EVERYONE WINS AT THE GEORGE LONDON FINALS

George London Foundation Awards Competition Finals

Yesterday the George London Foundation Awards Competition Finals were held at the Morgan Library. What we like best about this competition is that the members of the audience get to mingle with the finalists whilst the judges are conferring; we get to share their excitement and to find out what is happening in their burgeoning careers. We also love the idea that every one of the finalists gets recognition and a cash award. These young artists are all winners! We are glad not to be one of the judges; we could never pick some over the others.

If you, dear reader, must know who got the big money, we refer you to the Foundation website. As is our wont, we would like to share our experience of this exciting event without dwelling upon who got the major money. The fact is that every one of the sixteen finalists impressed us with an outstanding performance.

One aspect delighted us no end--the profusion of tenors--all of them different from one another and all superb. Beginning with the "lightest" of the voices, we loved Matthew Swenson's sweet serenade "Ecco ridente in cielo" from Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia. He was ardent and had all the flexibility we would wish for in the fioritura.

Charles Sy gave a dramatically valid interpretation of "Ich baue ganz", Belmonte's third act aria from Mozart's Die Entführung aus dem Serail, which we rarely get to hear outside of an operatic performance. He spun out his tone like a fine silk thread and was outstanding in the embellishments.

L'Africaine, Meyerbeer's grand opera of 1865--his last--is unknown to us; after hearing Matthew White's persuasive performance of Vasco da Gama's aria "O paradis", we decided we would love to see/hear this opera in toto. Mr. White used his entire body to convey the wonders of the island. His pleasing tone was marked by a soaring upper register and his French was quite lovely.

Totally different was Joseph Tancredi's warm sound in German. "Dein ist mein ganzes Herz" from Franz Lehár's Das Land des Lächelns which he performed with great depth of feeling and no strain whatsoever. We admired his superb German diction.

The last tenor we heard was Kyle van Schoonhoven whom we have heard many times; we remember him best for his performance of Peter Grimes' mad scene. We were happy to hear him flex his Wagnerian muscles in "Mein lieber Schwan" from Lohengrin. His powerful instrument is that of a heldentenor and we could understand every word of his German. A fine performance it was!

Speaking of Wagner, it is time to heap accolades on the sopranos. Rebecca Pedersen bowled us over with her "Dich teure Halle" from Tannhäuser. Her large and generous sound accommodated all the vowels with crisp consonants making every word clear.

Sarah Joyce Cooper used her coloratura effectively to limn Violetta's crisis of ambivalence in "E strano...Sempre libera" from Verdi's La Traviata, perhaps our very favorite opera.

Shannon Jennings revealed a facility for verismo in "Stridono Lassù" from Leoncavallo's Pagliacci. Elizabeth Reiter's satisfactory performance of "No word from Tom", from Stravinsky's The Rake's Progress, would have been improved by crisper English diction and some better piano accompaniment.

Olivia Smith's performance of "Deh vieni non tardar" from Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro showed a lot of promise and maturity beyond her tender years. At 18, she was the youngest competitor. We'd love to see her develop this aria in the direction of teasing the eavesdropping Figaro with a bit of exaggeration.

Moving on to those marvelous mezzos, Samantha Gossard's rich sound was just right for "Connais-tu le pays" from Jules Massenet's rarely heard opera Mignon. We are familiar with the Goethe bildungsroman and with the many settings of the Mignon songs but would still love to hear the entire opera. Ms. Gossard's French was lovely and she exhibited plenty of punch in the lower register.

Amanda Lynn Bottoms' instrument is marked by an appealing vibrato and she uses this instrument with artistry, particularly with regard to dynamic variety. Her acting was likewise impressive in the heartbreaking "Charlotte's Letter Scene" from Massenet's Werther. Ms. Bottoms is no slouch when it comes to acting! It was a most convincing performance.

