A Hat-Trick Opera Season

Transcription

1 A Hat-Trick Opera Season By Bob Edge When a hockey player scores three goals in one game, he is credited with a hat trick. It seems fair to say that, when an opera company produces three winning operas like La bohème, Porgy and Bess, and Così fan tutte in one season, that deserves the hat trick label also. The Atlanta Opera s Season offers three great and popular masterpieces, each of which has a compelling story and a score that is gorgeous and enjoyable from beginning to end. The Season opens in October with Giacomo Puccini s La bohème, which one expert calls the world s most popular, most performed, and most easily identifiable opera. It was the first opera that truly gripped my heart. If you want to catch the opera bug, start with La bohème. Its story about young lovers in Paris is amusing and then heart breaking. The music never stops being perfect for what s happening on stage. If you like your opera Italian, which suggests passionate acting and singing, Bohème will not disappoint you. In late February, just as the jonquils are beginning to bloom profusely in our city and in Charleston, The Atlanta Opera will present George Gershwin s Porgy and Bess. This brilliant work is not heard as often as it should be because its creators wanted it to be performed by an all- Black cast, which is not always easy to arrange. When Porgy and Bess was recently performed by Paris Opéra-Comique, they imported a chorus organized by The Atlanta Opera that was trained by Walter Huff, our chorus master! Ironically, because of its setting in Charleston and the popularity of so many of its songs ( arias ), there are some who question whether Porgy and Bess is really an opera. Here is what Lorin Maazel, one of the greatest conductors of the past 50 years, says in response to that: Porgy and Bess is an opera. It is not an operetta... nor is it a jazz drama.... Gershwin s compassion for individuals is Verdian, his comprehension of them Mozartean... his melodic inventiveness rival s Bellini.

2 In short, Maazel has no doubt that Porgy and Bess belongs on the grand opera stage. I don t see how anyone could doubt that after attending a performance and hearing Summertime, Bess, You Is My Woman, and a dozen more show-stoppers. And what a gripping drama! Porgy and Bess is surely worthy of a place in a hat trick season. If you have never heard Così fan tutte, you are in for a treat because Mozart wrote some of his very finest music for this charming romantic comedy. I confess that this may be my favorite Mozart opera, and I typically shy away from naming favorites. The plot deals with a wager concerning how constant two young ladies will be to their fiancés when they are tested. What happens is hilarious, and the shenanigans are all set to a score that is simply perfect. David Ewen describes Così as the most remarkable of Mozart s operas and operatic comedy at its best. I concur! Opera is not just an incomparable art form. It is great entertainment that can be enjoyed by those who know little about music and by those who know a lot. Regardless of how knowledgeable you may or may not be operatically, you are in for a treat with these three winning operas. Get your tickets and enjoy this hat trick season! I. W. A. Mozart ( ) Così fan tutte (1790) with libretto by Lorenzo da Ponte. Is Mozart the greatest composer who ever lived? He is surely on as many top 3 lists as anyone. Also, he unquestionably produced more masterpieces in more musical categories (operas, symphonies, chamber music, solo instruments, etc.) than any other musician. And remember that he died in his 36 th year! How much more dominant might he have become if he had lived to a ripe old age! Several of Mozart s greatest achievements were operas. One panel of experts once proclaimed Don Giovanni to be the single greatest work of art ever created. In recent times, some experts have claimed that The Marriage of Figaro is even greater. Although he was an Austrian, most of Mozart s operas were written to Italian librettos, and they followed (and improved on) Italian traditions. An early opera, Abduction from the Seraglio, and Mozart s final operatic masterpiece, Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute), were written in German and helped lay

