THE THREE ''E"s of EXCELLENCE

Nicholas Simpson, Hannah Ludwig and Simone McIntosh

Jakob Lehmann and Lucy Tucker Yates

(photos by Steve Pisano)

An excellent evening comprises, entertainment, education, and enlightenment. That's a lot of alliteration! We have spent many evenings enjoying opera and have watched them evaporate from our consciousness by the next day. So many operas seem to be churned out like sausages. Well, how about an opera that involved probably a year of preparation to be seen only once? Should we consider that a rare privilege to have seen and heard it or a tragedy that it may never be repeated?

Teatro Nuovo, helmed by Will Crutchfield, is the only opera company in the world dedicated to historically informed performance of Italian music from the Bel Canto period (our favorite). What this means might have been gleaned by visual observation and a refined ear. In this case, it was described in the program and, even better, illuminated in a pre-opera lecture for which "standing room only" seemed a small price to pay.

As well as being Artistic Director, Maestro.Crutchfield is an exemplary lecturer, illustrating his points at the piano. We feel that what we learned about Gioachino Rossini, composer of the opera we were about to see, Maometto Secondo, added enormously to our fund of knowledge and appreciation. Let us give but one small example that tickled us. As complex as Rossini's music sounds, he made use of the same chord progression as is used in rock and roll! Once Mo. Crutchfield illustrated this on the piano we were astonished. It is his unique rhythmic variations that make Rossini's music sound complex, along with the decorations of the vocal line which (news to us!) were copied by the master from the singers themselves.  We could go on and on but less us get to the experience itself.

Upon arriving at the Rose Theater, the first thing we noticed was that the orchestra was on the same level as the audience. Then we noticed the double basses which were split up, two to each side, and raised a bit above the rest of the orchestra. There was no conductor at the podium. As was the custom in that period, all the musicians could see each other and were led by the primo violino (in this case the marvelous Jakob Lehmann). Equally prominent was Lucy Tucker Yates, maestro al cembalo (harpsichord).

We soon noticed the beauty (visual and aural) of the instruments. The woodwinds were wood and the brass had no valves. And what was that exotic instrument in the brass section? Unlike any instrument we had seen heretofore, it is called the serpentone and its player Barry Bocaner allowed us a closer look during intermission.

In this performance we experienced the orchestra as a character in the story, not just a support for the singers. The clarinet, played by Thomas Carroll, was given some memorable melodies woven through the texture of the music. Instead of feeling swept away by an ocean of music, we felt drawn into a fascinating fabric of harmonious threads.

The libretto by Cesare della Valle told the simple story well. The 15th c.Venetians were defending their territory from attack by the armies of Sultan Mehmed II; the romance of the opera was added on, as dictated by convention. The daughter of the Venetian Governor Paolo Erisso  had fallen in love with the Sultan who had previously wooed her under false pretenses. She cannot forgive his deceit; this will not end happily.

The glorious music held our interest throughout. There were only a couple pauses for applause since the music was continuous, rather than being presented as separate numbers. One could say that Rossini's late style had an influence on Richard Wagner. Another unusual convention presented itself. This was the first time we witnessed an onstage band (including a snare drum and a bass drum) except for the Act I serenade in Rossini's Il barbieri di Siviglia.

By this time, dear reader, you must be wondering about the voices. Whoever cast the roles made some fine choices. Rossini wrote the part of the daughter Anna and the part of Calbo  (the loyal general chosen by  Erisso to marry and defend Anna) within the same range. Here, both roles were given to mezzo-sopranos.  One could not imagine two more different voices--each beautiful in its own way, giving duets a special quality. Simone McIntosh possesses a crystalline tone in her upper extension and Hanna Ludwig has a depth and breadth of tone that borders on contralto. Not only did they make incredible music together but Ms. McIntosh had a duet with the harp, played by Chelsea Lane, that was as remarkable as Lucia's duet with the glass harmonica.

Nicholas Simpson's tenor was strong but unforced, musical in its phrasing; his very tall appearance added to the illusion that Anna was his child. As Maometto the conqueror, baritone Scott Purcell was suitably arrogant and vindictive; his voice had the interesting texture of corduroy.

If we have nothing further to say about the voices, it is for want of space. Let us just say that the singing was flawless on all counts and perfectly suited to the bel canto style with all its flourishes and fioritura. 

Even the smaller roles were well sung. Tenor Spencer Lawrence Boyd stepped out of the chorus to play Selimo and tenor Toby Bradford stepped out to sing Condulmiero. The chorus was excellent as well. There were a dozen women onstage together but unstaged, and a dozen men also unstaged.

Speaking of which, let us note that the principals did act in a believable fashion, although there were no costumes (just evening dress) and no props. The projected backdrops were drawings of scenes of palaces piazza, and pavilion. Nothing moved.  Nothing distracted from the music. We don't have enough space to mention all the excellent chorus members (Mo. Crutchfield also serves as chorus master) and all the musical soloists whose lines interwove with the singers.  Let's just say it was a memorable evening all around.

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TRIUMPHANT LOVE

Anna Smigelskaya and Carolina López Moreno

Two remarkable artists performed a recital of art songs, the likes of which we have not heard in a long while. Could a graduation recital at Manhattan School of Music surpass so many given at Carnegie Hall by famous singers? Yes, it could and it did!

Although some credit for the magnitude of our pleasure could be given to the astute choice of material, we have a sense that these two lovely ladies working together in sublime harmony could have pleased us with any program they chose.

