JOYCE DI DONATO MASTER CLASS

Ben Reisinger, Michelle Mariposa, Robert Ellsworth Feng, Bridget Esler, Joel Harder, and Justina Lee

 Participants in Joyce Di Donato's Master Classes at Carnegie Hall Weill Music Institute

(photo by Chris Lee)

Master classes are valuable to young singers because they get a fresh perspective  from a master teacher, and Joyce Di Donato is surely one of the most masterful master teachers around. The Master classes held at Carnegie Hall are also valuable to opera lovers who get an opportunity to witness the hard work and total commitment necessary for a singer to succeed in an overcrowded and highly competitive field.

Ms. Di Donato's master classes are a joy to behold. We marvel at her warmth and ability to establish rapport with various personalities. We are impressed by her ability to suss out exactly the type of help each young singer needs to ascend to the next level. We admire the generosity with which she shares her years of stage experience, as well as her own professional growth. Any opera lover who has attended one of her riveting performances will recognize an artist of dedication who uses her prodigious gifts to create  believable characters without calling attention to technique.

Participants in the three-day event included singers Ben Reisinger, Michelle Mariposa, Robert Ellsworth Feng, and Bridget Esler; they were effectively accompanied by pianists Joel Harder and Justina Lee. It was most interesting to observe their artistic growth over such a brief period of time. Right from the start, it was made clear that the workshop was about process, not performance. The audience, comprising opera lovers and young singers, was uniformly attentive and grateful. There were no distractions. AT the end of each session, audience members asked meaningful questions that were answered with honesty and generosity.

We would like to share a few vignettes that captured our attention. We had never heard the term "rage aria" but that is how Ms. Di Donato labeled Frank's aria from Kurt Weill's Street Scene--"Let things be as they always was". This aria was presented by bass Robert Ellsworth Feng  who was taught how to use vocal color and dynamics to get across Frank's character, beyond the unidimensional.  "Make those consonants SEETHE!" We marveled at how Frank became a real complex person and not just an Archie Bunker.

Mezzo-soprano Michelle Mariposa's portrayal of Arsace from Rossini's Semiramide became informed by the notion that the audience must hear three voices--that of Rossini, that of the character, and that of the singer. The singer must search for authenticity and avoid caricature. Rubato can be used to give the impression of spontaneity as if the character were making it up as he goes along.  It is worthwhile to surprise the audience with syncopation.

Soprano Bridget Esler's offering was that of Pamina's "Ah, ich fuhl's" from Mozart's Die Zauberflote. More connection between phrases was needed and that improvement made a world of difference, as did some more original gestures.

Hearing Ben Reisinger as a tenor was quite a surprise for us. We heard him less than a year ago at the Opera Index Awards Recital as a baritone singing "O vin, dissippe la tristesse"  from Thomas' Hamlet. We looked back at our review in which we noted that his upper register opened up beautifully. No wonder he made the decision to change fachs!

He is still feeling his way through and we can foresee a brilliant future as a tenor. He worked on Pinkerton's aria "Addio, fiorito asil" from Puccini's Madama Butterfly. Much improvement was noted when he followed instructions to use the consonants, especially the "v" in "vil". Even more attention is needed on the double consonants. 

Ms. Di Donato advised Mr. Reisinger to go deeper into the character and to build the aria from a pianissimo beginning. Pinkerton is faced with an internal struggle related to his ignorance of the values of a foreign culture. Rhythmically, "four square" must be avoided and more dynamic variation is called for. 

Another day we got to observe his work on "Ah! lève toi soleil" from Gounod's Romeo et Juliette. Subtleties such as a diminuendo on "l'amour" lent authenticity to the character. Imbuing the phrases with direction involves enhancing the legato nature. The aria must unfold and never succumb to choppiness.

We got a further look at Ms. Esler in her "Prendi" from Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore.  The singer must use her imagination making each aria a duet. She must make choices that distill the essence of the character. One must find motivation for each cadenza. That is a point that we truly understand. Coloratura for "show" is just not enough. 

The workshop continued along these lines with insight piling on top of other insights. These fortunate singers must have been carefully chosen for their willingness and ability to absorb new and valuable information!

We can remember when Carnegie Hall was strictly a world famous performance venue. Its recent role in musical education within the Weill Music Institute has magnified its influence in the musical sphere. Not only do singers grow and evolve but so do our cherished institutions!

© meche kroop

THE MIRACLE WORKER

Justina Lee, Shannon McGinnis, Aaron Crouch, Maya Amir, Keymon W. Murrah, Alexandra Nowakowski, and
Joyce DiDonato (photo by meche kroop)

Guest review by Ellen Godfrey:

April in New York means that opera lovers get to see the wonderful three day event of master classes led by the exceptional and multitalented mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato. Most masterclasses take place on only one day, but she has the same four singers for three days in a row on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. In addition, she works with the young singers during the daytime as well. Students are selected through auditions of singers from around the world.

The classes are part of the Weill Music Institute held at the Resnick Education Wing of Carnegie Hall. The sessions are always filled to capacity and many of the audience members return year after year.

Joyce Di Donato is the most original and talented Master Class teacher of all the master classes I have seen over many many years.  She is so supportive of the students; they feel right at home with her.  She has a second sense about knowing what she can do to help each student and she uses a lot of physical exercises to free up the singer’s body and mind. She is like a dog with a bone; she will work on just a few measures over and over again and not give up until the singers succeed in finding their own personal way to sing those notes.

