MISSION

We are here to encourage the development of gifted young singers and to stimulate the growth of New York City's invaluable chamber opera companies. But we will not neglect the Metropolitan Opera either. Get ready for bouquets and brickbats.

Thursday, February 6, 2025

A WORTHY DISCOVERY


Maestro Patrick Quigley conducting Opera Lafayette Orchestra's world premiere performance of 
Edmond Dédé's Morgiane, ou, Le Sultan d'Ispahan
Singers L to R: Joshua Conyers, Mary Elizabeth Williams, Chauncey Packer, Nicole Cabell, 
Kenneth Kellogg, and Jonathan Woody 
(photo by Amber Johnson, Historic New Orleans Collection)

After such a satisfying evening, we scarcely know where to begin. In an era when the field of opera is getting bogged down in prosy unmusical polemics, a few companies stand out by mining the past for undiscovered treasures. Teatro Nuovo brings to life forgotten gems from the Bel Canto period, whereas Opera Lafayette brings to the table a scholarly approach to rarely heard operas of the 17th, 18th and 19th c. The D.C. company's annual visits to New York City bring us education with our entertainment. Both companies achieve sold out status, proving that opera is not a dying art form.

There is room for contemporary opera just as there is for modern art. They just fail to provide nourishment to our classical eyes and ears. We would happily attend Nozze di Figaro, La Traviata, and La Bohême several times a year (and we have). Just the same, to be introduced to a work from the past that has lain forgotten gives us a thrill like no other.

A great deal of scholarship went into the recreation of Morgiane, ou, Le Sultan d'Ispahan and Opera Lafayette partnered with OperaCréole to bring this work to the stage, just in time for Black History Month. The composer Edmond Dédé was a Free Man of Color whose lifespan occupied the greater part of the 19th century. The opera is probably the first four-act opera by a United States born composer of African descent. Born in New Orleans, he established his reputation in France in the second half of the 19th century and his rich melodies reveal an exposure to various forms of music from café-concerts to high opera. We hope to hear some of his songs on recital programs!

The libretto he set was an exotic tale by Louis Brunet and probably was inspired by Europe's 19th century fascination with Asian exotica. The Islamization of Persia began in the 7th century and we can assume that the opera takes place after that time since the ruler in the opera is the tyrannical Sultan Kourouschah. Prior to the time of the opera, his mistreated wife had fled with their infant daughter in her arms and had been rescued by Hagi Hassan, a good man who raised the child with love and care. At the time of the opera, the girl, named Amine has just wed a worthy young man named Ali when Beher, a henchman of the Sultan, abducts her to be the consort of the Sultan. Yikes!!!!

We are sorry to have given away the secret surprise reveal of the 4th act. Actually, as is our wont, we did not read about the opera in advance, hoping that the work would speak for itself, which it surely did. Nonetheless, we were probably not the only member of the audience to have anticipated the surprise!

The work was exceptionally well cast. Although the production was given as a concert version with music stands, exotic atmosphere was provided by the gorgeous "Arabian Night" costuming, even for the chorus. Yes, we know that Iran (the country formerly known as Persia) is not Arabic but you, Dear Reader, know what we mean. This colorful costuming was designed by Amy Amos, Givonna Joseph, and Aria Mason. In spite of the music stands, the singers, especially the women, managed to inject their characters with dramatic intention, looking at the character they were addressing.

The role of Morgiane was played by Mary Elizabeth Williams whose spinto instrument filled out the emotion of the lines in a way that created a character of depth and determination. Her way with the vocal line was exemplary and the tonal quality admirable. Although she is the eponymous heroine, her best music and dramatic performance was saved for Act IV when she performed a stunning aria replete with arpeggios. She created a character that was forceful and spunky, proving that women can change their fates, and we are on board with that! 

Nicole Cabell is an entirely different type of soprano, a coloratura possessing an instrument of great agility. The ease with which she handled the fioritura whilst maintaining a warm coloration delighted our ears. Like Ms. Williams she always gazed upon whichever character she was addressing. She was completely believable as Morgiane's daughter Amine. Dédé gave her the most interesting music with a number of excellent arias and also duets.

