AMORE OPERA CELEBRATES

NEW YEAR'S EVE PARTY (Act II) of DIE FLEDERMAUS

Holiday time generally offers two types of music--the religious and the secular.  The religious music is generally serious, like Handel's Messiah. the secular music is particularly frivolous, like "Jingle Bells" (of which we hope to hear no more). But if one is really fortunate, one gets to celebrate the holiday with a big dose of fun--thanks to Amore Opera's effervescent production of Johann Strauss II's  Die Fledermaus, which premiered in 1874 at the Theater an der Wien.

The libretto, by Karl Haffner and Richard Genee, was based on a French vaudeville play by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halevy--a very funny story about one Gabriel Eisenstein who becomes the butt of an elaborate prank instigated by his friend Falke whom he had embarrassed some time earlier with a far simpler prank that would not have satisfied for an evening's entertainment.

In Act I, we are introduced to the characters. Frau Eisenstein, a loving wife, is pestered by pleas from her saucy maid Adele who has received a letter, ostensibly from her sister, inviting her to a fabulous New Year's ball. Two splendid sopranos sang these roles to perfection with effective acting, involving us in their stories from the very beginning. Iris Karlin was totally believable as the much put-upon woman of the house who has heard every excuse in the book from Adele.

Adele was given a perfect portrayal by Haley Marie Vick--a properly over-the-top performance as she cajoled and wheedled and complained of a sick aunt. What persuades Frau Eisenstein to give her the night off?  Well, Alfredo, an Italian tenor from her past, broadly interpreted by Riad Ymeri, comes to pay court. He is in fine voice and tosses off the first few lines of every famous tenor aria. Not only does Mr. Ymeri have a fine ringing tenor, but delightful comedic skills. The loyal wife runs him off.

Herr Eisenstein (mellow baritone Matthew Ciufitelli) receives an invitation to the same ball from his friend Falke; although he is due at the local jail to serve a brief sentence,  he is lured to postpone serving the sentence by the promise of meeting beautiful women at the ball. He is told to assume a faux French identity. 

Alfredo returns and Frau E.'s resistance weakens. When the prison warden Frank (the fine baritone Jay Gould) shows up to cart Herr E. off to jail, he mistakes Alfredo for the prospective prisoner. To spare her reputation he goes along, but not without pressing his advantage and securing several farewell kisses!

Falke lets Frau E. know that her husband will be at the ball and tells her to come and observe, to wear a mask and pretend to be a Hungarian Countess. Company President and Director Nathan Hull made a fine Falke.

Act II is a show-stopper. Prince Orlofsky, a bored Russian aristocrat, has agreed to host the ball to watch the "entertainment" --watching Herr E. posing as a Marquis running into his chambermaid wearing his wife's gown and posing as an actress! Their confrontation gives Ms. Vick an opportunity to deliver the sparkling aria "My dear Marquis".  Even more entertaining is watching Herr E. courting his own wife who is masquerading as a Hungarian Countess.  This gives Ms. Karlin an opportunity to deliver a stunning czardas. She is equally believable in both roles.

And mezzo-soprano Hayden DeWitt, who specializes in trouser roles, gets a chance to deliver the famous "Chac'un a son gout" with great style.  As if this were not sufficiently entertaining, soprano Michelle Pretto was a guest artist who sang "Meine Lippen Sie kussen so heiss" and sang it wonderfully well. (The aria comes from Franz Lehar's Giuditta which wasn't premiered until 1934, but is so beautiful that we may overlook that anachronism.)

What we could not overlook was an interpolated "ballet" that was so badly choreographed and performed that we will decline to mention the guilty parties. It was supposed to be Russian ballet and was neither Russian nor ballet. They have spoiled "The Blue Danube" for us! 

Adele's sister Sally was performed by Sarah Daniels. It was quite a moment when Sally is shocked to see Adele, who learns that Sally did not invite her to Prince Orlofsky's ball.

Eisenstein's blundering lawyer Dr. Blind was portrayed by Jeffrey Kurnit.

Confusion and mistaken identities are all resolved in Act III and everything ends happily. In a non-singing role we had the beloved David Seatter enacting the bibulous jailer Frosch who rivals Frank in his intoxication. There were jokes aplenty and some of them topical. We will not spoil them for you because we hope you will experience this effervescent production for yourselves. It is playing at the Theatre at St. Jean's through January 1st with a special evening on New Year's Eve in which you may hear the same excellent cast that we heard.

