A STUNNING NEW OPERA

Whitney George, composer/conductor of Princess Maleine (photo by Brian E. Long)

It was a big gamble for Dell'Arte Opera Ensemble to commission a new opera; the gamble paid off and a stunning new opera was presented as part of the Summer Festival, honoring female composers, conductors, and directors. Billed as a fairy tale, we say otherwise. A fairytale is a folk tale that is handed down from one generation to the next with themes that are consistent from one culture to the next.

Whitney George's new opera has elements of fairy tales--Kings, Queens, a Princess in a tower, a Prince Charming, etc. but it is based upon an 1890's play by Maurice Maeterlinck that was not produced until after his death. The Symbolist movement in literature is difficult to define but, no matter, librettist and director Bea Goodwin has chosen her own take on the story, emphasizing the agency of the female characters. In this she has largely succeeded.

Actually, the most interesting character onstage is Queen Ann of Jutland, portrayed by the fascinating Mr. Liz Bouk whose regal appearance, expressive face and body, and arresting contralto voice lent verisimilitude to the characterization. Queen Ann is the very image of the evil stepmother, but here the character is the evil mother-in-law-to-be. She is a master manipulator, both of King Hjalmar of Ysselmonde, of whom she is the consort, and of her own daughter Princess Ursula (Uglyane in the Maeterlinck). She succeeds in killing the lovely Princess Maleine of Harlingen, a role portrayed beautifully by the lovely light soprano Elyse Kakacek, who looked and sang exactly right.

Bass-baritone Eric Lindsey lent his splendid voice to the role of King Hjalmar of Ysselmonde, a man whose power declines once he destroys the kingdom of his neighbor King Marcellus of Harlingen (portrayed by Jonathan Harris), a man who makes the foolish decision to insist that his unwilling daughter Princess Maleine marry a Burgundian, for political reasons.

The role of King Marcellus' wife Queen Godelive was superbly sung by soprano Kristina Malinauskaite. Her character was portrayed as kind and gentle but she dies along with her husband in the war with King Hjalmar. She reappears as a spirit again in Act II. Neither of the pair provide any support for poor Princess Maleine who has fallen in love with Prince Hjalmar, portrayed by Jeremy Brauner, whose grainy tenor seemed all wrong for the part, the only casting decision that seemed flawed.

Mezzo-soprano Nicholle Bittlingmeyer made a fine Aleta, Lady-in-Waiting to the Princess, accompanying her on her journey. The two of them had a lovely duet in Act I.

Playing The Fool was counter-tenor Jeffrey Mandelbaum whose flexible face, supple body, and eerie tone were just right for the part. Sometimes he commented on the action, sometimes he guided the action, and sometimes he lead the characters astray. But he always entertained.

Tenor Gabriel Hernandez and baritone Connor Lidell had a fine bit together as the Guards Vanox and Stephano. Baritone Shane Brown took the role of Angus, confidant of the Prince. In a confusing costuming decision, the two men who had a similar appearance, with matching bald pates and nearly identical costumes, seemed interchangeable.

We enjoyed the performance of soprano MaKayla McDonald as Queen Ann's daughter--a most reluctant bride for King Hjalmar's son. Her performance was both touching and humorous. The only plot point that was unexplained was how the two had never met since their respective parents ruled together!

The mime show held during the overture involved the petite Megan Vanacore  playing the part of Queen Ann's young son flying a kite. The libretto indicated that the kite represented a soul, yearning and aspiring--but held to the ground by the string.

Marcus Hollie portrayed the doctor who concocts poisonous elixirs for the evil Queen.

Stealing the show was a realistic puppet-poodle named Pluto, marvelously manipulated by the aforementioned Jonathan Harris.

There was something particularly special and seemingly authentic about a scene in which the Princess and Aleta escape from the tower and come upon a tavern. The libretto here was more than usually clever and made us think of Sondheim. Jessica Harika and Anna Woiwood were appropriately basse classe. We liked Ms. Goodwin's libretto best when it rhymed and scanned. There were some clever moments indeed!

What about Whitney George's music? Well, dear readers, we have saved the best for last. This was our first exposure to Ms. George's music although we have enjoyed her finely detailed conducting before. Unlike most contemporary compositions, what we heard offered delights aplenty. There was ample variety of styles and colorful orchestration for the 14-member chamber orchestra. Woodwinds and brass were particularly noteworthy, as were the ethereal sounds from the percussionist. Lyrical passages alternated with rhythmic staccato sounds. There were no longueurs; our attention was held throughout. As you may have predicted, we would have preferred more melody in the vocal writing.

There was even a tango, accompaniment to a scene in which Queen Ann tries to seduce the Prince. More credit to choreographer Lauren Hlubny!

Costume Designer Claire Townsend provided lovely gowns for Queen Godelive and the Princess, and a splendiferous one for Queen Ann. The two Kings, whilst a bit more modest, could not be mistaken for commoners.  The Prince, however was clad in a rather contemporary suit, as was his buddy Angus. It was difficult to see him as a prince.

Joo Hyun Kim's set was simple but effective with lighting handled by Dante Olivia Smith.

