A SINGER'S SINGER

Anna Caterina Antonacci and Donald Sulzen

The more you know about singing the more you would have been in a position to appreciate last night's recital--part of Lincoln Center's Great Performers Series.  Although even someone who knew nothing about vocal production and performance would have been enthralled, this was an evening for the connoisseur.  Ms. Antonacci is an artist's artist, truly a marvel of musicianship.

The program was entirely in French, a language with which she is not only comfortable but incredibly adept, keeping the words in the forward part of the mouth and enunciating as clearly as one might have hoped.  She sings soprano roles at present but her past experience with mezzo-soprano roles is evidenced by the rich coloring of her tone.

She began the program with Hector Berlioz' La mort d'Ophélie, the sad tale of Ophelia's death from Shakespeare's Hamlet.  The heartfelt emotion of the text by Ernest Legouvé was beautifully conveyed by apt word coloring while the piano of Donald Sulzen created the flowing of the brook.  Indeed Ms. Antonacci is a proponent of Berlioz' music and one could tell how intensely she felt it. The thrill of the entire evening could be heard in the way this amazing artist handled the melismatic exclamation "Ah!"

Our personal favorite of the evening was Claude Debussy's impressionistic Chansons de Bilitis.  Pierre Louÿs' text is very special, creating pictures of Ancient Greece in the mind's eye.  We have heard these songs so many times but Ms. Antonacci made them new again.  "La chevelure" was particularly successful in its sensual imagery and word coloring. Mr. Sulzen conveyed the richly textured harmonies magnificently.

One of Henri Duparc's few jewels, "La vie antérieure" was similarly evocative, while the Francis Poulenc cycle which followed--La fraicheur et le feu with text by Paul Éluard--represented a more modern and surrealistic idiom.  The poetry in French is quite lovely, far lovelier than the English translation.

The first part of the program closed with Maurice Ravel's "Kaddisch" from Deux mélodies hébraïques, sung in Hebrew.

The second half of the program was given over to a riveting performance of the monodrama La voix humaine, Poulenc's 1958 opera based upon Jean Cocteau's 1930 play of the same name.  This one-act one-character piece is a tour de force for the singer who must convey the wide range of emotions felt by the character  "Elle" as she speaks on the phone with her about-to-be-ex-lover.

Although one never knows what the man on the other end of the line is saying, we must draw our conclusions from the reactions of "Elle". At first she puts on a cheerful face but as the act progresses, she unravels in front of our eyes and ears, even confessing to an attempted suicide.  Anyone who has endured a broken romance would appreciate the text, given in short bursts of conversation.

Today we do not have party lines to interrupt our conversations but we do have cell phone batteries running down so we can make the leap to understand the character's frustration.

Ms. Antonacci's acting was memorable and effective, as it had been all evening.  It was truly astonishing. Her partnership with pianist Donald Sulzen was marked by sensitivity from one moment to the next.

There would be no encore.  The audience cheered and cheered to no avail. From the artists' perspective, we are sure that they were totally drained emotionally. From our perspective, the evening was complete and completely satisfying.

(c) meche kroop

CARDONA DOES DON CARLO

Michael Fennelly, Ricardo Tamura, Julia Rolwing, Daniel Cardona, Ann McMahon Quintero, Daniel Lickteig, Matthew Curran and Jeremy Galyon

When Daniel Cardona, Founder and Artistic Director of the Martha Cardona Theater, undertakes to present one of his evenings of opera, you can rest assured that the talent onstage will be unparalleled.  Last night at Christ and St. Stephens Church he presented Verdi's longest opera--but the evening flew by.  Truth to tell, he presented excerpts from the opera in concert version; all the major highlights were there--arresting arias, divine duets, terrific trios, and a quality quartet.

We don't know how Mr. Cardona managed to assemble such a perfect cast but it was a dazzling assemblage of talent.  As the tragic eponymous hero, we heard tenor Ricardo Tamura, often heard at The Metropolitan Opera.  Hint:  he is singing the role at The Met this Spring.  Don't say we didn't alert you.

