A sense of déjà vu struck me as I took my seat in the Felsenreitschule on August 25 for Haydn's Armida at the Salzburger Festspiele: it was close to where I sat at the production's premiere in 2007. Would experiencing Armida with the same cast, conductor, orchestra, and production alter my perceptions of the performances and, indeed, the work itself, as I expressed them in the November 2007 OPERA NEWS?

The answer is, basically, "No."

Armida has some spectacular music for its six soloists (no chorus), but suffers from an absurd, anonymous libretto, which was made only more ridiculous by Christof Loy's overambitious production. Several dozen supernumeraries performed distracting stunts that involved scaling and jumping from a huge wooden plane set at a forty-five degree angle to the stage, and lots of bungee cords.

Dirk Becker's set was as ugly as any I can recall: the titlted platform, a huge pile of raw lumber which takes up most of the stage and, inexplicably, for the scene in which Rinaldo returns to the Christian camp, an Ikea sofa and floor lamp plopped downstage.

The most memorable visual was Armida's voluminous strapless black evening gown with a tight bodice and a train, accented by black elbow-length gloves created by Bettina Walker. Few singers today could make an impression by simply appearing in that dress, but it seems to have been made tailored specifically for the radiant Annette Dasch.

Dasch is far more comfortable in the role than two years ago — not just in her scaling the raked platform barefoot and rolling down its entire length to close Act II. The filigree coloratura which caused her to hold back in 2007 was now secure, powerful, and perfectly articulated.

Indeed, the only difference now was the maturation of the younger members of the 2007 cast. A lot can happen in two years, and Dasch is now justifiably acquiring international diva status, with debuts slated at the Met (The Countess, later this year) and Bayreuth (Elsa, in 2010).

Mojca Erdmann (Zelmira) is also set to hit the Met, as Zerlina in 2011. In 2007 in the comic relief soubrette role, she came near perfection; this year, she attained it, giving a performance of great warmth and charm, and conquering stratospheric passages with power and gleaming tone, like a ray of sunlight hitting a silver bowl. Tiny and adorable, Erdmann is on the verge of a major career.

Boyishly handsome Swiss tenor Bernard Richter (Clotarco) delivered his simple plea for peace with greater resonance, beauty, and depth this year. Watch for him in leading roles at the Opéra de Paris, Theater an der Wien, and the Bayerische Staatsoper. Vito Priante (Idreno) has learned to maintain the evil side of his character, but with suavity rather than vocal brutality. Michael Schade (Rinaldo) and Richard Croft (Ubaldo) delivered the same solid performances.

Yet again, Ivor Bolton, conducting and supplying continuo, drew a magnificent performance from the Mozarteumorchester Salzburg, most notable for his attention to his singers' needs.

LARRY L. LASH

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