NOT JUST ANOTHER COMPETITION

Singers and Judges in Premiere Opera Foundation's International Vocal Competition Finals Concert

This was a great week for vocal competitions; we attended three of them! Truth to tell, there is nothing we enjoy more than these events. We get to hear a wide variety of material sung by some of the best vocal talent around. We get to watch the growth of young singers with whom we are familiar and we get to meet young singers from other cities that we don't usually get to hear.

Although all competitions share common features like excitement and cash prizes, each vocal competition has a different emphasis. Yesterday's competition inaugurated the union between the Premiere Opera Foundation and NYIOP, thus extending the concept of the competition beyond cash prizes by incorporating the function of auditioning. Instead of young artists traveling the world to audition, NYIOP brought casting directors to the event. If we were casting directors we would have felt like a gourmet at a banquet!

There was so much talent onstage to appreciate and such a distinguished panel of judges, including our own dear friend Ken Benson, Stefanos Koroneos and Maestro Israel Gursky from Teatro Grattacielo, Eric Margiore of Premiere Artists Management,and world famous soprano Erin Morley whose performances always thrill us.  

A field of 200 applicants was winnowed down to 91 semi-finalists; at the prior day's semi-finals, 20 young singers were chosen as finalists. It was interesting to us that in addition to the generous prizes awarded to the finalists, prizes were also given to some of the semi-finalists. No one walked away empty handed. Some prizes were cash and others were study grants abroad, vocal and career consultations, or coachings. Just imagine being able to coach with Ms. Morley!!!

We loved Nina Mutalifu's interpretation of Adriana Lecouvreur's famous aria "Io son l'umile ancella" in which her soaring soprano was used effectively to show both the character's diva stature but also her modesty. Ms. Mutalifu has sung in our Around the World in Song concerts, performing Uighur songs in her native language. What a treat to hear her sing a realismo role in Italian!

Tim Murray's pleasingly textured baritone was put in the service of limning the character of the clueless Count Almaviva. We watched and listened with glee as his ire grows. 

Mezzo-soprano Michaela Wolz performed "Parto, ma tu ben mio" from Mozart's La clemenza di Tito with variety of color in each verse, growing in ardency. There was something deeply affecting as she repeated "Guardami!"

Soprano Tatev Baroyan did justice to the "Snow Maiden's Aria" from the Rimsky-Korsakov opera. We recently saw this exquisite fairytale opera at Manhattan School of Music and Ms. Baroyan's ethereal interpretation was filled with the requisite innocence of the character.

Heldentenor Kevin Ray wisely chose the impassioned aria "Amfortas! Die Wunde!" from Wagner's Parsifal. His sizable instrument filled the sanctuary with overtones as his sincerity grew in power.

Mezzo-soprano Carolyn Sproule made a fine Adalgisa, beautifully shaping the long phrases of "Sgombra e la sacra selva" from Bellini's Norma. She has an admirable true mezzo sound and ended with a finely wrought decrescendo.

Joo Won Kang was one of several superb Verdi baritones on the program. His performance was well modulated and he brought considerable excitement to the cabaletta. We liked the resonance of his instrument as well.

Soprano Alexandra Razskazoff scored highly in that feature as well. She brought a lot of vocal excitement to "Come in quest'ora bruna" from Verdi's Simon Boccanegra. We liked the exquisite dynamic control and the fine vibrato of her instrument.

Baritone Denis Milo phrased "Onegin's Aria" beautifully and sang in fine Russian. We got more involved when he used dramatic emphasis and wished he would use his body more. We realize that Onegin is a somewhat pompous character and a bit stiff in his "Dutch Uncle advice" to Tatiana; but he is Russian after all and the performance would have been more affecting with a little more gesture.

Tenor Joseph Tancredi attracted our notice as an undergraduate at Manhattan School of Music and then as an Apprentice at Santa Fe Opera. We love witnessing his promise being fulfilled. His beautiful sweet tone was just right for the role of The Italian Tenor in Richard Strauss' Der Rosenkavalier.

