HÉROdiade!

Maestro Keith Chambers and Cast of Massenet's Hérodiade

The title of this review is not a typing error. We see Maestro Keith Chambers as a HERO on Planet Opera for introducing us to works that are insufficiently performed and for finding the perfect cast to fill the roles. 

We might also mention that Maestro Eve Queler is similarly a HEROine for providing New Amsterdam Opera with the score. She last presented Massenet's Hérodiade in 1995 with a young Renée Fleming as Salome. It seems to us that Maestro Chambers is similarly gifted in choosing singers destined for major success.

We pondered why this opera is so rarely produced and this led to the following speculation. A very worthy opera can readily be eclipsed when another composer tackles the same material in a way that pleases the public more. For example, Rossini's Il barbiere di Siviglia stole the thunder from the Paisiello iteration, one we enjoyed immensely when produced by On Site Opera. Similarly, Otto Nicolai's Die lustigen weiber von Windsor, recently presented by Juilliard Opera, and Salieri's Falstaff, recently produced by Dell'Arte Opera Ensemble, were both overshadowed by Verdi's Falstaff.

No doubt, Richard Strauss' 1905 Salome, adapted from an 1891 Oscar Wilde play, drew attention away from Jules Massenet's 1881 Hérodiade by means of its lurid story and modern music. This is a shame because Paul Milliet and Henri Grémont's libretto tells the tale from a different point of view (based on an 1877 novella by Gustave Flaubert) and Massenet's music is compelling although refined; the melodic nature of the arias causes them to be sung in recitals and competitions.

Strangely, neither composer nor librettists were mentioned in the program! However, the synopsis was quite complete and a minimal knowledge of French allowed the members of the audience to follow along quite well, assisted by some superlative diction by the singers. Titles might have been helpful but were not absolutely necessary.

Maestro Chambers led the New Amsterdam Opera Orchestra with Stephan Fillare as a most effective concertmaster. The orchestra occupied the entire stage with the fine chorus elevated behind the orchestra. The singers stood in front of the orchestra and we couldn't figure out how they were able to follow the conducting so well but they did. We have nothing but good things to say about the pacing and the balance. We were happy not to have to watch the ballets that are so much a part of French opera but are rarely well done.

The singers were superb across the board and everyone's French was clear. The title role was performed by mezzo-soprano Janara Kellerman whose tone is plush and dusky. Her character has (backstory here) abandoned her daughter to wed King Herod and is consumed with jealousy by his interest in Salomé even before she acknowledges her as the abandoned daughter. We all know about denial, don't we? She is also vengeful and wants Jean (John the Baptist) dead because he insulted her. Her "Ne me refuse pas" was delivered with intense passion, a touch of manipulation and an affecting pianissimo.

Soprano Mary Stonikas was similarly superb in the role of Salomé, a very different character than the one in the Strauss opera. This young woman is victim, not predator. Her only consolation in her abandoned state has been Jean for whom she has developed a deep devotion and a pure love. Her character gets the first major aria of the opera "Il est doux, il est bon"; the way Ms. Stonikas colored her voice along with a fine vibrato revealed her sweetness. She has a lovely "ping" in the upper register.

The character of Hérode was magnificently realized by baritone Jason Duika. His character had more dimension than the others as he struggled with his lust and political issues. He seemed to care for his wife but was obsessed with Salomé. His virile instrument is of fine and full tone and his delivery of "Vision fugitive" was impassioned and moving. When he approaches Salomé he repeats her name countless times and always with a different color!

Like any ruler, he has his hands full trying to deal with Roman occupation and a people who seem to want freedom from Roman rule but are easily "bought" by promises from Vitellius, the Roman consul--a role excellently sung by young baritone Charles Eaton. Hérode's position is complicated by the presence of Jean who also has a following. He would like to enlist Jean's help but his wife wants the prophet dead. In this admirable performance, Mr. Duika was able to convey all kinds of emotions vocally since singing behind a music stand prevents the gestures and movements that tell us so much about a character.

As Jean, we heard tenor Errin Duane Brooks who delivers the final memorable aria "Adieu donc, vains objets qui nous charment sur terre" with ringing tone.

The role of Phanuel was sung by the rich-voiced bass-baritone Isaiah Musik-Ayala and the very pretty young soprano Brooklyn Snow sang the role of a Babylonian woman who provides an hallucinatory potion for Hérode. She has a well-focused instrument with pleasing colors that should take her far.