As the woman he loves, the French Princess Elisabetta, we heard the fine soprano Julia Rolwing.  As his best friend Rodrigo, baritone Daniel Lickteig exhibited a fine tone and a sympathetic character.  The marvelous mezzo Ann McMahon Quintero took on the role of The Princess Eboli and somehow managed to evoke sympathy for this jealous vengeful character.

Even King Fillipo II, a thoroughly detestable character who has his own son murdered, as sung by bass Matthew Curran, had a moment of sympathy when he sang the famous aria "Ella giammai m'amo!"; an old man suffers when he realizes his wife, stolen from his son, never loved him.

The only character for which one can feel no sympathy whatsoever is The Grand Inquisitor.  Bass Jeremy Galyon has a particularly penetrating sound that was just right for the man that has even the King quaking in his boots!

So aptly cast were these singers and so perfectly sung were their roles that we were on the edge of our seat (a pew, actually).  Large voices all--the kind you rarely get to hear nowadays.

In the role of the page Tebaldo, the beautiful young soprano Madison Marie McIntosh revealed a gorgeous light tone that matched well with that of Ms. Quintero in a highly decorated vocal line.  About to graduate from Mannes, Ms. McIntosh has also made good use of her training with the good folks at Classic Lyric Arts.

The opera itself is one of our favorites.  Happily, the choice was to sing it in Italian in the Modena version, rather than the original French version.  Just as happily, the Fontainebleu scene was included; it shows how Don Carlo and Elisabetta fall in love and thereby justifies all the grief and jealousy and conflict which result.

The opera is about an impossible love; what's a man to do when his father decides to marry his intended bride for political reasons?  The opera is about loyalty; Rodrigo sacrifices his life so that Carlo can fulfill his political destiny.  The opera is about betrayal; Princess Eboli rats out her mistress Queen Elisabetta out of jealousy and envy. The opera is about power; King Phillip II (Fillipo II) has enough power to subjugate the poor Flemish, enough to get the girl, and enough to dispatch his son, but not enough to trump The Grand Inquisitor whose threats are anything but empty. It asks the question "How can love survive in an atmosphere of terror and suspicion?"

Some of our favorite scenes include the one in which Princess Eboli realizes that Don Carlo loves Elisabetta and not her.  What wrath was exhibited by Ms. Quintero! Another favorite was Filippo's aforementioned aria in which Mr. Curran succeeded in evoking our sympathy for this pathetic ruler. Ms. Quintero's "O don fatale" brought down the house.  Let us not forget the scene in which Rodrigo comes to Carlo's prison, accompanied by repetitive alternations between half-tones in the piano,  and expresses his loyalty and wish to die for his friend-- "Io morrò".  Mr. Tamura and Mr. Lickteig were incredibly effective in this duet.  Finally, Ms. Rolwing's handling of the wide jumps in "Tu che le vanità" were impressive.

The score was played on the piano by the always amazing Michael Fennelly.  Although this is one of the few remaining productions that The Met has yet to trash and one which we love, we enjoyed the piano reduction and the opportunity to hear some sensational voices.  

© meche kroop

BREITHAUPT BROTHERS AT BIRDLAND

The Palookas: Chris Sullivan, Todd Gearhart, Matthew Saldivar, Drew Humphrey, and Michael Halling. 

It's been a few years since we enjoyed Seeing Stars, a highly entertaining musical comedy which delighted us with it's tuneful score by Don Breithaupt, it's clever lyrics by Jeff Breithaupt, and it's compelling book by Shelley McPherson.  We were thrilled to have the opportunity for a reprise last night at Birdland when a few songs from the show were presented as part of the Broadway at Birdland series.

An excellent cast was on hand to perform the songs with Jeff B. on hand to clue the audience in to the underlying story. It takes place in the 1930's and concerns a love triangle in which two prizefighters are vying for the attention of a woman sports writer.

The tuneful music was played by Don Breithaupt (piano); Pete McCann (guitar); Gregory Ryan (bass); Mark McLean (drums); and Michael Leonhart (trumpet and flugelhorn). The numbers performed by "The Palookas" were wildly entertaining and funny.  There was a cute romantic duet by Todd Gearhart and Nancy Anderson-- "Just Thought You Should Know" and a moving solo by Ms. A.--"In This Corner".  

