THE DON DONE IN

Suchan Kim, Maestro Teddy Poll, Brace Negron, Sarah Hayashi, Jesus Murillo, Pavel Suliandziga, and Laura León
(Liana Guberman and Paul An not visible)

We have lost count of the number of times we have seen Mozart's meisterwerk Don Giovanni; this year alone we have seen it at least 4-5 times. We never tire of it; the marriage of Mozart's music and Da Ponte's libretto always makes for a great evening--but only if the singing is superb. Bare Opera assembled a stellar group of singers for their current production and we would expect no less of this exemplary company in their fifth season. There was no one onstage who didn't give their all.

Directors always look for something new to say about the reprobate Don--the pussy grabbing predator who uses his position of power to seduce or overcome women, a sociopathic narcissist who has no awareness of other people's feelings, one who will readily betray those who are dumb enough to fall under his spell. If this sounds familiar and relevant to you, dear reader, please know that it does to us as well.

Taking for granted that the performances were uniformly excellent from both dramatic and vocal standpoints, let us take a look at what Stage Director Malena Dayen added to our understanding of the story. Her Don was almost completely lacking in charm; baritone Suchan Kim (a very nice man--trust us on this point) was obliged to search for an inner demon to come up with such a nasty portrayal. Our only opportunity to hear the gentle colors of his beautiful instrument was in the serenade "Deh, vieni alla finestra".

Donna Anna (the splendid soprano Laura León) was the Don's victim-- excuse me, she was a "survivor" in today's parlance--and there was not a whiff of disdain for the loyal Don Ottavio (tenorrific Pavel Suliandziga) who evinced strength of character in place of the usual wimpiness. We have no doubt he will stand by his beloved until her grief abates and they will wed.

Zerlina (portrayed by the winsome Sarah Hayashi) is rather narcissistic herself, wanting to have her cake and eat it too, manipulating the poor Masetto (the excellent Jesus Murillo) who is understandably angry but just as enthralled by her as Donna Elvira is by Don Giovanni, and just as ready to forgive--an interesting parallel.

In this production, Donna Elvira is not a source of amusement but one of those women who just cannot give up on her desire to reform a "bad boy". Soprano Liana Guberman in the role showed a wide range of emotions from rage to forgiveness. We get it. She is complicit in her own misery which we see a lot in women who are taken in by sociopathic men. The vocalism was as fine as the acting.

Bass Brace Negron did a swell job creating the role of Leporello and demonstrated how flunkies can be bought by an artful and deceitful leader. So much of this story resonates with the current political climate.

Paul An made a brief appearance as the Commendatore trying to protect his daughter's honor and later as the statue who invites the Don to dinner in Hell.

There were directorial touches that we liked a lot. Our favorite one found Don Giovanni seducing Zerlina in a partner changing dance that was choreographed by Troy Ogilvie with Emily Morrison's assist.

There were a few minor lapses as well. Changing the duel between Don Giovanni and the Commendatore into the Don stabbing the Commendatore in the back emphasized his evil nature but gave the lie to Donna Anna's anguish about the wound in her father's breast.

Also, if the text involves calling someone over, it seems strange if they are already there. And to say someone has fallen when they are still standing is likewise a minor flaw. But we notice the little things; just can't help it.

There were several omissions or cuts that kept the story moving along without comic relief. We rarely see the scene between Zerlina and Leporello and did not miss it but we must admit that we missed the final scene in which the Don is dining and teasing Leporello who is sneaking food behind his back. We also missed the epilogue in which the moral of the story is reiterated.

In terms of musical values, it seemed criminal to omit "Il mio tesoro" with such a terrific tenor as Mr. Suliandziga on board. Yes, we know that Mozart himself revised his own work to suit the artists available and that only strengthens our case.

Under the direction of Maestro Teddy Poll, the chamber orchestra (string quartet plus bass, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, and horn with Laetitia Ruccolo performing the piano part) sounded just right except for the ballroom scene in which there are three types of dance music played simultaneously. There just wasn't enough "manpower" to pull that off.

The major innovation brought by Ms. Dayen was the use of video projections designed by Sangmin Chae. This is an interesting idea to replace sets with video but the results were mixed. The offstage rape scene is always difficult to accept; what woman pursues her would be rapist???? But the video projections during the overture did not do much to illuminate the event. We saw a distorted face and maybe some hands choking a neck.

At one point something was projected that looked vaguely like an apple. We found much of this distracting and puzzling. Our companion kept looking at us and shrugging and peppered us during the intermission with questions we couldn't answer.

The projection of the Commendatore's face in the final scene was projected as an old fashioned "negative" with white and black reversed.  It just looked like an ugly mask. And there was a delay between the sound and the visuals that just looked like bad lip-syncing. The presence of the videographers on set and next to the orchestra was distracting and audience members kept twisting around in their chairs.

The work was performed in a large empty space with the audience seated on two opposing sides in two rows, an arrangement providing a sense of intimacy with the story. One minor improvement of such an arrangement might be to angle the chairs a bit toward the center. This is the same problem we observe at the New York Philharmonic in the levels above the orchestra, as well as the side boxes at the Metropolitan Opera House.  Just sayin'.

Costumes by Theresa Miles were completely off base and Donna Elvira's was completely unflattering. The only distinguishing feature of the aristocratic women was the headdress--you know, the comb with a mantilla. It seems important to us to mark the difference between the aristocrats and the peasants. A sense of time and place was lacking.

Before we close we would like to acknowledge the contributions of the ensemble: Estelina Syla, Folei Browne, Sarah Blau, Pedro Sequera, Zachary Sebek, and Sanford Leff.

There is only one more performance today and, as of last night, only two seats remaining. Will you be the lucky one?

© meche kroop

A DON GIOVANNI FOR OUR TIME

Pavel Suliandziga, Laura León, Sarah Hayashi, Yuri Napoli, and Liana Guberman

Last night we were at the glamorous Norwood Club which is filled with stunning works of art, none of which could compete with the artistry of the singers assembled for the 6th annual Bare Opera Gala.

This fundraising event was held to introduce those of us who love Bare Opera to the cast and director of the upcoming production of Don Giovanni. Kirsten Scott, Co-Founder and General Director of this boutique opera company, gives good speech just as she gives good singing. If you didn't leave excited about the production you need to be on life support!