The orchestra was conducted by Maestro Douglas Martin. The gorgeous period costumes were designed by Ghislaine Sabiti. The simple sets by Richard Cerullo served the production well and were lit by Lauren Bremen.  

Most impressive was Mr. Hull's direction. Every bit of stage business was motivated and made dramatic sense. Nothing interfered with the sense of fun.

We personally would have preferred to have heard the work in German. The translation was quite good and there were sufficient rhymes to satisfy the ear.  BUT, it is funnier in German and the German language is easier to comprehend. The quality of the articulation was variable and we missed a lot of the funnier lines which lay in the upper register. The chorus sounded even muddier.

Let it be known that the very busy Amore Opera is also presenting Hansel and Gretel in English for a few more matinee performances. It is worth knowing that the Theatre at St. Jean's has superb sight lines and your children will not be crawling onto your laps.

(c) meche kroop

COMFORT YE

Raul Melo, Markos Simopoulos, Steven Gaertner, Marsha Thompson, Anias Mejias, Christina Parnell, Nicholas Brownlee, Jennifer Feinstein, Caroline Worra, Philip Cokorinos, Kirsten Chambers, Pretty Yendy, MaryAnn Stewart, and Lauren Flanigan

It has been 22 years since superstar soprano Lauren Flanigan began hosting Comfort Ye, a Christmas recital to raise money for The West Side Campaign Against Hunger. There is always a roster of famous artists on the program and, recently, some of the young artists who have participated in her Music and Mentoring House. The recital was held at The Church of St. Paul and St. Andrew. Music Director was the esteemed Kamal Khan.

This year's lineup could not have been more exciting.  For three hours, the audience was held in thrall by an incredibly varied program and all different types of voices, everyone putting out their very best, as one tends to do for friends. And who is better at making and keeping friends than the warm and generous Ms. Flanigan.

To say that her performance of Lady Macbeth's aria "Vieni, t'affretta" was riveting would be an understatement. Ms. Flanigan's prodigious vocal gifts are matched by a deep understanding of Verdi's anti-heroine who uses every skill and emotional nuance to drive her husband to murder. We cannot stop thinking about this deeply felt and realized performance.

In a sea of superb performances, two stood out as being perfect--a word we rarely use. Two sopranos at the absolute top of their game, possessing every necessary attribute, delivered unforgettable performances,. Nadine Sierra sang "Regnava nel silencio" from Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor. She is a master at bel canto and gave us chills. Our benchmark for a top performance is reached when we feel along with the singer and can see what she sees. Ms. Sierra made us see the ghost!

Just as wonderful was soprano Pretty Yende who performed "Una voce poco fa" from Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia, which we normally prefer when sung by a mezzo. A mark of her success was that it sounded as if Rossini wrote it just for her. The extensive embellishments were created by her with pianist Kamal Khan, who played so magnificently for all the singers. Ms. Yendy lives up to her first name but her good looks are enhanced by her smile which lights up her face and added to her characterization of Rosina.  This Rosina is more playful than spunky and the embellishments she devised with Mr. Khan were wildly playful.

Two promising young artists from Music and Mentoring House made a fine impression. Soprano Christina Parnell sang "Porgi amor" from Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro and baritone Markos Simopoulos sang "Avant de quitter ces lieux" from Gounod's Faust, in fine French. The voices were healthy and suggested a fine potential.  What needs to be layered onto that is the ability to create a character with vocal color and the use of the body.

Several other performances impressed us. Bass Nicholas Brownlee performed "Ves' tabor spit" from Rachmaninoff's one act opera Aleko. His vocal colors were so varied that we understood what he was singing about without understanding the Russian!  Now that's impressive.

Another thing that impresses us is a singer who can be understood in English, which is our least favorite language for the voice.  Tenor Aaron Blake sounded terrific in the program opener "Comfort Ye" from Handel's Messiah. He has a nice ping-y quality to his voice and admirable technique for the fioritura. Soprano Caroline Worra similarly made every word count in "Ain't It a Pretty Night" from Carlisle Floyd's Susannah, which we liked far more than we usually do,

Baritone Larry Woodard accompanied himself on the piano for Maury Yeston's "I Don't Want to Rock and Roll".  We got every word!  Not so the case when he accompanied Carol Skarimbas who sang the very funny Cole Porter song "Operatic Pills".  The text is so clever and we really wanted to hear every word!

