FAUSTIAN BARGAIN

Charles Gounod

Do we ever tire of Faust?  No, we do not!  Charles Gounod wrote this opera when he was about 40 years old.  Although it was not initially well received it quickly rose to a state of high popularity likely on the basis of its tunefulness and the poignancy of its story of innocence corrupted and finally redeemed.  It would be a sad opera company that did not have Faust in its repertory; it would likewise be unusual for a singer not to have one of its arias under his/her vocal belt.  Pardon the pun.  Marguerite's "Jewel Song", Siebel's "Faites-lui mes aveux", Valentin's "O Sainte médaille", Faust's "Salut, demeure chaste et pure", and Méphistophélès "Le veau d'or"--all are superb examples of mid 19th c. operatic gems.  It is difficult to leave Faust without humming them, not to mention the thrilling choruses: "Ainsi que la brise légère" and the famous "Soldier's Chorus".

The libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré was adapted from Carré's play Faust et Marguerite, which was loosely adapted from Goethe's Faust.  The libretto wisely focuses on Faust's seduction of Marguerite, her downfall and her redemption by her faith in God.  The devil tells her she is damned but the heavenly voice cries "Sauvée!"

Produced this past weekend by the Manhattan School of Music Opera Repertoire Ensemble, we consider the production a major success.  In a jointly created reduction conducted by the highly esteemed Music Director Thomas Muraco, Dura Jun and Saundra Schiller performed the piano parts; the spinning sounds when Marguerite sits at her spinning wheel and laments her abandonment by Faust were particularly well realized.  Brett Klaus played the organ during the church scenes.  Jacob Bass played the solo violin part most movingly in Faust's "Salut, demeure chaste et pure" and Sissi He provided some lovely rippling sounds on the harp when Faust espies Marguerite.  It was most interesting to experience Gounod's glorious music in a different manner and to actually hear things we never noticed when the opera is produced with full orchestra; a sequence of chords with open fifths before Marguerite tries on the jewels lets us know that this is not going to end well!

Stage Director Carol Castel did an impressive job on the wide but shallow stage of the Ades Performing Space.  Having experienced opera predominantly in huge performing spaces we will go out on a limb and say that the intimacy of a small space is a welcome relief, both in observation of the singers and in experiencing a connection with the emotions of the characters.  Ms. Castel used the space well and made the action believable from moment to moment.  One touch that worked particularly well was having background performers freeze when something was happening with the major players.  (Lately we have noticed at the Metropolitan Opera too much distracting action during the big arias.)  Just as we did not miss the full orchestra or the Walpurgisnacht Ballet we likewise did not miss costuming and lavish props.  Keeping things simple allowed us to focus on the singing and acting which was excellent all around.

As the devil himself, bass-baritone James Ioelu used his sturdy sound to fine effect and was appropriately arrogant, smug, cynical and seductive.  We loved the comic relief scene where he gets Marthe, a spirited and funny Rachelle Pike, to forget her newly deceased husband and to fall in love with him.  Tenor Aaron Short employed his fine tenor in the titular role and was well matched with soprano Margrethe Fredheim whose voice opened up beautifully in the upper register.  Indeed the Act II quartet, although brief, gave us the opportunity to hear four fine voices blended in perfect harmony.

Baritone Seung-Hyeon Scott Baek was equally fine as Marguerite's brother Valentin and sang "Avant de quitter ces lieux" with the right amount of manly protectiveness.  Ann-Louise Glasser took on the pants role of Siebel and Swedish baritone Joakim Larsson, an exchange student, took the role of Wagner.  We cannot say enough good things about the chorus.  The waltz in Act I was brilliantly sung and the male chorus was similarly superb in the Soldier's Chorus.

This may wind up occupying first place in our store of Faustian memories.  Bravi tutti!

© meche kroop

ELINA GARANČA SINGS OF LOVE

Elina Garanča

With undeniable artistry the stunning mezzo Elina Garanča took possession of the stage of Carnegie Hall and invited us into her world, and what a world that was!  Her all German program happily focused on the 19th century with a brief excursion into the early 20th c. but with the same flavor of German Romanticism that we cherish.

Five songs from Myrthen, Op.25 opened the program; all were composed during Robert Schumann's most creative period.  He had just won a lawsuit that enabled him to marry his beloved Clara and presented  a bound volume of these songs to her on the day before their wedding.  There is a strong feminine emphasis therein and Ms. Garanča sang them with great delicacy.  At this level of accomplishment the artist is expected to excel in musianship and the intelligent use of her instrument and Ms. Garanča completely lived up to our expectations, and then some.  What is unique to her is her total comfort onstage and her special way of inhabiting each song as if she herself were composing it on the spot.

