AN AUTHENTIC SUOR ANGELICA

 Vita Koreneva and Rachel Hippert

Perhaps the most accurate phrase to express our opinion of Regina Opera's production of Puccini's Suor Angelica would be "well worth the trip". Admittedly it is a long way from Manhattan but where else can a hard core opera lover go to see a production that makes sense by virtue of faithfulness to time and place. We are sick and tired of productions that are shoehorned into some narcissistic director's "concept"!

Suor Angelica is imbued with the values of late 19th - early 20th century Italy. Girls who got pregnant were considered a shame upon their families' reputation and were consigned to the convent as punishment for their sins. Nowadays in the United States, single women who want a child barely think twice about deliberately achieving the state of motherhood. The opera does not translate well. 

Here we have Director Helen Van Tine not only giving us the real McCoy but also appending an original moment that touched us deeply, even though we are of a pagan nature. We hesitate to tell you about it because we would like you, Dear Reader, to attend one of the several upcoming performances and experience the moment for yourself. It must be said that singers make the best directors and in a perfect world we would banish all the self-important directors and send them back to Europe or Hollywood or wherever they came from.

So now that you know how highly we regard Regina Opera, let us tell you some specifics. The opera has been cast with a rotating cast of talented young singers, all of whom threw themselves into their roles with enthusiastic intent. The cast we saw at the dress rehearsal included soprano Rachel Hippert as the eponymous Suor Angelica and mezzo-soprano Vita Koreneva as La Principessa. The latter was of particular interest because, by subtle gestures, she permitted us to see a more well rounded character than we have previously seen.

We have been primed by prior productions to hate this woman who has banished her niece to a convent and only visited her after years of neglect. But what Ms. Koroneva showed us was a woman who was obliged to hide her sorrow out of duty to her aristocratic family and society. As she leaves the convent with the legal papers she brought for Angelica's signature, you could see her ambivalence in her glance and posture. We felt sorry for the character who must ensure the successful marriage of her other niece. This evoked the same feelings in us as when Germont Père in Verdi's La Traviata is well portrayed so that we can experience his softer side.  Now that's artistry!

Ms. Hippert also demonstrated the anguish of her character in "Senza Mamma" --the conflict between wanting to join her son in heaven and the guilt experienced by wanting to take her own life. We were allowed to experience her ambivalence without judging. This made the ending very satisfying. We confess that we were so taken with the storytelling aspect that we focused less on the voices, only remembering that all of the voices were better than adequate for their roles. This is an ensemble opera with a large cast all of whom were fine.. Due to the costuming it was difficult to tell the roles apart except for Sister Genovieffa who sang of missing the lambs that she used to tend; Margaux Frohlich made an impression with a very sweetly colored soprano.

There wasn't much opportunity for originality in the costuming but Marcia C. Kresge did well by La Principessa, giving the character a very believable regal Italianate appearance.

An English language translation of Giovacchino Forzano's libretto was projected very legibly and without glitch so we would like to commend Linda Cantoni.

Maestro Scott Jackson Wiley conducted his fine orchestra with sensitivity and subtlety, never overpowering the voices. In an unusual move, instead of filling out the evening with one or both of the other operas in Puccini's Il Trittico, Mo. Wiley programmed two concerti, each featuring a member of the orchestra. We enjoyed Nathan McKinstry's trumpet in a Haydn Concerto and. Anna Lien in a Harp concerto by Händel.  This programming decision allowed the full impact of the opera to sink in without the distraction of the violent Il Tabarro or the humorous Gianni Schicchi.

Before ending, we would like to share a bit of information that we never knew until we researched it. One of the earliest performances of Suor Angelica took place in the Tuscan convent to which Puccini's sister belonged. He played the score on the piano and sang all the roles himself; it was reported that all the nuns wept. Perhaps you will weep too when you see it...and we truly hope that you do. All subsequent performances will take place at 3:00PM this weekend and next.  Don't miss it!

