FRIDAY NIGHT DATE WITH MOZART

Juan Lázaro, Katrin Bulke, Darrell Lauer, and Keith Milkie at St. John's in the Village

The glamorous coloratura soprano Katrin Bulke first came to our attention a year and a half ago when she appeared through the auspices of the German Forum. We were highly impressed (review available through search bar) and wondered when we would have the opportunity to hear her again. Our wish was granted last night when we heard her debut solo recital in the United States, right here in New York City in the lovely church St. John's in the Village, a church renowned for supporting the arts.

Ms. Bulke curated the program herself, choosing material that would show off her artistry and versatility. She also chose a couple guest artists, one at the beginning of a promising career and one approaching the end of a successful one. As accompanist she chose Juan Lázaro, one of our favorite collaborative pianist whose graduate studies are at Manhattan School of Music with Maestro Tom Muraco, whom we absolutely cherish. She could not have made a better choice.

In this "mostly Mozart" evening we renewed our acquaintance with several of Mozart's heroines for whom this operatic genius composed gorgeous melodic arias; Mozart's writing for the opera has its own characteristic stamp but also individually reflects much about the character for whom he is writing. Ms. Bulke used her vocal and dramatic assets well to illuminate each character. With consummate versatility, she was able to create several characters in the same opera!

Take for example, Die Zauberflöte. Could any three characters be more different than the sweet innocent Pamina, the winsome Papagena, and the vitriolic Queen of the Night? And yet each character was limned by means of vocal color and gesture. "Der Hölle Rache" with its high-lying tessitura was the aria that so riveted our attention at the German Forum; the perfect accuracy of the coloratura passages and the brilliance of her upper register have only improved with time.

Pamina's "Ach, ich fühl's" was delivered with pathos and for the "Pa-pa-pa-pa" duet she enlisted young baritone Keith Milkie who came to our attention through Vocal Productions New York. The two artists had a wonderful flirtatious rapport.

The same pair were completely different in "Là ci darem la mano" with Ms. Bulke's ambivalence in counterpoint with Mr. Milkie's seductiveness.

We also heard Mr. Milkie in a solo aria from Le Nozze di Figaro-"Se vuol ballare". This promising baritone has an acting background and certainly got Figaro's intentions across.

Ms. Bulke again showed her versatility by performing the Countess' aria "Dove sono" with dignity and despair but with a change of color for the hopeful ending. Susanna's final aria "Deh vieni, non tardar" gave full attention to Susanna's loving deception of her husband. She would deal effectively with male jealousy right from the start!

There were more goodies on the program including Donna Anna's "Non mi dir" from Don Giovanni; her interpretation was one of sincerity. There was also a duet "Fuggi, crudele" with veteran tenor Darrell Lauer portraying the devoted Don Ottavio a role we are sure he has sung many times before since he also sang "Il mio tesoro", winning a big hand from the audience.

The lesser known Die Entführung aus dem Serail has two female roles and Ms. Bulke gave us Blonde's advice to Osmin "Durch Zärtlichkeit" as well as Konstanze's killer aria of firmness of character "Martern aller Arten". This comic singspiel shows us the lighter side of Mozart's genius and Mr. Lázaro showed us some gorgeous playing in the extended piano introduction to Kostanze's aria.

We applaud Ms. Bulke for her expressive melismatic singing and the crystalline texture of her instrument, especially revealed in the concert aria "Exultate, Jubilate".

There was even an encore in which Mr. Lauer joined Ms. Bulke for the "Libiamo" from Verdi's La Traviata. At this point we noticed how differently Mr. Lázaro colored the piano for Verdi's very different writing.

It was a splendid evening in a fine venue with great acoustics. Music lovers would do well to check out the varied musical programs at St. John's in the Village, the garden of which was employed for a lovely post-concert reception.

