LAST OF THE LINDEMANN

Valeriya Polunina and Michelle Bradley

Not to worry, it is only the last Lindemann recital for this season; we have every reason to believe that this valuable program will survive any cuts in governmental funding. We have often written about the value of this partnership between The Metropolitan Opera and The Juilliard School. The young artists chosen for this program get access to the resources of both institutions and performance opportunities aplenty.

We have been observing the progress of these rising stars for some time and think of the Lindemann Program as a finishing school for opera singers.  Of course, training never ends and even famous superstars take lessons!

Last night's program included mezzo-soprano Virginie Verrez, bass Sava Vemic, soprano Michelle Bradley, and coloratura soprano Hyesang Park. They are all well known to us and have given us abundant musical delights over the past few years.

Ms. Verrez, as a native speaker of French, was the perfect artist to perform Ravel's Sheherazade, which she translated herself. It truly does make a difference when a singer has that kind of in depth understanding of the text. In this cycle, Ravel's music captures the fantasy and eroticism of Tristan Klingsor's text. The poet was quite an armchair traveler!

Ms. Verrez has an unassuming presence and does nothing to call attention to herself, but rather submerges herself into the music, allowing the listener to see through her eyes all the imagery of the song. Judicious word coloring paints an aural picture. It goes without saying that the voice is a magnificent one and the phrasing is just what one hopes for in chanson. Ms. Verrez is always a consummate musician.

Her collaborative pianist Giuseppe Mentuccia did justice to the lavish accompaniment. In "Asie"; his fingers raced up and down the keys, adding to the air of exoticism.  In the haunting postlude to "La flute enchantee", Ms. Verrez' absorption sustained the mood. We enjoyed the feeling of unfulfilled longing in "L'indifferent".

Bass Sava Vemic chose a set of songs about death which he also translated himself. Schubert's "Der Tod und das Madchen" begins with some portentous chords in the piano expressing the fear of the young woman.  The work gave Mr. Vemic the opportunity to sing in two different colors. In the second verse, Death reassures the maiden of his gentleness and the change of color was arresting. He had to dig down deep for a really really low note.

Brahms' "O Tod, wie bitter bist du" also shows two sides of Death--bitter to some and welcome to others.

Our favorite songs came from Mussorgskuy's Songs and Dances of Death, predominantly because Mr. Vemic's thrilling timbre lends itself so well to the Russian language. We just this week heard the composer's Songs of the Nursery and it was wonderful to hear another aspect of his artistry. We enjoyed "Serenada" but our favorite was "Trepak" in which 

Mr. Metuccia again provided fine collaboration on the piano with a rumbling accompaniment.

In this song, the pairing of text and music was so apt that we could not imagine the work being sung in translation. Here Death is both seductive and comforting, blanketing an old peasant in snow.

Soprano Michelle Bradley has a diva's presence and a large sound that thrills the ear.  She performed  Samuel Barber's Hermit Songs and performed them as mini-dramas that created the world of Irish monks and scholars. There is great variety in the text and consequently in the music. Ms. Bradley invested each with its own meaning. We particularly enjoyed the enthusiasm of "The Heavenly Banquet", the contentment of "The Monk and His Cat", and the knowing wink of "Promiscuity", the two lines of which Ms. Bradley invested with a world of meaning.

She altered her vibrato to put an evocative chill into "The Desire for Hermitage" which closed the set.  In this set the accompanist was Valeriya Polunina whom we have always admired for her ability to focus on the singer. The pair made a fine team.

Sadly, due to a prior commitment, we had to take our leave before hearing Hyesang Park whom we absolutely adore. We wish we might have cloned ourself.

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OPERA INDEX 2016 VOCAL COMPETITION WINNERS

Michael Fennelly, Sava Vemic, Sandra Hamaoui, Angela Vallone, Jane Shaulis, Jakub Jozef Orlinski, Cody Quattlebaum, and Andre Courville

Last night at The Essex House, Opera Index, Inc. presented the 2017 Distinguished Achievement Award to Tito Capobianco at their annual award dinner. Renowned for their generosity in supporting young opera singers, this nonprofit volunteer organization advocates for opera as well as supporting young singers with financial gifts and sponsored performances. The social and educational opportunities for fellow opera lovers are equally impressive.

