IF THE SHOE FITS

 Allie Altieri, Joseph Parrish, Linda Collazo, Shaina Martinez, and Nicholas Huff

Not 5 minutes past the curtain call we wanted to see Pauline Viardot's Cendrillon over again.  Where was the repeat button? We relished every moment of this charming work brought to the stage by City Lyric Opera, a most worthy company with high ideals. Helmed by Megan Gillis, CLO aims to provide quality art at affordable prices, providing opportunities for young artists with the aim of diversity and inclusivity.

Career advancement is not easy for female conductors and we were thrilled to see the young rapidly rising Maestro Michelle Rofrano on the podium leading an energetic and light-hearted reading of Pauline Viardot's telling of the Cinderella tale. The chamber orchestra was with her every step of the way. There were the requisite strings augmented by one each of flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, and horn. The plangent sound of the harp wove it all together. The melodic score has the flavor of French music hall, which we see as a good thing. Mo. Rofrano played the score as a light-hearted and enchanting bauble.

Onstage, in the role of Marie (Cendrillon) we had the rising star soprano Shaina Martinez who never fails to deliver a carefully thought out performance that somehow manages to appear spontaneous. Her rich voice lends itself to a variety of roles that we have heard her sing and this is just one more feather in her cap. Her Marie was no scullery maid but rather an overlooked member of a detestable family. Her voice conveyed more hope than despair with some winning coloration that made her relatable.

Her two Karens (oops, I meant step-sisters) demanded her help and services. Soprano Allie Altieri as Maguellone and mezzo-soprano Linda Collazo as Armelinde were as fine together as they were separately. Their  vocal coloration was exactly the opposite of Ms. Martinez'. Their facial expressions and body language were perfectly emblematic of their characters and absolutely hilarious.

In the role of La Fée we heard the extraordinary crystalline coloratura of Yejin Lee, singing in delightful bel canto style involving stunning fioritura.  Le Prince Charmant was sung by Nicholas Huff whose warmth of tone and ardent demeanor had him rise above some staged goofiness. The love duet with Cendrillon was beautifully realized by both artists. As his chamberlain Le Comte Barigoule, we heard tenor Corey Don whose fine voice and figure made it easy to believe the role reversals.

Cendrillon's father is usually portrayed as a henpecked husband who dares to show sympathy for his daughter only behind his wife's back; but in this case he is portrayed as a former dishonest merchant who has risen in status to that of Baron Pictordu. We did not quite catch how that was accomplished but there was a reference in the libretto that must have been a secret joke in Ms. Viardot's circle. The superb bass-baritone Joseph Parrish gave him the attitude of un parvenu  and filled out the character with a full rich sound. 

This one hour opera was written for Viardot's  students when she was rather advanced in years. It was likely performed at one of her salons. None of the sadistic parts of the Perrault fairytale were in evidence, nor any of the Disneyfied padding. This was a simple story of a neglected young woman whose good heart wins the affection of a prince, even though she doesn't know his identity. And it's also the story of a grasping family that has scapegoated her. Her kindness wins out in the end.

Let us not neglect the excellent chorus comprising Luxana Zepedas, Mithuna Sivaraman, Erin Rosales, Brian Jeffers, Ramon Gabriel Tenefrancia, and Nathaniel Mattingly.

The direction by Rose Freeman was right on point, giving everyone a chance to develop a unique character. There were a number of clever devices to enjoy as when La Fée asks Cendrillon to fetch a pumpkin and then to throw it out the window where it becomes a coach--projected on the upstage screen.  Similar devices were used for the horses and coachman. 

Rhea D'Souza is credited as Projection Designer and we found her projections to be a fine replacement for elaborate sets. We have been annoyed as of late by artsy-fartsy projections that distracted from the singing and staging.  Not so here. Every projection set the stage, so to speak, and contributed to the storytelling. 

Lina Younes was credited as Scenographer and Lighting Designer was Charlotte McPherson. No one is credited for the costumes but they evinced creativity and wit that exceeded what appeared to have been a modest budget. We were particularly taken with Cendrillon's "slippers"--shocking pink platform boots!

Although there was minimal dialogue in English, the opera was sung in beautiful French, translated by Quentin Bruno and projected onstage so that every member of the audience had a good view. 

The only information we are missing is the identity of the orchestrator. The work was written for piano accompaniment; perhaps Ms. Viardot did the orchestration herself. In any case it surely gave Mo. Rofrano some beautiful lines to work with.