Ms. DiDonato made some opening remarks before the first session began. She emphasized that she is not a pedagogue nor a voice teacher. Her mission is to guide the singers in how to perform, to be artistic and to find the drama in what they are singing. We have the total liberty to cry or to laugh or to be daring. This is a playground, a chance to liberate ourselves and be free.

Ms. DiDonato welcomed the first singer, Alexandra Nowakowski, a Polish- American soprano.  She thanked Alexandra for taking the risk of being the first to  perform on the program. Ms. Nowakowski sang the “Caro Nome” from Verdi’s Rigoletto. She was very confident in her singing, had good resonance, a good trill, a beautiful messa di voce, and good portamenti. Her phrasing was also lovely and she  received a big hand from the audience. It seemed like a perfect performance to us, but there was still work to be done.

Ms. DiDonato asked her if, as Gilda, she felt different this day then the day before when she had encountered a handsome young man as she came out of church. Rigoletto is such a popular opera, everyone knows how it goes and they stop listening…so she was told to compose as though she were Verdi and to search out Gilda’s character.  Ms. Di Donato also told her not to be a coquette, but to have elegance; also to anticipate the beat and not just land on it. After she sang the aria again, the audience was astonished to see how much progress she made.

In the second session, she again sang a lovely “Caro nome.” She was advised to try to discover more in the music and text and to live it as though she didn’t want the moment to end.  Alexandra was quick to catch on to what she was being told and the modifications could be heard. 

She sang a different aria for the third class… “Come per me sereno” from Bellini’s La Sonnambula. Alexandra told us that this was the first time she sang this aria in public.  She sang it beautifully, with gorgeous high notes right on pitch.  Ms. DiDonato was very pleased with it but felt it lacked some fragility and suggested she be bold enough to play with the dynamics more. 

The second singer was the Israeli mezzo-soprano, Maya Amir, coming to New York for the first time. She sang Ottavia’s aria “Disprezzata regina” from Claudio Monteverdi’s opera L’incoronazione di Poppea. She has a lovely mezzo voice and a nice delicacy to her voice, but was told that she sometimes needs to make her voice ugly.  She is the Queen and needs to act as one. Ms. DiDonato worked with just the words of the aria several times to get her to be more dramatic. "You need to show your hate and you must spit out the consonants."  She was told after a lot of repetition of the phrase “Disprezzata regina”  that she was a thousand times better.

For the second session she chose the well-known aria “Lascia la spinta” from Handel’s oratorio Il Trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno,  (I wish young singers would announce the name of their arias and their own name by projecting their voices so that we in the audience can hear their names and what they are performing). She sang with great fragility and softness. She was praised by Ms. DiDonato but she felt that somehow it seemed that Maya didn’t want to be seen or heard. She gave her a water bottle in each hand to use to give her energy as she sang.  After some work on this she told Maya that she had improved and she was coming out more.  For the final session, she sang Ramiro’s aria from Mozart’s La Finta Giardineri ,“E giunge a quest segno.” Ms. DiDonato said she needed more attack on the notes and that more grit is required for this aria. She complimented Maya for getting more out of herself.

For the first session, tenor Aaron Crouch, a native Bostonian, sang “Il mio tesoro” from  Mozart’s Don Giovanni. It was sung with good breath control and good coloratura, but there were a few times when his voice got a bit ugly. He is very personable and communicates well. "Welcome to where you are now", she said; "I’m sure you will be a major talent but you have to be patient and have a plan. We know what we want to sound like but it should be natural; you have an infinite amount of options and colors.  I love what you did this morning…just take some time to digest it".  

He started the second session with “Total Eclipse” from Handel’s Samson, which he also sang in the third session.  He was told that he has a lovely tone and that this would be a good audition aria for him. Ms. DiDonato worked with him a long time on the “e” vowel.  She said, "Don’t think about the sound you are making; you should feel the sensations". He made great progress from the second session and sang this aria beautifully with lots of feeling in the final session. 

Counter-tenor Keymon W. Murrah was the final singer on Friday. He sang Orfeo’s aria “Amour, viens rendre a mon âme ta plus ardente flamme.” from Gluck’s Orfeo. He had no trouble with the coloratura singing and used his breath well. Ms. DiDonato said "I love this piece and how you sing it. I want to hear the words enveloped in your glorious sound. You have so much natural talent but we have to get to the next level; you have to be patient." 

Keymon sang “Where'er you walk” from Handel’s Semele for the second session. Ms. DiDonato worked with him tirelessly on just a few words and getting the sound lighter and easier. She talked about comforting people and making the world a better place.  She then told him to go out and sing to the people individually in the audience. He made eye contact with members of the audience as he sang and sometimes shook their hands.  This was a beautiful moment and the audience gave him a big round of applause. Keymon said that he felt freer to be himself.  In the final session he sang “A quel giorno” from Handel’s Semiramide. He sang with freedom and good range from top to bottom. Ms. DiDonato had him sing with a pencil in his mouth to help his breathing and keep the vowels in place.

Justina Lee and Shannon McGinnis were the wonderful pianists who accompanied the singers.   

All four singers made wonderful progress under Ms. DiDonato. It was also evident that she loves working with these young singers and helping them to pursue their careers. 