As her new husband Ali, tenor Chauncey Packer sang sweetly with a lovely legato vocal line and a warm coloration, making his character most likable. One could really feel his anguish at losing his bride and his determination to recover her. In the duets, his voice blended beautifully with Ms. Cabell's, notably in Act I, in which the pair set the tone for the story by means of their mutual affection and deep devotion.

Joshua Conyers has a warm baritone that was just right for the role of Hagi Hassan. He conveyed all the warmth of a pater familias, protector of his family, a man who will go to any lengths to ensure their safety. And yet, one could imagine him as a shining knight on a white horse some two decades earlier, rescuing the poor Morgiane as she fled from her abusive husband--just the kind of hero who will raise another man's child as his own.

There was something very touching about a family banding together to try to save one of their own at a risk to their own lives. This is operatic in a way that contemporary stories cannot manage. We heard a stunning trio in which the parents and new husband vow vengeance for the abducted Amine. The composer's quartets showed his skill at weaving vocal lines into a multi-textured fabric.

The role of Beher, the Sultan's henchman, was well portrayed by bass-baritone Jonathan Woody who sat stony-faced but managed to sing with a snarl.

And finally, the role of the arrogant Sultan was sung by bass Kenneth Kellogg whom we didn't get to hear until Act III. Of all the singers, his French was the most comprehensible; of course, that is partly due to the low register, but also due to his crisp enunciation. He undergoes an Act IV transformation that was made believable by his skill at altering vocal coloration.

Just imagine!  An opera with a happy ending!  We left smiling because of the successful resolution, but also because of the marvelous music. Maestro Patrick Quigley was in full command of his resources and drew many colors from the orchestra. The music was varied with many contrasts of orchestration and rhythm.  In the opening chorus, members of the OperaCreole Ensemble, sang about nature in lilting waltz time. Later, we heard martial music in 4/4 time. 

Orchestral colors rivaled those of the rainbow. We even had the opportunity to hear the rarely heard ophicleide, an unusual brass instrument with a wide register, played by keys. We were so curious, we looked it up and learned that it was used mainly in the 19th century. and was featured in works by Mendelssohn and Berlioz. This was surely a night of discovery! We realize we have mentioned colors and coloration a great deal and perhaps this is one of the reasons we enjoyed the evening so much.

Let us finally mention that smaller roles were played by members of OperaCréole, including Valencia Pleasant, Taylor White, and Antonio Domino, Jr.

We believe a recording is forthcoming, in which case, Dear Reader, we urge you to have a listen. How impressive it is when two companies join forces to resuscitate a forgotten work. We in the audience only get to see and hear the end result. One can only imagine the happy accidents and diligent labor that went into creating such a memorable event.

© meche kroop

Wednesday, January 29, 2025

MUST THE WINTER COME SO SOON

Reinhard Mayr and Irena Portenko

Our favorite song cycle is Winterreise, composed by Franz Schubert in 1828, a setting of text by Wilhelm Műller. We never miss an opportunity to hear it live and recall hearing it sung beautifully by students at our local musical conservatories. This gives the lie to the opinion that only a mature singer possesses the depth of feeling and finely developed artistry to do the work justice. Indeed the work is the pinnacle of German Romanticism, with elements of nature expressing emotion--in this case, the abject despair over the loss of love that can only be felt by the very young. Is the histrionic hyperbole of the text foreign to our age of irony and "kewel"? We think not! To this day, unstable teenagers commit suicide over romantic rejection.

This leads us to question the occasional practice of putting this cycle into the hands of female singers and men of various fachs. We ourself prefer the youthful coloration of a lyric tenor, as Schubert intended.  We were curious to hear how it sounded sung by a bass and we did not enjoy it at all. Enjoyment is not quite the right word. We have always been moved to the core, fighting back tears as we recalled our own pain of lost love when we were but thirteen years old. And who among us has never experienced such pain?

Well, Dear Reader, last night at Weill Recital Hall, we fought off boredom, not tears. Two well-regarded musicians worked their way through the hour-plus cycle without reaching our heart. We will do our best to explain our lack of emotional connection and how the performance failed to draw us in. We cannot attribute it to our mood which was one of anticipation. Nor can we blame distance from the stage, since we were sitting as close as was possible.