Baritone Bryan Murray is winning prizes all over town. "Pierrot's Tanzlied" won him prizes from Opera Index and Talents of the World; let's consider it his very own showpiece! We were happy to hear it again as he gave each phrase a lovely shape and nostalgic perfume.

Victoria Davis has a big beautiful soprano sound and succeeded in creating a character in "Do Not Utter a Word" from Barber's Vanessa, one of the few operas in English that we enjoy. The problem is that words get lost in the upper register more readily in English than in other languages.

Baritone Jianan Huang sang "O Carlo ascolta" from Verdi's Don Carlo with Italianate legato phrasing and gorgeous tone. He gave us chills and won us over by being completely immersed in the prison cell scene. 

Soprano Quan Chen, stunningly gowned, added to our earlier impression of her as a perfect Puccini soprano. Recently we heard her "Chi il bel sogno di Doretta" from La Rondine, and last night she sang "Un bel di vedremo", allowing us to watch the harbor along with her. We always enjoy an aria more when the singer visualizes the scene and we can see it through her/his eyes.

Mezzo-soprano Polixeni Tziouvaras gave an hypnotic rendering of "Ô ma lyre immortelle" from Gounod's Sapho. She is a highly expressive singer and uses her entire body; she pulled us into the world of the aria so effectively that we forgot we were sitting in a church sanctuary. With gorgeous clearly enunciated French, of which every word was understood, she painted an aural picture filled with melancholy colors. Last April she sang in Greek for Around the World in Song, making a significant impression.

Soprano Amanda Palmeiro has a sizable voice with a bright sheen. She was convincing as the troubled Juliette in the Gounod opera, going through various moods with each verse of "Amour ranime mon courage". We enjoyed the very pretty trill and her fine French.

Monica Dewey used her sparkly soprano in Gilda's "Caro nome" from Verdi's Rigoletto. We admired the precision of her fioritura.

From the same opera we heard Rigoletto's aria "Cortigiani, vil razza dannata" performed perfectly by baritone Kidon Choi who seems destined to be a Verdi baritone. He didn't need a hump to convince us! His delivery grew in power and anger with superb modulation of color and dynamics. We felt his pain.

There was only one counter-tenor on the program and it was a welcome change to hear Gamaliel Reynoso Mejia convey the terror of the stowaway from Jonathan Dove's Flight. It was a moving performance and we could best appreciate the fine spin of his voice in the melismatic passages. The tessitura is so high that the words got lost. Thankfully, we had seen the opera before with titles and knew the story.

Soprano Elisabeth Rosenberg closed the program with "Einsam in trüben Tagen" from Wagner's Lohengrin, sung with power. It was a fine close to an excellent program.

Michael Fennelly did yeoman's work accompanying the entire lengthy program with the right support for each singer. He always does and we appreciate him from the bottom of our opera loving heart.

The evening concluded with a reception, enabling audience members, judges, and singers to mingle and network.  What a fine evening!

© meche kroop

LINDEMANN RECITAL

Kidon Choi, Zalman Kelber, Ian Koziara, Nate Raskin, and Rihab Chaieb

Once again, we are in the position of singing the praises of the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program. Regular readers are familiar with the high esteem in which we hold this program. Since singing praises is not what you are here for, let's talk about the actual singing.

There were three splendid singers and two sensitive collaborative pianists on the program, all of whom we have reviewed before, all winners of various competitions, all with great futures ahead of them. That they all have terrific technique is a given, so let's take a look at their artistry, the interpretive technique that kicks their vocal skills up a notch. All three singers had performed their own translations which generally leads to a convincing delivery.

Mezzo-soprano Rihab Chaieb had just the right manner of conveying the sense of the Apollinaire poetry that Francis Poulenc set so aptly. There are several moods expressed in  Banalités and our preference was for the most banal of all. Ms. Chaieb knew exactly what she was singing about and the languorous line of  "Hôtel" was just about perfect. The very brief "Voyage à Paris" was nothing short of sheer delight, filled with the charming notion of escapism.