We first were exposed to the gifts of soprano Carolina López Moreno in 2018 in a Talents of the World competition when we enjoyed her Juliette and her Violetta--two very different heroines, both successfully realized. Her Manhattan School of Music performance as the lead in Nino Rota's rarely heard one-act opera I Due Timidi was another feather in her artistic cap. In 2019 we had yet another chance to enjoy her artistry at a Classic Lyric Arts salon at which she performed Leïla in a duet.

However, art song is completely different from opera and it's a rare artist who can do justice to both forms of vocal artistry. Both Ms. Moreno and her collaborative pianist Anna Smigelskaya have plenty of stage presence and the audience was engaged from the beginning.

The program opened with three charming songs from Rossini's Soirées musicales. In the first song "La promessa" we could immediately identify a lovely legato that persevered throughout the smooth upward leaps, some graceful portamenti, a variety of dynamics, some clear staccato passages, and a sincerity of emotion. Ms. Smigelskaya underscored the vocal line with some lilting arpeggi.

"L'invito" manifested a seductive invitation with some well-executed turns, all laid over a gorgeous carpet of sound in the piano. In "Pastorella delle alpi", the singer created a welcoming character, reveling in some melismatic arpeggi. We enjoyed the brief shift to a minor key. To say we were enchanted would be an understatement.

We would have been content to enjoy more of the same for the remainder of the evening but it was time to move on to some lieder from Hugo Wolf's Italienisches Liederbuch, somewhat in keeping with the first set if not linguistically at least culturally. We are delighted to report that Ms. Moreno's German is perfect, but one would expect that since she grew up in Germany.

The flirtatious "Du denkst mit einem Fädchen mich zu fangen" has a cute twist at the end as the woman turns the tables on a man. Not all of von Heyse's poetry portrays an elusive woman. The singer in "O wär dein Haus durchsichtig" is completely devoted to her beloved. The poor girl in "Mein Liebster singt am Haus im Mondenscheine" is being serenaded by her sweetheart but cannot respond because of a watchful mother. Like any histrionic teenager she is "crying tears of blood"! Ms. Smigelskaya's piano was filled with longing in a minor key.

Three songs in English followed and we were astonished by the perfect enunciation that made every word clear, even at the upper end of the register. Samuel Barber's setting of James Agee's "Sure on this shining night" was followed by Charles T. Griffes' setting of Sydney Lanier's "Evening Song", filled with exaltation. Our favorite of this set was Frank Bridge's "Love went a-riding", a setting of Mary Elisabeth Coleridge's charming text, filled with wonder.

Debussy's setting of Paul Bourget's Two Romances evinced long lyrical lines in the Gallic tradition of mélodie; the singing was delicate in "L'âme évaporée" and "Les cloches", as was Ms. Smigelskaya's delicate accompaniment.

Spanish was next on the program, to our delight. Who could not succumb to the eroticism of "Del cabello mas sutil" from Fernando Obradors' Canciones clásicas españolas! In the central section, Ms. Moreno began humming and opened up her voice to a captivating vocalise, whilst Ms. Smigelskaya produced ripples of arpeggi in the piano.

Following the serious passion of that song was the charmingly silly folk song "Chiquitita la novia" which opened and closed with a flamenco inflected vocalise. There was a powerful high note to bring the song to an end.

The "dessert" of this tasty meal was in Russian and we heard three of our favorite songs by Rachmaninoff from his Twelve Romances. "Zdes' khorosho" or "How fair this spot" transported us to a special place and was marked by expressive dynamics. "Jeshchjo v poljakh belejet sneg" or "Spring Waters" is filled with the ecstacy of the arrival of Spring after a long winter.

Still, our favorite was and always will be the melancholic "Ne poy, krasavica" or "Do not sing to me" which speaks of longing for what is gone and never fails to touch our heart. All of these emotions were limned by our two artists in tandem.

The audience demanded an encore and we got the impression that none was prepared because the duo performed a welcome repeat of "Love went a-riding".

We are noted for being nit-picky but this was one recital of which we would not have changed a single note. From technique to story-telling, everything achieve a rare perfection. We hope that the two artists will stay together because their rapport was matchless. We foresee a great future for them.

We are not alone in our admiration. There have been countless awards, scholarships, and much recognition as well as plenty of engagements. What excites us most in her future is a debut as Violetta. If anyone can portray the three phases of our favorite heroine it is she. It is said that Violetta requires three different singers but one versatile soprano like Ms. Moreno will likely fulfill all the requirements.

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ROSSINI ROCKS SANTA FE

Patrick Carfizzi (Taddeo), Daniela Mack (Isabella), Scott Conner (Mustafa), Stacey Geyer (Elvira), Suzanne Hendrix (Zulma), Jack Swanson (Lindoro)...Photo by Ken Howard for Santa Fe Opera

It was difficult to tell who was having more fun at the Santa Fe Opera last night at a riotous performance of Rossini's 1813 laugh riot L'Italiana in Algeri. The cast sparkled with glee and the audience roared with laughter. The original production by Edward Hastings premiered in 2002; we were there and we remember best the part in which Isabella arrives in Algeria by bi-plane!

We doubt that Rossini could have foreseen the Wright Brothers' invention so we will assume that this production has been advanced from the 19th c. a full century into the future.  That a forceful female character was invented by Rossini in the early 19th c. is rather remarkable.  Her setting an example for the dependent and lovelorn Elvira has resonance for us in the 21st c.

