RESCUED!

Opera Lafayette's production of Beethoven's Leonore (photo by Louis Forget)

Boy loves Girl, Girl loves Another Boy (sounds familiar?).  Wait, the Boy she loves is actually a Girl disguised as a Boy.  Of course, by now you've figured out that we're speaking of Beethoven's Fidelio. But we are not! We are speaking of the precursor to Fidelio which Beethoven wrote in 1804. How come we didn't know about this?

Opera Lafayette, on their too infrequent visits to New York City, is famed for unearthing treasures; but this treasure was missing something important. What's an opera without a tenor aria? Not that Beethoven didn't write one but in the process of revising an opera that didn't go over well with the French soldiers occupying Vienna at the time, much was lost.

Leave it to Artistic Director and Maestro Ryan Brown to engage the services of the renowned Will Crutchfield to work with Beethoven's sketches and recreate the aria. The scholarship involved in this project made for interesting reading in the program book; rather than reveal it, we prefer to urge you to attend the final performance Wednesday night at the Kaye Playhouse of Hunter College. You will be lucky, dear Reader, to snag a ticket and you will thank me.  (You are welcome!)

If you were reading my blog three years ago, you may have read about Opera Lafayette's production of Pierre Gavreaux's Leonore. If you have not, you can enter "Opera Lafayette" in the search bar and read about what might have been the inspiration for this telling of the same tale. If so it was a genius idea to utilize the same set and costumes and much of the same cast. We spoke with some of the singers and got the picture that learning the same role in German for these Francophiles was a challenge, one that they met successfully. The acting remained at the same fine quality.

There is plenty of spoken dialogue which often reminded us of a graphic novel like Maus by Art Spiegelman. The simplicity allowed us to focus on the themes and the music. 

As you probably know, the themes are those of overcoming oppression and the role of woman as rescuer. The titular character portrayed by the splendid soprano Nathalie Paulin has disguised herself (not very convincingly to our eye) as a man and secured a position as assistant to the jailer Rocco  (the fine bass-baritone Stephen Hegedus) who runs the prison where she believes her husband to be incarcerated.

Rocco's lively pixieish teenage daughter, portrayed by delightful soprano Pascale Beaudin, rejects her ardent suitor Jaquino (Keven Geddes) in the delightful opening scene and convinces her father that Leonore is the "man" for her. He consents.

Leonore wins the trust of Rocco, gets into the dungeon, and rescues her husband Florestan (tennorific Jean-Michel Richer) from the evil machinations of Don Pizarro, who wanted vengeance for Florestan's criticism of his evil ways. Let us say at this point that Matthew Scollin, who sang the role of Pizarro, created the most evil villain in our memory.

A deus ex machina concludes the opera with the arrival of the King's Minister Don Fernando (booming bass Alexandre Sylvestre) and the prisoners rejoice and celebrate Leonore's heroism.

The music captivated us from the moment Maestro Brown raised his baton. Please don't ask which of the four overtures we heard. It's like trying to sort out Puccini's four iterations of Madama Butterfly. Whichever it was we enjoyed the descending motif and the portentous theme. There were ascending flute arpeggi to lighten the mood. When the orchestra got into the melody that all Beethoven lovers will recognize, Maestro Brown carefully elicited the modulations from major to minor that make this overture so memorable and affecting.

The singing was superb all around and hearing the restored tenor aria was a special treat. Mr. Richer has grown in the role dramatically, in spite of having to sing in a different language. Actually we were quite satisfied with everyone's German diction and barely noticed the missing subtitles at the beginning which were quickly restored.

The score has some fine arias but we were most impressed by the duets and ensembles. The opera was written just five years after Mozart's death but we heard many echoes of him both musically and philosophically. Both composers created characters imbued with humanity and higher values.

Oriol Tomas directed with finesse until the final scene. We didn't care for the way it was staged; the words sung by Leonore and Florestan did not match up with the action. He was chained in place but Leonore, who should have been rushing to him, was lying at the other end of the stage. We just didn't buy it as a reunion scene. Actually there was more chemistry between Marzelline and Jaquino in the first scene who were charmingly directed, interacting quite believably whilst folding laundry.

Laurence Mongeau's set comprised simple interlocking rectangular forms embellished with parallel cables stretched to connect. It was Rob Siler's lighting design that created the appropriate atmosphere for each scene.

The theme of "rescue" has stayed with us all night. Leonore rescued Florestan and Opera Lafayette rescued Beethoven's early attempt at creating the Fidelio that occupies a major place in the canon.

© meche kroop

PRE-BEETHOVEN FIDELIO

Jean-Michel Richer as Florestan in Opera Lafayette's production of Pierre Gaveaux' Leonore

When an opera arrives at legendary status, other iterations of the same story generally fade away. Paisiello's Barber of Seville (produced by On Site Opera) and Salieri's Falstaff (produced by Dell'Arte Opera Ensemble) are cases in point. That a libretto for Beethoven's Fidelio was set before was not known to us, but what a revelation it was, in a production by the intrepid Opera Lafayette performed at the Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College.