With Co-Founder and Artistic Director Laetitia Ruccolo at the piano, we were given a few selections from the production which premieres October 18 at the Bellwether, one of the more interesting spaces chosen by Bare Opera for their productions.

Not only does Bare Opera take opera out of the concert hall and into interesting venues, but they bring in directors with vision who can strip operas of their accumulated clichés, kinda like stripping barnacles off the hull of a boat.

Director Malena Dayen has interpreted Mozart's tragi-comedy in the light of the #metoo movement. It is difficult for us to perceive the gentle and handsome baritone Suchan Kim as a vile seducer but we suppose that's what acting instruction accomplishes.

We have no such trouble seeing tenor Pavel Suliandziga as a devoted Don Ottavio who, we understand, will not be the customary wimp. Having dazzled us with his Tchaikovsky at Around the World in Song, we are ready to be redazzled or bedazzled, if you will.  He is definitely the anti-Don.

The women will not be portrayed as victims and, we can tell you, soprano Liana Guberman makes a fiery but sympathetic Donna Elvira, not the comic figure to which we are accustomed. She was in superb voice last night and knocked our socks off.

The other two female roles were played by singers relatively new to us. Cuban soprano Laura León has the role of Donna Anna and connected well with Mr. Suliandziga.

Zerlina was sung by Sarah Hayashi who connected well with Mr. Kim, the smarmy seducer.

Each singer was interviewed by Yuri Napoli who asked all the right questions, encouraging each singer to reveal something about the character he/she would play.

Director Malena Dayen was present to tell us just enough about how she interprets the story to ensure our attendance at the performance. She will utilize the services of video artist Sangmin Chae to bring 21st century technology to this 18th century opera. We will not say too much about this innovation until we have the opportunity to see it in action.

Consider yourself encouraged to take a walk on the wild side with Bare Opera, Mozart, and Da Ponte. We've got our walkin' shoes on!

© meche kroop

OPERA, FUN, AND FASHION

Liana Guberman, Eric Lindsey, and Kirsten Scott

We were there at Bare Opera Company's birth and get a special thrill from watching them flourish. Their interest in immersive opera has taken them to some very interesting venues and has led to some productive partnerships with artists from other disciplines.

Last night, in celebration of Valentine's Day, they joined forces with Lyric Chamber Music Society of New York for the third time at the Kosciuszko Foundation. It was a very special evening. Costumes were devised by designer Taylor Mills, whose company Taylor Catarina has launched a line of clothing suitable for singers and dedicated to comfort and flexibility. So we got a fashion show along with our recital of opera standards.

The arias and ensembles were almost all chosen from among the more well-known and accessible operas, which was just fine with us and very suitable to an audience that may not be as familiar with opera as are regular opera goers. In place of titles, the program included brief synopses of each piece. 

The opening was a real stunner. Although British Airways has done everything to make a cliché of  the "Flower Duet" from Léo Delibes' Lakmé , it's melodic and harmonic beauty refuse to be trivialized. With Kaleigh Rae Gamaché's crystalline soprano paired with Kirsten Scott's creamy rich mezzo-soprano, we felt as if we were discovering it for the first time.

This may be a good time to point out that Bare Opera was co-founded by Ms. Scott and Maître de Chant Laetitia Ruccolo, whose artistry at the piano ensured that we never missed the orchestra. What colors this beautiful young woman can produce on those 88 keys!

All of the young artists are prize-winners and have sung in several opera companies around the country, as well as taking assignments abroad.

Baritone Suchan Kim, a Bare Opera regular, is the possessor of a very fine instrument that he employs with superb technique.  Moreover, his extensive repertoire allows him to slip into a very wide selection of roles with every gesture and facial expression intact--but always appearing spontaneous. That's a wonderful skill! We loved his interpretation of Doctor Malatesta describing the potential wife he has found for Don Pasquale in the Donizetti opera of the same name. "Bella siccome un angelo" is an old favorite for the baritone fach but we seemed to be hearing it anew.

Later in the program, he performed a duet from the same opera with the superb soprano Liana Guberman. In "Pronto io son", Malatesta is coaching Norina in how to fool Don Pasquale into thinking she is a shy convent girl. Ms. Guberman was unfailingly funny as well as musical.

She was contrastingly serious in "Dis moi que je suis belle" from Massenet's Thaïs, the one aria on the program that was of the less familiar category. It was delivered dramatically and poignantly, leading us to wonder why it isn't performed more regularly.

Bass-baritone Eric Lindsey is another singer we have come to admire in a great variety of roles. He made a dashing Don Giovanni in duet with Ms. Gamaché as the peasant girl Zerlina, all too willing to be seduced in "La ci darem la mano". From the same opera, he gave a different spin to the role of Leporello in the famous "Catalogue Aria". We have seen and relished Mr. Lindsey's performance of the role of the Don in a Dell'Arte production, and if we were casting the Mozart opera we wouldn't hesitate to put him in either role!

We also enjoyed two selections from Bizet's Carmen.  In the "Habanera", Ms. Scott captured all of Carmen's fickleness with her expressive dusky mezzo. Tenor Victor Starsky, in a later scene, tries to appease Carmen's anger with "La fleur que tu m'avais jetée".

Ms. Gamaché wowed the audience with the challenging aria "Glitter and Be Gay" from Bernstein's Candide. As if we were not already dazzled, she threw in a high F, taking the audience to the heights, as it were.

Puccini's La Bohême also made an appearance on the program with the aria from Act I ("O soave fanculla") in which Mimi (Ms. Guberman) and Rodolfo (Mr. Starsky) fall in love and decide to spend Xmas Eve together. Later, in a scene which opens the last act, Rodolfo (Mr. Starsky) and Marcello (Mr. Kim) torment each other with reports of having seen their estranged lovers. The two men are unable to concentrate on their writing and painting but the two singers were able to deliver artistically.

Our favorite trio is from Mozart's Cosi van tutte. In "Soave sia il vento", Fiordiligi (Ms. Guberman), Dorabella (Ms. Scott), and Don Alfonso (Mr. Lindsey) are watching Ferrando and Guglielmo sail away. The women are bereft but Don Alfonso is laughing up his sleeve. The harmonies are gorgeous and the singing just perfect. Ms. Ruccolo's piano created the sea for our eager ears.

