ACTION FOR ARTISTS

 William Hicks, Cameron Pieper, Jason Duika, Dylan Davis, Olivia Manna, and Jacob Beranek

Action for Artists is relatively new on the scene as an institution for supporting young artists with financial grants, educational resources, and mentorship, designed to bring their career aspirations into reality. This goal, as you know Dear Reader, is dear to our heart. This is a time that is particularly difficult for young artists, many of whom lost career momentum due to Covid.

Last night at The National Opera Center they celebrated their second year with a gala benefit concert by presenting their 2023 awards to five worthy recipients: three singers, all accompanied by the excellent William Hicks (Founder and President of AFA), a pianist, and a composer.

Mezzo soprano Olivia Manna (from heaven) enchanted us with her warm  resonant instrument and the finesse with which she employed it. We enjoyed hearing the wide range of her repertory from lied to opera to Broadway. Unlike other opinions we do not perceive Broadway music as different from opera. A well trained voice should be able to do justice to all kinds of song. 

From Ms. Manna's operatic repertoire we heard "O pallida" from Act III of Pietro Mascagni's L'amico Fritz. The gypsy Beppe (a trouser role) tells Fritz about his view of love, both the pain and the pleasure. Most opera lovers have not heard this charming but rarely produced opera but many know the "Cherry Duet". The aria Ms. Manna selected is a great choice for a mezzo and permits varying colors from one verse to the next.

Another selection was also chosen from a rarely hear opera--Ambroise Thomas' Mignon. In "Connais-tu le pays" the eponymous heroine sings of her homeland with sorrow and longing. The aria was sweetly sung.  Given appropriate delicacy was Richard Strauss' "Allerseelen" which was seasonably appropriate since All Soul's Day has just passed. "All the things you are" from Jerome Kern's Very Warm for May is an all out love song and an American classic, sounding extra special sung by a fine operatic voice.

Jason Duika is a hearty full-voiced baritone with uncanny acting ability. We reviewed his performance as Hérode in Massenet's Hérodiade about four years ago and this is what we wrote.  His virile instrument is of fine and full tone and his delivery of "Vision fugitive" was impassioned and moving. Now imagine how his voice has grown in four years! 

In addition to his performance as the self-important Escamillo in "Votre toast" from Bizet's Carmen, he presented two frightening villains. We might call this "many shades of menace". He was scary as Scarpia in Puccini's Tosca, even scarier as Iago reciting his misanthropic creed from Verdi's Otello, and scarier yet in "Eri tu" from Verdi's Un Ballo in Maschera. Each aria was given a different coloration and Mr. Duika used gesture and facial expression to illuminate each character.

Tenor Dylan Davis also chose a variety of material to demonstrate his versatility. He has the kind of powerful tenor that is beloved by audiences. We thought the arrogant Duke singing "La donna è mobile" from Verdi's Rigoletto was a better choice than the shy Nemorino from Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore singing "Una furtiva lagrima" which usually melts our heart but did not on this occasion. Maybe big Verdian voices just don't do "shy".

His expansive singing seemed well suited to the impassioned "Bring him home" from Claude-Michel Schönberg's Les Miserables. To those of you who have heard the show in the original French, you may agree with me that the French is far superior. There is a long story with which we will not bore you about how the 1980 work was loosely "adapted" into the very successful English version seen by most people on Broadway and then (dig this!) re-translated back into French!

"Dein ist mein ganzes Herz" from Franz Léhar's Das Land des Lächelns was given a similarly expansive treatment. The audience loved it but our personal taste involves less "grandstanding". Methought he held his "money notes" just a couple seconds too long.

Pianist Cameron Pieper opened our eyes to the glories of Bach in "Fantasia and fugue in a minor" but closed our ears with two tortuous pieces by Elliot Carter which had us murmuring inaudibly "Stop, stop, I'll tell where the money is hidden". Mr. Pieper obviously enjoyed exploring the subtleties of these pieces but we did not enjoy the listening.

Finally, we were treated to a video of the Juilliard Symphony performing Jacob Beranek's Pilgrimatic Overture.  It was quite interesting to see the wind instruments picking up the themes which would have been very difficult to see in a live performance.

We wish all five winners of the 1923 Encouragement Awards the successful careers they deserve.

© meche kroop

THE RED MILL LIVES AGAIN

 The Red Mill by Victor Herbert, presented by VHRPL!

It is 1906 and Italian audiences are crying their eyes out over Puccini's Madama 

Butterfly; meanwhile, in New York City, audiences are laughing and reveling in the warm feelings of Victor Herbert's The Red Mill. This work had over 800 performances on Broadway and cemented Herbert's reputation as the Father of American Musical Theater. 

