Jasmina Halimic / Reviews

There was some attractive singing -- even some marvelous singing, from soprano Jasmina Halimic in the role of Marguerite. Only Halimic was able to unpack her character, turning this tale -- adapted from Goethe by librettists Jules Barbier and Michel Carré -- into something meaty and believable. She has charisma: She sang, we listened. In the ballad "King of Thule," her voice was silvery and delicate, striking a natural tone of serenity, with marvelous pizzicato accompaniment from the strings in the orchestra, conducted by David Rohrbaugh. During the "Jewel Song," Marguerite's most famous number, Halimic embodied a young woman's awakening to her feelings of love -- and to her ability to inspire such feelings. Here her singing was lustrous, following the curving shape of Gounod's lines. ... Even so, here in the second of three acts, "Faust" was most effective, thanks to her mostly steadying presence -- and thanks to Gounod's love music, which is shapely, spacious and gleaming with color. The "Thinks Quartet" unfolded beautifully, with its dove-tailed intricacies. And Halimic's love duets with Boyer were fine-spun. Her voice was fragrant as a night garden, mirroring the star-lit garden effects of set designer Steven C. Kemp and lighting designer David Lee Cuthbert.

The evening's chief glory was the superb performance of soprano Jasmina Halimic in the title role, a virtuoso display of technical prowess and expressive transparency. Deploying her bright-edged and vibrant tone with utmost mastery, she let Carlson's arching vocal phrases convey everything from amorous abandon to wounded pride.