(c) meche kroop

FIGARO EARWORMS

Count Almaviva (Seung-Hyeon Baek) and Susanna (Alexa Smith) duke it out
(photo by Brian E. Long)

Since last night's performance of Mozart's 1786 masterpiece Nozze di Figaro by Dell'Arte Opera Ensemble, we cannot stop singing and humming the master's melodies. Such is the Magic of Mozart! This is the centerpiece of the trilogy and the best known. There is a reason why it is.  Not only are we celebrating the marriage of Susanna and Figaro, but the marriage of Mozart and Da Ponte, a match made in music heaven. Da Ponte created some wonderful and complex characters; Mozart composed music that amplifies the characterization.

We were greatly impressed by Seung-Hyeon Baek's performance as the unlikable Count Almaviva who seems to exist to make women miserable. The lovely Countess, whom he so relentlessly pursued in the first Beaumarchais play, is now lonely and neglected as her philandering husband pursues her servant Susanna with importuning and groping, to the dismay of both women.

Mr. Baek has a rich baritone that he employs effortlessly obviating any notice of his technique. He immersed himself so totally in the character that one forgot everything else. Gesture, body movement, and facial expression worked together and was always connected to the moment. This is the kind of theatrical presence that we want to see and hear all the time. 

He certainly met his match in the lovely Susanna of Alexa Smith whom we have long admired since Manhattan School of Music and Prelude to Performance. Her lovely soprano was always on target and the character she created was in some ways different from other Susanna's who have blended together in a generic way. Her Susanna was rather more put-upon--not only annoyed by the Count's attentions but also occasionally irritated by Figaro's denseness. This characterization made her more real; what bride has not been a bit tense on her wedding day!

As the Countess Almaviva, we enjoyed the performance of Elizabeth Tredent who created a sad characterization of a cast-off wife in her two major arias "Porgi amor" and "Dove sono". Her scenes with Susanna and Cherubino were enchanting as the companionship seemed to lift her out of her funk. We were glad to see her blossom at the end of the opera as the machinations of Figaro resulted in a rapprochement of sorts with the Count. 

Cherubino was well portrayed by Natasha Nelson whose "Non so piu" was marked by appropriate variety of tempi. Her "Voi che sapete" was similarly excellent and was marked by dynamic variety.

Figaro himself was performed by Cole Grissom who had excellent chemistry with Ms. Smith. We have rarely seen such a frisky physical performance; this feature added to the contemporaneous nature of the production. We liked his cavatina "Se vuol ballare", which marked the birth of his antagonism to his master, based on Susanna's reporting of the Count's dishonorable intentions toward her.

Jonathan Dauermann made a sturdy Dr. Bartolo, unpleasant at first but becoming rather benevolent when he learns that Figaro is his son. He handled "La vendetta" very well, especially the rapid patter part.

As his housekeeper Marcellina, Kerry Gotschall made a fine showing, especially in her catty duet with Susanna in which the two women insult one another.

Milan Rakić made a wonderfully slimy gossipy Don Basilio, the troublemaker in the court. Joy Tamazo had the sweet light soprano that makes Barbarina such a delightful character; Michael Spaziani portrayed the gardener Antonio without indulging in drunken antics.

The captivating music was played by the Metamorphosis Chamber Orchestra, conducted by John Spencer, IV. Right from the overture we knew they and we were in good hands. The performance moved right along without a single longueur. In terms of musical values, nothing more could be wanted.

Direction by Eve Summer matched the music-making in tempo. Actions were all well-motivated. A directorial choice was made to set the opera in contemporary times which created a disjunction with the dialogue referencing customs of the 18th c. This did not interfere with our enjoyment but we do feel that better decisions might have been made by Costume Designer Carly Bradt. 

Everyone wore street clothes, likely a budgetary issue. We wanted the Count to dress better than his servant. We wanted Cherubino to wear Nike, not espadrilles. The "costumes" probably came out of the performers' closets but better choices might have been made.  At least the Countess wore a gold necklace to distinguish her from her servant. 

Meganne George's set design was simple but never distracted from the interaction of the characters. Once again, Scott Schneider's lighting design was subtly effective.

The surtitles were better than those usually seen. Karen Rich and Eve Summer are credited. They seemed to give a more complete picture of the subtleties usually glossed over and gave better insight into the characters.

The trilogy continues tonight with the contemporary Rosina by H. Titus. Same venue--the comfortable (but chilly) performance space at Baruch College.