It is a delightful work and contains most of theater's favorite plot points.  There is a headstrong daughter who plots to marry the man of her choice whilst her obstinate father insists she marry to enhance his social standing. There is the young woman's passionate love for an impecunious young man. There is a secondary surprise pairing at the end. There is plenty of comic relief.

All of this joy is brought to you by The Victor Herbert Renaissance Project Live!, the Artistic Director of which, Alyce Mott, has devoted her artistic life to bringing Herbert's masterpieces to vivid life. All of Herbert's charming melodies are there as are the lyrics of Henry Blossom; but Ms. Mott has made notable improvements.

 Having read the original synopsis, we can appreciate what a labor of love it is to tighten up the plot, get rid of extraneous characters, and rewrite the spoken dialogue to appeal to contemporary audiences.  And appeal it did! The lovely Theater at St. Jean's was packed on opening night and the audience was giddy with joy. Women were humming the tunes in the ladies room during intermission! Finding this new home with raked seating and an orchestra pit opens the door for this nine-year-old company to become a major force in New York City's musical world.

The somewhat silly but ever-engaging story takes place in a mythical town in the Netherlands in which is situated the eponymous Red Mill, which seems to draw tourists by virtue of the legend of its being haunted. The innkeeper Berta (played by mezzo-ssoprano Alexa Devlin, a VHRPL! regular) has a hard time keeping employees and finds her inn overrun by struggling artists and their models (played by a sextet of fine young artists--Alonso Jordan Lopez, Sophie Thompson, Justin Chandler Baptista, Paige Cutrona, Keith Broughton, and Annie Heartney)-- freeloaders all.

She is planning the wedding of her niece Gretchen (played by the lovely soprano Sarah Caldwell Smith, also a VHRL! regular) daughter of her intransigent brother Jan van Borkem, the Burgomaster (ably played by another regular company member David Seatter). She is also dealing with two American conmen who try to slip away without paying their bill. One is named Con Kidder (Vince Gover) and the other, Kid Conner (Andrew Buck).  We kid you not! (insert ROFL emoji)

Gretchen's beloved, the seafaring Captain Dori van Damm ( the excellent Andrew Klima) arrives on the scene in the nick of time but winds up imprisoned by the Sheriff (John Nelson) and our lovely heroine winds up imprisoned in the Red Mill. Meanwhile comic relief is provided by the two Americans who have been pressed into service as waiter and tour guide, the latter purported to be multi-lingual. In a very funny scene, a French Countess (an hilarious Sarah Bleasdale) arrives on the scene and said "translator" must translate her French, which he clearly must invent on the spot. (We fondly recall this as an exercise in improvisation, one that is always enjoyed by the audience). Jonathan Fox Powers, another "regular" was seen as British solicitor Joshua Pennyfeather who carried off a running joke about wanting a cognac.

We could scarcely wait for the intended bridegroom to arrive on the scene. The Governor of Zeeland was portrayed in fine style by baritone Colin Safley who wowed the audience with one of the best numbers in the show "Every Day is Ladies Day with Me", the sexism of which was matched by the female lament "I'm Always Doing Something I Don't Want to Do", sung by Gretchen and Berta. 

Another number we particularly enjoyed was "Always Go While the Goin' is Good", sung by the two conmen. Another duet we liked was sung by the Burgomaster and the Sheriff--"You Never Can Tell About a Woman".

The romantic weight was carried by Gretchen and Dori in "I Want You to Marry Me" and "The Isle of Our Dreams". Perhaps the most memorable number was "The Streets of New York". Every voice in the show was superb and accompanied by fine acting. The afore-mentioned chorus of six harmonized well and knit the show together. 

We believe the score was adapted for a handful of instruments by Maestro Michael Thomas and we consider that a huge success inasmuch as nothing was lost and there was ample support for the singers.  He conducted his chamber orchestra with intention and line.  In the pit were violin, cello, bass, flute, clarinet, and percussion. The always wonderful William HIcks was at the piano where he has served for so many of VHRPL!'s productions.

Ms. Mott herself served as Stage Director with Maestro Thomas as Music Director.Christine Hall was responsible for the modest but effective choreography. The evening took us to our happy place and we do hope, dear Reader, that you can snag a ticket to experience such joy for yourself.

© meche kroop

GOODNESS TRIUMPHS

 William Hicks, Chelsea Bonagura, Frank Mathis, Mary Beth Nelson, and Kofi Hayford

The title of Friday night's concert at the National Arts Club could be taken several ways--the goodness of the arts? the goodness of the artists?  In any case, a stylish and sizable crowd was ecstatic at the return of live vocal artistry provided in this case by Salon58. Unfortunately Loro Aroyo fell victim to Covid and was unable to attend in person but she was definitely there in spirit.