The evening ended with the Finale of Act I from Rossini's La Cenerentola in which all six cast members participated. Rossini's froth is the perfect way to end a satisfying program of opera.

Bare Opera's next venture will be Astor Piazzola's tango opera Maria de Buenos Aires.  Stay tuned for details.

(c) meche kroop

BARE OPERA GALA

Kirsten Scott, Suchan Kim, SungWook Kim, and Liana Guberman with Laetitia Ruccolo at the piano

Last night Bare Opera initiated their fourth season with a "let out all the stops" celebration that will linger in our memory for a long time. The singing was beyond wonderful, but before we get to that, we'd like to tell you what made the evening somewhat unusual.

First of all was the audience. Our heart is made very glad when we see young people having a great time at the opera. The guests last night remained totally silent during the performances (in spite of the generous bar and buffet of goodies) but exploded into enthusiastic applause and "bravo"s after each performance. 

If opera is to survive it must be performed with artistry and commitment and it must be taken to venues were twenty-somethings feel comfortable. Last night's "opera party" was held in a fine resonant space, an art gallery on East 46th Street which was generously donated for the use of Bare Opera. There were only a couple chairs and the crowd was happy to stand.

Secondly, Music Director Laetitia Ruccolo, involved the audience in learning the choral parts to "Nessun Dorma" and later to "Toreador". Not only did everyone participate but they sounded great. As any wise teacher/coach might have, the engaging Ms. Ruccolo first taught the pronunciation of the words, and then, the melody. People are learning that opera can be fun!  Perhaps Karaoke parlors will soon include operatic arias!

As to the performances, most of them involved the four mainstays of the company--soprano Liana Guberman, mezzo-soprano Kirsten Scott, tenor SungWook Kim, and baritone Suchan Kim.  Each one is a gem but their ensemble singing revealed genuine unselfish collaboration.

In the opening quartet from Puccini's La Rondine, the four characters offered a toast to love. In the final ensemble, the cast joined in for the "Brindisi" from Act I of Verdi's La Traviata.  There is nothing like a drinking song to put people in a party mood! 

Everything in-between was similarly successful. We have never warmed to John Adams' Doctor Atomic, although we have seen it twice.  But mezzo-soprano Briana Hunter performed Kitty's aria (text by Muriel Rukeyser) with deep feeling and clear enunciation which, taken together, made sense of Kitty's loneliness. More credit for the lovely texture of her instrument!

Delicious pleasure was provided by Ms. Guberman as Poppea and Ms. Scott as Nerone in "Pur ti miro, pur ti godo" from Claudio Monteverdi's L'incoronazione di Poppea", a work Bare Opera will produce next month. The exquisite harmonies and overlapping lines still resonate in our ears. As a matter of fact, we have an "ear worm".  Not bad for a work written at the very dawn of opera!

SungWook Kim dazzled the audience with a powerful performance of "Nessun dorma", backed by the audience/chorus, Ms. Ruccolo's aforementioned master stroke.

Ms. Guberman and Suchan Kim seemed to have as much fun as the audience in a charming performance of the Papageno/Papagena duet from Mozart's Die Zauberflöte. Clever use was made of the space as they began from opposite sides of the gallery and moved closer together, each exhibiting a spunky personality.

For vocal blending, nothing can beat the final quartet from Verdi's Rigoletto. On one side of the gallery, Ms. Guberman enacted the innocent Gilda, appalled by witnessing the Duke's flirtation with Maddalena on the other side of the gallery. As her father, the court jester, Suchan Kim appeared to comfort her distress.  Meanwhile, Ms. Hunter as the tantalizing Maddalena flirted shamelessly with the deceiving Duke, sung by SungWook Kim.  Each character is singing something different but Verdi's writing and the artists' performances brought everything together.

Without missing a beat, the versatile Ms. Guberman changed character and became Violetta as she reconsidered her attitude toward love in "Sempre libera" from Verdi's La Traviata. Sungwook Kim played the offstage Alfredo.

Suchan Kim assumed the appropriate attitude and vocal coloration as he performed the Toreador song from Bizet's Carmen, with dramatic assistance from three adoring ladies (Ms. Guberman, Ms. Scott, and Ms. Hunter) and vocal assistance from the audience/chorus. One truly felt a part of the action!

The penultimate number before the final "Brindisi" came as a complete surprise. Accompanied by Maestro David Rosenmeyer, Argentinian artist Malena Dayen performed "Yo soy Maria" from Astor Piazzolla's 1968 tango operita. We have heard the work before-- but not performed as powerfully as we heard it last night. Bare Opera will produce it in the Spring and we can barely wait.

We left feeling satisfied in head and heart, wanting for nothing. Opera can do that!

(c) meche kroop

THE ART OF LISTENING

Javor Bracic, Suchan Kim, SungWook Kim, Liana Guberman, Kirsten Scott, and Laetitia Ruccolo

Regular readers may recall how highly we prize a little education along with our entertainment. Sunday afternoon we were fortunate enough to see a group of rising stars of the opera world participating in an unusual presentation, hosted by Javor Bracic and The Art of Listening. The Afternoon of Literature and Opera Scenes at the National Opera Center included member of the splendid Bare Opera, of which Maître de Chant Laetitia Ruccolo is the co-founder.

We have been a great fan of Bare Opera since their very first production. Nothing they have presented has been anything short of wonderful and everything has had an unusual and creative twist that has brought innovation and delight to operas in the standard repertory and some that are not often seen/heard.

Sunday's presentation comprised a selection of well known scenes from opera which were inspired by literature, prefaced by readings that shed light upon the scene to follow. Readings were performed by the glamorous mezzo-soprano Kirsten Scott who dazzled us by the potent drama of her readings as much as by the luster of her voice.  We shouldn't have been surprised since we have observed her throwing herself into every role she has performed.

We had never known that E.T.A. Hoffman was a critic of The Enlightenment and favored the dark emotional nocturnal life. Hence, Offenbach gave us "Belle nuit" in his opera Les contes d'Hoffman which was here given a lovely performance by Ms. Scott as Nicklausse (a role we had watched her grow in some years ago) and soprano Liana Guberman as Giullietta with their voices melding in luscious harmony.

After hearing a reading from Schiller's Don Carlos, we were in a position to relate more intensely to "Per me giunto" from the Verdi opera of the same name, performed by lyric baritone Suchan Kim. This is an aria we will forever associate with Dmitry Hvorostovsky but we have nothing but positive things to say about Mr.Kim's sincere delivery, marked by a pleasing vibrato and subtle dynamic variety.

