<<  -- 4 --  Maria Nockin    SHIMMERING HARMONIES

Lyric soprano Malinda Haslett sang Frasquita's top line with a clear fresh sound while Lisa Agazzi was a dark voiced Mercedes. Baritone Jeff Mattsey was a brash Le Dancaïre and tenor Beau Palmer an oily Le Remendado. All of the singers of the smaller roles proved their excellent musicianship in the Quintet.

James Scotto Sikon was a reliably effective, dark toned Morales and Wayne Tigges, who is a young singer to watch, was a menacing Zuniga. Timothy Todd Simmons's chorus sang with polish. The work of its women in Act I was especially well put together with lovely, shimmering harmonies. Juanita Franco's choreography was rather tame, but it added to the ambience of the piece.

Conductor Karen Keltner has a special affinity for French music and it showed. Her tempi were never too fast or too slow and Bizet's exquisite harmonies were brought out to their fullest extent. At the end of the evening, she and the rest of the cast were greeted with thunderous applause.