The story concerns this independent Italian woman who has gone searching for her missing beloved Lindoro; he had been captured by pirates and enslaved by the lecherous and self-important Sultan Mustafa, a ridiculous character whose arrogance makes him easy to fool.

Isabelle is accompanied by Taddeo who adores her.  She adores him not.

Mustafa is trying to rid himself of his adoring wife Elvira who needs some good mentoring by Isabella.  Mustafa has a yen for an Italian woman and Isabella arrives at just the right moment.  The opera story involves her plotting to free all the Italian slaves as well as Lindoro. Thus the opera became catnip for the Italians--not only for its memorable melodic score but also for patriotic reasons.

The setting in Algeria, then a vassal state of the Ottoman Empire, reminds us of Europe's fascination with all things exotic at that time. Indeed, not too long before, Mozart wrote his Die Entführung aus dem Serail, the theme of which is not too different.

During the overture, tiny bi-planes were "flown" up and down the aisles of the theater. A somewhat larger bi-plane appeared on the set, and when it was time for Isabella and Taddeo to make their entrance, a much larger bi-plane appeared on the stage.

This masterstroke of creativity set the audience to laughing and the laughs wouldn't stop all night long. For our taste, Shawna Lucey's direction was excessive but the audience loved all the gyrations, wriggling, pelvic thrusting, wild gesticulations, and Broadway chorus-style dancing. There was one trick that Ms.Lucey missed.  When Isabella and Lindoro take off in a hot-air balloon at the conclusion of the opera, there was a basket but no balloon!

We did love the set design by Robert Innes Hopkins which was well lit by Duane Schuler. There was a flat playing space with palm trees on each side; the floor unfolded upward to reveal Mustafa's palace with its Moorish arches and pillars. It reminded us of those greeting cards that are cleverly constructed to reveal a cut-out when one opens them.

David C. Woolard's costume design was wild and colorful for the Algerian court and suitable for the Europeans in their own fashion. We particularly enjoyed the scene in which Isabella tears down one of the curtains, snatches up some random decorations, goes behind a screen, and emerges in a stylish form-fitting costume.

The singing was excellent all around; Rossini's melodies paired with the vowel-dominant Italian language give one a chance to appreciate a singer's gifts--something that doesn't happen for us in contemporary operas in English. The best part of the singing was the work done as an ensemble. The voices blended in happy harmony with each character singing a different vocal line and expressing different emotions.

Mezzo-soprano Daniela Mack made a spunky Isabella, using her physical and vocal assets to get three men to do her bidding, making each one believe that he was the object of her desire. Her delivery of "Cruda sorte" was excellent.

Tenor Jack Swanson made a fine handsome Lindoro, one for whom a woman might go out searching. He was particularly admirable in his duets. Today's audience seems to love "patter songs" as much as the audience of two centuries ago; Mr. Swanson's rapid fire delivery was impressive.

Bass Scott Conner played the part of Mustafa to the hilt. His booming voice and imposing figure perfectly set off the silly nature of his actions. It is wonderful to hear that much flexibility in a large low voice.

As his rejected wife Elvira, Apprentice Singer Stacey Geyer lent her splendid soprano to the creation of a character a normal man would be foolish to abandon; but we did say that Mustafa was foolish.

Mezzo-soprano Suzanne Hendrix was excellent in the role of Zulma, Elvira's slave and confidant. She too showed a lot of spunk.

Bass-baritone Patrick Carfizzi was just about perfect in the role of Taddeo and succeeded in earning our sympathy for his unrequited love. He gets passed off as Isabella's uncle and avoids impalement by agreeing to join the court.

Baritone Craig Verm was humorously menacing as Haly, Mustafa's chief pirate and scourge of the slaves.

The chorus of Apprentice Singers served as slaves and pirates and eunuchs. We always want to thank Susanne Sheston since the chorus is always so well schooled in perfect diction. And all of them seem effective in whatever parts they are asked to play.

Last, but definitely not least, Rossini's music is a constant delight. Corrado Rovaris' baton led the Santa Fe Orchestra in a highly spirited and swiftly moving reading of the score. From the piping of the piccolo to the "Rossini Crescendo", he made every moment count.

Another triumph for the Santa Fe Opera!

(c) meche kroop

TANCREDI AND THE BIRTH OF BEL CANTO

Tamara Mumford as Tancredi

Maestro Will Crutchfield has decamped from Caramoor after twenty years and set up camp as "Teatro Nuovo" at Purchase College, which has given him a compelling Bel Canto Festival to celebrate the type of opera we love the most. We will follow Will wherever he goes and we hope his loyal fans will do likewise. There is a training program attached to this festival and young artists are surely flocking to Purchase to participate.

There is an adventure seeking motive at work in that there are some interesting explorations into performing traditions involved as well as the use of period instruments in the newly formed orchestra. At last night's Tancredi, this newly formed orchestra could have fooled us into believing that they have been around forever. 

Maestro Crutchfield is not only Artistic Director and General Director of the festival but performed at the harpsichord as well, with Jakob Lehmann as Concertmaster, leading the orchestra. We loved the softer sound and craned our neck to get a better look at the unusual woodwinds and brass.

For this year's festival, along with lectures, panel discussions, recitals and master classes, there are two major operatic productions, or should we say two and a half.  We will review a recital on Tuesday and Mayr's Medea in Corinto next weekend. Last night we heard Tancredi which Rossini composed within a month when he was but twenty years old! It was commissioned by La Fenice in 1813.