Ms. Scott read both voices from the scene in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet in which the two young lovers meet for the first time--a truly magical moment filled with as much wit as romance. We learned that Gounod translated Shakespeare's words into French word-for-word with consummate respect for the text. Perhaps because much of the imagery of the text is religious, Gounod used a melody he had written originally about the Virgin Mary!

Ms. Guberman was lovely as Juliette, singing with pure youthful tone. Her Romeo, SungWook Kim, impressed us with the ease of his tenor instrument. Both handled the French just fine.

La dame aux camelias was the only novel written by Dumas Fils and it was based upon a true story. We heard an excerpt from the novel, followed by one of our favorite scenes. Germont Père arrives at the home of the courtesan Violetta determined to break up the relationship between her and his wayward son. Suchan Kim's interpretation was spot on as he softened the color of his angry voice in response to the gracious dignity of Ms. Guberman.

Indeed, just watching the expression on Ms. Guberman's face as she heard about Germont's innocent daughter, and hearing the change of color in her voice, was a revelation. She is hearing about a young woman who will have a socially acceptable lifestyle that is closed to her and is feeling pangs of envy. We experienced an empathy for Violetta that was greater than any we had felt before. This was really opera up close and personal!

There was only one sentence in Dante's 13th c. La Divina Commedia which inspired Puccini's one-act opera Gianni Schicchi. SungWook Kim made an expansive Rinuccio as he praises the glories of Florence and the resourcefulness of Signor Schicchi, whose daughter he is wooing. We loved the ease of his tenor and his Italianate phrasing in "Avete torto", an aria which showed off his ringing top notes and his lively personality.

Just as Puccini looked back several centuries for inspiration, so did Purcell, who wrote Dido and Aeneas based upon Virgil's Aeneid, from which Ms. Scott read an excerpt. We learned why the witches conspired to destroy poor Dido; Aeneas had a destiny to go on and found Rome, or so the mythology goes. Ms. Guberman and Ms. Scott are far too pretty to portray witches but they sounded wonderful together in the "Witches Duet".

The final work on the program was the quartet from Verdi's Rigoletto which was prefaced by a reading from Victor Hugo's The King's Diversion on which the opera was based. Suchan Kim as Rigoletto was on one side of the room comforting the highly distressed Gilda of Ms. Guberman, whilst SungWook Kim was on the other side of the room portraying the licentious Duke of Mantua who is having a grand old time flirting with an increasingly willing Maddalena, sung and acted in grand style by Ms. Scott. It was literally stereophonic!

Throughout the evening, Ms. Ruccolo appeared to be 100% at the piano and simultaneously 100% with the singers. Now that's some accomplishment!

Javor Bracic seems to have as much interest in enlightening and educating his audience as in entertaining them. He encouraged questions from the audience which the singers seemed to enjoy answering. Many of the questions were about the acting and how singers can draw from experiences to act without letting the emotions affect the quality of their vocal production. 

In such an intimate format as this was, without orchestra, sets, costumes, or distance to "hide behind", how does the singer manage the exposure and intimacy? There is really a back and forth between singer and audience and we concluded that this intimacy is at the root of opera. When opera began, it was a means of socializing and forming community. These days, we have the Met for spectacle, but we have small opera companies such as Bare Opera which provide this sense of community and intimacy. We relate to the singers. We relate to the characters. We relate to the music. We leave fulfilled!

We can scarcely wait for Bare Opera's next season. They will be doing Monteverdi's L'incoronazione di Poppea in November and Piazzolla's Maria de Buenos Aires in the Spring. We have seen both operas before but we are sure we will be seeing them as if for the first time.

(c) meche kroop

FIGARO QUA FIGARO LÀ

Cast of FIGARO x FIGARO produced by BARE OPERA

When we were new to opera we used to get Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia mixed up with Mozart's Nozze di Figaro. The characters were the same, all derived from the plays of Pierre Beaumarchais; so why were the vocal ranges sometimes different? Why didn't one composer write the entire story in one opera, or even a trilogy?  Last night, in the farthest reaches of Brooklyn, we experienced a pastiche that came very close to achieving such a perfect union.

The boutique opera company known as Bare Opera is never bare of imagination, creativity, and an adventuresome spirit. For this production, Executive Producer Kirsten Scott (herself a superlative singer) assembled a fine production team and cast which brought Beaumarchais' characters to vivid life.

Director Cecilia Ligorio put a modern feminist spin on the work; the women join forces to deal with restrictive guardians and cheating husbands. Scenes from Il Barbiere are interpolated within Nozze di Figaro to give insight into the origins of the characters. Most of the important arias and ensembles are preserved with tedious recitativi deleted. The entire work came in at a swift two hours. Extraneous characters are also deleted with singers assuming more than one role.

The key to making this work was the high quality of the musical values, not to mention the acting. Characters and relationships were made crystal clear. The singers are well known to us from other productions by Bare Opera, as well as from performances with other companies. They were all beyond excellent.

The trickiest role was that of Rosina, performed by the superb soprano Liana Guberman, whose career has taken off since our first review. The role of Rosina in Il Barbiere is generally sung by a mezzo-soprano but the low register presented no problem for Ms. Guberman who was able to portray the spunky young Rosina as well as the rejected yet dignified Countess in Nozze. It always bothered us that Rossini and Mozart chose different fachs for the same character.  But it didn't faze Ms. Guberman who sounds superb in whatever she tackles.

No less impressive was the Susanna of Kristina Bachrach whom we hear often at the Brooklyn Art Song Society. It was a definite treat to see this splendid soprano in a new light. Her instrument is a beautiful one and she employs it effectively with fine color. Most importantly we believed her characterization and particularly enjoyed her "Deh vieni non tardar" in which she teases her jealous husband. 

Baritone Suchan Kim seems to own the role of Count Almaviva. His tone is a bit richer than the designation "lyric baritone" would have one expect and he absolutely convinced us as the husband who projects his own philandering nature onto his neglected wife. Watching him do a slow burn was pure pleasure. His shamefaced apology at the end touched our heart, as did the Countess' forgiveness.  Mozart ended his opera with the theme of change and redemption, not so different from last night's Christmas Carol produced by Gramercy Opera. (Review below)

One of the biggest surprises of the night was the Figaro of bass/baritone Paul La Rosa. His voice, his build, and his dramatic presentation are all muscular and, in our opinion, much better suited to opera than to lieder singing in which he tended to overwhelm the material.  He is really a stage animal! He was very severe with Cherubino in his "Non più andrai". We felt his pain when he thought Susanna was cheating on him with the Count. 