We wished we could hear the entire opera when soprano Anias Mejias sang "Merce dilette amiche" from I vespri siciliani by Verdi.  We loved the bouncy bolero rhythm and her facility with the fioritura.

Soprano Marsha Thompson gave a dramatic performance of "Tacea la notte placida" from Verdi's Il Trovatore; she was especially fine in the cabaletta with some arresting embellishments.

Also from Verdi we enjoyed soprano MaryAnn Stewart's performance of "Pace, pace mio dio." We were just thinking how much we love that opera and wondering why no one does it, when Keith Chambers, of New Amsterdam Opera, gave us some advance notice of his concert version of the opera coming up March 24th.  We can scarcely wait!

Soprano Kirsten Chambers, so well remembered from her Fidelio with the same New Amsterdam Opera, treated us to the "Liebestod" from Wagner's Tristan und Isolde. 

Verismo was not shortchanged. Stephen Gaertner is a true Verdi baritone and performed "Zaza, piccolo zingara" from Leoncavallo's Zaza. Tenor Raul Melo has never sounded better than he did in his performance of "Vesti la giubba" from Pagliacci by the same composer. Every line was milked for emotional intensity and we loved it.

We are not sure which fach Mascagni intended for Santuzza in Cavalleria Rusticana but "Voi lo sapete" sounded great from mezzo-soprano Jennifer Feinstein and every phrase seemed dramatically motivated.

As is customary, we heard several selections from the Ebony Ecumenical Ensemble, directed by Bettye Forbes. Beside "This Little Light of Mine" and "Go Tell It On the Mountain", we enjoyed an African piece we'd never heard.

Before closing with "O Holy Night", sung by the entire company, Ms. Flanigan treated us to a Leonard Bernstein song "A Julia de Burgos" about the bipolar poet laureate of Puerto Rico who died homeless--taking us right back to the raison d'etre of the evening.

It was a win-win evening. Singers got to show their stuff, the audience got some ravishing entertainment, and the homeless will get coats, blankets, and groceries donated by the audience.  Is everybody happy?  We think so!

(c) meche kroop

BENDING TOWARD THE LIGHT

A Jazz Nativity presented by Chelsea Opera

We are very close to the Winter Solstice; darkness comes early.  So...what do we need?  We need light!  When do we need it? We need it now!  And last night, at Christ and Saint Stephen's Church, Chelsea Opera gave it to us. This annual event is growing too large for the venue. Extra chairs were squeezed in to allow everyone to share in the light. The title of the program "Bending Toward the Light...a Jazz Nativity" is particularly appropriate.

There was something for everyone, including a tap-dancing Balthazar (or was it Melchior or Caspar?). There was a prologue and an epilogue read by Charles Osgood. There were readings from The Gospels. There was a scene of the nativity with Mary (Amy London) and Joseph (Pete McGuiness). There was a powerful Archangel (Brenda Feliciano) and a couple Guardian Angels (Dylan Pramuk and Anne Phillips herself, who also composed, arranged, and conducted the piece). Producers were Ms. Phillips and Leonarda Priore of Chelsea Opera.

Direction was by Beth Ann Kennedy, who kept thing moving along swiftly. Choreography was by Sasha Spielvogel; lighting was by Alexander Bartenieff, and the colorful costuming was by Susan Falon. The evening honored Ms. Phillips' late husband, tenor saxophonist Bob Kindred who passed on this year.

Kindred Spirits (wonderful name!) was created by Mr. Kindred and Ms. Phillips to provide musical education to children (wonderful goal!).  What a legacy! Among its projects is the Children's Jazz Choirs in which inner-city children learn American songs and give concert performances accompanied by New York's finest jazz musicians.

Speaking of whom, we heard a generous sample in the persons of pianist Adam Asarnow, trumpeteer Charlie Caranicas, trombonist Art Baron, and saxophonists Scott Robinson and Jon Gordon. Percussion was provided by Tim Horner on drums and Candido on conga drums. There was a splendid bass solo by Dean Johnson.