3 the foundation for the German School of Opera that led to the works of Wagner and Richard Strauss. It will be understandable if you genuflect when Mozart s name is mentioned. He is truly a musical god. Così fan tutte was written in 1790, the year before the composer s death. It came about because Emperor Franz Josef commanded Lorenzo da Ponte to collaborate with Mozart to create an opera allegedly based on some delicious, scandalous events in Vienna that amused the monarch. Da Ponte had previously written the librettos for Mozart s Giovanni and Figaro. He had come to Vienna after he was banished from Venice because of his own romantic escapades. Later da Ponte moved to New York and became the first professor of Italian at Columbia University. An interesting fellow! Così (rhymes with posy) fan tutte (too-tay) literally means thus do all. By implication the title means thus do all women behave. At a time when the inconstancy of men was presumed, it was an amusing turn to base an opera on a wager that women are not always as faithful to their lovers as some may think. The plot, as summarized by Patrick Hughes, is about two young women, A and B, who are respectively engaged to lovers, C and D, who pretend to leave for the wars but instead return disguised, and prove their mistresses infidelities by each seducing the other s fiancée. Actually, the fellows believed in the fidelity of their girlfriends; and the test was conducted as part of a wager they made with an old bachelor who sought to prove così fan tutte. Many experts describe Così as a perfect comic opera. I find a lot of comic operas to be silly rather than funny, but not so in this case. Mozart and da Ponte brought the highest level of sophistication to the task of writing this work, and it charms both the novice and the operatic expert. Da Ponte s libretto is brilliant, but Mozart s score is an even greater triumph. Oddly enough, Così was not performed in America until 1922, i.e., 132 years after its premiere. One reason for that has to do with nineteenth century prudishness about showing immorality on the stage. Today Così is appreciated as one of the very greatest and most delightful operas ever written. This opera is set in Naples in the 18 th century, and there are only six primary characters:

4 Fiordiligi (soprano) a teenage girl engaged to Guglielmo (baritone), a dashing young fellow. Dorabella (mezzo-soprano) the teenage sister of Fiordiligi who is engaged to Ferrando (tenor), who adores her. Don Alfonso (bass) an old bachelor who wagers that he can prove così fan tutte (i.e., if the girls were courted by other men, they would prove unfaithful). Despina (soprano) the cynical maid of the sisters who helps Don Alfonso prove his point. The details of the plot, which occurs in a single day, are too extensive to cover here, but expect to meet gallant Albanian soldiers (the disguises taken by the two young fellows) and a quack doctor who achieves miraculous cures with magnets. The comic inventions are hilarious, and the music is exquisite at all times. When you are watching Così, be aware that you are witnessing the product of genius at the very highest level. 1. Terzettino ( a little trio ) from Act I. Soave sia il vento Fiordigligi (soprano Barbara Divis), Dorabella (mezzo-soprano Maria McDaniel) and Don Alfonso (bass Ben Polite). The old bachelor s wager with the two young gallants requires them to follow his directions for 24 hours. To set up the test for the girls, the young men pretend that they must leave them because they have been called to join their military units. As they sail away, the girls and Don Alfonso are there to wave goodbye and to beg the wind to carry the soldiers gently to their landing. The singers implore the sun to shine brightly on the fellows until they can return to those who adore them. The orchestra suggests undulating water music as the three voices sing serenely above. This music, which is truly beautiful, is praised as being one of the most remarkable pieces ever written by Mozart. In this trio we are assured that the girls clearly love their fiancés and that their sadness in being separated from their lovers is truly heartfelt. (What a perfect set-up for what follows). 2. Act I, Scene 3 (a room in the girls house). Recitative and Aria: Come scoglio Fiordiligi (Barbara Divis, soprano).

5 Continuing their charade, the fellows return to the girls house disguised as Albanians. They immediately begin to flirt. When they ask for the girls compassion, Dorabella says she does not know what to do. But Fiordiligi has no doubt about her course of action. In her recitative, she tells the bold intriguers to be gone from this house of virtue. She declares that she and Dorabella will remain faithful until death to the gentlemen they adore. Then begins one of the most remarkable and difficult arias ever written. Come scoglio is translated as Like a boulder. Fiordiligi compares herself to a boulder on the ocean shore that never moves despite being hit by the greatest tempests. She says that her heart relies on its virtue, and her devotion cannot be moved. The tempo grows faster when she calls the young men wretches and assures them that their intrusions will be met with faithfulness unbounded. Mozart wrote this aria with its original singer in mind a lady with an exceptional voice who happened to be da Ponte s mistress. The composer was not personally fond of this soprano and decided to put her to the test in this piece. And what a test it is! The range required is two octaves and two notes from A below middle C to high C. Mozart included some very difficult coloratura passages requiring extraordinary vocal agility. But, the greatest challenge consists of the soprano s having to sing notes that are separated by wide intervals. Try following a high note with a very low note and follow that with another high note. The repositioning of the voice required to produce good quality sounds at both ends of the vocal spectrum is very difficult and Mozart loved subjecting the soprano to this test. This aria illustrates how Mozart went about achieving a comic effect with true brilliance. The grand pomposity of the aria is very funny given the setting in which it is sung. The huge vocal leaps are preposterous and hilarious. But this kind of parody does not work unless it is performed extremely well. Pray for the soprano and if she delivers, let her know that you appreciate the accomplishment! * * * In the final scene of Act I, the Albanian gallants report that they have taken arsenic because their hopeless passion has been rejected by the ladies. When the fellows collapse, the ladies try to administer aid until the doctor (Despina the maid in disguise) arrives and removes

