MEET MR. LIZ

Mr. Liz Bouk

We saw a remarkable show last night at The Tank, one which we urge you to see next Sunday night at 7:00. You will be not only entertained but enlightened. You may even find profound resonance with your own issues around fulfilling your true nature. Who among us has not struggled with becoming our true self in the face of societal restrictions!

Living in an oh-so-liberal New York City gives us the illusion that the world has changed dramatically, offering women the opportunity to abandon traditional roles and to rise in the world of commerce, to achieve motherhood without the so-called benefit of marriage, or to do both. This is not the case in the rest of the country.

But changes in gender identity are afoot everywhere and must be examined as a separate issue from that of homosexuality and cross-dressing.  There exists alongside one's gender of sexual preference the issue of one's outward presentation to the world and also one's inner gender identity. Our vocabularies have expanded to include not just homosexuality and transvestitism, but the transgender state.  LGBTQIA has arrived but don't be surprised if more letters are added to the chain.

Mr. Liz is a special and unique individual. We know him for at least five years as a gifted mezzo-soprano, always impressing us with the strength of his characterizations (from Lucretia to Fosca, from the Komponist to Augusta Tabor) and the superiority of his vocalism. Last night, in a highly personalized performance co-written with Director Brittany Goodwin, Mr. Liz revealed his inner man.

We got no impression that he wants to transform his body at the moment, but rather is coming to terms with an inner identity that has led to spiritual expansion and life satisfaction. His journey has been supported by his loving husband Dan and adorable son William who both appeared in the show.  What a success to have kept the family together, a marvelous tribute to all concerned.

Enough sociology! Let us move on to the entertainment! The show opened with Mr. Liz talking about his Grandma Bill, and letting us know that he grew up in a conservative Christian family where hymns were sung. He was a tomboy and could have cared less for dolls. One of our favorite songs on the program was William Bolcom's "Lime Jello Surprise" which sent up the home-maker image to which girls were subjected. We might add that Mr. Liz and Ms. Goodwin did a swell job of curating the songs to tell his story--from the world of opera, musical theater, and cabaret.

Entering Mr. Liz's  life as a physics tutor was the fine young man Dan with whom Mr. Liz fell in love and married. Pregnancy soon followed which changed his life. Motherhood felt alien. (Clearly loving was not alien, as evidenced by the affection observed between Mr. Liz and his son William.)

One reaction to this unwelcome role was to assume the role of temptress. Witnessing Mr. Liz's stellar delivery of the "Habanera" from Bizet's Carmen was a treat for the audience but it wasn't what Mr. Liz felt on the inside. Assuming various operatic roles certainly does allow the singer to experiment with various roles.

In the next scene, Mr. Liz removes the sexy makeup, pulls his long blonde hair back into a pony tail and dons a man's suit and shoes. Our second favorite song of the evening was the soliloquy "My Boy Bill" from Rodger' and Hammerstein's 1945 Carousel. We have never heard it performed better. It put the capstone on the theme from the beginning of the show--the expectations put on girls. Boys do exciting things with their fathers and are expected to achieve. Little girls are expected to be cute and play with dolls.

Of course, this is changing today with gender neutral clothing and toys. Will gender ever be eradicated? Of course not! There will always be men and women who enjoy traditional roles. The point is that modern society is becoming more flexible and less binary. 

Mr. Liz was inspired by the image of walking on the seashore in full contact with both the sand and the sea. The title of the show was "living in the in-between". We hope we haven't revealed too much about the show. We really want you, dear reader, to experience it for yourself. It will surely arouse thoughts, feelings, and memories for you, as it did for us.

Kathryn Olander was the effective collaborative pianist. The evocative set design was achieved by Maria Torffield with lighting design by Luther Frank.

(c) meche kroop

PASSION

Elizabeth Bouk and Jonathan Fox Powers in Sondheim's PASSION at Utopia Opera

Most people enjoy having their opinions validated and we are no exception.  In the Director's Notes for Sondheim's Passion, presented by the reliably adventuresome Utopia Opera, Benjamin Spierman eloquently addresses the issue of opera vs. musical theater. We are in complete agreement that any division is unnecessary and only results in contentious discussion. Drama with music, when sung by classically trained singers without amplification qualifies a work as "opera" in our opinion.

One of the distinguishing features of "opera" is that it is passionate.  People die for love, kill for love, and live on the edge.  That is why opera is the perfect antidote for our "whatever" age, marked by indifference and irony.

