EMERGING ARTISTS FROM GLIMMERGLASS

Michael Sherman, Raquel González, and Michael Brandenburg

As part of Opera America's Emerging Artist Recital Series, The Glimmerglass Festival Young Artists Program presented three of their young artists who are moving on to starring roles in this summer's festival.  Raquel González will portray Mimi and Michael Brandenburg will play her Rodolfo. We would have enjoyed a duet from Puccini's La Bohéme and sat in our seats when the program ended waiting for an encore that never happened.

Please don't think that we were left unsatisfied!  On the contrary, it was a most fulfilling recital and we enjoyed hearing two substantial voices. Regular readers will recall how excited we get when we have witnessed a young artist's growth within the conservatory environment, particularly when they rise to greater heights after graduation.

Such was the case with this radiant soprano. Her lovely instrument has broadened and deepened without losing a drop of lustre or brilliance. She chose her own material and chose wisely.  One can usually tell when a singer loves the song. The trio of songs by Joaquín Turino are rarely heard and they are marvelous.

"Olas gigantes" gave collaborative pianist Michael Sherman an opportunity to create a storm in the piano and Ms. González conveyed the poet's desperation. Perhaps we are prejudiced but it seems to us that Juilliard graduates are exceptionally well trained in the art of textual interpretation and drama. Their gestures are always apt and motivated by the text.

"Tu pupila es azul" is a gentle song and Mr. Sherman's piano created gentle waves that matched the delicate coloring of the singer. We loved the typically Spanish turns in the vocal line. In "Besa el aura" we were dazzled by her control of the melismatic passages.

She also showed her skill with Russian, having chosen two delightful songs by Rimsky-Korsakov. In "The Nymph" the text speaks of a mystical being who does NOT kill the admiring sailor.  What a relief!  Not at all like the German "Lorelei".  Perhaps our favorite song of the evening was "Dream on a Summer's Night", a maiden's sexual awakening tenderly and passionately sung with beautiful arpeggios in the piano.

Tenor Michael Brandenburg, like Ms. González, has won many honors and prizes and has an instrument of considerable size. He sang three songs by Rachmaninoff, all repertory standards, with a great deal of muscle. "Spring Waters" seemed particularly apt after the torrential rains New York recently experienced! Our favorite is always "Oh, never sing to me again" which fills us with the pain of longing.

But we enjoyed his singing more in a set of songs by Joseph Marx, a composer we always enjoy.  We wonder why more singers do not choose his works for their recitals. Mr. Brandenburg's German is quite good and we particularly enjoyed "Selige Nacht" which gave the piano some interesting and gorgeous runs.

Both singers exhibited fine English diction and confirmed our opinion that Broadway music is far better in a recital than academic songs in English that tax our preference for beauty. Ms. González was lovely in Jerome Kern's "The Song is You" from the 1932 Music is in the Air, while Mr. Brandenburg was compelling in "Beloved" from Sigmund Romberg's The Student Prince.

We also got to hear the two singers in duets--"Suzel, bon di" from Mascagni's lesser known opera L'amico Fritz, which we would dearly love to see produced in its entirety.

A final duet "And this is my beloved", from the 1953 musical Kismet, was adapted from music by Alexander Borodin by Robert Wright and George Forrest. It was glorious and a fine way to end the recital.

The two voices blended beautifully in harmony and we predict that their Bohème this summer in Cooperstown will be a most worthwhile one.

(c) meche kroop

VISITORS FROM WASHINGTON NATIONAL OPERA'S YOUNG ARTIST PROGRAM

Tomoko Nakayama, Michael Brandenburg, Aleksandra Romano, Keriann Otaño, Raquel González, and Wei Wu

As part of Opera America's Emerging Artist Recital Series, the Washington National Opera's Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program presented an enjoyable recital in the intimate auditorium of the National Opera Center. We love the experience of hearing singers up close and personal.

The five singers and sole pianist were chosen from among the ten singers and two pianists who take part in the two-year program, currently experiencing its 13th season. The emerging artists in the program are given lessons, coaching, career counseling, and performance opportunities.

We were overjoyed to hear soprano Raquel González once more; we have missed her since her Juilliard days. In impeccable French and with radiant warmth, she sang a pair of songs by Reynaldo Hahn and one by Alfred Bachelet. She wisely scaled her voice to the size of the room and channeled all that love of nature.

The other singers were new to us. Soprano Kerriann Otaño also sang of nature and Spring--but she sang in Russian.  These Rachmaninoff songs, given their Russian nature, were more passionate. In "O You, My Grain-Field", the poet uses the wheat as a metaphor for his thoughts. Such torment was relieved by the joyful "Spring Waters" which we have heard at least three times this week and never tire of.

Mezzo-soprano Aleksandra Romano also sang in Russian with a resonant and pleasingly penetrating sound. Tchaikovsky must have written more songs than we'd ever imagined because we have rarely heard the same one twice. There was an abundance of bitterness and sorrow in "Over Burning Ashes" but "The Sun Has Set" was a tender romance.

Tenor Michael Brandenburg performed three well-known songs from the Richard Strauss oeuvre: the persuasive "Cäcilie" the exuberant "Zueignung", and the tragic "Befreit" in which the singer must convey the sorrow of a man losing his youngish wife. The words speak of acceptance and even joy but the pain must also come through.