For us, the highlight of the program was Schumann's Frauenliebe und leben, Op. 42.  In this heartbreaking song cycle, the text by Adelbert van Chamisso describes the phases of a young woman's infatuation, engagement, marriage, pregnancy, childbirth and early widowhood.  Several of our feminist friends have found the poetry offensive but we are able to see the work in its context and within the limitations of early 19th c. womanhood.  What is remarkable is Schumann's ability to distill all the varying emotions represented in the text and Ms. Garanča's ability to interpret these feelings.  Each song became an aria, not surprising because of the singer's success on the opera stage.

We have always found Alban Berg's music to be rather inaccessible but his Sieben frühe Lieder, composed when he was barely out of his teens and studying with Arnold Schoenberg, are replete with Late Romanticism, somewhat reminiscent of Mahler's.  We have become completely taken with "Die Nachtigall" and cannot get the melody out of our head.  And for us, that is a good sign!  That Mr. Berg later tried to disown these songs matters to us not at all.  Ms. G. made as much sense of the text as she did of the music and we plan on giving them all a good listen in the near future.

The final set on the program comprised a half-dozen of Richard Strauss' youthful songs, all written when he was courting Pauline de Ahna.  They are juicy songs, just dripping with youthful passion.  We especially enjoyed "Allerseelen", setting of a text by Hermann von Gilm, and "Heimliche Aufforderung", an invitation to a secret rendezvous, with text by John Henry Mackay.  Perhaps Mr. Mackay was fluent in German because the poetry scans and rhymes beautifully.

There were two encores but we didn't catch their identity.  One was likely by Brahms and might have been "An di Nachtigall" and the other was a lovely Latvian folk song.

It is extremely difficult to create a feeling of intimacy in a hall the size of Carnegie Hall and an artist of this caliber could not be presented in a small hall and still accommodate all her fans.  That being said, she created far more intimacy than most.  We found her accompanist Kevin Murphy to be somewhat lacking in his involvement with her.  We are accustomed to collaborative pianists who seem to breathe in tandem with the singer.  Mr. Murphy's pianism was more enjoyable during preludes and postludes when one could appreciate his involvement with the music; but he didn't seem to be totally in sync with the singing.

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JUICY APPLEBY

Paul Appleby

Natalia Katyukova

With delightful symmetry, tenor Paul Appleby and collaborative pianist Natalia Katyukova joined forces for a thoroughly satisfying recital with a theme--an exploration of the concept of sehnsucht in the German Romantic tradition.  It seemed fitting that we rushed from a recital by current Lindemann artists to one by artists who have used their training with the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program to establish remarkable careers.

We have been following Mr. Appleby's career for some years now and are thrilled to be witness to his artistic growth.  But we recall many of his illustrious qualities that were there from the beginning.  The rarest quality is that of making audience members feel  completely involved.  He so loves the music and the poetry and so wants to share it with us that the emotional involvement is beyond intense.  It is a rare ineffable quality and adds another layer to his fine vocal technique and gorgeous instrument.

He is completely at ease onstage and without affectation, readily sharing his views on each song with the audience.  We feel a part of his experience.  Just look at what he did with the four opening Schubert songs, settings of verses by three different poets.  "Im Frühling" is a melancholy lament for lost love and we feel the pain deep within.  Likewise we feel the joyful memory of a fisherman as he describes a rendezvous with his beloved in "Des Fischers Liebesglück".

Mr. Appleby, well coached by Ms. Katyukova, made a foray into the Russian literature and could not have chosen better than Tchaikovsky.  Ms. Katyukova's wildness in "Don Juan's Serenade" and her passionate power in "Does the day reign?" bookended the gentle "Amid the din of the ball".  Each one was a gem.

Hearing Fauré's La Bonne Chanson twice in one night was an interesting experience.  Mr. Appleby sang the entire cycle of nine songs.  His interpretation and vocal quality were so different from Ms. Xu's that we barely recognized the work.  We see this as testament to each artist's individuality and originality.

We loved the Argentinean songs in the final set.  The sad and charming "Canción al árbol del olvido" in milonga rhythm won our heart.  Ms. Katyukova deftly imitated the sound of the cicadas in Carlos Guastavino's "Cita".

