SINGERS WITH SOUL

Percy Martinez, Veronica Loiacono, Therese Panicali, Judith Fredricks, Michael Fennelly, Jodi Karem, Edgar Jaramillo, Roberto Borgatti, Chaz'men Williams-Ali

Summer has arrived and it is a good time to enjoy our favorite pastimes in less formal settings. Opera New York, founded by diva/director/teacher/coach/impressario Judith Fredricks has a program called "Opera Goes to the Cabaret" in which emerging artists, coached by Ms. Fredricks and accompanied by the amazingly versatile pianist Michael Fennelly, have a chance to show their stuff in an intimate studio environment. The audience has a chance to relax at table seating and sip wine while enjoying the delicious fruits of the hard work of these artists.

Ms. Fredricks has a knack for finding promising talent and bringing out the best in them. What they all have in common is that they sing from the heart--something which Ms. Fredricks emphasizes in her coaching. It's quite a challenge to convey the sense of an aria extracted from an opera and isolated from all staging and costuming. The fact that we felt immersed in the opera when only a small piece was performed is evidence of the success of the approach. It's kind of an artistic hologram.

Take, for example, the terrific tenor Edgar Jaramillo who embodied all the joy of "Recondita armonia" and the painful final words of Mario Cavaradossi facing death in "E lucevan le stelle" from Puccini's Tosca. In the former we could see him comparing Tosca's eyes with those in the portrait he was painting and in the latter we could see the stars and inhale the fragrance of the night.  Now THAT"S acting. Add to that his warm rich voice and stress-free technique and there is a performance to remember. 

Furthermore, he "plays well with others" as witnessed by the stellar duet "O soave fanciulla" from Puccini's La Boheme that he sang with soprano Veronica Loiacono. This stunning soprano made a fine Mimi and also excelled in her solo "Song to the Moon" from Dvorak's Russalka. She was riveting in "Regnava nel silencio" from Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor, showing evidence of Lucia's instability. Her wild vocal flights in the cabaletta had us on the edge of our chair. This is a voice just made for bel canto.

Ms. Loiacono also performed the "Barcarolle" from Offenbach's Les Contes d'Hoffman with mezzo-soprano Jodi Karem and the two voices balanced perfectly. Ms. Karem appeared later as Delilah in the Saint-Saëns opera Samson et Delilah. Her rich voice was filled with the requisite seductiveness in "Mon coeur s'ouvre à ta voix". In "O don fatale" from Verdi's Don Carlo she successfully conveyed Princess Eboli's remorse.

We had the delightful opportunity to hear a very large voice that sounds great right now but also has room to expand further. Soprano Therese Panicali filled the room with sound in Turandot's aria "In questa reggia" from Puccini's Turandot, and again in "Dich teure Halle" from Wagner's Tannhaüser.

Baritone Roberto Borgatti performed the role of Rodrigo in "Per me giunto" from Verdi's Don Carlo and then dug into the role of Iago in Verdi's Otello; he expressed all of Iago's bitterness in "Credo" and then used his wonderful instrument to insinuate suspicions against Desdemona with Othello portrayed by tenor Percy Martinez in "Si, pel ciel".

Mr. Martinez had some excellent solos as well; he was very intense in "Vesti la giubba" from Leoncavallo's Pagliacci showing enough depth of feeling that we could almost forgive Canio for murdering Nedda. He also brought the program to a close with a larger-than-life "Nessun Dorma" from Puccini's Turandot.

There was yet another fine singer on the program--Chaz'men Williams-Ali whose finely textured tenor was just right for "Che gelida manina" from Puccini's La Boheme. We heard a lovely diminuendo and no strain on the high notes, nor did we hear any as he went from sweetness to arrogance in his excellent "La Donna è mobile" from Verdi's Rigoletto.

It is rare to hear a mixed program such as this one in which every singer was excellent. We are sure to be hearing much more of each of them. As if this bounty were insufficient we also heard the astonishing Michael Fennelly perform the virtuoso work "The Nun's Dance" from Meyerbeer's Robert le Diable. It was a frenzy of showmanship.

Ms. Fredricks closed the evening by sharing with the audience her interest in getting cabaret style opera into the schools and communities of the Boroughs of NYC. She has started a crowdfunding event at www.GoFundMe.com/OperaNewYork and we are passing the information along to YOU dear reader who may wish to make a small (or large) donation to make a difference in the cultural life of our town and to help educate young audiences to guarantee the future of opera.  Let's do it!