The very title of Sondheim's work tells us so.  The story was adapted from Ettore Scola's film Passione d'Amore, itself adapted from the 19th c. novel Fosca by Iginio Ugo Tarchetti. The renowned James Lapine wrote the book. 

The story concerns a young military officer whose pity for his Colonel's sickly cousin ends up becoming love. Fosca is a disagreeable and demanding woman with a sad past and she stalks Captain Giorgio Bachetti obsessively until she wins him over.

That he has a romantic and sexual relationship with Clara, a woman he adores, does not stop Fosca from throwing herself at Giorgio without reservation or reason, sacrificing all dignity in the process.

Elizabeth Bouk was convincing as Fosca, somehow hiding her natural beauty to portray a woman who believes herself to be homely. It was satisfying to watch her blossom when she succeeded in winning Giorgio's love.

Giorgio was well enacted and sung by Jonathan Fox Powers who showed us his character's inner kindness but also his attempts to firmly reject Fosca's initial advances. His fine voice suited the part well.

We particularly enjoyed Dennis Wees' portrayal of Colonel Ricci, so protective of his unfortunate cousin and so angry when he believes that Giorgio has taken advantage of her. He also has a fine voice and employs it well.  

Actually, the encounters between Giorgio and Fosca were set up and encouraged by Doctor Tambourri, played rather woodenly by Jack Anderson White.

As Clara, Giorgio's married lover who loves with the necessary restrictions of a married woman who stands to lose her child in 19th c. Italy, Paige Cutrona was barely audible except when she employed the upper end of her register where she had an attractive sound. The spoken dialogue and lower notes could not be heard.

Mr. Spierman himself appeared as Fosca's father, in flashback, with Hannah Spierman portraying her mother with a fine sizable sound. Also seen in flashback was the "Count" Ludovic (Jonathan Price) who took advantage of Fosca which probably led to the decline in her health.

Comic relief was provided by the military men who gathered over meals and billiards, commenting on the action like a Greek chorus. Performers were Ray Calderon, Benjamin Herman, Platon Vavylis, Nick Miller, and Ross Schwaber.  It was in these scenes that Sondheim's familiar wordplay was most in evidence.

The music is through-composed with several impactful duets. Most of the arias involve the reading of letters written by Giorgio to Clara and by Clara to Giorgio. We hear Sondheim reaching for something grander in this work, arguably his most operatic creation. Under the baton of Artistic and Music Director William Remmers, the orchestra played well.  On the audience level we had a string quartet plus bass and two keyboards. On stage and off to the side, as usual, we had a pair of horns, a trumpet, percussion, and four wind players who alternated among oboe, English horn, clarinet, and flute. 

Originally Jonathan Tunick composed the lush orchestration and we have no evidence that this was changed for Utopia Opera's production. The score is definitely worth a repeat hearing.

Speaking of repeats, you will have a couple opportunities to catch this chamber opera. There is a matinee today and another on Sunday and an evening performance tonight at 8:00.  The work is seldom produced and we encourage you to seize the opportunity.

(c) meche kroop

SCROOGE!

Elizabeth Bouk, Jeremy Hirsch, and Scott Joiner in Gramercy Opera's production of Dickens' A Christmas Carol

Charles Dickens wrote his novella A Christmas Carol in 1843 as a means of engaging his middle-class audience with his concern for the conditions of the poor in mid-Victorian England--a consequence of the Industrial Revolution. The work has an optimistic bent in that Scrooge (the superb Jeremy Hirsch), the main character, transforms himself from a cold and miserly misanthrope to a kind and generous man.

The means by which this is achieved is by confrontation with a series of ghosts--that of his former partner Marley (the effective Angky Budiardjono), the Ghost of Christmas Past (the lovely Eugenia Forteza), the Ghost of Christmas Present (the hilariously campy Tim Stoddard), and the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come (Petra Jarrar).

We see this device as the Victorian precursor to psychoanalysis. The best means of stimulating behavioral change is the process of examining childhood recollections and their effect on shaping the present character, and the subsequent examination of the consequences of unproductive behavior.

For the yearling Gramercy Opera, tackling this rich story was a major undertaking and the results were, for the most part, engaging and entertaining. What we appreciated the most was the creation of a Victorian atmosphere. For this production, the Montauk Club in Park Slope, Brooklyn was chosen and an excellent choice it was, redolent of the atmosphere of the 19th c.