JOYCE DIDONATO MASTER CLASSES

Joyce DiDonato, Francesca Chiejina, Ané Pretorius, Jose Simerilla Romero, Germán Enrique Alcántara, Shannon McGinnis, and Justina Lee

The master classes given by famed mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato, as part of the Weill Music Institute, are like no others. This yearly event is so highly anticipated that the dates for next year are already inked on our calendar and we urge singers to apply right away. What makes these classes special can be appreciated both by the young singers selected to participate as well as by audience members who pack the Weill Music Room of the Resnick Education Wing of Carnegie Hall. 

The four young singers, winnowed by Claudia Friedlander from a huge pool of applicants from 47 countries, were of the very highest quality. We can readily appreciate the reasons they were chosen.

Ms. DiDonato is a master teacher renowned for her special talent for identifying exactly what each student needs to move forward in their art and to convey this with humor, originality, and style. She began the 3-day adventure by telling the audience that we were not witnessing performances, but rather participating in exploration, discovery, and the taking of risks. Not every device would work, and each student must decide for her/himself what works and what doesn't.

Certain principles apply to everyone.  Magic happens when the singer drops the "careful" approach. The challenge is to find a physical device that will free up the voice; the best practice is to alternate physical work and vocal work. This will be different for each student.

Soprano Francesca Chiejina came all the way from Nigeria and is a member of the Jette Parker Young Artists' Program at the Royal Opera House in London. She delighted us with Ilia's aria --"Zefferetti lusingieri" from Mozart's Idomeneo. Ms. DiDonato pointed out how Ilia feels safe confessing her love to the flowers and the singer must convey a sense of urgency with considerable variety. The character is very young and very lovesick but also conflicted. The singer must make this clear. The breath must be kept active and energized. She was instructed to exaggerate the rubato and to be less "correct".

There was a big improvement by the second day and on the third day, Ms. Chiejina brought in a new aria which we believe we recognized as "Azaël!" from Dubussy's opera L'enfant prodige, an aria which snagged the Cardiff Singer of the World award for Nina Stemme in 1993. (We wish that singers would announce their names and the title of the aria in a firm clear voice instead of mumbling!)

The coaching took the form of encouragement to stop "monitoring" and to take risks.  An exercise worth trying is to sing on the vowels whilst feeling the pulse underneath, something which Ms. DiDonato calls "subdividing".

Mezzo-soprano Ané Pretorius hails from South Africa and gave us a wonderful "Nacqui all'affanno...non piu mesta" from Rossini's enchanting La Cenerentola. We were particularly glad to hear this particular coaching because it gave us lots of points to listen for in our review of that opera the same night!

Cenerentola's joy and excitement must begin with the first note. There must be strong direction and a seamless legato line in the recitativo. A strategy to deal with the leaps is to stop thinking about the rise and fall of the pitches, and to imagine singing the melody on one pitch.  It sounds counter-intuitive but it worked, giving the brain the center of the pitch, the core of the sound. This is not practiced at full voice.

The line must be kept even when singing staccato or marcato.  It is the singer that controls the tempo and the pacing. There was some practice on the vowel sound "ee", without changing the vowel. Another practice was to imagine that the phonation is taking place way out in front of you, instead of inside your head.

The same instruction served well for Day #3 when Ms. Pretorius sang "Va, laissez couler mes larmes" from Massenet's Werther. A good practice method is to sing just the vowels but to sing them staccato.

Moving on to Argentinean tenor Jose Simerilla Romero, we were as shocked as Ms. DiDonato was to learn that this incredible sound emerged from a 22-year-old who has been studying for only 3 years.  The main counsel for him was to protect himself from doing too much too soon. His natural facility would make him an object of desire for anyone casting an opera but he must not succumb to temptation.

He is a natural both in voice and in stage presence, as we heard in his impassioned delivery of "Amor ti vieta" from Umberto Giordano's Fedora. Ms. DiDonato urged the singer to release the sound instead of driving it, to relax and move the breath, energizing each note.

On the second day, Mr. Romero sang Romeo's aria "Ah! Lève-toi soleil" from the Gounod opera with a beautiful ringing tone. He was instructed to reset with each breath. An exercise of inhaling and exhaling through a straw was very helpful in co-ordinating breath and phrasing. There was a great deal of ease in the uninterrupted flow of air.

On the third day, Mr. Romero sang "Che gelida manina" from Puccini's La Bohême; for us this was the best episode of the three days because we are very interested in the creation of characters. We have heard this aria hundreds of times and we don't want to hear a stock character doing the same old-same old. We want to ditch the stereotype and to meet a real multi-dimensioned Rodolfo, not a generic one!

The tenor must make his performance all about Mimi. He might show surprise that her hand is cold. He is very taken with her and is trying to find ways to impress her. Make it fresh, tenors!

Argentinean baritone Germán Enrique Alcántara made a very believable Count in "Hai gia vinta la causa" from Mozart's Nozze di Figaro. He was even better when reminded that the Count is not the brightest bulb in the chandelier and he is trying to figure things out . There needs to be a feeling of spontaneous discovery. He is incredulous and should seem to be making it up as he goes along.

The singer should not "test the voice" but should phonate right from the start. He must listen for changes in the music and keep the legato line.

On Day #2, we heard "Avant de quitter ces lieux" from Gounod's Faust. His line was greatly improved by incorporating some body movement. This was carried over to Day #3 when he sang "Mein Sehnen, mein Wähnen" from Korngold's Die tote Stadt. 