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GELSEY KIRKLAND BALLET

Anastasia Barsukova and Johnny Almeida  Photo credit: Camilo Gomez 

Our taste in classical story ballet favors the profound and the tragic--Swan Lake, Giselle, and Romeo and Juliet for example. But we can also enjoy the lighthearted ballets of which Don Quixote is a prime example.  We so greatly enjoyed Gelsey Kirkland Ballet's Nutcracker some months ago (review archived) that we wouldn't have missed this production for the world.

Along with co-Artistic Director Michael Chernov, the renowned ballerina who dazzled us at American Ballet Theater many years ago has given us a new gift. The pair have a terrific sense of stagecraft and the ability to balance storytelling with the artistry of the dance. Adding greatly to the pleasure is the size and shape of the Schimmel Center at Pace University. The stage is wide and every seat has perfect sightlines allowing all members of the audience to experience an intimacy unknown at the Metropolitan Opera House or the New York State Theater.

Don Quixote was originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Alexander Gorsky with colorful music by Ludwig Minkus. The small price one must pay for all these goodies is the lack of a live orchestra. The set by Court Watson is simple but effective with a painted backdrop featuring red-tiled roofs.  The costume design by Mr. Chernov (who also directed) is sumptuous and colorful.

But it is the dancing for which one goes to the ballet and we were highly impressed by Anastasia Barsukova who danced the role of Kitri. She is petite but has gorgeous extensions and lovely phrasing. Her effective partner was Johnny Almeida whose slight stature gives no clue as to his prodigious partnering skills.

The dancing grew in intensity over the course of the evening and by the time we got to Act III (Kitri's Wedding) we just knew we would be treated to a splendid pas de deux with its goose bump inducing swan dives. The variations finally revealed Mr. Almeida's superb technique to its fullest extent. One could feel the electricity running through the audience during the dazzling coda. We always thrill to the tour jetés.

Sabina Alvarez made a fine street dancer with Guilherme Junio as Espada, arriving with his team of Toreros. In Act II we admired the gypsy solo of Katrina Crawford.

There was a very clever puppet show with tiny people enacting the puppets.

In the Enchanted Forest Scene, a ballerina even tinier than Ms. Barsukova, Kyono-Chantal Morin was winning as Amour. The entire company performed well with evidence of strength in the corps de ballet. Also in evidence was some rather intensive rehearsal since ensembles were consistently together. One happy observation was that all of the male dancers landed softly. 

Space will not permit mentioning all the dancers but we would like to acknowledge the marvelous mime skills of Alexander Mays as the titular character--foolish but lovable. His sidekick Sancho Panza was Satoki Habuchi. Samuel Humphreys made a fine Lorenzo (Kitri's controlling father) with Erez Ben-Zion Milatin portraying the silly fop Gamache whom he has chosen as Kitri's husband.

We can barely wait to see what Gelsey Kirkland Ballet comes up with next. It is sure to be dramatically compelling and artistically performed. But, you don't have to wait to enjoy this excellent company because Don Quixote is playing through Saturday night.  Don't miss it!

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A Little Night Music at Manhattan School of Music (photo by Brian Hatton)

There was much to enjoy last night in Manhattan School of Music's American Musical Theater Ensemble's production of Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music. Although it premiered in 1973 it has aged well with a plethora of melodic arias underscored by beautiful music, orchestrated by Jonathon Tunick. Music director Shane Schag was at the piano and there were some lovely contributions by Caroline Cox on violin, Duane Fields on cello, Connor Schultze on bass and particularly by Melanie Genin on harp and Brian Krock whose lovely clarinet intro to "Send in the Clowns" was a highlight of the evening.

The story (book by Hugh Wheeler) was suggested by the Ingmar Bergman film and takes place in the early 20th c. in Sweden at the time of year when the sun doesn't set. Six mismatched people get their love lives sorted out under the observing eye of grande dame Madame Armfeldt who has a lifetime of experience, and her precocious granddaughter Fredrika. 

The former was portrayed by veteran star of opera and theater Catherine Malfitano who was made up to look elderly. Her voice is undeniably better than Hermione Gingold and she put her own take on the role. Her song "Liaisons" was a show-stopper.

She had a lovely bond with granddaughter Fredrika, portrayed by petite Julia Suriano who was able to express all the ambivalence of the child of a too-busy mother of whom she is quite proud but by whom she feels somewhat neglected.

The middle generation of the Armfeldt family is the actress Desirée who would like to renew her old relationship with Fredrik Egerman, a lawyer now married to his childlike virgin bride Anne. Desirée was portrayed by mezzo-soprano Agness Nyama, whose song "Send in the Clowns" was far better sung than it was by Glynis Johns. She has a fine mezzo instrument and sang with great feeling.  Unfortunately, her acting was not up to par with her singing.  There was no chemistry with anyone else in the cast and it was difficult to believe that she belonged in that family or circle of frenemies.

