JEROME KERN VIA NYFOS

Mary Feminear, James Knight, Hannah McDermott, Alexander McKissick, Avery Amereau, Josph Eletto, Benjamin Lund and Steven Blier

It was the final "Sing for your Supper" of the season--therefore a bittersweet occasion as the young stars of NYFOS AFTER HOURS made their final appearance before departing for various young artists programs around the world.  We have taken so much pleasure in their performances all year, we wish them well in their summer programs and we can hardly wait for their return.

Last night's program centered on the lyrics of P.G. Wodehouse as set by Jerome Kern, with a couple songs by Cole Porter thrown in for good measure.  Steven Blier (Pianist, Arranger and Host) gave us the lowdown on Mr. Wodehouse's primness and Cole Porter's raciness.  He described Kern's music as akin to Schubert's and indeed, tenor Alexander McKissick's performance of "Go Little Boat" from Miss 1917 struck us as deeply as any of Schubert's lieder.

Baritone Benjamin Lund's artistry in "The Land Where the Good Songs Go" from the same work was equally beautiful.  Could this show really be nearly a century old?  We wish we could see it reprised one day but only if it were done with the same sincerity we heard from Mr. Lund and Mr. McKissick.

Soprano Mary Feminear allowed her sincerity to shine through as well in her lovely performance of the original "Bill", which began life in another show before winding up in Showboat.

Avery Amereau used her dusky mezzo to great advantage in "Siren's Song" from Leave It To Jane.  To add to the overall effect she dressed herself as a flapper!  It was delightful.

Baritone Joseph Eletto sang "My Castle in the Air" from Miss Springtime with the most affecting vibrato and phrasing. He was joined by the very funny tenor James Knight for an hilarious duet from the same show entitled "Saturday Night" about a woman who began the week with virtuous intention but whose "virtue sprang a leak" by the end of the week.  Priceless!  Mr. Knight's solo "Napoleon" from Have a Heart was LMAO funny, not only from the lyrics and his comedic style but also from the fact that he is 6'4".

There were other funny songs--mezzo Hannah McDermott delighted with "Cleopatterer" from Leave it to Jane.  Mr. Wodehouse could certainly come up with some clever rhymes.  She was just as delightful in the opening trio with Mr. Knight and Mr. Lund from the same show--"Sir Galahad', the message of which, strangely enough, did not sound at all dated.

More humor, and perhaps one of the funniest songs on the program, could be found in "We're Crooks" in which Mr. McKissick and Mr. Lund adopted heavy wise-guy accents.  What made the song very timely were the references to Congress and Wall Street as being too crooked for the crooks' taste!

Mr. Blier considers Jerome Kern to be rather refined and Cole Porter to be rather risqué.  The two songs chosen to be on the program to represent Mr. Porter were "You're the Top" and "Anything Goes", both of which were performed by the ensemble.  It appeared that they enjoyed themselves as much as the audience.

This entire affair was staged by the brilliant director Mary Birnbaum, ensuring that each song's dramatic potential was mined.  One doesn't get this quality in the typical cabaret show!

It was a most enjoyable evening and an introduction to many songs we had never met before but of which we were delighted to make the acquaintance.  The only thing missing was Miles Mykkanen singing "Sing for Your Supper".

 © meche kroop

BELLINI AT MANHATTAN SCHOOL OF MUSIC

Maestro Thomas Muraco with cast of I Capuleti e i Montecchi: Shi Li, Carlton Moe, Noragh Devlin, Kasia Borowiec and Scott Russell

If Bellini stands for a delicious brunch drink in your lexicon, you probably won't relate to Maestro Thomas Muraco's admirable production of Vincenzo Bellini's I Capuleti e i Montecchi at the Manhattan School of Music.  But if you adore bel canto as much as we do you will get yourself to tonight's performance at 7:30 in the Ades Performance Space.

Bellini's lengthy vocal lines were conducted by Maestro Muraco without a baton, his expressive hands making balletic movements through space.  The reduction of the score was apparently a group creation and was so effective that the orchestra was never missed.  Ronny Michael Greenberg and Jie Yi performed on two pianos with Yeon Hwa Chung making significant contributions on the harp.  Elizabeth Harraman's French horn and Michael Dee's clarinet had some marvelously melodic lines of their own.