Bass Wei Wu introduced us to the other Chansons de Don Quichotte--those written by Jacques Ibert to text by Pierre de Ronsard. It was in this set that we heard what collaborative pianist Tomoko Nakayama could do. She totally captured the flavor of Spain. We will be reviewing a program called Don Quixote in Music this Thursday at the Hispanic Society and wonder whether these songs will be included!

The second half of the program was devoted to American songs, mainly from the Broadway genre. We were over the moon hearing these gems sung unamplified by such superior voices. All five singers were onstage together and interacted with one another, lending a naturalistic feel. Michael Heaston directed with panache.

Ms. González sang  Jerome Kern's "The Siren's Song" and astonished us with her versatility. We never knew she had a coquettish side and it tickled us. Mr. Brandenburg sang Nicholas Brodszky's "Be My Love" and sang it to all three women in turn. Although it was written to be sung to a "one and only", portraying the singer as a Don Juan was a delightfully fresh approach.

Ms. Otaño was really funny in the William Bolcom's bluesy "Toothbrush Time" about a woman who can't wait to get rid of her sleep-over date. Ms. Romano sang Bolcom's "Amor" without saying anything new, but she sang it engagingly.

Mr. Wu was convincing in "This Nearly Was Mine" from Rodgers/Hammerstein's South Pacific. The program ended with the entire cast singing "It's a Grand Night for Singing" and indeed it was!

How wonderful that New York could welcome these visitors from the nation's capitol. We hope they came back soon.

(c) meche kroop

METROPOLITAN OPERA NATIONAL COUNCIL GRAND FINALS

Brandon Cedel, Sydney Mancasola, Michael Brandenberg, Rebecca Pedersen, Musa Ngqungwana and Thomas Richards

The anxiety and tension among the finalists was matched by that of audience members.  Everyone had their favorites and celebrated when their choices were ratified by the judges.  But oh, how they lamented when the judges overlooked their favorites in favor of a singer they deemed less worthy.  One never knows what the judges are looking for but we know who we like.

Let it be said that the six "winners" were all superb but the four who weren't chosen were also winners.  Making it to the finals after the laborious nationwide process of elimination is a big win and we celebrate the four who were not chosen as well as the six who were.

The afternoon was glorious; hearing ten young artists in their 20's singing with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, led by Maestro Marco Armiliato, as well as experiencing the hosting of the glamorous soprano Sondra Radvanovsky and the stellar baritone Eric Owens justified the price of admission.

No one could have quarreled with the choice of bass-baritone Brandon Cedel;  he showed a gorgeously textured vibrato in "Vi ravviso" from Bellini's La Sonnambula and spun out the luscious long phrases with fine style.  In the second half, he gave a passionate performance of "Aleko's Cavatina" from Rachmaninoff's eponymous opera.

Equally riveting was another bass-baritone Thomas Richards who sang Claggart's aria "Oh Beauty" from Britten's Billy Budd, getting every ounce of drama from the many colors of his voice as well as appropriate gesture.  In the second half of the program, he delivered a rolicking "La calunnia" from Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia, for which one did not need any translation.

Yet a third bass-baritone, Musa Ngqungwana, impressed with his "Riez, allez" from Massenet's Don Quichotte and later sang "Vi ravviso" which we preferred.  With so many bass-baritones on the program, we got to hear a few arias repeated.

The lone tenor, Michael Brandenburg, produced some lovely colors in "É la solita storia del pastore" from Cilea's L'Arlesiana and invested "Lenski's Aria" from Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin with a similar depth of feeling.

Soprano Sydney Mancasola seemed a bit wan in "Salut à la France" from Donizetti's La Fille du Regiment, but more than made up for it in the second half with a "Caro Nome" from Verdi's Rigoletto marked by a brilliant vibrato.

Most astonishing of all was the 21-year-old soprano Rebecca Pedersen, still a sophomore at Brigham Young University.  She has a sizable voice and plenty of stage poise as she sang "Pleurez, mes yeux" from Massenet's "Le Cid" and opened up readily in the second half with a stunning "Stridono lassù" from Leoncavallo's Pagliacci.

While waiting for the judge's decision we heard Ms. Radvanovsky and Mr. Owens tell about their experience with the Met Finals many years ago.  Ms. Radvanosky gave a most exciting performance of "Pace, pace, mio Dio" from our favorite neglected Verdi opera La Forza del Destino.

We shall not end without some appreciate words for the five runners-up.  We greatly admired bass-baritone Richard Ollarsaba's "Se vuol Ballare" from Mozart's  Le Nozze de Figaro.  Baritone Efraín Solís  had a marvelously accurate fioritura in an aria from Handel's Rodelinda.  Bass Matthew Anchel showed off some stirring low notes in "Il lacerato spirito" from Verdi's Simon Boccanegra.  Soprano Tracy Cox showed a lovely messa di voce in "Morrò ma prima in grazia" from Verdi's Un Ballo in Maschera.

The National Council has been scouting young singers from all over the country for sixty years now and we wish them sixty more.

(c) meche kroop