There are sopranos, and then there are divas. The great ones’ names evoke a thrilling heritage: Maria Callas and Renata Tebaldi, Nellie Melba and Zinka Milanov, Emmy Destinnova and Amelita Galli-Curci, Galina Vishnevskaya and Vera Galupe-Borszkh . . .
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Vera Galupe-Borszkh? Reviled–er, revered–as “La Dementia” by those in the know, this Russian star’s unique mastery of both bel canto and can belto has elevated her above soprano drammatico to a new category, “soprano traummatico.” She’s internationally notorious as the artistic director and prima donna of La Gran Scena Opera Company, which comes to town for four shows next week. The group has toured Europe and the U.S. with an ensemble of some of classical music’s most unusual practitioners. Among them are the mighty mezzo Carmelita Della Vaca-Browne, a dairy heiress from Naguabo, Puerto Rico; the “elegant but midpriced” baritone Fodor Szedan; and onetime Miss America contestant Philene Wannelle, renowned for creating the trouser role of Stanley Kowalski in Pasmaitiara’s Un Tram si Chiama Desiderio. “It is great privilege to vork vith slightly lesser artists,” says Madame Galupe-Borszkh in the demurely mousy manner her colleagues long ago learned to distrust. Providing stalwart piano accompaniment is maestro Lorenzo Costalotta-Denaro, the former protege of Galupe-Borszkh’s late husband, the castrato Manuel Galupe. “I’ve always felt in a marriage one person vith balls is quite enough,” La Dementia explains, “and I vas happy to be that person.”
That certainly isn’t true of La Gran Scena; once you’ve seen this herd of Hornes storm through “The Ride of the Valkyries,” dangerously brandishing spears while wearing some truly remarkable evening gowns, you’ll never think of Wagner the same way again. Likewise Verdi–the judgment scene from Aida has Della Vaca-Browne as Amneris and titanic tenor Alfredo Sorta-Pudgi as Radames doing their imitation of Egyptian wall paintings while Galupe-Borszkh as Aida lurks in the background, dusting the palm trees. (“Imagine, a walk-on. How humiliating! But anything to save money,” simpers the proud but penny-wise diva/director.)
La Gran Scena Opera Company opens at the Athenaeum Theatre, 2936 N. Southport, on Thursday, December 7, at 7:30 PM. Shows continue Friday at 8:30 and Saturday at 7 and 10:30. Tickets are $24 to $34; for more information, call Performing Arts Chicago at 722-5463 or 663-1628.
