COSI FA JUILLIARD

       


We cannot seem to get enough of Juilliard.  From undergraduates trying out their performing wings at the Liederabends to fully professional rising stars, performances are invariably of the highest quality.  Last night's opening of Così Fan Tutte is a case in point.  In cooperation with The Metropolitan Opera Lindemann Young Artist Development Program, the Ellen and James S. Marcus Institute for Vocal Arts at The Juilliard School presented a performance of Mozart's Cosi Fan Tutte that would be a winner in any big city in the world.  It was astutely cast with gifted young singers from both houses and directed by the esteemed Stephen Wadsworth.  The superb Juilliard Orchestra conducted by Alan Gilbert, Music Director of the New York Philharmonic, did credit to their training and also to Maestro Gilbert's intense guidance and rapport with the instrumentalists.  Mozart's melodies were handled with both sensitivity and gusto.  The harpsichordist was Bryan Wagorn.

What about this strange story, libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte? It is strange because it is funny and tragic at the same time.  What makes it amusing is the moral and actual blindness of the two sisters Fiordiligi and Dorabella who fail to recognize the disguises of their fiancés and their servant Despina.  What makes it tragic is the resulting moral uncertainty as to which of the two men each young woman really loves as well as the price paid for confusing love and lust.  In these dark times of ours, Director Stephen Wadsworth has chosen to emphasize the dark side of the opera which is generally played as a piece of fluff.  Even the comic antics have an edge of disturbing hysteria.  There is no happy ending here as the four lovers are literally brawling at the end.  There is also a great deal of anger in Mr. Wadsworth's concept, manifested by overturned furniture and thrown objects.  Yes, love is painful and happy endings are not realistic.  So we must accept our failures and disappointments.

The two sisters were well cast.  Soprano Emalie Savoy brought Fiordiligi to life as the more conflicted of the two.  Her "Per pietà, ben mio, perdona" was beautifully sung and the trace of tightness in her Act I "Come scoglio" was gone.  Mezzo Wallis Giunta portrayed Dorabella, the somewhat more adventuresome of the two; she is as lovely to look at as to listen to.  We especially enjoyed her "Smanie implacabile".

Mezzo Naomi O'Connell was pure delight as the wily servant Despina, seemingly evolved from the commedia del'arte tradition.  She was full of lively energy and exhibited fine technique in "Una donna a quindici anni".  Her advice to her two mistresses kept the audience giggling and her mannerisms firmly established the differences in social class.  She managed to portray the doctor and the notary with a minimum of "shtick".

The two friends fared equally well in both vocalism and dramatics.  Tenor Alexander Lewis was a charming Ferrando who sang a lyrical "Un'aura amorosa".  Baritone Luthando Qave gave a fine performance as Guglielmo who lords it over Ferrando after having seduced Ferrando's fiancée Dorabella; after Ferrando seduces the reluctant Fiordiligi, he "sings a different tune".

Bass Evan Hughes was most convincing as Don Alfonso and succeeded in establishing his character during the overture.  He charmed us in his aria "Oh, poverini, per femmina giocar cento zecchini?" in which he mocks the two young men who accept his wager.

The entire cast, a symmetrical one to be sure, operated successfully as an ensemble and created believable characters.  Duets, trios and ensembles were beautifully balanced.  The size of the house was perfectly matched by the size of the voices.

The Scenic Design by Chalie Corcoran and the Costume Design by Camille Assaf were true to period (18th c.) and place (Naples) adding to the verisimilitude.  Lighting by David Lander was spot on, without calling attention to itself.

BIBLE STORIES

 



We rarely enjoy operas composed after Richard Strauss lay down his pen; we almost never enjoy operas sung in English; and we do not care for biblical stories.  And yet.  And yet we had a perfectly fine evening spent with Chelsea Opera last night, happy to have our prejudices overcome.

The curtain raiser was Benjamin Britten's Canticle II, Opus 51-Abraham and Isaac, composed in 1952 and played here by Guest Conductor Steven M. Crawford at the piano.  God is testing Abraham's obedience by asking him to sacrifice his favorite son Isaac.  In the beginning the boy is reluctant but he becomes resigned to his fate; his obedience to his father neatly parallels the father's obedience to his god.  Tenor Eapen Leubner used his robust tenor voice as the father while the son was portrayed by treble Benjamin Perry Wenzelberg who used his pure affecting tone to great advantage. The harmonics of the two voices in the duets were a delight to the ear.  Let it be noted that Mr. Wenzelberg is writing an opera based on Grimm's "Sleeping Beauty" for which we are filled with anticipation.  This youth is someone to watch!

The second half of the program comprised The Mark of Cain, a new work by Matthew Harris with libretto by Terry Quinn.  The story appears to be a fantasy about Cain's life many years after the fratricide, but it is actually based (loosely perhaps) on the Koran and the Jewish Midrash as well as other ancient texts.  It certainly illustrates how sexual jealousy and greed can result in tragedies of bloodshed.  Cain's sister Zellah tracks him down to avenge the death of their brother Abel, masquerading at first as Abel's ghost.

The story is an engaging one and well-handled.  The music is far more interesting than most contemporary music we have heard.  The themes are at times vaguely Middle Eastern but always accessible and listenable.  The 18-piece Chelsea Opera Orchestra played well under the baton of Maestro Crawford; we were particularly taken with the harp motives, sensitively performed by Kathryn Andrews and the thrilling percussion (Paul Robertson and Charles Kiger).