© meche kroop

LONDON COMPETITION FINALS

Korin Thomas-Smith, Nicholas Newton, Trevor Haumschilt-Rocha, John Arida, John H. Hauser, Tiffany  Choe, Adia Evans, and Anna Thompson

The George and Nora London Foundation Competition is one we look forward to every year. We get to see a group of talented young singers, many of whom are new to us.  We may become fans of theirs and follow their careers with great pleasure. We still remember the year that Nadine Sierra won; we recall having a delightful conversation with her whilst waiting for the judges to do their thing. We called her "the diva next door" in our review. Her star has risen!

This year, we were again on the outlook for a winning performance and we witnessed a few. First among them was that of soprano Tiffany Choe whose performance of "Senza mamma" from Puccini's Suor Angelica brought tears to our eyes. We don't recall ever being so moved by this aria in spite of at least a dozen hearings. When a performance is this powerful we forget to note the phrasing, the diction, the resonance, or any other technical details. The most important aspect of a vocal performance, in our opinion, is the communication of the intent of the composer and the meaning of the text.

Contrasting with that tragic offering was the comedy of "Come un ape ne giorni d'Aprile" from Rossini's La Cenerentola. In this aria, the Prince and his servant Dandini have exchanged roles and Dandini is very much overplaying the role of a prince and having the time of his life. Baritone Korin Thomas-Smith has great stage presence and was clearly enjoying himself which allows us, as members of the audienc, to enjoy along with him.  His connection with the character was equivalent to that of the lovely Ms. Choe.

In Rachmaninoff's opera Aleko, the eponymous "hero" sings a cavatina in which he engages in a bit of introspection before murdering his unfaithful wife and her lover. Although we have never seen the opera, we have heard one of our favorite young singers perform this aria on a few occasions, giving us the opportunity to appreciate the performance of Nicholas Newton, whose textured bass-baritone and tortured demeanor connected us to the character and held our interest. John Arida's piano introduction established an air of portent.

In Strauss' comedy Ariadne auf Naxos, Ariadne delivers the very serious aria "Es gibt ein Reich" in contrast with some rather comical elements occurring simultaneously. Soprano Adia Evans employed an imposing stage presence and powerful instrument to create a formidable character.

Soprano Anna Thompson created a lovely Thaïs in "Dis-moi que je suis belle" from the Massenet opera but we wanted her to reveal more of the character's vanity and insecurity. The listener should not be reminded of Marguerite in Gounod's Faust who is also looking in the mirror!

Lately we have been hearing a lot of "Mein Sehnen, mein Wähnen" and actually had the opportunity to coach it. We found nothing missing in the vocalism of baritone Trevor Haumschilt-Rocha but we missed the feeling of nostalgic reminiscing which could best be conveyed with the eyes.  We did like the pianissimo ending.

Mezzo Grace Ryan exhibited some lovely colors in the lower register in her performance of "Sgombra è la sacra selva" from Bellini's Norma. However, we longed to hear a bit of Adalgisa's ambivalence and guilt.

Tenor Matthew Sink gave a full-throated and powerful performance of "Mein lieber Schwan" from Wagner's Lohengrin. His delivery would benefit from the replacement of stock gestures with some more specific movement and expression.

Jennifer Robinson has a lovely instrument, well suited to coloratura roles like Amina in La Sonnambula; we found her "Care compagne" appealing. The contrast between Bellini's lengthy legato lines and the vocal fireworks of the cabaletta was well executed.

We are completely unfamiliar with Danielpour's Margaret Garner, so when mezzo-soprano Maiya Williams sang "Margaret's Lullaby" we had nothing to base our opinion on. In spite of some lovely pianissimi and gentle coloring, we were not tempted to hear any more of this opera. We were, however, interested in reading about it and it seems to have a compelling story about the African-American slave experience. But given the choice we would prefer the lullaby "Summertime" from Gershwin's Porgy and Bess. Opera of the 21st century has not delighted our ears.

Much credit for the success of the program must be given to collaborative pianist John Arida whose playing is always in support of the singer.

Before ending we would like to express a few thoughts. Moving the competition from the Morgan Library to Merkin Hall enhanced the intimacy of the event. However, we do not like the idea of giving large awards to half the competitors and small encouragement grants to the rest. It reminds me of the Laffont Competition at The Metropolitan Opera. We would prefer a more traditional approach, one more graduated.