The roster of award winners from prior years looks like a Who's Who of Opera. The six singers who entertained us so royally over dinner seem destined for the same stardom. In our eyes, they are already superstars. We have written about them all on prior occasions and have watched them in their ascendancy in the operatic firmament. We are pleased to note that the award funds were very well allocated.

Opening the entertainment portion of the evening was the petite and lovely soprano Sandra Hamaoui whose delivery of "Ah! Je veux vivre" from Gounod's Romeo et Juliette conveyed all the excitement of youth, aware only of the present glorious moment and unaware that her dream would turn into a nightmare. We previously heard Ms. Hamaoui perform this role and can only say that she owns it. She has a splendid sparkle in her tone.

Bass-baritone Cody Quattlebaum cut a fine figure as Figaro with his performance of "Se vuol ballare" from Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro. This is an operatic character we cherish and Mr. Quattlebaum's performance was one to cherish. We have heard him several times at Juilliard and are looking forward eagerly to his performance as Claudio in Handel's Agrippina at Alice Tully Hall next month.

We wish the entire world of opera could be as excited as we are by the somewhat rare fach of countertenor. When we hear Jakub Jozef Orlinski sing, we get goosebumps.  His delivery of "Furibondo spira il vento" from Handel's comic opera Partenope had the molecules of air dancing in our ears. Poor fickle Arsace just can't make up his mind between two women but we had no problem choosing J.J. as our countertenor du jour.

For his selection, bass-baritone Andre Courville chose "Air du tambour major" from Ambroise Thomas' 1849 comic opera Le Caid, an opera we have never heard. His presence was military and his sizable instrument filled the room as he strolled between the tables, interacting with members of the audience.

Beautiful soprano Angela Vallone sang "Azael, Azael" from Claude Debussy's one-act cantata L'enfant Prodigue, which won the composer the Prix de Rome in 1884. In this aria, a mother laments the absence of her son.  We loved the long legato French line, the longing quality in her voice, and her well considered variations of dynamics. 

Bass Sava Vemic ended the vocal part of the evening with a very moving performance of "Il lacerato spirito" from Verdi's Simon Boccanegra. In spite of his youth, his instrument sounds completely mature with substantial breadth even at the lowest part of the register. The melancholic color of his voice evoked sympathy for Fiesco, grief stricken over the loss of his daughter. We are thinking of him as King Philip II in Verd's Don Carlo ( or Don Carlos, if you prefer the French). What a challenge to evoke sympathy for THAT character!

The singers were accompanied by the always excellent pianist Michael Fennelly, and the evening was hosted by Opera Index President Jane Shaulis. A famous singer herself, Ms. Shaulis introduced the singers and the honoree Mr. Capobianco who is best known in these parts for his extraordinary directorial successes at New York City Opera although his other accomplishments are legendary.

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THE GIULIO GARI FOUNDATION

Winners of The Giulio Gari Foundation 2016 International Vocal Competition

Last night at the New York Athletic Club we were fortunate to hear some of the winners of the Giulio Gari Foundation 2016 International Vocal Competition. Some of the winners were unable to perform because of contract commitments (and we are happy that they have engagements!).  The ones we did hear confirmed our belief that these rising stars were well chosen and the Foundation's generosity was well directed.

Every year the Foundation gives generous cash prizes to these competition winners; those who support the Foundation get an inside track on the stars of tomorrow. We wish the lighting in the room had been more photography-friendly, so that readers might have a better look at these beautiful young artists who sang with dedication and commitment.

As is customary, Brian Kellow served as host for the evening and the versatile accompanists Jonathan Kelly and Arlene Shrut gave great pianistic support to the young artists.

The evening began by honoring the celebrated soprano, director, and teacher Catherine Malfitano who shared some words of wisdom about life on Planet Opera.  Also honored was soprano Ana Maria Martinez who expressed her gratitude for her brilliant career. If these two fabulous women could not inspire a young artist, no one could!