Another surprise was the performance of Francisco Corredor in the role of Don Basilio. We know Mr. Corredor as a "character tenor" and always enjoy his comedic skills.  But last night he was given the serenade "Ecco ridente in cielo"  in which Almaviva, disguised as Lindoro, sings to Rosina in Il Barbiere. This was interpolated as a flashback to illustrate how the Count's affections had waned. Mr. Corredor sang it quite well.

As Cherubino, mezzo-soprano Sophie Delphis was engaging. The scene in which Susanna and the Countess undress "him" was just a bit racier than usual and unusually well handled. We can think of no more delightful mezzo arias than "Non so piu" and "Voi che sapete".  We wished we had an instant replay button!

Bass Colin Whiteman made an excellent blustery Bartolo who softened at the end of the opera when he admitted that he loved Marcellina, a non-singing role taken by actor Paola Michelini, representing all servants everywhere.  In Ms. Ligorio's telling of the tale, the entire issue of Figaro's origins was avoided and the reason Marcellina backed out of her resistance to Figaro's marriage to Susanna was that she didn't want to marry him, she wanted to marry Bartolo.

If you are intensely devoted to the original story, this might have bothered you, but we were content to go along with all the plot changes and enjoyed ourself immensely.

The scene that the audience seemed to enjoy the most was the ensemble from the end of Act I of Il Barbiere-- "Fredda ed immobile, come una statua";  In this case Bartolo was knocked out on the floor. 

The chamber orchestra was conducted by the renowned Sesto Quatrini, protégé of Fabio Luisi and now appointed Principal Conductor of Bare Opera, which makes us very happy. His arrangement for a dozen instruments worked exceptionally well with Music Director Laetitia Ruccolo at the piano and Victoria Wolf Lewis as Concertmaster.

What impressed us was how well integrated was the music of Rossini and that of Mozart. The two operas were separated by 27 years with the Mozart premiering in 1786 and the Rossini in 1813. An audience member untutored in music would never have noticed any disjunction, so seamlessly was the music blended.

The excellent titles were devised by Technical Director George Del Barrio and the costumes were designed by Raxann Chin--simple modern street attire adorned with jackets of the historical period.

The action was staged in several areas of a large warehouse so that no set changes were needed. The audience was seated in two areas at right angles to each other so that sight lines were good. The orchestra was behind one of the seating areas which worked well.

If you love Mozart, see it!  If you love Rossini, see it!  If you love a good time, see it!

(c) meche kroop

BARE, NOT BARE

Cast of Bare Opera's scintillating production of Mozart's Die Zauberflote

Under the directorship of Min Lew, Bare Opera has assumed an important position within the New York opera scene. We'd call it a case of truth in advertising when an institution fulfills its objectives.  Buzz words like "alternative", "minimalist", "immersive", "intimate", and "visceral" can be tossed around as a cover for "cheap" but Bare Opera lives up to its mission so effectively that we would follow them anywhere, even to a walk-up loft, hard by the toxic Gowanus Canal.  If we were not otherwise engaged we would return for the performances tonight and tomorrow night. That's how highly we esteem their production of Mozart's Magic Flute!

It is a fine thing to strip an old warhorse of its cliches, as long as you preserve the spirit of the piece and the glorious music. To fill the work with superlative musical values and a sense of intimacy compensates for the lack of imposing sets and a huge chorus. As a matter of fact, it is just that ponderous group of Sarastro acolytes that has bored us in the past. By contrast, last night's production of Mozart's Die Zauberflote felt fresh and original.  The only thing that was bare was the stage, furnished only with a couple of benches.

The original twist that occurred at the end seemed so right and organic! But we do not want to spoil the surprise for you since you, dear reader, will feel compelled to beg, borrow, or steal a ticket by the time you finish reading!

Under the baton of Maestro Teddy Poll, the 9-person chamber orchestra captured all of Wolfie's wonderful tunes with Music Director Laetitia Ruccolo as pianist. Special mention is due flutist Mira Magrill.

The singers were exceptional, most of them having been on our radar for some time. The stunning soprano Larisa Martinez enchanted us as the Princess Pamina. Her voice--velvety with a steel core--perfectly portrayed the character who moves from helplessness to self-determination. She was remarkably moving in "Ach, ich fuhl's".

Her Prince Tamino was performed by the promising tenor Andrew Zimmerman who has a lovely pianissimo; he created a believable modern day prince, searching for what is good, truthful, and right.  A delightful twist was having Pamina secretly witnessing his viewing of her photo and deciding that she was the right one for him. He delivered a lovely "Dies Bildnis ist bezaubernd schon". We of the audience were just as enchanted by his singing as he was over the photo.

As the formidable Queen of the Night, soprano Yungee Rhie fearlessly tacked both very difficult arias, letting loose a volley of vocal fireworks; she managed to bridge the inconsistencies of being a caring mother and trying to get her daughter to commit murder.

Baritone Suchan Kim made a marvelously engaging Papageno with his mellow voice and humorous manner. He made a fine representation of "Everyman". We loved the moment when his intended bride Papagena (Breana Stillman) ripped off her old lady mask; he had quite a reaction. Their duet was adorable.

The three ladies were exceptional--Liana Guberman, Kirsten Scott (also serving as Artistic Director of Bare Opera), and Inbar Goldmann. The scene in which they fight over the unconscious Tamino is always one of our favorites and we can't say we have ever heard it sung better or acted more humorously. What exquisite harmonies!

As Monostatos, tenor Francisco Corredor turned in his typically terrific performances as he threatened poor Pamino with unwanted sexual overtures. When caught he was on his knees begging for mercy from Sarastro, sung by the sturdy bass Do Jin Jung.

More beautiful harmonies were heard from the three helpful spirits--Sacha Bloch, Grace Mosley, and Alexandra Miller.

Sarastro's armored men were well played by Colin Whiteman and David Charles Tay.