The Three Kings bore artistic gifts; they were portrayed by Paquito D'Rivera who played the clarinet like nobody's business and Ingrid Jensen who did the same on the trumpet, and the tap dancing Maurice Chestnut who was joined at one point by Max Pollak.

A lovely "Silent Night" was arranged by Ms. Phillips and performed by Mr. Robinson. Shepherds David Gordon and Jesse Malgieri sang the original "One Star" by Ms. Phillips, who also arranged "Angels We Have Heard On High" for the company. 

We particularly enjoyed young Emily Gu Siegel who sang  "Bending Towards the Light"; Mr. Kindred wrote the music and Ms. Phillips provided the lyrics, along with Henry Timm.

An original scat chorus by Roy Kral for "What Child Is This?" earned our aural attention with its interesting harmonies and nonsense syllables which somehow came across as a whole new language.  Another highlight was a piano solo by Mr. Asarnow that was composed by Dave and Iola Brubeck for his "Fiesta de la Posada"--it was filled with spirit and rhythm. It is interesting to note that Mr. Brubeck was involved in the birth of this project 30 years ago.  Since that time, the work has been performed around the United States, several venues around New York City including Birdland, and was performed in Spanish at B.B. King's.

What more could one ask than a spiritual celebration cum jazz jam session, giving all the attendees a bit of light in these dark days. Trenta anni piu!"

(c) meche kroop

WAR AND PEACE BY JOYCE

Joyce DiDonato with Il Pomo d'Oro   (photo by Chris Lee)

We like concert programs with a theme and we liked the theme chosen by mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato for her recital at Carnegie Hall. The first half of the program was dedicated to War with the second half dedicated to Peace. Ms. DiDonato is not just an artist of consummate musicality, and not just a glamorous superstar, but also a special person with humanitarian values. Her concept for the evening, of which she was Executive Producer, was the achievement of harmony through music. She herself wrote a moving essay for the program book.

The program, directed by Ralf Pleger, (who directed Ms. DiDonato in the documentary film The Florence Foster Jenkins Story) was designed to take us on a journey from darkness to light, from chaos to order, from anger to joy. If our joyful and peaceful mood at the end of the concert was any indication,  she achieved her goal. We hope others felt the same but our companion shared our view that she was "preaching to the converted". We can think of several people who needed this journey and weren't there!   Nevertheless, it made for a compelling evening.

Accompanying Ms. DiDonato was a group of musicians whose artistry matched her own. This was our first time hearing Il Pomo d"Oro and we hope it won't be our last. The group was led by conductor and harpsichordist Maxim Emelyanychev; he is young but confident and effective. Comprising the group were a string section, joined by a trio of flutists, an oboe, a bassoon, an archlute, and a viola da gamba. Anna Fusek, a violinist, played a sopranino recorder with such outstanding skill that she took our breath away.

The occasion for this unforgettable solo happened to be our favorite piece on the program--"Angelletti che cantata" from Handel's Rinaldo--the scene in which Almirena sings of her love for the eponymous hero. The virtuoso playing of the recorder sounded to us like a chorus of nightingales.

Another aria from Rinaldo--"Lascio ch'io pianga"--expressed another aspect of Almirena's character, her sadness in captivity. Ms. DiDonato colored her voice so differently that we wished we might have heard the two arias backo-to-back but they were in different sections.  She sang this melancholy melody to great effect.

One might think that we favor the works with which we are familiar, but we also greatly enjoyed two works we'd never heard; it was Ms. DiDonato's scholarship that unearthed two forgotten 18th c. operas by two Neapolitan composers. Leonardo Leo wrote L"Andromaca in 1742, based on the tragedy by Racine about Hector's widow, slain in the Trojan War by Achilles.  "Prendi quel ferro, o barbaro" had a fast angry section followed by a lyrical sad section and Ms. DiDonato made excellent use of variations in color and dynamics.

Leo's student Niccolo Jommelli wrote Attilio Regolo in 1753, a setting of a text by Metastasio. We heard Ms. DiDonato's expression of pure joy in Attilia's aria in which she welcomes her father--"Par che di giubilo"--and welcomes him with incredibly expressive fioritura, at which this singer is a master.