As is our wont, we will not discuss who won which prize or how much money each was awarded.  We prefer to share our personal reactions to the singers, all of whom we enjoyed.

We were particularly glad that Ms. Malfitano discussed the importance of acting. The kind of acting we witnessed seemed to come from deep within. For example, when soprano Vanessa Vasquez performed "Un bel di vedremo" from Puccini's Madama Butterfly, Cio-Cio San's delusion became our delusion as well.  She saw Pinkerton's ship on the horizon and so did we.

Ms. Vasquez has an arresting vocal quality and prodigious technique but what we remember several hours later is the way we felt!

Similarly, when bass Sava Vemič performed Fiesco's aria "Il lacerato spirito", from Verdi's Simon Boccanegra, we could tell he was "feeling it" because we were also "feeling it" along with him. From what deep place Mr. Vemič was able to draw such sorrow over the loss of a daughter we know not. But he did and it was very affecting.  The sadness lingers in our memory.

Of course, his instrument is an extraordinary one which we have heard several times before, but there was a new amplitude in the lower register that gave us chills. One thinks of the bass fach as a late-developing one but Mr. Vemič is well on his way.

This was one of two Verdi arias on the program.  Baritone Jin Sol gave a wonderful performance of "Di provenza il mar, il suol" from La Traviata--a performance that would surely convince Germont's wayward son to return to the family.

There was quite a bit of Puccini on the program and the master would have been delighted hearing how well soprano Antonina Chehovska limned the character of Mimi as it changed from the romantic duet "O soave fanciulla" from Act I of La Bohème to the sorrowful Act III parting  "Addio dolce svegliare". We have always enjoyed Ms. Chehovska's singing but particularly appreciated this special touch.

In the duet, tenor Fanyong Du made a fine Rodolfo, and in the quartet Rodolfo was equally well performed by Marco Cammarota. Although the parts were small, soprano Meryl Dominguez made a marvelously fiery Musetta with Andrew Manea as her angry jealous lover Marcello. We can't wait to hear more of them.

From the final act of this sad story, the duet "O Mimi, tu piu non torni" was performed by tenor Jamez McCorkle as Rodolfo and baritone Norman Garrett as Marcello, both of whom did a great job trying to fake their indifference to their lost loves.  Their voices blended beautifully.

Donizetti got some attention as well, with tenor Daniel Bates, whom we well remember from the Santa Fe Opera last month, bringing out the high emotionality of Nemorino's aria "Una furtiva lagrima". He sang it with a splendid ringing tenor.

Mozart was not neglected either and "La ci darem la mano" from Don Giovanni was pure delight with mezzo-soprano Hanna Ludwig being seduced by bass-baritone Pawel Konik in the role of the eponymous Don.

Finally, baritone Christopher Magiera, also remembered from the Santa Fe Opera, delighted us with Danilo's aria from Act I of Die Lustige Witwe, by Franz Lehár. This ebullient celebration of the bachelor life "Chez Maxime" is effervescent and Mr. Magiera captured it well.

All the young artists pleased our eyes and ears and we are grateful to The Giulio Gari Foundation for bringing them the recognition for which they have worked so hard and which they so richly deserve.

This worthwhile organization deserves the support of all you opera-lovers out there.

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DONIZETTI DISCOVERY

Italo Marchini, Aaron Blake, Angela Meade, Eve Queler, Yunpeng Wang, Sava Vemic, and Mia Pafumi

We gave away the plot to Donizetti's rarely performed 1833 opera Parisina d'Este in last months's archived review (COVERS UNCOVERED) when the cover cast for Opera Orchestra of New York treated us to excerpts from the opera. We were enthralled and bursting with anticipation for Maestro Eve Queler's conducting of the entire opera. Last night at the Rose Theater, our hopes were completely fulfilled.

As a matter of fact, this opera goes on our wish list as one we'd love to see tackled by The Metropolitan Opera. During this concert version, we saw the entire opera in our head--sets and costumes included. 