Polixeni Tsiouvaras gave a lovely performance of "Se Romeo t'uccise un figlio" from Bellini's I Capuleti e i Montecchi, another opera which is rarely performed, the plot of which is quite a departure from that of Shakespeare's play. In this aria Romeo offers himself to the Capulets as a substitute son for the one he killed! Ms. Tsiouvaras has a true mezzo texture and has her instrument under perfect control.

Carolyn Sproule also evinced a unique sound and sang Bellini's "Deh! Proteggimi o Dio", Adalgisa's Act I prayer; she sang it with fine technique and great depth of feeling.

Strangely, there were no baritones this year but we heard two low male voices. Bass-baritone Vartan Gabrielian, whom we best remember as Sparafucile at Santa Fe Opera, showed new expansion in his lower register in another aria unknown to us. 

The best part of hearing an aria for the first time is anticipating the pleasure you might find in the entire opera; in this case, having read the libretto, we are not so sure! Perhaps it has been shelved for good reason. In any event,  Mr. Gabrielian gave a measured but forceful performance of the intense "Quand la flamme de l'amour" from Bizet's La jolie fille de Perth.

Finally, we heard Mefistofele's "Vous qui faites l'endormie", known as the "laughing song" from Charles Gounod's Faust, sung by bass Ron Dukes who has a dark covered sound and needs a bit more Gallic line.

The one disappointment of the afternoon was the piano accompaniment. We decline to name the guilty party but his playing was ham-handed and often threatened to drown out the singers. There seemed to be a lack of sensitivity to the score and, worse, a lack of sensitivity to the singers who deserved better.

Fortunately, that did not spoil the pleasure of hearing 16 fine young artists.

(c) meche kroop

GOTHIC HORROR AT JUILLIARD

Joan Hofmeyr, Britt Hewitt, Charles Sy, and Rebecca Pedersen 

(photo by Rosalie O'Connor)

 Chance Jonas-O’Toole, Anneliese Klenetsky, Charles Sy

(photo by Rosalie O'Connor)

Some riveting performances by students of Juilliard Vocal Arts Department (both graduates and undergraduates) brought to life a strange production of Benjamin Britten's The Turn of the Screw.  Henry James' gothic horror novella of the turn of the 20th c. was adapted by Myfanwy Piper for Britten.

The lack of vowels in her name seems to match the dearth of melody in Britten's music. What happened to melody after Richard Strauss?  What we are left with are plays with music. As such, this one worked out as well as could be expected.  The drama held our attention and kept us guessing. The music had a great deal of color and reminded us of the atmospheric music written for film. As a matter of fact, the entire production had a filmic quality.

We have learned that the longer the Director's Notes, the more obscure the production will be. As is our wont, we don't read them until after seeing the production because we believe a work of art should speak for itself. We were not always sure what was going on in John Giampietro's confusing production and reading his notes afterward succeeded in baffling us still further. There was a great deal of symbolism which we failed to grasp.  Frankly, we prefer realistic storytelling.  We are familiar with Jungian psychology but our familiarity did not help.

Chance Jonas O'Toole colored his tenor suitably for the role of the narrator, not only introducing the action but moving furniture in and out of the unit set, a large empty period room with peeling wallpaper, a broken ceiling, and several secret panels for entrances and exits.

As the innocent (or maybe not so) Governess, soprano Anneliese Klenetsky could not have been better. One could not tell if her ghostly visions were "real" or not but it was obvious that she cared for her juvenile charges. She had the closest thing to an aria in the well sung "How beautiful it is".

As the juveniles, soprano Britt Hewitt in travesti was believable as Miles who was "bad" or else "possessed". As his sister Flora,

soprano Joan Hofmeyr was similarly effective. Their playing together was always a bit unsettling.

The two "ghosts" were remarkably portrayed. Tenor Charles Sy was chilling as Peter Quint, using voice coloration and gesture to portray pure evil.  As the prior governess Miss Jessel, soprano Rebecca Pedersen, made a strong impression. She was strangely swathed in butterflies.

As the housekeeper Mrs. Grose, soprano Katerina Burton was warm and real, the only non-puzzling onstage presence.