It seemed to us that he caressed each word and sang with great feeling. He was instructed to keep the inner pulse and to let each phrase "hang" until the next phrase and to paint a picture of Fritz' nostalgia. The singer must explore all the possibilities so that he doesn't have to perform an aria the same way every time.  Having options is always a good thing.

The excellent accompanists for the three days were Justina Lee and Shannon McGinnis.

So the three days of intense instruction have ended. The singers will return to their regular lives, taking home the gifts that Ms. DiDonato has given them. We feel as if we are also taking home some gifts.

(c) meche kroop

JOYCEEEEEEE

Yesterday we were privileged to sit in on Joyce DiDonato's Master Class at Juilliard. Brian Zeger, Artistic Director of the Vocal Arts Department, gave her the introduction merited by her artistry and accomplishments in the field and pointed out that she has been given an Honorary Doctorate at this esteemed institution. The class was live-streamed for a wider audience than could fit into Paul Hall.

If you are wondering about the title of this review, all those extra "E's" stand for Education, Enlightenment, Entertainment, Exhilaration, and Excitement--all of which marked the two hour class that we wished had lasted longer.

The participants were students pursuing advanced degrees in the Vocal Arts Department, all of whom showed evidence of superlative training. What Ms. DiDonato contributed was in the nature of fine tuning their artistry with intuitive observations and suggestions. She began by pointing out that the class was not a performance but a playground in which the singers could try out new things. It is the process that is important.

There were concepts that seemed to apply to one and all. First of all is the importance of analysis of the character. The singer must figure out why the character enters onstage and the reason the character makes his/her exit. Physical gestures reveal the underlying feeling. The singer must have his/her own point of view but be sufficiently flexible to make adjustments, according to the wishes of the director.  But never enter an audition or competition with the anticipation of what is expected.

Once the singer has learned the aria thoroughly, the singer must give attention to making choices and never allow the performance to become automatic. If there is a repeat, think about the reason for repeating.  Hear the harmony in the accompaniment but feel the rhythm.

Ms. DiDonato has a particular affection for recitativi. This is where the singer reveals his/her artistry. With the three women singers we heard, focus was mainly on the recit. Their collaborative pianist was the excellent and always supportive Chris Reynolds. All of them were transformed by their 25 minute session!

Mezzo-soprano Nicole Thomas worked on "Sein wir wieder gut" from Richard Strauss' Ariadne auf Naxos. The Composer is 18 years old and love has hit him like a coup de foudre. He is hormonal and emotionally extravagant. His volatility is expressed by the music being "off the beat". (This is not the same as Cherubino who is constantly in love.) The manic energy must be supported by clear diction to get over the dense orchestration. The "z" sound of "Sein" must be clear.

Soprano Tamara Banjesevic worked on "Eccomi in lieta vesta" from Bellini's I Capuleti  i Montecchi. From the beginning "Eccomi", the singer must project innocence and purity. She is looking at herself dressed for a wedding to a man she does not wish to marry.  The pain must also show but not self pity. Giulietta is seeing herself in a mirror.  If the singer sees it, the audience will see it.

Soprano Felicia Moore worked on Elettra's aria "Oh smania!"--or at least the recit part--from Mozart's Idomeneo. The singer must dig into the text.  It is important to emphasize the  "zm" sound of "smania". An accompanied recit is like a conversation between the singer and the orchestra. This involves intense listening for the underlying harmonies and key changes. Specifically, in this recit, there is a switch to the major mode and the singer must understand why and sell it to the audience. Slowing down gives the singer a chance to register the emotional journey.

Tenor Joshua Blue alone got to sing an aria, accompanied by Ji Yung Lee on the piano. If there is one tenor aria that is ridden with cliche, it is "Una furtiva lagrima" from Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore. Ms. DiDonato got rid of all the stuff by asking Mr. Blue to sing it to her, as if he were telling his best friend about his new discovery. This made a world of difference. It became sharing instead of "acting". 

He was also encouraged to imagine an unbroken thread of sound to produce the necessary legato. This resulted in a more Italianate sound without his pretending to be an "Italian tenor". The repeated phrases were given new meaning and new life.

A few minutes were saved at the end for a Q and A. The point that stuck in our mind was about career development--that tenacity comes from within, not from teachers or coaches. We are cognizant of the difficulties faced by young singers and have made observations that support Ms. DiDonato's comment. It is a journey and it is never helpful to compare oneself to others. Ms. DiDonato pointed out that her very own career got off to a slow start.  Each one is on a different journey. Live it!

(c) meche kroop

WAR AND PEACE BY JOYCE

Joyce DiDonato with Il Pomo d'Oro   (photo by Chris Lee)

We like concert programs with a theme and we liked the theme chosen by mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato for her recital at Carnegie Hall. The first half of the program was dedicated to War with the second half dedicated to Peace. Ms. DiDonato is not just an artist of consummate musicality, and not just a glamorous superstar, but also a special person with humanitarian values. Her concept for the evening, of which she was Executive Producer, was the achievement of harmony through music. She herself wrote a moving essay for the program book.