We got to hear lots of our favorite songs and arias and some of our favorite singers. Let us do the familiar SATB format!  But before beginning we need to get on our soapbox once again to urge singers to commit their songs to memory. The dreaded music stand made its appearance rather frequently and had the effect of hampering our connection with the singers. 

Attempts were made to "act" but the precious connection was broken every time the singer glanced at the score, however briefly. We have been compelled to overlook this lapse on the occasion of a singer being a last minute substitution but there was no excuse Friday night. When there is a duet and one singer has made the effort and the other is "on the book", they cannot even connect successfully with one another. We will give our attention primarily to those selections that were best performed. Enough said!

Soprano Chelsea Bonagura had an enormous impact in her creation of the character of Lucia in the Donizetti tragedy Lucia de Lammermoor. It is important in the Act I aria "Regnava nel silenzio"  that the singer foreshadow Lucia's breakdown by being quite clear about the fragility of her sense of reality. Ms. Bonagura's bright clear voice and facility with fioritura were matched by her acting. We actually could see through her eyes the terrifying hallucinations. There were some delicately spun out notes that had us holding our breath and a killer trill.

We also admire Ms. Bonagura's superb diction in her performance of two songs in English. Every word was clearly enunciated and that is a rare thing.

Mezzo-soprano Mary Beth Nelson won our heart in her performance of "Non piu mesta" from Rossini's Cenerentola. She totally captured the graciousness of the character and utilized a perfect amount of vibrato in her clean fioritura and upward skips in the vocal line. Readers may have gathered that we love a good trill and we got more than one.

In the duet with Frank Mathis--"Only make believe" from Rogers and Hammerstein's Showboat, we admired her strength in the middle and lower register which were appealing in their resonance.

The aforementioned Mr. Mathis was listed as a tenor but we enjoyed the baritonal resonance in the lower range of his voice. He gave a most ironic and chilling laugh in "Vesti la giubba"  from Leoncavallo's Pagliacci  that seemed to foreshadow Canio's capability for the violence that would follow.

However, two of his songs (two of our favorites) suffered from some pushing for the high notes. I wish male singers of whatever fach would learn that "high" doesn't mean "loud". Pushing is distinctly unpleasant to the ear. We do hope that Mr. Mathis learns to float his high notes and that we get to hear Rachmaninov's "Spring Waters" and Strauss' "Cäcilie" again with more delicacy.

Bass Kofi Hayford demonstrated some fine French in his performance of "Vous qui faites l'endormir"  from Gounod's Faust. We enjoyed the sense of menace he projected as well as his full tone and the manner in which he alternated between a lovely legato and a pungent staccato.

Along with that fine showing of deviltry, he used a different color for Ibert's "Chanson à Dulcinée"  which we don't get to hear as often as the Ravel cycle.  

There was some good ensemble work as well. Ms. Bonagura and Ms. Nelson made some beautiful vocal harmonies in "Dome epais" from Delibes' Lakmé.  But the delicious dynamic between the two characters was destroyed by the presence of the music stand.

We always love the first act trio from Mozart's Cosi fan tutte --"Soave sia el vento" --and was glad to see it on the program.

Piano wizard William Hicks always manages to give each singer the necessary support and we were glad to hear him again after the long lull in live performance.

We were still wondering about "Goodness Triumphs" when the program ended but never did figure it out unless it was referring to Cenerentola.

© meche kroop 

MADELEINE

Shane Brown, David Seatter, Keith Broughton, JoAnna Geffert,
Claire Leyden, Jonathan Hare, Andrew Klima, and Thomas Woodman

There was much to enjoy in Victor Herbert Renaissance Project Live!'s production of the composer's 1914 one-act opera Madeleine. The talent onstage was excellent. The chamber orchestra played beautifully under the baton of Jestin Pieper. William Hicks' superb musicianship on the piano was augmented by violin, cello, bassoon, and harp. Alyce Mott's direction was on point, as usual.

Mr. Herbert's enormous contribution to the music theater canon is vast. He can be considered the source for American Musical Comedy. Few people know that he wrote two operas. After finishing the grand opera Natoma, which premiered at the Metropolitan Opera in 1911 (and was produced a century later by VHRPL!), he created Madeleine, with libretto adapted by Grant Stewart from a play by Decourcelles and Thibaut. Frankly, the words were dated and stilted, something one doesn't recognize when opera is sung in a foreign language.

Probably, the story was more charming in French. A highly narcissistic opera diva, much spoiled by suitors bearing gifts, is alone on New Year's Day. Every one of her suitors has declined her invitation to dine at her home because each one is dining with his mother. Even her maid has refused her. We guess that spending time with mama on New Year's Day was a French custom.

