WONDER WOMEN

Elad Kabilio and Kirsten Scott at Interface

Elad Kabilio's "Music Talks" are designed to break down the barriers between musicians and audience. Guests at the comfortable Interface on 30th St. are invited to get a drink, to sit on comfortable sofas in an informal arrangement, to learn from the lively and knowledgeable Mr. Kabilio, and then to listen in a new way.

Last night's theme, part of Women in the Arts Festival, was a celebration of Women's History Month and paid tribute to the strong heroines of opera. The liberation we take for granted today was not always the case and these operatic heroines were ground breaking exemplars.

A most interesting feature of the evening was the choice of artists. Mezzo-soprano Kirsten Scott and maître de chant Laetitia Ruccolo are two strong women themselves who got together and formed Bare Opera, an alternative female-run opera company that utilizes unusual spaces to present fresh takes on opera--immersive and intimate. Ms. Scott is Artistic Director and Ms. Ruccolo is Music Director. We have been writing about them for about 3 years. We love what they do.

Mr. Kabilio interviewed Ms. Ruccolo about her role at the piano. She doesn't like the phrase "collaborative pianist" and prefers the French title "maître de chant" to express her wide ranging work in coaching singers, preparing the program, and multiple other tasks.  Ms. Scott was given the opportunity to describe each operatic heroine about whom she was singing. The two women selected the arias to be performed.

We are not sure what the compelling Ms. Scott sang at her Carnegie Hall debut last weekend but everything she sang last night was stellar. The program opened with "Cruda sorte" from Rossini's L'Italiana in Algeri.  Isabella is a strong woman who goes off to Algiers to rescue her lover. The delivery was superb.

Rossini loved his strong female roles, mostly mezzo-sopranos. We have heard Ms. Scott on a prior occasion singing "Una voce poco fa" from Il Barbiere di Siviglia and we loved the way she handled the various sections of the aria and limned Rosina's character through the fioritura. The performance has only gotten better with even more attention to the details of her personality. As she explained, this is an "entrance aria" meant to establish the character. She added that Rosina "keeps me on my toes".

From Purcell's opera Dido and Aeneas, she sang the sad aria "When I am laid in earth", explaining that Dido's strength was not one of accomplishment but an inner reserve that helped her face death fearlessly.

Strength of character is also exhibited by Charlotte in Massenet's Werther and Ms. Scott gave us a lovely performance of "Va! Laisse couler mes larmes" which illustrates the manner in which a tearful catharsis allows women to be strong. She not only captured Charlotte's character but did so with long melodic lines.

Mezzo-sopranos are often called upon to sing en travesti, and Bellini gave the part of Romeo in I Capuleti e i Montecchi to a mezzo. We enjoyed hearing Romeo's aria "Deh tu, bell'anima" in which Ms. Scott used her vibrato to express the character's grief when he believes Juliet to be dead.

In Les Contes d'Hoffman, the hero's muse assumes the identity of a friend Nicklausse who must be strong where Hoffman is weak; she extricates him from some hairy situations. We heard Ms. Scott perform the "Violin Aria" and it took us back to 2013 when she performed this role with Martina Arroyo's Prelude to Performance.  Again, she has only refined the character.

Similarly, we reviewed her Cherubino in 2013 and remember well how persuasive she was in the role, exhibiting all of the character's anxiety and energy.  It was a pleasure to revisit "Voi che sapete" from Mozart's Nozze di Figaro and we enjoyed hearing her tell the audience some of the excitement and challenges of singing en travesti.

Before bringing out the big guns for Carmen, the stage was turned over to the lovely cellist Laura Metcalf who played Hollman's Carmen Fantasy for Cello and Piano. Mr. Kabilio explained the function of these "fantasies" as a means of bringing the operas into the home in an era before radio, TV, CD's and internet. Ms. Metcalf and Ms. Ruccolo played beautifully together and yes, all the big tunes were heard within ten minutes.

Concluding the program were selections from Bizet's opera. The strength of Carmen is undeniable. She lived and died on her own terms--fiercely and fearlessly. We heard the "Seguidilla", the "Habanera", and "En vain pour eviter" from the card-reading scene. All were vocally splendid and dramatically affecting.

This was the perfect evening to have introduced newbie friends to opera.