By that time, he had already written nine operas and had achieved success with the genre of opera buffa, but Tancredi launched his career as a composer of originality, creating works that served as a bridge between the Classical period and the Romantic period. He established the forms that would serve the art form for a century. He moved opera seria into new territory, writing extended duets and choruses which commented on the action. He set up the scena, comprising recitativo-cantilena-cabaletta.  He extinguished the happy ending.

As a matter of fact, the original Tancredi did have a happy ending but Rossini was persuaded to rewrite it in a manner that more accurately reflected Voltaire's 1760 play Tancrède, on which the libretto (by Gaetano Rossi) was based. The "half opera" we mentioned earlier will be presented at the festival on August 5th as Tancredi Rifatto, and includes a wealth of vocal material that Rossini added for various performances, ostensibly to suit the voices of different singers--and also includes the unhappy ending.

Well, you won't hear any objections to happy endings on our part and forgiveness is best appreciated when the one forgiven goes on living, or so we believe.

After incredible popularity in the 19th c. the opera fell out of the repertory but was brought back when Marilyn Horne chose to champion it. (Thank you Jackie!)

The opera takes place in the 11th c. in Sicily where the Byzantine Empire is threatened by the Saracens. Our hero Tancredi had been exiled as a child and you, dear reader, will recognize the prototype of the "outsider" as one of the great contributions of the Romantic period.

He is loved by Amenaide, the daughter of Argirio, a nobleman who has just achieved a truce with Orbazzano, a nobleman of another faction. He is marrying off his daughter to Orbazzano to cement the truce, but she isn't having any of it.

The plot thickens because a letter she wrote to Tancredi has fallen into the wrong hands and she is suspected of writing to the Saracen leader, an act of treason punishable by death. Although he is feeling betrayed, Tancredi engages in single combat with Orbazzano, her accuser, and saves her.

In the title role we heard mezzo-soprano Tamara Mumford, of whom we have been a fan since hearing her in a recital at the Metropolitan Museum, before we even started writing. We enjoyed her performance at The Metropolitan Opera as Smeaton and her performance at Caramoor as well. There is no denying her vocal artistry and distinctive sound. For us, the highlight of the evening was her delivery of "Di tanti palpiti". There are echoes of this melody in Wagner's Die Meistersinger.

As Amenaide, soprano Amanda Woodbury made a strong impression, handling Rossini's lavish fioritura with aplomb and conveying a sense of the character's challenging predicament. She was as splendid in her duets as in her arias.

As her father Argirio, we heard tenor Santiago Ballerini tear into Rossini's challenging vocal fireworks like a hot knife through butter. Small in stature but large in vocal gifts, this is a tenor to watch. His Act II scena beautifully expressed his ambivalence about signing his daughter's death warrant. There is something about his decrescendo that astonished us; he spun the vocal line out to the finest filament.

Bass-baritone Leo Radosavljevic, whom we well remember from Juiliiard and several vocal competition award recitals, did justice to the role of Orbazzano, making his sound burly in times of anger. He's a man who just can't believe that his intended has other intentions.

Mezzo-soprano Hannah Ludwig was excellent as Amenaide's chief support Isaura. We loved the way she stood up for her friend.  Similarly, mezzo-soprano Stephanie Sanchez excelled as Roggiero, Tancredi's esquire.

As far as semi-staged operas go, we were happy that the entire cast was "off book" (except for the excellent Teatro Nuovo Chorus) but we really missed sets and costumes. We were hoping for some projections that would suggest time and place and some simple costumes. Instead, we had a bare stage with female singers wearing gowns and male singers in dinner jackets. At the very least, we wished that the two women performing pants roles had abandoned high heels. It's one thing for Isaura to totter around the stage but Tancredi and Roggiero should have been wearing boots. It's difficult to walk like a man wearing high heels!

And that is the only quibble we have with a superb production that gave us insight into the birth of Bel Canto and an enduring ear worm of "Di tanti palpiti" which we have been singing all night.

The Bel Canto Festival will continue until August 5th and Purchase is but an hour away. Consult their website and pick something.  Pick anything! You won't be disappointed.

(c) meche kroop

ESPANA ALLA ROSSINI

Anna Tonna, Elaine Rinaldi, and Elisabet Torras Aguilera

Although we are in a studio in the theater district of Manhattan, it is not difficult to imagine that we are attending a musical soiree in the home of a wealthy Madrileno patron of the arts in 1830. The music, the singing, the dancing, and the effective costuming all contributed to the delightful illusion.

Gioachino Rossini lived from 1792 until 1868 and composed 40 operas in a period of 19 years, arguably the most famous of which is Il Barbiere di Siviglia. But he also composed many wonderful songs and he loved the mezzo-soprano fach. According to Simon Saad, the knowledgable lecturer who introduce4 Ms. Tonno's program, Rossini had strong ties to Spain, both through his banker/friend and through his Madrilena wife Isabella Colbran. In point of fact, he only visited Spain once in 1831 but had strong feelings for the country that helped form the backbone of vocal technique in that period.

Ms. Tonna chose seven of his finest songs for her showcase program this afternoon, and if you are tempted by our description, you will be happy to learn that the program will be repeated tomorrow Monday, January 9th, at the Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimo at 6:00PM.

The first song on the program, "La passeggiata", dedicated to a Spanish queen, is filled with lavish embellishments which perfectly suited Ms. Tonna's coloratura technique, including a very fine trill. We loved the alternation between lyrical measures and staccato ones.

The second song "A Granada" was also dedicated to a Spanish queen, and was also in waltz time, but with lyrics of a more serious nature.