The Production Designer Maria Torffield ensured that the characters were suitably costumed with hairstyling that appeared authentic. Lighting design by Lauren Libretti achieved a spooky Victorian mood but at the expense of audience comfort.  The room was dark save for some very bright spotlights that shone directly into our eyes.  Other seats may have escaped this discomfort.

The immersive nature of the production was also achieved at the expense of audience comfort.  The playing space was approximately 75 feet long with audience members seated on both sides of what became a long corridor. The Cratchit's dining room was at one end and Scrooge's bedroom was at the other end. The awkward effect was like that of attending a tennis match!

Additionally, dialogue became lost with some frequency. Of course, most of us are familiar with the story so it was no big deal to lose some of the dialogue.

The performances were excellent without exception. Jeremy Hirsch was a convincing Scrooge. We liked Nick Fitzer as the carefree nephew Fred and Marie Putko as Belle, the lovely young woman he had courted and lost in his youth because of his concern with money. Scott Joiner and Elizabeth Bouk were believable as the Cratchits, parents of a large family, poor but loving and happy. Peals of laughter greeted the campy performance of Tim Stoddard as the Ghost of Christmas Present. Comic relief is always welcome. This versatile artist was excellent as the serious Young Scrooge!

Readers may have observed that we have not described the genre to which this show belongs. Composer Felix Jarrar calls it a "ballad opera", analogous to the German Singspiel. There was spoken dialogue, most of which we could hear, and sung music as well.

We loved Mr. Jarrar's incredibly interesting instrumental music; he himself conducted and played the piano part with flutist Leia Slosberg, clarinetist Eric Umble, Violinist Danielle Turano, and cellist Thea Mesirow. We wished that we had had a better view of this chamber group. The textures and colors of the orchestration were brilliant.

We cannot approach the vocal writing with the same degree of enthusiasm. We find the same issue in almost all contemporary writing for voice--the vocal lines are just not interesting! Our ears are tuned to melody and we searched in vain for one. (We did love the arrangement of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen".)

Part of the problem can be attributed to a prose libretto.  Although Dickens wordiness was avoided and key scenes were given the major focus, the text did not sing well. The brilliant director Brittany Goodwin wrote the libretto as a writing partner to Mr. Jarrar and they are working together on future productions.

We couldn't stop thinking that this story would make a swell Broadway musical with short punchy phrases and tuneful music. When we returned home we did some online research and were not surprised to learn that someone had thought of this in 1994! The show was called A Christmas Carol and played at the Paramount Theater every December until 2003. We are not Broadway fans but just reading the titles of the songs made us wish we'd seen it.

This story is a timely one in that our present day culture is obsessed with greed; it is a good thing to be reminded of the value of generosity towards those less fortunate. We wish our legislators had been there last night.

(c) meche kroop

UTOPIA DOES BABY DOE

Eizabeth Bouk, Angela Dinkelman, Maestro William Remmers, Jack Anderson White, and Julia Snowden

We rarely enjoy an operatic performance without taking notes but (note this!) we were so absorbed in the story and the performances last night that we did not. Douglas Moore's The Ballad of Baby Doe is 60 years old but its resonance is quite contemporary.  Beverly Sills sang the lead with New York City Opera and later the role was taken by Faith Esham and Elizabeth Futral. We understand that it has been often performed around the United States but we had never seen it until last night when Utopia Opera gave it an admirable production.

John Latouche's libretto limns a story that strikes several chords with us Americans. The history of the West, for one thing, with its saloons and dance hall girls, is a favorite theme; even Puccini grabbed onto that with his Fanciulla del West. The rise and fall of tycoons is another favorite theme, as is the defiance of societal norms.  All these are present in the tale of Horace Tabor who, with the help of his wife (the boss' daughter), clawed and schemed his way to the top of the social heap in late 19th c. Colorado.

Augusta had been a fine helpmeet but when Mr. Tabor heard "Baby" Doe sing "The Willow Song", he was smitten (as were we) and left his loyal wife. The scandal led to social ostracism but their love endured until his death. Because of the United States switching from the silver standard to the gold standard, he died impoverished, a broken man.