The show has been worked on since we saw it and oh, how we would love to see it again.  Perhaps some Broadway producer will read this and want to hear more?  It could also work beautifully unamplified in a small theater. It's been a very long time since we heard anything outside the area of opera that so captured our ears!

There were lots more goodies onstage from The Breithaupt Brothers latest CD entitled "PassingThrough". The opening number "Maybe He Loves Me", sung by Heather Bambrick, left quite an impression on us, both because of the catchy tune, truthful lyrics and Ms. Bambrick's spot-on performance.

Shelley McPherson sang--and acted!--"He'll Have Another", the most hilarious enactment of a bibulous bimbo that we have yet to witness.

J'Sun used his expressive tenor in "Where Are They Now". Laila Biali accompanied herself on the piano in "Wonder Boy". Catherine Russell was moving in the bluesy "Between Me and My Heart".  The talented Marissa Mulder sang the touching "Missing Me" accompanied by a droning bass line in the piano and bass, a most interesting arrangement.

Peter Eldridge sang "Any Day Now" and a there were yet further contributions from Carolyn and Jamie Leonhart and yes, they are all related.  In a final family affair, our song-writing brothers performed "Bad Influence", a comic number filled with delightful ironies.

So, if you care to extend your ears beyond opera, we heartily recommend the CD..."Just Passing Through". Trust us!  Good cabaret is a far better thing than bad opera.  It just goes to show that there are only two kinds of music:  good music and bad music.  We do so wish that contemporary opera composers could write good melodies and meaningful lyrics.  Why not?  Let us know if you agree.

(c) meche kroop

NYOE GETS LUCIA RIGHT

Adam Fieldson, John Viscardi, Sarah Beckham-Turner, Alden Gatt, Joseph Michael Brent and Antoine Hodge

Lucia di Lammermoor is a sensational opera.  Onto Salvadore Cammarano's libretto, Gaetano Donizetti lavished endlessly glorious melodies.  It is so precious to us that we doubly value a company that does it justice and would malign one that trivializes it in any way.  We are delighted to report that New York Opera Exchange has gotten it right and if you are fortunate enough to snag one of the few remaining tickets for today's matinee, you will probably send us flowers or chocolate in gratitude for the tip.

The success of the opera rests heavily on the shoulders of the eponymous tragic heroine whose mad scene is one of the finest in all operadom.  Last night, soprano Sarah Beckham-Turner tore into the demanding coloratura of the scena with wild abandon.  She was completely convincing as a fragile creature completely unhinged by the machinations and manipulations of her politically desperate brother.  Her gown spattered with blood and her hair undone, she immersed herself totally in the role. Every gesture and flight of fioritura was spot on. Who could ask for anything more! This young woman will surely go places in the opera world.

As said conniving brother, baritone John Viscardi was superb. His recent switch of fach from tenor to lyric baritone was a wise one.  His voice sat comfortably in this range, enabling him to focus on a well-rounded interpretation of the role of Enrico, far better than the nasty sneering interpretation we are accustomed to hearing.  He seemed like a fairly decent fellow who was pushed by circumstances into doing bad things.  His remorse in witnessing his sister's downfall seemed authentic and allowed the audience to have some pity for his position.

As Lucia's ill-fated lover Edgardo, tenor Joseph Michael Brent sang well and exhibited all the requisite emotions except for one; we wanted to see some tenderness toward Lucia in their initial scene together to explain why she would have defied her family to pledge her love to him.  He did much better in the scene in which he returns from France to find Lucia married to Arturo and bristled with anger. 

Bass-baritone Antoine Hodge was the voice of normality in this power-crazed family, giving substance to the role of Raimondo, the family's spiritual counselor.  Captain of the Guard Normanno was the character who set the tragedy in motion by spying on Lucia's encounters with Edgardo and then egging on the brother Enrico.  Tenor Adam Fieldson overcame the natural sweetness of his instrument and lent sneering arrogance to the part.

The role of Arturo was finely sung by tenor Vincent Festa and mezzo-soprano Chelsea Laggan did well as Alisa, Lucia's companion who warns her to stay away from Edgardo of Ravenswood, enemy of her clan, the Lammermoors.

