ON SITE ON POINT

Aundi Marie Moore, Benjamin Barham Wiese, Jonathan R, Green, Julius Ahn, Daniel Belcher, and Musa Ngqungwana

We have written a great deal about On Site Opera and their special niche on Planet Opera, always finding the perfect location to present an opera; it is not out of the question that the place itself might in fact inspire the choice of an opera. In either case, the Holy Apostles Church soup kitchen was the perfect place to present a unique slant on Gian Carlo Menotti's one-act opera Amahl and the Night Visitors.

It was the first opera commissioned for television by NBC in 1951. Menotti wrote the score, his partner Samuel Barber completed the orchestration, and Maestro Geoffrey McDonald brought the score to vivid life with musicians of the American Modern Ensemble. The music is tuneful and Maestro McDonald was in full command of his chamber orchestra.

There are operas whose time and place must be kept intact to seem valid; this one translated very well into contemporary times and also succeeded in calling attention to what is commonly called the "Christmas Spirit"--dealing with the rewards for unselfishness and forgiveness.

In this case, a homeless mother (Aundi Marie Moore) and her son (Benjamin Barham Wiese) interact realistically over his tendency to tell tall tales and her tendency to call him on it. He sees the star in the sky and the Wise Men at the door. Although the family has nothing to speak of, they do their best to provide for the travelers. The boy is crippled and using a crutch which he offers to send to the newborn King. He is thereby healed and able to walk.

An advantage we had over others is that we have never had a television and consequently were totally unfamiliar with the work. Consequently, we had no expectations of shepherds and sheep and were able to immerse ourselves in the story as Director Eric Einhorn so admirably presented it. The Three Kings appeared as homeless men pushing shopping carts. Clearly, their nobility resides in their generosity, not in their material wealth.

There were several moments that touched us deeply, especially when the boy defends his mother from the security officer (Jonathan R. Green) who is arresting her for stealing gold from the Kings. This did not exactly add up because one doesn't expect the homeless to be carrying gold! But this is a myth and we were able to accept the inconsistency.

We loved the moments when Kaspar (tenor Julius Ahn) sings about his magic box which contains beads and stones. His voice was particularly well-balanced with that of bass Musa Ngqungwana (as Kaspar) and baritone Daniel Belcher (as Melchior).

We also loved the dancing, choreographed by Winston A. Benons Jr. The dancers exhibited such spontaneity and gusto that we were swept along by the simple unpretentious movements.

The chorus comprised a group of folks who had experienced homelessness and were clients of Breaking Ground, an organization that establishes permanent supportive housing for the homeless; their fine singing, led by Michael A. Ciavaglia, sounded totally professional. Jessica Jahn's costumes were appropriate and rather fanciful for the Kings.

The singing was at the highest level and met all the musical demands of the score; the acting was similarly convincing and believable.

Everything we have written is about the artistic merits of the production. We would like to add some opinions about the social merits. It was a great idea to ask audience member to contribute some non-perishable food. This called attention to the fact that we were in a soup kitchen and there are people who need to be fed. The entire experience elevated the homeless beyond the level of societal outcasts and led us to see them as folks who are simply down on their luck.

By a strange coincidence we had just the night before read a contribution on Quora about what it is like to be homeless. Our awareness has been raised. We found ourself with tears streaming down our face. We glanced at our guest for the evening who was also weeping, as was the woman next to her.

That art should have such a profound effect on us is a wonderful thing. Too many times have we exited the Met thinking "that role was well sung" and forgotten the entire performance within the hour.

We loved seeing art performing what we think it capable of. It should hold a mirror up to society to show us what we are missing in everyday life. Bravo to On Site Opera for taking risks.

The opera was performed last year and we hope it will be scheduled again for next year.

© meche kroop

NOT JUST ANOTHER COMPETITION

Singers and Judges in Premiere Opera Foundation's International Vocal Competition Finals Concert

This was a great week for vocal competitions; we attended three of them! Truth to tell, there is nothing we enjoy more than these events. We get to hear a wide variety of material sung by some of the best vocal talent around. We get to watch the growth of young singers with whom we are familiar and we get to meet young singers from other cities that we don't usually get to hear.

Although all competitions share common features like excitement and cash prizes, each vocal competition has a different emphasis. Yesterday's competition inaugurated the union between the Premiere Opera Foundation and NYIOP, thus extending the concept of the competition beyond cash prizes by incorporating the function of auditioning. Instead of young artists traveling the world to audition, NYIOP brought casting directors to the event. If we were casting directors we would have felt like a gourmet at a banquet!

There was so much talent onstage to appreciate and such a distinguished panel of judges, including our own dear friend Ken Benson, Stefanos Koroneos and Maestro Israel Gursky from Teatro Grattacielo, Eric Margiore of Premiere Artists Management,and world famous soprano Erin Morley whose performances always thrill us.  