It is a tribute to some mighty fine performances that we were left caring about all the characters. Angela Dinkelman's soaring soprano took her from a woman of questionable repute in Act I, through to the devoted wife who cradled her dying husband at the conclusion. In the interim, she is pampered with riches--but she unquestioningly relinquishes them when her husband's poor judgment bankrupts him.  We could tell from her vocal coloration that she was a good person and not a hussy.

As the improvident Horace Tabor, Jack Anderson White's manly baritone clarified how he could attract two such exceptional women. His chemistry with Baby Doe was powerful and their duets contained harmonies redolent of their attraction and ultimately of their mutual love.  As Baby Doe tells her mother (the excellent and believable Julia Snowden), her first husband was never the love of her life.  Tabor was.

Elizabeth Bouk's rich mezzo was a fine counterpart to Ms. Dinkelman's high-flying soprano. Her Augusta grew from the sharp bitterness of a rejected wife to the softer compassion she felt for Tabor when fate turned against him. She had tried but failed during their marriage to get him to be more circumspect and conservative, but her primness was not to his liking.

In this day and age, two people falling for each other and divorcing their spouses to be together would scarcely raise eyebrows, but in the late 19th c., where this story took place (and yes, it is based on real historical figures) there was scandal aplenty, and plenty of encouragement toward vengeance from Augusta's female friends. But this impressive figure took the high road and we felt great sympathy for her when she became old and sick.

There is also the interesting feature of primly dressed women assuming a high-brow stance at the "Opry House" in Leadville which was built by Tabor himself. Notably, the husbands preferred to hang out in the saloon with the dancing girls!

In grand opera tradition, there would be a huge cast and elaborate scenes of the wedding, the ball, the political rally, etc. But the modest resources of Utopia Opera served them well, allowing the intimate drama to unfold and touch our hearts.  Indeed, most of the arias are private contemplations and reminiscences. We are privy to the characters' innermost feelings and this allows us to empathize in a way we cannot in a large theater with scene-stealing sets.

Another feature of a small company is that each member gets to perform in several roles. Limitations of space prevent us from crediting the dozens of superb performers who collaborated to make this opera the success that it was.

Gary Slavin's astute direction kept the story moving along successfully.

Under the baton of Maestro William Remmers, the orchestra gave Douglas Moore's music a lot of pizazz. A half dozen strings were bowed on the floor level, whilst 13 winds squeezed onto one side of the stage. We had no problem with the balance and enjoyed the accessible (and happily non-academic) music. Tyler Mashek handled the percussion and Levi Vutipadorn manned the keyboard. No complaints on that account!

Readers may wonder why we have not complained about the English in which it was written. We were surprised at how well John Latouche's writing reflected American speech patterns and the pleasing vocal lines that resulted. It is unfortunate that this was the sole collaboration of Moore and Latouche. If only more contemporary operas could learn from this one.

It is also due to the fine English diction that we were absolved from reading the titles, which were helpful mainly when Ms. Dinkelmann's voice reached the stratosphere.

The stage was bare, except for a few chairs that were multi-purposed. Costuming was sourced from the performers own closets and assembled with imagination. We did not feel at all disturbed by the lack of authenticity to the period. When push comes to shove, we are mostly interested in musical and dramatic validity.

We understand that Utopia's June production will be Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin....in Russian.  Is there nothing Maestro Remmers will not tackle?  We doubt it.  Perhaps The Ring Cycle?

Stay tuned to learn which operas won the Audience Choice competition for next year.  We have been sworn to secrecy and we NEVER EVER leak.  Well, hardly ever!

(c) meche kroop

RAPE!

Ben Cohen, Devony Smith, Hanne Dollase, Eldric Bashful, Gary Slavin, William Remmers, Mary-Hollis Hundley, Elizabeth Bouk, Stan Lacy

Maestro William Remmers is game to tackle any opera for which his audience votes. That is one of the unique qualities of Utopia Opera. We have certainly thrown some curve balls at him but he always hits them.  With Benjamin Britten's Rape of Lucretia, he hit it out of the park.

This is not an easy opera to love. The story is both brutal and tragic. The victim Lucretia, suffering from a combination of shame and guilt, pays the dramatic price by stabbing herself. We live in a world containing places where women are killed because of such loss of honor.  But Britten's librettist Ronald Duncan examines the story from the perspective of mid-20th c. Christianity.  In 21st c. New York City it carries an unsettling confrontational load, making us aware of that which we would avoid.

