PRELUDE TO PRELUDE TO PERFORMANCE

Ira Siff, Master Teacher (amongst other things)

Since the very first time we attended a performance by the young artists in Martina Arroyo's summer program we have been convinced that opera will survive the many threats people talk about--financial and artistic.  We found ourselves marveling over each performance, saying to anyone who would listen "Wow, that was the best Contes d'Hoffman (insert anything in its place) we have ever seen!" or "I never enjoyed L'Elisir d'Amore that much".

It Italy under Berlusconi, funds for "high culture" have evaporated and the patrimony of that country is nearly on its deathbed.  But here in New York opera is alive and well in the hands of the conservatories giving exceptional training to ambitious young singers and in the hands of small opera companies giving these artists opportunities to be on stage.

Prelude to Performance is a program that provides comprehensive post-graduate training to these gifted young artists.  Those talented and fortunate enough to get accepted receive the most refined training free of cost over a period of six weeks. The roles must be memorized in advance so the students can focus on stagecraft, movement, dramatic interpretation, psychological motivation of the character, diction and even historical perspective.  This is a total immersion program!

Individual coachings are augmented by master classes given by superb teachers like the beloved Ira Siff who spent three hours yesterday coaching the singers who will assume the roles in the upcoming La Traviata and Il Barbiere di Siviglia (July 10-13) and also to those who will cover these roles.  

We were fortunate enough to sit in on Mr. Siff's class and were duly impressed by the wisdom and experience he offered so generously; we were equally impressed by the alacrity with which the students absorbed his suggestions given in the most supportive and unthreatening manner without a trace of any attempt to control.

We were particularly impressed by his work with soprano Cecilia Lopez who will be singing the role of Violetta.  She sounded completely amazing to our ears at the beginning but after working with Mr. Siff there were numerous subtle improvements based on a deeper understanding of the character's psychology.  

In "E strano...Ah forse lui" Violetta can deliver the first one rather matter

-of-factly to set up the repeat in which she realizes just how strange her unexpected feelings are. She is struggling with her ambivalence and Verdi's elaborate markings of the score, when obeyed, are blueprints for the illustration of her emotional state.  For example, there are several instances of three staccato notes followed by two accented notes--a heartbeat motif.  We have never heard this before but we certainly will be hearing it from now on!

In the "Sempre libera" there are also staccato notes that here indicate Violetta's frenetic state as she builds up a case for being a party girl.  This is the only act in which our soprano gets to use her coloratura for which Ms. Lopez has great aptitude.

This was only one of five coachings in the three hour session but we hope we have given you a flavor of the finely detailed work which took place.  

If you are in town in July you needn't complain about the dearth of opera.  You will have an opportunity to hear opera the way it is meant to be heard and seen--with sets and costuming (always apropos) and full orchestra at the Kaye Playhouse of Hunter College.  DO NOT MISS!

One final point given to you (unsolicited by Ms. Arroyo)--all donations to the Martina Arroyo Foundation are tax-deductible and support opera the way YOU want to see and hear it with fresh young voices given the finest training.  Do consider this!

© meche kroop

A TWO-MASTERS CLASS

Martina Arroyo

Jorge Parodi

 Two great talents joined forces at Manhattan School of Music for an invaluable master class; universally beloved soprano Martina Arroyo and conducting whiz Jorge Parodi were able to provide complementary instruction to the participants with Ms. Arroyo focusing mainly on character development and Mr. Parodi helping the singers with Spanish diction in both dialects and helping the pianist with some of the finer points.
The stimulating and instructive afternoon was presented as part of the Opera Hispanica Festival, in association with the Martina Arroyo Foundation and Sociedad Internacional de Valores de Arte Mexicano.  Naturally, the music was Spanish and we were delighted to have another opportunity to hear these wonderful songs.

Soprano Amelia Berry from MSM made a fine appearance, introducing each song in a way that engaged the listeners.  The Rodrigo songs she performed with pianist Hyerim Song, Cuatro Madrigales Amatorios, were sung with a bright sound, long arching phrases and a nice palette of vocal colors.  Mr. Parodi pointed out that the melodies of the songs were of a Baroque or Renaissance nature but that Rodrigo's harmonies were of a modern nature, requiring more rubato from the piano.  For Ms. Berry, he elucidated some of the expressions in the poetry that a contemporary American might not understand.  Ms. Arroyo instructed Ms. Berry to stay active in her thoughts and to let her face reflect what the next phrase had to say.

Mezzo Fleur Barron, a Martina Arroyo Foundation participant with a most expressive face and voice, sang a duet from Torroba's 1930's zarzuela Luisa Fernanda with SIVAM baritone Jorge Espino.  Ms. Barron was given some excellent instruction in Spanish diction from Mr. Parodi; Mr. Espino got some fine advice from Ms. Arroyo about staying in character and singing to his partner rather than to the audience; collaborative pianist Kyung Eun Na got some help with the typical Hispanic juapango rhythm.

Tenor Marcos Vigil, another Martina Arroyo Foundation participant, performed de Falla's "El Paño Moruno" which led to a valuable discussion of interpretation and Ms. Arroyo pointed out that the singer must collaborate with the pianist to paint the same picture; the character decided upon must be consistent with the singer's particular gifts.  Kyung Eun Na learned how to use the pedal to imitate the sound of the guitar.

We also enjoyed hearing Mr. Espino sing an aria from Luisa Fernanda, a zarzuela which we would love to hear in toto.  We loved spending the afternoon in such stimulating company and learned a great deal.  Now we know more about Castilian Spanish and Andalucian Spanish; we know that the "V" sound doesn't exist in Spanish; we know which consonants are soft when between two vowels and we know about the distinctive juapango rhythm.   And if you want to know what "en cabello" means, just ask us!  We heard some wonderful performances and walked out of the hall with a big smile and a feeling of gratitude to Ms. Arroyo, Mr. Parodi, Manhattan School of Music, SIVAM and Opera Hispanica for bringing it all together.

(c) meche kroop