A field of 200 applicants was winnowed down to 91 semi-finalists; at the prior day's semi-finals, 20 young singers were chosen as finalists. It was interesting to us that in addition to the generous prizes awarded to the finalists, prizes were also given to some of the semi-finalists. No one walked away empty handed. Some prizes were cash and others were study grants abroad, vocal and career consultations, or coachings. Just imagine being able to coach with Ms. Morley!!!

We loved Nina Mutalifu's interpretation of Adriana Lecouvreur's famous aria "Io son l'umile ancella" in which her soaring soprano was used effectively to show both the character's diva stature but also her modesty. Ms. Mutalifu has sung in our Around the World in Song concerts, performing Uighur songs in her native language. What a treat to hear her sing a realismo role in Italian!

Tim Murray's pleasingly textured baritone was put in the service of limning the character of the clueless Count Almaviva. We watched and listened with glee as his ire grows. 

Mezzo-soprano Michaela Wolz performed "Parto, ma tu ben mio" from Mozart's La clemenza di Tito with variety of color in each verse, growing in ardency. There was something deeply affecting as she repeated "Guardami!"

Soprano Tatev Baroyan did justice to the "Snow Maiden's Aria" from the Rimsky-Korsakov opera. We recently saw this exquisite fairytale opera at Manhattan School of Music and Ms. Baroyan's ethereal interpretation was filled with the requisite innocence of the character.

Heldentenor Kevin Ray wisely chose the impassioned aria "Amfortas! Die Wunde!" from Wagner's Parsifal. His sizable instrument filled the sanctuary with overtones as his sincerity grew in power.

Mezzo-soprano Carolyn Sproule made a fine Adalgisa, beautifully shaping the long phrases of "Sgombra e la sacra selva" from Bellini's Norma. She has an admirable true mezzo sound and ended with a finely wrought decrescendo.

Joo Won Kang was one of several superb Verdi baritones on the program. His performance was well modulated and he brought considerable excitement to the cabaletta. We liked the resonance of his instrument as well.

Soprano Alexandra Razskazoff scored highly in that feature as well. She brought a lot of vocal excitement to "Come in quest'ora bruna" from Verdi's Simon Boccanegra. We liked the exquisite dynamic control and the fine vibrato of her instrument.

Baritone Denis Milo phrased "Onegin's Aria" beautifully and sang in fine Russian. We got more involved when he used dramatic emphasis and wished he would use his body more. We realize that Onegin is a somewhat pompous character and a bit stiff in his "Dutch Uncle advice" to Tatiana; but he is Russian after all and the performance would have been more affecting with a little more gesture.

Tenor Joseph Tancredi attracted our notice as an undergraduate at Manhattan School of Music and then as an Apprentice at Santa Fe Opera. We love witnessing his promise being fulfilled. His beautiful sweet tone was just right for the role of The Italian Tenor in Richard Strauss' Der Rosenkavalier.

Baritone Bryan Murray is winning prizes all over town. "Pierrot's Tanzlied" won him prizes from Opera Index and Talents of the World; let's consider it his very own showpiece! We were happy to hear it again as he gave each phrase a lovely shape and nostalgic perfume.

Victoria Davis has a big beautiful soprano sound and succeeded in creating a character in "Do Not Utter a Word" from Barber's Vanessa, one of the few operas in English that we enjoy. The problem is that words get lost in the upper register more readily in English than in other languages.

Baritone Jianan Huang sang "O Carlo ascolta" from Verdi's Don Carlo with Italianate legato phrasing and gorgeous tone. He gave us chills and won us over by being completely immersed in the prison cell scene. 

Soprano Quan Chen, stunningly gowned, added to our earlier impression of her as a perfect Puccini soprano. Recently we heard her "Chi il bel sogno di Doretta" from La Rondine, and last night she sang "Un bel di vedremo", allowing us to watch the harbor along with her. We always enjoy an aria more when the singer visualizes the scene and we can see it through her/his eyes.

Mezzo-soprano Polixeni Tziouvaras gave an hypnotic rendering of "Ô ma lyre immortelle" from Gounod's Sapho. She is a highly expressive singer and uses her entire body; she pulled us into the world of the aria so effectively that we forgot we were sitting in a church sanctuary. With gorgeous clearly enunciated French, of which every word was understood, she painted an aural picture filled with melancholy colors. Last April she sang in Greek for Around the World in Song, making a significant impression.

Soprano Amanda Palmeiro has a sizable voice with a bright sheen. She was convincing as the troubled Juliette in the Gounod opera, going through various moods with each verse of "Amour ranime mon courage". We enjoyed the very pretty trill and her fine French.

Monica Dewey used her sparkly soprano in Gilda's "Caro nome" from Verdi's Rigoletto. We admired the precision of her fioritura.

From the same opera we heard Rigoletto's aria "Cortigiani, vil razza dannata" performed perfectly by baritone Kidon Choi who seems destined to be a Verdi baritone. He didn't need a hump to convince us! His delivery grew in power and anger with superb modulation of color and dynamics. We felt his pain.