The libretto by Felice Romani harked back to earlier Italian versions of the story of star-crossed lovers than the Shakespeare play.  Wisely, extraneous characters were eliminated to focus on five main characters and their interaction.  The story became immediate, personal and affecting.  It was all meat and no fat.

Interestingly, and typical of Italian opera of the period, the enmity between Romeo and Juliet's family has been securely placed in the realm of a political power struggle--the struggle between the Guelphs and the Ghibellines. There is nothing evil about Tebaldo; he just loves Giulietta and wants to marry her.  Romeo is not a hot-headed teenager; he is a successful warrior who killed Capellio's son on the battlefield and is now suing for peace.  Lorenzo is not a monk but a physician in the Capulet household and sympathetic to the young lovers.  No nurse.  No servants.  No best friends.  No Paris.  No mother. No Prince.

The role of Romeo was superlatively sung by mezzo Noragh Devlin, much praised in earlier reviews (available through the search bar).  She fully lived up to her reputation and created an ardent and sympathetic character.  She negotiated the fioritura as well as the long legato lines; she was equally splendid in her duets with Giulietta.

Soprano Kasia Borowiec was equally impressive as Giulietta.  She has a bright soprano with just the right amount of vibrato and her embellishments were accurate.  She too created a winsome character that we could care about.  She was especially moving as she weighed her familial duty against her love for Romeo who wanted to elope with her.

Tebaldo, as described above, was also a sympathetic character, especially as sung by the fine tenor Carlton Moe who had some outstanding arias in Act I and an interesting duet with Romeo in Act II when he expresses remorse about contributing to Giulietta's death.

The role of Lorenzo was well sung by bass-baritone Scott Russell who probably has low notes to spare; bass Shi Li delivered the goods in the role of Giulietta's father Capellio.

An all-male chorus was onstage throughout to narrate the action and was joined by a female chorus at the end, lamenting the heroine's demise during the funeral cortege; this mournful scene was accompanied by stunning harp arpeggios.

That there was no panic accompanying the occasional disappearance of the titles is a fine tribute to Stephano Baldasseroni, the Italian diction coach.  Even the chorus was totally comprehensible, a characteristic that we have only heard when listening to the Donald Palumbo-coached Metropolitan Opera chorus.  Since Maestro Muraco was responsible for the chorus preparation, he gets extra props.

Although this is a concert presentation, the drama comes from the music and there is no shortage of drama.  Listen for a fortuitous horn solo in Act I and a stunning back-and-forth duet between Giulietta and the clarinet as she expresses her ambivalence.  Listen for the faltering heartbeat in Act II when Giulietta drinks the poison.  Another duet between Romeo and the clarinet delights the ear in the tomb scene.

Until yesterday, our favorite version of R&J has been the Kenneth MacMillan ballet set to Prokofiev's music.  Now that Alessandra Ferri and Julio Bocca are no longer dancing those roles, our new favorite version is this one.  Go and enjoy!

© meche kroop

OPERA LAFAYETTE DOES RAMEAU

Gaële Le Roi, Kelly Ballou, Olivier Baumont, Laetitia de beck Spitzer, David Newman, Andrew Appel, Donna Fournier, and Ryan Brown

Ever since Opera Lafayette brought their imaginative opera double-bill to the Rose Theater in January (review can be found by using the search bar) we have eagerly awaited their return.  Friday night at Weill Recital Hall, they presented Part I of Celebrating Rameau: The Salon.  We will have to wait until next fall for Part II which will be a staged premiere of Rameau's ballet héroïque-- Les Fêtes de l'Hymen et de l'Amour ou Les Dieux d'Égypte.

Our experience with opera by Jean-Philippe Rameau is confined to a production of Platée in Santa Fe in 2007 and one several years earlier at the New York City Opera which we enjoyed tremendously.

Part I could be considered an appetizer; it was a red-letter day for lovers of Rameau.  Two superbly talented harpsichordists, Olivier Baumont and Andrew Appel, joined by Conductor and Artistic Director Ryan Brown on violin and Donna Fournier on viol, treated the audience to several interesting works and also accompanied the four singers--Gaële Le Roi, Kelly Ballou, Laetitia de beck Spitzer and David Newman.

Of the instrumental portion of the evening we were most impressed by some dances from Les Indes Galantes transcribed for two harpsichords; the textures were most compelling.  We would have loved to have seen the various dances performed by baroque dancers.