Conductor Alden Gatt deftly led the full orchestra through their paces. There was some fine work during the mad scene by flutist Felipe Tristan, and the wind chorales which opened several scenes were powerful.  A keyboard sufficed for the harp.There were a few times when the size of the orchestra overpowered the singers, likely due to their placement on the same level as the audience.

The effective direction was by Christopher Diercksen; the pace was kept up and the story moved along briskly.  There was no set to speak of but it wasn't missed.  Taylor Mills' costuming was minimal.  Street clothes seemed to be the order of the day with motley plaid sashes on some of the cast members. We would have liked to see all the men wearing the same plaid to indicate membership in the same clan, with Edgardo wearing a different plaid.  This would have emphasized the substance of the tragedy--the destructiveness of rivalry with and hatred of "the other", a feature that still exists in many parts of the world.

We wish to counteract the claim that "opera is dying" with the observation that opera is alive and well in the hands of small companies like New York Opera Exchange which rely on talent rather than "big names".  We similarly wish to counteract the claim that "opera is for old folks" with the observation that the packed house at The Church of the Covenant on 42nd St. comprised mostly 20-somethings.

We are already anticipating NY Opera Exchange's production of Carmen in May.

(c) meche kroop

GEORGE LONDON'S LEGACY

Nora London and the 2015 George London Foundation Awards Competition Finalists

Attending competitions can be exhilarating, stimulating, and sometimes disappointing. With so much talent onstage it is easy to get very invested in your favorite performances and to count on a particular artist getting an award.  Second guessing the judges just doesn't work.  It is easy to feel upset when an artist you just love gets overlooked.

On the positive side, it is thrilling to hear so much talent within the space of a couple hours.  This year's finalists in the George London Foundation for Singers Competition, held at The Morgan Library, were of such high quality that a director would have no trouble casting an opera with these young artists in major roles.

If you need to know who won the major prizes, we refer you to the Foundation's website.  We prefer to share with you our own perceptions.  Some of the singers we enjoyed did win major prizes, some won Encouragement Grants, others did not and, in our opinion, deserved to win.  Actually, all of them were winners!

A gifted singer can get the listener to appreciate an aria that he/she might not ordinarily enjoy, or a language one does not particularly favor. For example, baritone Reginald Smith, Jr. and bass Adam Lau employed such fine English diction that we understood every word and considered their performances two of our favorites.

Mr. Smith has a compelling stage presence, a rich tone, and a unique way of melding musicality with dramatic intensity such that  "Oh Lawd Jesus, heah my prayer" from L. Gruenberg's The Emperor Jones had us leaning forward in our seat.  When that opera gets produced in New York and Mr. Smith stars in it, we will be there!

Mr. Lau gave a similarly superb performance of "Claggart's Aria" from Britten's Billy Budd, giving the role all the bitterness and envy that was called for without ever compromising the requisite musicianship.

Two terrific tenors injected some longed-for garlic into the proceedings which were strangely short of Italian. The two distinguished themselves from the other tenors by never forcing the voice when a high note was called for.  Michael Brandenburg sang Macduff's grief stricken aria "Ah, la paterna mano" from Verdi's Macbeth, skillfully using dynamics for emotional effect.  Benjamin Bliss' performance of "Un aura amorosa" from Mozart's Cosi fan Tutte was marked by enviable legato phrasing and an admirable messa di voce.

Having just heard Tchaikovsky's Iolanta at the Met, we were delighted to hear "Robert's Aria" once again, sung by the full-throated baritone Sean Michael Plumb who seemed preternaturally comfortable in Russian.  Lovely soprano Mary-Hollis Hundley performed "Iolanta's Arioso", investing Tchaikovsky's lavish melodies with depth of feeling.

German was represented by Julie Adams who employed her ample and expressive soprano in "Einsam in trüben Tagen" from Wagner's Lohengrin.  Amy Owens used her bright soprano effectively in "Durch Zärtlichkeit" from Mozart's Die Entführung aus dem Serail.  Johann Strauss' "Frühlingsstimmen Walzer" was performed by soprano Susanna Biller with great style and an ear tickling trill which roused the audience to huge applause.