We particularly enjoyed the blending of voices in the quartet which ends Act II--Hérode, Hérodiade, Phanuel, and Vitellius--and the sextet which ends Act III. Orchestral playing was remarkable throughout with Maestro Chambers showing a keen ear for Massenet's lovely music. We enjoyed the heraldic moments given to the brass which told us when we were in the palace-- as effectively as any scenery might have. And the hints of exoticism in the score were not neglected.

What a special evening! We would love to see a full production with the same cast, unconstrained by music stands and able to move around the stage. Won't someone build a mid-size theater with an orchestra pit?

(c) meche kroop

HONORED BY JUILLIARD

Chris Reynolds and Natalia Kutateladze

Chris Reynolds and Felicia Moore

Last night we attended the Juilliard Vocal Arts Honors Recital at Alice Tully Hall. Voice teachers nominate singers to audition for this honor and the competition is keen. One of the judges happened to be Jennifer Zetlan, a Juilliard alumna whom we just reviewed last night in On Site Opera's Morning Star.  

Each singer chose her own program and both were accompanied by the talented collaborative pianist Chris Reynolds.

The ravishing mezzo-soprano Natalia Kutateladze opened her half of the program with a chanson by Jules Massenet; The text by Louis Pierre Gabriel Bernard Morel-Retz, entitled "Amoureuses" was highly romantic and Ms. Kutateladze performed it in perfect French with spot-on phrasing.

A set of songs by Tchaikovsky showed how they sound at their very best, sung by someone so comfortable in the language that the songs are more inhabited than performed. Although we do not speak or understand Russian, we were able to appreciate the marvelous marriage of music and text.

"None but the Lonely Heart" is a setting of a Russian translation of Goethe's text "Nur wer die sehnsucht kennt" from Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre, a text so potent that it appealed to a list of composers longer than the text. We mostly know it as one of the Mignon songs.

"Was I Not a Blade of Grass in the Field?" struck us with the sadness of a young woman married off to a man she does not love. She compares herself to a blade of grass that was mowed down.

Tolstoy's text "Amidst the Din of the Ball" motivated Tchaikovsky to write a most marvelous and memorable melody. A man sees a woman at a ball and thinks he has fallen in love with her.

With all that gorgeous melody, we still think the Pushkin text "Don't Sing to Me, My Beauty" is our favorite Russian song. Rachmaninoff gave it a haunting melody that could make anyone homesick. Each and every one of these Russian songs was sung with artistry and deep emotional commitment.

The final set on the program comprised Manuel de Falla's Siete canciones populares españolas.  The advantage for us was that we understand Spanish and thus were able to appreciate Ms. Kutateladze's skill for word coloration and the creation of a mood. We adore this cycle, the first song of which gives us an ironic metaphor for men's negative attitude towards women's sexual expression. "El Paño Moruno" describes a cloth that has lost its value because of a stain.

The same judgmental attitude appears in "Seguidilla murciana", only this time the metaphor is a coin that has passed from hand to hand so much that it has become blurry and no one will accept it!

"Asturiana" is a song of deep sorrow and the search for consolation in nature, whereas "Nana" is a tender lullaby. "Canción" tells of lost love in a mournful way, whilst "Polo" tells of lost love in an angry bitter way.

It was a revelation to hear Ms. Kutateladze create the right mood for each song and to color each important word in a way that extracted every ounce of significance. With her gorgeous instrument, vital stage presence, intense involvement, and consummate musicianship, this is an artist to watch, one destined for stardom. Watch for her in the upcoming Juilliard Opera next month.

Soprano Felicia Moore walks onstage with such presence that one knows in advance that one is in for a treat.  Of course, having heard her many times before, we have advance knowledge. We can tell when a singer loves to sing!

One doesn't get enough Sibelius at song recitals so we were happy that Ms. Moore decided to invest so much energy into learning to sing in Swedish. From Five Songs, Op. 37, she sang one we'd never heard "Soluppgång", and two we know and love.

"Flickan kom ifrån sin älsklings mote" tells of a girl who hides the signs of a lovers' meeting from her mother until she suffers from her lover's abandonment.  "Var det en dröm" is a song of nostalgia in which the poet recalls his lost love as a dream. Ms. Moore invested each song with depth and meaning.

Her gleaming instrument was put to good use in songs from Wagner's Wesendonck Lieder. We particularly loved the way collaborative pianist Chris Reynolds created a meditative mood for "Im Treibhaus" in which Wesendonck uses the metaphor of plants in a hothouse to represent the feelings of someone who is far from their homeland. We speculated that she herself was away from home but we were wrong.  She was German through and through.