As Fredrik, baritone Clayton Brown was quite believable and sang well. His Act II duet with Count Carl-Magnus Malcolm was splendid. Nickolas Miller was quite good as the arrogant Count, especially as he terrorized his poor wife Charlotte, excellently sung and believably acted by Addie Hamilton. Ms. Hamilton's conspiring with young Anne was quite fine and Samantha Williams made a fine shallow Anne with her bright clear soprano and ditzy body language.

Fredrik's son Henrik was performed by Luke Sikora who did an excellent job portraying a young man in love with his step-mother and burying his feelings in theology. As immoral as the story is, we couldn't help cheering when the two of them ran away together leaving Fredrik free to get back together with Desirée.

We loved the other show-stopping song performed by Viktoria Falcone as the servant Petra--"The Miller's Son".  Her pizazz is something to see and to watch develop.

Further, we loved the chorus.  All were fine: Evan Henke, Stephanie Christian, Sara Ptachik and Hannah Dishman with Christopher S. Lilley a standout for his impressive tenor. All were choreographed by Colleen Durham in a colorful waltz.

The gorgeous period-appropriate costuming was credited to Summer Lee Jack. The simple but effective set and its lighting were credited to Shawn Kaufman.

The Direction by Carolyn Marlow fell short of her customary good work. The main flaws in the production had to do with the overall tone of the piece. Accents were all over the map and some performers had lazy diction, causing us to miss the wonderful sung dialogue. Characters occasionally seemed to belong to  different productions, different countries and different epochs. We longed for more unity of tone.

We were also troubled by the obvious amplification which lent an unnatural sound.  In a rather small auditorium with trained voices, perhaps that could have been eliminated. 

Nonetheless, it was a gift to be able to see and hear this show again, in spite of some minor shortcomings. This is the first time we have seen and heard shortcomings of any kind at an MSM production. We realize it is a student production but we generally don't have to make such allowances.

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THE MASTERY of XIAOMENG ZHANG

David Stech and Xiaomeng Zhang

We hear a lot of baritones and most of them are quite listenable. But the current crop of graduates has been remarkable. (See May 4th review of Xiaoming Tian). Last night Xiomeng Zhang presented his graduation recital as he is about to be granted a Masters Degree from Manhattan School of Music. His recital gave evidence of a great deal of work and yet he appeared completely relaxed onstage and made every song appear easy. 

In our opinion, his voice is perfect for the bel canto repertoire. His Italian flows like olive oil from one phrase to the next with perfect legato. The timbre of his voice is warm and exceedingly pleasant with just the right vibrato. His interpretations are particularly expressive.

Although he is perhaps too young in appearance for the part, his voice was perfect in "Bella siccome un angelo" from Donizetti's Don Pasquale. The crafty Doctor Malatesta is trying to pass off Ernesto's beloved Norina as his convent-educated sister Sofronia.  Mr. Zhang got it just right.

No less wonderful were the other well known selections by Gluck and Bellini. Perhaps our favorite was Verdi's "Non t'accostare all'urna" which is filled with bitterness and therefore gives an opportunity for intensity of performance.

Mr. Zhang's facility in Italian was equalled by his facility in French. We were sure we never wanted to hear Ravel's Don Quichotte à Dulcinée again, having heard it on every single baritone program the past few months. Nonetheless, Mr. Zhang made it his own with lovely Gallic phrasing and good dynamic control. The variety from the dreamy "Chanson romanesque" to the passionately reverent "Chanson épique" to the bubulously expansive "Chanson à boire" held our interest.

With crisply enunciated German, Mr. Zhang performed the first seven songs of Schumann's Dichterliebe op.48. Heinrich Heine's incomparable poetry inspired Schumann to some glorious writing for piano and voice and Mr. Zhang interpreted it well. The cycle begins with the promise of love but by the end he is "singing a different tune" so to speak--one of disappointment and bitterness.

There was more to come in the program, songs in English and songs in Mandarin, which we wish we had understood. Even the best English diction is never as clear as Italian or German but Mr. Zhang's was as good as anyone else's. For the final song in Mandarin, he was joined by soprano Amy Frances Kuckelman. At times the voices were in unison, at other times they harmonized beautifully, and at other times the vocal lines were completely different but woven together.

Wolfram's aria "Oh, du mein holde Abendstern" from Wagner's Tannhäuser was the perfect encore, showing yet another aspect of Mr. Zhang's talent. Could anything be more welcome when one is about to step out into the night?