Opera Lafayette has the perfect niche, specializing in the French repertoire and performing on period instruments. This production of Pierre Gaveaux's 1798 work Leonore ou L'Amour conjugal is the first in modern times. What a delight to hear a work that has lain dormant for over two centuries, a veritable "sleeping beauty", awakened by the Opera Lafayette kiss. Fear not if you missed it because it has been filmed.

You already know the story--Leonore (soprano Kimy McLaren) has been working at a prison where she believes her innocent husband has been incarcerated after having exposed a tyrant. She has ingratiated herself to Roc, the prison warden (bass Tomislav Lavoie), gaining his trust.

Roc has approved a marriage between his daughter Marceline (Pascale Beaudin)  and Leonore, the former having fallen in love with the cross-dressed Leonore who calls herself Fidelio. Marceline's suitor Jacquino (tenor Keven Geddes) is unhappy about Marceline's rejection of his advances but, not to worry, the story has a happy ending.

After two years of terrible suffering in prison, Florestan (tenor Jean-Michel Richer) is finally liberated by his faithful wife, although his death has been commanded by the evil Pizare (baritone Dominique Cote). The deus ex machina arrives at the last minute in the person of Dom Fernand (bass baritone Alexandre Sylvestre).

There are two important themes to be considered. The first is the fidelity of Leonore who has never given up on finding and freeing her husband and is ready to die with him if she fails.

The second theme is that of unjust and arbitrary imprisonment and the need for liberation. When Jean-Nicolas Bouilly wrote the libretto, France was reeling from Robespierre's Reign of Terror and this theme was a common one in opera of that epoch.   So called "rescue dramas" were familiar to audiences.

By the time Beethoven acquired the libretto in German translation, there were other tyrants and the work transmogrified from the historical to the personal. It is unknown whether Beethoven ever heard Gavreau's score but it was found in his home after his death.

In any case, much about his Fidelio is anticipated in Gavreau's work, which was produced for the Opera Comique and therefore has substantial spoken dialogue and an altogether lighter touch. The opera opens with a comic scene between Marceline and Jacquino in which director Oriol Tomas has provided them with clever stage business that limns their homely existence--folding laundry.

The strophic music is delightfully tuneful and more than usually memorable. (Small wonder that popular music is written strophically!)  Duets were uncommonly beautiful.

When the prisoners are released for a few moments of daylight, they sing a stirring chorus, ending Act I on a hopeful note.

Act II begins on a tragic note with the suffering Florestan pouring out his despair. On a personal note, we were quite moved by his aria which the singer delivered with as dark a color as was a propos.

There was not a weak link in the vocalism; all the singers are Canadian and the French was mostly understandable, a good thing because the stage lighting often faded out the surtitles. We could not have asked for a better cast; they delivered dramatically as well as vocally.

We liked the direction and the opera moved along swiftly, leaving us wishing there were a bit more!

Laurence Mongeau's sets and costumes worked well. The set comprised a series of rectangular forms and pillars which folded into each other and could readily be moved to suggest a different place. The costumes suggested late 18th c. Europe but were less fussy. Everything worked well together and was enhanced by Julie Basse's effective lighting.

Ryan Brown, Founder and Director of Opera Lafayette conducted the sizable orchestra which was at the same level as the first row of the raked orchestra, giving us a welcome view of his balletic style of conducting. We also enjoyed the opportunity to see the individual instrumentalists, including some wooden flutes and oboes. The playing was beautifully integrated with the singing and performed in fine French style.

Given the choice of enduring another jagged-edge modern opera or thrilling to the discovery of a forgotten masterpiece, we will not hesitate to choose the latter and are happy to give credit to Opera Lafayette for another night of pleasure and illumination. We can't help wondering how many more worthy pieces are awaiting discovery. Opera Lafayette remains the Christopher Columbus of the opera world.

(c) meche kroop

IT TAKES A VILLAGE

Talise Trevigne and Sophie Junker (photo by Louis Forget)

There is nothing secret about our affection for Opera Lafayette and our excitement when they come up from Washington D.C., always bringing a delicious confection for our delectation.  Founded twenty years ago by Conductor and Artistic Director Ryan Brown, this highly regarded ensemble of period instrumentalists specializes in neglected French masterpieces of the pre-classical and classical period.

Last night, comfortably ensconced in the Florence Gould Hall of the French Institute Alliance Française, we totally forgot that we were in New York City in the 21st c.  We were transported to the newly born 19th c. in New Orleans (a time and place of which we are inordinately fond, as regular readers will recall). We are surrounded not by New York opera lovers but by a tri-cultural audience eager for the latest import from France, particularly from l’opéra comique. The pieces were closer to our present day musical theater than they were to opera which generally comprised tragédie lyrique, telling of gods, goddesses and heroes. These confections focused on the "common folk".