She throws a terrible tantrum and fires everyone. A visit from a good-natured childhood friend Didier restores her balance. Narcissists require a great deal of admiration and support, rarely considering the feelings of others. However, his invitation to dine with his humble family touches her. She considers the invitation but realizes what an intrusion it would be and stays home dining with a painting of her mother which Didier has restored.

It is evidence of the vocal and dramatic artistry of soprano Claire Leyden that we were able to care for this self-centered woman and to consider how narcissists act out their inner emptiness by manipulating and preying upon others.

As Didier we enjoyed the believable performance of baritone Jonathan Hare who has a lovely warm tonal quality. We remember well his charming portrayal of Figaro in Christman Opera Company's Il barbiere di Siviglia.

As the maid Nichette mezzo-soprano JoAnna Geffert created a lovely unselfish character to which she lent her finely textured instrument.

As the suitors we had three fine gentlemen--Andrew Klima, Keith Broughton, and Thomas Woodman--all of whom sang well and created interesting characters. 

The servants were effectively portrayed by Shane Brown and David Seatter, who has appeared in every single VHRPL! performance.

The musical scholarship that went into reducing this work for such an unusual combination of instruments impressed us. William Hicks spent a year and a half performing what one could call a "labor of love". All of Herbert's music was preserved with the lines distributed among the instruments. This "experiment" parallels Herbert's experiment in writing opera, indeed a huge pushing of boundaries all around.

Critics in 1914 were not enthralled with the work and we would be inclined to agree. The story was fine and character driven, whereas Herbert's operettas were story driven.  No problem there. The problem for us was the lack of tunes. What we have enjoyed of Herbert's operettas has been the luscious melodies and the set pieces of waltzes and marches as well as the chorus.  None of that here!

In a lecture by Ms. Mott, we learned of the influences upon this opera by Debussy, Strauss, Wagner, and Puccini--all composers we like. But we were unable to discern the leitmotifs for each character. Possibly if one were to listen to the opera several times it might have become apparent.

There were some musical moments that made the evening worthwhile. To have heard Ms. Leyden sing "When I am Happy" made us happy. Her crystalline soprano opened to a ringing top. For Didier's aria about the pursuit of elusive happiness, Mr. Hare's performance was affecting. We heard a lonely bassoon when he left.

The conclusion moved us, with piano and harp mourning the loss of Madeleine's own mother, whose portrait would be her dinner companion.

In sum, it was a worthwhile project to undertake and a rare opportunity to experience a musical titan pushing his own boundaries. We wouldn't have missed it for the world. We are looking forward, however, to VHRPL!'s resumption of operetta with Mlle. Modiste on May 5th and 6th!

© meche kroop

THE DEBUTANTE

The cast of Victor Herbert's The Debutante

Victor Herbert Renaissance Project Live! began their 6th season at Christ and St. Stephen's Church, having presented 15 glorious operas since their inception. Artistic Director Alyce Mott has found a winning way of presenting the legendary operettas of Victor Herbert; without altering a note of the music or a word of the lyrics, Ms. Mott manages to create a new libretto that tells each story in a cohesive and entertaining fashion, even when the original book failed or has become less than compelling with the passage of time.

Last night we attended the closing night of Herbert's 1914 The Debutante, a work just as wacky and wonderful as the others we've seen. The silly but entertaining plot is very much of its time with deception, jealousy, romantic rivalry and mistaken identity all playing their part.

The company is consistently wonderful. Not all 35 members appear in every performance but, as a regular attendee, we love seeing the same faces and hearing the same voices in one production after another. And what voices! Herbert's music is eminently singable with melodies pouring out treble over bass, ready to be sung and played to the delight of the audience.

As the headstrong and clever heroine Elaine, we heard the lovely songbird Claire Leyden--not just a splendid soprano but a marvel of convincing acting. Elaine has been promised at birth to Philip (the tenoriffic Drew Bolander) who was her childhood sweetheart; sadly he is no longer interested in marrying her, having become infatuated with the opera singer Irma, performed by the larger than life Alexa Devlin.

Philip is the son of the widowed American industrialist Godfrey Frazer (the excellent John Nelson) who has also adopted the young Elaine. He too is infatuated with Irma who lives in Paris. 

Trying every ruse known to operetta fans, Ezra Bunker tries to escape his bossy suffragette wife Zenobia to get to the same salon in Paris to premiere his "music of the future". He is portrayed by the reliably funny David Seatter, with the equally hilarious Vira Slywotzky as his wife. In a satiric moment, his "new music" sounds like some of the music being composed today, the kind we deplore. This marks Herbert as some kind of prescient visionary!

Also contending for Elaine's affection is the malaprop-spouting Marquis de Frontenac (played with high comedy by baritone Nathan Hull) who helps Elaine with her plot, and the handsome British Navy Lieutenant Larry Sheridan, soulfully sung and played by Christopher Robin Sapp.