And finally, we will likely expose ourself to criticism on this point but we would like to see female competitors dress down a bit. Bare skin, exposed breasts, long slits in the skirts, spangles, and glitter all distract from the performance. Male competitors don't have to deal with this issue and we find it much easier to focus on the voice. 

We close with fond memories of Nora London whose gracious and welcoming manner cannot be duplicated. That being said we are grateful to John H. Hauser, President and Executive Director of the Foundation, for keeping the torch lit and fulfilling the mission of supporting young opera singers in their uphill climb to success.

© meche kroop

CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY MONTH WITH JOSEPH PARRISH

 Joseph Parrish, Baritone

Neither snow nor frigid temperatures could dissuade us from attending a brilliant recital at Baruch Performing Art Center, featuring the notable artist Joseph Parrish who, on this occasion, was accompanied by the fine collaborative pianist Amir Farid. Apparently there were a lot of people who felt the same way. We couldn't help wondering how many knew of his artistry from the many competitions he has won, how many from the various recitals he has given around town, how many from his year with Young Concert Artists (not known for honoring singers),  how many from his regular appearances with Festival of Song, or from his appearances with orchestras.

Although Mr. Parrish's star has been on the rise for the past four years, we remember him from his time at Juilliard Vocal Arts Department. There are just a few singers whose innate gifts appear very early in their careers and mark them for stardom. Some of those will develop those gifts and achieve fame, like Mr. Parrish. Others catch fire and burn out for diverse reasons and are forgotten. If you, Dear Reader, are curious about how his artistry struck us over the past few years, we invite you to enter his name in the search bar which will lead you to at least a dozen reviews.

This gifted young man could captivate us singing the proverbial phone book, if one could still find that relic of years gone by. He has introduced us to music we didn't expect to like and to composers we had not heard of before.  He leads. We follow. Even Russian arias have been relieved of their ponderous aspect by means of his prodigious artistry.

The concert he just gave at Baruch PAC was as enlightening as it was entertaining. The program was performed in sections with the songs in each segment belonging to certain categories:  setting of work songs of the period of enslavement, love songs, art songs, spirituals, and songs of hope.

What always strikes us about Mr. Parrish's performance is his ability to engage the audience. We are not the only one who willingly follows where he leads. One experiences the drama of the poet's text and the emotions of the composer's music with Mr. Parrish serving as a self-effacing channel. The engaging personality he shows when addressing the audience takes a back seat as soon as the music begins and the storytelling takes over. Gestures are economical, motivated, and meaningful. Vocal coloration lends meaning to every word. It all seems organic but is probably the consequence of diligent preparation.

As much as we enjoyed the art songs of the early 20th century and those of the Harlem Renaissance, what we particularly enjoyed was the set of work songs that opened the program. Mr. Parrish created art out of these songs by means of dynamic variation and word coloration; another "technique" he employed was emphasis on the consonants. Somehow, this delivery went straight to the gut, especially in the opening song "Water Boy" which was set by Avery Robinson. Hall Johnson's setting of Langston Hughes text "Dusty Road" was marked by a chord sequence in the piano that reminded us of gospel music (about which we will have more to say later). "A Corn Song", Harry T. Burleigh's setting of text by Paul Laurence Dunbar, ended with a finely spun out pianissimo.

Personally we prefer music that touches the heart to songs that are text based. We heard some songs with a political message and some with jazz-inflected piano accompaniment. We heard some romantic songs by Burleigh that we have heard Mr. Parrish sing on prior occasions; the texts by James Weldon Johnson. were replete with turn of the 20th century tenderness toward women. (Just contrasting that with the aggressive hostility of today's rap music causes us pain and produces nostalgia for times gone by.)

Although we have no interest in religion, we were deeply touched by the set of spirituals. We attribute this to the artist's deeply felt religious conviction, having come from a line of pastors. Moses Hogan's setting of "Were You There" gave Mr. Parrish the opportunity to color the word "tremble" in multiple ways that filled us with awe. We were similarly affected by Hall Johnson's "City Called Heaven" when Mr. Parrish sang "I am a pilgrim of sorrow". Even now, a day after the concert, we are feeling pangs in our chest. We were grateful for the rhythmic relief of a foot-stomping rendition of "You Can Tell the World" by Margaret Bonds which ended with a full-throated powerful note.