Her collaborative pianist Nate Raskin was with her cent pour cent, employing just the right light touch for these chansons.

Later in the program, tenor Ian Koziara performed Tel jour, telle nuit, a collection of nine Poulenc songs, settings of text by Paul Éluard. Mr. Koziara introduced the songs by admitting that they sound like nonsense and, indeed, that is exactly how the surreal poetry struck us.

If his French had not been so fine, we might have had an easier time of pretending that it was a language we didn't know but that is exactly what we had to attempt. We just paid attention to the fit between the sound of the voice,  and the sound of Zalman Kelber's lovely piano. The two artists matched each other beautifully, especially in the energetic "À toutes brides" and in the gentle  "Une herbe pauvre".

Mr. Kelber's piano was most impressive in "Figure de force brûlante et farouche". The song that most approached comprehensibility was "Nous avons fait le nuit", a paean to a beloved. Here, the appealing nature of Mr. Kozaria's instrument stood out.

Baritone Kidon Choi performed three songs from Mahler's Des Knaben Wunderhorn, putting us on more familiar territory. We are far more familiar with the "cute" songs from this collection, which often have an edge, but the songs chosen by Mr. Choi were filled with horror and heartbreak.

It is one thing to speak out against war but hearing the three personal tragedies of which he sang grabbed us by the throat and never let go. These are difficult songs to get across but Mr. Choi succeeded admirably by dint of being very involved. Through his eyes, we could see "Der Tamboursg'sell" being led to the gallows.  He used intense dynamic variations with a heartbreaking pianissimo on "Gute nacht"; Mr. Kelber's piano provided the grumbling drumrolls.

We liked the way Mr. Choi softened the color of his hearty baritone when he portrayed the girl welcoming what we took to be the ghost of her soldier-lover at dawn in "Wo die schönen Trompeten blasen". And Mr. Kelber nailed the interesting figures in the piano.

The powerful intensity continued throughout "Revelge" in which a fallen soldier has no one to carry him back to his quarters.  His mates are marching as skeletons.  It was completely chilling.

Fortunately, we were not sent back out of the Bruno Walter Auditorium in that mood of despair.  Ms. Chaieb closed the program with a set of songs by Sergei Rachmaninoff, each and every one a beauty. We always love songs about nature and about love!

In "Lilacs", Ms. Chaieb was so present that we could inhale the fragrance of our favorite flower. We have walked along Lilac Walk in Central Park every May and June, just to have the experience that this artist created so successfully.  

The only song that wasn't joyful was "Do not sing, oh beautiful one"; but there is pleasure to be found in sadness also, especially when the melody is so haunting and sung with such longing.  The recital ended with the very appropriate "Spring Waters", given an ecstatic delivery by Ms. Chaieb and Mr. Raskin. Gorgeous and timely!

(c) meche kroop 

MORE MOZART

Kidon Choi, Maria Lacey, Sunyeop Hwang, Maestro Joseph Colaneri, Laura Alley, Heather Jones, Pavel Suliandziga, and Danielle Beckvermit

The second entry in our weekend of Mozart was a winning production of Mozart's 1790 masterpiece Cosi fan tutte, presented by The Mannes Opera at the Gerald Lynch Theater--of perfect size, grand acoustics and excellent sightlines. Our guest for the matinée was an opera newbie who enjoyed the entire affair just as much as we did--which was a very great deal.

We have no idea why it was set in the mid 1960's--an epoch as remote from us as the late 18th century. But, no matter, the direction was delightful, the singing superb, and the acting accomplished.  Director Laura Alley made sure that every action was motivated and the interactions between the characters made clear.

Maestro Colaneri's conducting elicited the fine musicianship of The Mannes Orchestra. Like all other Mozart operas, this one is filled with sparkling tunes that one can't resist humming as they linger in the brain.