Singing was done in practically perfect German and we didn't miss a word. Dialogue was spoken in English which was mostly understandable but presented a challenge for those whose native language is not English.

Justin Griffith Brown's stage direction was effective. Seats were set up along two adjacent sides of the square room of the Gowanus Loft, giving the audience good sight lines and leaving plenty of room for the performers to interact. Being up close and personal made a major difference in our connection with the characters, our perception of the opera, and its philosophical underpinnings.

In place of imposing sets, we had the evocative lighting of Anthony Tornambene which made use of color washes on the two walls, which did a great job of setting the mood of the scene.

Isa Rodrigues' costumes were contemporary, simple, and relevant. Pamina was dressed in a long white dress which emphasized her purity. Tamino was in normal street attire. Sarastro wore all white to emphasize his spiritual orientation. Monostatos wore a raincoat, lending a reference to sexual deviancy. The Three Ladies sported otherworldly face paint. The Three Spirits wore pinwheel caps and clown makeup. The armored men wore angularly sculpted masks.

Mozart wrote this "singspiel" in 1791, shortly before his death. The libretto was written by his friend Emanuel Schikaneder, apparently influenced by the philosophy of The Enlightenment and by Masonic symbolism. It became an instant success and no one seemed to mind the rampant sexism. Mr. Brown's direction included a twist that we enjoyed which put the work squarely in the 21st c.  The work has always lent itself to directorial innovations, not always successfully.  We suspect that if Wolfie himself had been present last night he would have joined in the thunderous approbation given by the audience.

We might add that the audience was far younger than that which we customarily see at the opera. If anyone wants to know how to make opera relevant to millenials, pay attention! Clear away the cliches, say something relevant, and cast young up-and-coming singers. That Bare Opera keeps ticket prices affordable for young folks implies that support must come from those that care about opera's survival. www.bareopera.org/donate!

(c) meche kroop

BARE OPERA ON A BARE STAGE

A Brilliant Success for Bare Opera

Well, the stage wasn't entirely bare; there were three benches and enough newspaper to remind us of our former neighbor "The Hoarder". The staging of Rossini's first opera was unusual with rows of seats on either side of the theater facing inward with the stage at one end and marvelous Maestro Sesto Quatrini and his fine chamber orchestra at the other.

Stage Director Cecilia Ligorio had some fine ideas and utilized both the stage and the central playing area, giving the singers lots of room to tell this humorous story. Maestro Quatrini at one end could conduct in full view of singers, musicians, and audience members. The only problem was that at times one felt as if one were watching a tennis match; if one needed to read the titles at the top of the stage this head swiveling became constant. But there is no denying that the experience was up close and personal, making it very very special and full of impact.

Rossini was only 18 years old when he composed La cambiale di matrimonio, which premiered in 1810 in Venice. (And what's YOUR 18-year-old doing tonight?). The libretto by Gaetano Rossi is a farsa comica, based on an earlier play which was probably based on commedia dell'arte. 

There is a mercenary older man, played with bluster by baritone Suchan Kim, who always turns in a great performance. There is a rebellious daughter, portrayed by the superb soprano Liana Guberman. There is her impoverished lover, effectively sung by terrific tenor Sungwook Kim. And there is a wealthy suitor from Canada (!) sung by the fine baritone John Allen Nelson. And of course there are two clever servants--Norton (the fine Colin Whiteman) and Clarina (the very gifted Kirsten Scott).

The successful introduction, written by Assistant Director Elias Markos, was delivered by the spunky mezzo-soprano Ms. Scott (who also happens to be the Executive Producer and Co-Artistic Director). Ms. Scott is not only a superb singer but also made an impressive interlocutor, explaining in English what the opera is about.

A wealthy English merchant wants to arrange a marriage between a wealthy Canadian and his daughter, who is in love with a poor fellow. The servants  help the young lovers to defeat the father's plan.

The directorial concept rapidly dealt with any reservations an audience member might have about watching something so old-fashioned as to be based on a man selling his daughter. Cast members read aloud articles from the plenitude of newspapers scattered about, dealing with such issues taking place contemporaneously in several foreign cultures as well as sex-trafficking closer to home. This introduction allowed the audience to experience the work as relevant and also to enjoy the high jinx and the music.

And what music! There is something quite exciting about hearing a composer's earliest works. One could hear the influence of Mozart and one could also hear the origins of Rossini's prodigious gifts. There was a gorgeous romantic duet for Ms. Guberman and Sungwook Kim. There was a face-off duet between Mr. Suchan Kim and Mr. Nelson. And there was a marvelous oppositional duet when Mr. Nelson tries to court the unwilling Ms. Guberman. The two servants also got plenty of stage time for frisky involvement and sang so well together.  And there was a terrific ensemble number as well.

Costumes by Laura Kung were modern and suited the characters.  Mr. Suchan Kim wore a "grandfather sweater", Mr. Sungwook Kim wore a motorcycle jacket, and Mr. Nelson was dressed like a clueless rube in plaid pants.

Music Director (and pianist) was Laetitia Ruccolo whom we just heard Thursday night at the Classic Lyric Arts Gala. Lighting Design was by Anthony Tornambene.

We are feeling particularly grateful to Bare Opera for bringing this work to our attention and for casting such superb artists; we were given all the best of musical and dramatic values, brought up to date without sacrificing the original intent--to entertain!

(c) meche kroop

BARE OPERA GIVES GREAT GALA

Bare Opera Gala (photo by Gustavo Alberto Mirabile)

STANDING

Suchan Kim

Francisco Corredor

Briana Hunter

Sungwook Kim

Larisa Martinez (Gala host)

Joshua Bell (Gala Host)

Liana Guberman

Justin Brown (stage director)

SEATED

Laetitia Ruccolo 

Min Lew (Bare Opera General Director)

Kirsten Scott

Life in New York can be tense, stressful, and competitive!

Life on Planet Opera is warm, relaxing, and mutually supportive!

Take, for example the gala evening offered by Bare Opera, one of our highly treasured small companies. Hosts for the evening were the wildly talented and gracious Joshua Bell and the equivalently talented stunning soprano Larisa Martinez, toward whom we have oft tossed journalistic bouquets.  The venue was their lavishly appointed triplex that seems to have been designed for this type of event.

The room was packed with lots of luminaries from Planet Opera and everyone was there to share in the good will, imbibing champagne and a generous spread of edibles both before and after the musical portion of the evening.