The work itself is largely declamatory with no beautiful arias to comfort us. The music is dissonant and perturbing, although powerful in its effect. However, there are moments of great beauty elicited by Mr. Remmers astute conducting of his 13-piece chamber orchestra. Tomina Parvanova's harp shimmers as Lucretia enters. There are some stunning harmonies in a duet of bass clarinet (Jeffrey Hodes) and horn (Brad Shaw).

Serving as narrators and guides for the audience are tenor Eldric Bashful, whose readings were as dramatic as his singing was lovely, and soprano Mary-Hollis Hundley, whose richly timbred instrument delighted us at the George London Competition.

As the eponymous Lucretia, mezzo-soprano Elizabeth Bouk made a noble but vulnerable heroine. We have been seeing a lot of this rising star lately--not only as a Utopia Opera regular, but also at Dell'Arte Opera Ensemble. Her voice and acting are equally impressive.

As her two servants, the old nurse Bianca (mezzo-soprano Hanne Dollase) and the maid Lucia (soprano Devony Smith) made significant contributions to the evening's success. Their trio with Ms. Bouk in Act I and their "flower" duet in Act II provided some of the lovelier vocal sounds.

As the despised libertine Etruscan Prince Tarquinius, baritone Stan Lacy created a loathsome character who despises the whores he can have so easily and is stimulated by the thought of taking the only faithful wife in Rome. The rape scene was superbly staged by Director Gary Slavin, as was the rest of the opera.

The Prince kisses the sleeping Lucretia who is dreaming of her husband Collatinus and therefore responds. Is she complicit? In 21st c. America, men have to ask permission to take liberties. In 500 B.C. one supposes that men took all the liberties they wanted since women were property.

Bass Steven Fredericks sang the role of Collatinus, a Roman general of a peaceful and forgiving nature. His fellow general Junius (baritone Ben Cohen) has a slimy nature. He is envious of Collatinus' military glory and jealous of Collatinus' successful marriage.  Spurred on by the humiliation of being cuckolded by his own wife, he manipulates Tarquinius into a midnight gallop to Rome to ravish Lucretia. Although not equal to "The Ride of the Valkyries", Britten came up with some powerful music for this episode.

The libretto is interesting for its magnificent metaphors, i.e. "Thirsty evening has drunk the wine of light". However there were times when the metaphors made no sense and seemed excessive. Great contrast was made between the creativity of women and the destructiveness of men.

Last season we enjoyed a production of this opera at Juilliard. It was powerful then and it was again last night. Part opera, part play with music, and part oratorio, the work stands up to repeat performances.

We will have to wait until December to see and hear more from Mr. Remmers when he is tackling a genre with which he is very familiar--Gilbert and Sullivan's Princess Ida. Watch for it!

(c) meche kroop

MORE ON COUNTESS ALMAVIVA

Elizabeth Bouk, Marie Masters, Christopher Lilley, Marianne Farrell and Min Gu Yeo

Hiram Titus' music is new to us, and we will begin by saying that we yearn to hear more of his instrumental music. As performed by the excellent Metamorphosis Chamber Orchestra under the baton of Christopher Fecteau, Artistic Director and Founder of Dell'Arte Opera Ensemble, it made quite an impression. We can surely understand why Maestro Fecteau chose to conduct last night. The music is very lush in its orchestration and varied in its moods--one might call it colorful and dramatic. We were not surprised to learn that Mr. Titus composes for movies.

That being said, we would not be in a hurry to hear any more of his operas. We will say that there were several lovely arias in his 1980 opera Rosina. In the first act, the character Cherubino sings a lovely ballad accompanied by guitar (Matheus Souza) which led into a duet with Rosina, also quite lovely. And in Act II, Count Almaviva and Cherubino sang a duet about women that we enjoyed.

Nonetheless, the conversational dialogue is, well, excessively prosaic. Barbara Field's libretto does not lend itself to a singable vocal line.  Part of the problem lies in the rhythm of the English language. One thinks of the few exceptions--Shakespeare, Sondheim, W.S. Gilbert.

In spite of this handicap, the cast performed well. The story is invented but found its way into Dell'Arte Ensemble's Beaumarchais theme by virtue of its dealing with characters invented by the 18th c. polymath, who wrote the trio of plays which inspired Rossini, Paisiello, Rossini and others.