If we have said nothing about their voices, it is because this type of work doesn't have the long lyric lines of Italian opera that enable us to appreciate phrasing, timbre, and all that other good stuff.  Suffice it to say that their diction was uniformly superb making the titles rather unnecessary.

Alexis Distler's scenic design matched the spookiness of the story and Kate Ashton's lighting design helped immeasurably to create the mood. Audrey Nauman's costumes were suited to the period.

Maestro Steven Osgood led the chamber orchestra in a finely wrought performance. The musicians were all members of the Juilliard Orchestra. A string quartet was augmented by a double bass, a flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, French horn, percussion, harp, and piano.  The winds were particularly effective, as was the harp.  Was that a celesta we heard or chimes in the Churchyard scene? It was very effective, whichever.

Given the choice of seeing this work again or reading the novella, we would probably opt for reading. There were others in the sold out house whose enthusiasm exceeded ours. The great thing about opera is that there is something for every taste. Mid 20th c. opera in English just isn't ours.

(c) meche kroop

NEW NAME NEW GAME

Melanie Leinbach and Charles Sy

The autumn season is beginning and we are already quite excited about the expansion of one of our favorite small opera companies.  City Lyric Opera is the new name chosen for the adventuresome young company whose work we have greatly admired under its former name ARE Opera. The features of the acronym, standing for "accessible, relatable, and enjoyable", will be preserved in the practice, but the new name better reflects the enhanced mission of the company--namely, to serve the artists and the community.

Last night marked the company launch of the new mission and the new season. Denizens of Planet Opera gathered at the lovely home of a very kind patron who generously supplied a warm and inviting space with a fine old piano whose keys produced some marvelous music under the flying fingers of Music Director Jonathan Heaney. A warm welcome was given by Co-Founders and Co-Executive Directors Megan Gillis and Kathleen Spencer, as well as by Artistic Director Jessica Harika. These three women know their stuff, as evidenced by the quality of the entertainment for the evening.

As usual, we were equally delighted by reconnecting with singers we know and love, and by hearing new discoveries from whom we want to hear more. The program was well balanced between opera and American musical theater. Although the singing was of the highest quality, what impressed us the most was how "relatable" they were. The connection with the audience, seated comfortably in a spacious living room, was intense; the applause was thunderous.  It isn't every day that we get that up close and personal.

Tenor Charles Sy impressed with a generous delivery of  "Dein its mean ganzes Herz" from Franz Lehár's Das Land des Lächelns. This is one of those songs one never tires of hearing and Mr. Sy sang it with warmth and gorgeous German. Still, it was his performance of "Una furtive lagrima" from Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore that touched us deeply. His interpretation of Nemorino was unusual and far removed from the cliché of the poor slob who is overjoyed to get the girl. Mr. Sy's Nemorino expressed a sense of awe that reminded us of all the times in our life when our longings were finally satisfied. There was definitely a lagrima in our occhio!

He also demonstrated his versatility singing "Tonight" from Bernstein's West Side Story in a touching duet with soprano Melanie Leinbach.  We've been hearing a great deal of Bernstein in this celebratory year; soprano Christine Lyons closed the program with a moving rendition of "Somewhere".

To truly appreciate Ms. Lyons' gifts, one needs to hear her Italian. We well remember her performance as Adina (to Mr. Sy's Nemorino) last year with ARE Opera. But last night we heard an enhancement of vibrato in her glorious performance of "Io son l'umile ancella" from Cilea's Adriana Lecouvreur. The Italianate vowels and phrasing were perfect.

We have been waiting patiently for someone to get us to appreciate Carlyle Floyd's Susanna and Ms. Lyons crisp English diction and psychological insight helped us to turn the corner.  In "Ain't it a Pretty Night", she expressed all the longing and excitement of leaving home, and all the nostalgia for what might be left behind. We wondered if Ms. Lyons had experienced those feelings when she left Atlanta because her performance oozed conviction.

