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.

© meche kroop

SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE

            Maestro Will Crutchfield and The Teatro Nuovo Cast and Orchestra

Last night's production of Gioacchino Rossini's comic masterpiece Il barbiere di Siviglia at Damrosch Park was a joy to behold and a night to remember. The New York City opera community has been starved for live opera for over 16 months (but who's counting?) and Maestro Will Crutchfield served up a tasty dish that was completely satisfying but also left us eager for the next meal.

There was something for every taste.  Those who appreciate scholarship had access to some extensive program notes online which we were glad to have read in advance. Readers who are of the same mind can find them here

 https://www.dropbox.com/s/j8glxrj6qhmcrc5/The%20Barber%20of%20Seville%20-%20Preview%20Program.pdf?dl=0#

It was fun to learn more about the background of the opera, some of which we knew and other facts that were new to us. We never knew, for example, how flexible the composition was in terms of numbers that were created by the singers themselves. We were also unaware of the relative absence of fach in Rossini's operas. 

We'd always been told what a departure it was for a soprano to take on the role of Rosina, written for a mezzo-soprano. Not so; categories had yet to be written in stone. Last night's Figaro, for example, was sung by bass Hans Tashjian--and very well sung we might add. We hadn't heard Mr. Tashjian since his multiple appearances with Dell'Arte Opera about seven or eight years ago and were delighted to witness the growth in his artistry.

Maestro Crutchfield devoted a great deal of time and effort in stripping the opera of years of accretions and, truth to tell, we didn't miss the shtick. Thankfully, in spite of a few judicious cuts (necessitated by consideration for the neighbors living around Lincoln Center), all of the scintillating melodies were there, melodies which are still spinning around in our head. Our feet were dancing their way down Broadway, thanks to Rossini's rhythmic gifts.

We can't help wondering where is today's Rossini. He or she is probably writing for Broadway, not for the opera house. We sometimes fail to remember that in the 19th c., opera was a popular art form, an entertainment; it was not about someone grinding a political axe.

Do we care if opera is "relevant"?   No we don't. Do we criticize the presence of stock characters and stereotypes?  We do not. Do we judge the opera for its sociocultural sensitivity? LOL.  We want to have a good time, and last night we did. Pardon our rant but we just had to go there!

As much as we encourage you to read Mr. Crutchfield's exegesis, one didn't need to know a thing about operatic history or scholarship to delight in the wacky story of Cesare Sterbini's libretto. The familiar 19th c. story of a possessive old goat and his subjugated ward has been turned on its head by Sterbini's creation of the subversively rebellious Rosina who outwits the old goat with the help of the wily Figaro, one of opera's most endearing characters.

The role of Rosina was sung by mezzo-soprano Hannah Ludwig who possesses  plenty of strength in the lower register and a brilliant upper register, well employed in a spate of highly original embellishments which, as we learned, Rossini encouraged his singers to devise, as did Maestro Crutchfield  We hope that Ms. Ludwig's artistic evolution involves knitting the two registers more seamlessly, since the decorations often served to highlight the lack of continuity.

The role of Count Almaviva was portrayed by tenor Nicholas Simpson whom we remember as a superb Charles II in Little Opera Theater of New York's production of Carlisle Floyd's Prince of Players and also as having risen above the world's worst production of Wagner's Tannhaüser in the title role. His bright clear tone was perfect for the role; we wanted, however, more clarity in the scale passages and fioritura.

Scott Purcell made a marvelous Doctor Bartolo with first rate singing and acting. The lecherous Doctor is not a likable character but in Mr. Purcell's hands he became a figure of sympathy.

Soprano Alina Tamborini came to our attention just 2 years ago, not only through Teatro Nuovo but also through Talents of the World Competition. We can never forget her performance of "Adele's Audition Aria" from Johann Strauss' Die Fledermaus. How happy we were to hear her again in the role of Berta to which she lent her crystal clear soprano and lovely phrasing.

Daniel Fridley made a fine Don Basilio; we just loved the scene in which the other characters tried to get rid of him. It occurred to us that this is a theme of this particular opera. In Act I, Almaviva tries to get rid of the noisy musicians. Later, Dr. Bartolo tries to get rid of Almaviva who is disguised as a drunken soldier.

Wil Kellerman made the most of his role as an officer, singing with clarity and acting with purpose and conviction.

Kyle Oliver was successful as Fiorello trying to control his boisterous band of musicians accompanying Almaviva's serenade.

With the shtick removed from the big arias, we were able to focus more on the beauty of the duets and the elaborate construction of the ensembles which Rossini used to bring each act to a climax-- leaving everyone exhausted.

The Teatro Nuovo Orchestra filled the plaza with a gorgeous carpet of sound. Maestro Crutchfield led from the cembalo, following the tradition of the early 19th c. First violinist Jakob Lehmann made significant contributions, as did Peter Ferretti who handled his contrabass as one of the characters in the drama.

We would hope to see Maestro Crutchfield "version" with sets and costumes some day, although we think the cast did a fine job of getting the drama across in what is called a "semi's staged" production. So delighted were we to hear live opera, we were in no frame of mind to attack the amplification; nonetheless, it did not exactly improve upon the singers' natural voices.

Furthermore, we were feeling rather tolerant of the titles projected behind the orchestra.  Lucy T. Yates and Maestro Crutchfield himself were given credit for the titles which rhymed but were not direct translations from the Italian. We dealt with it by ignoring them when we couldn't reconcile them.

Those were our only quibbles with an evening of delights, made even more delightful by sharing the experience in public with fellow opera lovers. We began by describing the opera as having something for everyone. Academics could enjoy the research that went into restoring the opera to something close to its origins. Neophytes could enjoy it for its good humor and tunefulness. Many might not have been aware of the cuts, the eliminations, or the original contributions. But everyone had a good time!