In "Stehe still!",  Mr. Reynolds hands created the pianistic equivalent of a perpetual motion machine, indicating the rushing of time. Ms. Moore responded in beautiful partnership. By the fourth verse, things have calmed down and both artists responded with lyricism to the concept of souls sinking into each other.

"Traume" recreates the evanescent world of dreams in a highly poetic way and gave Ms. Moore another opportunity to create a sound world of delicacy.

Her program ended with selections from Aaron Copland's Twelve Poems of Emily Dickinson. We confess to no great love for poet or composer, which didn't stop us from appreciating Ms. Moore's superb performance. There were little touches that lent a high degree of artistry such as the enhanced vibrato on the final word of "Nature, the Gentlest Mother" and the way she left the final note of "The Chariot" hanging in the air.

The cutest song was the most timely--"Dear March, Come In!" a cute sentiment that made us want to like Dickinson more than we do.  It is just a fact that each of us has his/her taste and ours leans toward any language but English and any period prior to (but including) Richard Strauss!

That being said, Copland wrote some very interesting figures for the piano part of "Nature, the Gentlest Mother", and Mr. Reynolds' smashing piano technique and interpretive artistry brought them out.

Like nearly all the singers coming out of Juilliard Vocal Arts Department, Ms. Moore evinces those Juilliard qualities--presence, dramatic skills, expressive vocal technique, fine phrasing, and linguistic skills.  There must be something in the water!

(c) meche kroop

MALFITANO MAGIC

Catherine Malfitano's third-year voice students at Manhattan School of Music

Getting a crowd to spend their Saturday night listening to third-year music students sounds like a hard sell but then Greenfield Hall at Manhattan School of Music was filled to the last row with enthusiastic music lovers who were there to celebrate the unique achievements of this wildly talented group of young artists, talented beyond their years.  There must be a cause!  Of course there is!

The ebullient soprano Catherine Malfitano has taken this class of 26 singers and, over the course of a year, transformed them into an ensemble that can use nothing but their voices and their bodies to lead you down the path of enjoyment of works both familiar and lesser known. Sets are superfluous when the acting is so on point. Although we enjoyed the familiar works, we were most interested in the introduction we received to operas we have never seen produced.

The evening comprised French opera scenes, most of them lighthearted, and we are pleased to note that French diction was held to the highest standard.  Even when the scenes were new to us, the French was so well enunciated and the emotions so well revealed that there was no difficulty understanding what was happening.

Gounod and Bizet were represented but the most scenes were given to works by Jacques Offenbach and Jules Massenet. Casting was accomplished with a great deal of flexibility with many roles shared by two or three singers. Occasionally, roles were given to singers from a fach variant to that which the composer intended, but it was never a problem. Every singer sounded absolutely right. That in itself is a small miracle.

We love Offenbach and have seen and adored his 1868 opera bouffe, La Perichole. The heroine is a sassy piece of work and was here performed jointly by sopranos Aleksandra Durin and Tzuting Tsai with tenor Mimi Chiu as her lover Piquillo. The staging allowed for some competition between the two Pericholes. The music, performed on the piano by Eric Sedgwick, was filled with music hall joy.

The composer's 1858 parody of Gluck's Orfeo,  Orphee aux Enfers involved a Eurydice who is not losing any love over her Orphee. We were impressed by the fine tenor Ramon Gabriel Tenefrancia who had two superb Eurydices to annoy with his virtual violin--Ashely Lea and Hyejin Yoon.

The final work on the program was Offenbach's more serious 1881 work, Les contes d'Hoffmann. We got to hear three Giuliettas, all admirable--Shelen Hughes, Monica Gonzalez, and Makila Redick. Baritone Yichen Xue gave a fine performance of "Scintille, diamant" in which Dapertutto convinces Giuietta to steal Hoffman's reflection. Hoffman was portrayed by Joshua Ross with Rong Yue as Nicklaus. This is one of our favorite operas and we were delighted to get a hearing.

Massenet was represented by his often seen 1884 Manon, a tragedy, and his 1905 comedy Cherubin, which seems ripe for revival with its convoluted plot and gorgeous music. In the former, we enjoyed the first scene in which the aristocrats from Paris arrive with their three "actress" companions and, express their quality of entitlement to the beleaguered innkeeper (Clayton Matthews). The aristocrats were sung by Yiqiao Zhou and Yichen Xue. Their companions were portrayed by Blair Cagney, Melanie Hope Long, and Shelen Hughes. We have never seen singers have so much fun with their roles!