The program, directed by Ralf Pleger, (who directed Ms. DiDonato in the documentary film The Florence Foster Jenkins Story) was designed to take us on a journey from darkness to light, from chaos to order, from anger to joy. If our joyful and peaceful mood at the end of the concert was any indication,  she achieved her goal. We hope others felt the same but our companion shared our view that she was "preaching to the converted". We can think of several people who needed this journey and weren't there!   Nevertheless, it made for a compelling evening.

Accompanying Ms. DiDonato was a group of musicians whose artistry matched her own. This was our first time hearing Il Pomo d"Oro and we hope it won't be our last. The group was led by conductor and harpsichordist Maxim Emelyanychev; he is young but confident and effective. Comprising the group were a string section, joined by a trio of flutists, an oboe, a bassoon, an archlute, and a viola da gamba. Anna Fusek, a violinist, played a sopranino recorder with such outstanding skill that she took our breath away.

The occasion for this unforgettable solo happened to be our favorite piece on the program--"Angelletti che cantata" from Handel's Rinaldo--the scene in which Almirena sings of her love for the eponymous hero. The virtuoso playing of the recorder sounded to us like a chorus of nightingales.

Another aria from Rinaldo--"Lascio ch'io pianga"--expressed another aspect of Almirena's character, her sadness in captivity. Ms. DiDonato colored her voice so differently that we wished we might have heard the two arias backo-to-back but they were in different sections.  She sang this melancholy melody to great effect.

One might think that we favor the works with which we are familiar, but we also greatly enjoyed two works we'd never heard; it was Ms. DiDonato's scholarship that unearthed two forgotten 18th c. operas by two Neapolitan composers. Leonardo Leo wrote L"Andromaca in 1742, based on the tragedy by Racine about Hector's widow, slain in the Trojan War by Achilles.  "Prendi quel ferro, o barbaro" had a fast angry section followed by a lyrical sad section and Ms. DiDonato made excellent use of variations in color and dynamics.

Leo's student Niccolo Jommelli wrote Attilio Regolo in 1753, a setting of a text by Metastasio. We heard Ms. DiDonato's expression of pure joy in Attilia's aria in which she welcomes her father--"Par che di giubilo"--and welcomes him with incredibly expressive fioritura, at which this singer is a master.

There were a couple other arias by Handel and Purcell and a piece by Arvo Part that fit right in but, for our taste, nothing equalled the above-mentioned works.  However, one thing surpassed them.  That was the encore--"Morgen" by Richard Strauss, which was taken at a slow tempo and delivered pianissimo with intense feeling.  We are not likely to hear it sung that well again; we heard it differently, as a song of hope and promise.

We suppose we are obliged to say something about the other elements of the evening. Ms. DiDonato's gowns were gorgeous and she wore them well.  Her bare feet were barely visible but we wondered if that was why her singing was so "grounded". The face and neck paint seemed unnecessary.

For our taste, the video projections by Yousef Iskandar were distracting and added nothing to our pleasure. We did not like Henning Blum's lighting at all.  For much of the time, banks of lights aimed at the audience were blindingly bright.

As far as the choreography and dancing by Manuel Palazzo, it seemed superfluous. He has an attractive chest and wore his floor length skirt well but the movements were the same old post-Martha Graham tropes that have been boring us at modern dance recitals for years. He did not have much to do but occasional writhing and twirling and an interaction with Ms. DiDonato's cape.

We will take our singing "neat"!

(c) meche kroop

JOYCE DIDONATO MASTER CLASS

Joyce DiDonato, Susannah Waddington, Raphaella Medina, Sophia Fiuza Hunt, and Haô Ting

Most of the master classes we attend involve a half-hour of the teacher's time for each student. The teacher listens to the student sing an aria and the teacher tries to give the student something to think about and work on. We always enjoy this. But this week we observed something far more special.

This is the third year of an annual event at the Carnegie Hall Music Institute. Each year, famed mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato spends three days with the same four young singers and works with them intensively. We witnessed some amazing transformations. Some teachers grind the same axe whereas Ms. DiDonato has something unique to offer each student depending upon the needs of said student.

Her way of working is highly supportive and loving and informed by a great deal of psychological insight.  One of the students began the event with an excess of self-effacement; by the end of the event she put herself "out there" and allowed her real self to shine through.

Another student tried too hard to "perform" and was taught to relax.  Students learned to speak their arias, to sing them while dancing or doing yoga. The important thing is not to do what is expected or sing the way the aria is customarily done. The singer must understand the character and the character's moods as they change from one minute to the next.  This is what lends color to the voice.

Those of you who read our review of the Richard Tucker Foundation Gala will recall just how "present" Ms. DiDonato is when she sings. The character is filtered through her unique prism.

Ms. DiDonato is very "hands-on" and often conducts with her hands while the student is singing. She wants the student to focus on the process and not the end result. She is full of strategies to implement this and generous about sharing them. This is a process of discovery for the students who must trust Ms. DiDonato and also the audience which must create a safe space for vulnerability to emerge.

One strategy is to practice an aria as if it were sung by a variety of different characters. What would this sound like if Rosina sang it?  or Cherubino?  The point is to have options and to be flexible. Practice with varying tempi. Surprise your voice. Teach your voice to respond to your thoughts. Eliminate your inner judge.  Keep your thoughts positive.

Much of the rest was familiar--the importance of the breath, connection, legato line, spinning the tone, not giving too much too soon, committing to the character.

Acceptance for these classes is by audition and singers from 18 to 35 may apply for next year.