There was only one counter-tenor on the program and it was a welcome change to hear Gamaliel Reynoso Mejia convey the terror of the stowaway from Jonathan Dove's Flight. It was a moving performance and we could best appreciate the fine spin of his voice in the melismatic passages. The tessitura is so high that the words got lost. Thankfully, we had seen the opera before with titles and knew the story.

Soprano Elisabeth Rosenberg closed the program with "Einsam in trüben Tagen" from Wagner's Lohengrin, sung with power. It was a fine close to an excellent program.

Michael Fennelly did yeoman's work accompanying the entire lengthy program with the right support for each singer. He always does and we appreciate him from the bottom of our opera loving heart.

The evening concluded with a reception, enabling audience members, judges, and singers to mingle and network.  What a fine evening!

© meche kroop

SHAKEN AND STIRRED

Cast of Heartbeat Opera's production of Der Freischütz

We count on Heartbeat Opera to take an opera and shake it up; we count on Heartbeat Opera to stir our feelings. With a very rare exception we enjoy the process and we always leave provoked in some way, ready to reconsider issues that were previously given the "already/always" treatment. (If you are so inclined, dear reader, take a look at our review of their production of Beethoven's Fidelio by entering it in the search bar.)

Last night at the Rose Nagelberg Theater of the Baruch Performing Arts Center we saw Carl Maria von Weber's 1821 opera Der Freischütz, an opera that we had never seen and, therefore, felt no investment in preserving in its original form, as we would with, say, La Traviata. As a matter of fact, we avoided reading anything about the opera beforehand, and especially not the Director's Notes. We firmly hold the position that a work of art should speak for itself! This one spoke loud and clear.

The story is based upon a German folk legend with supernatural elements and contains spoken dialogue which, we posit, puts it in the category of singspiel, like Die Zauberflöte. For this production, the story was moved up from its original setting (as we have since learned) in 1648 Germany to contemporary United States.

It appears to be post-Afghanistan or post-Iraq and takes place in what must be a Red state since all the men are armed and very much attached to their guns. We sensed that the hero Max and his buddy Kaspar are veterans. The townspeople are a nasty bunch and infected with toxic masculinity. The chief forester Kuno of the original has been changed to a sheriff whilst Max and Kaspar seem to be his deputies.

Max wants to marry Kuno's daughter Agathe but Kuno insists that his prospective son-in-law be the best shot in town; Max seems to have lost his groove and suffers humiliation at the hands of the locals; their particular form of torture seems to be a form of waterboarding (learned in Iraq, we presume).

Max is now ripe for the machinations of Kaspar who promises to solve his problems--with a little supernatural help. Let us leave the story here for awhile so we can give credit where it is due. 

Friedrich Kind's original libretto has been adapted by Co-Artistic Director Louisa Proske who, in our eyes, is some kind of artistic genius. Dialogues were written by Michael Attias; we have no idea how closely they hew to the original German but they succeed in telling the story and making it work.

The music is as von Weber wrote it and it is magnificent. Music Director Daniel Schlosberg has scored the work for piano/keyboard/accordion (which he played himself), violin and viola (played by Concertmaster Jacob Ashworth), another set of higher strings, a cello, a guitar, and several winds played by three additional musicians. There was a great deal of sound coming from seven musicians!

Never having heard the orchestral version, we have no basis for comparison but what we heard was glorious to the ear and filled with interesting harmonies and sonorities. From the first wind chorale, we were completely drawn in.

We might add that the supernatural scene taking place in the Wolf Canyon involves some electronic input (credited to William Gardiner) that felt just right. The direction of this scene (Direction by Ms. Proske and Chloe Treat) was the most chilling scene we have ever witnessed at the opera, thanks to some special effects like visions, smoke, and a very talented Butoh dancer named azumi O E who enacted the part of Samiel with twisted body and twisted hands. The entire effect was cinematic and would have been right at home in a horror film.

We realize we have yet to mention the singers who were uniformly excellent in their acting as well as singing. Tenor Ian Koziara made a sympathetic "underdog" and we truly felt for him. Poor Agathe was portrayed by soprano Summer Hassan who excelled at being the tortured bride-to-be, anxious about Max and the upcoming wedding. The scene in which her bridesmaids come to help her with her toilette was a marvel.

We loved soprano Jana McIntyre as her cousin Ännchen; she had quite a lot to sing and sang it well. We enjoyed the contrast between Agathe's heavy hearted singing and Ännchen's cheerful singing.  Von Weber's vocal lines and rhythms beautifully limned each character.

The manipulative Kaspar was powerfully sung and acted by bass-baritone Derrell Acon. Baritone Quentin Oliver Lee sang the role of the Governor, and also that of one of the locals named Kilian. Sheriff Kuno was portrayed with strength by bass Kevin McGuire.