In these trying times, light-hearted fun is just what we need. That being said, we would still want to hear this enchanting bauble even in the best of times. What an excellent choice for this company to have made!

© meche kroop

FUN(D) RAISING

 John Taylor Ward, Elliott Paige, Alissa Anderson, and Samarie Alicea

Last night marked a major event on the New York music scene. It was the opening night gala of Heartbeat Opera's annual extravaganza; it was extraordinary and extravagant--over the top in terms of concept and execution. With his customary wit and originality, Director Ethan Heard created an evening of satire and camp that left the audience exhilarated. The evening scored high marks even for the fundraising which was actually fun. One would have to be a Scrooge not to make a financial contribution to a company that actually pays its members.

The concept for the show Messy Messiah was having fun with Händel's masterpiece.  Methinks that singers love the piece because they get paid; but perhaps it is overplayed at this time of year and a worthy object for poking, prodding, twisting, and toppling. We adore satire and particularly the LGBTQ version. We want you to go to one of the two shows tonight (if there are seats available) and hesitate to spoil the fun so...if you are going, read no further. Here come the spoilers.

Cast members and musicians come down through Elliott Paige's chimney as this tenorrific artist relaxes by the fire. Lengthy-limbed bass-baritone John Taylor Ward sweeps around the stage with stature exaggerated by what must be platform shoes, fingers elongated into icicle-like appendages. Soprano Samarie Alicea, cute as a button, prances about in harlequinish attire. Adele's "laughing song" from Johann Strauss' Die Fledermaus was given quite the twist. Contralto Alissa Anderson, wrapped in a voluminous black cloak and carrying a lantern, gave us a novel interpretation of "Must the Winter Come So Soon" from Barber's Vanessa. Ballet dancer Jourdan Epstein left us gasping by balancing on point on the top of a wine bottle--on one foot!

We are posting multiple photos on Facebook for those who will not have the privilege of attending. Even those fortunate enough to attend one of tonight's performances will miss one of the highlights of the evening.  A mystery guest arrived wrapped in gold fabric like a gift. Hearing an ethereal voice singing "Vedrò con mio diletto", we instantly recognized the brilliant voice of counter-tenor Anthony Ross Costanzo. How appropriate to portray this guest artist as a gift! 

There were gags both subtle and obvious, including a photo of the late drag persona Divine showing up in the middle of "Oh night divine".

The chamber orchestra was completely in the mood with Music Director and violinist Jacob Ashworth conducting Daniel Schlosberg's inventive arrangements of the Händel, Tchaikovsky, Barber, and Strauss selections. Trumpeter Evan Honse had a fine solo onstage. In the "pit" he played alongside Mr. Schlosberg on the piano, violist Hannah Levinson, oboist Hsuan-Fong Chen, and Mr. Ashworth.

The lavish and witty costumes were designed by Fabian Aguilar and  makeup, by Maiko Ando. Choreography was realized by Eamon Foley.

The energy never let up nor did the dazzlements cease. Heartbeat Opera never heard of the "Irish goodbye".  Just when you thought there could be no further entertainment, on came yet another solo. The evening was capped by a role-reversed onstage proposal. We are keeping that a secret!

© meche kroop

RUSSIAN PASSION

Daniel Scofield and Zoya Gramagin in the final scene of Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin

We got even more than we expected last night when the Russian Opera Society and Spotlight Artist Management presented a night of mostly Russian music.  Following a warm welcome from Natalie Burlutskaya, Tchaikovsky's masterpiece Eugene Onegin--with a libretto adapted from Pushkin's verse novel--took us to another time and place, one in which morals and social expectations were completely different from our own--an era of courtship, advantageous marriage, loyalty, and dutiful self-sacrifice.

To convey all that in a fully costumed lengthy opera with scenery  and orchestra is to be expected, but to achieve all that in a one-hour piano reduction with only the highlights presented is nothing short of miraculous.  This miracle rested on the shoulders of some excellent artists, including pianist Alexander Chaplinsky who likely made his own reduction of the score, allowing all the instrumental lines to be heard and all of Tchaikovsky's emotional content to be felt. The piano became a condensed orchestra.