Manon herself was sung by the tiny powerhouse Lauren Lynch who captivated one and all with her "Profitons bien de la jeunesse".  In the Act IV quartet, Ms. Long exchanged roles with Ms. Lynch.

Massenet's Cherubin is yet another entry in the tale of the Count and Countess Almaviva and Cherubino, but done more as a French farce. In the scene from Act II, soprano Juliana Levinson sang the part of L"Ensoleillad with mezzo-soprano Gabriella Chea singing the eponymous hero. It was difficult to tell who was seducing whom but the audience loved the uninhibited body language and we loved the way the voices blended.

This opera goes on our wish list, as does Charles Gounod's 1864 Mireille in which the title role was shared by two lovely sopranos who harmonized to perfection--Ms. Redick and Ms. Hughes.

There were also two scenes from Carmen, Georges Bizet's 1875 masterpiece. We always love the scene in which Carmen declines to join her smuggler friends and elicits their hilarity with her protestation of being amoureuse. Mezzo-soprano Catarina Veytia mad a fine Carmen with Gabriella Will and Ms. Cagney as Frasquita and Mercedes. Mr. Matthews sang El Dancairo and El Remendado was sung by Mr. Zhou.

The Act III fortune-telling scene had Cynthia Soyeon Yu as Frasquita and Ziyi Dai as Mercedes. Mr. Sedgwick's piano was particularly wonderful in this portentous scene.

It was a most delightful evening from start to finish and left us incredulous that third-year music students could perform in such an accomplished fashion. What a pleasure to hear healthy young voices in the service of drama, entertainment, and artistry. Ms. Malfitano's magic never ceases to amaze!

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THE OTHER CINDERELLA

Zen Wu, Melissa Serlluco, Ryan Slone, Jeff Goble, Caroline Tye, Alison Cheeseman, and Hayden DeWitt

When thinking about operatic versions of Cinderella, most people think of Rossini's La Cenerentola. But Massenet's 1899 opera Cendrillon offers many delights, including a luscious score with many fine arias and ensembles and a libretto (by Henri Caïn) that hews more closely to the original Perrault story which was already two centuries old. It can be taken as a tale of a highly dysfunctional family.

Papa Pandolfe (warmly portrayed by Jeff Goble) has taken as his second wife the harridan Madame de la Haltière (the over-the-top Caroline Tye) who has brought with her two spoiled daughters Noémie (Zen Wu) and Dorothée (Melissa Serluco). Pandolfe's daughter Lucette (Alison Cheeseman) is adored by her father, who feels guilty for neglecting her, and barely tolerated by her step-family.  This feels so relevant today when "blended families" are quite common.

William Remmers' Utopia Opera operates under a rather unique concept. Audience members vote online for the operas they want to hear the following season. We are consistently amazed by how Maestro Remmers rises to every challenge and comes up with a solution to the problem of combining entertainment and professionalism on a miniscule budget.

Although we always enjoy ourselves and admire the creativity, last night we were wildly impressed by the superlative performances of every performer and the innovative direction of Mr. Remmers who truly knows how to tell a story and to tell it well. We were engrossed and enchanted.

Although there is no scenery and barely any props, the story is told and told well. Costumes are of the "let's put on a show" variety. We imagine cast members rummaging through closets and coming up with something to express the characters they are portraying.  Most original of all was the black tie,  top hat , white silk scarf, and cigarette holder of The Fairy Godmother. The description sounds odd but, trust us, it worked incredibly well. Her fairy spirits dressed completely in white.

Lucette appears first in dowdy clothes of nondescript color and later in a shimmery garment with sparkly shoes. The henpecked Pandolfe wears a velvet jacket. Member of Lucette's step-family wear lavish ball gowns.

We first saw Cendrillon at the Santa Fe Opera ten years ago in a beautiful Laurent Pelly production with Joyce Di Donato in the title role-- and again two year ago at Juilliard with Julia Bullock. We were delighted both times but there was something about the intimacy of the Utopia Opera production that will stay in our mind.

There are a number of unforgettable scenes that one is not likely to forget!  You must see for yourself.