We were happy to see bass Eric Delagrange in a role at the end that puzzled us. As deus ex machina, he is supposed to be a holy hermit but in this iteration he seemed threatening. We are going to have to think about that issue for awhile.

The female chorus was superb, comprising Emily Donato, Jessica Harika, Claire Leyden, and Siobhan Sung. No less superb were the men: Phillip Bullock, Michael Celentano, Cory Gross, Patrick Lord-Remmert, and Anthony McGlaun.

The set by Sara Brown was remarkable. The Rose Nagelberg Theater was converted into a small town with the audience on three sides, making us feel very much a part of the action and therefore complicit. A house was constructed in one corner with shades that rolled up, giving us a view of the action inside. Wolf Canyon was created with "smoke and mirrors", a miracle of lighting by Oliver Wason. Beth Goldenberg's costumes were on point.

The amount of creativity that went into this provocative production impressed us enormously but what really mattered was the effect the production had on us, since it related so deeply to contemporary issues: military PTSD, gun culture, toxic masculinity, superstition, etc.

We were so affected by it that we plan to return to hear the other cast and to sit on the other side to get a different perspective and perhaps some additional insights.

© meche kroop

PRETTY IS AS PRETTY DOES

Pretty Yende and James Baillieu onstage at Zankel Hall

Guest review by Ellen Godfrey:

On Thursday evening the great South African coloratura soprano Pretty Yende performed an evening of vocal music at the sold out Zankel Hall. James Baillieu was the stellar pianist and accompanist. Many of us came to know  Pretty Yende when she made her unexpected Metropolitan Opera debut in 2013, filling in for an ailing soprano in the little known Rossini opera, Le Comte Ory. She had only one month to learn the opera but she learned it in one week!  She was a sensation and everyone in the audience (including me) knew that we were in the presence of the next great opera singer. She was only in her late twenties, but sang with maturity beyond her years. She also has a wonderful stage presence, a radiant smile, and “joie de vivre.”

After her Met debut and some other engagements, she took some time off for further study with some of the world’s great singing teachers. She has quickly risen to worldwide renown and is one of today’s most beloved opera stars.  She has sung in all of the major opera houses both here and abroad and performs in concerts all around the world. We are lucky to have had her here to perform the great song repertoire of Schumann, Donizetti, Tosti, Richard Strauss and Johann Strauss Jr. Ms. Yende sang comfortably in three different languages-- German, French, and Italian. Of the three, Ms. Yende’s German seemed to be the clearest.

The program began with 7 songs by the the great German composer and pianist, Robert Schumann. He was long in love with Clara Wieck, who was the daughter of his piano teacher, Friedrich Wieck. Wieck tried to break up their relationship but the couple finally was able to marry when Clara became 21 years of age. They married in 1840, sharing artistic and personal collaboration. It was the year of the song for Schumann, as he celebrated his marriage by composing poetic love songs for his new wife.  In that first year he composed 130 songs, including four song cycles!

When Pretty Yende entered the stage on Wednesday night wearing an extravagantly feathered pink gown, the audience greeted her with great applause and cheers.  She sang 7 Schumann songs, four of which she had chosen.  The first song she sang was “Der Nussbaum,” ("The Walnut Tree”). It speaks of the whispering movement of the walnut tree’s blossoms and  branches; the maiden listens as she drifts off smiling into her dreams of love.  Accompanist James Baillieu began playing very softly as Ms. Yende began to sing softly as well. The rapport between them throughout the concert was wonderful. The pianist’s playing whispered the sound of the trees rustling throughout the whole song.  The minute Ms.Yende started to sing we could hear her warm, pleasing voice come through, soft at first, then louder, and then softer again.  She has great control of her dynamics. 

Another charming song was "Schmetterling" in which a child tries to capture a butterfly. Ms.Yende made it all seem so simple, using her hands to portray the butterfly in a fast moving song that went up to an A at the end. Mr. Baillieu easily conquered the extremely fast moving music. In “Loreley”, his playing of the waves that lure men to their death was vivid and captured the somewhat scary mood of the song. The other three Schumann songs were equally delightful and full of vocal color.

The second set of songs were by the great bel canto composer Gaetano Donizetti, who composed 70 operas in a little more than 20 years.  Today only about 9 are popular. He also managed to fit in the composition of other genres of classical music including over 200 songs, chamber music, and piano music. His output is amazing, considering that he died from syphilis at the young age of 51!  

Ms. Yende chose three Italian songs on the lighter side. “Il barcaiuolo” starts off as a calm ride and becomes dramatic as the boatman worries his passengers about a possible rising storm. This song gave Ms. Yende the chance to show us her great coloratura singing as the vocal line gets more dramatic. The other two songs are also charming, "La conocchia" (“The Spindle”) based on a folk tale and "Le crépuscule" (“Twilight”) a serenade with French text by Victor Hugo.