The story of Lorenzo da Ponte's libretto is that of two young men challenged by an older wiser one over their belief in the fidelity of the two sisters with whom they are in love.  There is a wager and a plan to follow.  The plan is to tell the young women that they have gone off on a military excursion and then to reappear in disguise to court the women. 

Don Alfonso's plan is aided and abetted by Despina, the servant of the two sisters. The silliness seems a lot more acceptable in 18th c. style than in the 1960's. Instead of appearing as exotic "Albanians", they appear as rock 'n rollers with leather motorcycle jackets and t-shirts proclaiming Rolling Stones and The Who.  Why not? It's the swinging sixties, after all!

As Don Alfonso, baritone Kidon Choi nearly stole the show from a very talented cast. His acting was larger than life and his sturdy voice impressive.  It is no wonder that he is garnering prizes for his prodigious talent.

Spunky Despina was portrayed by Canadian soprano Maria Lacey who negotiated Mozart's music with aplomb and demonstrated comedic chops as the crazy doctor with his Mesmer machine and later as the faux notary. "In uomini, in soldati", showed her at her wiliest.

The sisters and their lovers were all excellent. Soprano Danielle Beckvermit was a knockout as Fiordiligi. Mozart's challenging aria "Come scoglio" was perfectly sung and indeed reflected upon her steadfast character--at least more steadfast than her sister!

Mezzo-soprano Heather Jones made a delightful Dorabella, at first histrionically devastated by Ferrando's departure in "Smanie implacabile" and later, coy as she succumbs to the advances of Guglielmo.

The two men were terrific. Tenor Pavel Suliandziga (whom we previously enjoyed so much as Nemorino in L'Elisir d'amore) was an ardent Ferrando, singing with beautiful unforced tone in "Un aura amorosa", ending it with a delicate decrescendo. When he learns that his beloved Dorabella has betrayed him with his buddy, his face revealed many shades of dismay.

As Guglielmo, originally more successful at seduction, baritone Sunyeop Hwang was equally fine with his smooth caressing baritone and fine phrasing. We especially enjoyed his humorous aria  "Non siate ritrosi" in which he describes his manly attributes.

    

There were countless marvelous moments--the sisters' duet "Ah, guarda sorella", and particularly the trio "Soave sia il vento".

We have seen productions in which the girls return to their original lovers and versions in which they stay with the new lovers. But we have never seen one in which they walk away from the wedding at the end.  That was original and surprising!

Costuming by Helen E. Rodgers was certainly authentic to the period and colorful. Set designer Roger Hanna created a trompe l'oeil golf course for the first scene in which Don Alfonso is playing golf with Ferrando and Guglielmo. Later, it doubled as a suburban back yard. One might call this production a "hole in one". Mannes really sank the putt!

(c) meche kroop

THE LICIA ALBANESE-PUCCINI FOUNDATION AWARD RECITAL

Stars of The Licia Albanese-Puccini Foundation Gala onstage at the Rose Theater

The citizens of Planet Opera gathered yesterday for the 42nd Anniversary of The Licia Albanese-Puccini Foundation. It was a stellar celebration with grants being awarded to a stunning selection of young singers—rising stars, every single one of them. The audience at Rose Theater of Lincoln Center was gloriously entertained.  As if that were not enough, honors were distributed to those who have contributed so much to the field of opera.

Sachi Liebersgesell, President of the Foundation, always eloquent, was rendered nearly speechless when given the honor of receiving the kimono worn by Ms. Albanese when she performed the role of Cio-Cio San. Bryan Hymel, winner from 2008 and master of the French repertoire, shared his recollections of Ms. Albanese and received a Distinguished Achievement Award, as did Ailyn Perez, Nadine Sierra, and Mariana Zvetkova.

Ms. Sierra was put onstage at the age of 16 by Ms. Albanese, singing “O mio babino caro”—and if you have already guessed that she performed the same aria yesterday, give yourself a nice pat on the back. Her voice has become richer and more expansive but she has not lost the pure tone and youthful presentation.