André Grétry was one of the musical superstars of the age and his L’Épreuve Villageoise premiered in Versailles in 1784 as a more serious work under a different title. Queen Marie-Antoinette, known to play at the simple country life herself, shared with the attendant aristocracy a lack of interest in the noble characters, preferring the subplot which was written for comic relief.  Thus, the romantic intrigues of the rustic characters were extracted, retitled, and performed regularly in France and then exported all over the world with a new title. These light-hearted works of the period had small casts and simple sets with spoken dialogue that was easy to translate. Thus they became, with the help of the Marquis de Lafayette, representative of French culture worldwide.

This point was made during the overture as the gaily costumed characters manipulated the three curtains on which were painted a small house, a large plantation, and a shaded glen. Placards in several languages announcing the work were exchanged several times with the ultimate one announcing the work as being performed at the St. Pierre theater in New Orleans. One got the impression of a traveling team of vaudevillians.

The story is a simple one. Young Denise (Pascale Beaudin) is being courted by two men—the farmer André (tenor Francisco Fernández) whom she loves but whose jealousy has troubled her, and Monsieur La France (baritone Thomas Dolié), the pompous overseer of a plantation who had previously courted her mother Madame Hubert (mezzo-soprano Talise Trevigne). Mother and daughter collaborate to teach both men a lesson.

The vocal lines and text (by Pierre Desforges) set Monsieur La France apart in both style and content from the three “peasants” who sang more simply. Although the solos were wonderful we were most interested in the blending of voices in the trios and quartets. The dance numbers were colorful and captivating, as choreographed by Aaron R. White, whose own dancing was nimble and brilliant.  Kendra Rai’s costume design was perfect—a kind of glorified representation of plantation workers. Slavery was never indicated!

Nick Olcott’s direction kept things moving and motivated, effectively using the cutouts in the hanging curtains (set design by Luciana Stecconi) for characters to spy on one another. The sextet of choristers added greatly to the proceedings—not just vocally but choreographically. 

The period instrument orchestra astonished us with their virtuosity. The strings were sweet with Claire Jolivet as Concertmaster. We loved the sound of the valveless horns, as well as the period oboes and flutes. Andrew Appel sounded just fine on the harpsichord.

What fun it was to pretend we were in the “there and then” instead of the “here and now”!

© meche kroop

COSI FAN LE FRANCESE

Antonio Figueroa, Pascale Beaudin, Jeffrey Thompson, Claire Debono, Blandine Saskiewicz, Alex Dobson

Although we mainly deplore tinkering with the classics, we enjoyed a delightful evening with Opera Lafayette last night.  They presented a clever pairing of Mozart's 1790 Cosi fan tutte in L.V. Durdilly's French translation of Da Ponte's libretto in tandem with Les Femmes Vengées by François André-Danican Philidor which was composed 15 years earlier.  The concept was to show what happened to Da Ponte's four lovers after ten years had passed.  This pastiche made for an evening as long as Tristan und Isolde but far more lighthearted.

It also permitted the use of a single set and a beautiful one at that.  Misha Kachman created a light and airy space--a central room with a room off to each side and a view of an orange tree representing a garden outside; this permitted characters to be closeted away from the main action and to be listening through the walls.  Indeed it seemed as if the Comédie Française had commissioned the opera from Mozart!

Effective lighting by Colin K. Bills washed the set in warm pastels that reflected the sumptuous costumes by Kendra Rai.  Director Nick Olcott kept the action humming along.  A couple arias were sacrificed and spoken dialogue replaced the recitativi.  A non-singing character, a painter, was invented (or borrowed from the second opera) and Gillaume and Fernand were in his studio to pose for a painting; this action was established during the overture.  As it turned out, the painter did have a singing role in the second opera and tenor Jeffrey Thompson was our favorite performer of the evening, both dramatically and vocally.

Ryan Brown, Artistic Director of Opera Lafayette, conducted with gusto and finesse.  Musical values were topnotch overall.  Although Philidor is not Mozart (well, who is?), no apologies were necessary for his tuneful classicism.  Soprano Pascale Beaudin made a fine Fleurdelise and mezzo Blandine Staskiewicz an equally fine Dorabelle.  Tenor Antonio Figueroa and baritone Alex Dobson sang the roles of their suitors Fernand and Guillaume.  When they appeared in their disguises, they were costumed as trappers from Canada, sporting Davey Crockett hats and lots of fringe.  It absolutely worked.

Don Alphonse was sung by Bernard Deletré who has a commanding onstage presence but whose voice sounded a bit frayed.  Claire Debono was a delightful Delphine.  In the second opera she had married the painter and had risen out of the ranks of servant.  Indeed she orchestrated the comic revenge that the two sisters would take on their wandering husbands.  It was interesting that the second opera was taking place ten years later and the costumes were now of the Empire period, even though the opera was composed earlier.

Making a pastiche of the two operas was well conceived; the theme was infidelity and provided a justification for presenting Mozart's beloved opera in French.  We cannot avoid saying that Italian "sings" better; although we are fluent in French we definitely made use of the titles.  Italian is just more singable.

We do hope that the D.C. based Opera Lafayette will return soon to New York with another imaginative evening.

© meche kroop