 

Perhaps the most interesting music of the evening, because it is so rarely heard, was Donizetti’s rewriting of Lucia di Lammermoor for a French version of the opera, Lucie de Lammermoor.  It premiered in Paris in 1838, and is occasionally revived today.  Donizetti re-conceived the entire opera, making Lucie a more delicate victim. “Que n’avons nous des ailes” (“If only we had wings”) is in the typical bel canto form: a slow lyric part (called a cantabile)  followed by two stanzas of showy coloratura  (known as a cabaletta). 

Ms. Yende began quietly singing alone (a capella) until she was joined by Mr. Baillieu. The cabaletta requires bravura singing as Ms. Yende went higher and higher, displaying the liquid quality of her voice and moving easily among the very high notes. Her singing was accurate and remarkably flexible The second verse of the cabaletta was even more ornamented. 

After intermission,  Ms. Yende returned with a stunning gown, very bright and shining, almost to the point of requiring sun glasses on the part of the audience!  In the third set we heard songs by the popular and  beloved Italian composer Paolo Tosti.  He was a lyric tenor who had distinguished himself as a vocal teacher in London from 1882 to 1912. He was also a favorite of Queen Victoria and taught her children how to sing. He was knighted by Edward II in 1908. Many of his songs are still very popular today.

The tone of the Tosti songs is brighter and happier than those of some of the songs earlier on the program. “Aprile" is an enchanting song performed very tenderly by Ms. Yende, happily welcoming spring and the season of love. ”It’s April” is sung three times, each time sung differently. Mr. Baillieu played the arpeggi with great dexterity.

The Tosti songs were followed by lieder of Richard Strauss who is probably best known for his 15 operas; but he also composed over 300 lieder. He began to compose songs for the soprano Pauline de Anna whom he married in 1894.  For more than a decade they performed together in concerts.  Strauss loved the soprano voice and he considered her to be the best interpreter of his songs.

“ Zueignung” (dedication), which became one of his most popular songs, was his first performed lied and his favorite. I have to say that it is my favorite Strauss song as well. Ms. Yende sang it with all the lyricism and passionate outpouring required for this song. Again Mr. Baillieu followed her singing with the same feelings. “Cäcilie”, which was composed by Strauss on the eve of his wedding, is one of the most passionate songs ever written.  With huge arpeggi on the piano brilliantly played by Mr. Baillieu and Ms. Yende’s soaring, expressive voice, it made for a wonderful ending to this group of six songs.

Ms. Yende smartly ended the concert with a work by another Strauss who was not related to Richard. Johann Strauss Jr., the King of Operetta, composed in the late 19th and early 20th century.  In the second act of Die Fledermaus, Eisenstein’s wife, Rosalinde, gets back at her wandering spouse by disguising herself as a Hungarian countess.  Ms. Yende sang the Csardas with Hungarian style, singing the first part slowly and ending with a flourish, showing her great acting and sense of comedy.

The audience cheered and yelled for the two performers and eventually were awarded with some encores.  The first was the Neapolitan song “A Vucchella”, a Neapolitan sounding song with lyrics by Gabriele D’Annunzio.  Although Tosti was from the Abruzzo area of Italy, he wanted to prove that he could write in the Neapolitan dialect. The song has always been very popular and was sung with charm and humor by the artists. 

Throughout the whole concert Ms. Yende had a music stand with her music in front of her. She was often looking at the music more then communicating with the audience.  It wasn’t until the last encore, “Una Voce Poco Fa” from Rossini's Il barbiere di Siviglia, that she finally freed herself from the music stand and moved around the stage, flashing her wonderful smile and her impeccable singing. We finally saw the real Pretty Yende, joyous, free from any restraints, and communicating with the audience.

© meche kroop

    

    

CLARA AND ROBERT

Brian Zeger, Keshav Moodliar, Chance Jonas-O'Toole, Libby Sokolowski, Chris Reynolds, Lauren Norvelle, Jessica Niles, Kyle Miller, and Erin Wagner

Last night at Alice Tully Hall, Juilliard presented one of their Songfests, an occasion we never miss. The program, curated by world renowned collaborative pianist Brian Zeger, who just so happens to be the Artistic Director of the Marcus Institute for Vocal Arts at Juilliard, was one of enormous value for several reasons.

Primarily, we were impressed by the concept of presenting the lives of Clara and Robert Schumann in a theatrically valid way, involving dramatic readings of their letters interspersed with songs that were related to that particular period in their romance. This shed new light on the songs and affected us in a new way.

Clara's letters were brought to vivid life by recent Juilliard graduate Lauren Norvelle who was most remarkable in expressing the young Clara's childhood infatuation with Robert. She was but a pre-teen prodigy when Robert fell deeply in love with her. It was a long courtship since Clara's father was vehemently opposed to the match, even though Robert had been his student; the two were obliged to wait 9 years for Clara's 21st birthday to wed.

Robert's letters were read by Keshav Moodliar, also a Juilliard drama student who keenly expressed Robert's youthful extravagant expressions of love.

