OUT OF THE CONCERT HALL AND INTO THE PARK

Sung Shin and Sara Jayne Blackmore in Washington Square Park

Opera Under the Arch of Washington Square Park is Sung Shin's baby; it's a year old and thriving. One would expect the Artistic Director to snag the best parts for himself but baritone Shin took a back seat and left us wanting to hear more of his marvelous baritone. He did appear in some duets which we will get to anon.

What a treat to be outdoors in lovely June weather listening to world class singers. It is difficult to say who enjoyed it more, the ever-growing crowd of listeners or the singers themselves. We were in seventh heaven and the "noobie" we brought has become a convert to opera because of the winning performances and the delightfully casual atmosphere of the event. We are not sure if we were the first to write about this event last year, but we won't be the last. The media has been quick to pick up the novelty of the experience, especially the part about singers standing on top of the piano!

Some of the singers are advanced students and others are starring in operas both in the USA and abroad. A special treat was hearing bass Hidenori Inoue tear into "Mentre goniersi l'anima parea" from Verdi's Attila. In this aria, Attila relates a discouraging dream he had about turning back and giving up. Mr. Inoue grabbed this aria by the throat and delivered a powerful performance. It is said that the bass is a late-maturing fach but this youthful artist truly showed a vocal maturity that would serve any bass role.

Also on hand was soprano Yvette Keong who sang Stephen Foster's "Beautiful Dreamer" with such tonal brilliance that we heard it afresh. We have always associated it with mezzo-soprano Marilyn Horne so this was an entirely new experience. This versatile young artist, as beautiful vocally as she is in appearance, was particularly convincing in "Quando m'en vo", Musetta's show stopper in Puccini's La Bohème. A gal has to be really gorgeous to get away with that one and she is!  More surprising was her lush delivery of Rachmaninoff's "Spring Waters" in excellent Russian.

A soprano of a totally different kind, Alaysha Fox shows great promise in the dramatic soprano fach. We recall her excellent Lady Macbeth and her stunning performance of Donna Elvira's aria "Or sai chi l'onore" from Mozart's Don Giovanni at the Metropolitan Opera National Council Finals. What a treat to hear her reprise that success up close and personal. Just as compelling was her performance of "Ernani involami" from Verdi's opera of the same name. We expect a lot of Ms. Fox!

Soprano Alexis Rose Seminario opened the evening with a beautiful delivery of "Depuis le jour" from Charpentier's seldom heard opera Louise and was joined by Mr. Sung for the charming duet from Reynaldo Hahn's operetta Ciboulette -- "Nous avons fait un beau voyage". The chemistry and the harmony worked well and the French was completely understandable; it was romantic and endearing as operetta should be.

Mr. Sung seemed to be ever ready to join his wonderful baritone with other artists. We do love duets and heard two of them from Donizetti's delightful comedy Don Pasquale.  He made a fine Dr. Malatesta with Sarah Jayne Blackmore as his Norina in "Pronto io son". We always love this duet as the wily doctor coaches the widow Norina in how to present herself as his convent bred sister.

Continuing as Dr. Malatesta, Mr. Shin conspired with John Brakatselos as a very funny Don Pasquale. The two baritones have very different qualities but both excelled at the rapidfire patter. Mr. Brakatselos has a deep baritone that seemed just right for Macbeth's lugubrious "Pietà, rispetto, amore". Showing his versatility, he performed "Italian Street Song" by our dearly beloved Victor Herbert, reminding us of our many delightful evenings with Victor Herbert Renaissance Project Live!

Soprano Nicoletta Julia Berry gave a touching performance of Gilda's falling-in- love aria "Caro Nome" from Verdi's Rigoletto, evincing a killer trill, a delicate diminuendo, and a perfect portamento--all the things we want in a coloratura aria.

Soprano Shelén Hughes sang a Bernstein song we'd never heard before from Wonderful Town--"A Little Bit in Love". The song starts out with humming and moves on to the almost speechless wonder of falling in love; we think we fell a little bit in love with Ms. Hughes! She also gave a charming performance of "Il bel sogno di Doretta" from Puccini's La Rondine.