Accompanists for the classes were Justina Lee and Djordje Nesic, both of whom excelled at keeping up.

(c) meche kroop

SO MANY STARS IN THIS FIRMAMENT

Star-studded cast of Richard Tucker Foundation Gala at Carnegie Hall

Perhaps you enjoyed the gala webcast live on medici.tv; we were fortunate enough to be there in person, right there in Carnegie Hall, a venue we much prefer to host an event of this magnitude. It's been a quarter century since the Richard Tucker Foundation Gala was held here.

Every year the Richard Tucker Foundation throws a helluva party to celebrate the current year's winner of the Richard Tucker Award, a ginormous $50,000 cash prize. That buys a lot of gowns and coachings!

The Richard Tucker Foundation was begun shortly after Mr. Tucker's untimely and premature death.  It has perpetuated his artistic legacy by supporting young artists for 40 years and bestows its incredibly generous award on an artist poised at the edge of a major international career. Soprano Tamara Wilson sure meets that requirement in spades (and in hearts, diamonds, and clubs).

This versatile artist made several appearances tonight, opening the program with "Dich, teure Halle" from Richard Wagner's Tannhäuser, following the "Entrance of the Guests" from the same opera, performed by the superb New York Choral Society and members of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra led by Maestro Asher Fisch.

Ms. Wilson is one of those big beautiful girls with  big beautiful voices that come along every few years; she sure knows how to use this impressive instrument. We loved the way she sensitively modulated the volume and the way she limned the character of Elizabth. 

She is just as adept with Verdi as with Wagner. Now that we have heard her sing "Tu al cui sguardo onnipossente" from I due Foscari, we will be very disappointed if the Met doesn't stage Verdi's early work and cast her! The flexibility in the fioritura fireworks, coming from such a huge voice, was remarkable.

With her mezzo-soprano counterpart Jamie Barton as Adalgisa and tenor Joshua Guerrero as Pollione, the finale of Act I from Bellini's Norma made a great impression.  As versatile as she is, perhaps Cunegonde was not the best choice for the closing number, although her voice did harmonize well with Mr. Guerrero's in "Make Our Garden Grow" from Leonard Bernstein's Candide.

Getting back to Jamie Barton, this artist never fails to astonish us. There is something about her self-possession and the ability to get inside each character and make it her own that makes her a standout. Not since Marilyn Horne performed the role have we heard such luscious seductiveness pouring out of Dalila in "Mon coeur s'ouvre à ta voix" from Camille Saint-Saëns' Samson et Dalila. No Samson could resist!

Her duet with mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato "Son nata a lagrimar" from Georg Frideric Händel's Giulio Cesare was stunning. It was a perfect example of two fine artists of the same fach sounding very very different.  Having just come from Ms. DiDonato's master class, we witnessed exactly what she was trying to teach the youngsters in her class--giving the audience YOU, not what they expect.

We wish we could say that of soprano Kristine Opolais. She has a small voice without much variety of color but the major deficit, from our point of view, is that she "presented". We did not perceive much depth in her "Song to the Moon" from Antonin Dvorak's Russalka (a favorite of ours) and her "Un bel di" from Giacomo Puccini's Madama Butterfly was filled with extravagant gesture but not much feeling. We may be alone in this opinion since the audience seemed pleased with both arias.

We suppose we have been spoiled by Renée Fleming's Russalka and wished that she had sung it last night. Not that we were at all disappointed in her choices!  The violins set the tone for her "Adieu, notre petite table" from Jules Massenet's Manon. The colors of grief gave way to colors of joy in Ruggero Leoncavallo's  lovely serenade "Mattinata".

Soprano Nadine Sierra can be counted on to give a superior performance each and every time. She is an artist of the finest caliber and graces the stage with her presence. We have witnessed the growth of her career for several years and she just keeps getting better and better. 

In "Regnava nel silenzio" from Gaetano Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor, she was totally present and made Lucia's character her very own. She wisely set up Lucia's fragility and instability while maintaining vocal integrity.  Her duet with tenor Javier

Camarena--"Vieni fra questa braccia" from Vincenzo Bellini's I puritani showed a generosity of spirit and some lovely harmonies.

Mr. Camarena delighted the audience with his garlic-infused tarantella "La danza" by Gioachino Rossini, an old chestnut made new. His duet with tenor Lawrence Brownlee--"Ah vieni, nel tuo sangue" from Rossini's Otello was kind of strange with each tenor holding onto the "money note" for unreasonable lengths of time, causing the audience members to laugh out loud. Somehow, this rivalry seemed wrong for the aria in which Otello and Rodrigo are planning a duel, not a vocal competition.

The appearance of Anna Netrebko was most welcome. Having passed through the ingenue phase she has emerged with a glorious burnished instrument that thrills us in verismo territory even more than it did in bel canto land. Hearing her "La mamma morta" from Umberto Giordano's Andrea Chénier was a revelation and we can't imagine Gérard resisting any better than Samson resisted Dalila.

She has not lost her scintillating upper register with overtones galore while the lower register has expanded, offering a plenitude of texture. Her interpretations serve the character.

She followed this aria with an unscheduled one--"Io son l'humile ancella" from Francesco Cilea's Adriana Lecouvreur--which further confirmed our impression. How interesting that Joyce DiDonato sang an aria on a similar theme--"Si, son io" from Jake Heggie's opera Great Scott which premiered exactly one year ago in Dallas with Ms. DiDonato as the star.