The chorus comprised four naval officers, played by Jonathan Hare, Anthony Maida, Keith Broughton, and Shane Brown. On the female side we had Hannah Holmes, Stephanie Bacastow, Charlotte Detrick, and JoAnna Geffert. 

The action begins in Plymouth, England and ends in Paris at an artistic salon in which Scott Ballantyne portrays the famous cellist Testlavitz--and actually plays the cello quite beautifully.

Music Director Michael Thomas conducted effectively and William Hicks did his usual fine job playing a piano reduction of Herbert's score. And what a score it is! If we tried to tell you about all of the songs, we might be going on for several more pages but it is extremely difficult to select the best.

Mr. Sapp led the ensemble in "Love Is a Battle" in which we could truly appreciate Robert B. Smith's clever lyrics. He was also wonderful in "Peggy's a Creature of Moods" in which he gives an accurate description of a cyclothymic personality.

 "Married Life" gave Ms. Slywotzky and Mr. Seatter a chance to express very different views of their marriage. Ms. Leyden and Mr. Bolander had a charming duet in "The Golden Age", describing their happy childhood together.

Ms. Devlin played her role as a diva to the hilt in "When I Played Carmen". Ms Slywotzky got a side-splitting dancing lesson from Mr. Nelson who was disguised as a Spanish dancer.

What a sextet we heard in "The Face Behind the Mask"! The very operatic "Fate", sung by Ms. Leyden, Mr. Bolander, and Mr. Sapp led to a reprise of the same.

There were some unforgettable lines, especially when Mr. Seatter did a send up of opera, insisting upon scent as well as color in the vocal lines. And Irma, pursued by both father and son, uttered the following--"What am I, a family heirloom?" Priceless!

Emily Cornelius worked her customary magic as Choreographer. No one was credited as Costume Designer but there was no need. Women wore long gowns and the men wore naval uniforms or dinner jackets. Only Mr. Nelson was wildly dressed as some version of Escamillo.

Unfortunately, by the time you read this, it will be too late to see it. We have tried to give you as complete a description as possible. However, let us give you fair warning about the upcoming Madeleine which will be presented on March 3rd and 4th. We urge you to mark it on your calendar now, and to secure tickets as early as possible. As VHRPL! gains traction, tickets are getting ever harder to come by. This run was a sellout. Don't be among the disappointed!

© meche kroop

SWEETHEARTS

Sweethearts by Victor Herbert, brought to you by Victor Herbert Renaissance Project LIVE!

At the beginning of the 20th century, when modernism began to undermine the basic grammar of music, some of the principles that underpinned the workings of opera inevitably came under attack, too. Those of us who have sat through some pretty tedious atonal bores find relief in the music of Victor Herbert who kept audiences entertained and delighted with silly stories and melodious music. Last night's Sweethearts was the perfect antidote to works liked only by academia.

His Sweethearts premiered in 1913, just before The Great War, with a libretto by Fred DeGresac and Harry B. Smith. As is usually the case, Artistic and Stage Director Alyce Mott has rewritten the libretto to make the story flow smoothly and to appeal to modern taste. Happily, she has not attempted to change the period and we are left free to form our own associations to today's mating behavior and romantic (mis)adventures. Even more happily, Herbert's engaging music has been preserved and given over to the New Victor Herbert Orchestra, conducted by Maestro Michael Thomas with the superb William Hicks at the piano.

The ensemble nature of the company allows us to appreciate the same voices at every production with some new ones thrown into the mix for good measure. Soprano Claire Leyden has a remarkable voice and charming onstage presence that made her performance of the lead role a true delight. The large voiced Vira Slywotzky, generally cast in matronly roles, always tickles us with her humorous delivery. In this case, the excellent Joanie Brittingham played the "bad girl" part whilst the fine soprano Sarah Caldwell Smith was joined by Caitlin Ruddy, JoAnna Geffert, and Emily Geller; they made excellent music together as Dame Paula's four daughters.

They open the story and set the stage right after Dame Paula's narration. You see, Dame Paula, also called Mother Goose, owns a laundry in Bruge where the sisters complain about ironing all day. They are always flirting with soldiers who soon appear--Al-Jabril Muhammad, Drew Bolander, Jonathan Hare, and Keith Broughton.

Adopted daughter Sylvia is in love with a rake, Lieutenant Karl (played to the hilt by Jack Cotterell), who is having a flirtation (one among many) with Liane, a millinery girl played by Ms. Brittingham. Dame Paula warns Sylvia about this rascal but, just like girls of today, she loves him anyway.

Meanwhile, the Prince of Zilania (the fine Jovani Demetrie) falls for Sylvia, not knowing that she is really the heir to his throne, something of which she is ignorant as well.

