REFLECTIONS ON CLASSIC STORIES--THROUGH A MODERN LENS

Cristina Maria Castro, Isabelle Freeman, Andy Dwan, David M. Sanchez, Carolyn Ramseur, Maria Brea, and Grant Braider

In an impressively short period of time, City Lyric Opera (née A.R.E. Opera) has made a large splash in the pool of boutique opera companies. Led by lovely ladies (Kathleen Spencer and Megan Gillis as Co-Founders and Co-Artistic Directors, with Grace Lazos as Artistic Coordinator), one of the most important part of their mission statement is to put the artist first. When we inquired about how they acquired such an excellent roster of artists, the answer was short--"We pay our singers". Great idea! They deserve it.

Ms. Spencer and Ms. Gillis will be giving a joint recital next month which we will announce on our Facebook Page (Voce di Meche), but tonight they served as narrators for the program. It was a lovely touch but rather unnecessary since the program spoke for itself. The participants, most of whom we have heard before, are as gifted dramatically as they are vocally. The scenes were directed with a sure hand by Mikhaela Mahony, Alexandra Clint, and Helen Heuttner--a gynocentric team for sure!

One aspect of the program which we particularly enjoyed (we do love having our opinions confirmed!) was that opera and musical theater pieces were presented with the same respect. Stephen Sondheim may deny this all he likes, but he has written operas far worthier than some of the pretentious and tuneless trash that some critics fawn over, but which opera lovers may see once but never twice.

"Tonight" from Bernstein's West Side Story opened the program with a bang. We were very taken with Cristina Maria Castro's bright clear soprano when we heard her recently at the City Lyric Opera gala. Tenor David Sanchez is new to us and made a fine impression as Tony falling in love with her Maria. The two artists convincingly portrayed the dawning of love in clearly sung English; they touched our heart.

The lucky Mr. Sanchez got to make love to two women in one evening.  His scene partner in "O soave fanciulla" from Puccini's La Bohême was the marvelous Maria Brea, a soprano we have long admired ever since Martina Arroyo's Prelude to Performance. We would not want to be asked to prefer one love scene over the other. There was not a "false note" in either portrayal of new love. We wished they had been performed consecutively because the first scene put us in a "new love" mood.

A duet of a totally different nature overwhelmed us with its clever dialogue which fit the music perfectly.  "Have a Little Priest" from Sondheim's  Sweeney Todd employs satisfying rhymes, witty beyond measure. The song was done justice by soprano Isabelle Freeman, who struck us as a strong spinto, and baritone Andy Dwan who has a mobile face and body, just right for comedy. It would be an understatement to say we enjoyed the duet immensely.

And what about a duet for two men? From Sondheim's Into the Woods we heard "Agony" in which two "princes charming" lament the unavailability of their love object. The very funny Mr. Dwan was joined by another baritone Grant Braider in this stellar performance. We love the way Sondheim marries short punchy phrases to music--the best way to deal with the rhythms of the English language.

Ms. Freeman as Vitellia was joined by mezzo-soprano Carolyn Ramseur as Sesto in the duet "Come ti piace" from Mozart's La Clemenza di Tito. Until Titus pardons them, they get to raise all kinds of hell-- but with voices this melodious, who could dislike them?

Let us move on to some dazzling solo offerings. We have never been a fan of Tom Cipullo, nor had we ever heard of his opera Mayo.  Some online research revealed that Mayo premiered last month at SUNY Potsdam. We don't know how Ms. Castro got her hands on the score but we loved "Valeria's Aria" which was (gasp!) actually melodic. Come to think of it, it was Ms. Castro who introduced us to some wonderful music at the gala last month. We now consider her our "go-to" for something new and special.

Ms. Brea gave a winning performance of "Depuis le jour" from Charpentier's Louise. Her French was finely rendered and the work was beautifully shaped and dynamically varied. The upward skips were smooth and the line was lovely.

Ms. Ramseur made a fine showing in the "Composer's Aria" from Richard Strauss' Ariadne auf Naxos. The phrase "Musik ist eine heilige Kunst" could have been the theme for the entire evening. The German was clearly enunciated and the aria was delivered with just the right degree of passion.

Ms. Freeman got to show her stuff in "Tacea la notte placida" from Verdi's Il Trovatore. This is a large voice with interesting overtones and a lot of what financial analysts would call "upside potential". We liked the vibrato, the dynamic variety, and the Italianate legato. We loved the contrasting cabaletta.

Mr. Braider's solo was "Hai gia vinta la causa", Count Almaviva's aria from Mozart's Nozze di Figaro. The vocal qualities were excellent and what we'd like to see, to take the performance to the next level, would be to witness the inner workings of the Count's mind on his face. He's a rather dense character and he's trying to put 2 and 2 together but only comes up with 3 1/2. We in the audience need to be able to laugh at his benightedness.

Mr. Sanchez' solo was "Dein ist mein ganzes Herz" from Franz Lehar's Das Land des Lächelns. He began in good German and switched to English for the final verse, a nice move we thought.

What evening is complete without a little cabaret? Mr. Dwan performed a pair of songs by William Bolcom, putting a very fey and very ironic spin on "Amor", and then told the tale of poor "George".

The famous Act III quartet from La Bohême is often heard on programs whenever you have a tenor, a baritone, and two sopranos.  We almost always enjoy it but last night was one of the best we've heard. The contrast between the reconciling Mimi and Rodolfo and the embattled Musetta and Marcello was not only well-delineated vocally but also dramatically, due to some fine direction.