Part of the problem may have been the quality of the bass fach. Tones often sounded angry and stentorian; perhaps that is the way Reinhard Mayr interpreted the story of a jilted youth wandering alone through the countryside. Nowhere did we hear any variety of coloration, whereas Schubert's piano part often gives us many shades of sadness--melancholy, disappointment, grief, despair, sorrow, loneliness, false hope, and resignation. The vocal performance was monochromatic. There was, however, a great variation in dynamics. When the volume was high, it was stentorian. When low, one could barely hear it over the piano.

Even worse were the exaggerated body movements. Mr. Mayr swayed back and forth constantly with his trunk forming circles. However, his hands remained locked in front of his body with fingers pressed together in the manner of men of the cloth delivering a sermon. We found this distracting.

There was no audience engagement, neither visual nor emotional. We wanted so much to see the barren wintry landscape through his eyes but there was nothing. We searched for something positive in the performance and the best we can say is that we understood his German, which is to be expected since he is of Austrian nationality. Singing in one's birth language should have given the singer an advantage in interpretation but there was none to be heard.

There also seemed to be a disconnect between the piano of Irena Portenko and the singer. One never had the feeling that they breathed together, something we have observed in good partnerships between singer and pianist. Ms. Portenko occasionally lost her place and kept the bass line going whilst scrolling through the score with her right hand. This lack of preparation is something we might have ignored had we been wrapped up in the emotional content but we were not.

Schubert's cycle is replete with harmonic interest and rhythmic variety that tells us what the protagonist is feeling and, sadly, this rarely came across. Schubert was already quite ill with syphilis when he composed this cycle and clearly mined his own grief so thoroughly that it seemed strange to be sitting in Weill Recital Hall feeling nothing. Schubert's genius expressed itself in his depiction of natural elements. One should be able to feel the snow, the ice, the menacing crow, the bareness of the landscape.

To our surprise, the audience applauded enthusiastically at the conclusion and we wondered whether there was something wrong with us. However, our opera singer seat mate was similarly bored and agreed with our criticism, offering some of her own. Not a very good night!

Just to find out whether we had grown bored with the cycle we played the first recording of Winterreise that we could find. It was Jonas Kaufman with Helmut Deutsch as collaborative pianist--from twenty years ago. We really needed to erase the memory of the live performance and reassure ourselves of the greatness of Schubert's masterpiece.

© meche kroop


Monday, January 20, 2025

OPERA INDEX 2025 WINTER GALA


 Jasmine Ward, Abigail Raiford, Magdalena Kuzma, Luna Seongeun Park, Shelen Hughes, Joseph Parrish, Benjamin Sokol, Son Jin Kim, and Minghao Liu with Jane Shaulis at the podium

Opera Index is an organization that fulfills a number of needs within our opera community, providing financial and career support to emerging opera singers; it is run by volunteers and sustained by donors. To look through the list of their honorees is to look at a Who's Who of Planet Opera. This year's honoree was renowned Welsh bass-baritone Sir Bryn Terfel, given the award by Barry Tucker son of the late great tenor Richard Tucker.

It has been our great pleasure to be a member of Opera Index lo these many years and to have written about the galas and also the less formal recitals at which we get a more substantial hearing of some of the winners. Among the 2024 winners were several young artists that have thrilled us with their undergraduate and post-graduate performances, artists well deserving of awards, attention, and future success.

As is our wont, the ranking of prizes and their commensurate cash value will not be mentioned here; for us these artists are all grand prize winners. If such is your need to know, let us refer you to www.operaindex.org where you can learn more about this storied foundation and (of course) make a donation. President Jane Shaulis opened the evening with some very welcoming remarks, and then....let the excitement begin!

Opening the program was soprano Luna Seongeun Park who let her voice and personality shine in "Chacon le sait" from Donizetti's La fille du regiment, showing not only vocal beauty but capturing Marie's lively temperament. We haven't enjoyed the aria this much since Natalie Dessay performed it at The Metropolitan Opera.