The program ended on an optimistic note with Damien Sneed's setting of Langston Hughes' "I Dream a World".   The program was scarcely more than an hour and we hoped Mr. Parrish would accompany himself on the piano, as he often does, for a final parting song but this was not on the menu. Nonetheless, we left satisfied and inspired to learn about the Harlem Renaissance which was never discussed in our history classes! Apparently, it ended with the Great Depression but paved the way for the Civil Rights Movement. How thrilling that a program of music so artfully delivered would stimulate some learning. Opening doors is what it's all about!

© meche kroop

AN EVENING OF DISCOVERY

 Kaya Gür, Caitlin Marshall, Chaehwan Lee, and Olympia Nelson

We are always delighted to be invited to Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimo to learn more about Italian culture, especially when it involves music. The program we recently enjoyed there was entitled "Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari, a Portrait in Words and Music". We were immediately intrigued since we haven't heard much about this renowned composer in quite some time. We were then working as a radio announcer for a program called "Voice, Piano, and Strings" and recall consulting the NBC Handbook of Pronunciation because we were unsure how to pronounce his name!

Our evening at Casa Italiana renewed our interest in this composer whose interesting heritage and illustrious career were described by one of his descendants, the lovely Federica Zagatti Wolf-Ferrari who is now a stage director based in Venice. We will focus here on the music but we urge you, Dear Reader, to read the life story of this major figure whose career overlaps that of Giacomo Puccini--late 19th and early 20th century.  Given his mixed parentage, it comes as no surprise that both  influences are reflected in his music, which has a firm Teutonic structure and charming Italianate melodies. 

This rewarding program was brought to us by the Lunigiana international Music Festival which takes place in July; detailed information can be found on their website--www.lunigianamusicfestival.com. They have chosen to honor the composer on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of his birth. 

We enjoyed hearing  the Menuetto from a work he wrote for string quartet and a movement of a piano quintet performed by pianist Jasmine Ogiste and the four string players pictured above, comprising violinists Kaya Gür and Caitlin Marshall, violist Olympia Nelson, and cellist Chaehwan Lee.  One coudn't help but admire the variations of mood, key modulations, and enchanting shifts of string technique. We also heard one of his Three  Impromptus performed by pianist Cameron Pieper.

We felt as if we rushed through a tasting buffet and wanted to return to enjoy a  more leisurely sit down dinner. We wondered why his works have not recently received greater exposure in New York City. We particularly wondered when we heard some of his vocal music, performed by soprano Federica Venturi accompanied by Mr. Pieper. Ms. Venturi was a winner in the voice competition at the Lunigiana Music Festival and has a lovely Italianate style and most expressive face. Sadly, her performance was hampered by the detestable presence of a music stand which hampered her gestures and audience rapport.

Nonetheless, we felt particular interest in the composer's operas and wondered why we have never seen any staged. Among the arias we heard were selections from Le Donne curiose and Il Segretto di Susanna. Although Sig.ra Wolf-Ferrari illustrated her talk with projections, the translation of the libretti of the arias would have been similarly welcomed.

We decided it is high time for a revival of Wolf-Ferrari's music and hope that some New York musical institutions will heed the call!

© meche kroop

MA NON! THE MUSICAL!

Emma Grimsley and Matt Dengler

(Photo by Andrew Boyle)

You are unlikely to see a show this compelling on Broadway, which is where it belongs.  Unfortunately, no composer alive today is writing music that can touch the quality of the late 19th century composer Jules Massenet and it is his music that compelled us to brave the frigid temperatures and slushy icy streets of Brooklyn to see an original reinterpretation of Massenet's Manon, presented by Heartbeat Opera.  And so should you, if you would enjoy an entertaining evening that has one foot in opera and another foot in musical theater.

We have often written that Broadway is to contemporary audiences what opera was to that of the 19th century. We have enumerated Broadway musicals that we held in the same high esteem as opera--many of which were written by the late great Stephen Sondheim. Just as not all operas of years gone by have survived, so not all musicals of the 20th and 21st century will pass the test of time. Consequently, there need be no explanations, apologies, or categorization. A good show is a good show.