Much of the remainder of the program was in French.  Massenet appeared several times and we felt well acquainted with Manon.  Soprano Lara Secord-Haid enjoyed the wild flights of coloratura in "Je suis encore toute étourdie" when the eponymous heroine was still innocent.  Andrea Carroll's well modulated performance of the "Gavotte" profited (pun intended) from her winning personality and fine fioritura.

More Massenet was on hand as soprano Nicole Haslett sang "Ah! douce enfant" from Cendrillon; her ringing tone was perfect for the role of the fairy.  Just another splendid performance! And yet more Massenet appeared as soprano Lauren Michelle sang "Il est doux, il est bon" from Hérodiade in fine French with elegance of line.

Soprano Courtney Johnson gave a most convincing performance of the "Jewel Song" from Gounod's Faust.  Ms. Johnson is only 23 years old but is gifted beyond her years, judging by her technique and commitment to the material.  We have been watching her growth as an artist for a couple years now with great expectations.

Mezzo-soprano J'nai Bridges is another artist we have been watching and her performance of "O ma lyre immortelle" from Gounod's Sapho demonstrated a fine liquid vibrato, and equal connection with the material and with the audience. We want to hear the entire opera based on this gorgeous aria.

Meyerbeer's florid vocal line in "Nobles seigneurs, salut" from Les Huguenots was no challenge to mezzo-soprano Julia Dawson who filled the role with ample personality. From Berlioz' Les Troyens, mezzo-soprano Sarah Mesko sang Dido's aria "Adieu Fière Cité" with a lovely legato line.

Notably, each singer introduced him/herself and the aria he/she would sing. There were several other performances that we enjoyed but we have already run on and on. As accompanist Linda Hall was peerless and switched styles effortlessly.  

Nora London has been tireless in sustaining the legacy of her late husband George London.  He would have been so happy to see all the generous prizes being awarded to these deserving young artists!

© meche kroop

LIEDERABEND AT JUILLIARD

Hea Youn Chung and Angela Vallone

At Juilliard's latest liederabend, with Natalia Katyukova's coaching, all 10 Juilliard artists performed exquisitely, which is not to say that we enjoyed all of them equally. It was the final set of  songs by Joseph Marx, performed by the lovely soprano Angela Vallone in collaboration with pianist Hea Youn Chung, which captured our heart. Of all the composers on the program, Marx is the one most suited to our 19th c. ears and Ms. Vallone sang the songs most expressively.

Not only do we favor the Romantic period but we prefer songs about love and nature to those about war, depression, religion and conflict. Love is something to sing about!  And Marx carried over the mood of the 19th c. right into the 20th.  We particularly enjoyed "Nocturne" with its A-B-A form and lovely writing for piano.

Benjamin Britten set Seven Sonnets of Michelangelo, also about love. These belong firmly to the 20th c. and are not nearly as melodic. They were passionately sung by the wonderful tenor Miles Mykkanen with William Kelley at the piano.  Mr. Mykkanen has been extending himself in new directions, which we applaud.  That being said, we most enjoy his particular artistry in songs of humor and irony.

Soprano Razskazoff joined forces with Valeriya Polunina to perform three selections from Olivier Messiaen's Poèmes pour Mi, written for his violinist wife in 1938.  Ms. Razskazoff has a marvelously poised stage presence and a sizable voice just begging for the opera stage. Of the three selections, only "Le collier" expressed a sentiment to which we could relate.  But Ms. R's voice was thrilling, especially in the extended melismatic passages.

Bass-baritone Tyler Zimmerman utilized his voice and body in a most expressive fashion in two songs by Alexander Zemlinsky--both expressing anti-war sentiments with irony and bitterness. Mr. Zimmerman did his own translations of both. He also sang a trio of songs by Shostakovich--of later origin and lesser melodic interest. Kathryn Felt was his fine collaborative pianist.