Massenet's music is deliciously romantic; Remmers' 19-member orchestra did the score justice once Mr. Remmers' baton brought them all together and achieved balance between the strings and the winds. We were particularly taken by the English horn solos of Zachary Rosalinsky which accompanied the love duets. The love duet between Pandolfe and Lucette was just as fine as that between her and Prince Charming.

Ms. Cheeseman made a winsome Lucette, one we could care about. We could feel compassion for Mr. Goble's Pandolfe who just made a bad marital decision. We could laugh at the domineering step-mother and the ridiculously entitled and sulky step-sisters. But we were most enthralled by the otherwordly magic of Angela Dinkelman's Fairy Godmother whose costume played so strongly against our expectations. Massenet gave her the best music and she didn't let him down!

Even the chorus was well-rehearsed. The fine direction led to camera-perfect stage pictures such that we have spent hours editing down the multiplicity of shots. And we must mention the fine French diction that was totally understandable.  Our companion told us that the titles were down for a period and we never noticed!

If you have been tempted to share our joy by attending, you will find the Lang Recital Hall at Hunter College to have superb sight lines and you will be amazed at the ridiculously low ticket prices. This same cast will perform next Saturday night, with a (likely just as fine) second cast performing tonight and next Friday night. You won't be disappointed!

(c) meche kroop

WERTHER brought to you by MARTHA CARDONA OPERA

Kian Freitas, Katy Lindhart, Maestro Keith Chambers, Thomas Cannon, Ola Rafalo, and Alex Richardson

The stage of Merkin Concert Hall is not large but it was large enough to hold an orchestra, with the singers giving a semi-staged performance over to the side. The somewhat reduced orchestra, conducted by Maestro Keith Chambers, came together nicely after a very slightly ragged overture and did full justice to Massenet's marvelous score for Werther.

The opera premiered in 1892, first in German (!) and shortly thereafter in the original French in Geneva. In a couple years it was presented by The Metropolitan Opera in New York, and a few years later found a home at the Opéra Comique in Paris. It remains part of the standard repertory until this very day and we were delighted that the Martha Cardona Opera, founded by Daniel Cardona, decided to present it.

We keep learning new things about opera with every performance and what we learned last night was that the singers cannot really hear the orchestra when they are on the same level. This did not stop mezzo-soprano Ola Rafalo, in the role of Charlotte, from cutting right through their sound with her distinctive and richly textured voice. The interesting texture and generous vibrato were very much to our liking. She was outstanding in her moving third act aria "Va! Laisse couler mes larmes".

Baritone Thomas Cannon created a sympathetic portrait of Charlotte's husband Albert, a role upon which we do not customarily focus. In Act II, he is rather sympathetic to Werther's predicament--that of loving a woman he cannot have. But when he realizes that Werther might be a rival for Charlotte's affection, you could see the change in his body and gesture, as well as hear the alteration in his vocal color. He is only too happy to provide the pistols to Werther! This fine baritone exhibited a creamy and mellow sound that was most agreeable to the ear.

As little sister Sophie, soprano Katy Lindhart used her bright and focused soprano to provide a vocal and dramatic foil for her big sister. We liked her stage presence as well as her voice. Her Act III scene with Charlotte was pure delight.

Baritone Kian Freitas made a fine papa, caring and loving toward his children but also able to join his friends Schmidt (tenor Lindell Carter) and Johann (baritone LaMarcus Miller) for some tippling at the tavern. All three men sang well.

Tenor Alex Richardson seemed to be having a bad night. When the orchestra was playing at low volume, we heard some sweet sounds, of which we'd like to hear more. Sadly, when the orchestra was playing in full force, he tended to push his voice in the upper register, instead of floating the notes. This is a feature to which we are highly sensitive and it was not pleasing to the ear. On the plus side, he did throw himself into the role of the unfortunate Werther and his French diction could not be faulted.

The excellent children's chorus was provided by The Long Island City Academy of Music Youth Choir. The young singers portraying Charlotte's brothers and sisters included Bryan Acosta, Ellis Adams, Lara Akarca, Nina Benson, Bianca Benson, Sebastian Czaplicki, Leah Friedman, Isabel Söhngen, and Nora Yoo. Musical preparation was by Oliver Söhngen.

The story takes place in the late 18th c., a time when deathbed promises were made and kept, a time when romance was not the chief justification for marriage. Charlotte had promised her mother to marry Albert as the mother lay dying. Before the marriage was performed, when Albert was absent, she apparently spent a lot of time with Werther, reading poetry and doing other harmless things. She repressed her growing attraction to him but he was unable to do the same.

