瑕不掩瑜——芝加哥歌剧院版《风流寡妇》取得巨大成功

Despite its flaws,Lyric Opera's lively Merry Widow pops the vocal cork successfully

由于《风流寡妇》在轻歌剧史上举足轻重，又因为它的大众化和流行度，弗朗茨·莱哈尔的这部歌剧想要取得巨大成功还需严谨对待。大量对自的引入使音乐与恋人间暧昧的言语争论达到了平衡，要精湛地饰演潇洒风流的达尼洛伯爵与年轻高雅的寡妇汉娜绝非易事。

OUTLINE/When Die lustige Witwe premiered in Vienna in 1905 the Austro-Hungarian Empire's decline had already begun,and there is a sadness and bittersweet nostalgia in The Merry Widow for a glorious past,which is largely foreign to most American stagings.The Lyric Opera of Chicago's new production could have used more of that darker undertow Also the company elected to follow the current trend and performed The Merry Widow in English,but that's adouble-edged sword.For all its sophistication,the original libretto hasn't held up well,a problem that is mitigated somewhat by distance when performed in German. Sheldon Harnick's translation fits words to music deftly but feels tired.