Several years have passed since Cherubino was sent off to be an officer in the Count's regiment. He returned to Seville and eloped with the Countess who was fed up with the Count's philandering. As the opera opens the couple is living in poverty in Madrid with Cherubino trying to sell his paintings. They have a newborn and are in love and happy, troubled only by the aggressive landlady. The Count comes to Madrid to find Rosina, along with his latest conquest, the very young Amparo. Rosina (the Countess) must choose between the two men--or must she? Sometimes women must choose their own pathway, even in the 18th c.

As the Countess (Rosina), soprano Marie Masters made a fine showing with her ample voice and warmth. We remember her well from last year's Falstaff as Mrs. Ford. As Cherubino, tenor Christopher S. Lilley impressed us with his fine singing and acting. His Cherubino was a real charmer! We recall enjoying his performances at Manhattan School of Music on several occasions.

As Pilar, the aggressive landlady, mezzo-soprano Kerry Gotschall added greatly to the comic relief. Sporting a moustache (!) and clumping around the stage, she created a marvelous character. In Act I, she had some great lines--"The rent's been spent". The scene in Act II where she virtually attacks the blindfolded Mendoza, Cherubino's art dealer, was a real hoot. He had come to seduce Rosina who was playing a trick on him by substituting Pilar. 

If the opening scene referenced Act I of La Boheme, this scene suggested the final act of Nozze di Figaro! The art dealer was well performed by Korland Simmons who produced some rich laughter in his sneezing scene which reminded us of the sneezing scene in the Paisiello Barber.

As Count Almaviva, Min Gu Yeo's superlative baritone was hampered by a strong accent that made much of his dialect incomprehensible. English is sufficiently difficult to sing when it is one's native language! He was also made to disguise himself with a very silly moustache and cast opposite a woman who was more than a head taller than he--his new mistress Amparo. It felt awkward not knowing whether this was done intentionally for laughs or not.

As Amparo, we really liked Elizabeth Bouk, whose Komponist in Utopia Opera's Ariadne auf Naxos we recently reviewed. Her mezzo-soprano is clean and pleasant to hear and she has a winning stage presence which made us care about this 18-year-old not-so-innocent. We liked her aria about her origins in Barcelona, daughter of a fish monger and a sailor, trying to advance herself in this world. 

Erin Cressy directed and Meganne George was responsible for the minimal but workable set. Costume Designer Carly Bradt finally provided costumes suggestive of 18th c. aristocracy for the women while the men wore street clothes.

It was a real pleasure to see the entire season of Beaumarchais on four consecutive nights.  Thanks Dell'Arte Opera Ensemble!

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Caroline Miller, Angela Dinkelman, Jazmin DeRice, Rebecca Paul, and Adam Klein

It is astonishing that the small and scrappy Utopia Opera would even consider mounting a challenging opera like Richard Strauss' Ariadne auf Naxos. It is even more astonishing that they succeeded admirably, presenting a highly entertaining and honorable production of this century old work. But then company founder and director William Remmers is undauntable and unflappable in the face of any challenge. His motto must be "Bring it On!"

Hugo von Hofmannsthal's libretto is replete with humor but bears serious undertones. We are in the home of "the richest man in Vienna" who has planned an evening's entertainment involving a new work by a young composer, an opéra seria about Ariadne, abandoned on the island of Naxos by her lover Theseus. This is to be followed by a light entertainment of the opéra comique genre involving commedia del'arte characters. We are led to consider a society's concern with "high art" versus "low art". We are not the first generation to face this choice.

In order to be finished in time for the 9:00 fireworks, it has been decided at the last minute to present the two works on the same stage at the same time--a preposterous notion of course but a juxtaposition leading to some interesting situations when the flirtatious Zerbinetta (Jessica Philpot) tries to get the suicidal Ariadne (Rebecca Paul) to cheer up and find a new lover. Ariadne longs for death and the arrival of the god Bacchus (Adam Klein) is mistaken for Hermès who will take her to the underworld.

The music is lush, complex, and heavily orchestrated. Happily, the live orchestra, conducted by polymath Mr. Remmers, was up to the challenge and the textures of Christopher Fecteau's orchestral reduction ensured that nothing was lost.

The parts were well cast, for the most part, and the sizable voices did justice to the work. Elizabeth Bouk was dramatically convincing as the neophyte composer who was understandably furious about the trashing of her work but somewhat mollified by the attentions of Zerbinetta.