6 the poisonous effects with magnets. When they come to, the Albanians can only speak of their love for the girls. In the first scene of Act II, Despina convinces the ladies that teenage girls who know how to flirt will have fun and possibly rule the world. The ladies decide that with their lovers away, no harm can come from a little flirtation. Dorabella says she is attracted to the dark one (the disguised Guglielmo, who is her sister s fiancé); and Fiordiligi admits that she likes the blond one (the disguised Ferrando who is Dorabella s fiancé). Thus, the scenario for couple swapping is all set. * * * 3. Act II, Scene 2 (in the garden by the sea). Recitative and duet: Il core vi dono Dorabella (Maria McDaniel, mezzo-soprano) and Guglielmo (Brent Davis, baritone). When the other couple goes on a walk, Guglielmo tells Dorabella (in the recitative that precedes the aria) that he is unsteady because of the continuing effects of the poison. That is his ruse to stay behind with Dorabella, to whom he now confesses his love. He begs her to accept his gift of a necklace with a heart pendant. When she finally accepts it, Guglielmo mumbles Poor Ferrando to himself, enjoying his triumph although it involves his best friend s fiancée. In the duet proper, Guglielmo sings, This heart that I give thee, I pray that you will treasure it and in return will give me thy heart. Dorabella says that she accepts the gift but cannot give her heart in return because (looking into his eyes) it has already been taken. She confesses that her heart goes pitty-pat ( batte in Italian) for him; and he repeats the sentiment. During this exchange, which is both saccharine and realistic, Guglielmo removes Dorabella s own necklace (which contains a portrait of Ferrando!) and places it around his neck. He asks the girl not to scold him and she doesn t. Their spooning continues as they affectionately gaze at each other, their hearts beating with the joy of new love. (It now seems that Don Alfonso is winning at least half his bet!) * * * How does this all end? Fiordiligi holds out longer than did her sister, but finally she succumbs. The girls agree to marry the Albanians, who have been on the scene for only a few

7 hours! As the notary (again Despina in disguise) is about to preside at the signing of the marriage contracts, Ferrando and Guglielmo return as themselves. Caught red handed, the girls are humiliated by what they have done. Don Alfonso then explains to them what really happened, and he convinces the foursome that it would be best to laugh at what has happened and then kiss and make up. But who ends up with whom? The score does not tell us, and consequently it is the director of the opera production who must deal with the ambiguity. One writer says that Fiordiligi must end up with Ferrando (originally her sister s fiancé) because the tenor always gets the soprano! [I wonder what will happen in The Atlanta Opera s production? We can find out next April!] II. Porgy and Bess (1935) - Music by George Gershwin ( ); libretto by DuBose Heyward and Ira Gershwin based on the play by DuBose and Dorothy Heyward. George Gershwin was a major figure on Broadway in the 1920 s and 30 s (with hits including An American in Paris and Of Thee I Sing, which was the first musical comedy to win the Pulitzer Prize). His Rhapsody in Blue for piano and orchestra became a concert favorite. In 1925 Gershwin read a novel called Porgy by a Charlestonian named DuBose Heyward, who patterned his work on a local fellow called Goat Sammy. The success of the novel led Heyward and his wife to turn it into a play, which was very successful. Nine years after Gershwin first contacted Heyward, they agreed to collaborate on an opera based on Porgy. The composer spent the summer of 1934 on Folly Beach (outside Charleston) with the Heywards. While working there on the score, he observed the Gullahs who lived on nearby James Island, and they became Gershwin s models for the residents of Catfish Row, an African-American tenement area where the opera is primarily set. Porgy and Bess was first produced in Boston and New York in Initially, music critics simply did not quite know what to make of the piece. Was it a folk opera or a jazz work or something else? (History shows how frequently music critics have failed to appreciate the merits of works that deviate from accepted norms.) By contrast, the operatic audience