Once she wed, she was obliged to send him away.  When he returns, the charade could no longer be sustained.  They embrace and she rejects him. He kills himself with Albert's pistols but achieves some happiness by dying in her arms.

This scenario, adapted from an epistolary novel by Goethe, is such a product of an earlier epoch, that it demands more stylized comportment than was exhibited onstage in this semi-staged production. Modern dress did nothing to create the illusion we wanted to experience. That is the negative consequence of this type of production.  A positive aspect is that one gets to focus on the music.

(c) meche kroop

OUR WINDMILLS HAVE BEEN TILTED

Babette Hierholzer, Robert Osborne, Lydia Ciaputa, and Conor Chinitz

We were trying to figure out why we were lately hearing so much music related to the character of Don Quixote and learned that this is the 400th anniversary of the publication of Part II of Miguel Cervantes' masterpiece. This figure has inspired choreographers and composers since the work was published. Obviously the word "quixotic" came from the eponymous character.

Last night in the grand hall of The Hispanic Society, against a backdrop of centuries of Spanish art, bass-baritone Robert Osborne brought this character to musical life in an involving and ultimately moving program which he conceived and created--a program entitled Don Quixote in Music.

The first part of the program was devoted to the 1712 cantata by Jean-Baptiste Morin entitled Dom Quixotte which Mr. Osborne sang in French, so clearly enunciated that we understood every word. Accompanied by violinist Judson Griffin playing an instrument as old as the Cervantes' work (!), cellist David Bakamjian, and harpsichordist Alexandra Snyder Dunbar, his rich voice was well employed in the descriptive recitativi, 

The arias, on the other hand, seemed to be the very words spoken by Don Q. Following a lovely theme in the violin, the section "Mort de Dom Quixotte" seemed to be in march tempo. The sad effects were achieved by color without a trace of sentimentality.

The second half of the program was more dramatic as Mr. Osborne was assisted into some very authentic appearing armor and cape by Sancho Panza, portrayed by Conor Chinitz. When he donned the helmet and picked up the halberd, he looked astonishingly like Don Q. himself. With his sharply chiseled features he cut a fine figure.

Alternating works by several composers, both vocal and instrumental, followed a line from the hero's departure through to his death. Interestingly none of the works were written in Spanish although some Spanish composers have composed such works.

We greatly enjoyed the early 20th c. songs by Jacques Ibert, particularly the "Chanson du départ" which had a distinctly Spanish flavor, as did his lovely "Chanson à Dulcinée".

Maurice Ravel's "Chanson à boire" lent a note of comic relief.  It's a rowdy song we never tire of hearing and it was fun seeing our hero passing out on the floor.  In contrast, Mr. Osborne delivered the moving and spiritual "Chanson épique" on his knees in prayerful pose.

Selections from Jules Massenet's late opera, the 1910 Don Quichotte, a comédie-héroïque, included the "Sérénade de Don Quichotte" in which accompanying pianist Babette Hierholzer effectively brought out the octave tremoli. The final scene of his death was most effectively rendered in "Écoute, mon ami, je me sens bien malade". Although she appeared only briefly as Dulcinée, singing from the balcony above, soprano Lydia Ciaputa sounded ethereal while Conor Chinitz sounded earthy as Sancho Panza.

The only music that didn't seem to advance the plot much was that composed by the 11-year-old Erich Wolfgang Korngold. There was nothing about these instrumental pieces that seemed related to the story but they did give evidence of the success that lay down the road and, more importantly, let us enjoy the fine playing of Ms. Hierholzer.

This was the second time this week that we have enjoyed a work created to tell a story, using a pastiche of music.(See review entitled Discovering Mrs. Rossini.). It is a marvelous genre, one which we thoroughly enjoyed and hope to hear more of.

As we exited the gorgeous Hispanic Society building we smiled at the statue of our hero casting a shadow on the wall

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IF THE SHOE FITS....

Julia Bullock, Lacey Jo Benter, Elizabeth Sutphen (photo by Nan Melville)

It was a triumph of casting, staging and performance last night as Juilliard Opera presented Jules Massenet's 1899 opera Cendrillon.  Although updated to post-World War II Paris, the spirit of la belle époque shone through in the charming melodies and romantic sentiment.  If you did not smile from ear to ear when Lucette was reunited with her Prince Charming then you are immune to joy.