We have never enjoyed Heggie's writing as much as we did this aria. The thought occurred to us that the Italian language dictates a far lovelier vocal line than does the English language. And Ms. DiDonato's performance demonstrated all the principles that she taught in her master classes, reviews of which will appear within a couple days, right here.

Tenor Lawrence Brownlee performed "Seul sur la terre" from Donizetti's forgotten opera Dom Sébastien. His French was lovely, as was his phrasing but his voice did not capture our interest; we found the vibrato a bit too wide for our taste and there was some closing off of the high notes that made our throat hurt--a problem we experience so often with tenors. 

We enjoyed the participation of the New York Choral Society in the opening number especially but also in the Norma trio, the Verdi, and in the closing number from Candide. Several musicians from the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra made significant contributions, especially the harp in "Seul sur la terre".

Our ears are still tickled 8 hours after the concert.  We imagine the walls of Carnegie Hall are still vibrating! Long may they vibrate!

And here's a link to the broadcast....https://www.medici.tv/richard-tucker-opera-gala/embed/.  Now you too can enjoy!

(c) meche kroop

A PERFECT ROLE FOR MS. DI DONATO

Anthony Robin Schneider and Joyce DiDonato

Joyce DiDonato's master classes are legendary. She has a marvelous manner with young singers, using every tool at her disposal to bring out what is best and most uniquely theirs. Having attended her master classes before, we began to see a pattern. She seems to emphasize authenticity from moment to moment so the aria or song seems to be composed on the spot--never labored or "worked over".

She began the class by praising Carnegie's Weill Music Institute, calling attention to many of their outreach programs. Then she began working with mezzo-soprano Miya Higashiyama on Cherubino's aria "Voi che sapete" from Mozart's Nozze di Figaro. Clearly Ms. DiDonato had given a great deal of thought to Cherubino's background, present state, and desires; she worked diligently to get the student to sing with intention.

This does not call for excessive gesture or over-acting, but rather to knowing internally what Cherubino is feeling and what he wants.  The metaphor she used was wonderful; Cherubino is trying to draw the Countess in like reeling in a fish!  And the legato vocal line becomes the fishing line. She advised less concern on vocal production and more on simplicity and authenticity.  Something between excitement and restraint is called for. How many actors have heard the refrain "Be it, don't show it!"  Well, that applies to singers as well.

Colombian soprano Amalia Avilán Castillo worked on "Addio, senza rancor" from Puccini's La Bohème. Her vulnerability was praised and she was given permission to enjoy her "big moments".  Several methods were illustrated to increase the resonance by being on the breath, starting with humming. She was encouraged to keep the resonance up in the mask and to stop and start over if the voice drops. If a note is repeated, one must recreate it anew each time.

Which brings us to a most important point.  If a singer "gets it right", s/he should not repeat him/herself but rather repeat the process leading up to the success.  A fine point, but a worthwhile one.

Countertenor Daniel Moody sang an aria from Hãndel's Giulio Cesare. In his case also, simplicity was encouraged, allowing the voice to deliver the music.  Living in the moment is a great idea, not just in life, but in singing. He was advised to abandon his musicality and to work on his breath. The technique is interesting and yet familiar. One begins by hissing the breath and keeping it steady to achieve a legato line.

Once that is established, one can move on to singing on a vowel before adding the words. The breath must be constantly engaged with vowels maintained in the same spot. Intake of breath must be easy; gulping breaths or breathing into the collarbone area just won't do. Every phrase can be deconstructed in this manner so that the muscles will remember. 

The final singer on the program was bass Anthony Robin Schneider who sang "Vi ravviso" from Bellini's La Sonnambula. Clearly Mr. Schneider has a very sizable bass and he was encouraged to sing brighter with a more slender sound, a more youthful sound. Ms. DiDonato pointed out that young basses are often encouraged to imitate older basses with huge voices; but by placing the resonance higher, more colors can emerge.

The technique used to achieve this was to sing on the sound "ee". Indeed, the audience approved of his easier fresher sound although he was not yet comfortable with it himself. Ms. DiDonato seems to have a bag of tricks at her disposal and knows exactly which one will be the key to open up the possibilities of each individual singer.

Accompanists for the class were Justina Lee and Adam Nielsen. The four students had prior classes with Ms. DiDonato on the two preceding days.  We wish we had been free to attend; we can see a great deal of value in observing the singers' progress over a 3-day period.

(c) meche kroop

JOYCE DI DONATO--MASTER CLASS AT JUILLIARD

Theo Hoffman and Joyce DiDonato

Master classes give us a thrill like no other and the ones given by mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato are always a special event. Her astuteness in diagnosing the singular thing that will take a student from a four-star performance to a five-star performance is remarkable. Furthermore, her warm and engaging manner promotes a special bonding with the student, a trust that allows them to take risks.

We confess that we would have been satisfied with the four-star performance. It being Juilliard Vocal Arts Department, we daresay that their pre-coaching performance is superior to most singers. However, it was only after we heard the difference made by her coaching that we realized how much better the student sounded. These are no ordinary students; they are working on their Master's degree and already singing all over the world and delighting audiences here and abroad. They collect awards and grants the way most people collect knick-knacks.