8 immediately loved the work because it offered a gripping story and a string of hits for both the soloists and the chorus. Belatedly, the critics came to recognize the brilliance of the work, and today it is hard to name a more important or a more appreciated American opera. Porgy is clearly the most successful American opera played abroad. It was the first opera by a native American to be heard at La Scala. It is performed at the Met every few years, when an all-black cast can be assembled. Like so many dramatic works, Porgy s central plot involves a love triangle. Bess has been Crown s woman, but he is abusive, as well as sexually irresistible, to Bess. When Crown has to leave Charleston because of a killing, Bess is befriended by Porgy, a young cripple who is a good and noble fellow. Bess is attracted to both men, and her state of mind is reflected in this exchange: Bess (to Porgy): I want to stay here but I ain t worthy. You is too decent to understand. For when I see him [Crown] he hypnotize me [and] when he calls I know I have to go. Porgy: If dere wasn t no Crown, Bess,... what den? Bess: I loves you, Porgy, don t let him take me, don t let him handle me and drive me mad. If you kin keep me, I wants to stay here wid you forever, and I d be glad. Later Crown s dead body is found, but Porgy, who did the stabbing, is not suspected because no one thought that a crippled man could take out a big strapping fellow like Crown. The police come to the crime scene and take Porgy with them - not specifically as a suspect but merely as someone to identify the body. Porgy is terrified. While Porgy is away, Sportin Life, who has always been attracted to Bess, tells her that Porgy won t ever come back. This weasel of a fellow offers to take her to New York and show her the good life, which he can afford to do because he is a successful dope peddler. After Bess downs some happy dust that Sportin Life gives her, Bess runs away with him because she has been convinced that Porgy is gone for good. A week later, Porgy is released by the police and returns home to find Bess gone. Heartbroken but determined to find his woman, he asks for his goat cart and directions to New

9 York. As he departs, Porgy and his neighbors sing a spiritual: Oh, Lawd, I m on my way to a Heavenly Land. Porgy heads North on his cart to find his Bess. How heartbreaking is that? 4. Act I (Catfish row) - Summertime - Lullaby sung by Clara (Maria Clark, soprano). After a rousing, jazzy introduction by the orchestra and a chorus of Wawa doodas, we find Clara, a resident of Catfish Row, rocking her baby and singing a lullaby, which sets the mood of the opera. Summertime an the livin is easy, fish am jumpin an the cotton is high. Oh yo daddy s rich an yo ma is good lookin. So hush, little baby, don t yo cry. In verse two, set to the same haunting melody, the baby is assured that no harm can come to him (or her) with Daddy and Mommy standing by. How smart of Gershwin to start the opera with such irresistible music! Summertime is the trademark song of the opera, and the composer repeats the theme several times in the score. Oddly, the aria sounds very high, but the highest note is an F sharp. The real challenge for the soprano is to capture the languid spirit that the aria needs. 5. Act II, Scene 2 - the community picnic on Kittiwah Island. It Ain t Necessarily So - aria for Sportin Life and Chorus (Tim Miller, tenor and Chorus (look around you!) The residents of Catfish Row have gone to a nearby island for a summer picnic. Sportin Life, the slick dope peddler, decides to entertain the group by sharing his cynicism about the Bible and religion in general. He s a scoundrel - and wily as the Devil. The rhyme scheme as shown in the lines about the Biblical figures David and Jonah is outrageous and hilarious: He fought big Goliath who lay down and dieth and Fo he made his home in dat fish s abdomen. The words of this aria (written by Ira Gershwin) are so clever! The structure of this piece calls for two verses set to the slow main theme; then a fast nonsensical section ( wa-doo zim bam boodle oo ); two more verses set to the slow main theme; a repeat of the nonsensical section; contrasting section; final verse set to the slow main theme; coda (musical tail). It s interesting to study the musical architecture of a song like Ain t Necessarily. The main theme for the singers is in triplets, which means 3 beats, while the orchestra is in a 2-beat format. This 3 against 2 rhythmic pattern gives a distinctive flavor to the slow