Also on the program were four songs by Frank Bridge who taught composition to Benjamin Britten, notable for some rather adventurous piano harmonies.  Two encores were given, songs by Paul Bowles.  The closing lullabye "Baby, Baby" was delicately rendered and ultimately touching.

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LEI XU, XIE XIE NI

Lei Xu

The good news is that soprano Lei Xu gave a wonderful recital last night, presented by the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program.  The bad news is that we had to miss the set of Chinese folk songs and the Spanish songs in order to review Paul Appleby's recital.  But that's another story.  In spite of her glamorous appearance Ms. Xu is an unfussy performer who commands the stage without excessive gesture.  Her poised presentation and focused sound made every song a miniature gem; she scaled her sound to the size of the room and conveyed a feeling of warmth and intimacy.

Accompanied by the equally talented Nimrod David Pfeffer, she opened her program with five selections from La Bonne Chanson by Gabriel Fauré.  Our favorite selection was "J'ai presque peur, en vérité" when her voice opened up to the sentiment of a lover's passion.  Mr. Pfeffer's piano made the most of the rippling arpeggios in "Puisque l'aube grandit" and the birdsong in "Avant que tu ne t'en ailles".  The major/minor shifts in "La lune blanche luit dans les bois" were delightful.

For the set of songs by Rimsky-Korsakov, Alexandra Naumenko assumed the role of accompanist and imbued the songs with the appropriate Russian flavor.  In "The Rose enslaves the Nightingale", Ms. Xu showed off the brilliant top of her register and in "Clearer than the singing of the lark", she negotiated the rapid-fire pace with grand style.  What a lot of consonants to speed through!

The centerpiece and highlight of the recital was Schubert's "Der Hirt auf dem Felsen" in which clarinetist Weixiong Wang contributed a singing clarinet line that melded perfectly with Bryan Wagorn's always lovely piano work and Ms. Xu's graceful singing; she mastered the wide jumps which resembled yodeling and the clarinet mastered the echo effect.  The dramatic mood change when the shepherd-poet anticipates the coming of Spring truly resonated with us.  This brought the audience to their collective feet.  What a treat!

Following was Debussy's Ariettes oubliées and we felt fortunate to enjoy the languorous mood of "C'est l'extase" created by Ms. Xu and Mr. Wagorn.  With such languor it was difficult to make the "forced march" to Weill Recital Hall for Mr. Appleby's recital (review to follow) and we are hoping that one or more of our readers will contribute some news about the Chinese folk songs and zarzuela numbers that we missed.

Xie xie to Ms. Xu and her superb collaborative pianists for a glorious recital.  We feel privileged to have witnessed her growth during the past four years.

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A BUFFET OF BARITONES...AND A SOPRANO

Tobias Greenhalgh

Courtney Johnson

Sean Sullivan

Emmett O'Hanlon

Members of Opera Index, Inc. enjoyed some stellar entertainment last night before the buffet supper.  One glorious soprano and three baritones with three very different voices. 

Still a senior at Mannes College of Music, Courtney Johnson has a sizable instrument with a great vibrato and sang two of Liu's arias from Puccini's Turandot with deep feeling.  We see a fine future for her in Puccini territory.

Tobias Greenhalgh, a graduate student at Juilliard, treated the audience to "Bella siccome un angelo" from Donizetti's Don Pasquale, sung with charm, total commitment to the character and a lovely easy sound;  he followed up with a Rachmaninoff song in which, unfortunately, the piano tended to drown him out in places.  We can scarcely wait for his graduation recital on April 12th at 4PM, having watched his consistent artistic growth at Juilliard.

Bass-baritone Sean Sullivan, still an undergraduate at Mannes College, showed off his acting chops (and a fine voice) in Papageno's "suicide aria" from Mozart's Die Zauberflöte and then Ravel's "Chanson a Boire" from Don Quichotte. Mr. Sullivan is a real stage animal and very funny.

Gounod was Emmett O'Hanlon's choice:  "Avant de quitter ces lieux" from Faust and then Mercutio's aria from Roméo et Juliette.  His voice is a bit darker than the other two baritones;  the tone is lovely and he would do well not to push.  We have heard him a few times at Juilliard and have always enjoyed his singing.

Michael Fennelly accompanied.  All four singers had won Encouragement Grants from Opera Index, along with Jonathan Beyer, Sarah Mesko, and Nickoli Strommer.  Since 1984 Opera Index, Inc. has run an excellent competition and made generous awards to a legion of opera singers who have gone on to remarkable careers.  We wish the same to tonight's four artists.  Four cheers!  One for each.

