DINA PRUZHANSKY

Claire Kuttler, Edward Pleasant, Inbar Goldmann, and Pavel Suliandziga

Just as there is an abundance of vocal talent in New York City--talent that merits our attention--there are also compositional talents lurking among the faculty of our conservatories--talents deserving more recognition than they receive. A case in point is Dina Pruzhansky, a gifted and versatile young composer whose name may not yet be on everyone's lips--but one who has achieved recognition from her peers and multiple awards. This situation is about to change when her Suite for Piano, Strings, and Percussion will premiere at Carnegie Hall next March 3rd. We expect that will bring her to the attention of the music loving public.

Yesterday we had an opportunity to witness her versatility. We heard quite a variety of music, from music theater to opera, at the 92nd St. Y.  Bringing her works to life were soprano Claire Kuttler, mezzo-soprano Inbar Goldmann, tenor Pavel Suliandziga, baritone Edward Pleasant, and cellist Tyler James.

The "lightest" selections were from Central Park: The Musical and we particularly enjoyed "Observation", a jazzy setting of a pithy verse by Dorothy Parker that surprised us, in light of the fact that it was written for children!

The most "academic" work was On Love and Land, the texts of which comprised letters written over several decades by a woman to her husband. Although we liked the instrumental writing and Ms. Kuttler's dramatic presentation, we find settings of prose to be rather tedious and unmelodic, with the exception of the final song "When Orange Blossoms are in Bloom". There was a nice interplay between piano and cello.

Not to worry, dear reader, because there was plenty of material that we enjoyed a great deal. A worthy librettist was found in Ethan Kanfer for a musical called The Promotion, based on the 1977 film Office Romance. The lyrics were clever and fit the music hand in glove. Mr. Pleasant brought out the rhythm of the words and music in "Get Yourself a Slice". Even better was "Don't Say a Word" in which the ensemble played a musical version of the telephone game, passing along gossip about a letter that was meant to be private. We were glad it was shared!

Ms. Pruzhansky was born in Russia and still retains a feel for Russian artistry. We loved her Four Vocal Miniatures (after the poetry of Aleksandr Blok) which rhymed and scanned, bringing forth lovely melodies in the mode that is so typically Russian. Ms. Kuttler delivered the first miniature "Her Songs" which was seductive. Mr. Suliandziga (who could enthrall us by singing an IRS document) sang the next three. "The Red Moon at the White Night" had a haunting melody and some lovely rippling piano figures.

With Ms. Pruzhansky's successful 2014 opera Shulamit, she paid hommage to her Israeli upbringing. Ms. Goldmann (whom we have heard before singing in Hebrew) was lovely in the heroine's lament when she is chosen for King Solomon's harem; we heard some affecting melismatic singing. Our favorite was the wedding song for Shulamit and the shepherd she loved "Ma Yau Dodaych"', beautifully sung by Ms. Goldmann in duet with Mr. Suliandziga.

Mr. Suliandiziga delighted us with "You are Youthful Like Never Before", the setting of a text by Peretz Markish which was translated from Yiddish into Russian by Anna Akhmatova. There was ample variety in the dynamics.

Hearing such a variety of styles in one all-too-brief concert served to illuminate Ms. Pruzhansky's versatility and also to reaffirm our opinion that prose does not stimulate vocal melody. We are looking forward to hearing more of this composer's music and feel quite sure that her name will soon be on everyone's lips.

We would like to mention that she is not solely a composer but an educator and superb collaborative pianist; it was a treat to hear her play her own music. 

© meche kroop

I'M DREAMING OF.....

Laetitia Ruccolo, Kirsten Scott, Eugenia Forteza, and Matthan Black

This was not your typical Christmas concert. It was more like an intimate gathering of friends. The salon setting in Williamsburg was comfortable and spacious. The material that was chosen seemed to be of a personal interest to the artists--songs remembered from childhood, songs popular in their country of birth, songs they loved.

Mezzo-soprano Kirsten Scott (Co-Founder of Bare Opera, along with Maître de Chant Laetitia Ruccolo) led off the evening's program with Martin and Blane's "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas". This is a song we've heard so often that it has bored us silly.  But-- big but-- Ms. Scott made it new and fresh. We don't think we've ever enjoyed it as much, Ms. Scott having revealed more feeling than we've ever observed--and without a whiff off "cross-over" condescension.