There were a couple other arias by Handel and Purcell and a piece by Arvo Part that fit right in but, for our taste, nothing equalled the above-mentioned works.  However, one thing surpassed them.  That was the encore--"Morgen" by Richard Strauss, which was taken at a slow tempo and delivered pianissimo with intense feeling.  We are not likely to hear it sung that well again; we heard it differently, as a song of hope and promise.

We suppose we are obliged to say something about the other elements of the evening. Ms. DiDonato's gowns were gorgeous and she wore them well.  Her bare feet were barely visible but we wondered if that was why her singing was so "grounded". The face and neck paint seemed unnecessary.

For our taste, the video projections by Yousef Iskandar were distracting and added nothing to our pleasure. We did not like Henning Blum's lighting at all.  For much of the time, banks of lights aimed at the audience were blindingly bright.

As far as the choreography and dancing by Manuel Palazzo, it seemed superfluous. He has an attractive chest and wore his floor length skirt well but the movements were the same old post-Martha Graham tropes that have been boring us at modern dance recitals for years. He did not have much to do but occasional writhing and twirling and an interaction with Ms. DiDonato's cape.

We will take our singing "neat"!

(c) meche kroop

ADULTERY, BETRAYAL, AND MURDER

Ta'u Pupu'a and Michelle Trovato as Canio and Nedda in Pagliacci

Last night we heard a pair of old chestnuts roasted into new life by Martha Cardona Opera. We cannot recall being as deeply affected by other productions of this pair of verismo operas--known as Cav and Pag. There is something about being up close and personal that provides dramatic and vocal thrills, as long as the voices are good.  And the voices we heard last night were WAY beyond good.  They were GREAT! Artistic Director Daniel Cardona has a knack for finding artists with big voices and casting them appropriately.

With such superb artistry onstage and an excellent orchestra, we are content to sacrifice elaborate costuming and sets. Let us give credit to Maestro Gregory Buchalter for developing the orchestral skills of his fine musicians and guiding them through an intense performance. We particularly enjoyed the contributions of the uncredited harpist, the flute, and the cellos. The drinking song of Cavalleria Rusticana was accompanied by some fine pizzicato in the string section, setting us up for the tragedy to come.

Let us also give credit to Chorus Master William Hicks for providing crisp clean choral singing. And finally, let us credit David O. Roberts for his Costume Design. We know the budget for costumes was small but Mr. Roberts always makes much out of little and what he provided was effective.

Pietro Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana is usually paired with Ruggero Leoncavallo's Pagliacci. The former takes place in a small town in Sicily in the 19th c. and the latter takes place in a small town in Calabria in the 1860's.  Both deal with Old World passions and morality. In our "whatever" generation, it seems strange that people killed each other out of sexual jealousy--but they still do, as one can see in the daily newspapers!

It likewise seems strange that women who violated codes of sexual morality would become societal outcasts; but one must look no further than the Middle-East for daily examples of honor killings, which is far worse. Only in a free society can women enjoy their sexual freedom. Let us not take that for granted.

Since we gave a lengthy review of Cardona's production of Mascagni's masterpiece exactly one month ago (review is archived and available through the search bar), let us just mention the performances of new cast members, before moving on to Pagliacci.

Soprano Cheryl Warfield's emotional intensity and ample tone made for a fine performance as Santuzza, the woman seduced and abandoned by Turridu, sung by Ta'u Pupu'a who was sensational last month and has only grown in the role, which he will be performing with Cedar Rapids Opera next month.

Taking over the role of Mama Lucia was mezzo-soprano Milica Nikcevic whom we first reviewed three years ago at Dell'Arte Opera. It is exciting to witness the development of a substantial voice like hers. She created a character who was sympathetic to Santuzza but, appropriately, far more concerned with her son who misbehaved with a married woman.

Baritone SeungHyeon Baek reprised his role as Alfio, the betrayed husband and he has truly made the role his own. We could not imagine a better performance.

Natalie Rose Havens appeared once more as the seductive Lola who wants to have her cake and eat it too. She deceives her husband but acts holier-than-thou toward Santuzza. 