10 main theme. The nonsensical section, starts with an off -beat pattern (syncopated). Music lives on repeats and contrasts, and we surely see that device at work in this piece. Some have complained about the use of dialect in the libretto. Ira Gershwin tried to calm those waters by writing, All that was required was a suggestion of original flavor; and if the artist preferred - for personal literacy or racial righteousness - to enumerate any words formally rather than colloquially, that was all right. The chorus plays an unusually important role in this opera. These group singers have a ton of complicated numbers to master and remember. The rhythmic challenges are constant. When you listen to this opera, be aware of the training and practice that the chorus members have gone through to reach the right musical result! To give you a flavor of what being in the chorus is like, we will offer you, the audience, the opportunity to fill the important role assigned to the chorus in Ain t Necessarily. Good luck - and enjoy playing the game. 6. Act II, Scene 1 (Catfish Row). Love duet for Porgy and Bess: Bess, you is my woman now (Maria Clark, soprano and Ben Polite, bass). After Crown has to go into hiding because he killed a man in a poker game, his woman, Bess, is shunned by everyone except Porgy, who takes her in. In Act II, we find Porgy and Bess living happily together, and they declare their love for each other in this powerful duet. The structure of this piece is straight forward. Porgy sings verse one alone. After a modulating passage that is required to get to the right key for a soprano, Bess repeats most of what the baritone has sung but adds an ending ( mornin time ) that Porgy repeats. In verse three, Bess sings the main theme again while Porgy harmonizes with her to produce the duet. The piece ends with a coda (musical tail) sung by the couple. This is the happy high point for them - but troubles and sadness lie ahead. I think that this duet puts the genius of this opera s creators in focus. Too often in opera, the love duets are wonderful musically, but it s hard to find real life passion in the words or the scoring. That surely is not the case with this duet. For me, the outpouring of love by Porgy and Bess in Bess, You Is My Woman rings true, and that is a notable accomplishment. In this regard Gershwin and his team achieve the kind of believability that Puccini excelled in.

11 Porgy and Bess is such a rich and compelling theatrical experience. Don t let its accessibility dupe you into doubting its merits. (Thanks to Lehman Engel and David Ewen for articles that I have relied on in these Porgy notes.) III. La Bohème (1897) - by Giacomo Puccini ( ) As you know, the label Bohemian is typically applied to that part of a city where artists live. La bohème refers to a young girl, in this case Mimì, who is a part of that set. (The title is pronounced Bo-ehm - no h sound in Italian. ) The story takes place in Paris around 1850 and it unfolds in four acts taking just over 2 hours to perform. The central figures are two young people struggling to make a living in the big city: Rodolfo, an aspiring poet, and Mimì, who embroiders silk flowers. Their love affair blows hot and cold and is complicated by Mimì s tuberculosis. In Act IV, they have been living apart; but Mimì returns to Rodolfo s flat for her final minutes. When he calls to his dying lover and she does not answer, Rodolfo knows she is gone and crossing the room, he sobs, Mimì! Mimì! This is one of the most electric moments in all of opera. Have your handkerchief ready! 7. Act I Aria for Rodolfo: Che gelida manina. (Nathan Munson, tenor) It s Christmas Eve in the cold garret apartment that Rodolfo shares with three other fellows. Mimì, a young girl who lives in the same building, comes seeking a light for her candle, and she and Rodolfo connect on their first meeting. After some initial flirtations, Mimì loses her key; and while she and Rodolfo are on their knees searching for it in the dark, Rodolfo touches Mimì s cold hand (the gelida manina ). With these words, Rodolfo begins one of the most beloved and beautiful arias for tenor ever written. In it, he tells Mimì about himself. I am a poet, a writer. How do I live? Vivo! (I live.) I am poor financially, but my poetic dreams and verses make me rich. And now two beautiful eyes have stolen my words and my heart. But I don t mind because they have also brought me new hope and inspiration. That s who I am. Now tell me about yourself. The melodic heart of the aria comes when Rodolfo rhapsodizes about Mimì s eyes. What a gorgeous musical phase! When it is repeated in the orchestra, the tenor joins in and soars to a