However, the triad of good storytelling, good music, and good voices must be met. The feature that removes Broadway shows from our consideration is the damage that electronics have done to our appreciation of the human voice. Performed in an opera house without amplification, A Little Night Music and Sweeney Todd are both operas, as are several more we could name.

This is the reason that we responded to Heartbeat Opera's hybrid production of Massenet's Manon with less enthusiasm than the rest of the audience. The storytelling was compelling, the drama was intense, the performers were appealing, and the reduction of the score absolutely brilliant. If some of the voices were a shade less than stunning we could not honestly say, such was the electronic sound design. Voices were sometimes a touch too loud or almost inaudible. The subtle changes of color and vibrato were lost. Enunciation was often lazy. We longed for titles.

We wondered why the decision was made to provide an English libretto but no titles. The verses were translated from the original French of Henri Meilhac and Philippe Gille into colloquial English with more of an emphasis on rhyming than on poetry. Supplementary dialogue was of a colloquial nature.  We did miss the beautiful marriage of the French language with Massenet's vocal line, as did our guest who is an opera singer and a Francophone. As noted, performing in English does not obviate the need for titles.

The storytelling hews rather closely to that of Meilhac and Gille and tells the story of a young woman who is not satisfied with the limited roles available to women of that epoch. She is high-spirited and rebellious and not quite resigned to conventional marriage or convent life. She is torn between her love for the Chevalier de Grieux and the life of luxury available to courtesans. She exhibits the qualities of a sociopath, manipulating her lover and her "sponsor" Guillot. She comes to a bad end. The women of the audience get to enjoy identifying with her power over men whilst criticizing her immorality. She is indeed a tragic figure but we were unable to shed a tear for her, although we have shed many for Violetta in Verdi's La Traviata.

Emma Grimsley played the role to the hilt and is just young enough and pretty enough to be believable. (We might add that we reviewed Ms. Grimsley a decade ago in the leading role of Jerome Kern's Sally produced by Light Opera of New York. Her voice was scintillating and needed no amplification.) Her foolishly adoring lover was given a fine interpretation by Matt Dengler. Her wealthy "sponsor" was convincingly portrayed by Glenn Seven Allen. The cousin Lescaut who pimps her out was similarly effectively enacted by Jamari Darling.  Justin Lee Miller made a fine Count des Grieux.

For this abridged version of scarcely more than an hour and a half, roles were eliminated and cast members did double duty in minor roles. Not at all minor were a pair of "fallen women" (there were three in the original). Their roles were much expanded and provided lots of comic relief. Pousette was played by Kathryn McCreary and Natalie Walker performed the part of Javotte.

The new English book and lyrics are credited to Jacob Ashworth and Rory Pelsue who also provided the excellent direction. Scenic Designer Alexander Woodward did much with little--Manon's trunks from Act I became a bed and "la petite table" of Act II. Impressive crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling of the spacious playing area of The Space at Irondale. Period appropriate costuming by David Mitsch worked well.

We have saved the best for last. Daniel Schlossberg conducted his own arrangement from the keyboard-- a chamber orchestra comprising violin, cello, bass, clarinet, French horn, bassoon, and harp. The colors were glorious and did justice to Massenet's composition. We have no complaints about the score and don't think Massenet would have objected to the co-opting of his composition.

We cannot say we were thrilled to the core but we are glad that we didn't leave clutching our proverbial pearls and we feel confident in recommending the production for a fine evening's entertainment. We are left wondering whether any audience members will be tempted to see the opera from which this was derived, sung in an opera house with unamplified voices.

© meche kroop

 

A VERY GALA GALA

 Sophia Baete, Shiyu Zhuo, Kate Morton, Yoonsoo Jang, Grace Ryan, Sarah Rachel Bacani, 

Adam Catangui, Jihye Jang, and Clothilde Benard

If any of our dear readers have yet to be introduced to Opera Index, let us begin by telling you of our long term and rewarding relationship with this fine organization. It is well known for supporting young opera singers at the early stages of their careers, as well as for bringing together a group of opera lovers who share in their mission. Last night was the special event we members have been eagerly anticipating, the annual awards ceremony.