The libretto by Giovanni Targioni-Tozzetti is a powerful one, adapted from a short story by Giovanni Verga. The storytelling is concise and powerful, keeping one on the edge of one's seat. The tragedy is foreshadowed as the opera begins by the mention of blood over Lola's door.

The tragedy of Pagliacci is also foreshadowed, when Canio tells the villagers that he would not tolerate advances of other men toward his wife Nedda, whom he had rescued from near starvation. Leoncavallo wrote both libretto and music. In this opera, life imitates art and commedia del'arte is anything but a comedy.

A visiting troupe of performers include the leader Canio (who portrays Pagliaccio in their performance), his unhappy wife Nedda (who portrays Colombina onstage), the envious and deformed Tonio who lusts after Nedda and seeks revenge when she rejects him (playing the servant Taddeo in the performance), and the clown Beppe, (who portrays Arlecchino in the performance).

Nedda's real life innamorato is Silvio, who wants Nedda to elope with him. When the actions of the commedia performance take an ugly turn, Silvio is drawn into the action and tragedy ensues.

The singers were all splendid. Mr. Pupu'a reappeared as Canio and utilized his powerful tenor in the anguished "Vesti la giubba", generating sympathy for the character--even as we know he will lose it in front of the audience when he forgets he is acting in a play. 

Michelle Trovato used her amply proportioned soprano to portray Nedda. Her yearning for the freedom that birds enjoy in "Stridono lassu" was touching and her ambivalence about leaving Canio for Silvio could break one's heart. We greatly enjoyed her commedia-style acting as Colombina.

SeungHyeon Baek was perfect as the vengeful Tonio--so different from the upstanding character he portrayed in Cavalleria Rusticana. We have been writing about Mr. Baek for a couple of years and have enjoyed witnessing his artistic growth.

Baritone Colin Levin made a fine Silvio but the big surprise of the evening was Mexican tenor Humberto Borboa who stepped into the role of Beppe on short notice and wowed the audience with his portrayal. He has a lovely timbre to his voice and delivered Arlecchino's melodic serenade to generous audience applause.

Martha Cardona Opera has come a long way since we began writing about them and there are great plans for the future in terms of a full production with sets. We are watching out for their Hansel und Gretel in the Spring, which will be performed both in German and in English.  Regular readers won't have to guess which one we will choose to attend!

The company has achieved 501-C3 status as a non-profit and would welcome your contributions of whatever size or type.  www.marthacardonaopera.com. Christmas presents are particularly invited. Spare your sister that ugly sweater and spare your brother that unwearable tie! Make a donation instead to support the art form you love! And get a deduction on your taxes as a bonus.

(c) meche kroop

A GOYISHE CHRISTMAS TO YOU!

Thomas West, Lauren Worsham, Amanda Lynn Bottoms, Joshua Jeremiah, Alex Mansoori, Mikaela Bennett, Donna Breitzer, Joshua Breitzer

Every year we initiate the holiday season with a trip uptown to Henry's Restaurant for NYFOS After Hours in a very special evening of "Yuletide Songs by Jewish Composers". The eponymous Henry has a warm welcome for the mostly Upper West Side audience who gather for some yuletide bonhomie. He spoke of inclusivity in this cross-cultural celebration of Christmas from the Jewish point of view.

The song that most exemplifies this aspect is "Candle in My Window" by Levitsky/Miller, hilariously performed by Joshua Jeremiah. Like most of the songs, it is tuneful and has highly clever lyrics that keep the audience in stitches with self-recognition.

Another very funny song was "My Simple Christmas Wish" by David Friedman, broadly performed by Alex Mansoori. "Don't Let Gramma Cook Christmas Dinner" by Roy Zimmerman was given an adorable performance by Joshua Breitzer and Lauren Worsham.

"Winter Wonderland" by Felix Bernard/Richard B. Smith is not inherently funny, but when sung by two male lovebirds (Mr. Mansoori and Mr. Jeremiah, accompanied by clarinetist Alan Kay, it became campy and funny. (In ten years, it probably won't be funny as audiences get more accustomed to homosexual marriage.)

A lot of the humor was Yiddish and we got the drift, even if we didn't understand the words. "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" never struck us as hilarious but there is something about the language that made us laugh, especially as sung by Mr. Breitzer, accompanied by Mr. Kay on the clarinet--the minor key Klezmer style riffs counterposed against the funny tale made it even funnier.