The flow of the music and the complete involvement of the singers succeeded admirably in evoking the story--a typical 19th c. melodrama which librettist Felice Romani adapted from a poem by Lord Byron.

The tale moves forward without any distracting side plots. The characters are sympathetic and victims of their time (15th c.), place (Ferrara) and culture (arranged marriages). Duke Azzo and his wife Parisina are both miserable and political triumphs cannot relieve the gloom of the court.

Yunpeng Wang established his character (Duke Azzo) from the very start. He is madly in love with his wife who does not love him. Although it is difficult to forgive his behavior at the end of the opera, Mr. Wang's gorgeous baritone and warmth let us feel Azzo's pain. His duet with his minister Ernesto was nothing short of sumptuous. And to hear him change vocal coloration when he sang about battles was most impressive.

Sava Vemić's youthful appearance did not prevent him from creating a believable character who is both a loyal minister and a loving father trying to save his son from danger. Mr. Vemić's rich bass filled the theater and thrilled the ear. His character has the big "reveal" at the climax of the opera.

As the son Ugo, tenor Aaron Blake overcame some early problems with intonation to deliver a beautifully sung and well-phrased performance. Ugo is a man so obsessed with his childhood sweetheart, who now belongs to another, that he cannot preserve his own life.

Soprano Angela Meade gave a riveting performance as the eponymous Parisina, married to the Duke but in love with Ugo. In this opera, Donizetti eschewed lavish fioritura, but what embellishments there were to the vocal line were beautifully negotiated.

As Imelda, Parisina's confidant, soprano Mia Pafumi looked and sounded beautiful. Her duet with Ms. Meade was movingly tender.

Under Maestro Queler's baton, The Opera Orchestra of New York played Donizetti's profusion of melody with the excellence we have come to expect of them-- minus a recalcitrant trumpet. We heard foreshadowing of music from Lucia di Lammermoor, which he would write two years later, and echoes of "The Senator Song" from L'Elisir d'Amore, which he had written the year before. 

In Parisina, Donizetti relied heavily on the wind sections and Maestro Queler brought out every line. Perhaps (dare we say it??) the Rose Theater offers some acoustic advantage over Carnegie Hall. (Gulp!)

The New York Choral Ensemble, under the leadership of Italo Marchini, commented on the action and filled in the narrative. As all good choruses must, they made their words count.

With such high quality conducting, playing, and singing, we would count this as one of the highlights of the season.

Maestro Queler conducted this once before with Montserrat Caballé, James Morris, and Luis Quilico over 40 years ago. It is difficult to believe that this energetic youthful conductor has been around that long. We hope we won't have to wait that long to hear this wonderful opera again!

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NO SLEEPWALKING HERE!

Hyesang Park and Kang Wang (photo by Nan Melville)

Initially, we felt a trifle disappointed that Juilliard Opera would be presenting Bellini's La sonnambula in a semi-staged version, hoping to see a production that would wipe from our memory the overly complicated production at the Metropolitan Opera. Within the first few minutes we recognized that the performances themselves created the set and the action, much the way that mountains create their own weather.

With flawless conducting, instrumentalism, and vocal performance, this was a knockout production of which Bellini would have been very proud. It is well known how important to Bellini was the casting.

Two star sopranos took the stage last night and showed their mettle as masters of bel canto style. As Amina, we heard Hyesang Park, who first impressed us exactly two years ago when she performed the famous aria from this selfsame opera "Ah, non credea mirarti" in a master class with Renée Fleming. Clearly she has been working on this role for some time and appeared to inhabit it with ease.

Here, she had the opportunity to portray the modest and innocent Amina, in contrast with the flirtatious Florilla she portrayed in Rossini's Il turco in Italia. She colored her bright voice just right for the role, sounding as young and innocent as the character is meant to be. Her command of the trills, swoops, turns and other embellishments was definitive. Her petite stature abetted the characterization.

Clarissa Lyons was equally impressive as Lisa. We were introduced to this statuesque beauty last month at one of Marilyn Horne's Spotlight Recitals (all these reviews are archived and available through the search bar). It was exciting to see what she can do on an opera stage with her expressive instrument, splendid technique, and fine acting.