Zoya Gramagin has the Russian soul and ease with the language to allow her to focus totally on dramatic interpretation. Her lush soprano was perfect for the role.  Like Violetta in La Traviata, her character has to experience growth from the beginning of the opera to the end. After a deeply felt introduction on the piano which introduced the themes, Ms. Gramagin showed us a shy and introverted country girl who contrasted well with mezzo-soprano Vita Koreneva's ebullient and flirtatious Olga. Their duet was stunning in its harmonies and the difference in the two sisters' personalities was made clear in the music.

In Olga's ariosa Ms. Koreneva painted a picture of the flighty younger sister. The centerpiece of the evening was Tatiana's "Letter Scene" in which she demonstrated a panoply of emotions, taking us right back to our youth.  Oh, the agony of first love!  The anxiety, the desperation, the hopefulness--all there and going right to our heart. We have heard this scene often in competitions but rarely have we heard it performed this poignantly.

We have strong feelings about Onegin that may not be shared by everyone. We do not see him as shallow and careless of Tatiana's feelings.  He is only 26 and is trying to be a "Dutch Uncle" to a 13-year-old girl who is infatuated with him. If he were a "bad dude" he could have taken advantage of her but he didn't. He is just immature and not a good sport about visiting in the provinces. Baritone Daniel Scofield did a fine job of illuminating the sophisticated youth with a disdain for the provincial.

In the final scene of the opera he is bereft at finding this child all grown up (at 17 years of age!), sophisticated and alluring, but wed and unavailable. The change of her hairstyle and the addition of a fur cape were not even necessary; Tatiana's maturation was present in the voice and gesture. Ms. Gramagin's fine acting let us see the conflict between love and duty tearing her apart.  But, being a loyal young woman, she must reject him, even whilst admitting her love.

We were moved by her growth which could only be conveyed in such a brief period of time and in such an episodic nature by a major talent.  That is our opinion of Ms. Gramagin! We felt empathy for both characters and the sense of loss. No happy Hollywood ending and no operatic suicide. Just ineffable sadness.

The continuity was broken by the insertion of Lensky's aria which, in the context of the opera, is instrumental to the story.  Somehow in this very abbreviated version, it interrupted the flow of Tatiana's character development. Lucas Levy's Lensky needed more variety of emotion and dynamics. Mr. Levy's delivery was forceful and missing the bewilderment a 17-year-old might feel when he has acted rashly and gotten himself in over his head. In spite of a beautiful decrescendo at the end, we were not moved. We were already uninvolved.

After the intermission, we were treated to some fine piano solos by Mr. Chaplinsky and some upbeat music by an interesting duo called Musalliance, comprising Anna Kusner playing the guitar, supporting the treble line performed on the domra by the impish Peter Omelchenko. The domra is an interesting string instrument that sounds at time like a mandolin and at other times like a balalaika. Mr. Omelchenko is fleet with his fingering and made old standards sound completely new. We particularly enjoyed Schubert's  "Ave Maria" and Rimsky Korsakov's "Flight of the Bumblebee", as well as some Neapolitan songs. Ms. Kusner excelled in Agustín Lara's "Granada" in which she took the lead. We noticed some finely wrought rasqueados. The audience went wild.

It was a lovely evening brought to a fine finale by the entire cast singing the "Carol of the Bells", each artist taking a phrase in succession.

© meche kroop

PREMIERE OPERA FOUNDATION FINALS

 Finalists in Premiere Opera Foundation's 2021 Competition

Sunday found us at the Finals of Premiere Opera Foundation's 2021 competition where we heard 16 singers, each one of whom had something great to offer. There was also a virtual competition which we did not hear, comprising competitors who were unable to travel. . All competitors were judged by a distinguished group of judges. Generous prize money was awarded and competitors also had the opportunity to be heard by prominent figures in the operatic community.  We are sure that the casting directors in attendance were able to fill many positions since the level was very high. One unique feature of this international competition is the lack of age limits.

The audience was welcomed by Eric Margiore, President and Artistic Director, who founded the competition in 2017.  The piano accompaniment was provided by marvelous Michael Fennelly who can play just about anything-- with each piece having the correct style.

As is our wont, we will not report the ranks of the "winners".  Making the finals is a "win"! That being said, for once we agreed with the judges. We have decided to present the singers in order and say just one thing about each performance.

Greer Lyle, a big girl with a big voice, pleased us with an emotional performance of Kuma's arioso by Tchaikovsky. We liked the pure vowels and the fine vibrato.

