OPERA SCENES FROM IVAI

OPERA SCENES AT MANNES

The International Vocal Arts Institute is very high on our list this week and we are attending as many of their events as we can squeeze into our schedule. IVAI seems to be held in very high esteem also by the young artists participating in the program. We got to speak to a few of them and their enthusiasm matches our own. Some of them have attended several years in a row; there is always something new to learn, some barrier to break down, some new pathway opening up.

Last night's recital comprised duets, trios, and ensembles, coached by pianists Jane Steele and Liora Maurer and conducted by Maestri Paul Nadler and Brent Chancellor. The scenes were staged by directors Joshua Major and Dietlinde Maazel although we perceived the hand of Founder and Artistic Director Joan Dornemann and confirmed her participation as we spoke to the singers.

The overall quality was extraordinarily high. When we see and hear a scene from an opera and the sets and costumes appear unbidden to our mind's eye, we know the singers are doing well and putting their skills to good dramatic use. It was a thrill to witness the growth of the few singers with whose work we are acquainted but also a treat to be introduced to others whose careers we hope to follow.

Most memorable was the performance of tenor Pavel Suliandziga whose Nemorino has been evolving over the past couple of years to the point that we consider it his signature role. We hope to witness his winning awards from several foundations with this role! He performed it with admirable flexibility in the coloratura and winsome personality. When Donizetti wrote the music for L'elisir d'amore, he gave Nemorino so much with which to play. If Nemorino is too shy and awkward, we won't believe that Adina will fall for him.  But he can't be too personable at the outset or we won't accept the entire premise.

Last night, Mr. Suliandziga performed "Caro elisir! sei mio!...Esulti pur la barbara" with his lovely scene partner soprano Jessica Hyun Joung Kim. We felt his character, under the influence of the "magic potion", coming out of his shell and trying to impress Adina. We had a grin from ear to ear!

Two scenes from Donizetti's La fille du regiment delighted us; each young artist was completely convincing. Soprano Brynn Terry made us forget all about Natalie Dessay! This petite and very feminine young woman employed her bright soprano and coloratura skills, perfectly enacting the part of a tomboy. In the first scene she interacted with Sulpice, sung by the splendid baritone Evan Henke. 

In the second scene, she frustrated The Marquise of Berkenfield who was trying to make a "lady" out of her. The Marquise was performed by mezzo-soprano Olivia Smith-Grugan, who created a marvelously imperious character, actually playing the piano for Marie and mouthing the words of the song she wanted her niece to sing. Looking on and distracting Marie was Mr. Henke who kept bursting into the "Rataplan". The scene worked well with Marie breaking down into a tantrum.  What fun! 

The versatile Mr. Henke also appeared in the sextet from Mozart's Cosi fan tutte, enacting the role of Don Alfonso, presenting Fiordiligi (soprano Zoe Chunghui Kim) and Dorabella (mezzo Daiyao Zhong) with their two lovers disguised as Turks. Soprano Eugenia Forteza performed enthusiastically as Despina with fine tone and spirited acting. Tenor Hyunho Cho had the role of Ferrando wth baritone Jarvis Dams as Guglielmo. Their outrageous behavior clearly offended the two sisters. Mozart's writing involved some stunning harmonies and the six voices blended and balanced well.

Everyone loves Delibes' Lakme and "Sous le dome epais", known as the "Flower Song" gives soprano and mezzo an opportunity to harmonize the delicious vocal lines. In this case, soprano Sarah Heilman and mezzo Olivia Ottinger lived up to our expectations with both matching their dynamics. The overtones they created tickled our ears. They used a very long piece of fabric to create the river at their feet; it was a particularly lovely staging which added to the effect.

Ms. Ottinger reappeared as Prince Charmant in the duet "Toi qui m'es apparue" from Massenet's Cendrillon with mezzo Daiyao Zhong in the title role. We liked her flexibility.

A program with so much Donizetti is always a treat and his comedy Don Pasquale always tickles us. Mr. Dams made a fine Dr. Malatesta, instructing Norina (soprano Juri Jung) in how to fool the old man. Ms. Jung had to try several "faces" until Malatesta approved. We enjoyed the way he mocked the old man's big belly and waddling walk and we enjoyed Ms. Jung's penetrating upper register. 

Finally, we heard "O nuit divine" from Gounod's Romeo et Juliette, performed by soprano Melody Yun Xie who gave a lovely interpretation of innocence, and Yang Chen whose good sized tenor was a pleasure to hear solo after Juliette flees back indoors.