We have more to say about the versatile Ms.Leinbach who was very skilled at bringing out the comedy in "The Girl in 14G", the Jeanine Tesori and Dick Scanlan song popularized by Kristin Chenoweth. In this song, the performer gets to mimic her loud musical neighbors and Ms. Leinbach excelled, especially for the Queen of the Night which served to show off her coloratura skills.

The poignant duet "If I Loved You" from Rodgers and Hammerstein's Carousel was beautifully realized by Ms. Leinbach and bass-baritone Andrew O'Shanick, both vocally and dramatically. Mr. O'Shanick is another versatile performer who  delighted us with a very simple quiet rendering of "Edelweiss", another Rodgers and Hammerstein song, from The Sound of Music. We would say that Mr. O'Shanick has a real facility for R&H. 

He also has a facility for Mozart as evidenced by his performance of "Deh vieni alla finestra" from Don Giovani, in which Mr. Heaney's piano in staccato mode successfully imitated a lute. Mr. O'Shanick and Mr. Heaney can serenade us anytime! He also has a flair for comedy observed in the satirical "Agony" from Sondheim's Into the Woods--satire as only Sondheim can write. He and baritone James Wright were competing in their despair over unattainable women and it was difficult to suppress giggles.

Mr. Wright had his solo as well, and what a solo it was! Again, we observed how a gifted artist can perform a work we've heard hundreds of times and bring a freshness to it. From Rossini's charming comedy Il barbiere di Siviglia, we heard the "Largo al factotum" and also saw Figaro weaving through the audience combing people's hair, without missing a beat. The patter part was perfectly performed. (Pardon the alliteration).

Mr. Wright's baritone paired well with Mr. Sy's tenor in "Lily's Eyes", a dramatic excerpt from the 1989 musical The Secret Garden by Marsha Norman and Lucy Simon. This is a show we never saw but the song is haunting.

After a dazzling launch like this, we expect great things from City Lyric Opera as they support young singers and bring artistry and entertainment to their audience. They deserve your support, both financial and practical. Do visit their website and see all the exciting plans for this season.

© meche kroop

LOVE FOR L'ELISIR

Christine Lyons telling the tale of Tristan and Isolde

Xiaomeng Zhang enlisting Charles Sy into the military

ARE Opera was founded just a year and a half ago by Megan Gillis and Kathleen Spencer, two singers who want to make opera Accessible, Relatable, and Enjoyable. So far, they have succeeded admirably.

They have chosen their productions wisely and cast them with talented young singers. They stage them in ways that are up front and personal so that audience members feel involved.  At one point Nemorino sat down in one of the very few empty seats in the house, right next to ours, and we almost put an arm around him to give him some encouragement in his struggle to win Adina's affection.  Now that's personal!

The proof of the pudding is in the audience reaction. At a few points we tore our attention away from the performers to glance at the audience and what we saw was glee and rapt involvement. The "newbie" we invited was delighted with the experience and full of questions and observations.

Let us take a closer look at what makes this production such a delight.  Of course, Donizetti's sparkling and tuneful music, played by pianist Andrew Sun (who is also Chorus Master), is at the foundation. Felice Romani's charming libretto is, well, felicitous! It allows the audience to identify with the underdog Nemorino (little worm) who is too shy and lacking in self-confidence to win the love of the landowner Adina, apparently the only literate person in her village.

Director Jessica Harika has wisely kept the action in the right time and place--a small village in the 19th c. She has added some pantomime to the overture showing us the two almost-lovers as children (Angel Figueroa and Alexa Sternchos) manifesting youthful crushes, their interaction giving us some backstory. She has credited Dean Anthony with the concept.

All of this excellent foundation laid the groundwork for some excellent performances. As Nemorino,  Charles Sy exhibited a rich but flexible tenor that grew in impact from his opening aria "Quanto è bella, quanto è cara" to his final "Una furtiva lagrima". We have heard Mr. Sy often in recital but it was a revelation to witness his dramatic prowess. He created a character that we cared about. We could laugh at him without looking down on him. He was funny in his gullibility and ignorance, but did not ever invite scorn.