The vocal music was what we came to hear and the well-chosen singers brought Rameau's music to vivid life. The spectacle on stage was arresting: Baritone David Newman wore a suit and tie, Ms. Le Roi wore lingerie, Ms. Ballou wore office attire and Ms. Spitzer wore an evening gown!  We did not even try to fathom this but just enjoyed the splendid voices.

Mr. Newman sang an Air from the cantata Thétis to open the program and joined the women later on for three canons of which, we were told, the translations were too racy to print.  Naturally, that piqued our curiosity no end but careful listening provided nothing more than a few hints!

Ms. Ballou employed her lovely soprano for the romantic "L'Amante préoccupée"; "No, non le dieu qui sait aimer" sung by Ms. Spitzer, was of a more spirited nature; "Duo Bacchique" allowed Mr. Walker and Ms. Le Roi to exhibit their humorous sides.

The final work on the program was the Cantate pour le Jour de la Saint Louis, an expressive work in which Ms. Le Roi used her highly focused soprano to good advantage, accompanied by Mr. Beaumont and the strings.

It was a brief evening and a true "amuse bouche" as we wait for October 9th and the aforementioned premiere.  The date is already on our calendar.  How fortunate we are to have the D.C. based Opera Lafayette exploring the 18th c. French repertoire and playing it for us New Yorkers on period instruments.

ⓒ meche kroop

ERIC OWENS' MASTER(FUL) CLASS

Eric Owens and Julia Bullock (photo by Ken Howard)

Every master class seems to have its own theme and Eric Owens' class Wednesday afternoon at Juilliard did not depart from the program.  The engaging bass-baritone has a folksy manner that puts students at ease; he was never critical and never insisted that his way was the right way.  He just suggested other options to see if they worked for them.  Students were reassured that their performances were excellent (which they were) and that he was just being "nit-picky".

The theme for the class seemed to be various means of establishing a legato line while keeping the voice centered.  A useful exercise is to sing only the vowels and to keep them all aligned.  Yes, you can try this at home!

Baritone Takaoki Onishi sang "Hai gia vita la causa" from Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro.  We think he did just fine conveying the arrogance of the entitled (pun intended) Count but Mr. Owens moved him even further in that direction, suggesting that he "see the wheels turning" in the character's mind.  All this, of course, while sticking strictly to the rhythm of the recitativo.

Soprano Julia Bullock sang Wolf's "Der Knabe und das Immlein" from the Mörike Lieder.  Teacher and student worked together as only two perfectionists could on bringing a bel canto technique into the German language by singing through the consonants and easing into the vowels.  Once the technique becomes incorporated, it can be forgotten.

Önay Köse, with the same type of voice as Mr. Owens, sang "Che mai veggio" from Verdi's Ernani.  Mr. Owens persuaded him to stop going for color and to stop trying to sound older. He was encouraged to not worry about making a pretty sound but to use a simple uncolored and non-operatic tone.  The two of them worked on placement of the sound in the mask.

Soprano Mary Feminear sang "Sempre libera" from Verdi's La Traviata.  They worked on keeping the sound centered throughout the range without "spreading".  One useful trick that helped was to bend the knees when going for the high note.  Keeping the trill in the same place was stressed.

The accompanists for the class were Dimitri Dover, Daniel Fung and Art Williford.  One couldn't help but admire the way they could just pick up at any point of the aria.    Time was left at the end for a Q and A.  Mr. Owens had the opportunity of telling a very young singer to enjoy his Mozart in the "Here and Now".  Bass-baritones have long careers and should not rush into heavier roles.

It was a most enjoyable and educational class, not only for the four singers but also for the audience.

© meche kroop

BASS AND BASS-BARITONE

Ryan Speedo Green, Ekaterina Deleu, Alexey Lavrov

Recitals by artists in the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program are always a special treat and yesterday's recital was no exception.  We were treated to an hour and a half of lieder and arias by baritone Alexey Lavrov and bass-baritone Ryan Speedo Green, partnered by collaborative pianist Ekaterina Deleu.

We have watched these artists develop in the program and by this time we have run out of superlatives.  Having paid close attention to Eric Owens' master class the day before we were able to appreciate two voices with their vowels centered and lined up in perfect legato lines.  When singers are so totally secure in their technique, there is the artistry of communication to be appreciated.

Mr. Green opened with two arias from Handel's Siro, re di Persia.  His command of the material was masterful.  In "Gelido, in ogni vena" he conveyed grief in a most moving manner; in "Se il mio paterno amore", taken at a livelier tempo, his character's anger was disturbing.