The versatile Ms. Scott gave a stirring rendition of "Chacun à son goût" from Johann Strauss II's. Die Fledermaus. We believe the first time we heard her perform this was a few years ago with Martina Arroyo's Prelude to Performance. We enjoyed it so much we hope that she keeps it as an encore piece.  We loved the way she wandered among the guests and engaged them, truly immersing herself in the part of Prince Orlovsky.

Soprano Claire de Monteil, who is new to us, thrilled us with a truly Gallic "La Vie en Rose". She is the recipient of an award from Opera Index and we hope to hear her gorgeous voice at  the gala in January.

She also performed along with baritone Sungwook Kim in Adolphe Adam's "O Holy Night" creating a spiritual mood in direct contrast with Prince Orlovsky's party song.  We heard verses sung in the original French (our favorite), in Korean, and in well enunciated English. When we heard the phrase "the weary world" it truly resonated with us.

Mr. Kim also gave us an excellent "Every Valley" from Händel's Messiah with a very spirited accompaniment from Ms. Ruccolo on the keyboard. Every word was clear, a situation we never take for granted. He showed off a flexible instrument and a truly excellent trill.

Mezzo-soprano Inbar Goldmann delighted us with a Hebrew song about miracles and struggles called "Shivchi Maoz" in celebration of Hannukah, showing a lot of strength in her lower register.

 Although the Sephardic tradition is not her own, you never would have guessed it from her charming performance of "Ocho Kandelikas" in Ladino, the language of Spanish Jews. We could actually understand the words! Her performance of "Avraham Avinu" got the audience clapping and stamping their feet. What we liked the best was the Andalus mode in the accompaniment.

She also sang "A Piece of Sky" from Michel Legrand's Yentl.

Soprano Eugenia Forteza contributed songs from her homeland of Argentina, where, we learned, the dialect of Spanish is Castellano, pronounced in the typical Argentinian fashion with  "j" sound for the "ll", instead of the "y" sound.

We enjoyed Guastavino's "Hermano", a song about community, and a delightful childhood song "Caballito Criollo", both delivered with beautiful tone, sazon, and a fine vibrato.

Matthan Black accompanied himself on guitar for "I'll Be Home for Christmas". Mr. Black comes from Arkansas where people gather together and make music. We like the little riff of "Jingle Bells" he inserted toward the end.

Irving Berlin's "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas" was performed in three part harmony by Ms. Scott, Ms. Forteza, and Mr. Black, sounding as fine as we've ever heard it sung.

The entertainment part of the evening concluded with a rousing "Libiamo" from Verdi's La Traviata which definitely put us in a celebratory mood.

Lately we have been realizing the unique pleasures of song salons given in casual environments.  We listened, we drank wine, we ate cookies.  We walked out onto the rainy streets of Williamsburg completely satisfied.  Thanks Bare Opera!

(c) meche kroop

BARE, NOT BARE

Cast of Bare Opera's scintillating production of Mozart's Die Zauberflote

Under the directorship of Min Lew, Bare Opera has assumed an important position within the New York opera scene. We'd call it a case of truth in advertising when an institution fulfills its objectives.  Buzz words like "alternative", "minimalist", "immersive", "intimate", and "visceral" can be tossed around as a cover for "cheap" but Bare Opera lives up to its mission so effectively that we would follow them anywhere, even to a walk-up loft, hard by the toxic Gowanus Canal.  If we were not otherwise engaged we would return for the performances tonight and tomorrow night. That's how highly we esteem their production of Mozart's Magic Flute!

It is a fine thing to strip an old warhorse of its cliches, as long as you preserve the spirit of the piece and the glorious music. To fill the work with superlative musical values and a sense of intimacy compensates for the lack of imposing sets and a huge chorus. As a matter of fact, it is just that ponderous group of Sarastro acolytes that has bored us in the past. By contrast, last night's production of Mozart's Die Zauberflote felt fresh and original.  The only thing that was bare was the stage, furnished only with a couple of benches.