Previously known for his piano compositions, 1840 brought forth a torrent of lieder, filled with joy. Apparently, years of separation had made his heart fonder and fonder; the consummation was therefore amplified by the power of ten. Anyone who has yearned for an impossible love will recognize this phenomenon.

The opening duet of the program "Er und Sie" was performed by soprano Jessica Niles and tenor Chance Jonas-O'Toole; the subtle dynamics, the sweet voices, and the blended harmonies successfully expressed the joys of mutual love. The boughs of "Der Nussbaum" inclined their delicate heads to kiss in sincere symbolism, tenderly sung by soprano Libby Sokolowski. 

Symbolism was not necessary in "Intermezzo, Op. 39, No. 2" which speaks openly of the singing of the heart. Baritone Kyle Miller gave it a lovely interpretation.

Mezzo-soprano Erin Wagner expressed a woman's youthful infatuation in
"Seit ich ihn gesehen" from Robert's song cycle Frauenliebe und Leben and later she sang of the joys of sharing pregnancy with "Süsser Freund" from the same cycle. Indeed, the Schumann's would have eight children!

"Widmung", so passionately sung by Mr. Miller, was composed as a wedding gift for Clara and Mr. Miller allowed the song to grow in intensity and passion.

Of course, as we all know, there is no "happily ever after" in real life and Robert's early enthusiasm became increasingly manic and his low periods became increasingly black. Unfortunately, in the early 19th c. there was no effective treatment for mental illness and poor Clara was left to cope with a large family, all the while championing Robert's music, performing at the piano, and composing.

The first time we heard her "Liebst du um Schönheit" we thought of it as having been surpassed by Mahler's setting. However, the more we hear it the higher it grows in our estimation and Ms. Niles gave it a lovely performance.  She was similarly effective in Clara's "Er ist gekommen" which seemed filled with anxiety. We heard a sense of loss in Clara's "Ich stand in dunklen Träumen", finely performed by soprano Libby Sokolowski.

Schumann's compositions toward the end of his life are dark. Listening to Mr. Miller's performance of "Der Spielmann" we can take the Hans Christian Andersen text (translated by Adelbert von Chamisso) as more than usually meaningful. "It's hideous for a man to die in this way, When his heart's still young and striving for joy" and "Let none of us go mad: I too am just a poor musician". We can only wonder what kind of visions and hallucinations troubled the unfortunate musical genius. Similarly, we can only wonder what his artistic output might have been if treatment had been available.

We were sitting close enough to the stage to feel as if we were participating in a salon at the Schumann's home. Singers and actors were all onstage together; it was a highly effective way of presenting the music. Mr. Zeger shared the accompanying duties with the super-talented Chris Reynolds. It was an altogether worthwhile evening that fulfilled both as theater and concert.

© meche kroop

TALENTS OF THE WORLD

Olga Lisovskaya, hosting the Grand Finals of the 3rd Annual International Voice Competition

Yesterday we had the good fortune to being invited to attend the Grand Finals of the International Voice Competition. In a brief three years, the competition has succeeded in attracting a huge pool of applicants of impressively high quality. The late tenor Francisco Casanova was honored and indeed he would have been thrilled with the performances, as were we.

There were 16 finalists--each and every one giving an outstanding performance. We were sad to learn that several of our favorite singers had been eliminated in the semifinals yesterday, but were glad to see so many that we love giving their all onstage.

Speaking of competitions, we have nothing but good things to say about this one which was extremely well run. The time schedule was adhered to strictly and the judges were gracious and welcoming, putting the contestants at their ease. Pianist Gloria Kim possesses the versatility to give all the singers the superb accompaniment they deserve.

There were seven judges, coming from different parts of the opera world, each contributing a different point of view. We noticed that when they requested a second selection, they chose an aria in a different language from the first one, or an aria that would give the artist an opportunity to show a different aspect of his/her talent.

David Gvinianidze, President of Talents of the World, was one of the judges, as was Olga Lisovskaya, host for the competition. Both are singers and well positioned to judge the quality of the voices. They were joined by distinguished experts in the fields of coaching, management, and education.

Contestants were judged in five areas, each one counting for a fifth of the score--stage presence, vocal technique, interpretation, diction, and beauty of tone. We approach a performance from a different perspective. We want to be drawn in to the world of the character and want to see the other qualities brought to bear on this "believability".

We apologize for neglecting the final four contestants whom we were obliged to miss due to a commitment to Juilliard (a review which will follow this one). The dozen that we heard all shared the same important qualities--they all introduced themselves and their respective arias with clarity. This is something that should be routine, but isn't. Furthermore, they all were adept at the languages in which they sang.

We were glad not to be judging because we loved them all! We can't imagine how the judges made up their minds. We plan to list the contestants in order without mentioning the winners. That information is available on the Talents of the World website, if that's important to you.

Soprano Susanne Burgess opened the program with a strong presence and a passionate delivery of "Furie Terribili" from Händel's Rinaldo. Her voice opened up at the upper register with some glass-shattering high notes. She showed nice contrast with a sweet delivery of "Chi il bel sogno" from Puccini's La Rondine.