(c) meche kroop

A CELEBRATION AT THE KOSCIUSZKO FOUNDATION

Tadeusz Domanowski, Edyta Kulczak, and Disellla Lárusdóttir

The Kosciuszko Foundation on East 65th St. has been a fixture on the New York cultural scene since 1925 and was named for the Polish hero who helped the United States of America during the Revolutionary War.  Its mission is to promote closer ties between our two nations by means of educational, scientific, and cultural exchange.  It is the latter mission that has brought us to their beautiful historic brownstone on a number of occasions.

It is a fine idea to promote Polish culture in the USA. Most Americans, when asked about Poland's contributions to our culture, would barely know what to say except for Chopin, whose prodigious piano output must be on everyone's short list of brilliant composers for the piano.

The Foundation awards up to $1 million yearly to students and scholars, scientists and professionals, but above all--artists.

Last night, we joined in celebration of the hundredth anniversary of Poland's achievement of independence. Before that time, Poland had been divided up like a pie with Russia dominating the Eastern portion, and Germany and the Austro-Hungarian Empire occupying the remainder. The Polish language was outlawed and Chopin, among many other artists, fled to France where he flourished as a composer. The minor mode of his songs (and yes, many of his piano works strike us as songs without words) reflect the sadness one feels when exiled from one's homeland.

Chopin did write songs with words as well and that brings us to the raison d'être for last night's thrilling recital; it was an hommage to Marcella Sembrich, a famous opera singer of bygone days about whom we knew next to nothing. The fascinating story involves her rise from poverty to wealth, fame, and philanthropy. She was friends with Caruso and the great composers of the 19th c. and impressed Puccini with her performance of the role of Mimi. She starred at the Metropolitan Opera for 25 years.

Guest speaker Richard Wargo, the Artistic Director of the Marcella Sembrich Museum in upstate New York recounted interesting facts about her life, as did Ewa Zadworna, Director of Cultural Affairs at the foundation. The anecdote that captured our imagination is that Alexander II of Russia invited her to the Winter Palace to sing her signature song--Chopin's "Życzenie"("The Maiden's Wish")--in Polish!  This was during the period when Polish was outlawed!

And now we come to the entertainment portion of the evening in which two great artists of the voice performed a most satisfying recital which ended with an encore of this very song, Ms. Sembrich's favorite, and now our favorite as well.  This "maiden's wish" is that Chopin's songs appear regularly on recital programs!

It is always a thrill to get up close and personal with international opera stars and the gorgeous room at the Kosciuszko Foundation is the perfect "stage", what with fine wood panelling, heavy velvet curtains, and a portrait of the dashing Kosciuszko. We felt transported to another time and place.

Icelandic Soprano Disella Lárusdóttir and mezzo-soprano Edyta Kulczak were perfect choices for this special evening and entertained a most attentive audience with operatic selections that seemed to have been arranged sequentially from Baroque to Romantic. They wisely scaled their voices to the intimacy of the room. Their accompanist Tadeusz Domanowski served them well with sensitive piano support, never calling attention to himself.

Ms. Kulczak opened the program with two Händel arias,  In "Se bramate" from Serse, Ms. Kulczak's richly burnished instrument carried us on a wave of melody. With astute variations of dynamics and tempi, she demonstrated great expressivity of both voice and gesture. We enjoyed the accuracy of her fioritura.

In contrast, Händel's "Lascia ch'io pianga" from Rinaldo offered opportunities for a lovely long legato line. The repeated verse was given several variations of ornamentation.

Ms. Lárusdóttir followed with Susanna's final aria from Mozart's Nozze di Figaro, sung in lovely Italian, meaning that the double consonants were never shortchanged, as they often are, by American singers. There was a lovely warmth to the performance and she soared to some stunning high notes at the end and employed an affecting change of color when Mozart made the brief switch to the minor mode.

The two women joined voices several times during the evening and dazzled us with their harmony. It was unusual to hear Countess Almaviva sung by a mezzo but we loved the way it provided distinction between her dignity and Susanna's carefree attitude in "Sull'aria" from Nozze di Figaro.