The event was held at The Metropolitan Club in their spacious formal dining room, with cocktail hour held in the anteroom. This is a valuable part of the evening when members and their guests are able to circulate, to meet and greet, whilst enjoying plentiful libations and tasty passed hors d'oeuvres. The energy level was scintillating as we connected with fellow citizens of Planet Opera and rubbed elbows with some very famous singers, including Ryan Speedo Green. 

At the appointed hour, the dining room was opened. We are pleased to relate that dinner was served after the entertainment, which comprised a recital given by nine top prize winners. This allowed us to focus on the singers without the interruption of food service. As is our wont, we will not say which singer was awarded how much money but we will tell you that the sum of $59,000 was awarded to twenty young artists, chosen by means of audition from a large pool of applicants. We would have liked to have heard the winners of Emerging Artists Awards and Encouragement Awards and we hope that we will in the near future.

A warm welcome and introductory comments were made by President Jane Shaulis and a well deserved Distinguished Achievement Award was given to the  renowned mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves whose glamorous appearance belies her four decades on the opera stage.

But, Dear Reader, you want to hear about the program so you can watch out for these gifted young artists, all of whom are pursuing advanced degrees and/or performing in major roles around the country. Indeed it was a wonderful program, encompassing several languages and styles. Providing lots of vocal thrills to begin the program was French soprano Clothilde Benard who dazzled us with vocal acrobatics in Marguerite's aria from Gounod's Faust--"Ah, je ris de me voir" sung as only a native born French woman could sing it. Trills were thrilling; leaps successfully conveyed the character's excitement.

Although we do not speak nor understand Czech, we do understand the legato  phrasing, vibrato, and dynamic control found in soprano Jihye Jang's interpretation of the water sprite's yearning in "Song to the Moon" from Dvořak's famous opera Russalka . Her silvery tone reminded one of moonlight and the performance took us out of the ballroom and into nature. We liked the highly dramatic ending.

Taking us into Mozartean territory was tenor Adam Catangui who gave an impeccable performance of Don Ottavio's moving tribute to Donna Anna in "Il mio tesoro" from Don Giovanni. Mr. Catangui has a sweet tenor so we particularly enjoyed the way he darkened his voice when singing about vengeance. We further appreciated the embellishments of the vocal line. 

We wish that soprano Sarah Rachel Bacani had chosen a different aria than the one she did which was "Laura's Song" from Copland's The Tender Land. We have nothing negative to say about her performance and, although we are not fond of mid-20th century American opera, Ms. Bacani did a fine job of creating the character of a simple young woman. It is just that her repertory, as related in her biography, has several more melodic and more dynamic roles to offer. We would love to hear her Juliette or Micaëla.

The role of Rosina in Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia is one of our favorites and Grace Ryan did not disappoint. With a true mezzo sound, she brought the character to life and engaged the audience by descending from the stage and "working the room", showing us Rosina's personality as well as her own. We particularly enjoyed the cabaletta with its elaborate rapid fire flourishes.

Our ears always perk up for bel canto and the Rossini was followed by some Donizetti. Baritone Yoonsoo Jang made an effective Doctor Malatesta describing the perfect woman he was proposing to Don Pasquale in the eponymous opera. "Bella siccome un angelo" is a splendid vehicle for the artist to create a character not so far removed from commedia dell'arte. Furthermore we enjoyed the rich texture of Mr. Jang's  instrument.

Mezzo-soprano Kate Morton performed. "Nobles seigneurs, salut!" from Meyerbeer's Les Huguenots. We confess our ignorance of this opera but rest assured, Dear Reader, we made significant efforts to understand the plot to learn at which point this aria is sung. We admit utter failure. We could not even find a role for a mezzo-soprano in the cast list. What we did learn is that this opera, although rarely performed, was a hit in its day. The plot is Byzantine! Let us content ourself with having enjoyed Ms. Morton's singing and a most artistic descending scale passage.