We have always found Elvino to be an unlikeable character by dint of his inconstancy. He abandoned Lisa for Amina and was ready to abandon Amina for Lisa when he suspected Amina of infidelity. But his arias and duets are divine, so we can forgive his fickleness! Last night the excellent tenor Kang Wang turned in a fine performance. His instrument is larger and darker than one would expect in this role but he handled it beautifully and musically.

Much of the plot hangs on the shoulders of the mysterious Count Rodolfo who appears in the Swiss town where he grew up and manages to restore sanity to the superstitious townfolk who think the sleepwalking Amina is a ghost. He must convince Elvino that Amina's presence in his room was innocent, as indeed it was.

On the broad shoulders of bass Sava Vemič rested this task and he acquitted himself admirably, as he always does. He has a wonderful instrument that can only grow with the years and the physical presence to assume a variety of roles in that fach.

We have always read between the lines of Felice Romani's libretto. If the Count observes that Amina bears a strong resemblance to a woman he once loved, and if he restrains himself from taking advantage of her sleepwalking into his room at the inn, and if he defends her honor vigorously, isn't it possible that he is her father?

We have never read the play by Eugène Scribe nor have we seen the ballet on which the opera is based, so we have made up the backstory for ourselves. "The Count got a local girl pregnant and disappeared. The woman died in childbirth and Teresa adopted her". Seeing some of this "backstory" acknowledged in the program notes gave us quite a sense of satisfaction!

As Lisa's rejected suitor, bass-baritone Thesele Kemane managed to be both ridiculous and touching. We look forward to hearing more of him.

Tenor Miles Mykkanen excels at putting a personal spin on a great variety of roles and last night he took the role of the Notary which offered little room for characterization but space to appreciate his characteristic sound.

Mezzo-soprano Sara Couden sang the part of Teresa, Amina's caring and protecting mother.

On the podium we had the compelling conductor Speranza Scappucci whom we always admire. She is one of those conductors who uses her entire body to elicit what she wants from the orchestra and The Juilliard Orchestra gave her exactly what she wanted.

The balance was perfect, particularly between the orchestra and the off-stage musicians. The woodwinds made a particularly fine showing and cellist Philip Sheegog's duet with Ms. Park was exquisite. Maybe not as terrifying as Lucia's mad scene with the glass harp but replete with gorgeous harmonies.

As noted above, the artists created the set, so to speak, but Kate Ashton's lighting design surely helped things along. There was one dramatic shift of lighting that deftly underscored the shift in the plot.

David Paul was dramatic consultant.

The chorus of townsfolk supported the action beautifully.

There was a moment when the townsfolk onstage were riveted by the apparition of Lisa sleepwalking. Elvino, the Count, Lisa, and Theresa seemed spellbound. This was a perfect parallel to the audience's rapt attention to the stage.

This production was a product of the fruitful partnership between Juilliard Opera and The Metropolitan Opera's Lindemann Young Artist Development Program. 

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EVE QUELER AND FRIENDS

Eve Queler and Friends

Eve Queler's claim to fame is not just her astute conducting of rarely heard operas at Carnegie Hall but, among other talents, her discovery and nurture of young artists and putting them before the public. It was a very special treat to return last night to the acoustically amazing Church of the Blessed Sacrament to enjoy what felt like a party for performers and their fans.

The Maestra herself performed most of the piano accompaniment and a superb chamber orchestra was on hand to add to the texture of the music. Several familiar faces were there and some new ones as well, singing highlights from past performances.

We were delighted to have the opportunity to hear soprano Jessica Rose Cambio who performed "Non so le tetre immagini" from Verdi's Il Corsaro which she sang with great depth of feeling. Her voice opens up at the top like an umbrella and she trills like a canary. She also sang "Tu del mio Carlo al seno" from Verdi's I Masnadieri, accompanied this time by the fine pianist Douglas Martin. The work has lovely arpeggios and a joyful staccato cabaletta.