They also offered "Ah guarda sorella" from Mozart's Cosi fan tutte in which they made use of the portraits on the walls. The vocal lines were delicately embroidered. We only wish the two lovelies had ditched the music stand. We felt the same way about "The Flower Duet" from Leo Délibes' Lakme. They sounded great but readers will remember how we feel about music stands! It was so lovely that the audience demanded to hear it again as an encore.

Miss Lárusdóttir gave a lovely account of Adina's aria "Prendi per me sei libero" from Donizetti's L'Elisir d'amore, showing her coloratura stuff with brilliant vocal fireworks.  In "Je suis encore" from Massenet's Manon, she sang in fine French and totally convinced us as an innocent provincial girl on her first trip away from home, unguarded in her emotional expression. This interpretation served to heighten sympathy for the character and would make Manon's unhappy fate all the more tragic.

Ms. Kulczak got her chance with Donizetti as well and dazzled us with "Fia dunque vero" from La Favorita.  What a brilliant aria! The arpeggi in the piano effectively support the melodic vocal line. The fiery cabaletta offered the opportunity for Ms.Kulczak to show her bright upper register where the resonance was outstanding. 

Another aspect of this artist was revealed in the seductive coloration she lent to Saint Saëns' "Mon coeur s'ouvre a ta voix" from Samson et Dalila. The French was parfait and the downward scales seemed like a swoon.

French works very well for her, as heard in "Les tringles des sistres tintaient" from Bizet's Carmen. Mr. Domanowski's piano captured all the excitement and her "sister in song" joined in for some spirited dancing.  It was a fine way to end the program.

But there were more delights to come--the aforementioned song by Chopin, the repeat of the "Flower Song" and "Belle nuit" from Offenbach's Les contes d'Hoffman. Two lovely voices intertwined is a recipe for magic!

We left with a renewed appreciation for Polish history and culture and a desire to hear more Chopin songs.  Are any singers listening?

(c) meche kroop

OPERA INDEX WINNERS

Michael Fennelly, Leo Radosavljevic, Emily Pogorelc, Jane Shaulis, Andres Benavides Cascante, and Jaeman Yoon

Last night was the Opera Index annual membership party which consisted of some exciting entertainment and a buffet supplied by the members, who, we might add, are all given to l'abbondanza. We love great food to go along with great singing.

And great singing was definitely on the menu. Five splendid singers entertained us royally in between les hors d'oeuvres and le grand buffet.

Soprano Hayan Kim performed first since she was on her way to an audition. With a crystalline soprano at her disposal she performed "Je veux vivre" from Charles Gounod's Roméo et Juliette. We were impressed by her ability to engage the audience with her charming stage presence and involvement with the text. She conveyed all the youthful passion required by the role. A fine vibrato ensured that the molecules of air danced around the hall.

Gounod was not the only composer to have tackled Shakespeare's tale of young love. Vincenzo Bellini took a different tack and we were fortunate to hear soprano Emily Pogorelc sing "O quante volte" from I Capuleti e i Montecchi. This aria comes along later in the plot when Juliette has already fallen for Romeo and we had the impression that Ms. Pogorelc knew exactly what she was singing and sang it in beautiful bel canto style.  We liked her phrasing of Bellini's long lines and use of dynamic variation.  And we loved the way pianist Michael Fennelly played Bellini's arpeggi.

Bass-baritone Leo Radosavljevic employed perfect French in his performance of "Riez Allez" from Jules Massenet's Don Quichotte. In this aria Sancho Panza is scolding the people who made fun of his master Don Q. We particularly enjoyed the texture of Mr. Radosavljevic's instrument and his expansive delivery.

Baritone Andres Benavides Cascante evinced a great deal of vocal flexibility in his portrayal of Count Almaviva in "Hai gia vinta la causa" from Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro. The poor Count is clueless and covers it up by being indignant.  All this was conveyed to the audience because Mr. Cascante knew the text and knew it well. 

Baritone Jaeman Yoon wowed the audience with his big round sound and pleasing vibrato as he performed an emotionally intense "Nemico della patria",  Gerard's aria from Umberto Giordano's verismo opera Andrea Chénier.

Three of the artists graciously provided encores of a lighter nature. Ms. Pogorelc performed "Kiss Me Again" from Victor Herbert's comic operetta Mademoiselle Modiste. This is a lovely tuneful song which Ms. Pogorelc graced with some divine portamenti.