We also liked the direction for the closing number--the "Habanera" from Bizet's Carmen. Ms. Ramseur changed out of her male "drag" and appeared in a sexy gown, seducing with her voice and body. The rest of the cast was onstage, acting as chorus. It was a swell way to bring the evening to a close.

Music Director Jeremy Chan's contributions to the evening were significant. We particularly noticed his artistry in the Verdi and the Puccini. He found an entire orchestra within the piano!

City Lyric Opera is a company to watch with many interesting activities both educational and entertaining. Do visit their web site for more information--www.citylyricopera.org.

(c) meche kroop

MANNES DOES VANESSA

ACT III of Vanessa (photo by Eugenia Ames)

The Mannes Opera has given Samuel Barber's 1958 opera Vanessa as fine a production as one would want. Conducted by Artistic Director Joseph Colaneri (sans baton), the Mannes Orchestra played with impressive spirit. Situating the winds in the pit of the Gerald W. Lynch Theater (at John Jay College of Criminal Justice), with the strings above at floor level, made for a fine blending of sound.

Jay Lesenger's direction was highly effective.  Roger Hanna's sets were unfussy but served the action well.  Trunks of birch trees and snow falling outside the windows gave a great indication of locale (unspecified "Northern country" was turned into "northern Hudson River Valley, N.Y."--although we couldn't keep from thinking of Sweden and Ingmar Bergman). The furnishings suggested old money.  Nancy L. Leary's appropriate costuming was clearly early 20th c. at the beginning of the opera but changed to flapper costumes for obvious reasons which we hope to make clear.

For anyone unfamiliar with Gian Carlo Menotti's libretto (based loosely on the atmosphere of Isak Dinesen's stories), the tale concerns three generations of women of privilege virtually entombed in their secluded country home, seeing no outsiders save their old country doctor and their pastor. They are cosseted by servants.

Vanessa has been waiting for twenty years for her lover Anatol to return. She has covered the portraits and mirrors in the home, hoping to stall the passing of time. She has a fond relationship with her niece Erika but her mother does not speak to her. When Anatol finally shows up, it is actually Anatol's son who has come to meet the woman who so enchanted his late father and so enraged his mother.

Vanessa rejects him (the "false Dmitri") but Erika remains to dine with him and be seduced by him. Anatol is a fortune hunter and woos both women. Vanessa blossoms under his attention and Erika wilts under her wish to be loved more deeply than Anatol is capable of.

The Grandmother urges her to marry but Erika refuses to compromise her ideals to preserve her honor. The night of the ball at which Vanessa and Anatol announce their engagement, Erika goes to drown herself in the lake, having learned she is pregnant. She falls into a ditch, gets rescued, and recovers. She tells her Grandmother she is "no longer with child". Now the old lady withdraws her affection and conversation from Erika!

The happily wed couple leave for Paris, ostensibly on Vanessa's money. Vanessa has secretly left the house to Erika who must stay and look after Grandmother. Erika covers the mirrors once more and goes into seclusion.  Things will be different for her because she will live without hope whilst Vanessa lived with hope.

The central question is one of accepting a flawed reality or living imprisoned with false hopes and ideals.  Anatol, while an unlikeable character, represents a more modern view of romantic reality.  In his own words, "I belong to another age". The plot is provocative and leaves us pondering at the end why the old lady rejects her daughter, then her niece.  We will spare readers our theory and leave them to ponder on their own.

So...clearly, this is a fascinating and absorbing tale which held our interest as theater.  But it claims to be an opera so we must address the music. Erika's ACT I aria "Must the winter come so soon" is lovely and mezzo-soprano Rachel Weishoff gave it a lovely lyrical performance. The final quintet "To leave, to break" involved some stunning harmonies. We enjoyed the waltzes, especially when the drunken doctor dances at the party and sings about women. Beyond those events, this "opera" comprises sung dialogue, with the choppiness of English speech dictating the not very lyrical vocal line. Our 19th c. ears were not pleased, although we did enjoy some of the instrumental interludes, especially when we heard the soothing sounds of the harp, played by Yeon Hwa Chung.

Major roles were sung by different casts on the two nights. We were perfectly happy with the valid performances of the principles. Soprano Isabelle Freeman made a fine Vanessa and conveyed beautifully the emotional expansion of a woman in love who allows herself to feel loved.  As the unfortunate Erika, Ms. Weishoff was moving and convincing in her portrayal of ambivalence toward a man she both loved and hated. Carolyn Aguirre was a chilling presence as the silent Grandmother.

Tenor John Kun was adept at showing both the engaging side of Anatol, and also the smirking slimy side. Baritone Mario Diaz-Moresco as The Old Doctor gave a performance that delighted us, a well rounded character that had only good intentions. The scene at the engagement party in which he breaks one of the two champagne glasses he is carrying brought a note of lightness to the grim story. It was funny that he couldn't remember whom the second glass was for.  This made him very human.

Mitchell Kasprzyk portrayed Nicholas, the Major-Domo, and Mathew Cossack played the role of A Footman. The scene at the party of fondling the fur coat was another note of lightness.

English diction, coached by Kathryn LaBouff, was so exemplary that Lily Arbisser's fine titles were rarely necessary.

So, we enjoyed the evening very much as theater, not so much as "opera". But this is just our particular taste. Those who are more appreciative of non-lyrical 20th c. music seemed to have loved the work.

(c) meche kroop