Mr. Lavrov performed Schumann's Dichterliebe better than we have ever heard it sung.  He imbued Heinrich Heine's poetry with Russian passion; we felt as if we were glimpsing the soul of the poet.  A disappointed lover goes through many phases and all were captured--from the joy of "Im wunderschönen Monat Mai" to the resignation of "Die alten, bösen Lieder".  In between there was plenty of irony in "Ich grolle nicht" and in "Ein Jüngling liebt ein Mädchen".  Perhaps the saddest one was "Ich hab' im Traum geweinet" in which Mr. Lavrov invested each verse of the strophic poem with a different shade of sorrow.

Mr. Green next sang Drei Lieder nach Gedichten von Michelangelo; he sang with power and authority.  If Mr. Green's compelling singing cannot get us to love these Wolf settings it is likely that we never will love them.  They are dark and philosophical and his voice is suited to them but we find Wolf's vocal line less compelling than the piano writing.  That being said, he sang them well and there was a lovely decrescendo at the end.

We were far more impressed with the high drama of Assur's aria from Rossini's Semiramide --"Sì, vi sarà vendetta...Deh! ti ferma".  Assur goes from vengefulness to terror to relief to boldness.  Mr. Green captured every nuance.

Mr. Lavrov returned for an encore--Cesare Andrea Bixio's "Parlami d'amore Mariu".  We love the way he caresses each and every word.  He is truly a stage animal and uses not only vocal color but his entire body to bring the audience into the world of the song.

Mr. Green's encore could have been a cliché but it was anything but.  "Ol' Man River" from Jerome Kern's Showboat was given a sincere and nuanced reading that was terribly moving.  It will not be "soon forgotten".

Kudos to Ms. Deleu for a fine job accompanying two very different singers with very different styles.

© meche kroop

A GOOD TIME! NO, A GREAT TIME!

The splendid cast of Orlando Paladino (photo by Carol Rosegg)

We have never taken kindly to updating the tragedies of the classic repertory but to take an all-but-forgotten opera and to dress it in new clothes (so to speak) can be not only forgiven but celebrated.

We have never seen/heard an opera at Manhattan School of Music that we haven't enjoyed but their production of Joseph Haydn's Orlando Paladino absolutely blew us away with its originality and creativity.  The chorus has been eliminated along with extraneous characters and the entire affair has been tightened up to a brisk 2 1/2 hours that absolutely flew by.

The libretto by Nunziato Porta was based on another libretto by P. A. Guglielmi which was, in turn, inspired by Ariosto's 16th c. epic poem Orlando furioso.  Poor Ariosto would not have been able to recognize his own work.  But the music is a constant.

Astute director Robin Guarino settled on a concept of presenting the work as a reality show.  She was inspired by an article in the New Yorker by Andrew Marantz describing the impact on our culture of technology, surveillance, reality television and instant celebrity, particularly as it affects psychosis.  If you recall a film called The Truman Show about a man who lives his life inside a TV show, you will get the concept.

So...gone are the shepherds and palaces and woods.  Scenic Designer Laura Jellinek has created the set of a reality TV show with cameras in place and techies running around setting things up.  Some of them are characters in the opera.  This provides an opportunity to skewer the cult of celebrity as the stars preen and pose or sulk and look bored between "takes".  We wouldn't want to spoil the fun by telling you about all the sight gags.

Lighting Designer Mark Barton has used brightly colored washes of light to highlight the content of each scene and Gabriel Berry's costumes are witty and a propos.

The story is simple but made complicated.  Angelica (the divine soprano Leela Subramaniam) is in love with Medoro (excellent tenor Thomas Mulder).  Rodomonte (big beautiful baritone Kidon Choi) also cares for her and would protect her from the certifiably crazy and delusional Orlando (terrific tenor Elliott Paige). 

His squire Pasquale is, in this case, one of the techies and performed by the incomparable scene-stealer baritone Cameron Johnson whose body is as flexible as his voice.  He has a romance going with Eurilla, no longer a shepherdess but here the script girl; soprano Kerstin Bauer creates a winsome character with a lovely voice.  The sorceress Alcina has been transformed into an elegant and powerful player who solves all the problems, including ordering ECT for the uncontrollably mad Orlando.  This is a perfect role for the stunning soprano Margaret Newcombe. The final scene takes place in a mental hospital.

