columbus General Director and CEO Julia Noulin-Merat describes the opera as evoking “a heighted reality.”
“It very much feels like a poem,” she said.
Although the opera will feature both English- and Spanish-language subtitles, they probably won’t help clarify the surreal story.
“The subtitles are in a poetic form,” said Darling, of Philadelphia. “It’s even difficult to really read it and understand.”
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Instead, the artists encourage the audience to savor the atmosphere: tango music, an evocative bar setting and eye-catching dancing.
“The music sets that tone of: ‘We’re in this bar and it’s dark and tragic but yet there’s something that’s drawing you to it, and it’s that music,’” Darling said.
Mezzo-soprano Monica Danilov-Marquez, a native and resident of California, is a veteran of the opera. In her mind, Maria is a full-fledged character.
“She’s a tough character since the day she was born, a survivor, and the world just hasn’t been kind to her,” said Danilov-Marquez, who recognizes that her role functions metaphorically, too.
“For me, she resembles the dark heart of Buenos Aires, which is also the passionate part, which is also this very romantic, dramatic part,” Danilov-Marquez said. “In that sense, she definitely does resemble tango and does resemble, let’s say, the underworld of Buenos Aires.”
That atmosphere extends to the set and lighting design.
“When you walk into the Southern Theatre, you will see onstage what looks like a cabaret-style performance in the sense that there’s a bar (and) there are some cabaret tables,” Noulin-Merat said. “Then, the whole story kind of erupts from there.”
The high-fashion-style costumes are by Columbus fashion designer Gerardo Encinas, who operates his own boutique at 251 S. 3rd St.
“His clothes are absolutely gorgeous, and I’m sure could be on the runway right after the show,” Noulin-Merat said.
Danilov-Marquez agrees that the costumes are distinct from those seen in most operas.
“This is probably going to be one of the most beautiful costumes that I have ever been in,” she said. “It’s nice because you’re actually going to see a local designer, (where) you can go to his store after you’ve seen all this stuff in the opera.”
Noulin-Merat calls Danilov-Marquez “a fearless performer.”
“She’s a gorgeous performer — her voice and also in terms of her physicality,” Noulin-Merat said.
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Opera Columbus leaders say that “Maria de Buenos Aires” is the first Spanish-language opera it has performed in its existence dating back to 1981; the idea was sparked when Noulin-Merat was made aware of the 25th anniversary of Festival Latino last year.
French and Italian operas are more commonly performed in companies in the United States, but that is beginning to change, Noulin-Merat said.
“A lot of the (opera) companies that are just north of the Mexico border have a lot of Spanish productions,” Noulin-Merat said. “But for us in Columbus, it is the first time. I’m absolutely over-the-moon excited.”
The opera also features singers Paul La Rosa and Jose Gabriel Garcia in principal roles. A chorus of six singers will support the main performers.
Plus, six dancers from the group Strictly Tango will bring visual interest to the musical offerings.
“It’s a very intimate, passionate dance form,” Darling said. “They are coupled together, and they are close together, and it really just evokes that theme of sensuality and passion.”
The opera runs just under an hour and a half and does not include an intermission, making it inviting for opera lovers and newbies alike.
“Something we’ve learned in the pandemic is people love 90-minute shows,” Noulin-Merat said. “For them, they feel they get to have a whole evening with their friends. They get to have dinner. ... And then, afterwards you can go grab cocktails and then talk about the beautiful piece you just saw.”
And, by continuing to present Spanish-language operas in the future, the organization hopes to engage larger and larger numbers of central Ohio music lovers.
“There’s a huge Latino community in Columbus,” Noulin-Merat. “We want what we present onstage to reflect our community. This is just the beginning of that wonderful conversation and collaboration.”
At a glance
Opera Columbus will perform “Maria de Buenos Aires” at 7:30 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. next Sunday in the Southern Theatre, 21 E. Main St. Tickets start at $28. For more information, visit operacolumbus.org.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Opera Columbus to perform Spanish opera Maria de Buenos Aires