As Adina, the proud object of his romantic longing, soprano Christine Lyons was given reason to reject him, dating back to their childhood experiences. Her lustrous soprano won us over from the start as she read to the villagers in her aria "Della crudele Isotta". At the end she has trouble actually declaring her love in "Prendi, per me sei libero"-- until Nemorino actually forces her hand. Although Donizetti has written some fabulous fioritura, for Adina he has given us just enough embellishment to add to her emotional range-- and enough to show us what Ms. Lyons is capable of.

The role of Sergeant Belcore is an interesting one. He must be a "player" with a macho show of arrogance and yet be more than a tool for Adina to make Nemorino jealous. We sense his humanity underneath the bravado. Here, baritone Xiaomeng Zhang, whose work we have enjoyed on many occasions, lent his expansive and resonant instrument to the portrayal and gave us a highly memorable performance. His delivery of "Come Paride vezzoso" was masterful and we loved the moment when he comments on helping his rival to succeed.

The lovable snake oil salesman Dulcamara was given a fine performance by bass-baritone Brent Hetherington who was just right for the part. His patter song, promising the naive villagers a cure for all their ills, is always a highlight--"Udite, udite, o rustici". Donizetti wisely gave Dulcamara a clever and tuneful duet with Adina  "Io son ricco e tu sei bella" and we have never seen it better performed.

Mezzo-soprano Rachel Arky made a fine Gianetta and the chorus was marvelously together, showing evidence of fine guidance by Mr. Sun and some substantial rehearsal time. Maestro Jonathan Heaney's conducting was as excellent as Mr. Sun's piano. We wondered if we were hearing Richard Wagner's piano reduction but there was no mention in the program. The costumes by Wardrobe Witchery were perfectly a propos with Dulcamara's plaid suit winning the prize for being the most colorful.

His entrance was marked by offstage trumpet and snare drum, played by Mitchell Curry whilst the lovely mezzo-soprano Alanna Fraize performed the role of Dulcamara's assistant, miming the trumpet playing--a moment the audience loved.

There will be two more performances at St. Veronica's church on Christopher Street--tonight and Sunday matinée. You could not find better lighthearted yet deeply enjoyable entertainment.

(c) meche kroop

DEUS EX MACHINA AT JUILLIARD

Natalia Kutateladze and cast of Rameau's Hippolyte et Aricie (photo by Richard Termine)

Jean-Philippe Rameau's 1733 opera Hippolyte et Aricie was presented last night at The Juilliard School in an impressive collaboration among the Ellen and James S. Marcus Institute for Vocal Arts, Juilliard415 (the renowned historical performance group), and Juilliard Dance. We cannot imagine any other cultural institution that could have pulled this off so effectively and with such high artistic and entertainment value.  What a coup!

Employing a libretto by Simon-Joseph Pellegrin (based on Racine's tragedy  Phèdre) , Rameau broke new musical and dramatic ground in this work; based upon myth, it carries substantial psychological weight. Like life, it is not quite comedy (in the sense of a happy ending) and not quite tragedy.

For the lovers Hippolyte and Aricie, a mostly happy future awaits. Having moved beyond the stance of denial of love in her long-standing feud with Cupid, the goddess Diana appoints Hippolyte as the new leader of her order.  At Hippolyte's side will be the lovely Aricie, probably named for the town of Aricia, a place near Rome in which shrines to Diana have been erected.

For Thésée, the war hero (a demigod sired by Neptune), the future is not so rosy.  He has been rescued from the Underworld by Mercure bearing a message from Neptune. Upon his release he discovers his wife Phèdre in a suspicious confrontation with his son Hippolyte. Phèdre has been lusting after Hippolyte secretly and, urged by her nurse Oenone, has revealed her secret passion and has offered him the throne.  He loves Aricie and does not want the throne either.  Swords are drawn.

Oenone casts blame on Hippolyte and Thésée banishes his own son. At the end of the opera he is a broken man, having lost everything. The remorseful Phèdre dies by her own hand. This is just the bare bones of the plot, told just so readers will know that a lot happens!