We would like to close by mentioning how much more enjoyable this original work was than the recently reviewed Thirteenth Child and Korngold's The Miracle of Heliane--both failed attempts to create a fairy tale. That is a difficult task to achieve, matching the wisdom of centuries of storytelling. Just think about the success of Cenerentola, Cendrillon, and Hansel und Gretel! Rossini, Massenet and Humperdinck had real fairytales to work with.

If you are tempted to see for yourself, there will be one more performance Saturday night. To tempt you further, we will post a carousel of photos on our Facebook page--Voce di Meche.

(c) meche kroop

#MeToo DON GIOVANNI

Elyse Kakacek (Zerlina) and Eric Lindsey (Don Giovanni)-- Photo by Brian E. Long

Mozart's Don Giovanni is one of our very favorite operas and we always prefer to see it as Mozart and librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte intended. But this year we have seen a few radical interpretations that held our interest. Last night, Dell'Arte Opera Ensemble presented a version directed by Owen Horsley that was informed by the #MeToo movement. It is no secret that men in power often operate with a sense of entitlement that expresses itself toward attractive young women. Da Ponte didn't invent the concept!

The problem with presenting centuries-old stories with a modern twist is that of the Procrustean bed. Situations don't always fit right and those of us familiar with the traditional will be more than usually aware of the lapses. Those new to opera, like our companion last night, seem to take these lapses more easily.

Particularly, we hadn't a clue as to why Donna Anna, dressed like a secretary applying for a job,  was sitting on a chair outside Don Giovanni's door, from which she fled shortly after entering with her hosiery falling down. Perhaps she was meant to be an actress auditioning for a part. Who could tell? Of all the characters, hers was the one lacking a point of view and a backstory. We simply couldn't connect.  And after being brutally beaten with his own cane by Don Giovanni, why does the deceased Commendatore get up and walk out?

Well, this is opera so let us focus on the musical values which were splendid all around. To begin with, Maestro and Artistic Director Chris Fecteau wielded his baton with precision and gusto, giving us a satisfying reading of Mozart's score. We were delighted to hear some of the inner voices that often get swallowed up in larger venues. The Dell'Arte Festival Orchestra played beautifully for him and Lucas Barkley made some fine sonorities on the harpsichord. 

The overture was replete with portentous chords and anxious ascending and descending scale passages, setting the stage for the drama to follow. We always love the musical jokes when the onstage musicians play for Don Giovanni's dinner and Leporello complains about hearing an excess of Mozart's music! But here, the musicians were not onstage. We also missed the strange music in the party scene in which we hear music both refined and rustic in simultaneous cacophony.

The singers were superb. As the eponymous Don, Eric Lindsey's low and resonant voice was employed with fine phrasing. His Don walked a fine line between being charming and being violent. His immersion in the character was total and we found ourselves alternatively drawn in and repelled by him. The "Champagne Aria" was splendidly performed.

His scenes with Zerlina were some of the best of the evening. The duet "Là ci darem la mano" was delightful. Soprano Elyse Kakacek, another Dell'Arte regular, stunned us by her unwavering presence in the role. Her bodily and facial gestures were completely consonant with what was happening onstage. She was an all-too-willing "victim" for Don Giovanni's seduction. Her "Batti, batti" was beautifully sung, as was "Vedrai carino", strangely delivered sitting in a chair, facing the audience and not Masetto.

Nobuki Momma's Masetto was a well wrought characterization and his interactions with Don Giovanni and with Zerlina were completely convincing and seemed very au courant. We loved the scenes of the wedding with bridesmaids and ushers taking selfies and Masetto taking offense at Zerlina's unseemly behavior.

An outstanding performance was delivered by Jonathan Harris in the role of Leporello, Don Giovanni's much-abused manservant.  Like Ms. Kakacek, every facial expression and gesture reflected what was happening onstage; he used his excellent instrument with artistry. We loved his duet with Ms. Kakacek "Per queste tue manine" which we have rarely heard, and his sensational "Catalog aria" made use of a portfolio of photos, rather than the customary list.  Very 21st c.!

Three cheers for the Donna Elvira of soprano Jessica Mirshak. Not only was her "Mi tradì quell'alma ingrata" convincing in its self-righteous anger but her entire characterization gave us the feeling that we knew who she was and how she suffered and how entranced she was by the vile seducer.

Tenor Morgan Manifacier fulfilled the demands of the role of Don Ottavio, whom Donna Anna will probably never marry. He exhibited just the right degree of ardency which was just not ardent enough to win her affection. "Il mio tesoro" was cut (and missed) but he did well with "Dalla sua pace".

Soprano Jenny Lindsey lent her lovely voice to Donna Anna in "Non mi dir"; our only problem was trying to understand who she was. Perhaps it was the unflattering costume and some very distracting flashy sandals but she came across as a cipher. Perhaps a stronger directorial influence was needed. A novel directorial approach was that she was clearly lying to Don Ottavio about the so-called rape. This confused us further. He was never masked and she entered what appeared to be his hotel room willingly.

Hector Mori took the role of the Commendatore whom Don Giovanni invited to dinner. He appeared with stripes of white chalk on his face, presumably representing ghosthood.