For "Canzonetta Spagnola", Ms. Tonna was joined by the fine Spanish dancer Elisabet Torras Aguilera. The text for this song was written by Signora Rossini (Ms. Colbran) and the rhythms are particular dance-worthy. When most people think of Spanish dance, they think of flamenco but it is evident that Spanish dance makes use of European ballet footwork but with a somewhat different use of the arms and the accompaniment of castanets. It was a pleasure to watch.

"La promessa", again in waltz rhythm, was dedicated to the wife of Rossini's banker friend, and is one of our personal favorites. Ms. Tonna got to show off her facility with wide skips in the melody and to utilize dynamic variety.

"L'invito", in Bolero rhythm, employed a text by the very same Count Carlo Pepoli who wrote the libretto for Bellini's I Puritani.  "Sorzico" in Basque rhythm, utilizied a text by Metastasio and the octave skips were deftly handled by Ms. Tonna.

The final work on the all-too-brief program was "Nizza, je puis san peine", the only work on the program sung in French. Ms. Tonna was joined once more by Ms. Aguilera who responded to  the lively Tirana rhythm with a freer style. There was some pretty fancy footwork and some familiar pirouettes, along with the customary crisp castanets.

We have reviewed Ms. Tonna on a number of prior occasions and have always loved her expressiveness and beautiful voice. For this showcase, her effective accompanist was Elaine Rinaldi.

If you are unable to make the Monday performance, all is not lost! There is a recording entitled "Espana alla Rossini" which contains even more material than this showcase.  Enjoy!

(c) meche kroop

RIVERA DOES ROSSINI

Jennifer Rivera and Kenneth Merrill

Last night Salon/Sanctuary Concerts took a step into the 19th c. further than they usually do and it was a welcome step.  To the many Facebook friends who wished us a musical birthday, we would like to tell them that indeed we did enjoy a very musical birthday, thanks to Jessica Gould's astute programming, Jennifer Rivera's thrilling singing, and Kenneth Merrill's warmly responsive accompanying on the piano.  The promised fortepiano was injured and replaced by a modern piano without any loss of musical value.

The program comprised music that Gioachino Rossini wrote in his later years in Paris after he retired from writing all those exciting operas we so love to hear.  It is clear to singers and audience alike that he retained all the excitement of rhythm and melody that infuse his operas.  The songs offer the same opportunity for dramatic expression as do the operas and require only the right singer to give the impression that one is hearing a very condensed version of a scene in an opera.

Take, for example, La Regata Veneziana, of which we never tire.  In Venetian dialect, Rossini gives the singer plenty to work with.  The singer "Anzoleta" gets to adopt three discrete moods, encouraging her lover Momolo, expressing the tension of the gondola race, and finally rewarding Momolo with her affection.  Mezzo-soprano Jennifer Rivera rose to the occasion and filled the venue with color and excitement.

Her superb instrument and technique (influenced by Marilyn Horne and Frederica von Stade) is more legato than that of most bel canto artists.  Her diction sacrificed not a single word on the altar of musicality.  Variety in dynamics and tempi contributed to the sense of drama.

A compelling performance of "Mi lagnerò tacendo" was fascinating in that Rossini set the work four times--for soprano, mezzo, contralto, and finally a version to be sung on  one note.  Ms. Rivera showed strength in the lower register when called for and brilliance on top where necessary.  In fact, her voice is remarkably centered throughout the entire range.  

To our surprise, the setting we enjoyed the most was the last one because there was such variety of color in both Ms. Rivera's singing and Mr. Merrill's piano that the one note kept sounding different!  The text by Pietro Metastasio has been set by Mozart, Handel, Righini, and Hasse, among others.

Ms. Rivera was able to show her stuff in French in a set of three songs.  Every word was enunciated clearly and the French line was sustained beautifully.  "L'Orpheline du Tyrol" permitted the artist to yodel, making large skips sound easy.  "La chanson du bebé" represents Rossini at his naughtiest as the child does everything he can to get the attention of his parents.  What a hoot!  Ms. Rivera squeezed every drop of humor from the song.

We were thrilled to see a set of songs by Pauline Viardot on the program.  She was a singer herself and really knew how to write for the voice.  Clearly Rossini was a big influence on her.  "Madrid" had all the lilting rhythms and melodic riffs associated with Spanish music while "Havanaise" was imbued with Latin rhythms, alternating with highly embellished verses.  "Hai luli" was the lament of a forlorn lover.

There might have been an audience riot had Ms. Rivera not performed an encore of her signature aria--"Una voce poco fa" from Il Barbiere di Siviglia.  It was in this aria that the rich mezzo quality of her voice was most evident.  The fioriture passages were unique and original, creating abundant fireworks.  We heard something for which we need to invent a word; let's call it a "tripletrill"; we have never heard the like.

Mr. Merrill's accompanying skills are legendary and it was easy to see why he is chosen by so many fine singers.  He was always right there supporting but never overshadowing or overwhelming.

We remember Ms. Rivera well from her Juilliard days and from New York City Opera. We have enjoyed her astute essays in The Huffington Post. It was a real treat to hear her up close and personal.  Should NYCO be revived we are sure to hear more of her right here in New York.