Soprano Ripley Lucas-Tagliani invested "Frère! Voyez!" from Massenet's Werther with Sophie's enthusiastic innocence and lovely tonal quality. We noticed the same qualities in her "O mio babbino caro" from Puccini's Gianni Schicchi.

Saving our terrific tenor for last, Emmet Cahill almost moved us to tears with "Una furtiva lagrima" from Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore, sung when Nemorina realizes that Adina must really love him.  And we love him too! He also delighted us as the love-besotted Tony in "Maria" from Bernstein's West Side Story and the heartfelt audience-pleasing "Danny Boy".

What an evening!  A banquet of song, catered by master chef Sung Shin who surely has earned his first name. Accompanying all this marvelous singing on the piano was Eric Sedgwick, whose artistry we have long admired and written about, and Curtis Serafin who is new to us.

What an effective way to win a new audience for opera. There were all ages in attendance and the children were as spellbound as their parents. Opera is for everyone, not just the elite!  Spread the word folks!

(c) meche kroop

OPERA FOR THE PEOPLE

Sung Shin at Opera Under the Arch of Washington Square Park (photo by Ken Benson)

The ever-expanding crowd did not give up when Opera Under the Arch was delayed due to a prior event occupying their space.  New Yorkers know a good thing when they hear it, and the audience has been growing in this, the second year of Opera Under the Arch, a public festival organized by baritone Sung Shin.

Perhaps there were some tourists in the audience as well, and apparently everyone left satisfied by the exceptional performances, when the festival was obliged to move along at 10:00 by some complaining neighbors. Who could possibly object to such gorgeous music on a warm summer night!

The musical values were of the highest order and the audience was unusually attentive.  Yes, cell phones were out but only to take photographs. No one was texting or talking. The selections were wisely chosen from among the most popular opera standards, reminding us that in the 19th c. opera was a popular art form, not "highbrow culture". How good it felt to see people having a good time!

Baritone Sung Shin chooses his singers and collaborative pianists wisely. At the keyboard we had composer/ pianist Hohyeon Kyung and Andrew King. Sopranos included Show Yang, Yvette Keong, Natalie Eccleston, Sara Jayne Blackmore, and Isabel Vigliotti; mezzo-sopranos included Jordyn Goldstein and Lu Liu; the two tenors were Joseph Tancredi and Omar Bowey; baritone roles were performed by Sung Shin himself; our notable bass was Hidenori Inoue. We have reviewed them all and have only good things to say about them.

The program opened with "Dôme épais" from Léo Délibes' Lakme, an audience pleaser if ever there was one. Ms. Yang's crystalline soprano was joined by Ms. Goldstein's well-matched mezzo in that soaring melody we so love.

The aptly named Mr. Tancredi did a swell job as the Duke in "Questa o quella" from Verdi's Rigoletto, showing us everything we needed to know about the fickle Duke. Mr. Tancredi has a fine set of pipes and Italianate phrasing. His voice is perfumed with garlic!  Later in the evening we got another look at the licentious Duke when Mr. Bowey performed "La donna e mobile".

Ms. Yang returned for Blondchen's aria "Durch Zärtlichkeit und Schmeilchen" from Mozart's Die Entführung aus dem Serail, showing as much facility with German as she exhibited in the French.

Ms. Keong wowed us with her bel canto technique in Norina's aria "Quel guardo il cavaliere" from Donizetti's Don Pasquale. Later we heard Mr. Shin and Mr. Inoue exhibiting wonderful comedic chops in the very funny "Cheti cheti immantinente" in which neither one was daunted by the rapid-fire patter. 

From Mozart's La Clemenza di Tito, we enjoyed the duet "Ah perdona al primo affetto", performed by Ms. Vigliotti as Servilia and Ms. Goldstein as Annio.

Sara Jayne Blackmore captured all the excitement of the innocent Juliet in "Je veux vivre" from Gounod's Roméo et Juliette and the audience responded with wild applause.