After hearing the artist sing so well in five languages we confess to being impressed. His collaborative pianist David Štech is also his coach and surely deserves some credit.

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BEST. CARMEN. EVER.

Avery Amereau and Victor Starsky

We realize that calling New York Opera Exchange's Carmen the best Carmen ever is quite an extravagant statement. But this is the first time we have been totally absorbed in a production from the opening note of the overture until Carmen dies in the arms of her lover and murderer Don José. We have seen and heard this opera dozens of time and are usually quite restless by Act IV and have been known to mutter sotto voce "Kill her already!"

Let us first give credit where credit is due. To begin with, the role of the eponymous heroine was brilliantly sung and acted. Mezzo-soprano Avery Amereau has a thrillingly dark instrument and employs it so effectively that one is never aware of the technique, only aware that she is completely in the moment and giving 110%. After the first couple minutes we forgot that her fine-featured face looks nothing like that of a gypsy. The way she used her body embodied the free-spirited and rebellious nature of the character in a way never before seen by us. It surely came from a deep inner place and was not, as with most Carmens, a case of "acting sexy".

Secondly, we credit the director Matt Dickson who, surprisingly, is new to the world of opera. He apparently applied everything he knew from the world of theater without interfering with the singers' ability to function vocally. There were countless examples of stage business that supported the interactions of the characters and also served to establish the cultural milieu in which the characters were interacting.

This was an authentic Carmen, true to time and place. (We loathed the Carmen set in the 1950's and had no use for the one set in Franco's Spain.) In this corner of Seville, in this particular production, there was tension between the townspeople and the military; they tolerated one another but there was the feeling that a simple confrontation could erupt at any moment into a conflagration. This atmosphere of tension reflected and contributed to the tension between the characters.

Thirdly, we credit the superlative conducting of Alden Gatt. The full-sized orchestra was placed in front of the audience and during the prelude we had a moment's concern about the volume but Maestro Gatt wisely balanced the sound so that it supported the singers and never drowned them out. The flute and oboe solos were particularly lovely.

Tenor Victor Starsky made a fine Don José who grew in dimension as the story progressed. He began as a rather buttoned-up fellow with his future already determined. As Carmen wove her spell upon him he became expressive, conflicted, passionate, and insanely jealous. By Act IV, he had completely decompensated--wild-eyed, wild-haired and desperate. His Act II aria "La fleur que tu m'avais jetée" was stellar.

The role of Micaëla, the sweet innocent girl whom Don José is supposed to marry, was winningly performed by soprano Kaley Lynn Soderquist whose bright lovely instrument was perfect for the role. Her Act III aria "Je dis que rien ne m'épouvante" was a convincing blend of terror, courage and faith.

Bass-baritone Kian Freitas sang the role of Escamillo and sang it well but could have used more arrogance in his voice and in his body language. We had the same observation of one of the last Escamillos we saw at the Met. We want to see a torero who struts around with shoulders back and head held high, signalling confidence.

As Carmen's two friends Frasquita and Mercedes, we were very pleased with the performances of NYOE favorite Nadia Petrella who has a fine bright soprano just right for the part of Frasquita and mezzo Kate Farrar who made an excellent Mercedes. For some reason, Costume Designer Taylor Mills, who did a splendid job on all the other costumes, dressed these two singers in hideous short satin skirts and street shoes, even as they trekked up the mountains. Give those girls some boots!

We further enjoyed tenor James Grandjean as Le Remendado and baritone Andrew Luzania as Le Dancairo. The Act II ensemble when these smugglers are making their plans with the women "Nous avons en tête une affaire" was excellently harmonized.

Bass Costas Tsourakis made a suitably repellent Zuniga with a nice booming sound and baritone Jonathan Christopher was fine as Morales.

The chorus of townspeople contributed to the proceedings and managed to distinguish themselves as individuals, thanks to the good stage direction. The children's chorus had only one young man and it was a bit strange to see a group of female children imitating soldiers.

The set by Gabriel Firestone was simple but effective and was lit by Kimberlee Hurley.

Georges Bizet composed Carmen in 1875 with a libretto by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy for the Opéra Comique in Paris. It had spoken dialogue and was presented as music theater. It was considered scandalous because of the sexuality and violence. It later came to be considered grand opera with the addition of accompanied recitativi by Ernest Guiraud. It has been a favorite in the canon ever since.

It was brave of NYOE to tackle such a work but we were thrilled with the intimacy and never missed the parade of picadors in Act IV or the mountains in Act III. With acting and singing this good, the imagination supplies the rest.  We have watched NYOE grow over the past few years; the quality keeps improving. We have seen the future of opera in New York City and it's looking great.

