Verdi's "I Lombardi' in concert in NY

I Lombardi premiered in 1843, when Giuseppe Verdi was 30 years old. Although it was staged in only once (in the 1993-94 season) in the Metropolitan Opera's 133-year history, Lombardi has much to offer in the way of innovative music, with more vivid scenes than Verdi's earlier (and more often produced) works, Oberto and Nabucco.

In I Lombardi, Verdi tried new concepts, such as a miniature violin concerto to introduce an Act III soprano-tenor-bass trio and an off-stage band, not to mention an aria sung from heaven by a deceased tenor.

To be sure, I Lombardi is hobbled by a convoluted story. Two brothers feud over the love of one woman, Giselda. One of the brothers, in exile because of a mistaken-identity murder, renounces his religion, leading to a Christian/Muslim romance. In the Holy Land during the First Crusade, the Christians capture Antioch from their Muslim adversary. In the finale— a churning waltz— the Crusaders praise God. Verdi didn't always latch onto a logical narrative, but he was superb at arousing the patriotic instincts of his Italian audiences.

Because Lombardi's Met revival in 1993 starred Luciano Pavarotti, some people may think of it as a star-tenor vehicle. Not so. Its lead tenor, Oronte, doesn't appear until the second act and dies in the third. Oronte does get to sing three gorgeous melodies, and his spirit appears from heaven in Act IV, singing "In cielo benedetto."

Meade soars upward

But Lombardi's predominant music is written for choruses— even more so than in Nabucco, with its famous hymn of the Hebrew slaves— and the most dominant voice during Lombardi's four acts is the soprano (Angela Meade, in this month's Opera Orchestra of New York concert version).

Meade has dazzled audiences and critics with her Elvira in Verdi's Ernani and the title roles in Donizetti's Anna Bolena and Bellini's Norma. She was equally impressive in this opera as Giselda, a challenging role that jumps between high and low and also demands many floating pianissimi. Near the end of Act II, when the crusaders attack Antioch, Meade led the closing ensemble with soaring upward runs and an interpolated high D.

Meade is justly known for handling such difficulties cleanly and accurately, with no slurring or scooping, and for making spectacular moments seem almost effortless. Her very best singing occurred in the opera's last act, when Meade forcefully proclaimed, "Non fu sogno" ("It was not a dream").

Fabiano's dramatic image

Tenor Michael Fabiano's opening aria as Oronte, in three-quarter time, "La mia letizia infondere" ("If I could instill my joy into her heart"), was taken slower than the norm, as Fabiano stretched the legato of some phrases and turned the cavatina into a show-stopper. Verdi didn't specify exactly how fast that should be sung, only writing "andante" (a moderate walking tempo) and "with joy."

In this production, the eight-person auxiliary band was placed in the next-to-highest balcony on the audience's right, and the heavenly tenor presented a dramatic image as Fabiano sang from the far left corner of the second tier, up against the wall that adjoins the stage.

New York audience members hadn't previously seen Fabiano in leading roles, and they responded with exuberant surprise to his fine singing and to his dramatic persona. He threw himself into his character and ignored his music stand, demonstrating that he knew the part totally from memory.

I saw him successfully sing major roles during his four years at the Academy of Vocal Arts, and now his voice has grown in volume. Even when he sang softly and caressingly, his sound projected to the far end of Avery Fisher Hall. He's ready for leading tenor parts at the Met. In fact, he would have been an asset in this season's performances of La Traviata there.

Moviegoers may recall Fabiano's presence in The Audition, the film that chronicled the Met's 2007 audition competition. That year he shared the top prize with Meade, his classmate from the Academy of Vocal Arts and his co-star in that institution's 2008 production of Lucia di Lammermoor.

Queler's affectionate touch

Bass-baritone Kevin Short, in the double role of Pagano and Hermit, produced many ringing high notes. His voice is best in its mid-to-high range, but a bit weaker in low passages, which sound better when sung by true basses.

Noah Baetge sang the second tenor role with nice timbre and excellent projection. Eve Queler conducted the orchestra as well as the large New York Chorale Society with loving affection. At times I would have preferred more snap, crackle and fire from the orchestra.

Not everything works in Verdi's youthful composition. The middle of Act II, for example, includes a quickstep chorus that sounds like Gilbert and Sullivan, followed by a women's chorus that resembles children skipping around a maypole. Four years later, Verdi wrote a similarly facile tune for the witches in Macbeth, but the mature Verdi avoided such nonsense.

Still, it was thrilling to see this innovative opera rescued from neglect.