Response was similarly enthusiastic for Ms. Eccleston's winsome performance of Adele's Laughing Song "Mein Herr Marquis" from Johann Strauss' Die Fledermaus. Her voice was bright and the trill delicious.

Mr. Sung delighted us with "The Impossible Dream" from the 1965 Broadway musical Man of La Mancha composed by Mitch Leigh with lyrics by Joe Darion. This sounded more operatic than some of the contemporary operas we've heard in the past few years, especially the way Mr. Sung sang it.

The audience went wild for Mr. Inoue's performance of "Le veau d'or" from Gounod's Faust. A small dog in the audience joined in for some canine tenor input and Mr. Inoue broke the surrounding fourth wall and interacted with the audience. He certainly made Lucifer fun and accessible!

Délibes showed up again in an aria from Les Filles de Cadix that we have never heard before. Ms. Vigliotti's sensational performance made us want to hear the entire opera with its Spanish inflected score. She ended with a crystal-breaking high note.

We have heard "Una voce poco fa" from Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia many times this month and always enjoy seeing what a different singer can do with it. Ms. Liu's marvelous mezzo, personal charm, and artistry with embellishments brought something new to the aria, as we had hoped it would.

What a win-win situation! Greenwich Villagers had another evening of priceless entertainment and the talented young singers got to do what they love doing. There was so much enthusiasm and responsiveness on both sides, especially toward the end when the audience was encouraged to close in around the piano. We were all moved by the spirit of community and that is one of the great features of good music!

Watch our page on Facebook (Voce di Meche) for information on the next installment of Opera Under the Arch--most likely in July.

(c) meche kroop

ONCE UPON A TIME

Erin Brittain, Tim Murray, Oliver Sewell, Madison Marie McIntosh, Hidenori Inoue, and Alanna Fraize

Once upon a time our parents read us the softened version of Cinderella, cleaned up so as not to frighten small children; you know, the Disneyfied version.  Since then we have read the original violent and scary versions by Charles Perrault and Wilhelm Grimm.  We do not know which version librettist Jacopo Ferretti adapted but he wrote the libretto in three weeks, replacing the wicked step-mother with an abusive step-father and the fairy godmother with the kindly tutor Alidoro. Similarly, the glass slipper was replaced by a bracelet. It is believed that the circumstances of production in 1817 did not allow for elaborate magical effects.

Nonetheless, there are elaborate magical effects in the music, created by Gioacchino Rossini in barely more than three weeks! That guy could sure work under pressure.  He was but 25 years old and already had Il Barbiere di Siviglia under his belt.

Last night we witnessed some rather magical effects produced by a fledgling opera company whose future success we anticipate with all the enthusiasm engendered by the creativity we observed. General Director Kathleen Spencer and Artistic Director Megan Gillis share a common mission--to make opera intimate and accessible to one and all, so that the audience can feel a part of the opera. Thus they created ARE Opera--for you, for us, for the singers, for everyone.

Readers will recall how greatly we favor experiences that are up close and personal. Gone are the days when we peered through binoculars trying to figure out who was singing that beautiful vocal line in the midst of overwhelming and cinematic sets. We prefer to feel a part of the action, to feel like we know the characters and understand them. This does not require the huge voices that one hears at The Metropolitan Opera but gives young artists an opportunity to learn a role early in their artistic career and to share in the intimacy with the audience. In complementary fashion, we get to share an intimacy with them as well.

The cast we heard last night was exemplary with many of them graduates of Manhattan School of Music and thus well remembered by us from student productions over the past few years. We appreciated their fine performances then and now we can appreciate their artistic growth.

In the lead role, we heard Madison Marie McIntosh, about whom we have written many many times as she has pursued her artistic journey. At first we were not sure that transitioning from the soprano to the mezzo-soprano fach was such a good idea but every time we hear her we realize that she is a singer who knows her own potential and is fulfilling her mission. Rossini wrote this role for a contralto but there is nothing MMM cannot do well. With no loss to her scintillating upper register and flexibility in the coloratura passages, there is a new depth and breadth at the bottom of the register.