Erin Duane Brooks has a promising and powerful voice that has been improving since the first time we heard him sing.  His "Vesti la giubba" from Leoncavallo's Pagliacci was delivered with big round Italianate vowels, lacking only some variety of color. Yes, Canio has reason to be this bitter but we want to also see his vulnerability so we can feel some sympathy.

Yoseph Park demonstrated a beautiful tonal quality in Wagner's "O du, mein holder Abenstern". There was strength in the lower register and we would like to see him loosen up and use his body as well as his voice.

Shanley Horvitz employed her powerful voice to good effect in "Acerba voluttà" from Cilea's Andrea Chenier. She demonstrated good control and knew when to rein in the power.

Seonho Yu has a lovely tonal quality just right for Tchaikovsky's "Ya vas lyublu" and produced a lovely diminuendo at the conclusion. What we wanted from him was more tenderness and some gestures beyond the stock ones.

Yulan Piao painted a beautiful picture in Leoncavallo's "Stridono lassù", using her bright focused tone and apposite gestures to create a most sympathetic character.

Alex DeSocio portrayed the tormented Starbuck from Heggie's Moby Dick, drawing us in with free body movement that matched the lyrics. Furthermore, his diction enabled us to understand the text which is not always the case with the English language.

Allegra De Vita performed Händel's "Dopo notte" with clean fioritura. She surely knew what she was singing about and made the repetitions interesting.

Tatev Baroyan created the character of Liu in Puccini's "Tu che di gel sei cinta" in a most believable way showing the firmness of her character as she defies Turandot. We also enjoyed her soaring top notes.

Kathleen Reveille performed Händel's "Iris, hence away" with dramatic intent and fine pacing. We liked the strength in her lower register and the variety from one section of the aria to the next.

Maria Natale's bright soprano showed us Cio-cio San's naïveté in a most appealing fashion. We searched the horizon along with her in "Un bel di", seeing the sea through her eyes.

Jonghyun Park brought Tamino to convincing life in Mozart's "Dies Bildnis ist bezaubernd schön". He has a sweet tenor tone and tenderness shone through his lovely legato phrasing.

Joseph Lodato was absolutely chilling in "Pari siamo" from Verdi's Rigoletto. He captured the complexity of Rigoletto's character--the bitterness was there as well as the fear.

Katherine Whyte impressed us with her understanding of Marguerite's character in "Ah, je ris de me voir".  Her lovely fioritura illuminated the character of an innocent young woman bewitched by extravagant jewels

Thomas Cilluffo made our blood run cold with his delivery of the nasty "Aria of the Worm" from Corigliano's The Ghosts of Versailles.  He has a full and powerful voice and an interesting and unusual tonal quality which he employed to create a character. We shivered with his biting enunciation of final consonants.

Meigui Zhang gave us a different kind of shiver in her portrayal of Lucia in "Regnava nel silenzio". There was a successful foreshadowing of her character's ultimate breakdown by the suggestion of fragility. Her bright well-focused soprano tackled the fioritura in the service of the character, contributing to the believability that we so cherish.

It was a thrilling afternoon that demonstrated the scope of the operatic voice in all its glory!  All of the finalists deserve great careers and we wish them well.

© meche kroop

GROWING WITHOUT GROWING PAINS

 Meet Classic Lyric Arts superstars--pianist Xu Cheng, director Daniel Isengart, tenor Scott La Marca, baritone Chen Xi, soprano Laura Soto-Bayomi, and mezzo sopranos Briana Hunter and Shannon Delijani!

Classic Lyric Arts, helmed by renowned professor, coach, and collaborative pianist Glenn Morton, is well known for its intensive summer programs in both Italy and France. They are now expanding into The Berkshires for yet a third program--this one focusing on the operas of Mozart. Staying that close to home this past summer because of Covid has made this new addition seamless. Growth is good! Students will have the opportunity to enroll in any or all of the programs.

We felt privileged to attend their soirée last week to hear some of our favorite artists, some of whom have sung at Voce di Meche's House of Music and others who were new to us. The evening was coached by Daniel Isengart who has added great performance value to CLA's intensive programs and is now an esteemed faculty member.

To avoid deciding which artist to mention first, let us go according to fach with pride of place given to Laura Soto-Bayoni who has a sizable soprano and a personality to match. Because of our focus on emerging artists, we rarely get to hear big voices and hearing Verdi was a special treat. An arresting account was given of "Non so le tetre imagine" from Il Corsaro. This aria is filled with emotion which colored her delivery of the text. The melodies are gorgeous and Ms. Soto-Bayoni leaned into them with effective phrasing and an affecting vibrato.

