Lucrezia Borgia

The prospect of hearing much-loved Renée Fleming in a demanding coloratura role in one of Gaetano Donizetti's bel canto operas is enticing, but this 2013 San Francisco Opera mounting of the composer's titular 1833 romantic tragedy centering on the notorious Renaissance femme fatale is disappointing—largely because of Fleming's subpar contribution. The libretto is historical nonsense: after Lucrezia discovers her long-lost son Gennaro, her husband Alfonso suspects her of having an affair with the lad and hatches a plot to poison him; even though Lucrezia intervenes, Gennaro prefers to die along with the other victims of Alfonso's dastardly scheme. Fleming cuts a striking figure as the dubious heroine, but her singing lacks the focus and spark demanded by Donizetti's vocal pyrotechnics, coming across as rather cautious and even pallid. By contrast Michael Fabiano is a ringing Gennaro and Elizabeth DeShong is fine in the trousers role of his comrade-in-arms Orsini, although director John Pascoe overplays the sexual attraction between the two men. The remainder of the cast is good if unexceptional, Riccardo Frizza's conducting seems more efficient than inspired, and the sets and costumes veer from dark and uninteresting to simply garish. Ultimately, this production demanded an outstanding Lucrezia to rise above the ordinary, and Fleming simply doesn't fill the bill. The 2009 Munich performance with Edita Gruberova (VL-5/10) is preferable, despite its minimalist staging. Presented in DTS 5.1, Dolby Digital 5.1, and PCM stereo on DVD, and DTS-HD 5.1 and PCM stereo on Blu-ray, extras include interviews with Fleming, Fabiano, and DeShong, and a behind-the-scenes featurette. Optional. (F. Swietek)