Soprano Ailyn Perez treated us to “Io sono l’umile ancella” from Cilea's Adriana Lecouvreur, sung with generous voice and heart, and accompanied by the outstanding Bryan Wagorn.   Ms. Zvetkova gave us a Strauss song with thrilling tone. Both artists revealed anecdotes about Ms. Albanese's effect on their lives.

We were blown away by Lauren Flanigan’s performance as Lady Macbeth. Ms. Flanigan was quite open with the audience about a neurological illness that has damaged her hearing to such an extent that she has been struggling with novel ways to express her creative bent. How she could perform so far beyond excellence is beyond our understanding but she did. Had she not mentioned the deficit we would never have suspected. Let this be a lesson to those who complain about their handicaps; let this be an inspiration to all of us!  

The Lifetime Achievement Award she was given was well earned. Anyone who doesn’t know about her Music and Mentoring House needs to get informed.  Young artists find affordable lodging in Ms. Flanigan’s artistic home, along with socializing with fellow artists, and much needed emotional support.

Every young artist on the program is a star on the rise.  Winners were, as usual, selected from an enormous field.  We were hearing la crème de la crème. Do not look to us for information about the financial awards. We will just tell our readers what struck us according to fach.

Soprano Vanessa Vasquez is winning awards all over the place and deserves every one. Her performance of “Un bel di” from Puccini’s Madama Butterfly was gloriously intense. We were so wrapped up in the mood she created that technique was forgotten; but upon reflection, there is no doubt that she uses this fabulous instrument with attention to all the fine technical aspects.

We are suckers for Puccini and soprano Karen Barraza performed “Tu che di gel sei cinta” from Turandot,  ushering us into Liu’s very soul. Her singing should have melted Turandot’s icy heart on the spot. A third soprano, Tracy Cantin, sang the bittersweet “Chi il bel sogno di Doretta” in fine form.

In the baritone fach, we loved Jared Bybee’s “Vision fugitive” from Massenet’s Hérodiade. We have been hearing quite a bit of Mr. Bybee lately but it is never enough! His creation of a long legato line was masterful and his French is parfait! He was in complete control of tempo and dynamics, both of which he utilized in the service of the aria's changing moods. 

All the baritones were excellent and Norman Garrett could be the Verdi baritone for whom we have been waiting. His “Eri tu che macchiavi quell’anima” from Ballo in Maschera was beautifully proportioned and dramatically expansive.

Kidon Choi did a swell job with “O, Mariya, Mariya!" from Tchaikovsky’s Mazeppa, an opera with which we are unfamiliar. Mr. Choi’s performance made us want to hear the entire opera.

There were two tenors on the program as well. Alasdair Kent swept us along in a wave of Gallic glory in “Fantaisie aux divine mensonges” from Delibes’ Lakme. The flaw we find in most tenors was blissfully absent. Mr. Kent can spin out a delicate thread of pianissimo perfection. There was no tension, no pushing.  Just gorgeously floated tone.

Yet another terrific tenor delighted our ears with his languorous French line; Fanyong Du performed “Je crois entendre encore” from Bizet’s Les Pêcheurss de Perles, having mastered the diminuendo so beautifully that we were holding our breath.

Bass-baritone André Courville created a marvelous marching military man in “Air du tambour major” from Thomas’ Le Cid, another opera with which we need to get better acquainted. His voice is a substantial one and reaches out to grab you gently by the ears. His dramatic presentation adds to the effect.

Finally, we recall several outstanding duets—and we do so love duets! Soprano Maria Natale and tenor Alexander McKissick brought new life to the tender “O soave fanciulla” from Puccini’s La Bohème. There’s a reason certain duets appear over and over again on recital programs. Young artists can put their own stamp on a beloved and familiar work.

In the same fashion, soprano Mia Pafumi and baritone Pawel Konik gave a slightly new sound to “La ci darem la mano” from Mozart’s Don Giovanni—not different enough to upset the balance but different enough in color to make it their own.