The original twist that occurred at the end seemed so right and organic! But we do not want to spoil the surprise for you since you, dear reader, will feel compelled to beg, borrow, or steal a ticket by the time you finish reading!

Under the baton of Maestro Teddy Poll, the 9-person chamber orchestra captured all of Wolfie's wonderful tunes with Music Director Laetitia Ruccolo as pianist. Special mention is due flutist Mira Magrill.

The singers were exceptional, most of them having been on our radar for some time. The stunning soprano Larisa Martinez enchanted us as the Princess Pamina. Her voice--velvety with a steel core--perfectly portrayed the character who moves from helplessness to self-determination. She was remarkably moving in "Ach, ich fuhl's".

Her Prince Tamino was performed by the promising tenor Andrew Zimmerman who has a lovely pianissimo; he created a believable modern day prince, searching for what is good, truthful, and right.  A delightful twist was having Pamina secretly witnessing his viewing of her photo and deciding that she was the right one for him. He delivered a lovely "Dies Bildnis ist bezaubernd schon". We of the audience were just as enchanted by his singing as he was over the photo.

As the formidable Queen of the Night, soprano Yungee Rhie fearlessly tacked both very difficult arias, letting loose a volley of vocal fireworks; she managed to bridge the inconsistencies of being a caring mother and trying to get her daughter to commit murder.

Baritone Suchan Kim made a marvelously engaging Papageno with his mellow voice and humorous manner. He made a fine representation of "Everyman". We loved the moment when his intended bride Papagena (Breana Stillman) ripped off her old lady mask; he had quite a reaction. Their duet was adorable.

The three ladies were exceptional--Liana Guberman, Kirsten Scott (also serving as Artistic Director of Bare Opera), and Inbar Goldmann. The scene in which they fight over the unconscious Tamino is always one of our favorites and we can't say we have ever heard it sung better or acted more humorously. What exquisite harmonies!

As Monostatos, tenor Francisco Corredor turned in his typically terrific performances as he threatened poor Pamino with unwanted sexual overtures. When caught he was on his knees begging for mercy from Sarastro, sung by the sturdy bass Do Jin Jung.

More beautiful harmonies were heard from the three helpful spirits--Sacha Bloch, Grace Mosley, and Alexandra Miller.

Sarastro's armored men were well played by Colin Whiteman and David Charles Tay.

Singing was done in practically perfect German and we didn't miss a word. Dialogue was spoken in English which was mostly understandable but presented a challenge for those whose native language is not English.

Justin Griffith Brown's stage direction was effective. Seats were set up along two adjacent sides of the square room of the Gowanus Loft, giving the audience good sight lines and leaving plenty of room for the performers to interact. Being up close and personal made a major difference in our connection with the characters, our perception of the opera, and its philosophical underpinnings.

In place of imposing sets, we had the evocative lighting of Anthony Tornambene which made use of color washes on the two walls, which did a great job of setting the mood of the scene.

Isa Rodrigues' costumes were contemporary, simple, and relevant. Pamina was dressed in a long white dress which emphasized her purity. Tamino was in normal street attire. Sarastro wore all white to emphasize his spiritual orientation. Monostatos wore a raincoat, lending a reference to sexual deviancy. The Three Ladies sported otherworldly face paint. The Three Spirits wore pinwheel caps and clown makeup. The armored men wore angularly sculpted masks.

Mozart wrote this "singspiel" in 1791, shortly before his death. The libretto was written by his friend Emanuel Schikaneder, apparently influenced by the philosophy of The Enlightenment and by Masonic symbolism. It became an instant success and no one seemed to mind the rampant sexism. Mr. Brown's direction included a twist that we enjoyed which put the work squarely in the 21st c.  The work has always lent itself to directorial innovations, not always successfully.  We suspect that if Wolfie himself had been present last night he would have joined in the thunderous approbation given by the audience.

We might add that the audience was far younger than that which we customarily see at the opera. If anyone wants to know how to make opera relevant to millenials, pay attention! Clear away the cliches, say something relevant, and cast young up-and-coming singers. That Bare Opera keeps ticket prices affordable for young folks implies that support must come from those that care about opera's survival. www.bareopera.org/donate!