The libretto by Henri Cain hews closely to the Perrault fairy tale, as Rossini's Cenerentola (seen across the plaza at The Metropolitan Opera) does not.  The starring role was wisely given to the incomparable soprano Julia Bullock who is currently rocking the opera world with her gorgeous voice, stage presence and dramatic skills.

Here, she has created a truly lovable character who is not quite downtrodden, just neglected.  Her role gave her a chance to portray effectively a wide range of emotions, including terror.  Her opening aria showed her nobility of character.  Her duets with Prince Charming and with Pandolfe were equally memorable.

Poor Papa Pandolfe (the fine baritone Szymon Komasa) is the ultimate henpecked husband of the imperious and unpleasant Madame de la Haltière, brought to vivid life by the superb mezzo Avery Amereau.  Clearly, this character in this production gets by on the basis of stunning good looks and an acute sense of fashion!

Her daughters Noémie and Dorothée (here performed respectively by the excellent soprano Lilla Heinrich Szász and the fine mezzo Marguerite Jones) are neither vicious nor ridiculous, only privileged and controlled by their helicopter mother.  Indeed, one might say the story unreels as a domestic drama about a dysfunctional family.

But then, there is the magic of the fairy-tale component, so inextricably woven together with the reality.  And oh, what a piece of magic is soprano Elizabeth Sutphen whose thrilling coloratura nailed the florid trills and turns and runs of the Fairy Godmother. 

In the travesti role of Prince Charming, Lacey Jo Benter was completely believable as the bored and lonely prince whose father (the excellent bass Önay Köse) wants him to marry.  Ms. Benter sang with a warm tone, lovely phrasing and nearly perfect French diction (confirmed by our native French-speaking companion), obviating the need to look at the sur-titles.  Come to think of it, that was true for the rest of the cast as well.  What a treat it was to just sit and listen without reading!
 
 In the roles of the Prince's staff, we enjoyed tenor James Edgar Knight and baritones Kurt Kanazawa and Joe Eletto.  We couldn't imagine better casting.

The Juilliard Orchestra, always excellent, responded to the lively conducting of Emmanuel Villaume, who also addressed the audience in the persona of Charles de Gaulle, a fine touch.  The music ranges from sweet gentle love melodies to the rapid-fire and energetic music of the bickering family, while the fairy music has an other-worldly feel.  All were effectively communicated.

A fine directorial hand was shown by Peter Kazaras.  It was an interesting choice to set the piece in 1947, the only anachronism being the presence of a king and a prince.  However, the directorial choice allowed for some interesting sets and costumes.  Sadly, the extensive ballet was cut.

Scenic Designer Donald Eastman created a very authentic appearing bistrot, complete with Thonet chairs.  Lucette's step-mother was the proprietress with Papa being the barman.  When the fairy godmother gets Lucette and the Prince together, it is not in a garden but in a cinema.

Costumes were witty and accurate to the period with Lucette's ball gown evoking Dior's "New Look" in Schiaparelli pink--simply gorgeous.  The Fairy Godmother looked rather prim with eyeglasses and a tailored suit.  Her six helpers were dressed like bellboys; think vintage Philip Morris advertisements.  In a stroke of luxury casting, we heard Kelsey Lauritano, Nicolette Mavroleon, Hannah McDermott, Mary-Elizabeth O'Neill, Kara Sainz and Angela Vallone.  We heard them but we would never have recognized them in those costumes and wigs.

We have only seen this opera once before, in Santa Fe about 8 years ago.  Joyce DiDonato sang the lead, Eglise Gutierrez sang the Fairy Godmother and Jennifer Holloway sang the Prince.  Our notes read (verbatim) "Best opera of the Santa Fe season.  Original costumes, colorful and outlandish".  Now we have two stellar productions to hold in our memory.

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TILTING AT WINDMILLS

Alexander Charles Boyd, Bryce Smith

We are happy to report that opera is not a dying art as some would have us believe; it is alive and well in the hands of small opera companies which present operas on shoe-string budgets in small venues.  There is no shortage of talent in New York and some fine work can be produced using available performers in the vocal and instrumental areas; only set designers and costume designers are unnecessary.  Imagination can replace big budgets.

This weekend Utopia Opera presented a stage-worthy production of Massenet's  1910 opera Don Quichotte.  This is their third season and our only regret is that of missing the two prior seasons.  An interesting wrinkle is that the company allows its FB  "likers" to vote on which operas to present.  Don Q was an excellent choice, especially because it is rarely performed and we valued the opportunity to make its acquaintance.