Matthew Iacozza's set comprised a bunch of identical doors, through which characters came and went, lending a more farcical tone to the action than we might have wished. There were several instances when we were confused about what space the characters were entering or leaving. We sometimes wished that they had just walked in from the sides. 

The theater at La Mama has a balcony on three sides and we also wished that the serenade scene "Deh vieni alla finestra" had made use of it! There was nothing onstage to indicate the cemetery scene. We could have been anywhere. Props like cell phones told us that the drama was taking place in the present.

Dante Olivia Smith's lighting didn't quite succeed. A number of scenes would have benefited by being darkened, especially when Leporello exchanges clothing with his master and fools Donna Elvira. 

Claire Townsend's costumes were satisfactory, except for that of Donna Anna who sported flashy sandals with a modest dress. Zerlina's wedding dress, on the other hand, was perfect in demonstrating her sexual wavering.

Although Mr. Horsley's concept paid total attention to the rampant sexism, it ignored the classism so important to the tale. There was no differentiation between the so-called aristocrats and the so-called peasants. Perhaps this was intentional. Lecherous men feel entitled to all women regardless of their social class! The important thing here was that the women all stuck together and celebrated the destruction of the man who behaved so badly.

To summarize, we had a marvelous time, enjoying both the music and the characterizations. Our puzzlement over some directorial choices did not hamper our pleasure and probably won't hamper yours either, dear reader.

Take our advice and try to snag seats for the final performance Saturday night.  You will be both entertained and stimulated to think about gender relationships.

(c) meche kroop

A MARRIAGE, A FUNERAL, AND A HAPPY ENDING

Aumna Iqbal, Marques Hollie, and Joyce Yin in Caccini's Euridice

Music can lift our spirits, bring us catharsis for sorrow, and produce feelings of oneness with the universe.  But can it bring the dead to life? That is a myth the Ancients would have us believe. The demigod Orpheus played and sang so beautifully that he was able to soften the heart of Pluto, god of the underworld, and thereby guide his beloved Euridice back to Earth.

What a perfect story for a new musical form, devised in 1600. Many opera goers credit Monteverdi as the first composer of opera but the oldest surviving score is that of Giulio Caccini who used a libretto by Ottavio Rinuccini--also used by Jacopo Peri. We understand there was a race to get the opera performed.  These scholarly points matter little to us. What matters to us is that the the fearless and endlessly creative Cantanti Project underwent the project of restoring Caccini's work to vibrant life.

At the turn of the 17th c. there were no theatrical conventions for opera as new ground was being broken. Harking back to antiquity, a Greek Chorus was used to narrate and the characters  sang lovely melodic phrases to each other simply and directly with minimal artifice. 

In this telling of the tale, the chorus of shepherds and nymphs tells us of the joys of the happy couple, Orfeo and Euridice.  Euridice (Artistic Director soprano Joyce Yin) celebrates with her friends, dancing and singing her joy. The celebration of Orfeo (mezzo-soprano Aumna Iqbal) and his friends is somewhat randy with teasing and masculine energy.

The sad news that Euridice has died of a snakebite is brought by Dafne (soprano Elyse Anne Kakacek). Arcetro (soprano Laura Mitchell) tells of the arrival of the goddess Venus (mezzo-soprano Brittany Fowler) who will carry Orfeo to the underworld in her chariot. She encourages him to use his musical talent to sway Pluto, god of the underworld.

At first, Pluto (bass-baritone Tom Corbeil) is intransigent. Returning the dead to Earth is not in his playbook. The intervention of his wife Proserpina (soprano Lydia Dahling) has a powerful effect and Orfeo gets to take Euridice home.

The good news is spread by Aminta (tenor Marquis Hollie) who unites the loving couple and everyone celebrates.

Under the divine direction of Bea (Brittany) Goodwin, the entire cast (including tenor Michael Celentano in the dual roles of Tirsi and Caronte (Charon), the tale was told with integrity and sincerity. We expected the fine singing that we heard from the cast but were astonished by their facility with body movement. We concluded that several of the female cast members had experienced  ballet training at some point. Ms. Yin was particularly affecting in her joyful turns and arabesques. We loved the physicality of the production as much as the singing.

Musical accompaniment was provided by Dorian Baroque with Dylan Sauerwald conducting from the harpsichord. The instrumentation was given to John Mark Rozendaal who bowed his Viola da Gamba with impressive lyricism, to Paul Holmes Morton who dazzled us with his control of the long necked Theorbo, and the plangently plucked Harp of Christa Patton. There were passages in which only one or two instruments were heard.

The singing was lovely all around and the production generated optimistic feelings. We wondered what the audience might have thought and felt four centuries ago. We imagine that this novel form of entertainment must have made a hit because opera continued to grow and evolve.

We would add that Alexandria Hoffman's simple costume designs were effective, as were the simple props.

This is only Cantanti Project's fourth season but they have already given us a number of memorable evenings, including a radical interpretation of Handel's Orlando. Although they are not a repertory company, their reputation ensures that they can attract a stellar cast, as evidenced by the outstanding performances we heard in this production of Euridice.

(c) meche kroop