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THE ONLY GIRL

Kyle Erdos-Knapp and Antoni Mendezona

Ian McEuen, Adam Cannedy, and Cameron Smith

Sarah Best, Natalie Ballenger and Sarah Mossman

 Light Opera of New York is presenting Victor Herbert's The Only Girl at the Thalia Theater of Symphony Space this weekend.  The size and enthusiasm of the audience last night testifies to the viability of LOONY's mission.

Victor Herbert was a seminal figure in the world of music in the 20th c. He not only composed but also conducted, wrote lyrics and played the cello.  Moreover, he founded ASCAP with John Philip Sousa.  He deserves to be remembered!

The Only Girl debuted on Broadway in 1914 when Europe was at war. Escapist musical comedies were all the rage. Director Michael Phillips has adapted the work, whose original book and lyrics were by Henry Blossom, based on a Frank Mandel play Our Wives.

Possibly because costumes from 100 years ago might be too costly to construct or rent, or because the goal was to make the show more relevant, the period has been updated to the 1950's. Costume Designer Bettina Bierly has given the work a spiffy look and the set (no credit in program) looks the way one would expect a lyricist's New York apartment to look.

The plot reminds one of a showbiz comedy of days of yore. A lyricist cannot find a composer with whom to work on his next show. He hears wonderful music coming from next door and learns that it was composed by a woman. The two are wary of one another; he has contempt for women and she is feisty-- and in no way willing to be subservient. Eventually they come to appreciate each other after a showdown.

Tenor Kyle Erdos-Knapp made a fine Kim, the lyricist, especially when he sat at the piano and sang a song interpolated from Herbert's 1905 musical Miss Dolly Dollars, in which he compares women to cigars. As Ruth, the composer next door, Antoni Mendezona used her fine soprano in a winning way, making us cheer for her taming of Kim.

Auxiliary characters included Kim's friends and associates--the agent Martin who seems not to get the jokes, portrayed by tenor Ian McEuen; the philandering producer Blake, portrayed by baritone Adam Cannedy; and scenic designer Andrew, portrayed by tenor Cameron Smith. Their trio "When You're Wearing the Ball and Chain" was amusing.

On the female side we had the very funny loud-mouth Patsy (soprano Natalie Ballenger), the sardonic chorine Jane (mezzo Sarah Best) and aspiring actress Renée (soprano Sarah Mossman). The three women delighted us with "Why Should We Stay at Home and Sew". All the voices were good and the roles well-cast. Happily, they were unamplified.

Gerald Steichen conducted from the keyboard and the chamber orchestra comprised a string quartet, augmented by bass, percussion, flute, clarinet, oboe and French horn. They handled the spritely tunes with panache.

LOONY fortunately records their productions, with a little help from their friends.  So, if you can't snag a ticket for today's two performances (2:00 and 7:30) you may be able to get a CD in the future.

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SAVA VEMIĆ

Ekaterina Deleu and Sava Vemić

Although we only got to hear part of the Lindemann recital yesterday due to a prior commitment, what we did hear was sufficient to reinforce our admiration for bass Sava Vemić. We love the deep booming resonance that filled the Bruno Walter Auditorium and the confident compelling stage presence. We loved the expansiveness and expressiveness.

We wondered if Mr. Vemić had attended Gerald Finley's class the day before because we heard evidence of the very skills that were taught--the relaxation, the immaculate German, the plumbing of the depth of feeling in the text.

Schubert's Die Winterreise is one of our favorite song cycles and, the way we perceive it, offers a major challenge to the singer to paint "fifty shades of grey". The songs are unremittingly morose so only the most subtle word coloring is needed. In this, Mr. Vemić excelled, although only four selections were on the program.

We felt the chill of winter in "Gefrorne Tränen", "Wasserflut", and "Auf dem Flusse".  In "Die Krähe" Mr. Vemić convinced us that a crow was tracking his movements. There was solid strength throughout the entire register. Significant contributions came from collaborative pianist Ekaterina Deleu. 

We have heard this cycle sung by tenors and baritones but it was a completely new experience hearing it sung by a bass. We hope that someday Mr. Vemić will tackle the entire cycle.  It will be a very emotional experience!

We also enjoyed his performance of Mozart's concert aria "Per Questa Bella Mano" which somehow reminded us musically of "Deh vieni alla finestra" from Mozart's Don Giovanni.  However, this aria is sincere! His Italian was as good as his German and he invested each line with a different color. The variety made it particularly interesting to hear. There was a lot of expressiveness and he maintained tone even during the pianissimi.

We hated to miss the Russian but we are sure to hear more of this superb bass in the future since it is only his first year with the Lindemann program.

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