Along with this very special combination of skills comes an impressive dramatic ability.  Her Angelina was much put-upon by Clorinda and Tisbe but she showed an inner strength and defiance in "Una volta c'era un re". In spite of the innocence and humility, one realizes that this character, like the singer, will achieve much. When she reprises this aria in the second act, Ms. McIntosh colored it differently--as a happy woman in love.

As her Prince Charming Don Ramiro, Oliver Sewell produced the kind of tenor voice that we love to hear--pure with a lovely vibrato. The tenor aria in Act II "Si, ritrovarla, io juro" is incredibly difficult and Mr. Sewell negotiated it well. His "9" will be a "10" when he learns to float the money note in the cabaletta. (In this production there is no chorus to hide any flaws.) His chemistry with Ms. McIntosh worked well to the advantage of both of them and their duet was sensational.

Baritone Tim Murray made a fine Dandini, the Prince's valet; he enjoyed being Prince for a Day and enjoyed exposing the unpleasant grasping characters of Angelina's step-family.  He sang with a fluent pleasing baritone and his fine acting added a great deal to the performance.

Bass Hidenori Inoue made a magnificent Don Magnifico, the threatening step-father. His deeply resonant instrument filled the room with sound and his acting was flawless. One can hate the character and love the singer! Just watch him abusing Angelina, encouraging his own daughters, ingratiating himself to Dandini (who is disguised as the Prince), showing false humility on his knees, and trying to make it up to his daughter when he realizes she will marry the Prince. In this wide range of emotion and behavior, there was not a false note, not vocally, not dramatically.

Another bass, Brett Vogel, was just fine as the Prince's tutor Alidoro.  He is obliged to approach Don Magnifico's home as a beggar, putting the two step-sisters to the kindness test, which they fail. Later, he casts off his disguise and brings Angelina to the ball. His character always evokes our sympathy.

And now we get to the two step-sisters. Soprano Erin Brittain as Tisbe, and mezzo-soprano Alanna Fraize as Clorinda. Again, we love the singers and laugh at the characters--two silly, vain, and spoiled girls. Both performers have lovely voices but it is the facial expressions and gestures that we remember best; caricatures of disagreeable people can be very funny and provided a fine balance with Angelina's sweetness.

Rossini's music always sparkles and everyone in the cast got a chance to shine--but it is the ensemble writing which never fails to impress us. The arrangement of the playing space allowed physical separation of the singers such that we experienced the ensembles stereophonically. That was a new and exciting experience.

Maestro Jonathan Heaney conducted with verve; he just coached and played for Mr. Inoue's graduation recital at Manhattan School of Music which we so enjoyed. Andrew Sun played the piano score so effectively that we didn't miss the orchestra.

Stage Director Claire Sparks was most effective in telling the story. Although the space had a stage, most of the action took place in the center of the large room with audience members facing each other across the performance area.  This gave the cast plenty of room to move around; it was a highly kinetic performance. Simple props included a table and chairs, a bench, and a large trunk.  Nothing more was necessary.

Costuming was simple, as befits a shoestring company. Vast quantities of tulle were utilized to create costumes both romantic and silly. Even the make-up was on point.

This company will not remain at the shoestring level; we are sure of it. There are exciting plans for the future, including a double bill comprising Puccini's Gianni Schicchi and....a surprise.  This is opera for the entire family--sufficient in musical values to please experienced opera goers and accessible enough for "newbies" and children.

The only improvement we could offer would be to show the titles on the opposing walls. Having them at one end of the room obliged audience members to choose between the action and the titles. Fortunately, even a modest knowledge of Italian would serve because the acting was so illustrative. Italian diction was flawless.

There will be two performances remaining. The cast will remain the same except for Ms. McIntosh who will sing at the late matinee on Sunday.  Since it is Mother's Day, consider treating your mother or surrogate mother to two hours of enlivening entertainment that seems to fly by within an hour.  Just hearing Ms. McIntosh's "Non piu mesta" at the end will melt her heart!