Soprano Marsha Thompson  performed "Robert, toi que j'aime" from Meyerbeer's Robert le Diable.  (And just last night we heard Michael Fennelly play "The Nun's Dance" from the same opera!) There are some lovely descending scale passages and the accompaniment was largely in the hands of oboist Melanie Feld. Mr. Martin was her piano accompanist for "Col sorriso d'innocenza" from Bellini's Il Pirata in which Ms. Thompson showed herself to be a fine bel canto artist with some lovely embellishments and a very fiery cabaletta.

Bass Sava Vemić was a revelation  in "Si la rigeur" from Halévy's La Juive. He employed his deep earthy resonance to portray Cardinal Brogni commuting the sentence on Eléazar and his daughter. He exhibited plenty of depth at the bottom of his register and was convincingly forgiving. In "O tu Palermo" from Verdi's I Vespri Siciliani he delivered Procida's powerful paean to his homeland, accompanied by an appealing theme on the cello played by Eugene Moya.

Tenor Jonathan Blalock employed a pleasing tone in "Vainement, ma bien-aimée" from Lalo's Le Roi d'Ys.  This Aubade has the quality of a serenade and was beautifully accompanied by Elizabeth Mann's flute and Steven Hartman's clarinet. We further enjoyed Mr. Blalock's artistry in "Viens gentile dame" from Boieldieu's La Dame Blanche, filled with romantic eagerness.

There was no shortage of terrific tenors.  William Davenport used his sweet voice with its ringing top in "O paradis!" from Meyerbeer's L'Africaine accompanied by Erica Kiesewetter's violin. He invested "E la solita storia" from Cilea's L'Arlesiana with a great deal of pathos, accompanied by flute and violin.

Baritone Joshua Benaim performed "Vision fugitive!" from Massenet's Hérodiade with ample passion and good command of tone. We liked his "Vien, Leonore" from Donizetti's La Favorita even more with its typical bel canto arpeggios.

Benjamin Herman handled the percussion for the evening and Veronica Salas was the violist. What a pleasure to reconnect with operas heard only once and heard long ago! It was a time to meet old friends!

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SAVA VEMIĆ

Ekaterina Deleu and Sava Vemić

Although we only got to hear part of the Lindemann recital yesterday due to a prior commitment, what we did hear was sufficient to reinforce our admiration for bass Sava Vemić. We love the deep booming resonance that filled the Bruno Walter Auditorium and the confident compelling stage presence. We loved the expansiveness and expressiveness.

We wondered if Mr. Vemić had attended Gerald Finley's class the day before because we heard evidence of the very skills that were taught--the relaxation, the immaculate German, the plumbing of the depth of feeling in the text.

Schubert's Die Winterreise is one of our favorite song cycles and, the way we perceive it, offers a major challenge to the singer to paint "fifty shades of grey". The songs are unremittingly morose so only the most subtle word coloring is needed. In this, Mr. Vemić excelled, although only four selections were on the program.

We felt the chill of winter in "Gefrorne Tränen", "Wasserflut", and "Auf dem Flusse".  In "Die Krähe" Mr. Vemić convinced us that a crow was tracking his movements. There was solid strength throughout the entire register. Significant contributions came from collaborative pianist Ekaterina Deleu. 

We have heard this cycle sung by tenors and baritones but it was a completely new experience hearing it sung by a bass. We hope that someday Mr. Vemić will tackle the entire cycle.  It will be a very emotional experience!

We also enjoyed his performance of Mozart's concert aria "Per Questa Bella Mano" which somehow reminded us musically of "Deh vieni alla finestra" from Mozart's Don Giovanni.  However, this aria is sincere! His Italian was as good as his German and he invested each line with a different color. The variety made it particularly interesting to hear. There was a lot of expressiveness and he maintained tone even during the pianissimi.

We hated to miss the Russian but we are sure to hear more of this superb bass in the future since it is only his first year with the Lindemann program.