The recital lasted not much more than an hour but we would have been happy to have an hour or two more. We wanted to mention one more thing. Everyone's French was merveilleux!

(c) meche kroop

CAN'T BEAT THIS TOM-TOM

Thomas Muraco and cast of La Bohème at Manhattan School of Music

Giacomo Puccini's La Bohème is arguably the favorite opera of many; however, some opera lovers of our acquaintance refuse to see it unless there is a notable debut in one of the roles at The Metropolitan Opera.  Indeed, the Zeffirelli production is spectacular and astonishingly realistic and also tends to overwhelm the story and the singers.  Not so the production we enjoyed last night at the Manhattan School of Music.

Conductor Thomas Muraco guided his Opera Repertoire Ensemble through an intimate and involving production; he clearly loves this music and his young artists, most of whom are graduate students working on their Master's Degree.  If great sums of money were not lavished on the production, compensation was in the form of attention to detail and the achievement of intimacy.  The emotional intensity built slowly from the first act--all horseplay and romance--to the last, which left us in tears.  Such involvement is worth more than fancy sets.  What more do we want from opera than to be transported to another century, another country, another life?

In this case, we are in late 19th c. Paris in the world of starving artists and the women who love them.  Tuberculosis is running rampant and would claim the life of Mimi by the final act, forever altering the lives of these carefree young people. We are made to think of the late AIDS crisis which claimed so many young lives.

The orchestra was supplanted by two pianos, four hands, belonging to Jeremy Chan and Dura Jun with Yeon Hwa Chung's harp making significant contributions.  Mr. Muraco himself did the orchestration and we were able to hear strands of melody and motives that have gone unnoticed when hearing a full orchestra.  

The singing and acting were equally impressive.  No director was credited and we were given to understand that the young artists came up with the stage business themselves.  Perhaps that was why we found the storytelling to be so effective.  Who knows youth better than the young?  Witness the horseplay in Act I and Act IV.

In Bryn Holdsworth we met a slightly different Mimi--not quite as innocent as other Mimi's we have seen.  She used her lovely expressive soprano and her highly expressive face and gesture to show us a young woman a bit desperate for her next meal, a bit sly in her seductiveness, a bit manipulative--but also capable of deep love for Rodolfo.  It was a stellar performance, given her fine phrasing and just right vibrato. We couldn't take our eyes off her as she eavesdropped on the duet between Rodolfo and Marcello in Act III as she= is being confronted with the loss of her own life.

Brian Michael Moore made an ardent Rodolfo and his inability to accept Mimi's death at the end arose from a deep understanding of the character. He knows she is dying by Act III but he doesn't really let it register. He is living in denial. His fine tenor faltered a bit in Act I, probably a consequence of pushing for volume at the top of his register, but he settled in nicely for the rest of the performance.

Young Kwang Yoo's pleasing baritone was just right for the lovesick Marcello. He's the one the two lovers consult (separately) when their romance is in trouble; he reacts just the way a young man would.  And then, just as a young man would, he behaves in a manner contradictory to his advice. His duet with Mimi was just gorgeous.

As Musetta, his love interest, soprano Yun Melody Xie played the part to the hilt, much to the audience's delight.  Her bright instrument and expressive body conveyed everything we needed to know about this survivor who uses every tool at her disposal to get by.  Her Act II aria "Quando me'n vo" was spectacular and so was her red gown.  We loved the way she tormented her elderly date Alcindoro (Stefano de Peppo) who also played the part of Benoit the landlord in Act I.  What a handful!!!

The delights of Act I involved not only Rodolfo and Marcello but also Colline the philosopher and Schaunard the musician.  Schaunard (excellent baritone Juan Daniel Melo) tells his hilarious tale of poisoning the parrot and the three "bohemians" sit around the table devouring the provisions he has supplied owing to his latest job.  His fine baritone went unnoticed by his flatmates but not by us.

Joshua Arky used his bass voice well in his portrayal of Colline.  The horseplay from Act I has been recapitulated in Act IV but the tone is rapidly changed when the dying Mimi is carried upstairs.  Everyone is sacrificing something and he is pawning his "Vecchia zimarra". Clearly, he is saying goodbye to his innocent youth, not just his old overcoat.

Similarly when Musetta is praying for Mimi, her candle goes out just about the time Mimi expires.  Witnessing the story in a small space, up close and personal, provides many such precious moments that we will recall the next time we see the opera. Unlike some of our friends, we hope that won't be too far in the future and we won't need to wait for a big debut at the Met.