(c) meche kroop

HIDENORI INOUE RECITAL

Jonathan Heaney, Seok Jong Baek, and Hidenori Inoue

A Masters Degree recital marks the commencement of a singer's career, but, as often as not, the singer has already begun singing roles in small companies.  Such is the case with bass Hidenori Inoue whom we have heard and admired on a few occasions. His performance as the eponymous hero of Donizetti's Don Pasquale was a revelation and we later enjoyed his appearance with New Amsterdam Opera as Leonora's father in Verdi's Forza del Destino. And we will soon be hearing his Don Magnifico in Rossini's Cenerentola with A.R.E. Opera.  That's quite a range of roles!

Yesterday's recital at Manhattan School of Music was his first foray into lieder which thus demonstrated his versatility as an artist. Basses have a long "shelf life" as does Mr. Inoue's teacher James Morris. So it makes sense to try everything whilst one is young. The problem with lieder recitals for the basso fach is that most of the songs are dark in color and it is difficult to establish variety.

The three songs by Schubert that opened the program are a case in point--they are all grim. Jonathan Heaney's piano established the mood in the introduction to "Der Tod und das Madchen" and we would have enjoyed a more tender color from the maiden than we heard from "Death". We enjoyed the eerie tone and anguish of "Der Doppelganger" and found the German to be quite good. Overall we like the quality of Mr. Inoue's instrument and the appealing vibrato. And he has plenty of strength at the lower end of the register.

It was evident in the three songs by Henri Duparc than Mr. Inoue can sing with a more tender color, as he did in "Phidyle". It was also clear that he knew what he was singing about and we saw les abeilles and les oiseaux through his eyes. "Extase" was lovely but "La Vague et la Cloche" took us right back to "grim" with its disturbing nightmare.

After intermission, Mr. Inoue was back on more familiar territory. He is a natural on the opera stage and gave a superb performance of Fiesco's aria from Verdi's Simon Boccanegra. Although Fiesco is an enemy of the hero, Verdi's music and Mr. Inoue's performance stimulated our sympathy for the character who has just lost his daughter. He is filled with grief which he transmutes into anger at Boccanegra and at the Virgin. We enjoyed it so much that we were moved to listen to several of the great basses singing the same aria--Cesare Siepi, James Morris, and Nicolai Ghiaurov. Mr. Inoue can be proud of his performance!

Four songs by Aaron Copland were well handled and injected some variety into the program. "The Little Horses" has rhythmic variety and some notes at the top of the basso range which the artist handled well. His English is sung with only the slightest accent which didn't interfere with our understanding of the text. We particularly liked the lively and spirited reading he gave to "Ching-A-Ring Chaw".

The program closed with the marvelous duet from Bellini's I Puritani which we recently saw at The Metropolitan Opera.
We have heard the rousing "Suoni la tromba" often at award recitals because it it a stunning showpiece for baritone and bass. In this case the baritone was Seok Jong Baek, whom we always enjoy. The two artists shared a beautiful blending of tones.

Although Mr. Inoue's upcoming schedule will take him to Maine and to Oklahoma, we suggest you catch his upcoming performance in the afore-mentioned Cenerentola. We believe he is destined for great success and you will be able to say "I heard him when...".

(c) meche kroop

LA FORZA!

Errin Brooks and Kelly Griffin in New Amsterdam Opera's production of La Forza del Destino

How long we have yearned to hear Verdi's La Forza del Destino! Is it rarely performed because the roles are difficult to cast? Or does it have something to do with the superstition that surrounds it, much like Shakespeare's so-called "Scottish play" the name of which actors are reluctant to pronounce. We are happy to report that New Amsterdam Opera succeeded without any mishaps of which we are aware. The audience filled The Riverside Theatre and the applause was thunderous.

Artistic Director Keith Chambers conducted a pick-up orchestra which he pulled together quite well with only a few rough patches that were easy to overlook. But we could not overlook the fortuitous "flutery" of Rosa Jang and the happy "harpery"of Melanie Genin. Both were outstanding in their contributions. The overture is a masterpiece with one memorable theme following another. The initial "fate" theme is propulsive and highly rhythmic. Then along comes a sorrowful one, a lyrical one, a heraldic one, and a playful one. Although the 1869 opera is rarely performed, the overture is a concert staple.