She was no less impressive in "Stridono lassu" from Leoncavallo's Pagliacci , showing a real flair for verismo. We are pleased to report that the birdsong so beautifully created on the piano by Xu Cheng entered our consciousness doubly as her stunning soprano convinced us that we could also see the birds in our mind's eye.  Now that's artistry!

More flexibility was demonstrated in a duet with Mr. La Marca--"Tornami a dir che m'ami" from Donizetti's Don Pasquale in which both young lovers expressed their affection by means of some lovely phrasing of Donizetti's charming vocal line. We do love duets and the two voices blended perfectly in happy harmony.

Shannon Delijani was heretofore unknown to us but we are glad to have this lack remedied. Ms. Delijani has a striking presence that seemed to announce the striking voice we heard. Our favorite piece was "O mon Fernand" from Donizetti's La Favorite. We have loved this aria so much in Italian and we didn't expect to enjoy the French version but, thanks to some perfect French diction we were similarly enthralled. We have a great enthusiasm for bel canto and it strikes us as more difficult to perform on French vowels but Ms. Delijani was undaunted. The handling of the lower register had just the right mix of chest and head voice. The cabaletta was powerful.

Her facility with French served her well in Chabrier's chanson "Les cigales" which requires rich coloration and good dynamic control.  Ravel's "Kaddisch" was performed in Hebrew which was made to sound as beautiful as French. We felt a sincere commitment, made doubly impactful by the spare and haunting piano accompaniment.

Mezzo-soprano Briana Hunter possesses an amazing repertoire of expressions and gestures, all of which were brought to bear on the Habanera from Bizet's Carmen. We forgot every time we had heard it before and experienced it as if brand new. Her Carmen is a mercurial one and each gesture and expression seemed to emerge from the text.

Ms. Hunter's complete comfort in the French language was heard in "Elle est la pres de lui" from Thomas' Mignon. It was emotional; it was believable; each gesture supported the voice. There is so much strength in the lower register!

Tenor Scott La Marca did his best work in Turina's "Los dos miedos" which he had  performed in our House of Music. Regular readers may recall how much we love Spanish music and this is one of our favorites; we have not heard it sung better. The text is psychologically valid; the musical line is apposite; the performance was stellar. As we said before, the romantic duet with Ms. Soto-Bayomi was a big hit in which Mr. La Marca paced his tenor part to perfectly match her soprano line. Beautiful blending!

As if that weren't enough, we had a surprise guest who wasn't on the program. Guest artist Chen Xi sang Tosti's "Ideale" with the same commitment we heard in the rest of the program--a feature which made it seem as new as the Habanera. We loved the resonance in his lower register.  This was the icing on the delicious cake served up by Classic Lyric Arts! 

Xu Cheng's collaborative piano served each piece, each style, each composer, and each singer. This versatility should serve him well in his future career.

© meche kroop

A RUSSIAN NIGHT

 Eugenia Forteza, Zoya Gramagin, Mikhail Urusov, and Pavel Suliandziga

The charming theatre of St. Nicholas Cathedral was filled last night with lovers of Russian music. The varied program included operatic arias, art songs, and piano solos and duets. There was something for everyone! We were welcomed by Natalie Burlutskaya of Spotlight Artists Management as well as a pair of Patriarchs, one of whom welcomed us in Russian and the other in English. 

The Chamber Chorus of the Cathedral both opened and closed the program. Sadly, we do not know what they were singing about but the harmonies were exquisite and delivered with commitment and sincerity.

Tchaikovsky got a great deal of attention with several selections from his opera Queen of Spades and Lensky's aria "Kuda, kuda" from Eugene Onegin, sensitively rendered by tenor Pavel Suliandziga. This must be his signature piece since we have heard him sing it several times. The young Lensky, in a trap of his own making, faces the upcoming duel with his friend Onegin and muses upon life and death.  What was a bit new this time (or maybe we hadn't observed it before) was the intensity with which Mr. Suliandziga sustained the feeling in the postlude, emphasizing the sorrow. There was also a diminuendo toward the end that was gracefully rendered. The performance elicited great sympathy for Lensky. "How misguided are the young" we thought, "making foolish and impetuous choices". 

