![]() ![]() Martinez was in a supporting role for the premiere run, graduating to the marquee in subsequent revivals. The action occurs on a river boat, which turns in the waters, affording seamless scene changes as we peer into the passengers’ lives. “Florencia en el Amazonas” first appeared in 1996 at the Houston Grand Opera. She has starred as Florencia with major companies elsewhere, and it’s little surprise that her understanding of the character is finely tuned: She is also comfortable at Lyric, with 10 Chicago roles under her belt, including Marguerite in Gounod’s “Faust” and Cio-Cio-San in Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly.” So she knows about divas, and how to portray them. Much of “Florencia’s” success in Chicago is due to Puerto-Rican soprano Ana María Martínez, who is voluptuously dark-voiced, authoritative and formidable in the title role. It’s the first time ever that a work in the Spanish language has been performed on Lyric Opera’s mainstage. Catán’s opera, mystical in concept, is sung here in the original Spanish, and it is awash with the romantic spirit of Puccini and the exotic colors of Debussy and Ravel. ![]() ![]() So is this ”Love Boat,” with music and a happy ending? It might have been, were it not for the lush music of the late Mexican composer Daniel Catán, who lived many years in Los Angeles and died in 2011. ![]()
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