Mr. Radosavljevic performed William Bolcom's "Black Max" (our all time favorite Bolcom song). Not since we heard cabaret artist Kim Smith's interpretation have we truly enjoyed this song which requires an enormous amount of dramatic interpretation. We were very impressed by Mr. Radosavljevic's ability to paint a picture with his voice.

And finally, Mr. Cascante sang "Mi Aldea" the opening aria of Jacinto Guerreros' zarzuela Los Gavilanes.  In this opening scene, Juan returns to his village from a long sojourn in Peru. The delivery was delightful and readers may recall how greatly we treasure zarzuelas.

This year Opera Index has awarded $55,000. to 16 singers.  Judging by tonight's sampling, the judges of the competition did a great job winnowing from a large field of applicants. There will be a gala on January 21, 2018, at which we will hear more of the winners.

Opera lovers who have not yet joined Opera Index are encouraged to do so at the modest membership cost of $45. There will be many opportunities to meet fellow opera lovers and help young singers. The list of winners from bygone years is astounding and includes so many of the greatest names in opera.

(c) meche kroop

TRANSATLANTIC OPERA

Danny Miller, Vasilisa Atanackovic, and Alison Miller

They call themselves TransAtlanticOpera and they made quite an impression last night at the National Opera Center, the end of their tour of Canada and The United States. They comprise a most unusual ensemble, of whom only three are pictured. The other two members are Brian Holman (the pianist with magic fingers) and the fine clarinetist Krishna Veerappan. They met in Sicily and formed an ensemble of interesting proportions and sonorities.

We are accustomed to hearing voice with piano or guitar accompaniment or with full orchestra so the novelty of the arrangements by violinist Danny Miller allowed us to hear familiar works with fresh ears.

Aside from arias performed by the engaging soprano Vasilisa Atanackovic, the four member ensemble performed instrumental versions of operatic highlights. When they played Mozart's "Porgi amor" from Nozze di Figaro, we could see the Countess and hear her voice in our head.

The "Meditation" from Massenet's Thais was absolutely gorgeous and featured Alison Miller's violin. "Casta diva" from Bellini's Norma featured Mr. Veerappan's clarinet. Similarly gorgeous was the "Intermezzo" from Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana. Mr. Holman's piano was exceptional in the "Intermezzo" from Puccini's Manon Lescaut.

But it was the singer we came to hear, so let us praise Ms. Atanackovic's bright and beautiful soprano and her passionate involvement in getting the arias across. Dvorak's shimmering score for Russalka lost little in translation (or rather arrangement) and Ms. Atanackovic melded beautifully with Mr. Holman's piano part. We loved the Bohemian harmonies and the way her voice swelled in the upper register.

Liu's plea "Tu che di gel" from Puccini's Turandot came across well and we loved the Rachmaninoff song "Polubila ya" (I have grown fond of sorrow).

We hate to harp on things that detract from an otherwise stellar performance but the dreaded music stand appeared, disappeared, and reappeared on several occasions.  It truly is a barrier between singer and audience. The singer makes contact and then that slender thread is broken every time she glances down and turns a page.

Actually, we were quite surprised that this happened with a singer so intensely intent on communicating--especially at the end of a tour!  In "O mio babbino caro" from Puccini's Gianni Schicchi (the opening piece) she lost us and we found ourselves shifting our attention to the unusual instrumental arrangement. Since Lauretta is pleading for something, it was particularly egregious to not focus on an imaginary Babbo in the audience.

Also on the program was the famous Neapolitan song "O sole mio" and the famous Spanish song "Besame mucho" performed with just the piano and marked by dynamic variety and rubato.  "Black Swan" from Menotti's The Medium (just reviewed a couple days ago) would have been so much better off the book!

There was a very emotional delivery of "Vissi d'arte" from Puccini's Tosca (an opera we are going to review in a couple days) but we have saved the best for last because this must be Ms. Atanovackovic's signature role--"Senza mamma" from Puccini's Suor Angelica. Everything was there and we could appreciate not only the wonderful instrument but the phrasing and, above all, the connection with the audience that allowed us to really feel the text. A major score!

We hope that when this excellent ensemble returns that the music stand will have been relegated to the ash heap!