New Amsterdam Opera aims to give young singers the opportunity to perform a role before a live audience in concert version. When one hears young singers eight nights a week one gets to recall quite a bit about them and to form a well-rounded picture of where their strengths and weaknesses lay and how they are growing.

For example, Kelly Griffin, the dramatic soprano who sang Leonora was possibly one of Daniel Cardona's "discoveries" about 3 years ago when she bowled us over with....(you guessed it, didn't you?)..."Pace, pace mio Dio". We heard her sing it again a few months ago; she has grown into the entire role and performed it with passion and intensity, well served by her generous instrument, which has an agreeable vibrato.

Her lover Don Alvaro was sung by Errin Brooks whose sizable tenor won him the Wagnerian prize from the George London Foundation. This is one of those huge voices that will take awhile to bring under control and fulfill its promise. In Act I, although we could understand every word of his Italian, he sang the line unmusically, as if it were English. As the evening progressed he did remember his legato and needed only to lighten up. He tends to emphasize volume and thereby squelches the overtones we want to appreciate in the tenor instrument. He would do well to bring his voice forward and to avoid pushing.

We loved the performance of mezzo-soprano Janara Kellerman as the gypsy Preziosilla. We have previously enjoyed her as Santuzza. This is an artist who throws herself into a role and clearly enjoys herself, seeming effortlessly.  Her "Rataplan" was a delightfully light moment in a heavy opera; she is urging the Spaniards to throw off the Austrian yoke. How Verdi must have loved that theme!

Leonora's brother Don Carlo was excellently sung by the polished Verdi baritone Stephen Gaertner whom we last heard at Lauren Flanigan's Comfort Ye recital. His duets with Mr. Brooks' were highlights of the evening. He was out to kill Don Alvaro but, unwittingly the two men became military buddies until their true identities were discovered.  Uh-oh!

Leonora's father the Marquis was sung by bass Hidenori Inoue whom we greatly enjoyed as Don Pasquale at The Manhattan School of Music this season.  His character got killed off in Act I and we were sorry not to hear any more of him! But we will surely hear a lot more of him in the future, since his bass is fully mature and ready for so many roles, needing only costuming and makeup to age him. 

We also liked Stefan Szkafarowsky, the bass cast as Padre Guardiano, the abbot of the monastery that gives Leonora a secret dwelling to hide from the cruel world. He sang his role with a nice legato and secure presence. The irritable Fra Melitone was sung by bass-baritone Daniel Klein whose over-the-top acting impressed us more than his grainy voice. It is rare for a singer to show so much acting chops in a concert performance!

Veteran tenor Robert Brubaker sang the role of Trabuco.  How well we remember his performance as Anna Nicole's husband in the opera of the same name, and his performance as Herod in Salome at the Santa Fe Opera.

Mezzo-soprano Melissa Serluco appeared briefly as Leonora's maid. We enjoyed her performance not too long ago as Dorothee, one of Cinderella's step-sisters in the Utopia Opera production of Massenet's Cendrillon.

And finally, we were introduced to a new voice, lyric baritone Wil Kellerman who nicely filled the roles of the Alcade (Mayor) and that of the surgeon who decides that the hero will survive his injuries.  We hope to hear more of him.

And we hope that some opera company in NYC will decide to produce this outstanding opera in a full production.  Hint, hint!

(c) meche kroop

OLD MEN NEED LOVE TOO

Cast of Don Pasquale at Manhattan School of Music

Although it is reasonably well accepted in our culture that old men can marry trophy wives, especially if they have ample financial assets, society was rather cruel to such men in the 19th c. Donizetti's comic opera Don Pasquale boasts as its theme the humiliation of just such a fellow at the hands of his rebellious and disinherited nephew and his very own doctor, who play on him a very dirty trick.