The casting was astute and the singers never flagged in this lengthy and difficult score. Several performances stood out for their psychological insightfulness. It is always special when a singer portrays a hateful character but inspires your sympathies. Mezzo-soprano Natalia Kutateladze is just such an artist. The librettist gives us no clue about her backstory but Ms. Kutateladze's Phèdre seems a victim of forces beyond her control with which she has done battle.  Of course, in this genre it is always the fault of the gods. There is a lot of fire available in her instrument and also the ability to express pain and remorse, both in her arias and in the recitativi.

As Thésée, bass Alex Rosen opened the opera with a show of arrogance, that of a conqueror.  In this spoken prelude (we have no evidence but believe its contemporaneous bent suggests it has been written recently), he is countered by the words of Diana who has no use for male stupidity. In the Underworld, we see him tortured by the Furies (more about them anon) and begging for mercy. Then we find him in a rage over a perceived betrayal by his son, and finally as a shadow of his formal self, stumbling across the stage. Mr. Rosen captured all this in his voice and gesture.

The Diana of mezzo-soprano Kelsey Lauritano was similarly effective as she went through a softening of attitude toward love, inspired by the devotion of her two followers Aricie and Hippolyte. Just another magnificent performance from this gifted artist!

As Aricie, soprano Onadek Winan, as lithe of body as she is of voice, conveyed all the innocence of the ingenue role. She is not called upon for much emotional upheaval but rather to use her pure sweet instrument to make us love her and want her to be happy.  She succeeded.

As Hippolyte, tenor Kyle Stegall sang his beautiful phrases with  ardency and fine phrasing. He disappears for awhile fighting a sea monster (offstage) and we were very happy that he was restored by Diana, both to make the dear Aricie happy but also so we could hear him sing some more!

Star baritone Hubert Zapiór, previously hidden in the chorus, made an appearance at the end of the opera with godlike bearing, to refuse Thésée's wish for death. He neatly sums up the moral of the tale--"Leave to the gods what the gods alone can do".

Act II takes place in the Underworld and is staged to evoke maximum horror. Tenor Joshua Blue's portrayal of the Fury Tisiphone produced chills that were only exceeded by the Pluton of bass William Guanbo Su who has the vocal heft and imposing bearing to carry off the role. In a bit of luxury casting, the roles of the three Fates went to tenor Charles Sy, baritone Xiaomeng Zhang (singing baritenor, and singing it just fine) and bass Andrew Munn. Their trio was a highlight of the evening.

The role of Oenone was performed by soprano Meghan Kasanders; the role of La Grande Prétresse was sung by soprano Shaked Bar; tenor Chance Jonas-O'Toole created the character of Mercure with just a few phrases and a special color to his voice.

We were admiring one of the petite dancers and later figured out she was one of the singers who happens to be a fine dancer!  It was soprano Jessica Niles as Une Matelote. It seemed to us that the singers at Juilliard are so well trained in movement that it was difficult to discern and we can be forgiven for the error. As a matter of fact, everything that happened onstage was as seamless as the music. With Stephen Wadsworth as Director we are not surprised. Zack Winokur's choreography reminded us of Mark Morris' oeuvre and was simple enough that the singers blended right in with the dancers.

Stephen Stubbs conducted the splendid Juilliard 415, playing on period instruments that lent a soft sound to Rameau's music. Considered revolutionary in its day, Rameau broke ground both harmonically and in the organization of the parts. There were some exquisite duets for the couple in love and Ms. Winan and Mr. Stegall made the most of them. Rameau created several memorable ensemble pieces as well as a few choruses. The integration of arias, ensembles, choruses, dances, and instrumental interludes was superb.

We understand that there were parts that the singers of the period could not handle and they had to be excised. Here, they were restored. Juilliard knows no challenge it cannot meet!

The effective sets by Charlie Corcoran involved trompe l'oeil Greek temples and a woodland with seashore, as well as the menacing Underworld. David Lander's lighting emphasized the sunshine of a new day at the conclusion of the opera.