© meche kroop

STEALING MY HEART

Alisa Jordheim and Erik van Heyningen in Rossini's La Gazza Ladra
(Photo by Steven Pisano)

All it took to convert a cranky critic (thanks to insufferable heat and the MTA) into a smiling audience member was the overture to Rossini's opera semiseria La Gazza Ladra, so charmingly played by the conductorless Teatro Nuovo Orchestra. Beginning with an astonishing roll of the drums, the sparkling melodies tumbled out helter-skelter in an amazing variety of rhythms, time signatures, and tempi. The march let us know that someone was coming home from the army. The profusion of melody that followed made us wish that some of them could be lent to today's composers who seem unable to produce a single one of their own!

We were tickled to meet the titular character played by one Christopher Hochstuhl--a handsome bird indeed, dressed in a black cape with feathered collar, representing the thieving magpie himself. We have noticed this bird on various ski trips due to its vivid black and white markings but we never knew that it is known for its intelligence and is the only non-mammal that can recognize itself in the mirror.  But we digress.

We begin in the home of the Vingradito family. Pippo is organizing a welcome party for young Giannetto who is returning from military service. Especially excited is the servant Ninetta who is in love with him. His father Fabrizio is perfectly happy with the match but his mother Lucia is not.

In the pants role of Pippo, a family friend, we heard mezzo-soprano Hannah Ludwig who impressed us with the rich texture of her voice and her lively warm stage presence, not only in the opening scene but throughout the opera when she provides loving support for Ninetta.

Soprano Alisa Jordheim, who delighted us in the role of Serpetta in On Site Opera's production of Mozart's La Finta Gardiniera, impressed us again last night with her brilliant focused instrument, equally well deployed in the lyrical cavatina and in the coloratura passages of the cabaletta. She has a winning stage presence that makes you want to see her happy.

Baritone Rob McGinness sang well and was convincing as Fabrizio. His wife Lucia was brilliantly portrayed by mezzo-soprano Allison Gish, whom we have often reviewed in her work with New Camerata Opera, Cantanti Project, Dell'Arte Opera, and ARE Opera (now City Lyric Opera). We are not surprised that this excellent young singer is cast a lot; her voice is richly textured and her acting thoroughly convincing. We loved the change in vocal color at the end when she begins to care for her future daughter-in-law.

Tenor Oliver Sewell had the part of Giannetto, singing and acting with conviction. Each time we have reviewed him we have had the same thought. How much better he would sound if he stopped trying so hard. Even when the orchestra was silent he seemed to push for unnecessary volume, depriving his upper register of the spin and ping we'd like to hear. The promise is there but the work needs to be done to kick his performance up to a "10".

The plot is set into motion by the arrival of Ninetta's father Fernando, superbly sung by bass-baritone Erik van Heyningen. Mr. Heyningen has been on our radar since his apprenticeship at Santa Fe Opera. We think he has a great deal to offer! Fernando has deserted the army after an unfortunate incident with a superior officer.  He needs money with which to flee his fate and asks his daughter to sell some silver and leave the proceeds for him in a secret place. His initials on the silver are the same as those of Ninetta's boss and when Lucia notices some missing silver she accuses Ninetta of theft.

Ninetta has sold her father's silver to the peddler Isacco, well portrayed by tenor Spencer Viator, whose performance as Count Belfiore (in the same production in which we heard Ms. Jordheim) was recently reviewed. Isacco cannot come to Ninetta's defense because he has already sold the silver. Ninetta cannot defend herself without implicating her father; she remains silent.

There is an evil Podestà who has been trying for some time to win Ninetta's affection; his importuning has only alienated her. At this point he decides to press his advantage and get her to submit.  Another #metoo moment! The role was well portrayed by bass Hans Tashjian whom we have also reviewed a number of times. We seem to like him more and more with each performance. Of course, he always plays "the heavy" but such is the fate of basses.

Fernando risks his own life to come and support his daughter and things look pretty bad for both of them. Ninetta is convicted of theft and led to the gallows, accompanied by a funeral march that surely inspired Chopin, who was a big fan of Rossini (as are we).

Fortunately, the missing silver is discovered in the magpie's nest and Fernando has been pardoned by the King. Lucia now accepts her daughter-in-law to be, everyone is happy except for the Podestà, left to stew in his own remorse.

Aside from gorgeous arias (Ninetta and Giannetto each have a sweet cavatina) there are a number of stunning duets, not only between the lovers but between father and daughter. There was a trio in Act I involving Ninetta, Fernando, and Il Podestà in which the harmonies were so exquisite we got a bit teary-eyed. Father would risk his own life to save his daughter's honor!

Ninetta's prayer in Act II was another highlight, as was the septet at the end of Act I in which everyone is confused, just like in Rossini's comedies. It is no secret that Rossini stole from himself and all through the opera one can hear melodies from his other operas. Do we mind this? Absolutely not.

The only thing we minded, come to think of it, was the overly long scene in Act II which was so repetitive that we would have cut it by half at least. And one other cavil which also troubled us the previous night. The font of the surtitles made the words more difficult to read than they needed to be.

We sat on the other side of the theater than we had the prior night and got a better look at the arrangement of the orchestra, how they related to one another, and how maestro al cembalo Rachelle Jonck conducted. There was an exquisite solo on the baroque flute with some competition from the baroque oboe, both wooden and soft in tone.

Teatro Nuovo's second year has exceeded our expectations and we support Will Crutchfield's effort to restore bel canto opera to its original form. Count us fans!

(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