More soprano superiority was to follow with Shelen Hughes showing a melting legato and rich tone in Suzel's charming aria "Son Pochi Fiori" from L'amico Fritz, Mascagni's second most famous opera. Mascagni meant for his music to show us how Suzel won the heart of the landowner and, similarly, Ms. Hughes won the hearts of the audience.

Figaro's unjustified suspicion of Susanna's infidelity is always a crowd pleaser and bass-baritone Son Jin Kim made the most of "Aprite un po' quell occhi" from Mozart's masterpiece Le nozze di Figaro. Mr. Kim's phrasing, dynamics, and rhythmic acuity brought his character to vivid life.

Taking us from comedy to tragedy was soprano Jasmine Ward whose soaring soprano did justice to the tragic lament "My man's gone now" from George Gershwin's Porgy and Bess, the only American opera represented in last night's program. The audience's rapt attention was palpable.

Moving on from tragedy to rage, Abigail Raiford tore into the role of Queen of the Night in "Der Holle Rache" from Mozart's Die Zauberflote. Always a showpiece and a chance for a coloratura soprano to show her stuff, Ms. Raiford evinced clarity in the lavish fioritura and skill with the high tessitura.

From rage to fear we go! So much emotion in one evening!  In Verdi's Macbeth, Banquo senses the upcoming slaughter of himself and his young son in "Come dal ciel precipita". Bass-baritone Benjamin Sokol used the excellent resonance of his instrument to create the character, a superlative performance indeed.

Tchaikovsky's Iolanta is not often produced and we welcomed hearing the heroine's Arioso sung with sensitivity and dynamic variety by soprano Magdalena Kuzma, whose warm voice was echoed by a warm stage presence.

Who doesn't enjoy a good Belcore! Bass-baritone Joseph Parrish delighted us with "Come Paride vezzoso" from Donizetti's  L'elisir d'amore, employing his lustrous tone and charming personality to create a likable and amusing character. Having heard Mr. Parrish sing mostly in Russian and English, we relished the opportunity to enjoy his Italianate phrasing and legato. (With three excellent bass-baritones on the program, we were dying to learn what Sir Terfel thought, but we were sure he would not say!)

Closing the program was the sole tenor of the evening Minghao Liu who is having a fine career in bel canto roles, as well he should. His instrument has tonal warmth which he employs with consummate legato. We particularly enjoyed the way he used the entire staging area for Lindoro's aria. "Languir per una bella" from Rossini's dramma giocosa, L'Italiana in Algeri. We mentally cast him in a few other bel canto roles.

As Collaborative Pianist we had Matthew Lobaugh who easily changed mood and color to suit the varying emotions onstage. Indeed, all the artists succeeded in carrying us from comedy to tragedy to anger to charm. What a splendid celebration of young artists, all of whom are well on their way to successful careers. Bravi tutti!

© meche kroop






Sunday, January 5, 2025

SINGING PIRATES AND DANCING COPS


                                                       Those kindly thoughtful pirates


"No, Frederic, it cannot be. I don’t think much of our profession, but, contrasted with respectability, it is comparatively honest." Thus spake The Pirate King to his apprentice Frederic revealing to an ever enthusiastic audience the hypocrisy of the respectable. In the present day, news sources are full of tales about genuine and very scary pirates who attack merchant ships for political causes or for economic benefit. Not so the pirates of Gilbert and Sullivan's masterwork The Pirates of Penzance.

Spoiler Alert! One doesn't find out until the final scene that the pirates are all nobleman gone astray, fine fellows all with a soft spot for orphans, and eligible to wed the numerous wards of Major-General Stanley, whose patter song "I am a Model of a Modern Major-General" is a model of clever rhymes that tickle the ear. W. S. Gilbert was a whiz of a wordsmith indeed.

The beloved Savoyards skewered British social customs and legal systems to the delight of their Victorian audience and continue to delight modern audiences, even though there are words that are somewhat unfamiliar. We read the libretto in advance and were obliged to look up such words as "costermonger" and such terms as "a Ward in Chancery" but one can enjoy the story, the tunes, and the sound of the rhymes and rhythms even if one does not understand every word.