The music is typically Massenet with its lovely expansive melodies, beginning with the muscular overture which then yields to a tender lyrical theme.  Maestro William Remmers hosted the evening with some amusing remarks and then conducted the reduced size orchestra, which was sufficient to fill the Lang Recital Hall of Hunter College with just enough sound.  Notably, he also plays the guitar--a true polymath.

The text by Henri Caïn is not based on the Cervantes tale but rather on a 1904 play by Jacques Le Lorrain.  It is a tragedy but not without its moments of humor.  Don Q is a tragic figure, out of tune with the world he lives in and the object of scorn and ridicule.  He lives in a world of dream and illusion with his only support coming from his manservant Sancho Panza who is a realist--a relationship not unlike that of Tamino and Papageno.  Don Q can be thought of as a holy fool or a ridiculous saint, a knight who champions the poor and the oppressed.

Obviously, the success of the opera rests on the shoulders of the man who performs the role of Don Q and, in this case, bass Bryce Smith rose to the occasion and gave us a character who aroused our sympathy, admiration and ultimately tears inn his final moving duet with Sancho Panza.  Sancho Panza was well portrayed by baritone Alexander Charles Boyd whose loyalty to and protection of his master was inspiring.

Kimberly Sogioka made an excellent Dulcinée; she is a flirt but not a cruel one.  Surrounded by admirers, she is bored and wants something else but cannot yield to Don Q's love.  She sends him on a fool's errand to recover her necklace which had been stolen by bandits.  Don Q is ready to do battle with the entire band of thieves and they are ready to hang him; the eloquence of his words and his saintliness cause them to release him and forfeit the necklace.

The work was staged by Maestro William Remmers himself and it was staged with imagination.  Flamenco dancers with castanets (Ami Otero and Angel Betancourt) were on hand to create a Spanish atmosphere.  Don Q and Sancho Panza rode in on hobby horses.  The most imaginative scene involved twirling umbrellas to represent the windmills that Don Q believed to be giants he should attack.  Mr. Smith's acting was so fine that you could see the scene through his eyes.

Our only disappointment was the lack of bios for the singers.  We heard some fine tenor voices (Jacob Agar and Brian Long as Rodriguez and Juan),and some lovely singing from two sopranos in pants roles  (Maggie Finnegan and Sarah Bleasedale).

The wild applause at the end served to confirm our own conviction that this is a company to watch.  How gratifying it is to see an audience comprising mainly young people!  We urge you to "like" Utopia Opera on Facebook so that you too can vote for upcoming productions.  As for us, we already have Die Freischutz on our calendar for the weekend of 3/21 and Falstaff for the weekend of 6/27.

ⓒ meche kroop

MASSENET SONG CYCLES

Linda Hall

Jules Massenet

Damien Top

A centennial tribute to French composer Jules Massenet was given under the auspices of the New York Chamber Musical Festival at Symphony Space.  Four song cycles were performed by tenor Damien Top and pianist Linda Hall, one of them an American premiere.

This was a splendid opportunity to hear some infrequently performed works given a sensitive reading by a native speaker of the language.  While not possessed of the most gorgeous instrument, Mr. Top sang in true French style with lovely warm phrasing, delicacy and total involvement with the material.  Ms. Hall partnered with the lightest of touch, painting pictures with her fingers.

The first cycle, Poème d'Avril was written in 1866 with all the fervor of a young man exploring the many faces of love, from anticipation to regret over its ending.  Massenet was experimenting at this time with the incorporation of declamatory lines alternating with singing, an interesting choice if it pleases your ear.  We ourselves prefer a sung line.  A decade later, Massenet wrote the next cycle on the program, Poème d'Octobre, which alternated between moods of nostalgia and passion.

It would be another two decades before he wrote Poème d'un Soir and the final work on the program, Expressions Lyriques was not published until 1913, just after his death, but had been composed in the last ten years of his life.  In this cycle, he returned to the aforementioned compositional style of his early years with yet more spoken passages.  The most passionate song in this group is the last letter Werther wrote to Charlotte, "La dérniere lettre de Werther á Charlotte".

Of course, Massenet composed many other song cycles which we long to hear and appreciate for their delicate finely wrought melodies and equally fine accompaniment.  We would, of course, wish to hear them in a more intimate space than Symphony Space where the appreciative audience seemed but a smattering in the large auditorium.

(c) meche kroop