(c) meche kroop

LES BELLES ET LES BEAUX

Olivia Betzen and Sean Kroll

What an interesting concept to program a season whose theme was inspired by the writings of Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais! The excellent Dell'Arte Opera Ensemble generally comes up with a highly worthwhile summer season. The program is always a win-win situation. 

Young singers in the early stages of their careers get everything they need to advance to the next level.  They profit by coaching and collaboration, intense role preparation involving not only singing but dramatics, stage deportment, diction, and whatever else it takes to bridge the gap between academic training and flourishing career. All at no charge!

But the audience benefits as well.  One can purchase low-priced tickets and enjoy high-value entertainment.  Productions are often conceived with originality and flair. Take, for example, last nights concert which celebrated the characters created by Beaumarchais. For the rest of this week, we will be reviewing Paisiello's Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro, and Titus' Rosina. Something familiar, something unfamiliar, and something treasured since we started attending opera.

But the scenes and arias presented last night will not be heard again this season because they were selected to highlight the characters rather than the operas that we will be hearing. It was a broad ranging program which included some spoken dialogue from Beaumarchais' plays as well as music from the operas based on those plays.

We heard some fine voices that we will look forward to hearing more of for the next three nights. The results of the artists' hard work was quite evident. Everyone sang well and the diction, even in English, was well above average.

There were a few scenes that stood out. Chief among them was Jay Chacon's performance of "Ja för fan det" from Inger Wikstrom's Den Brottslige Moderne. We are completely unfamiliar with this opera but online search reveals only that it was composed in 1939 and the composer is a Swedish woman. It was a captivating performance and we will search further when the season ends and we have time. The aria was melodic and intense.  The vocal line followed the Swedish language in a way that contemporary American composers seem to be unable to achieve.

We also heard arias from Massenet's Chérubin which we have never seen performed. Elizabeth Bouk sang "Je suis gris" with high spirits and fine bright sound. Alessandra Altieri sang "Lorsque vous n'aurez rien à faire" from the same opera in fine French. But our personal favorite was the Spanish inflected "Vive amour" sung by Ashley Alden.

Selections were heard also from John Corigliano's  The Ghosts of Versailles. Christopher Lilley impressed with his powerful voice and cynical attitude in "The Aria of the Worm". He was equally repellent (dramatically) in "Bégearss and the Revolutionary Women".

From Rossini's version of the Barber of Seville, we heard "La calunnia" well sung by bass Michael Spaziani --cheek by jowl with Mozart's "In quegli anni" sung by Korland Simmons, a tenor with a nice ring to his voice. How interesting that the two composers conceived of the character of Don Basilio in such disparate fachs!.

We did not relate to Darius Milhaud's "La mère coupable"; this will not go down in our book as an opera we are dying to see!

But Rossini's magical sextet "Freddo ed immobile" always tickles us. The entire evening was directed by Desiree Alejandro with Jeremy Weissmann as pianist and music director.

We are very much looking forward to hearing all these excellent young artists for the next three nights. The performance space has excellent sight lines and acoustics. Check it out!  Nagelberg Theater at Baruch College. Very worth your while!

(c) meche kroop

A TRIO WOWS A FULL HOUSE

Ken Noda, Matthew Polenzani, Corinne Winters

The George London Foundation for Singers got their recital series off to a stellar start with yesterday's recital.  The "trio" that wowed a "full house" comprised celebrated tenor Matthew Polenzani, rising star soprano Corinne Winters and beloved collaborative pianist Ken Noda in a well-thought-out program that gave each artist a chance to shine.  We know Mr. Polenzani only from his onstage appearances at the Metropolitan Opera and Ms. Winters only from her enchanting performances with the New York Festival of Song.  What a treat to see and hear Mr. P. up close and personal and to hear Ms. W. treat a New York audience to the kind of singing for which she has been acclaimed worldwide.

She has a rich resonance in her voice, belying the claim that petite singers have petite voices.  She performed a set of songs by Reynaldo Hahn and Camille Saint-Saëns in fine French, employing dramatic word coloring and emphasizing the dark richness of her voice.  In "Dis-moi que je suis belle" from Massenet's Thaïs she conveyed the character's insecurity with total conviction.  We loved Rimsky-Korsakov's "Dreams of a Summer Night" in which a young maiden dreams of a romantic awakening.