© meche kroop

THIS MISS IS A HIT but THE HIT IS AMISS

Elvira and Mustafà's Harem in Utopia Opera's L'Italiana in Algeri

Stage Director and Conductor William Remmers had a radical concept for Rossini's first attempt at comedy--his 1813 L'Italiana in Algeri.  He achieved consistency within this concept, that of emphasizing the terrorism and violence, but paid the price of sacrificing the comedy.  In his version, Mustafà is not the corpulent buffone he was meant to be but a lean, mean and violent military dictator.  When Angelo Anelli wrote the libretto, all Europe was fascinated by all things Turkish, which meant the Ottoman Empire, actually already in decline.  Algeria at that time was part of the Empire, hence the title.

But updating the opera to the 20th c. brought it perilously close to our own time and the military costumes and assault rifles became an uncomfortable reminder of the Age of Terrorism, making laughter difficult.  This Bey was not a buffoon; the portrayal made it difficult to accept his being so easily tricked by the wily Isabella.

Sung by the radiant mezzo Caroline Tye, Isabella is emblematic of the modern woman and her feminine wiles contrasted beautifully with the submissive nature of Mustafà's rejected wife Elvira, sung by sparkling soprano Patricia Vital and her handmaiden Zulma, winningly sung by mezzo-soprano Kristin Roney.  

All three women sang superbly with excellent diction and enviable control of the embellishments.  Their skill at bel canto singing was impressive and made the evening a worthwhile one.  We loved the way Ms. Tye sang "Cruda sorte....Amor tiranno" and "Per lui che adoro", which we haven't enjoyed so much since Stephanie Blythe sang it in Santa Fe a dozen years ago!

One male role stood out as well, that of Taddeo, Isabella's traveling companion.  Jia-jun Hong exhibited admirable comedic skills as well as a fine voice which he used well. Still very young (perhaps as young as Rossini was when he composed this dramma giocoso) he is a talent to watch.

We wish we could have enjoyed the other male leads as well.  Bass Duncan Hartman sang reasonably well in spite of a vocal indisposition but seemed cast to fulfill Mr. Remmers' concept. He just didn't match the ridiculous figure we wanted to see. 

Tenor Chad Cygan neither looked like a romantic hero that the desirable Isabella would have gone searching for nor did he have the vocal chops for the role.  He handled the rapid-fire patter quite well and most of the recitativi but the upper half of his register was uncomfortably and unattractively strained.  This is regrettable since Rossini's melodies are so enchanting.

Roman Laba made a fine captain of the army, wearing a red fez.  Eric Lamp and Victor Ziccardi doubled as soldiers and slaves. They made some fine moves in a little dance. Jordana Rose, Erica Koehring and Winnie Nieh played members of the harem.

The manic energy of the ensembles with which Rossini generally ends each act were quite well done vocally but disturbing dramatically.  Act I ended in a virtual bloodbath with characters all attacking each other with guns, knives and robes.  When Act II began, all the characters wore bloody bandages, braces and crutches.  EWWW! Lindoro looked like Quasimodo.

The 17 member orchestra played well for the most part with occasional lapses of intonation.  We loved the pizzicato opening of the exciting overture after which the melody gets tossed around by the winds. Samuel Marques played some fine solos on the clarinet and Susan Morton was superb on the harpsichord. Mr. Remmers conducted with his customary gusto.

With audience-selected operas and a minuscule budget, it is amazing what Mr. Remmers can pull together.  There was, as usual, no set; costumes probably were assembled from the singers' very own closets.  

The feisty Utopia Opera has a most unusual double bill coming up in March.  Watch for it!  You may wish to vote online for next year's operas.  Participate!

© meche kroop

THE DIVA NEXT DOOR

David Zobel and Joyce DiDonato (photo by Chris Lee)

A glamorous and revered superstar of the opera stage, mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato revealed her mettle as a recitalist Tuesday night in Carnegie Hall.  All wrapped up in one woman are the engaging and communicative entertainer and the naturalness of the proverbial girl next store-- from Kansas no less.  With flawless technique and enough expressiveness for two artists, she wowed the audience with a program the theme of which was "A Journey Through Venice".  Accompanied by the excellent David Zobel at the piano, she exhibited a lovely liquid tone and superb phrasing in every selection.  

As a great fan of bel canto, we were thrilled to hear so much beautiful singing on one program. She opened the program with two arias from Antonio Vivaldi's opera Ercole su'l Termodonte, written in 1723 while the composer was in Venice.  "Onde chiare che sussurrate" was gloriously baroque and filled with trills in both piano and vocal line, all executed to perfection.  The text is one of anxious longing on the part of the Princess Ippolita and the rippling stream can be heard in the constant arpeggios in the piano.  The same character sings the aria "Amato ben" and we felt the aching longing when Ms. DiDonato stressed the appoggiatura before the final note. Although the plot is not of the ilk favored by today's fashion, if the other arias are halfway as good, we would love to see/hear the entire opera. 

The use of the microphone for speaking between songs was welcome because we wanted to hear every word Ms. DiDonato had to say as she related anecdotes about each set of songs.  Paul Verlaine's text for Cinq melodies de Venise is so lovely that it has been set by Debussy, Saint Saëns and Sokolov.  But Ms. DiDonato chose the setting by Gabriel Fauré for her program and we were delighted to be hearing it for the first time.  We are always reminded of the Fragonard paintings when we hear the lively slightly satirical "Mandoline". The peaceful quality of "En sourdine" was a lovely contrast.  We found "C'est l'extase" somewhat less languorous than the setting by Debussy but nonetheless quite lovely.