The story concerns the machinations and manipulations of all the people who would stand in her way--the hypocritical and grasping Mikel, a diplomat of Zilania (played by the very funny Jonathan Fluck); von Tromp, a German diplomat (portrayed by Matthew Wages) who wants to grab the land to build a casino; and Algernon Percival Cuthbert Slingsby (the superb veteran operetta performer David Seatter) who wants to marry the lost princess, whomever she may be, to impress his father.

Liane, a thoroughly nasty girl, is co-opted into the plan but gets what she deserves. The message is of course that the kindhearted folk win in the end and the grasping nasty folk lose out.  Order is restored, romance wins, and we leave with a smile. Of course. Balm for the spirits.

Ms. Mott directed with her customary astuteness and Susanna Organik contributed some delightful choreography, particularly the waltzes and the opening song "Iron Iron, Iron".  The hit tune of Act I "Sweethearts" became so famous that it led to Herbert fighting all the way to the Supreme Court to establish ASCAP!

Beside those, there were so many other delightful numbers. "Mother Goose" was filled with humor, sung by Sylvia and the other four daughters. Von Tromp led the men in singing "Pretty as a Picture" about how women enhance their appearance, a song just as relevant today as a century ago.

Dame Paula, Mikel, and the daughters were engaging in the humorous "What She Wanted..And What She Got". Mr. Seatter delivered the spoken dialogue of "I Don't Know How I Do It, But I Do" in the first example of a number spoken over an instrumental score. 

Ms. Leyden's gorgeous voice maximized the impact of "The Angelus", a tender prayer for guidance. When Prince Franz joins her you just know things will work out for them in the end.

Everything about the music and its performance was topnotch and we loved the combination of instruments in the New Victor Herbert Orchestra. Not only did we have Mr. Hicks' wonderful piano but violin, cello, string bass, flute, harp, and percussion.

This is the end of the fifth season of VHRPL during which 10 staged productions and five concerts have been offered. We are very gratified to have seen the audience swell to capacity. New Yorkers know a good thing when they see/hear it. 

We got a peek at next season's productions and are giving you fair warning, dear readers. If you hope to see what this wonderful company can accomplish, be prepared to get your tickets in advance. It would be a shame to be shut out of such glorious glee!

(c) meche kroop

VIER LETZTE LIEDER AND MORE AT ST. JOHN'S IN THE VILLAGE

William Hicks and Juliana Milin  (photo by meche kroop)

Guest review by Cullen Gandy

The charming, insular neighborhood of the West Village, in New York City, set the scene for an entertaining recital program last night. Julianna Milin and William Hicks were featured as a part of a Vocal Productions NYC concert program, set in quaint St. John’s in the Village Episcopal Church. It’s a church at which I was once employed as a staff singer, so when I heard it was to be the setting, I knew that the acoustic of the space would accommodate a range of sensitive music making. It is live enough in the room to be able to hear the very softest of notes, yet (inexplicably) insulated well enough so that a powerful sound can shine through; without becoming overbearing. That was important tonight, because the soprano of the evening was able to draw out some full-bodied singing, in some of opera and art song’s most formidable repertory.

If I had to choose one thing that I appreciated most about soprano Julianna Milin, I think it would be the breath connection she maintained throughout her voice. She managed to make the lower and lower middle sections of her voice as resonant as they needed to be, so that the audience wouldn’t be surprised when the whole breadth of that sound bloomed out into the higher chambers of the voice. This is a complaint that I have had with past sopranos, but none of that applied to her voice.

There was also a timbre quality and a color in the voice that made Milin unique. Repertory like Turandot’s “In questa reggia”, the encore of the evening, and “Dich teure Halle” from Richard Wagner's Tannhäuser are often marked by voices with iconic steely or brassy qualities. They are roles that sound impressive, but perhaps not beautiful. Milin’s vocal quality incorporates a kind of well-projected reediness to it, that gives it a more pleasant bite. It felt like a deep woodwind, but with the projection of a trumpet. Her voice was able to turn me on to the musical beauty of the Strauss and the Wagnerian music, while maintaining the excitement of it.

It was a special treat to see pianist William Hicks as a part of the program. He has served as the vocal coach and repetiteur for some of opera’s most conspicuous voices, such as Pavarotti and Fleming, and has associate conducted at many of opera’s most prestigious houses. In a smaller space, such as this, it was nice to hear all of the things he was able to draw out of the music, especially in his solo piano sections.

The thing that I most enjoyed about Hicks’ playing wasn’t the precision of the notes, but the layers of phrasing he was able to draw out. In his solo pieces "Solace" (Scott Joplin) and "Variazioni dell’aria Nel cor più non mi sento” (Paisiello), the care with which he differentiated between phrases, different iterations of repeats, and between dynamics was a special experience. It was palpable, in the audience, how much his talent added to the enjoyment of the evening.