Still, there are a plethora of couplets that one can appreciate such as our favorite: "You shall quickly be parsonified, Conjugally matrimonified, By a doctor of divinity, Who resides in this vicinity". That Arthur Sullivan's melodies amplify Gilbert's wordsmithery does not make it a periphery, but it does make us so dithery.  Oh dear!  Their wit is contagious and a bit outrageous. (No more, we promise!)

Although we have been fortunate enough to have seen the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company when they toured the United States some time ago, we prefer the performances of New York Gilbert and Sullivan Players who always deliver a performance that is dramatically valid and musically rewarding. We've never been disappointed by the artists who seem to enjoy being onstage as much as we enjoy being in the audience.

2025 marks their 50th season and last night we were thrilled to be in the audience for opening night of The Pirates of Penzance. Directed by Albert Bergeret, the performance was full of wit and over-the- top shenanigans. We would hate to spoil it for you! David Auxier's  witty choreography added greatly to the fun and, in a highly amusing modernizing twist, employed some choreography suggestive of Bob Fosse with appropriate use of headgear. 

Joseph Rubin's conducting made every sparkling tune come to life and the melodies are still ringing in our ears. Even the lighting by Benjamin Weill added to the fun; in a clever bit, the  Sergeant of Police, played by the loose limbed Mr. Auxier himself, interacted with the person handling the spotlight, motioning for it to be directed towards himself. This was only one of several inventive and amusing moments.

But we are talking about musical theater (operetta?) so let us concern ourselves with the voices. Regrettably amplified (my companion and I both found the sound a bit muddy at times with some artists sounding clearer than others), it is difficult to evaluate vocal quality with the exception of that of soprano Claire Leyden. Her coloratura was crisply and musically rendered, with Sullivan's writing sending up Lucia's mad scene from Donizetti's Lucia de Lamermoor. 

The acting was superb all around with Alex Corson portraying the innocent Frederic about to "graduate" from his apprenticeship with a pirate band, due to the disarticulation of the word "pilot".  He has never seen a woman except for his nursemaid Ruth who would like to marry him. These days, everyone is butt-hurt about something or other and protests abound from those experiencing racism in the theater. As a middle-aged woman, we personally object to the ageism in this work, since Ruth is discarded as being too old for Frederic! We are laughing up our sleeve since we wouldn't change a word of this delightful piece.

The loyal Ruth was wonderfully performed by Angela Christine Smith. The aforementioned Ms. Leyden was charming as Mabel, the only one of Major-General Stanley's passel of wards willing to show interest and affection for the "Poor Wand'ring One" whose profession as a pirate was deemed unacceptable for respectable young ladies. 

The role of Major-General Stanley was taken by James Mills who dazzled us with his rapid-fire patter song "I am the very model of a modern Major-General" in which he pretended to be groping for Gilbert's clever rhymes.

Matthew Wages made a marvelous Pirate King and convinced us that "it is indeed a glorious thing to be a Pirate King"! As his Lieutenant Samuel, Adam Hirama Wells had just the right spirit.

Three of Stanley's wards were named in the program -- Hannah Holmes, Alexandra Imbrosci-Viera, and Laura Sudduth but there was no way to tell which artist played which girl.. Well, one of them performed some lovely ballet moves.

We will repeat how excellent was the direction and staging. Among the  numerous sight gags we particularly enjoyed the one in which the gaggle of girls created a train with twirling parasols as wheels. Their beautiful and most apropos costumes were created by Quinto Ott and Gail Wofford, whose artistry most radical made sense of  costuming piratical (Oh, stop us before we begin speaking like Gilbert!)

We cannot keep from mentioning how successful this company is at attracting audiences without directorial co-opting. We are in Victorian England where duty is a major value as is love of The Queen. Thanks for honoring the time and place without attempts to make the work "relevant".

By the end of the performance, our face was sore from smiling. Dear Reader, next weekend offers more opportunities to enjoy this experience and you should make sure that you do!

This review was NOT written by AI. We take full responsibility for it, errors and all.

©meche kroop

 






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