(c) meche kroop

BARE SHARES

Sean Christensen, Colin Whiteman, Kristina Bachrach, Kirsten Scott, and Inbar Goldmann

It was a night of sharing. The Lyric Chamber Music Society of New York and Bare Opera Company joined forces and audiences to present a compelling evening of arias at the beautiful Kosciuszko Foundation townhouse on the Upper East Side. The singers shared their gifts and the audience shared their applause. And at the conclusion, artists and audience shared a lovely repast.

Bare Opera is barely two years old and we've written about them several times. They present innovative versions of operas in unusual venues. A new audience is drawn by the quality of their work, the intimacy of the productions, and the artistry of their singers. Music Director Laetitia Ruccolo was one of the founders and did an exemplary job of accompanying the singers.

Most of their regular singers are known to us and highly valued. Lest we show favoritism, let us describe the program in sequence. Almost the entire ensemble was introduced in the lively "Bevo al tuo fresco sorriso" from Puccini's La Rondine.

"Aprite, presto aprite" from Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro gave soprano Kristina Bachrach's Susanna the opportunity to chase Kirsten Scott's Cherubino around the playing area, to the audience's amusement. This is a wonderful scene to introduce newbies to the opera and we suspect there were a few newbies in the audience.

Star soprano Larisa Martinez performed the soulful "La Maja y el Ruisenor" whilst Ms. Ruccolo provided plenty of Latin flavor from the piano. It was indeed a chorus of nightingales, one vocal and one instrumental.

Ms. Scott returned as the bratty boy of Maurice Ravel's L'enfant et les Sortileges, which was Bare Opera's first production. The superb lyric tenor Sean Christensen portrayed the Chinese Teapot with mezzo Inbar Goldmann reprising her role as the Chinese Teacup; they were very funny. Kristina Bachrach also reprised her role as the forlorn Princesse who confronts that bad boy with the consequences of his bad behavior.

Tenor Sungwook Kim sang the well known "Una furtiva lagrima" from Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore.

The very humorous scene from Mozart's Die Zauberflote brought onstage the Three Ladies--Ms. Bachrach, Ms. Goldmann and Ms. Scott, to take the lock off Papageno's mouth and to present him and Tamino with the Magic Flute and Magic Bells. Bass-baritone Colin Whiteman made a perfect Papageno whilst Mr. Christensen made a terrific Tamino.

From Rossini's first opera, recently presented by Bare Opera, Ms. Scott and Mr. Whiteman reprised their roles as servants Clarina and Norton. What a joy to be reminded of that delightful production.

You, dear readers, will be the first to know that Die Zauberflote will be given a highly original production by Bare Opera in a highly unusual venue--on June 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. We just heard coloratura soprano Yungee Rhie sing "Der Holle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen" and you will not want to miss her fabulous fireworks!

Ms. Martinez gave a sparkling account of "Je veux vivre" from Gounod's Romeo et Juliette, and was joined by her romantic Romeo Mr. Christensen for "Ange adorable". If that didn't melt your heart, you must have a stone in your chest!

The gorgeous trio from Mozart's Cosi fan tutte, "Soave sia il vento" was harmonized beautifully by Mr. Whiteman as Don Alfonso, Ms. Martinez as Fiordiligi, and Ms. Scott as Dorabella.

The program closed with "Arpa gentil" from Rossini's Il Viaggio a Reims. In this scene, all the characters are mesmerized and entranced by the offstage voice of Corinna (Ms. Martinez).  Guess who else was mesmerized and entranced!

There were two lovely touches to the evening. One was that the cast members alternated in introducing each upcoming aria with a description of what was happening. No newbie could have felt left in the dark.

The other touch was that the women's gowns were provided by Shoperatic, the Opera Diva Dress Collection, which we believe recycles gowns for opera singers.  What a great idea!

We would not be at all surprised if some of the chamber music lovers in the audience have become opera lovers. All it takes is an evening of good performances.

We have the upcoming Die Zauberflote on our calendar already. And so should you.

We would also like to share one more idea with you. If you are inclined to rebel against the upcoming cuts to the NEA, do make a donation to this excellent young company...www.bareopera.org/donate.
If the arts are to survive, it is up to US.

(c) meche kroop