Notable were the three nymphs who sang in gorgeous harmony, reminding us that Richard Wagner had considerable influence on Strauss.  Sopranos Angela Dinkelman as Naiad and Caroline Miller as Echo were joined by mezzo-soprano Jazmin DeRice as Dryade. Not only were they gorgeously costumed (wardrobe by Eric Lamp) and spectacularly made up by Rachel Estabrook, but they sported long ribbons from each finger which somehow made us think of the Rhinemädchens.

The difficult music for the three leads was well-performed and the smaller roles were as well. Zerbinetta's companions Truffaldino (Roman Laba), Scaramuccio (Samuel Themer), Brighella (Gilad Paz who also sang the role of the dance master), and Harlekin (Jonathan Rohr who sang a fine duet with Ms. Philpot)--all of them added horseplay and humor.

Veteran baritone Richard Holmes did a fine job as the Music Master who tried to console the young composer with the wisdom that age brings. One does best to accept what one cannot change! The officious Major-Domo, a spoken role, was well handled by David Seatter. Stage Director Benjamin Spierman took on the role of a Lackey and also translated the excellent titles. Notably, everyone's German was comprehensible.

Fortunately for New York opera lovers, there will be THREE more performances, one tonight and again next Friday and Saturday nights--all at 7:30 at Hunter College. Tickets are very modestly priced for this quality of work. Don't miss an opportunity to hear some stirringly conducted music and a finely directed drama.

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THAT SCOTTISH OPERA

Mary Ann Stewart as Lady Macbeth (photo by Brian Long)

Dell'Arte Opera Ensemble's "Summer of Shakespeare" is providing an oasis of opera for thirsty opera-lovers in the midst of summer's desert.  We have only good things to say about the production of Verdi's Macbeth which was given some admirable direction by Myra Cordell.  We favor the traditional and Ms. Cordell hewed closely to period, place and dramatic intent.  (The last Macbeth we saw at the Met involved some peculiar artistic choices so we were especially pleased with this production.)  One coup de theatre that we appreciated -- when Banco is murdered, his body is left on the floor, only to rise as his ghost in the banquet scene.

Musical value were excellent all around.  Maestro Christopher Fecteau marshaled the forces of his twenty excellent musicians and from the very first oboe solo we knew that they and we were in good hands.  The strings were situated to our left and the winds and percussion at the rear of the playing area, leading to a most interesting stereophonic effect.  We particularly liked Ellen Hindson's English Horn; Barbara Allen made some interesting sounds for the witches sabbath.

Mary Ann Stewart, a winner of the Osgood/Dell'Arte Opera Ensemble prize. just about stole the show with her riveting performance as Lady Macbeth.  Her sizable soprano was used effectively with notable skill in the coloratura embellishments that lingered from Verdi's bel canto predecessors.  Moreover, her acting was first-rate as she rotated through encouragement, importuning, shaming and manipulation to get Macbeth to do her bidding. Her "Vieni! t'affretta" in Act I was a real show-stopper.

As the eponymous (anti)hero, tenor Jason Plourde was equally convincing as the weak Thane who becomes greedy for power at the behest of his wife.  One could almost feel sorry for him as he was seduced by the predictions of the witches.

The three witches were outstanding. Soprano Monica Niemi's voice rang out in clarion tones with mezzo-sopranos Elizabeth Bouk and Jackie Hayes in fine collaboration.

We are always delighted to hear new voices in small roles that we hope to hear more of in the future.  Tenor Marques Hollie sounded just grand as Malcolm; we noticed his beautiful sound earlier in the evening as part of the ensemble.  Isaac Assor, reviewed twice before at the Manhattan School of Music Summer Voice Festival, also stood out with his fine full sound.

Milica Nikcevic always gets our attention; she won the Osgood/dell'Arte Opera Ensemble prize in 2013.  And bass Hans Tashjian excelled as Banco, sounding better than ever.

With minimal resources, Nina Bova created costumes that were simple but effective.  The three "weird sisters" wore tattered capes over tights and sported wild hair and gruesome makeup.  The men wore sashes of their respective clans and Lady Macbeth a long dun-colored dress with impressive jewelry around her neck.

Karen Tashjian's simple scenic design comprised a low platform upstage, flanked by slender tree trunks.  Lighting designer Scott Schneider cleverly produced a cauldron substitute into which the three witches could throw their nasty bits.

There will be two more performances on 8/22 and 8/24.  We hope there will still be a couple seats available.

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