This hilarious silliness is accompanied by Haydn's gorgeous tunes.  Conductor Christian Capocaccia brought the fine MSM musicians to a peak of performance with Marcello Cormio providing the continuo.  Vocal performances were universally superb with arias, duets and ensembles to add variety.  The frantic septet made one think of Rossini and the final moralistic summing up reminded one of Mozart.

The same superlative cast will perform at the Sunday matinee but if you are inclined to attend Friday night, you have our assurance that you won't be disappointed.  We had the opportunity at the pre-performance presentation to hear Jessica Grzanna and Terence Stone sing a tender love duet and baritone Xiaomeng Zhang give a different but equally wonderful interpretation of the combative Rodomonte.  We also heard cover Paul-Anthony Keightley sing a wonderful Pasquale with a great deal of personality.

It was interesting to learn how Ms. Guarino evoked such authentic performances from the singers.  She had them translate their parts and to speak them in contemporary lingo.  It apparently worked incredibly well.

To anyone who doesn't believe that opera can be fun, we recommend this production as a remedial experience.  Were we not otherwise committed, we would return for the next two performances.  We recommend that you beg, borrow or steal a ticket.  Performances of such high value do not happen every weekend!

© meche kroop

REMEMBERING LENNY

Julia Bullock (photo by Karli Cadel)

Co-hosted by the beloved Artist Directors of New York Festival of Song (hereinafter referred to as NYFOS) Steven Blier and Michael Barrett and glamorous diva Jessye Norman, a gala evening celebrating Leonard Bernstein was held at the perfectly sized Weill Recital Hall.  After all, our Lenny was founding advisor of NYFOS.  And a celebration it was indeed.

The evening comprised reminiscences by his daughter Jamie Bernstein and many of the artists who worked with him throughout his career and performances by some of them as well.  But for us, the real magic occurred as we witnessed the younger generation, so well-supported by NYFOS,  interpreting his glorious and enduring music. 

The evening opened with an "amuse bouche"; the adorable Lauren Worsham adopted a little-girl persona to sing his l942 "I Hate Music".  The evening ended with the dazzling Julia Bullock singing "Somewhere" from his 1957 musical West Side Story.  We have heard this song countless times but never have we heard it sung with such profound sincerity and lack of artifice--natural and unamplified  with magnificent vocal technique that disappeared into the overall effect.

For the occasion, five highly talented young men were assembled and dubbed "The NYFOS Jets" to sing the hilarious "Officer Krupke", also from West Side Story.  We know these fellas from the opera stage so it was deliriously funny to see them take on Stephen Sondheim's endlessly clever lyrics.  Theo Hoffman had the role of Action, a juvenile delinquent; Tobias Greenhalgh , Officer Krupke; Tim McDevitt, the Judge; Miles Mykkanen, the social worker; and Adrian Rosas, the psychiatrist.

In contrast with this humor was the ironic and dissonant "The Love of My Life" from Arias and Barcarolles, the 1988 work  premiered and recorded by Mr. Blier and Mr. Barrett and sung here by baritone Kurt Ollmann who also sang the soulful "Lonely Town" from the 1944 musical On the Town and joined Judy Kaye for the "Love Duet" from Arias and Barcarolles.

The very funny Ms. Kaye also sang the pungently humorous "I am Easily Assimilated" from the 1956 oft-revised Candide.  This happens to be one of our two favorite English language operas (the other being Gershwin's Porgy and Bess).  We have seen it in opera houses and on Broadway but we had never heard until Monday night the song "We Are Women" which was beautifully sung by Ms. Worsham and the equally delightful Annie Rosen.  It's a marvelous song which we hope to hear many times over.

The renowned Barbara Cook was on hand with reminiscences of her audition for Mr. Bernstein and a song as well--the lovely "Some Other Time" from On the Town.  Further reminiscences were shared by the regal Jessye Norman and the down-to earth Marilyn Horne who told a funny story about Richard Tucker and the Verdi Requiem when Maestro Bernstein was on the podium.  At one point, Ms. Horne burst into glorious song!

Matthew Epstein also shared his memories and Stephen Sondheim sang a gag song he wrote to music appropriated from Kurt Weill on the occasion of the Maestro's 70th Birthday.

It was a splendid celebration of a brilliant man of music who conducted, composed, educated and entranced.

 © meche kroop