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DEUS EX MACHINA

Andrew Stenson and Ying Fang  (photo by Marty Sohl)

The production of Christoph Willibald Gluck's Iphigénie en Aulide was so outstanding we do not know whom to credit first.  Undeniably, conductor Jane Glover had a hand in it, or should we say "two hands" as she used them in balletic fashion to guide Juilliard415 (Juilliard's period-instrument orchestra) through Gluck's lean expressive score.  From the very first theme of the overture, heard at key moments later in the opera, we knew we were in good hands.  We want to call her Jane Goodhands, no "gloves" necessary.

Gluck can be said to have revolutionized opera in the mid 18th c.  By eliminating many excesses of the baroque, he paved the way for Mozart's genius.  By selecting libretti with authenticity of emotion, psychological insight, and sincere simplicity, he engages the listener who can examine his or her own predicaments and find resonant parallels.  Who has not struggled with desires that conflict with duties?  In this case, the libretto by du Roullet was based on the Racine play of 1674.  The opera premiered in 1774 in Paris.

Still, it is the singers themselves that carry the opera and we found the performances to be beyond criticism.  Each and every singer, drawn from the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program and Juilliard Opera, was astutely cast, vocally perfect and dramatically affecting.  Were it not for the unexpected happy ending (unexpected because we had not read the synopsis beforehand) we would have gone home in tears.  Thankfully, due to the intervention of the goddess Diane, the innocent Iphegénie gets to live and to marry her beloved Achille.

Soprano Ying Fang made a perfect Iphegénie, using her expressive limpid voice, face and body to convey the nobility of character that enables her to express both despair over losing her young life and submission to her fate as a sacrifice.  At one point, convinced that Achille had been unfaithful (a ruse), she summoned up quite a lot of outrage.

Similarly, her intended husband Achille, as performed by tenor Andrew Stenson, conveyed rage at Agamemnon, tender love and protectiveness toward his bride and also had to exhibit outrage at being falsely accused of infidelity.  He accomplished all this without compromising his warm appealing tone.

As the conflicted Agamemnon, baritone Yunpeng Wang limned the character of a man torn between love for his daughter and duty to the gods who demanded the sacrifice. Mr. Wang has a round sturdy baritone that can sound authoritative when necessary to control others, angry when confronting the recalcitrant gods and yet tender when thinking of his child.

Mezzo-soprano Virginie Verrez was stunning as the mother Clytemnestre.  She has a true rich mezzo sound with a great deal of depth.  In the closest thing to a mad scene that one might see in a pre-19th c. opera, she nearly loses it in her rage at her husband--all without losing her magnificent phrasing and tone.  At her entrance she is all regal dignity and it was upsetting yet understandable to watch her decline into near madness as she wished to substitute her life for her daughter's.

As the high priest Calchas, bass-baritone Brandon Cedel demonstrated why he has been winning prizes everywhere.  His lordly tones expressed the matter-of-fact information that Iphegénie must be sacrificed.  It was in different tones that he announced toward the end of the opera that the goddess Diane had arrived.

As Achille's friend Patrocle, baritone Takaoki Onishi gave his usually fine performance, lending truth to the saying in the theater world that "There are no small roles".  

All of the singers mentioned so far are familiar to us as we have watched their growth from one year to the next.  But last night we heard two singers for the first time and enjoyed their performances enormously.  Serbian bass Sava Vemić made a fine showing as Arcas, Agamemnon's lieutenant who is responsible for conveying messages important to the plot.  His rich substantial sound made us want to hear more of him.  As Diane, soprano Liv Redpath had the enviable role of the "deus ex machina" making everyone happy.  It will make us happy to hear her again.

As Three Greek Women, Angela Vallone, Kara Sainz and Mary-Elizabeth O'Neill made a fine showing as well.

Although billed as a "concert version" the young artists, performing onstage in front of the musicians, acted up a storm.  The only features missing were costumes and sets; we never missed them due to the persuasive acting and fine singing.  David Paul directed the enterprise, a collaboration of The Metropolitan Opera and The Juilliard School.

Finally, let us not forget to mention the fine French diction.  Even the chorus, positioned on the sides and at the rear of the orchestra made the language comprehensible.  There is only one more performance on Saturday at 2:00.  Miss this at your own peril.  Don't say we didn't tell you!

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