Baritone racks up roles over 10 years with Tulsa Opera

by: JAMES D. WATTS JR. World Scene Writer
9/29/2007  

Tulsa, says Peter Lindskoog, has “become kind of a second home for me.”

Peter Lindskoog isn’t sure whether he should be flattered, embarrassed or worried.

But this November, Chapman University – where Lindskoog earned his undergraduate degree not too terribly long ago – is presenting him with a Lifetime Achievement in the Arts award.

“Aren’t those the things you get when you’re about to die?” Lindskoog asked in a most rhetorical way. “Of course it’s gratifying that the college wants to do something like this, but I can’t help but think, I’m not done yet!’ ”

For one thing, there’s the role of Baron Scarpia that Lindskoog will perform when Tulsa Opera opens its 60th anniversary season with Puccini’s “Tosca.”

And if Lindskoog is to start receiving achievement awards, then he’s probably due one from Tulsa Opera. His appearance in this production of “Tosca” is his 15th time to perform with the company in the last 10 years – 14 opera roles, including the lead in the 2002 production of “The Cunning Little Vixen,” and participating in the 1998 concert commemorating the opera company’s 50th anniversary.

“It’s become kind of a second home for me,” said Lindskoog, who makes his home in North Carolina.

But the role he is taking on this time is somewhat less familiar. This will be only the third time Lindskoog has sung Scarpia, the chief of police in Rome whose twisted passion for the singer Tosca leads to three deaths.

Joining Lindskoog in the production are soprano Isabella Mederi as Tosca, tenor Johann Valdimarsson as Cavaradossi, both making their Tulsa Opera debuts. The cast also features Tulsa bassbaritone Richard Sutliff as the Sacristan.

Robert Swedberg, former general director of Orlando Opera, directs the production. Tulsa Opera general director Carol I. Crawford will conduct.

“Actually,” Lindskoog said, “Scarpia was the first role I ever did professionally. I had won a voice competition in Michigan, and I was approached about doing the role there.

“I talked it over with my voice teacher, who said Scarpia was his first professional role,” he said. “I had a year to prepare and I used all of it, so I came into that production pretty confident. And that gave me . . . not an advantage, but a different perspective from a lot of other young singers. I sort of jumped in feet first, instead of going through an apprentice program or the like.”
was, Sam didn’t come in until late in the process, so I really had the opportunity to learn the part well again,” Lindskoog said. “Then, Sam got sick and I went on for him — we ended up sharing the role.” That was the last time Lindskoog sang Scarpia, until 2005, when he was hired to cover Samuel Ramey and perform some matinees of the opera.

“The good thing about that was, Sam didn’t come in until late in the process, so I really had the opportunity to learn the part well again,” Lindskoog said. “Then, Sam got sick and I went on for him — we ended up sharing the role.”

But the character of Scarpia doesn’t like to share anything —especially the power he has obtained through his position, and the acts that power allows him to do.

“Is Scarpia evil?” Lindskoog said. “I think it’s subjective. Certainly he does evil things, but there is — at least in his mind — always a reason for why he does them.

“And a lot of those reasons have to do with the fact that Scarpia is just doing his job,” he said. “That’s why he’s after Angelotti in Act One — this fellow has escaped custody and that doesn’t look good. But then he sees Tosca and Cavaradossi together, and he realizes how he can get two things he wants.”

Lindskoog sees Scarpia as a fellow who is always in control, whose calmness only adds to the fearsome effect he has on those around him.

“It’s what leads to his own death — he thinks he’s in such control that he can’t imagine anyone getting to him,” Lindskoog said. “But even when he’s dead, he’s still in control of the situation — he’s set everything to go exactly as he planned.

“And there’s also a bit of humor to the guy,” he said. “That’s the challenge — to play this character as a person, to bring out all these sides of him without turning him to something out o f a melodrama, twirling his moustache or what have you.”

TOSCA

Who: by Giacomo Puccini, presented by Tulsa Opera

When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday and Oct. 12, 2:30 p.m. Oct. 14

Where: Chapman Music Hall, Tulsa Performing Arts Center, Third Street and Cincinnati Avenue

Tickets: $20-$95, available at Tulsa Opera, 587-4811; the PAC Ticket office, 596-7111; and www.tulsaworld.com/mytix

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