Periodically, the artists would address the audiences with little anecdotes and introductions to the piece, prior to performing them. Some critical purists don’t like this kind of set up, opting for the continuity of a through-performed recital; by putting all of the expository material in the program notes. I didn’t mind it so much. It brought a nice levity and familiarity with the audience, and the recital wasn’t so long that the speaking made the night drag on.

If I had to nit-pick about things that could have improved the evening, it would be certain parts of how the recital was set up; logistically.  From where I was sitting, there were as many as two or three items on four-foot camera stands between me and the stage. Because of my ADD, the sight of two screens pointing back at me really distracted me the whole time. That being said, I know it is an imperative for artists, as entrepreneurs, to document and market themselves in this way.

The second criticism is with the way the main-billing Strauss set was prepared for the stage. She had a music stand up to chest height, so that added another obstacle between her and the us. As an audience, we want to feel connected in an emotional sense to the artist, and not just a vocal sense. She seemed to be looking a little more into the score than is optimal for that setting. While it is not uncommon to have music onstage with this song set, because of the fact that the music was written to be performed with a large orchestra, the intimacy of the evening would have been much augmented if she perhaps had held or memorized the music.

Finally, I would have loved to have had the translations of the songs (especially) and arias furnished in the program notes. If nobody spoke German, then a lot of the specific dramatic intent of the words would have been lost.

Bottom line, her voice was well-suited to the, mostly German, repertory of the evening, and the pianist was as adept a collaborator as he was a soloist. It was an evening of music that altogether left us with an air of fulfillment; much akin to the way someone feels when they enjoy a satisfying meal.

Good music, fine performances, charming locale…what’s not to like?

(c) meche kroop

THE RED MILL

Alyce Mott and the cast of Victor Herbert's The Red Mill

The Red Mill has turned and as it turned it changed a very cranky reviewer into a smiling member of a joyful audience.  Such is the power of art.  We do believe that "entertainment" and "art" can be synonymous. Today's audience might not consider an operetta from a hundred years ago to be a form of entertainment but, dear reader, trust us on this one.

We were transported back in time to an era when telegrams were novel and were called "magic letters". How welcome this was when our day was spent dealing with a recalcitrant printer and unhelpful tech support. For two hours we were immersed in good humor, romantic longings, and ultimate fulfillment. What could be more soothing!

The enormous popularity of Victor Herbert's musical entertainments can be attributed to his gift for melody and his astute choice of librettist. Henry Blossom provided an enchanting story and wrote dialogue and lyrics that fit the music like glove to hand. Somewhere in between the late 19th c. association between Gilbert and Sullivan and the mid 20th c. Rogers and Hammerstein, we have an artistic partnership that delighted early 20th c. audiences in similar fashion.

The work premiered in 1906 on Broadway and was revived in 1946. Alyce Mott, Founder and Artistic Director of Victor Herbert Renaissance Project LIVE! has tweaked the operetta with some seamless writing and the insertion of some reprises which were not in the original.  Extraneous characters were removed to good advantage.

The charming story will be familiar to those who recall the pre-feminist era. A father is marrying his daughter off to a man who will enhance the father's position. She is in love with a ship's captain and is determined to undermine her father's intentions.  In this she is supported by her widowed aunt and aided by the ridiculous rascals Kid Conner and Con Kidder, who supply much of the comic relief, especially when convincing Papa that they are Sherlock Holmes and Mr. Watson!

Regular audience members, such as we are, are delighted to see the same beautiful faces and hear the same beautiful voices in each production.  This consistency attests to successful casting. As Gretchen, the lovelorn daughter, we heard the scintillating soprano Sarah Caldwell Smith; as the helpful Aunt Berta, we heard soprano Vira Slywotzky, whose generous soprano made a lovely contrast with Ms. Smith's. We adored their duet "I'm Always Doing Something I Don't Want to Do" which speaks volumes about female subjugation.

The male leads were just as well cast and performed.  Tenor Christopher Robin Sapp lent his sweet tone and fine phrasing to the role of Dori van Damm, the sea captain loved by Gretchen. As the conniving pair of swindlers we had the very funny Drew Bolander and Matthew Wages.  We loved their duet "Always Go While the Goin' is Good".

As the controlling Burgomaster of Katwyk-ann-Zee, Gretchen's father, we heard the fine Anthony Maida with Shane Brown portraying the sneaky Sheriff who wants to do Aunt Berta the favor of marrying her.  That was a "no go"!

The brilliant veteran performer David Seatter delighted us as the very nice Governor whom Gretchen doesn't marry, and if you can guess whom he does want to marry, we will invite you to VHRPL!'s next show.