Baritone Jonathan McCullough made a believable Count Almaviva in "Hai gia vinta la causa" from Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro. He made use of the entire stage as he limned the character of the clueless Count. You could see in his face and gestures the wheels of suspicion turning. The drinking song from Thomas' Hamlet had a trill to thrill and some effective contrast in the central section.

Soprano Lauren McQuistin showed an affecting vibrato in "In quelle trine morbide" from Puccini's Manon Lescaut and went on to build some sustained drama in a section of Tatiana's "Letter Aria" (from Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin), conveying all the pangs of first love, taking the listener through an emotional wringer.

Soprano Sarah Ryman conveyed a lot of Puccinian sorrow in "Sola, perduta, abbandonata" from Manon Lescaut, then did a lovely job with Richard Strauss' "Zueignung". She has a sizable voice and we'd love to hear her sing some Wagner. The judges requested a bit of "Pace, pace, mio Dio" from Verdi's La forza del destino which just added to the favorable impression.

Soprano Sophie Michaux performed "Fra il Padre e fra l'amante" from Rossini's La Donna del lago so engagingly that we wanted to hear the entire opera. We always love Rossini's fioritura fireworks and she negotiated them well. There was also plenty of strength in the lower register. "Give him this orchid" from Britten's The Rape of Lucretia was sung with clarity of diction and limned the shame of a woman betrayed.

Soprano Maria Khoobyar never lost her legato in the violent "Il tuo sangue" from Puccini's Tosca. We also enjoyed "Song to the Moon" from Dvorak's Rusalka; she made the difficult Czech text meaningful by means of gesture and phrasing that seemed spontaneous.

Seung Hee Lee, the only bass on the program, showed some textured tone as he portrayed a bitter inebriated character in an opera we have never heard--Bizet's La jolie fille de Perth. The familiar "Vi ravviso" from Bellini's La sonnambula showed off his flexibility and his gorgeous bottom register.

Soprano Maria Maksakova tackled an aria from Verdi's Aida which we would have enjoyed more if she had released her death grip on the piano. She possesses a large voice that seemed right for "Dich teure Halle" from Wagner's Tannhäuser.

Soprano Sooyeon Kang impressed us by submerging her own lovely personality whilst portraying different characters. She utilized her bright flexible instrument to create a believable Norina from Donizetti's Don Pasquale-- totally different from the conflicted Manon in the Massenet opera. Her French was fine and the performance was marvelously measured, making use of dynamics and pacing to illustrate the character's ambivalence in "Adieu, notre petite table".

Baritone Bryan Murray was asked for three selections, perhaps because the judges enjoyed listening to him. He gave a persuasive performance of Silvio's aria from Leoncavallo's Pagliacci with enough ardency to persuade the most reluctant Nedda. "Dieux qui me poursuivez" from Gluck's Iphigénie en Tauride limned a tormented character. We preferred his "Mein Sehnen, mein Wähnen" from Korngold's Die tote Stadt which dripped nostalgia. We well remember his performance of this aria at the Opera Index Gala of 2018.

Soprano Alina Tamborini tickled us with "Adele's Audition Aria" from Johann Strauss' Die Fledermaus. Although we prefer the aria sung in German, we must admit that the translation was an excellent one and Ms. Tamborini's clarity of diction won us over completely. She created a real character that we could laugh along with, one that reminded us of every deluded "wannabe" that we've ever met. The fioritura of "Ach, ich liebte" from Mozart's Die Entführung aus dem Serail  showed consummate coloratura skills and made us want to hear her as Queen of the Night.

At this juncture, we were running out of time but stood at the door to catch soprano Nina Mutalifu sing just a few phrases of the "Letter Scene" from Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin. It sounded so fine that we hated tearing ourself away. We kept wondering what other piece the judges asked for.

The competitors we so reluctantly missed were mezzo-soprano Maggie Renée Valdman, soprano Dilara Unsal, soprano Sulgi Cho, and baritone Tyler Putnam. We barely made it to Juilliard. So much music, so little time!

© meche kroop

WINTERGREEN FOR PRESIDENT

Bryce Pinkham and Mikaela Bennett in MasterVoices' Let 'Em Eat Cake
(photo credit- Erin Baiano)

Guest Review by Ellen Godfrey:

MasterVoices, under the artistic direction of Tony Award winner Ted Sperling, returned to Carnegie Hall on Friday night for its 78th concert performance. MasterVoices, formerly known as the Collegiate Chorale, was founded in 1941 by the legendary choral conductor Robert Shaw; its repertoire includes choral masterpieces, operas in concert, operettas, and musical theatre. 