12 high C. This is the big moment and the big test for Rodolfo, and when the tenor really nails it, the effect is breathtaking! 8. Love duet for Mimì and Rodolfo that ends Act I: O soave fanciulla (Barbara Divis, soprano, and Nathan Munson, tenor.) The final part of Act I consists of three knock-out numbers, sung back to back. Rodolfo s aria, just heard, is followed by Mimì s aria in which she reveals that she makes silk flowers that remind her of love and spring time. At that moment, the full moon lights the room, and ardent love fills it as their love duet begins. Oh, sweet girl (soave fanciulla), sings Rodolfo. I have never known such divine rapture. Mimì returns the sentiment, as the soprano and tenor sing in unison. He kisses her, but she gently pushes him back. Rodolfo wants to remain with her in the apartment, but they decide to party with Rodolfo s friends - as a couple. They confess their love as they walk off stage. This wonderful love duet ends with the couple offstage singing Amor! three times. On the final Amor, Puccini gives the soprano a high C, which is supposed to be sung going away. At that same point, the score shows a mid-voice note for Rodolfo, but many tenors cannot resist the temptation to join the soprano with a high C also. It s always fun to find out how the singers handle this great climax. With that the curtain falls on one of the most glorious acts ever written. 9. Musetta s Waltz from Act II - Quando m en vo (Sherri Seiden, soprano.) There is a second pair of lovers in La bohème. Marcello, a struggling painter, lives in Rodolfo s apartment, and his sometimes girlfriend is the flirtatious Musetta, who must always be the center of attention. She enters the Cafe Momus, the setting for Act II, on the arm of a rich old man, who is merely a source of money for her. Musetta sees her ex-lover, Marcello, and becomes furious when he ignores her. She is sure that she can make herself irresistible to Marcello as she tells us in her aria. When I walk down the street, every man praises my beauty. I love it when I feel their desire. In part two of the aria, the main theme is heard in the orchestra as Musetta addresses Marcello directly: You must remember our passion. Why don t you return to me? You are fighting your tortured heart in vain because you still love me. The final phrase requires the mezzo-soprano to sustain a high B, and when it s a good high B, the audience

13 typically provides the biggest ovation of the evening. Musetta s charm evidently works because a few minutes later Marcello passionately embraces her. The outrageous girl caps the evening of celebration by going off with Marcello, leaving her elderly suitor with the bill run up by all of the Bohemians. There are very few operatic acts that audiences love more than this scene at the Cafe Momus. 10. Quartet from Act III for the two sets of lovers: Addio dolce avegliare alla mattina. (Barbara Divis, soprano and Nathan Munson, tenor; Sherri Seiden, soprano, and Brent Davis, baritone). Matters turn sad in Act III, which is set at one of the city s gates on a snowy morning at dawn. Mimì has come to find Marcello to tell him that living with Rodolfo has become too difficult because he is insanely jealous and constantly accuses her of infidelity. When Rodolfo appears from the tavern where he is staying, Mimì hides behind a tree. She hears Rodolfo tell Marcello that she is slowing dying in his cold apartment and that they need to separate for Mimì s own good. Mimì s violent coughing leads Rodolfo to discover her presence. They talk, and she agrees that they should end their relationship. All of the foregoing is told in a moving duet, then a trio, and finally an aria for Mimì, all of which find Puccini at his best. Our excerpt comes next, after Mimì has said her goodbye to Rodolfo senza rancor (without bitterness). So you really are going to leave me, he says. Mimì answers with the words that label the ensuing quartet. The parting lovers say goodbye to waking up together, to jealous quarrels, to romantic dreaming. But then, they realize (in unison) how sad it is to be alone in Paris in winter. In the end they decide to wait until spring to leave each other. While Mimì and Rodolfo are deciding to stay together until spring (set to calm and lyrical music), we hear the other couple fighting. You vulgar painter, screams Musetta. Vipera (viper), replies Marcello. Marcello thinks his girl has been dancing too close to another tavern guest, and he is furious. Stop your ranting, sings Musetta. We are not married yet. Puccini juxtaposes the dialogues of the two couples brilliantly. Happily, the final words are sung in unison by the soprano and tenor, who rise to a high B as they say, We ll part when spring is here again.

14 Act IV finds us back in Rodolfo s flat. Both he and Marcello are living without their lovers, and they are miserable. But, as mentioned above, Mimì comes back to Rodolfo so that she can be with the man she loves as she takes her final breaths. There are few sadder finales than the one in La Bohème. Puccini s genius in scoring this scene is breathtaking. * * * Opera is such a special kind of joy, such a unique art form. The three operas that The Atlanta Opera is presenting this year are wonderful musically and dramatically- a point I hope we have made with tonight s preview. Bravo Mozart! Bravo Gershwin! Bravo Puccini!