Soprano Amber Daniel and mezzo-soprano Samantha Hankey (the only mezzo on the program) sang the familiar duet “Sous le dôme épais” from Lakmé. The impressive part of their performance was that neither held back and we heard a glorious richness of consequent overtones that filled Rose Theater with sound. They must have worked together diligently to make this duet their own.

As usual, the excellent host was Brian Kellow and the versatile accompanists were Arlene Shrut and Jonathan Kelly.

This yearly event is always familiar but ever new, restoring our belief in the future of opera!  Bravissimi tutti!

(c) meche kroop

WE DRANK IT AND FELL IN LOVE

Eunjin Jung, Kidon Choi, Pavel Sulyandziga, Sara Papini, Matthew Cossack

L'Elisir d'Amore is the perfect opera for a young cast. Gaetano Donizetti filled it to the brim with memorable melodies; librettist Felice Romani peopled it with characters that embody all the struggles of young love. Nemorino is a shy fellow in love with the vivacious and fickle Adina. She treats him dismissively as the young tend to do with those who put them on a pedestal.

To make him jealous she agrees to wed an arrogant army officer. In desperation, he buys a love potion from the traveling "doctor" Dulcamara. The potion is just Bordeaux and he gets very tipsy.  Meanwhile, the young ladies of the town learn that he has inherited a great deal of money and surround him with attention. He believes it's because of the love potion. Now it's Adina's turn to get jealous.

Of course, it all works out in the end and we leave the theater grinning from ear to ear.  The Mannes Opera gave Donizetti's 1832 comic masterpiece (which Donizetti tossed off in six weeks) a fine production at the Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. This just happens to be a fine comfortable theater with great sight lines but there is something strange about it's bi-level orchestra pit.

The strings are just a bit lower than the audience, with the winds behind and a level below that. Artistic Director and Conductor Maestro Joseph Colaneri conducted The Mannes Orchestra which turned in a well-balanced performance. The strings lay down a luscious carpet of sound with important contributions from the winds, particularly in Nemorino's big aria "Una furtiva lagrima", marked by some lovely arpeggios on the harp (Elena Caramihai).

The singers are all graduate level students at Mannes School of Music, which is part of The New School. Each and every one turned in a stellar performance and seems headed for a fine future in the opera world. The lead couple--soprano Sara Papini as Adina and tenor Pavel Sulyandziga as Nemorino--were perfectly cast and completely convincing in their acting. Adina is spunky and full of personality; Nemorino is shy and unassuming. Their body language told a great deal about their characters.

Similarly, the outrageous character of Dr. Dulcamara was well portrayed by bass-baritone Kidon Choi who manifested no difficulty with the wide range. As the self-important Belcore, baritone Matthew Cossack was admirable. Eunjin Jung was a pert Giannetta.

The direction of Laura Alley kept things moving forward nicely with plenty of appropriate stage business. Costume Designer Helen E. Rodgers duplicated the fashions of the 50's quite accurately, even dressing Adina in a poodle skirt. But, may we ask, how does setting this opera in the 1950's make it more relevant? We wondered how many people in the audience were alive 60 years ago!

Instead of a wealthy landowner, Adina is now the proprietor of a pasticceria in Little Italy. Roger Hanna's painted set, representing a street corner, was so accurate that we recognized the locale! We are convinced he copied Caffé Roma on Broome St. (If we are wrong we will atone by eating a dozen sfogliatelle!)

The chorus sings about sitting in the shade near a stream!  Other references in the libretto have been mistranslated to allow for Dr. Dulcamara to be driving a "snazzy car". We could justify the presence of military personnel because the time period coincided with the Korean war. But how do we account for Sergeant Belcore carrying around enlistment papers in his pocket and paying cash to Nemorino to enlist? We suppose most people would just overlook these anachronisms but they do bother us, purists as we are. But they didn't bother us enough to spoil the fun.

Mr. Sulyandziga's "Una furtiva lagrima" was delivered with his hands in his pockets, every nuance coming strictly from his voice. Never have we ever wanted so much to see a guy get the girl!

(c) meche kroop