Bass-baritone Brace Negron made a convincing Cain with some good strength in his lower register while mezzo Blythe Gaissert was an excellent choice for Zellah who must convince Cain that she is Abel's ghost before she reveals herself as the sister.  Soprano Kate Oberjat portrays the serpent who tempts Cain; she was in fine voice and got to do some dancing as well.  Tenor Jonathan Kline and baritone Jonathan Estabrooks provided some comic relief in their non-biblical costumes as Moradesh and Caleb who serve to introduce us to the character of Cain.  God is played in a spiffy white suit by bass Tom McNichols who seemed to have bottom to spare.

Direction by Lynne Hayden-Findlay was effective and her costuming was well-done; we especially enjoyed Cain's royal robes and crown.  Her co-founder Leonarda Priore was responsible for the set decoration and the two women introduced the program in unison in their customary charming fashion.  Bringing a work such as this one before the public is always a risk, one that here payed off for the artists and the audience alike.  One would do well to take advantage of the opportunity to see a compelling new work with more performances scheduled for Friday and Saturday night as well as a matinee on Saturday.

(c) meche kroop

SCHUBERT AND GOETHE AND MORE

The Young Franz Schubert

We are finding each recital of this series better than the one before.  Yesterday's program by Schubert&Co. showed the master at his most lyrical--having set works by Goethe, Salis-Seewis and James Macpherson.  And not a single lied was familiar to us!

The three singers excelled in their interpretation.  Soprano Raquel Gonzalez opened the program with a half-dozen settings of poetry by Johann Gaudenz von Salis-Seewis.  The deep feelings of this set of songs--largely joyful with tinges of melancholy--were communicated in many colors.  Ms. Gonzalez has a lovely vibrato throughout her range and sang with a generosity of spirit that filled the heart.  Her superb piano partner was Lachlan Glen; one could not miss the gurgling spring in "Der Jüngling an der Quelle", D.300.

The program continued with some settings of poetry by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, sung by mezzo-soprano Rachael Wilson accompanied on the piano by Jonathan Ware.  Ms. Wilson was noted for her nearly Italianate legato and beautiful phrasing.  In "Wonne der Wehmut" Mr. Ware alternatively conveyed movement and suspense.

His pianism was even more expressive in the lengthy ballad "Der Tod Oscars", D.375, a sad tale composed by James Macpherson who may or may not have written the work himself.  Some claim that it was written by the Celtic Ossian but the scholarship is in doubt.  Baritone Michael Kelly is a remarkable story-teller with superb diction such that every word and phrase were intelligible.  His tone is sweet and light in the upper register.  We were transfixed.

We are already anticipating the next recital in the series.

(c) meche kroop

WHAT THE MET DOES BEST

Iréne Theorin as Turandot

We had a fine time forgetting Sandy at The Metropolitan Opera last night.  All negative thoughts were dispersed by the lavish Franco Zeffirelli production.  Lo, the lavish sets!  Lo, the extravagant costumes!  Lo, the colorful orchestration of Puccini's highly melodic score!  Lo, the unequaled Met orchestra, responding to the stylish conducting of Maestro Dan Ettinger!  Lo, the mostly wonderful singing of Iréne Theorin, Marcello Giordani, Janai Brugger and James Morris!

The frosting on the cake was the brief appearance of young artist Ryan Speedo Green whose large deep bass fills the entire house.  And we are always happy to see Mr. Morris who sounded just fine.

This crowd-pleasing opera relies on Puccini's gorgeous music to make us care about two consummately disagreeable characters.  Calaf is a selfish cad, ready to throw his blind elderly father Timur and the faithful servant Liu to the wolves in the service of his obsession with the titular heroine.  Turandot herself is a bitter angry woman who beheads all her suitors.  Even the blood-thirsty citizens of ancient Peking are nasty; but they are brought around 180 degrees by the tender scene in which Liu instructs Turandot in the art of loving.  As they are softened, so are we in the audience.

Mr. Giordani gave too much in Act I and seemed to lose his lower register by the time he got to "Nessun Dorma".  But he certainly does have a flair for Puccini and flavors his singing with the requisite garlic.  Ms. Theorin, on the other hand, got off to a shaky start in "In questa reggia" but quickly got down to business and did brilliantly in showing the eponymous heroine's transition from icy man-hating Daughter of Heaven to a woman conquered by love.  Frankly, the rough kiss from Calaf seemed to be less effective than Liu's impassioned pleading.  There was a lovely authenticity and tenderness in this portrayal by rising star Ms. Brugger, recently turned out by the excellent Merola Program in San Francisco.  Her "Signor ascolta" only hinted at the lovely lyricism to come in the final act.  This is indeed an artist to watch!

For comic relief there are Ping Pong and Pang.  For visual interest there is alternation of dark scenes and brightly lit ones; the lighting design was by Gil Wechsler.  The audience broke into applause when the curtain rose on the palace scene, all white and gilt. This is Grand Opera at its Grandest.  Every time the Met retires a production like this one we experience a little death.  Shouldn't the grandest opera house do more of this?  Please share your opinions with us!

(c) meche kroop