Guests had the opportunity to hear four rising stars-- soprano Liana Guberman, mezzo-soprano Kirsten Scott, tenor Sungwook Kim, and baritone Suchan Kim-- in a tempting program of arias, duets, and ensembles. We use the word tempting because guests were indubitably tempted to order tickets for Bare Opera's upcoming Cambiale Matrimonio, written by Rossini at the tender age of 18.  (And what's YOUR 18 year-old doing with his free time, LOL?)

Francisco Corredor, himself a talented character tenor, served as Master of Ceremonies and introduced each number with style and humor. Justin Brown staged the evening, utilizing the space well, including the staircases; the singers were mysteriously masked.

Singers were accompanied by a trio of musicians with the lovely Laetitia Ruccolo playing the piano, cellist Elad Kabilio (famous for his "Music Talks"), and violinist Omer Ashano who was responsible for arranging the music along with Ms. Ruccolo.

The program was wisely chosen to include audience favorites--entirely suitable for a light-hearted evening. "Pronto io son", from Don Pasquale, involves Dr. Malatesta (Suchan) coaching Norina (Liana) on her portrayal of his convent-educated sister. The couple did justice to Donizetti's tuneful music.

Mozart got a happy hearing as well.  From Nozze di Figaro, we heard "Aprite, presto, aprite" with a frantic Susanna (Liana) trying to get rid of Cherubino (Kirsten) before the Count discovers his presence in the Countess' bedchamber.

From Mozart's Don Giovanni, Suchan performed the lovely serenade "Deh vieni alla finestra".  From Cosi fan tutte, Fiordiligi (Liana) and Dorabella (Kirsten) bade farewell to their departing lovers along with Don Alfonso (Suchan) in the trio "Soave sia il vento".

Rossini was also represented on the program with "Zitti, zitti, piano, piano" from Il Barbiere di Siviglia" with Kirsten as Rosina, Suchan as the eponymous barber, and Sunwook as Count Almaviva. For the finale, the entire cast joined forces for more Rossini--the quartet "Arpa gentile" from Il Viaggo a Reims.

In the hands of Ms. Scott, the event went smoothly and artistically.  We would expect no less from this fine company and have already planned to attend Rossini's early opera which will be performed November 4th, 5th, and 6th.  And so should YOU!

We love opera that is informal and accessible and, also important, affordable!

(c) meche kroop

BARE NOT BARE

Véronique Rapin and Kristina Bachrach

Liana Guberman, Sungwook Kim, and Dongkyu Oh

A new chamber opera company on Planet Opera is always a cause for celebration. Bare Opera made a delicious debut last night with two tempting French bonbons. Although the name is Bare, we consider the fledgling company to be very well-furnished with talent and imagination to spare.

They call themselves an "alternative" opera company and have a mission to provide a more modern take on the opera-going experience. They embrace a collaborative spirit with innovative cross-arts productions, creating a casual and intimate experience in unconventional spaces-- in this case the Robert Miller Gallery.

For their debut, they wisely chose two infrequently seen works by French composers, sung in French, with good surtitles that were easily visible. The evening opened with Debussy's cantata L'Enfant Prodigue, a work which won the composer the Grand Prix de Rome in 1884 as he concluded his studies at the Paris Conservatoire. The text by Ernest Guiraud had been assigned, a simple story of a mother Lia who laments the absence of her son Azaël. His return to the family provides for a joyous reconciliation with her and the father Simeon.

Liana Guberman was convincing and ultimately moving as the mother, expressing emotions of grief and joy with wonderful colors in her beautiful soprano. We have heard her sing several times and are impressed with her artistic growth.

Tenor Sungwook Kim and baritone Dongkyu Oh, as son and father respectively, contributed their excellent voices to the creation of this happily restored family.

Conductor Sesto Quatrini accomplished the reduction of the score and guided his chamber orchestra through the beautiful music which presaged the composer's later impressionism. The orchestra comprised a string quartet augmented by bass, percussion, piano and winds--flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon and French horn. The textures were lovely and the execution marked by clarity.

As far as the visual elements, there were some really beautiful images swirling on the screen projected above the singers. Fortunately they did not distract; but as to whether they contributed to our appreciation of the emotional landscape of the text and music, we cannot say. The abstract video created by Art Director Alexandra Posen of molten wax reminded us of nothing more than the light shows of the late 1960's. Not a bad thing!

For the second half of the program, Maurice Ravel's L'Enfant et les Sortilèges, Ms. Posen created a trippy landscape looking for all the world like a video game constructed of Lego blocks. For this, Ms. Posen collaborated with Voxelbox and Minecraft artist Kupo. In this case, the projection served to establish the world of the child, a very naughty boy.

We recently enjoyed a performance of this delightful 1925 opera given by Utopia Opera, another chamber opera company.  It was amazing to enjoy it from another perspective with different performers and different direction (Anthony Laciura). The work began life as a ballet commissioned by the Paris Opera but became an opera with ballet sequences choreographed by none other than George Balanchine. The novelist Colette wrote the libretto. Ravel's score is eclectic with influences from jazz and popular music of that epoch.

It tells the story of a rebellious schoolboy who destroys his books, abuses the furniture and tortures animals. These objects come alive and teach the boy a lesson--meanness leads to loneliness and abandonment. In the happy ending, the boy bandages an animal's wounds and earns the praise of the other creatures.

Swiss mezzo-soprano Véronique Rapin made a very believable little boy, dressed in a sailor suit, throwing herself into the role with expressive gesture and voice. We were highly impressed by Francisco Corredor's performance as a googly-eyed frog and as the boy's neglected arithmetic lesson. We have enjoyed this character tenor's performance on more than one occasion.  There is never a false note, not vocally, not dramatically. He also did the choreography which worked splendidly.

Another singer we enjoyed was Larisa Martínez in her role as Fire that can warm but also destroy. We did not see any credits for costuming in the program but hers was red and floaty and quite special. Similarly her Nightingale was a standout.

Ms. Guberman reappeared as a Shepherdess and a Bat, both excellently portrayed; Mr. Kim lent his tenor to the role of Teapot with Inbar Goldmann as his Teacup. Mr. Oh did a fine stand as the Grandfather Clock and again as a Cat with Briana Hunter as his mate in a fine meowing duet. What fun to see singers stretch themselves and reappear in completely different guise.

