Donizetti : Lucrezia Borgia

   in Opera Now (Jan, 2014)
This looks like an enjoyable night out at the San Francisco Opera. Alas, I am not sure that an opera about Lucrezia Borgia is really supposed to be quite this pleasant. John Pascoe’s production is traditional: the sets are budget monumental, the costumes a bizarre riff on traditional crossed with futuristic leather and lots of nasty shiny silk. Renee Fleming talks in a bonus interview about the dramatic opportunities the title role offers, but then turns in one of the blandest performances I have ever seen from her. Her singing is gracious, accomplished – and dull. Michael Fabiano’s Gennaro is far more idiomatic and fresh-toned, and Elizabeth DeShong’s Maffio Orsini has …