Tenor Alexander McKissick performed six Poulenc songs with Ava Nazar as pianist. Poulenc chose to set texts by Apollinaire who survived World War I.  The poetry is surreal and said to reflect the visual arts--i.e. Cubism.  Our personal favorite was "Mutation". Notably, Mr. McKissick did his own translations.

It was greatly appreciated that each singer introduced the set of songs to be sung and told a little about their origins.

© meche kroop

ENJOYING RAPE

Kurt Kanazawa and Avery Amereau (photo by Ken Howard)

We are filled with wonder whenever brought to the point of appreciating that which we might have disdained.  Whom do we credit for the reversal of taste?  In the case of Benjamin Britten's The Rape of Lucretia, credit must be shared by the super-talented young artists and the incredibly astute production team.

The libretto by Ronald Duncan did not sound promising; the evil Etruscan prince Tarquinius rapes the faithful wife of Collatinus, his comrade in arms. But look what director Mary Birnbaum has made out of this slender story.  She has placed the Greek chorus firmly in the 21st c., allowing them to comment on the story through the prism of Christianity and also to address the characters in this 500 BCE story. For the most part, the narrators appear to be reading from a history book.  She has mined the tale for contemporary relevance, highlighting the contrast between the creative productivity of women and the destructive power-seeking and war-mongering of men.

Jocelyn Dueck merits special mention for getting each and every artist to enunciate each and every word clearly so that not a single word was missed, thereby overcoming our dislike of operas sung in English.  The dialogue, based on Le Viol de Lucrèce, a play by André Obey, has language that rivals that of Homer with some beautiful metaphors that deserved to be heard and savored. They were.

And what a cast!  There is such strength in Juilliard's Vocal Arts Department that each role could be perfectly cast.  As the eponymous Lucretia, mezzo-soprano Avery Amereau fulfilled the demands of the role both vocally and dramatically.  She has a rich and resonant instrument that she employs skillfully and flawlessly.  Dramatically, she was totally convincing as the beautiful and innocent Lucretia who, in a fit of self-directed "slut shaming", stabbed herself after being raped.

As the rapist, the good-natured baritone Kurt Kanazawa transformed himself into an arrogant entitled brute who cannot bear the fact that his fellow comrade-in-arms Collatinus is married to the only faithful woman in Rome.  His mellow voice was given a bitter edge that was chilling. His wild ride into Rome was breathtaking.

As the aforementioned Collatinus, bass Daniel Miroslaw, whom we had not previously heard, made a fine showing--the only sympathetic male character amongst the warriors.  We look forward to hearing his booming bass in the future.

Baritone Joe Eletto portrayed Junius, another soldier, with great vitality.  He too has been cuckolded and feels resentment toward Collatinus' good fortune but would not act on it.  All the ambivalence was there in his wonderful voice and body language.

The three military men have a wonderful scene in their encampment outside Rome as they malign women and strut about emanating testosterone-fueled rage.  It was made clear how humiliation leads to rage and that rape is an act of rage, not sex.

Tenor William Goforth beautifully handled the role of narrator (Greek chorus), telling the story in a meaningful manner and with supernally clear diction. Mezzo-soprano Marguerite Jones held up the female part of the chorus with her customary skill.

As Lucretia's two women servants, mezzo-soprano Amanda Lynn Bottoms impressed as the maternal Bianca as did soprano Christine Price as Lucia.  One of our favorite scenes was that of the three women joining voices in a stunning trio while spinning wool on spindles.  Might we add that they appeared to know exactly how this task is accomplished!  Britten's music at this point was extraordinarily lovely.

The opera itself was composed by Britten as one of a group of chamber operas written in the impoverished post-World War II period when faith and funds were in equally short supply. Members of the excellent Juilliard Orchestra, under the baton of Mark Shapiro, brought the compelling score to vivid life.  We do so love the harp and Marion Ravot's playing was ravishing. The wind section was particularly well employed.

The simple but effective set by Grace Laubacher comprised a simple table and chairs for the two narrators and a large rotating platform for the historical scenes. Lighting was by Anshuman Bhatia. Costumes by Sydney Maresca were effective, particularly the soldiers' garb. Adam Cates choreographed Tarquinius ride and the rape scene most grippingly.

Who could ask for anything more?

© meche kroop