As many times as we have heard Rossini's "La regatta veneziana" we never tire of hearing the three distinct moods of Anzoleta and her feelings for Momolo, her gondolier lover.  She encourages him in the first song; in the second she is cheering him on and we feel her breathless excitement and anxiety; in the third song she is all warm and fuzzy, rewarding her Momolo for his win with kisses and compliments.  Ms. DiDonato made us feel as if we ourselves were watching the race.  Rossini composed this brief cycle in the Venetian dialect as part of his Péchés de vieillesse, long after he stopped writing operas.

In contrast to that cycle from his mature period, we heard an aria from his youthful opera Otello.  While we do no wish to take anything away from Verdi's masterpiece, we would love to see a production of Rossini's Otello, based on the gorgeous "Assisa al piè d'un salice…Deh, calma", known as the Willow Song.  There is a gorgeously melodic introduction by the piano followed by the sorrowful lament of the distracted Desdemona.  Even without an orchestra, the two artists brought the scene to dramatic life.  The piano becomes turbulent when Desdemona gets distracted by her grief and anxiety.

Compared with most 20th c. English composers we would have to grant Michael Head a lot of credit for his ability to write for the voice and to match the vocal line to both text and music.  His Three Songs of Venice were evocative and Ms. DiDonato sang the text with far better diction than that to which we are accustomed.  That quality can make or break a performance in a recital of art songs in which the words are so important.  Ms. DiDonato's artistry in word coloring added to the pleasure.

Still, for melody and singability, we must give the prize to Reynaldo Hahn, from an earlier generation.  We heard selections from Venezia sung in gorgeous Italian and were swooning.  The rippling rolling chords in the piano and the melismatic singing in "La barcheta" made this romantic tale our favorite.  We also enjoyed the much less romantic "L'avertimento" in which the poet warns his friends against a beautiful girl with the heart of a tiger and the irony of "Che pecà" in which a man expresses his ambivalence about getting over a frantic passion.  Ms. DiDonato's acting was incomparable.

Rossini's "Canzonetta Spagnuola" with its vocal fireworks and gradual accelerando made the perfect encore.  We were totally satisfied but--wait--there was one final encore "Non ti scordar di me" by Ernesto de Curtis. We felt sorry for the lone couple who were running to catch a train; we wouldn't have missed a single note of it.

ⓒ meche kroop

PRETTY IS AS PRETTY DOES

Kamal Khan and Pretty Yendy

Every now and then a singer comes onstage and shows such a wealth of positive attributes that we sit up straighter and take notice.  Our eyes rested on Pretty Yendy's beautiful face and form, her stylish gowns and her easy stage presence.  Our ears perked up as witnesses to her thrilling instrument, superlative technique and innate musicality.  Furthermore, she exuded warmth and a good-natured spirit.  It was all there and we delighted in recognizing a new star in the celestial realm of opera.

Ms. Yendy's New York debut recital was part of a celebration of South African culture--UBUNTU, taking place at Carnegie Hall.  This wondergirl was born in South Africa and, interestingly enough, her unfailingly sensitive piano partner, Kamal Khan, also has South African ties --Cape Town Opera and Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra.  The two of them had such an impressive onstage partnership it was as if they were telepathically connected.

This lovely soprano has superlative coloratura technique, making her a natural for the bel canto selections with which she opened the program.  She made the four songs her own with judicious use of rubato, fine vibrato, flexibility in her shifts from legato to staccato, and a preternaturally smooth portamento.  We heard Rossini's "La promessa", Bellini's "Vanne, o rosa fortunata" (both settings of texts by Metastasio) and two selections by Donizetti.  We particularly enjoyed the barcarolle-like fantasy "Me voglio fa 'na casa".

Next we heard some lovely songs written by Debussy when he was about 20 years old, inspired by an older married lover--his muse.  Can one possibly listen to "Mandoline", text by Paul Verlaine, without thinking of a Fragonard painting?  The vocal fireworks we heard in "O beau pays de la Touraine" from Meyerbeer's Les Huguenots cemented our opinion of the artist's coloratura skills.  Embellishments simply poured out of her effortlessly. Our wish for Ms. Yendy is for her French diction to rise to the level of her Italian. There were no titles and the words might have been more clearly articulated.

Last week we heard Jennifer Johnson Cano (a mezzo) sing Liszt's "Pace non trovo"; last night Ms. Yendy sang it with excellent messa di voce and some high notes that would shatter crystal.  Petrarch's sonnets inspired Liszt and Liszt's music inspired Ms. Yendy and Mr. Kahn to a dramatically thrilling performance.

We could scarcely believe our good fortune to hear more zarzuela right on the heels of yesterday's event in Queens.  That patter song "La tarántula" from Giménez' La Tempranica was well done but it was "Me llaman la primorosa" from El barbero de Sevilla that we wanted to hear again and again.   

The program ended with the entire sleepwalking scene from Bellini's La Sonnambula; this gave Ms. Yendy an opportunity to show the varying moods of Amina, each mood with its own vocal challenges.  The audience was over the moon and Ms. Yendy rewarded us with no less than three stunning encores.

The first was "O mio babbino caro" from Puccini's Gianni Schicchi, an endearing aria if ever there was one.  The second was an Ubuntu Celebration Song; we may not have understood the words but the warm feelings of fellowship came across the footlights.  And finally, because the audience would not let her go, she sang her final encore-"I Want to Be a Prima Donna", from Victor Herbert's 1911 operetta The Enchantress.  She wants it?  She gets it! She deserves it.