The part of the eponymous hero must evoke humor but also sympathy and yesterday, at Manhattan School of Music, Thomas Muraco--conductor and coach--led an ensemble production that admirably realized the spirit of the piece.

Gaetano Donizetti composed this comic masterpiece toward the end of his life and it was his last major success.  Due to the ravages of syphilis, his health declined and he would be dead within five years from the 1843 premiere in Paris. Although the libretto is attributed to Giovanni Ruffini, it is widely believed that Donizetti's contributions were so insistent that Ruffini removed his name from the score.

What is important about this fact is the enormous humanity with which the characters are invested. They derive from the stock characters of the commedia del'arte but are far more well-rounded. Don Pasquale derives from Pantalone the foolish old man (as did Don Bartolo in Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia). 

It was a triumph of acting and singing that Hidenori Inoue, who is nothing if not young and handsome, was able to convince as the titular character. He submerged himself in the performance and sang with a rich, full, and mature bass that hints at a wonderful future in this fach. His mastery of "patter" was exceptional. Alongside his foolish attempt to get even with his rebellious nephew was a generosity of spirit which readily forgave his tormentors. Still, we loved his rage aria "Aspetta, aspect, cara sposina".

Dottore Malatesta derives from the wily character Scapino in commedia del'arte, similar to Figaro in Il Barbiere di Siviglia.  Justin Austin's interpretation was filled with the sparkle of fun. Not just shaming his patient, he was also trying to help the young lovers Ernesto and Norina. He forged a complicated plan, setting up a sham marriage with his convent-bred "sister" Sofronia who would appear to be modest and shy and then, after the marriage, reveal herself to be nasty, greedy and controlling. (Was Donizetti commenting on wives in general???)

Mr. Austin has a lovely warm instrument and fine phrasing, as well as highly developed comic instincts. He too handled the "patter" remarkably well and had a fine duet with Mr. Inoue. We especially enjoyed his "Bella siccome un angelo".

In an interesting coincidence, the role of "Sofronia" his sister was played by his wife Amanda Austin. (The two of them met studying voice at Manhattan School of Music. Sometimes truth is better, if not stranger, than fiction.)  Ms. Austin made a superlative Norina, representing the willful Columbina character of commedia del'arte--much like Rosina in Il Barbiere di Siviglia.

She has a luminous presence and an impressive facility in the bel canto style with a memorable trill in her satchel of skills. Donizetti asks her to slap Don Pasquale as part of her making "Sofronia" detestable and this is the point in the opera where one feels pity for the object of everyone's deceit.

Ernesto is the lovesick nephew--analogous to the Pierrot character of commedia del'arte --and Timothy Lanigan sang with a fine lyric tenor that opened up beautifully by Act II. By the time he met up with Norina in the garden in Act III, the "Com'e gentil" could melt anyone's heart. His serenade was accompanied by a pair of guitars perfectly plucked by Diego Fernandez Arraya and Joseph Douglass.

At this point we must mention the well-rehearsed chorus whose collective diction made sure that not a syllable was lost.  One rarely hears an operatic chorus this lucid. Stefano Baldasseroni was the Italian Diction Coach and can take much of the credit, since everyone's Italian was perfect.

Yonghyun Kim added to the fun as the false notary called to record the sham marriage.

The orchestral score was reduced for two pianos by Mr. Muraco and the pianists themselves.  We heard Jiwon Byun and Jia Jun Hong. We never missed the orchestra and could even hear threads of voices that can get lost in the carpet of orchestral sound.

The overture was particularly well done with melodies anticipating what one would subsequently hear. The trumpet solo was happily preserved and well played by Imani Duhe.

As is always the case with Mr. Muraco's Opera Repertoire Ensemble, the audience is assured of a good time and the cast appears to have mastered a true ensemble feel and superb stagecraft, witness the well-balanced duets, trios and ensembles.

Had we been free, we would very much have wanted to hear the cast Friday night.  Alas, we were not free but they were probably just as excellent.

Settings were minimal and costuming was contemporary. Nothing more was needed

© meche kroop