A more familiar French entry was "Non monsieur mon mari" from Poulenc's Les Mamelles de Tiresias, Poulenc's surrealist opéra bouffe that we did see years ago as a student production. Soprano Shiyu Zhuo charmed the audience by offering a verbal introduction to the piece which involved not only some fine singing but successful creation of a character--with an assist from collaborative pianist Kamal Khan who portrayed her husband! It was fun!

Bringing the program to a stunning close was mezzo-soprano Sophia Beate who performed Dorabella's challenging aria "Smanie implacabile" from Mozart's Cosi fan tutte.  It was a flawless performance which, as such performances tend to do, allowed us to create the scene in our mind's eye, forgetting all issues of technique and just enjoying the performance.

Opera Index does a fine job of finding and fostering young talent and giving them a career boost. We are proud to be a long term member. We are looking forward to the Spring concert which we will certainly announce on our Facebook page.

© meche kroop

TIERGARTEN

 Kim David Smith as Master of Ceremonies 

"Come to the Cabaret!"  Well Dear Reader, we did so and are mighty glad we did. If you were unable to get tickets (which is likely since any event produced by impresario Andrew Ousley and Death of Classical generally does sell out early) we hope to give you the flavor of the event. Imagine the supremely talented Australian cabaret artist Kim David Smith as Master of Ceremonies, taking the audience backward through time to visit various points in history that involved turning points or crises.

The program was conceived, written, and directed by Mr. Ousley himself; it included opera, musical theater, spirituals, instrumental works, visual arts, costuming, and even shadow puppetry. Working backward we began with Weimar Berlin, a time period that has interested us since the very first time we heard  Mr. Smith perform in the upstairs room of a gay bar in the theater district. This Australian "boy wonder" was new to NYC and we were new to cabaret. We became a regular, swooning over his interpretations of cabaret numbers in German and French.

Our favorite selection from this act was "Pirate Jenny" From Kurt Weill and Berthold Brecht's Three-Penny Opera. Mr. Smith put the right bitter edge on this ballad of retribution, accompanied by some clever shadow puppetry by Foreshadow Puppetry.

The next act featured the disturbing song "Strange Fruit" by Abel Meeropol given an admirable interpretation by Amara Granderson, and John Dickinson's "The Liberty Song" sung by Miguel Angel Vasquez. If the chronology was a bit off, it didn't seem to matter because it made artistic sense.

Representing the Salem Witch Trials, we were thrilled to hear Ariadne Greif singing Azucena's rivetingly bitter "Stride la Vampa" from Verdi's Il Trovatore. Even more thrilling than the performance was the enthusiastic response of the crowd which was decidedly not opera folk. We hope some audience members were so taken with the performance that they will seek out more opera experiences.

If that aria didn't do it, Ms. Greif's performance of "Piangeró la sorta mia" from Händel's opera Giulio Cesare  surely did. This was from the section The Fall of the Roman Empire and was so moving that we are still dealing with an ear worm. Mr. Vasquez followed somewhat ironically with Renato Rascel's "Arrivederce Roma".

In the next section Ms. Granderson gave a highly emotional performance of the spiritual "Were You There When They Crucified My Lord" the strophic nature of which has resulted likewise in yet another ear worm. In a burst of irreverence, there was a female Jesus (Pearls Daily) with a beard and red sequined pasties and if you are imagining audience members clutching their pearls you would be mistaken. We will try to include some racy photos on IG and FB, hoping that they will not be censored, LOL.

Indeed it was a wild evening, filled with contradictions, with something for everyone. We have grown accustomed to singers using amplification for everything except opera but we still prefer the natural voice. This is just our preference. No one else seems to mind.

Toward the end of the evening there was a sexy pas de deux performed by Liana Zhen-ai and Dylan Contreras representing Eve and Adam.

The evening of traumas was brought to a healing close by Mr. Smith singing George Gershwin's "Love is Here to Stay" which hit just the right note, so to speak, and the audience left smiling.

Let us give credit to the instrumentalists who did such fine work backing up the singers: pianists Mila Henry and Tracy Stark, accordionist Will Holshouser, and percussionist David Silliman. Everyday Fay created the costumes.

Any cabaret lovers out there would do well to watch carefully for Mr. Ousley's next extravaganza and book promptly!

© meche kroop