Mr. Polenzani mastered all the subtleties of "Wie singt die Lerche schön" in a lovely set of songs by Liszt; our favorite in this set was the gorgeous "Die stille Wasserose" in which the silence between the notes maintained the delicate mood most effectively.  In contrast, "Es rauschen die Winde" was an expression of anguish and loss.  The tenor's secure technique allowed him to immerse himself in the text.  Later in "Pourquoi me réveiller" from Massenet's Werther we felt the hero's heart breaking in passionate lament.  An exquisite diminuendo heightened the effect.  In this French-heavy recital we were delighted that Ravel's Cinq mélodies populaires grecques were included.  Mr. P. showed his humorous side in "Quel gallant m'est comparable" and the audience loved it.  They also appreciated his charming informality, waving to his children in the audience.

We literally could not wait to hear the two artists in a duet and were amply rewarded by the entire St. Sulpice scene from Act III of Massenet's Manon.  Manon, that manipulative bad girl, enters the church where Des Grieux is about to take orders and seduces him away from his religious calling.  Although the voices were perfectly matched, poor Des Grieux is no match for Manon's wiles.  The scene was so well done that sets and costumes appeared in our mind's eye.  Well, not the sets and costumes of the current unloved incarnation at the Met but from an earlier production that we loved and lost.

Another duet was performed as an encore--the one from Bernstein's Candide in which Candide and Cunégonde sing their very conflicting views of what their marital bliss would be.  It was lighthearted and amusing and sent the audience out on a (ahem) high note.  Throughout the recital Ken Noda supported the singers with the kind of attention that we must never take for granted.  We particularly enjoyed the way he conveyed the tinkling of the fountain in the opening chanson "Les fontaines" and the many colors in Rachmaninoff's "Dreams".

We want to urge everyone who loves vocal music to get on board for this tantalizing series of recitals in which the George London Foundation pairs an artist who is a recent prize winner with an artist who was awarded a prize in the recent past.  May they continue forever to award prizes to such deserving artists!

ⓒ meche kroop

EMALIE SAVOY RECITAL

Emalie Savoy and Nimrod David Pfeffer

We are thrilled to report that soprano Emalie Savoy's third season with the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program has resulted in a finished artist who would grace any opera stage with her exciting voice, physical beauty and relatedness.  We have long admired the purity of her voice and her musicality but this past year has put the finishing touches on her performance.  The connection with the material has increased in depth and consequently, the connection with her audience.  There is a new relaxation and welcome warmth about her that was evident from the first song.

The program opened with Poulenc's Banalités which gave this dazzling soprano an opportunity to explore many moods from the languor of "Hôtel" to the sadness of "Sanglots" to the utter joy of "Voyage à Paris", the latter being our personal favorite.  We were ready to go home and pack our bags!

Hugo Wolf's Mignonlieder was sung with intensity and dramatic artistry; one could feel a deep connection with the tragic character from Goethe's 1795 novel Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre.  Ms. Savoy's German diction was just as fine as her French.  This set of songs also gave collaborative pianist Nimrod David Pfeffer an opportunity to play a stunning postlude in "Mignon III" and to indulge in some wildly powerful playing in "Kennst du das Land".

The final set was Samuel Barber's Hermit Songs.  We especially enjoyed Ms. Savoy's warmth in "St. Ita's Vision", the lightheartedness of "The Heavenly Banquet", the terror of "Sea Snatch", the humor of the brief "Promiscuity" and the gentle "The Monk and His Cat".  With her expressivity of voice and gesture, each song had great character.  Mr. Pfeffer's piano was no less expressive.  There was a bone-chilling eerie quality in "The Crucifixion" and he made the roaring of the sea audible in "Sea Snatch" as well as the pouncing of the cat in "The Monk and His Cat".

As encore, Ms. Savoy and Mr. Pfeffer let loose with "Il est doux, il est bon" from Massenet's Hérodiade; he played some marvelously articulated rolling chords and she stunned us with a huge high note at the climax. 

One may no longer consider this prize-winning artist an emerging artist.  To our ears, she is now a fully fledged star.  Another triumph for the Lindemann program.