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KEN NODA FILLS OUR EASTER BASKET

Ken Noda

The collaborative piano work at Schubert&Co. has left nothing to be desired; Artistic Directors Jonathan Ware and Lachlan Glen are equally superb.  Still, to have the illustrious Ken Noda to come and play with tenor Alexander Lewis is another feather in the Schubert&Co. cap.  Mr. Lewis hails from Down Under but his singing is strictly Tip Top; his musical theater background served him well in the set of songs in which a very young Schubert availed himself of the poetry of Ludwig Christoph Heinrich Hölty.

Mr. Lewis interpreted the songs with as much nuance as Mr. Noda did at the piano, emphasizing every subtlety.  We enjoyed the seasonal contrast between "Winterlied" and "Frühlingslied" but we especially loved "Die Mainacht" and would love to hear Schubert's setting on the same program as Brahms'.  In "Die frühe Liebe" the humor was conveyed with Mr. Lewis' entire body.  Fortuately, the songs had been committed to memory and there was no music stand interposed between his intense performance and the appreciation of the audience.

The remainder of the program was superb in different ways.  Mezzo Jazimina Macneil's warm and richly round voice plus astute word coloring  were well used in the opening set, settings of poetry by Aloys Wilhelm Schreiber, Josef Ludwig Stoll and Johann Ladislaus Pyrker.  Mr. Ware's soft touch in the piano gave way to some powerful playing that emphasized the mystery and awe of Pyrker's "Die Allmacht".  That was some fine teamwork!

Soprano Simone Easthope has a brilliant sound that resonates to the farthest reaches of Central Presbyterian Church, where most of these Schubert@Co. recitals are held.  Mr. Glen's piano and her voice melded to perfection in two of our favorite Rückert lieder "Du bist die Ruh" and "Sei mir gegrüsst".  Familiarity tends to please the ear and we were contemplating how much more we would appreciate a second and third hearing of some of the less well known lieder we have been hearing all year at these thrilling recitals.

And finally let us commend the outstanding baritone Michael Kelly who was also accompanied by Mr. Ware.  Two lovely Schreiber songs, the romantic "Der Blumenbrief" and "Das Marienbild" were followed by the familiar "Lachen und Weinen" with its poignant major-minor shifts and the unbearably mournful "Das ich hier gewesen" with its descending scale motif.  One could write an entire paragraph on what Mr. Kelly did with the word "verlangen" in Rückert's "Greisengesang".

Once again Schubert&Co has provided us lieder lovers with a cause to rejoice.  Our Easter basket has been filled to overflowing.

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CZÁRDÁS!

Lilla Heinrich-Szász

Lachlan Glen

The beautiful soprano Lilla Heinrich-Szász managed to create on short notice a beautiful recital with the collaborative pianist Lachan Glen, who always makes a major contribution with his nuanced playing.  The entire recital was delightful but what swept us away was her closing number--"Heia in dem Bergen" from Imre Kálmán's Die Csardasfürstin.  This highly spirited aria was given its full measure by this gracious performer who put her entire heart and soul into it, not to mention her whirly-swirly hand-clapping dance, after which she graciously thanked her voice teacher Marlena Malas, her mentor and her piano partner.  We have seen her perform this aria before and hope she will use it to conclude every future performance.  It is unique to her.

With a bright crystalline sound and melismatic skill, she performed several selections from the baroque repertory--"With plaintive notes" from Handel's Samson and two selections from Les fêtes d'Hébé by Rameau.  We especially admired the mood shifts in "Fuis, fuis, porte ailleurs tes fureurs".

The Grieg songs were well handled with "Lauf der Welt" being particularly charming.  Marie's "Salut à la France!" from Donizetti's  La Fille du Regiment was completely enchanting.  José Serrano's "Marinela" from La Canción del Olvido was so lovely that we wish to learn it ourselves.  (Hooray for the recent interest in Spanish canciónes!)   In Verdi's "Arrigo! Ah, parli a un core" from I Vespri Siciliani we were impressed by the fine trill and the roller coaster-like descending scale.

 

There is a unique pleasure in witnessing a young singer's completion of her work at Juilliard, having enjoyed observing their growth.  But there is also a feeling of sadness to see them spread their wings and leave the Juilliard nest.  We want to thank Ms. Heinrich-Szász for so many fine recitals and wish her luck as she takes her Master of Music Degree into the wider world.

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