INTERVIEW BY KATE BRAUER-BELL

Cincinnati Opera opens its 2003 season this week with Turandot

Opera offers a world of romance. Cincinnati Opera Artistic Director Nicholas Muni first fell in love with the art form when he was 17, as a supernumerary role in Aida. ("Supers" are people who fill out crowd scenes -- kind of like living scenery.)

"After the second act, they sent all the supernumeraries home, but I said, 'There's no way I'm going home; I've got to see what this is about.' " So Muni hid in a costume hamper offstage, and climbed out when the third act was about to start. "In the final scene, the tenor sings a very high note, a B flat. He hit the high note in full voice, in ringing, full sound. Then he did a decrescendo into a very, very soft pianissimo, without a break in his voice. He held it for what seemed like five minutes. The sound was so beautiful, it was amazing."

Muni says it was that moment in which he was first "hooked" on opera, a love affair that has carried him through life.

Opera offers a wide range of romantic plots and twists to keep the love alive. This season's lineup is no exception. First up is Giacomo Puccini's Turandot, Thursday and Saturday, featuring Eva Urbanová in the title role and Measha Brueggergosman, who entertained Cincinnati audiences as the spirited Sister Rose in last year's Dead Man Walking, debuting in the role of Lił. Turandot is a romantic tale about the meaning of true love. Says Muni, "It's a great spectacle, very colorful. And the music is lush and very romantic."

If you're looking to heat up your relationship with a little elegance, you might want to be in attendance at Thursday's opening night. Sarah Leugers, 27, of Oakley appreciates the formality of opening night performances most of all. "I generally attend the opening, which gives me the illusion of being part of an elite crowd," says the stylishly urbane Leugers. "If your date appreciates the arts, or at least has an open mind, the opera can be a wonderful evening -- quite romantic, and a more formal occasion as well as an opportunity to dress up in an increasingly casual society."

Beyond opening night, the feeling of most audiences is a bit more relaxed, and you need not don a rented tuxedo or last year's bridesmaid's dress to attend. And because many tickets are affordable -- some sell for as little as $22 -- they make a good date option for just about anyone. Plus, surtitles across the top of the stage function like subtitles in a foreign film, allowing you to understand the storyline without imposing greatly on your enjoyment of the stage action or music.

The second opera in the festival lineup is a triple bill (June 26 and 28) featuring renowned American soprano Catherine Malfitano in three shorter productions, beginning with the world premier of William Bolcom's Medusa, followed by Francis Poulenc's La Voix Humaine and Kurt Weill's The Seven Deadly Sins. The contemporary triple bill provides a unique opportunity to experience the fascinating thrill of operatic voices in a contemporary, accessible and fiery staging.

Most of us think of Medusa only as the snake-haired gorgon, but Bolcom's opera tells Medusa's story with sympathy, poignancy and care. "La Voix Humaine provides a poignant story about the loss of love," says Muni, exploring "how someone grapples with the very sad aftermath of a relationship." Contrastingly, Muni describes The Seven Deadly Sins as "a social-political drama -- and kind of kooky, so it's also kind of funny."

Of course, not every opera devotee thrills to the contemporary productions. David Borcherding, 36, of Reading definitely prefers opera's old standbys. "I'm pretty conservative when it comes to opera, so I'm looking forward to La Traviata and Turandot. However, it seems like more contemporary opera is creeping into the seasons lately -- a trend I hope soon reverses."

If audience numbers are any indication, that's not likely to happen soon. Last season's Dead Man Walking saw an enormous audience response. Productions like this year's triple bill seem to open the door to unlikely opera audiences.

Even staunch traditionalists like Borcherding who shun contemporary trends do so with passion. That's because, even when it's polarizing or controversial in some way, opera seems to bring out the fire in people. And Borcherding wouldn't trade the opportunity of having opera in the city for anything. "Being able to see opera live on stage is wonderful. I never thought it was a big deal until I started to meet people from cities that don't have opera companies or have opera performed only sporadically."

For those traditionalists, the third opera in line this season is Verdi's popular La Traviata (July 10, 12 and 18), a heartbreaking love story that has romanced operagoers for over a century-and-a-half. This is the most romantic of the season's offerings, and a poignant, heartfelt tragedy. According to Muni, "If a couple is looking for something softer and more romantic (for a date), La Traviata is really the one."

And finally, Norma (July 17 and 19) promises to enchant with its dark tale of forbidden love, Bellini's breathtaking score and Cincinnati favorite Lauren Flanigan in the title role. "Norma is a profound love story," says Muni. "It deals with very, very deep issues -- religion, eternity and a deep cultural divide that two people must bridge."

No matter what your take on love, music or art, one thing is certain: The 2003 Summer Festival offers something to charm the romantic in everyone -- passion. ©

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