Baritone Theo Hoffman is a case in point. He sang an audition piece that we are sure is responsible for his getting a lot of work--"Dorma ancora o son desto" from Claudio Monteverdi's 1640 opera Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria.  In this introspective recitativo-like aria from Act I, the hero (usually sung by a tenor) awakens on the beach. Mr. Hoffman sang it with such depth of feeling that we were deeply moved. He used his impressive instrument with agility and dynamic variety.

This was not enough for Ms. DiDonato! She worked with Mr. Hoffman on being IN the harmony of the "orchestra", singing INTO what was going on underneath the vocal line, in this case the marvelous piano work of William Kelley whom we much admire. This is an exquisitely fine point about which we knew very little.  We so greatly appreciated the opportunity to learn along with Mr. Hoffman about playing with the "temperament" of the note.  And we always thought a note was a note!  Oh, no!  That's where the color comes from.  Great lesson for Mr. Hoffman and for us.

We do love the counter-tenor fach and have enjoyed Jakub Józef Orliński's voice on a number of occasions. His instrument sounds like the voice of an angel, if one tries to imagine what that would sound like.  He sang "Agitato da fiere tempeste" from Händel's Oreste and impressed us, and Ms. DiDonato, with his musicality. She observed that he sang it like an instrumentalist.

But that was not enough. She was looking for some legato passages to work on and asked him to sing his other selection "Vedro con mio diletto" from Vivaldi's Giustino. She picked up some tension and resistance that she tackled by dancing him around the stage. She worked with him on releasing the breath and sighing it out without effort. He could work on this by slurring instead of singing each note.  Indeed it made a difference as he relaxed his effort and achieved a more spontaneous sound.

Soprano Christine Price tackled a difficult Mozart aria--"Ach, ich liebte" from Die Entführung aus dem Serail.  Most of the lesson revolved around using the mental image of opening up spaces in the mask, thereby keeping the voice out of the throat.

Mezzo-soprano Samantha Hankey worked diligently on "Allez, laissez-moi seul" from Massenet's Cendrillon.  Most of the work was on moving the energy. It was helpful when Ms. DiDonato spun Ms. Hankey around the stage. Perhaps this strategy works so well because the singer is distracted from making efforts toward perfection. She was further instructed to keep strictly to the tempo, to keep moving forward and through the consonants to the end of the phrase.

In all four students we noticed subtle improvements that were very gratifying. The Collaborative Piano Department provided the wonderful Mr. Kelley who played for all the singers except for Mr. Orliński, whose piano partner was Michal Biel. They make a great team.

(c) 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

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

OFF WITH HER HEAD

Elza van den Heever

Joyce DiDonato

Two queens did  battle on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera in Donizetti's worthy Maria Stuarda, based upon the Schiller play (which took some large liberties with history).  Not the knock-down drag-out fight between the two divas in the 1835 opening, but the battle of two characters of varying temperaments and character--the shrewd and brilliant Protestant Elizabeth and the emotional and sensual Mary Queen of Scots, a Catholic without honor in her own country.  What was most thrilling about the production was the contrast between two prime donne--soprano Elza van den Heever as Elisabetta and mezzo Joyce DiDonato as the hapless Maria.  We are convinced that these two superstars, unlike the two divas of 1835, got along just fine backstage!

Donizetti's writing for the voice is thrilling and just needs the right voices to bring it to life; here we had the right voices.  Ms. van den Heever has a bright penetrating sound and the agility to master the fioritura of the bel canto style, sadly missing from last season's production of Anna Bolena also at the Met.  Ms. DiDonato has a mellower sound, full of pathos and vulnerability except in the scene where she verbally attacks Elisabetta with vile insults, instead of assuming a modest submissive mien which might have saved her life.  Ms. DiDonato is likewise a master of the bel canto style with incredible precision in her runs and a trill to die for.

There is not much to the story.  The Earl of Leister, winningly sung by Matthew Polenzani, wants Elisabetta to forgive Maria, or at least to meet with her and consider it.  They meet in a forest outside the prison in which Maria has been sequestered.  The meeting goes badly and Maria is condemned to death by chopping block.  Maria is also supported by George Talbot, well-sung by bass Matthew Rose, and her companion Jane, equally well-sung by sturdy mezzo Maria Zifchak.  Taking Elisabetta's side is her Secretary of State Lord Cecil, sung by the fine baritone Joshua Hopkins.  But it is the two stars that carry the show.

David McVicar's production is inoffensive, properly accurate in time and place.  No great risks are taken, which is all to the good so that we can focus on the music.  Sets and costumes by John Macfarlane are acceptable in that the sets suggest the halls of the various palaces but a bit strange when the forest is set off by steps on all sides, reminding one of Chichen Itza.
The costumes in the first scene are all white against a background of bloody red, probably meant to be symbolic of the bloodshed to come but not at all suggestive of the court of that epoch.  In the final scene, the characters are all in black.  A bit obvious, no?

Musical values were strong all-around.  Maestro Maurizio Benini evinced an unusually clear and nuanced reading of the score while supporting the singers totally.  There was a memorable moment when Ms. DiDonato produced one of the finest diminuendi ever heard while Maestro Benini held the orchestra down.  Unforgettable!

The Met chorus sang with its customary verve and clarity of diction.  They opened the opera with a joyful chorus about Elisabetta's impending marriage and closed the opera with a mournful dirge about Maria's impending death.  We watch Maria's ascent to the scaffold with the looming figure of the executioner--waiting.

(c) meche kroop