'Angel' soars on the wings of its score

Several messages run through Jonathan Dove's Tobias and the Angel, a shimmering work that received its North American premiere Thursday night by Opera Vivente: the need for social justice and responsibility, the value of parenting skills and filial duty, the incalculable rate of return on a good deed, the rewards of faith.

In the end, though, the moral of the opera boils down to: Stop and smell the roses. Or, in this case, take time to hear the songs of the trees and mountains, the secret sounds of a river. That might not be exactly what the author of the apocryphal Book of Tobit had in mind, but it's a nice thought, and it effectively animates this beguiling piece of music and theater.

Dove, a British composer best known for his 1998 opera Flight, designated Tobias and the Angel a "church opera," and that's how it has been approached here. The production, with a set design by Thom Bumblauskas nicely lit by A.J. Guban, uses the entire altar area of Emmanuel Episcopal Church, with the help of some raised platforms. Aisles get a good workout, too, in this single-act, roughly 80-minute opera.

Visually, the result is consistently engaging, at least when it's possible to see all the action. Sight lines aren't exactly ideal.

Acoustically, the church is more problematic. A good many words by librettist David Lan were swallowed up in the reverberant space Thursday, obscuring some essential details in the plot, but it was still possible to follow the action (a young girl sitting in front of me seemed thoroughly connected throughout).

The story concerns the disguised angel Raphael, who guides the would-rather-be-partying Tobias on a risky journey to recover money owed to, and badly needed by, his mysteriously blinded father, Tobit. Along the way, Raphael tries, without success, to get Tobias to hear and see the world around him, the richness of nature, the beauty and meaning of life.

Things get complicated when Tobias reaches the town where he expects to get the return of that money from his father's cousin, Raguel. Raguel's daughter, Sara, has an unfortunate habit of waking up to a dead husband on her wedding night -- seven times already. Turns out there's an evil spirit, Ashmodeus, interfering with Sara's happiness because he has designs of his own on her loveliness.

So Raguel figures he can just get Tobias to marry Sara, and that will be the end of him -- and the debt. Thanks to Raphael, and the power of love, a different outcome ensues.

What holds everything together is Dove's ear-friendly, but distinctive and sophisticated, score. This is music that communicates subtly, surely. The vocal lines are deftly sculpted. The orchestration glows with gentle colors, but also bursts into folk song nimbly to provide atmosphere.

Opera Vivente, marking its 10th season, has hit an impressive mark with this affectionate staging, directed imaginatively and sensitively by John Bowen.

He assembled a strong cast, headed by David Walker, one of the opera world's leading countertenors, as Raphael. Except for some weakness at the lower end, his voice soared warmly. Kenneth Gayle sang tellingly as Tobias. Robert Cantrell's Tobit nearly stole the show with his rich, plangent bass-baritone and deeply expressive phrasing.

Jessica Renfro was the sweet-toned Sara. Gran Wilson's delightfully smarmy Raguel was animated by colorful vocalism. John Dooley could have used a little more sonic bite, but he made Ashmodeus suitably creepy.

The rest of the cast and the choral forces proved effective, as did the orchestra. Jed Gaylin, perched atop an extra-high podium behind a pillar, conducted with an eloquent touch.

The use of young dancers from the Baltimore School for the Arts to portray the natural elements in the story worked charmingly; Anton T. Wilson did the choreography. And Melanie A. Clark's costumes hit the mark, even with a get-up for Ashmodeus that would have been at home on the set of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

tim.smith@baltsun.com

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