Kristina Bachrach portrayed a Princess whose life was left in limbo when the bad boy tore up his picture book. (During this scene we appreciated the projected artwork of a Disney-style castle.) She doubled as an Armchair with the Sofa played by Enrico Lagasca who doubled as the Tree which was bleeding sap from a knife attack by the naughty boy.

As the mother Sarah Miller left us with memories of a mincing walk that went far in defining character. We recalled her fine performance with New York Opera Exchange in Roméo et Juliette.

Not only did all of the above mentioned singers make significant vocal contributions but the chorus did as well. Who coached them? Mr. Corredor of course.

Laetitia Ruccolo, Artistic Director of Bare Opera and pianist, was responsible for the very readable translation with titles done by Elizabete Sirante.

All told, we witnessed a highly talented group of young artists collaborate to put on a production that delighted a very packed house. We foresee a fine future for this group and are eagerly awaiting an announcement of dates for their next production--Goyescas by Enrique Granados.

This is exactly what a boutique opera company should be doing--bringing neglected works to an audience hungry for surprises. There is certainly room in New York for  small companies presenting the classics so that young artists can get experience with roles for which they may later be hired. But Bare Opera seems to have found their own niche. We heartily approve!

There will be two more performances.  Take heed!

(c) meche kroop

GIULIO GARI ANNUAL GALA WINNERS RECITAL

GIULIO GARI

The memory of this fine tenor lives on by virtue of the admirable work of The Giulio Gari Foundation; they provide awards, grants and performance opportunities to young singers on the cusp of major careers.  Few opera goers acknowledge the intense hard work that goes into career development and the high cost of lessons and coaching. We witness the end results and neglect the means.  It was up to Stephen De Maio and Licia Albanese to get together with Gloria Gari to honor Mr. Gari's memory in the best way possible, ensuring that the baton will be passed to younger generations.

The Giulio Gari Foundation presented their awards yesterday to as fine a group of young singers as we have heard. As a matter of fact we have been fortunate enough to have heard many of them before and were thrilled to have the opportunity to hear them again. . The winners we heard deserve every accolade they received. The foundation chose wisely and well; needless to say, each singer chose his/her material wisely and well, with an eye to showing off his/her own particular vocal range and style.  Piano partners Arlene Shrut and Mikhail Hallak partnered the singers with panache and versatility.

First prize winner Marina Costa-Jackson was saved for last. Without drawing any comparisons, let us just say that her family has astonishing musical genes which, along with dedication and hard work, resulted in a stirring performance of  "Stridono lassu" from Leoncavallo's I Pagliacci; her gorgeous soprano evoked the flight of birds so envied by Nedda whose life is constrained, to say the least.  As she began, her rich low notes suggested those of a mezzo but then her voice soared into the sky with the most gorgeous vibrato and top notes.

Second prizes were won by Michelle Johnson and Chloe Moore, both sopranos.  Ms. Johnson sang "Io son l'umile ancella" from Cilea's Adriana Lecouvreur and caressed each word and phrase with her silky sound which opened up beautifully in the crescendo.  Ms. Moore used her bright and shiny voice in "La Gavotte" from Massenet's Manon.  When she opened up at the top of the register we thought all the glasses in the room would break.

The brilliant bass-baritone Musa Ngqungwana, third prize winner, performed "Riez, allez, riez du pauvre ideologue" from Massenet's Don Quichotte with a big round tone and fine French diction.  We made sure to learn how to pronounce his name because we are going to be hearing a lot more from him.

Fourth prize was won by the excellent baritone John Viscardi who sang "Ya vas lyubil" from Tchaikovsky's Pique Dame; his performance was filled with Russian soul.  Oh, how we dearly love Tchaikovsky!

Fifth prizes were won by sopranos Elise Brancheau and Ewa Plonka Nino.  Ms. Brancheau performed Micaela's aria "Je dis que rien ne m'epouvant" from Bizet's Carmen.  Her fine vocalism and acting captured the faith-based courage of her character.  Ms. Nino did justice to "Acerba volutta" from Cilea's Adriana Lecouvreur. We enjoyed her pianissimo as much as the grand crescendo in which she spun a beautiful tone.

Grant winners were also on the program and every single one excelled.  Bass-baritone Leo Radosavljevic captured Figaro's outrage with his fine voice and expansive personality as he performed "Aprite un po' quegl'occhi" from Mozart's Nozze di Figaro (which we heard at the Metropolitan Opera and reviewed last night).

Soprano Liana Guberman and tenor Riad Ymeri harmonized perfectly in the tender duet "O soave fanciulla" from Puccini's La Boheme.  We enjoyed the depth of feeling they expressed.  We fondly recall Ms. Guberman's beautiful realized Mimi last season at Loft Opera.

Another brilliant duet was performed by soprano Mia Pafumi and tenor Mingjie Lei--"Una parola, O Adina" from Donizetti's L'Elisir d'Amore. Their characterizations were as admirable as their voices, both of them fearlessly tackling the fioritura. Both have sweet light voices, perfect for those roles.

We loved the way mezzo Shirin Eskandani realized the character of Rosina as she performed "Dunque io son" from Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia; she tore into the fioritura with gusto. Her Figaro was the fine baritone Christian Bowers; his reactions were priceless.   Instead of writing notes, they sent messages to Lindoro via cellphone.  The audience loved it.

The fiery duet from Donizetti's Anna Bolena--"Ah! Qual sin cercar non oso" was well performed by mezzo Lisa Chavez and baritone Jarrett Ott.  We always love a good bel canto duet and last evening we reveled in an embarrassment of riches.

Last but by no means least, we thrilled to the sound of trumpets.  That is we thrilled to the sound of "Suoni la tromba" from Bellini's I Puritani.  What thrilled us particularly was the big bass sound of Patrick Guetti and baritone Jamez McCorkle. Mr. Guetti, whose performances  we have enjoyed on several occasions, strikes us as one of those "stage animals" from whom one cannot takes one's eyes and ears.

Not only were we thrilled by the quality of the entertainment but we had the pleasure of experiencing the honoring of two renowned singers who have contributed so much to young artists--Marilyn Horne and Richard Leech, both of whom had interesting things to say.

And then...as they say...dinner was served. We would like to honor The Giulio Gari Foundation for their generous contribution to the world of opera.

(c) meche kroop