Costumes by Sarah Cubbage were outstanding with as much influence of the 18th c. as of the days of mythology as we imagine them. Aricie wore a simple white shift to emphasize her purity whereas Phèdre wore an impressive red gown with billowing skirt. The gods wore long brocade coats, all of them looking as regal as could be. Diana and her followers looked exactly the way one might imagine them, and carried bows and arrows in a quiver.

Seems like all the artists at Juilliard have lots of arrows in their quivers!

(c) meche kroop

MAESTRO YANNICK NÉZET-SÉGUIN'S MASTER CLASS AT JUILLIARD

Jacob Scharfman, Onadek Winan, William Guanbo Su, Dominik Belavy, Kathryn Henry, Meghan Kasanders, John Chongyoon Noh and Maestro Yannick Nézet-Séguin (photos by Claudio Papapietro)

Yesterday's Master Class at Juilliard was somewhat of a departure from the typical master class for singers. The audience was welcomed by Brian Zeger, Artistic Director of the Vocal Arts Department. He prepared observers by saying that this would not be a one-on-one event with an individual getting coaching on a prepared aria. It would be a renowned conductor (Music Director elect of the Metropolitan Opera) teaching Juilliard Singers how to perform in an ensemble.

The Maestro is a highly engaging presence, filled with humor as well as prodigious artistic knowledge and experience; it was deeply satisfying to witness how the students trusted his judgment and followed his suggestions.

The highlight of the class was the septet from Act I of Mozart's Don Giovanni. This highly elaborate piece of writing makes different demands on each singer. Each character has a different intention.

Donna Anna (soprano Meghan Kasanders) and her intended Don Ottavio (tenor John Chongyoon Noh) are praying for divine protection in "Protegga il giusto cielo". The maestro suggested more direction from Ms. Kasanders. Donna Elvira (soprano Kathryn Henry) needed more "fire".

The rapid-fire duet between Don Giovanni (baritone Dominik Belavy) and Leporello (bass William Guanbo Su--being reviewed for the third time this week!) was greatly improved when the two of them got in rhythm and in tune with each other. 

Zerlina (soprano Onadek Winan) needed to exhibit repressed anger. Masetto (baritone Jacob Scharfman) was helped to get into character and coached to put different colors and emphasis on the repeated "Va bene!".

We confess that we were happy with the first run through but after hearing the improvements we were thrilled. The gifted pianist Michal Biel can always be counted on to accompany skillfully.

We also got to hear two different singers perform the roles of Donna Anna and Don Ottavio in their first act duet "Ma qual mai s'offre oh Dei...Fuggi crudele, fuggi". Their voices were magnificent! They were coached to trust Mozart's dynamics (didn't we just hear that at last night's master class?). Jinhee Park did her customary fine accompaniment on the piano.

Subtle changes can make a big difference and we agree with the maestro that the singer must draw people in. Much of the work was on using the breath to amplify the gestures.  Used judiciously, it can be used to highlight emotional breathlessness.

We also enjoyed the coaching for the marriage scene from Gounod's Roméo et Juliette. Soprano Tamara Banješević was encoouraged to be an excited 14 year old girl. The entire scene needed to be more intimate and less "ceremonial".  Vocal colors were encouraged to avoid a "four square" sound. Too many singers establish a color and then abandon it too soon. 

Bass Alex Rosen made a fine Friar Lawrence and tenor James Ley did well as Roméo with mezzo-soprano Myka Murphy portraying Gertrude. Art Williford accompanied beautifully.

The class closed with some questions from the audience and some general remarks from the maestro about how exceptional vocal and language preparation allows the singer the freedom to personalize his/her performance. The result is the alignment of heart and mind. We couldn't agree more!

(c) meche kroop

THE GARDEN OF JUILLIARD

Christine Taylor Price, Marie Engle, Joshua Blue, Tamara Banješević, and Jacob Scharfman (photo by Hiroyuki Ito)

Mozart was just shy of 19 years of age when he composed La finta giardiniera which premiered in Munich in 1775. In spite of a trivial libretto (insecurely attributed to Calzabigi), one can readily appreciate Mozart's exuberant melodic invention and skills at orchestration. The opera achieved but 3 performances and fell out of the repertory until a copy of the score was rediscovered in the 1970's.

