PORT OF ENTRY: NEW YORK

Dina Pruzhansky, Ruoting Li, Alexandra Linde, Pavel Suliandziga, and Rachel Arky

What a thrill! It isn't every day that we get to see not just one but two singers from our Around the World in Song concerts, onstage at Carnegie Hall. What was interesting about last night's concert was that the presenters--New York Artist Management and Composers Concordance--have the same goals as Around the World in Song does--to explore the artistic heritage of musicians from around the world who call New York City home.

These two organizations cast their net wider than we do, including all kinds of musicians, not just singers. We had the opportunity to hear music we had never been exposed to, most of which we enjoyed a great deal.

Renowned and much celebrated composer Dina Pruzhansky grew up in Israel and performed two of her own compositions. From her opera Shulamit, she chose the "Wedding Duet" with text drawn from the highly romantic "The Song of Songs". We regret having missed past performances of the opera and hope we will have an opportunity to hear a revival in the near future. Unlike most contemporary composers, Ms. Pruzhansky writes music that is melodic and accessible.

Mezzo-soprano Rachel Arky performed the female role and tenor Pavel Suliandziga performed the male part. Mr. Suliandziga was featured in our very first Around the World in Song singing Tchaikovsky.

Ms. Arky has been on our radar screen for several years. She made a fine Papagena as a guest artist with Career Bridges (having previously won an award) and we recall her Gianetta in Bare Opera's L'elisir d'Amore. The two made a fine pair with some beautiful harmonic blending in this melodic duet.

Ms. Pruzhansky also shared a solo piano work entitled AM New York which describes a day in New York in a manner that brought to mind Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue. But in her composition, the day began with a jangling alarm clock followed by some unhappy chords in the piano. We enjoyed this colorful work immensely.

We were also delighted to hear Swedish songbird Alexandra Linde once more since she had performed some charming Swedish folk songs on the same program as Mr. Suliandziga. Last night she "put on her opera hat" to perform "Linee" an aria from Luigi Porto's Anita Di Laguna, with which we are unfamiliar. She was accompanied by pianist Ruoting Li.

Also on the program was a soprano from the Belgrade Opera, Snezana Savicic Sekulic who demonstrated a gorgeous upper register in "O Mio Babbino Caro" from Puccini's Gianni Schicchi. She also performed Rachmaninoff's haunting "Ne Poy Krasavitsa Pri Mne" and we would have preferred a simpler delivery than that used in opera.  We might have enjoyed Villa Lobos' "Melodia Sentimental" more if she had not been obscured by a music stand. With its elaborate fioritura Arditi's "Il Bacio" was a good selection for showing off her consummate coloratura.

The remainder of the program was instrumental and, above all, we favored the refined guitar artistry of Serbian Nemanja Bogunovic whose connection with his instrument is so intense that we thought he must eat, drink, and sleep with it. With each successive selection we thought "Oh that's my favorite"! There was incredible variety of rhythm and mood from one piece to the next and each one dazzled in a different way.

He not only composes for his guitar but also arranges his music for a string quintet that lay down a carpet of sound as a worthwhile background for his guitar.

Pianist Jasna Popovic delighted us with the filigree of Barcelo's "La Grandalla". Pianist Ruoting Li began the evening with Kostabi's "Italian Summer", an accessible piece that started off with a riff on Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" from his Ninth Symphony. This made more sense to our ears than "Away" by Pritsker.

Krstajic's composition "Zasp'o Janko" contained the most delightful folk tune that was ruined for us by amplification, as was the romantic "Solo Una Noche".  They were performed by "vocalist" Tamara Jokic about whom we have nothing to say. Amplified voices just hurt our ears; that being said, the audience seemed to enjoy both her and the accompanying jazz band.

In sum, it was a worthwhile evening and filled with delights--above all hearing music that was new to us.

© meche kroop

WE DRANK IT AND FELL IN LOVE

Eunjin Jung, Kidon Choi, Pavel Sulyandziga, Sara Papini, Matthew Cossack

L'Elisir d'Amore is the perfect opera for a young cast. Gaetano Donizetti filled it to the brim with memorable melodies; librettist Felice Romani peopled it with characters that embody all the struggles of young love. Nemorino is a shy fellow in love with the vivacious and fickle Adina. She treats him dismissively as the young tend to do with those who put them on a pedestal.

To make him jealous she agrees to wed an arrogant army officer. In desperation, he buys a love potion from the traveling "doctor" Dulcamara. The potion is just Bordeaux and he gets very tipsy.  Meanwhile, the young ladies of the town learn that he has inherited a great deal of money and surround him with attention. He believes it's because of the love potion. Now it's Adina's turn to get jealous.

Of course, it all works out in the end and we leave the theater grinning from ear to ear.  The Mannes Opera gave Donizetti's 1832 comic masterpiece (which Donizetti tossed off in six weeks) a fine production at the Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. This just happens to be a fine comfortable theater with great sight lines but there is something strange about it's bi-level orchestra pit.

The strings are just a bit lower than the audience, with the winds behind and a level below that. Artistic Director and Conductor Maestro Joseph Colaneri conducted The Mannes Orchestra which turned in a well-balanced performance. The strings lay down a luscious carpet of sound with important contributions from the winds, particularly in Nemorino's big aria "Una furtiva lagrima", marked by some lovely arpeggios on the harp (Elena Caramihai).

The singers are all graduate level students at Mannes School of Music, which is part of The New School. Each and every one turned in a stellar performance and seems headed for a fine future in the opera world. The lead couple--soprano Sara Papini as Adina and tenor Pavel Sulyandziga as Nemorino--were perfectly cast and completely convincing in their acting. Adina is spunky and full of personality; Nemorino is shy and unassuming. Their body language told a great deal about their characters.

Similarly, the outrageous character of Dr. Dulcamara was well portrayed by bass-baritone Kidon Choi who manifested no difficulty with the wide range. As the self-important Belcore, baritone Matthew Cossack was admirable. Eunjin Jung was a pert Giannetta.

The direction of Laura Alley kept things moving forward nicely with plenty of appropriate stage business. Costume Designer Helen E. Rodgers duplicated the fashions of the 50's quite accurately, even dressing Adina in a poodle skirt. But, may we ask, how does setting this opera in the 1950's make it more relevant? We wondered how many people in the audience were alive 60 years ago!

Instead of a wealthy landowner, Adina is now the proprietor of a pasticceria in Little Italy. Roger Hanna's painted set, representing a street corner, was so accurate that we recognized the locale! We are convinced he copied Caffé Roma on Broome St. (If we are wrong we will atone by eating a dozen sfogliatelle!)

The chorus sings about sitting in the shade near a stream!  Other references in the libretto have been mistranslated to allow for Dr. Dulcamara to be driving a "snazzy car". We could justify the presence of military personnel because the time period coincided with the Korean war. But how do we account for Sergeant Belcore carrying around enlistment papers in his pocket and paying cash to Nemorino to enlist? We suppose most people would just overlook these anachronisms but they do bother us, purists as we are. But they didn't bother us enough to spoil the fun.

Mr. Sulyandziga's "Una furtiva lagrima" was delivered with his hands in his pockets, every nuance coming strictly from his voice. Never have we ever wanted so much to see a guy get the girl!

(c) meche kroop