SR Symphony Enchants with Night of Opera

Ferrandis, vocalists take patrons on fantastic romantic voyage

October 1, 2007

By Diane Peterson
The Press Democrat, page B1

The Santa Rosa Symphony celebrated its 80th anniversary Sunday afternoon by taking its patrons on a romantic voyage through some of opera's greatest hits.

With the help of four virtuoso vocalists, the symphony, under new Music Director Bruno Ferrandis, veered from Bizet's Carmen and Puccini's La Boheme to Verdi's La Traviata and back again, stringing together a series of world-famous love arias like a necklace of pearls.

"These are the best parts of opera that we're hearing tonight," Sebastopol native Louise Johnston said of the gala concert, titled "Belles Amours."

The nearly full house included everyone from young children to longtime subscribers. Some dressed in jeans, while others wore formal gowns and tuxes in anticipation of the gala dinner afterward.

Looking relaxed and casual in a black turtleneck and Asian-style black jacket, Ferrandis guided the orchestra sensitively through the mostly romantic music, carefully balancing dynamics so as not to overpower the singers.

Among the four soloists, the most impressive was two-time Grammy winner Nmon Ford, a baritone sporting dreadlocks and a long, velvet coat.

The singer, who started playing the piano at age 3 and went on to study music at the University of Southern California, brought his arias to life with a rich, mellifluous tone and dramatic flair.

The highlight of the first half of the program was a duet from Bizet's The Pearl Fishers, featuring Ford and tenor Isaac Hurtado of Opera San Jose.

"I love that baritone," Ann Tamminen of Sebastopol said during intermission. "He's gorgeous and he has a gorgeous voice."

Ford brought down the house at the end of the concert with a bravado performance of "Toreador en garde" from Carmen, one of the most popular operatic songs of all time.

Mezzo soprano Malin Fritz, who has sung the part of Carmen with Opera San Jose, opened the vocal portion of the concert by warbling "L'amour est un oiseau rebelle" -- one of the other most popular songs of all time, also from Carmen.

As an encore, the four singers offered up the quartet from the end of Act III of La Boheme, inspiring a standing ovation and leaving just a few dry eyes in the house.

"It was fabulous, beautiful," Ana Jencova of Santa Rosa said after the concert was over. "I started to cry at the very end."

In his opening remarks, Ferrandis thanked Norma and Evert Person, former owner of The Press Democrat, for underwriting the special Ruby Jubilee concert.

After the concert, many of the patrons drove across Highway 101 to attend a sold-out dinner at the Vintner's Inn Events Center and to listen to an encore performance by the guest soloists.

Live auction items ranged from an opera holiday in New York City to a private opera class with Will Kent, an opera appreciation instructor at the Santa Rosa Junior College.

The special Ruby Jubilee concert on Sunday was inspired by the symphony's first performance. During its opening concert in 1928, the fledgling orchestra presented selections from the opera Carmen.

It also may be a glimpse of things to come. Ferrandis has said he hopes to present Carmen as a lightly staged production with the Santa Rosa Symphony someday.

Johnston, who has attended the symphony under all four of its conductors -- George Trombley, Corrick Brown, Jeffrey Kahane and now Ferrandis -- said she is looking forward to a few new twists under its new music director.

"Bruno has conducted a lot of opera, and he just loves it," she said. "It's good that he's going to do his own thing."

© 2007- The Press Democrat