The smaller role of British Solicitor Joshua Pennyfeather was taken by Brian Kilday with much humor spent on his vain attempt to relate his mission, an attempt which was ignored until the very end, lending a delightful twist. Alexa Devlin portrayed a French Noblewoman with a French accent as silly as Mr. Kilday's British accent.

No Victor Herbert musical would be complete without a chorus and what a well-rehearsed chorus we had last night, with every word clear to the ear.  That was most fortunate because the words are so clever! The female chorus was meant to be "models"--Joanie Brittingham, Tanya Roberts, and Hannah Kurth. The male chorus was meant to be "artists"--Jonathan Fox Powers, Daniel Greenwood, and Jonathan Heller.

Highlights of the evening included (but were not limited to) Gretchen's aria "If He Loved But Me" and her duets with the Captain "I Want You to Marry Me" and "The Isle of Our Dreams". Ms. Smith and Mr. Sapp sounded sensational together. The other hit was "Because You're You", sung by Berta and The Governor.  Uh-oh!  We have given it away.  We should have included a "spoiler alert"!

Ms. Mott directed with her customary excellent taste whilst Music Director Maestro Michael Thomas did his fine work with baton in hand. William Hicks played the piano reduction with panache. Emily Cornelius' choreography was charming and period appropriate. 

We would like to point out that the company will perform "The Enchantress" in April with a live orchestra! You can even make a donation to sponsor one of the musicians.

But you don't have to wait until Spring. You can enjoy Ladies First, a concert honoring Victor Herbert's leading ladies, in February.  Even better, you can catch tonight's performance of The Red Mill at Christ and St. Stephen's Church. Even if you didn't have a stressful day you will have a great time!

(c) meche kroop

THE FORTUNETELLER

Victor Herbert Renaissance Project Live!

Alyce Mott, Artistic Director of VHRP Live!, came up with a great idea a couple years ago--that of opening the treasure chest of Victor Herbert operettas and presenting their glorious music with abridged and tightened libretti which she herself would write.  In lesser hands, this might have been a train wreck; in Alyce's capable hands we have the opportunity to get to know this marvelous composer who achieved phenomenal fame between the Gay 90's and WWII.

Herbert was of Irish background but was raised in Austria and Germany and his music clearly shows the influence of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Lavish tunes tumbled from his pen onto the page; last night at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church on W. 69th St., the tunes tickled our ears and brought smiles to our face.

The occasion was his 1898 work The Fortune Teller, his 6th opera which premiered at a theatre but 30 blocks from St. Stephen's.  Soprano Alice Nielsen had started her own opera company after breaking with The Bostonians, and prevailed upon Herbert to write an operetta with three roles for her own dear self.

Thus we get a crazy story of a ballet student (soprano Sarah Caldwell Smith) who, along with her twin brother Fedor (Ms. Smith)  was raised by gypsies and given the name of Musette (Ms. Smith). It might be best not to examine the plot too closely as confusion reigns supreme. 

Ms. Smith, who sang all three roles with a fine agile voice, must juggle three suitors: the Hussar Captain Ladislas, well portrayed by tenor Mitchell Roe; Sandor, the Gypsy leader, marvelously sung by bass-baritone Matthew Wages; and Count Berezowski, a composer of no renown and a great deal of debt, sung by the excellent Daniel Greenwood. Ms. Smith is an engaging stage presence with a fine acting style.

There is the recurring theme of a serpentine bracelet that will bring great fortune if the possessor weds; strangely, the bracelet keeps getting abandoned, although the ballet master, the very funny David Seatter, would like to finalize the match and get his cut.

Also involved is the imperious diva Madame Pompon, marvelously portrayed by Vira Slywotzky who would have chewed up the scenery had there been any. But none was necessary since her marvelously resonant voice and over-the-top acting carried the day.

Music Director Michael Thomas was a superb conductor and William Hicks' piano brought out all of Herbert's melodic gifts. There were two outstanding songs to be relished. One was Ms. Smith's ironic delivery of "Always Do As People Say You Should" and the other was Mr. Wages' stirring performance of the "Gypsy Love Song", which would be a perfect encore piece for a baritone's song recital.

It was quite a spectacle to see the group of hussars (Bray Wilkins, Drew Bolander, and Jonathan Rohr) galloping down the aisle and onto the stage on imaginary horses; sadly, the clever words of their chorus got lost with careless diction. But the humor was never lost! 

There were also three ballet students rounding out the cast: Katherine Corle, Chelsea Friedlander, and Angela Christine Smith.

Effective stage direction was provided by Ms. Mott who has no problem wearing several hats. It was a wise decision to remove the irrelevancies of the plot and to provide just enough to bind the lovely songs. It is most fortunate that we have artists in New York who can devote so much time and energy to keep alive music that is part of our history.

(c) meche kroop