Fifteen seconds into the overture the romantic conflict was clear: a hapless peasant lad is in love with a business-minded landlady of the village, but he lacks the confidence to win her hand in marriage.
When the tenor started singing I was instantly drawn in by the emotional truth of his plight. This is what opera should be. Bravo to stage director Antonio Ocampo-Guzman for infusing every moment of the production with empathy and humor. It begs the question why other local opera companies seem unable to hire competent storytellers.
As the story progresses, a blustering army sergeant encamps to woo the landlady. The peasant lad seeks the help of a traveling quack doctor to thwart this rival. The doctor sells him a love potion (actually cheap Bordeaux) guaranteed to do the job. At the same time a rumor spreads that a distant uncle has died, leaving his entire fortune to the peasant lad. The intoxicated lad is amazed to find all the local bachelorettes fawning over him. The potion works!
There is a dramatic precipice when the sergeant and landlady are about to wed, but she sees into the heart of the peasant lad before the point of no return. Again, hats off to the director and performers for pulling off an adept and credible transformation. This was my first encounter with BMO: call it love at first sight, but they completely charmed my heart.
Sounds remarkable! I never knew that opera was being performed in Watertown. sigh....
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