(c) meche kroop

PARODI AND MOZART

Kneeling: Luke Scott and Alejandra Ruiz (photo courtesy of NY Lyric Opera)

We always want to be in the audience when the versatile Argentinian conductor Jorge Parodi wields his magic. Friday night at Weill Recital Hall he showed a special affinity for Mozart. The froth of the melodies was all there but full attention was paid to the depths of characterization in Nozze di Figaro. The Metamorphsis Chamber Orchestra gleamed under his guidance.  The Artistic Director of the Orchestra is bassoonist Pierre Lidar.

Able assistance in interpretation was contributed by the singers, directed by Isabel Milenski, who directed the same opera at Juilliard. Her touch is unmistakable. The singers sang well and acted with conviction in this semi-staged production by New York Lyric Opera whose Artistic Director Elizabeth Heuermann can be counted on to put on a good show.  We have no idea who condensed Mozart's long opera into an hour performance but it was long enough and well enough staged that one could understand the story and the relationship between the characters. Effective costumes by Brenna McShane made up for the lack of scenery.

Although the superb chamber orchestra occupied half the stage, the singers had no problem singing above the sound. Luke Scott cut a fine figure as the eponymous hero and we particularly enjoyed his "Non vedrai" in which he employed a falsetto voice for some of the lines. The role fit him like a glove. As his bride, Alejandra Ruiz was winsome and won our heart. She was particularly fine in "Giunse al fin...Deh vieni non tardar".

In the roles of the aristocrats, Boris Mitchell sang and acted successfully as Count Almaviva and Jennifer Noel, as his Countess, did a lovely job with "Dove Sono", such that we mourned the missing "Porgi Amor". Her duet with Ms. Ruiz delighted the ear.

It is a small role but we were enchanted by Joseph Andrew Yu's gossipy Don Basilio. How surprising it was to learn that he is still an undergraduate at Manhattan School of Music. We predict a good future for this young man. We also liked another young artist, Matthew Hutcheson-Bleiberg whose lanky appearance added to his success as Antonio.

Kaitlin Hatchett as Cherubino, Courtney Wilson as Marcellina, and James williams as Bartolo all contributed to the fun onstage and sang well.

The first half of the evening was given over to a succession of arias, each sung by a different singer.  It was a great opportunity to hear a lot of different artists, among whom several stood out.  Giovanni Longo's accompaniment was unusually sensitive and supportive.

Tenor Percy Martinez sounded more impressive than he has on prior hearings in smaller rooms.  His voice was just the right size and timbre for "E lucevan le stelle" from Puccini's Tosca.

We liked the intensity of tenor Antonio Signorello in "Vesti la giubba" from Leoncavallo's Pagliacci. We were impressed by the harmonization of Kaitlin Hatchett and Sangying Li in "The Prayer Duet" from Humperdinck's Hansel und Gretel". Their English diction was so excellent that we missed not a single word. Any singers who have tried to make themselves understood in English will understand how difficult that is.

Danielle Davis sang "Elsa's Dream" from Wagner's Lohengrin with authority and good dynamic control. She started sweetly but built to an heroic climax.

Although we are in the dog days of summer, New York Lyric Opera had no problem packing the house. Opera lovers are always thirsting for talent and there was plenty of that onstage!

(c) meche kroop

AN UNFORGETTABLE FIGARO

Virginie Verrez, Takaoki Onishi and Ying Fang (photo by Ken Howard)

Le Nozze di Figaro, if not our favorite opera, is at least in the top five. We have seen it perhaps 30 times in our opera going lifetime.  We have always enjoyed it but we have never thrilled to it as much as last night when Juilliard Opera presented it with the perfect cast, meaningful direction by Stephen Wadsworth, and spirited conducting by Gary Thor Wedow, who brought out every nuance of Mozart's glorious score.

Mr. Wadsworth elicited the humanity of the characters in all their fullness without ever stooping to cliché. As the entitled aristocrat Count Almaviva, baritone Takaoki Onishi created a character who was not a monster, just a man of his time in times that were changing. He showed the frustration and bewilderment of a man confronting servants unwilling to do his bidding and a wife who found a way to deal with his philandering--with the servants' help, of course. Mr. Onishi's singing is always topnotch, bursting with musicality and richly textured sound.