© meche kroop

MSM GOES GALLIC

The Manhattan School of Music presented an outstanding production of Massenet's Thaïs this past weekend.  Artistic Director of the MSM Opera Theater Dona D. Vaughn ensured success by lining up a superb production team that honored the work as to time and place and gave it a focus that would appeal to a modern audience.

Everyone loves a bad girl and no one loves a hypocritical religious extremist.  Louis Gallet's libretto, based on a poem and novel by Anatole France, traces two opposing spiritual trajectories.  Thaïs, the bad girl, actress and courtesan, becomes a saint and Athanaël, the cenobite monk who converts her to Christianity, becomes overwhelmed by his lust.

The action takes place in Egypt in the 4th c. and Massenet's music skillfully evokes the exoticism through the use of extravagant orchestral color which was well brought out by George Manahan's conducting of the fine student orchestra.  The production team deserves a great deal of credit for creating the visual counterpart.  The simple set was created by André Barbe for Opéra Montréal and comprised nothing more than a disc on the floor, a vertical eye-shaped element, several columns dropped in from above when needed to create a palace and a pedestal which elevated at plot junctures to indicate the heroine's spiritual elevation.  Guy Simard's lighting design went a long way toward creating and changing the atmosphere.  Everywhere was seen the "Eye of Horus" a symbol of major importance to the Egyptians.

Mr. Barbe's wildly colorful costumes further emphasized the exoticism and were uniformly flattering to the singers.  The communities of monks and nuns wore drab dun colored garb and the "party people" (YOU know, the ones having FUN) looked sexy as all get-out.  The appropriate headdresses and wigs by Amy Wright added to the effect.  Director Renaud Doucet blocked the scenes effectively.

The night we attended, the eponymous heroine was sung by soprano Rebecca Krynski who looked and sounded marvelous, using her beautiful instrument to good advantage with some lovely phrasing and fine French style.  A high point was her consideration of the future loss of her beauty and her fear of death.  Just following this was the exquisite "Meditation", a theme which was to recur several more times.

Tenor Aaron Short made a swell Nicias, an old school friend of the monk who had put himself in debt to finance a week of carnal pleasure with our heroine.  Absolutely delightful were the antics of Crobyle, sung by soprano Allison Nicholas, and Myrtale, sung by mezzo Elsa Quéron as they mocked the dour monk and changed his drab clothing for something more suited to the palace.  Their voices blended charmingly.

Albine, leader of the religious order to which our heroine is consigned, was well sung by mezzo Raehann Bryce-Davis; Palémon, leader of the monks who advises our hero to stay away from worldly people was sung by Brett Vogel.  Athanaël was difficult to like at first, being such a disagreeable fanatic with a rather dry voice, but he garnered our sympathy as his suffering increased in Act II.

We continued to explore the Gallic side of MSM the following evening by attending a most compelling recital coordinated by the esteemed Catherine Malfitano which was entitled "Pleurs d'or" and involved 20 third-year vocal students.  The first half of the program comprised chansons from the late 19th and early 20th c.--beautiful miniatures by Debussy, Hahn, Duparc, Chausson, Ravel, Fauré, Delibes, Bizet and Massenet.  Ms. Malfitano structured the recital to be more than a recital with the singers in mostly formal black attire and wearing masks suggestive of carnevale or Mardi Gras.  They sat in chairs facing upstage and each singer stood up for his or her turn and interacted with other singers, lending visual and dramatic interest.

The second half comprised arias from operas by Meyerbeer, Massenet, Bizet, Gounod, Lalo, Thomas, Ravel and others.  For this part, masks were removed and the singers sat on either side of the stage, rising only for their own performance.  Although it is way too early in their respective careers to say much definitive or predictive about the voices, we will say that every singer connected with his/her material and with the audience.  The emotionalism made for an involving evening.  We do confess to being somewhat blown away by mezzo Hannah Dishman who sang Bizet's "Chanson d'Avril" and "Nobles seigneurs, salut!" from Meyerbeer's Les Huguenots; by soprano Amanda Grafton who sang Chausson's "Le temps des lilas" and "Voyons, Manon" from Massenet's Manon;  and by Michael Anderson whose sweet tenor illuminated Hahn's "Le rossignol des lilas" and "Vainement, ma bien-aimée" from Lalo's Le Roi d'Ys.  French diction was mostly good all around.  Vive la France!

(c) meche kroop