Friday night’s production, Let 'Em Eat Cake, is little known today. It was created in 1933, with music by George Gershwin, lyrics by Ira Gershwin, and book by George S. Kaufman and Morris Ryskind.  The concert script was adapted by Laurence Mason. Ted Sperling conducted both the magnificent 150 MasteVoices singers and the Orchestra of St Luke’s; he also directed the production. The show satirizes the American political system, the Supreme Court, fascists, radicals, the League of Nations, fashion, and even baseball. Does all of this sound familiar?  No wonder Mr. Sperling chose this musical to be presented, as we are going into the 2020 election process. 

Let 'Em Eat Cake is a sequel to the Gershwins’ big hit musical of 1931, Of Thee I Sing, the first musical to have received a Pulitzer Prize; it ran for 441 performances on Broadway.  Of Thee I Sing lampooned the American system of government and its corruption. John P. Wintergreen is running for President of the United States and runs on the “Love” platform. He wins by a landslide and he and Mary are to be married. There is a resolution about impeachment of the president but all ends happily.

The Gershwin team decided two years later to follow the success of Of Thee I Sing with a sequel-- Let 'Em Eat Cake. It had a run of only 89 performances, perhaps because it was not as bright and comforting as its predecessor.  The country was facing a depression and there was rising fascism in Italy and Germany. Despite all the humor, the Country seemed to want something different.  

The musical team brought many of the same characters from Of Thee I Sing into this sequel, and even some of the music. Wintergreen and his Vice President Throttlebottom lose the election and Tweedledee becomes the next president. Wintergreen and his fellow politicians decide to overthrow the government by a march on Washington and he becomes a dictator. They get the Supreme Court involved in a baseball game between the United States and the League of Nations.  Throttlebottom is the umpire but there is a controversy and Throttlebottom is being sent to the guillotine along with several others. In the end, they are forgiven (they couldn’t get the guillotine to work) and Wintergreen decides not to run for president again.

The musical began with an exciting overture. There was a snare drum player in the center of the orchestra, a rather unusual location for percussion; piccolo, trumpets and other instruments joined in. The violins played counterpoint to the cellos on the other side of the conductor. Jazz music could be heard played by the trumpet.

The score includes snippets of familiar music such as the songs “Too Darn Hot,” "Hail Hail The Gang's All Here", "Of Thee I Sing", ”Yankee Doodle Dandy”, and other short pieces that sound familiar.  Maestro Sperling drew a wonderful sound from the orchestra and the chorus was magnificent.

The Gershwins used the same musical team from Of Thee I Sing. Most of the characters and many of the musical motifs appear in Let 'Em Eat Cake. The musical score is all Gershwin.  There are many songs in the show; some have a political side, some send up Gilbert and Sullivan, and others are just plain funny.  A line in the title song is “Let the proletariat eat cake..good times are coming.” 

"Mine", the well-known duet made popular by recordings of Judy Garland and Bing Crosby, was sung in this production by Bryce Pinkham as John P. Wintergreen, and Mikaela Bennett as his wife Mary, both of whom have beautiful well trained voices. The melody of "Mine" is especially lovely and the two artists harmonized beautifully.

Bryce Pinkham picked up on all the comedy of his character and exhibited a smooth manner.  Mikaela Bennett, a recent Juilliard graduate, has a silver-toned soprano voice and moved easily from musical comedy up into the operatic stratosphere. She played her character as very much in charge.

Actor, singer, and director David Pittu played the role of Kruger, an agitator. His pleasing voice was accompanied by a strong stage presence.  He played a rather sleazy character who became head of the army and agreed to a baseball game with the Supreme Court to get back his money.

Kevin Chamberlin played the role of the bungling Vice President Alexander Throttlebottom, whom no one in the White House ever seemed to recognize. He has a great presence on stage and every time he entered he drew laughs. He has diverse theatre credits to his name, including many musicals as well as film and tv.

Christopher Fitzgerald, nominated for several Tony and Drama desk awards, served as both the Narrator and Tweedledee, the new American president. However, later in the first act, Tweedledee is thrown out by Wintergreen.  

The artists portraying cabinet members have all performed in Broadway musicals, and television and/or films-- Francis X. Gilhooley, Secretary of the Navy, played by Fred Applegate; Louis Lippman, Secretary of Agriculture, played by Lewis J. Sadlen; General Adam Snookfield played by Bill Buell; and Matthew Arnold Fulton as a newspaper magnate. All of their characterizations were different and humorous.

The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court was played by Stephen Eisdorfer, Lieutenant by Edsel Romero, and Nursemaid by Madelyn Miyashita. Other groups of characters were the Supreme Court Justices, Diplomats, Interpreters, and fashion show models. All were totally wrapped up in their characters.

Congratulations to the great 150 members of the MasterVoices and to Ted Sperling and all the people who work with MasterVoices.  Their sound in Stern Auditorium was warm, wonderful, and astounding to listen to. They all seemed to be caught up in the wonderful Gershwin songs and gave their all. 

The audience had a good time and gave the group a long ovation.  I’m looking forward to the next Master Singers program. 

© meche kroop