His nemesis Cherubino was so convincingly portrayed by mezzo-soprano Virginia Verrez that we forgot it was a travesti role. Her lustrous voice was unhampered by the demands of the character. This was a very hormonal youth ("Non so più cosa son") and his lust for the Countess was unmistakable. Anyone who has read the final entry of Beaumarchais' trilogy knows that the two of them conceived a child.  But this is the first time we have ever seen the two of them making out in bed! At the end, it was obvious that he did NOT want to marry Barbarina!

That the Countess finds him irresistible was made clear by the excellent soprano Alexandra Razskazoff. We recently saw this opera at the Metropolitan Opera, in which we found the Countess bland and lacking dignity.  Not so here! Ms. Razskazoff managed to show us the spunky Rosina she had been, the beaten down wife she had become, and her growth into the dignified woman in control.

As Figaro, bass-baritone Thesele Kemane gave vocal evidence of being in control of every situation.  Dramatically, he showed the wit and the cleverness the role demands and needed only a touch of additional charm and humor to make his characterization complete.

Aside from the theme of shifting power structure, there is much that Beaumarchais had to say about love and its varying manifestations. Figaro and Susanna represent faithful romantic love with its accompanying fear of loss, manifested by jealousy. Soprano Ying Fang created a completely lovable and resourceful Susanna. Her bright soprano was employed successfully to support the interpretation. Her facial expressions while being pawed by the Count were priceless.

The Count and Countess of course represent love gone sour. He is a consistent philanderer and she is repairing her damaged self-esteem (What a "Dové sono"!) with the young page Cherubino. The Count's contrition at the end ("Contessa perdono") is stretched out and held back for as long as possible, leaving us in the audience thinking "Get down on your knees already and apologize!"

More surprising is the ambivalent affection between Marcellina, superbly sung and acted by undergraduate (!) mezzo-soprano Samantha Hankey and Bartolo, impressively performed by bass Önay Köse. His Bartolo was not detestable but rather likeable. He too is a victim of his epoch and his grudge against the Count is understandable ("La vendetta"). This pair of performers made it believable that they had once had an intimate relationship. Perhaps he still cares for her or perhaps he is making the best of the situation when he agrees to marry her. On her part, she is a bit seductive toward him, perhaps to gain his support or perhaps she really cares for him.

One of the most astounding surprises of the evening was witnessing tenor Miles Mykkanen's creation of the role of Don Basilio. This character is a dandy, a gossip and a panderer and yet Mr, Mykkanen made him deliciously appealing. We should not have been surprised because this versatile artist always does something original.

Tenor Aaron Mor, also an undergraduate, fulfilled the requirements of the role of Don Curzio the magistrate.  The scene of the court case was hilarious with each character jumping up to make his point.

Bass-baritone Tyler Zimmerman offered ample comic relief as Antonio the gardener. He conveyed bibulousness and righteous indignation very well.

Soprano Liv Redpath made a sweet Barbarina but was not given much to do dramatically.

The chorus did beautifully, coached by David Moody and the Juilliard Orchestra did justice to Mozart's melodic music.

The fact that we scarcely recognized these singers with whom we are well acquainted is tribute to the excellent wig and makeup design of Tom Watson. Camille Assaf's costume designs could not have been better. We will long remember the Count's opulent yellow dressing gown and the Countess' lavish gowns, as well as Susanna's wedding dress. The quiet colors for the rest of the cast were apropos.

The set design by Charlie Corcoran faithfully recreated a palacio outside of Seville. The servants' room was rather bare and being made ready for occupancy. The Countess' room was opulent with period furniture. David Lander's lighting was apt and unobtrusive.

We have run out of superlatives. We do believe we have seen a Nozze di Figaro against which all future ones will be measured. The production managed to be faithful to Mozart's music and Beaumarchais' drama, adding new insights to our perception of the work.  And that's exactly what we want from opera!

(c) meche kroop