"Baby It's Cold Outside" by Frank Loesser was translated into fractured Yiddish by one Binyumen Schachter and performed by Donna and Joshua Breitzer and we really wanted to understand how he was trying to get her to stay and what kind of excuses she was making. Those who understood the lyrics had a distinct advantage, but just looking at the facial expressions and body language was funny. Steven Blier at the piano filled us in on some very funny details about the composer and his wife whom he called "the evil of two Loessers". We do so enjoy a good pun!

Not all the songs were funny. We enjoyed a very special moment when Mikaela Bennett sang "O Holy Night" by Adolphe Adam--in English and in French. It is not a song that generally brings tears to our eyes but there was something about the timbre of her voice and the phrasing that affected us deeply.

This versatile artist can do a fine torch song, as evidenced by her delivery of Frank Loesser's "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve".

Amanda Lynn Bottoms was superb in "The Christmas Song" by Mel Tormé--also known as "Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire" and we also enjoyed her fine delivery of "Let it Snow" by Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn.

Thomas West excelled in "Silver Bells" from Jay Livingston/Ray Evans' The Lemon Drop Kid. Mr. Blier related that it is the song of an outsider, perhaps a Jew hearing the Salvation Army bells and thinking about all the poor people who couldn't afford to celebrate Christmas.

Composer Andrew Lippa, a neighbor of Mr. Blier's took the stage to sing his own composition "A Little Love" from You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown.

Finally, three cheers for Lauren Worsham's reincarnation of Eartha Kitt singing the delightful "Santa Baby" with the men popping up from behind the low wall at the bar to provide a back-up quartet. We wondered whose idea that was. It was memorable! 

 

The entire cast joined forces for Irving Berlin's "White Christmas" with a lovely humming chorus--and an encore of Johnny Marks' "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree".

We walked out into the chilly midnight air feeling warmed by the fellowship and the splendid entertainment. We will have to wait another year to hear these songs again but we won't have to wait more than a month for more NYFOS. There will be two concerts in January to warm our heart.

(c) meche kroop

LYRA NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL VOCAL COMPETITION

Jin-Xiang Yu

Celeste Frazier

Melissa Kornacki

Viktoriya Vita Koreneva

Raymon Geis

Last night we heard the performances of the finalists in the Lyra New York International Vocal Competition, adjudicated by Conductor Daniel Beckwith, Artists Manager Peter Randsman, and voice teacher Judith Fredricks, Artistic Director of Opera New York.

Fifteen artists were heard and First Prize in the Art Song Division was awarded to soprano Ji-Xiang Yu whose melismatic singing in Messiaen's challenging "Acteon de Graces" showed off a beautiful line and fine French diction.

First Prize in the Oratorio Division was won by mezzo-soprano Melissa Kornacki who wisely selected the "Agnus Dei" from Rossini's Messe Solennelle, to show off her highly operatic sound and gorgeous vocal line. Her deep resonant voice made the most of it and we would love to hear her as one of Rossini's mezzo heroines.

In the much larger Opera Division, first prize was awarded to soprano Celeste Fraser for her lovely delivery of "Song to the Moon" from Dvorak's Russalka. "Ah! Fuggi il traditor", Dona Elvira's aria from Mozart's Don Giovanni received an intense performance.

Second prize was given to mezzo-soprano Viktoria Vita Koreneva, who gave a very committed performance of "Adieu forets" from Tchaikovsky's Joan of Arc, in Russian of course. She also sang "Je suis gris" from Massenet's Cherubin.

Tenor Raymon Geis took third prize for a most expressive and affecting performance of "Gott, welch dunkel hier" from Beethoven's Fidelio. He has a pleasing timbre and a lot of power to offer.

We wish that more prizes had been offered.  We particularly enjoyed tenor Kyuyoung Lee's easy and joyful performance of "Di miei bolenti spiriti" from Verdi's La Traviata.

Soprano Chan Yang Lim's bright soprano added to her believable performance of "Stridono Lassu" from Leoncavallo's I Pagliacci.

Michael Fennelly did his customary fine job of accompanying.

This was the first of what we hope will be an annual competition, one of a very few that imposes no age limits.

© meche kroop