That we have seen the opera three times in two years gives some indication of the many glories of the score and the challenging roles it provides for seven singers. The seven we heard last night at Juilliard Opera seemed to enjoy their performances as much as we in the audience did. What vocal glories!

We love to see romantic foibles onstage--the mismatches, the betrayals, the fights, the reconciliations. We have no need for modern sets or costumes to recognize our own passions and obsessions.  The blind child shoots those darts and we are helpless.

The Marchioness Violante Onesti (splendid soprano Tamara Banješević) had been stabbed by her jealous lover Conte Belfiore (terrific tenor Charles Sy) on their wedding day. Left for dead, she recovered, took the name of Sandrina, disguised herself as a gardener, and sought refuge by gaining employment at the estate of the Podesta Don Anchise (tremendous tenor Joshua Blue) who has fallen in love with her.

The Podesta's housekeeper Serpetta, portrayed by the gifted soprano Christine Taylor Price, would like to marry her boss and fights off the courtship of the gardener Nardo, Violante's servant Roberto in disguise--a role delightfully inhabited by Baritone Jacob Scharfman.

Meanwhile, the Podesta's bossy-pants niece Arminda (glorious voiced soprano Kathryn Henry) arrives at the estate to be joined in matrimony with none other than Belfiore. If we could overlook his tendency to commit violence on his brides, we might even feel a tinge of pity for the ambivalent count. He thinks he recognizes Violante in disguise but she denies her identity.

In the role of Cavalier Ramiro, Arminda's rejected suitor, we heard the marvelously convincing mezzo-soprano Marie Engle in travesti.

To make this crazy mixed up story clear, we had the talented young director Mary Birnbaum who has a very special way of getting her cast to work as an ensemble and to interact in believable ways, no matter how preposterous the story.

The first act moved along at a lively clip but there was a scene at the end of the second act that baffled us and our companion. It is the scene in which Belfiore goes mad and Violante gets kidnapped by Arminda (or was it vice versa?). When Tim Albery directed this opera at Santa Fe Opera, it didn't make much sense either and when Eric Einhorn directed it for On Site Opera, he omitted the scene entirely which was probably the best choice!

Both Ms. Henry and Ms. Prize dazzled us with their coloratura but the aria we remember best belonged to Ms. Engle who managed the extensive fioritura while conveying masculinity at the same time in "Va pure ad altri in braccio". Not only does everyone get an aria but there are interesting ensembles that foreshadow Mozart's later works.
 

Another memorable moment was Nardo's courting of Serpetta in several languages; Mr. Scharfman was irresistible in the role.  Mr. Blue pompously strutted around the stage but also conveyed the manner of a kind man. Ms. Henry did a great job creating a real bitch of a character. We loved the moment when she arrived with a horse and her servant Giuseppe (bass William Guanbo Su).

The Juilliard Orchestra performed in their usual exemplary fashion under the baton of Joseph Colaneri who brought subtle understanding to the various and changeable moods of the work. The continuo comprised Michael Biel on the harpsichord and Clara Abel on the cello.

Much favorable comment could be devoted to Amanda Seymour's luscious period costumes and even more to scenic designer Grace Laubacher's witty sets. After a clever prologue in which Joan Hofmeyr and Olivia McMillan portrayed two gossipy housemaids relating the backstory in English (another one of Mary Birnbaum's clever inventions), servants carried in trompe l'oeil set pieces. Even the horse was two dimensional but reared convincingly.

Lighting Designer Anshuman Bhatia spared no effort in changing the mood; one scene takes place in near darkness and the ensuing confusion reminded us of the final act of Nozze di Figaro.

Once again, Juilliard Opera has given us a memorable evening in which superlative production values provide a setting for the splendid singers--the jewels of Juilliard.


(c) meche kroop