© meche kroop

FROM TEARS TO CHEERS

The cast of Prelude to Performance's Barber of Seville (photo by Jen Joyce Davis)

The tears from the prior night's performance of La Traviata had barely dried when we submitted to gales of glee at Il Barbiere di Siviglia.  No comic shtick was too broad for the mostly young audience at the Kaye Playhouse of Hunter College where Prelude to Performance is concluding its tenth season.  Through this program, the much honored and beloved soprano Martina Arroyo has ushered countless young singers into satisfying careers.  Indeed, we just saw/heard one of the earliest graduates, tenor Michele Angelini, turn in a superb performance at Caramoor as Gennaro opposite Angela Meade as the eponymous Lucrezia Borgia in Donizetti's rarely performed masterpiece.

Il Barbiere opens with a tender serenade by Count Almaviva, "Ecco, ridente in cielo" accompanied by bibulous musicians he has hired, led by one Fiorello, charmingly portrayed and well sung by the excellent baritone Paull-Anthony Keightley.  The serenade was directed toward Rosina, the beautiful ward of one Dr. Bartolo who plans to marry her himself that very day.

Kirsten Scott, whom we have enjoyed in Mozart, Puccini and Offenbach, had a wonderful time as Rosina, fearlessly tackling Rossini's daunting coloratura in "Una voce poco fa".  She succeeded in winning over the audience; we all wanted her to outwit the controlling Dr. Bartolo, sung by the excellent bass Jacopo Buora who created a thoroughly unlikable character. His "A un dottor della mia sorte" was properly pompous.

Figaro is the mastermind who, for a large fee, helps the Count to get the girl.  Samuel Thompson had the voice and the personality to fill the stage and turned in a most winning performance.  His Act I duet with Rosina "Dunque io son" was one of many highlights of the evening.  Of course, his "Largo al factotum della città" brought down the house.

As the Count, tenor Alasdair Kent seemed to be somewhat indisposed, cracking on some of the elaborate ornamentations.  In Act II, he sounded better and we were able to appreciate the lovely tone of which he is capable.

Jennifer Lazarz made a strong Berta and tickled us with her performance as the much put-upon housekeeper.  Paul Grosvenor as Don Basilio the music teacher was obliged to overcome a rather grotesque wig and makeup.  We always enjoy his aria "La calunnia è un venticello" about rumors and slander, in which Rossini builds to a wonderful climax. 

We were thrilled by Maestro Willie Anthony Waters' conducting which had perfect impetus and a much better balance than was achieved the night before.

Charles Caine designed some wonderful period costumes and Joshua rose repurposed the set from La Traviata in a very creative manner.  Stage director Anthony Laciura leaned heavily on slapstick humor that may not be our cup of tea but seemed to please the audience.  We ourselves find sufficient humor in the ridiculous behavior of the characters, the preposterous situations and Rossini's frisky music.

Although there was only one native Italian speaker in the cast (Mr. Buora) we found the Italian diction completely comprehensible (coaching by Sergio Stefani) and Cori Ellison's titles right on the mark.

This weekend of opera has been like an oasis in the summer dessert.  Thanks Martina!

© meche kroop

LA DONNA SENZA LAGO

Joyce DiDonato--photo by Ken Howard

Here you see the lovely mezzo Joyce DiDonato standing on the moors of Scotland with a painted backdrop of the sky.  Wait!  She's standing on the stage set of La Donna del Lago at the Santa Fe Opera and the SKY is REAL, seen through the proscenium.  Rossini sure had a thing for the mezzo voice and Ms. DiDonato made the most out of the master's gorgeous bel canto vocal lines. Her embellishments were as accurate as any we've heard and her trill gave us a thrill.

Here she portrays Elena in Andrea Leone Tottola's adaptation of Sir Walter Scott's poem "The Lady of the Lake"--given an Italian flavor of course.  Elena is the daughter of one Duglas d'Angus (performed by deeply resonant bass Wayne Tigges) who was once the tutor of Giacomo V--King James of Scotland; he has, at the time of the opera, joined the Highland Clan, opposed to James' rule.  He has plans for Elena to wed Rodrigo di Dhu, the fierce chief of this clan.  Elena has other ideas; she is in love with the more gentle Malcolm Groeme, portrayed by mezzo Marianna Pizzolato, who sings like an angel and looks nothing like a man.  The love duet between the two of them was one of the evening's highlights.

Fortunately, Rodrigo gets killed in an uprising and the only other rival for her hand is the king himself who, disguised as Umberto, has met her, accepted her hospitality and fallen in love with her also.  (And who wouldn't fall in love with the beautiful and charming Ms. DiDonato!)  It is the king's respect for Elena that finally heals the rift so that peace in Scotland is achieved.

Lawrence Brownlee sang the role of the king and René Barbera the role of the ill-fated Rodrigo.  Both tenors have beautiful voices for the most part but both fell into the "tenor trap" of pushing their top notes instead of floating them, lending a harsh sound to otherwise fine bel canto singing.

We enjoyed seeing several apprentices onstage in smaller roles.  Soprano Lacy Sauter made a fine Albina--an interesting variation on the customary situation in which a mezzo is the confidante of the star soprano.  David Blalock and Joshua Dennis portrayed servants.

Maestro Stephen Lord conducted with high spirits and Paul Curran directed with a sure hand, making sense out of a confusing plot.   Costumes by Kevin Knight were appropriate to time and place; his sets were spare and lit by Duane Schuler to emphasize the gloom.  The chorus sang beautifully under the director of Susanne Sheston.

We understand that this production will appear at the Metropolitan Opera in a couple years.  How wonderful that New Yorkers will get to enjoy one of Rossini's lesser known operas.  Just don't expect the sunset!

© meche kroop