The selections from Queen of Spades were performed by sopranos Zoya Gramagin as Lisa and Eugenia Forteza as Polina and tenor Mikhail Urusov. The two women have very different voices and our favorite piece was their duet. We do believe that the role of Polina was written for a contralto but I heard no evidence of strain; it was just two voices of two friends in emotional concert. This worked in spite of the fact that Ms. Gramagin has a huge dramatic soprano and Ms. Forteza a gentle lyric soprano. We admired Ms. Gramagin's ability to reign in some of the power allowing Ms. Forteza's gentle spirit to shine. Ms. Forteza's solo aria could not have been better.

Ms. Gramagin certainly did have the opportunity to let out all the stops in Lisa's Arioso which was powerful and affecting. Similarly, in her duet with Mr. Urosov later in the program, she scaled her voice to match his huge sound and did not allow herself to be eclipsed.

Mr. Urosov made a powerful and frantic Hermann in both his solos. At times we found ourself wishing he would scale his voice to the room and allow other softer colors into his voice. Some contrast would have been welcome.

The art song portion of the program gave him and Ms. Gramagin another opportunity to perform a duet in Glinka's "Oh, do not tempt me without reason".

Mr. Suliandziga gave a lovely sweet performance of Tchaikovky's "Serenade" and Ms. Gramagin lent her impressive artistry to Rachmaninoff's "I am no prophet" and Tchaikovsky's "Whether day dawns" which, coincidentally, Mr. Suliandziga performed about 2 years ago at Around the World in Song.

As if all that gorgeous music wasn't enough, we also heard some wonderful piano pieces--a four-handed version of "Waltz of the Flowers" from Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker, reminding us of our youthful passion for ballet. This was performed by Raina Wang in the treble position and Nikita  Stepanenko in the bass position. Mr. Stepanenko also performed Rachmaninoff's "Etude-Tableau Op.33 #6".

Rachmaninoff's "Prelude Op.23 No. 2" was offered by Alexander Chaplinskiy. It is always a pleasure to hear a collaborative pianist show off their solo skills. If only the piano had been of better quality, we would have enjoyed it even more.

Although we have always loved Russian instrumental music, we confess we didn't appreciate Russian vocal music until we started writing about it.  Now, we cannot get enough of it!

© meche kroop

MATCHMAKER MATCHMAKER MAKE ME A MATCH

 PRINCIPALS ALEXANDRA RAZSKAZOFF, MARCUS DE LOACH, AND JOHN BELLEMER

(PHOTO BY GUSTAVO MIRABILE)

Teatro Grattacielo is known for producing realismo operas that one is unlikely to see elsewhere. We have lost count of the the number of worthy works they have brought to our attention. So many of them have been heavyweight tragedies but yesterday's production of Mascagni's L'Amico Fritz was just what we needed after the prior night's tragic impact. For this we thank General Director and Artistic Director Stefanos Koroneos.

Cavalleria Rusticana is Mascagni's masterwork and we never ever turn down a chance to see it.  We recall seeing a rather odd production of his rather odd opera Iris at Bard College's Summer Festival a few years ago. But this may be our first exposure to the simple story of L'Amico Fritz.  Of course, any opera lover would have heard the "Cherry Duet" performed as a set piece.

This is a slight work but the simple story is easily relatable. A confirmed bachelor is tricked into marriage by his well meaning friend. In this case, the local rabbi David (baritone Marcus DeLoach) loves to get people married off but Fritz, a local landowner,(John Bellemer) is a confirmed bachelor. The nubile daughter (Alexandra Razskazoff) of one of his tenant farmers seems like a good match and David figures out a way to get them together. Bravi tutti!  A happy ending!

The outstanding features of the evening were the voices and the musicianship of the Queens Symphony Orchestra, conducted by James Bagwell. If the other two principal roles had not been so well sung, we would have said that Ms. Razskazoff ran away with the show. What made her performance so outstanding was not just her sweet finely produced soprano voice but her acting. She completely embodied a shy young country girl trying to deal with a crush on a man of high social status.

Due to the lack of a firm directorial hand by Mr. Koroneos and Malena Dayen, the cast pretty much stood around woodenly with nothing to do. Indeed it was billed as "semi-staged" but the fact that the theater has wrap around balconies that were put to use indicates that there was an attempt at story telling. The absence of set was unfortunate; a mere stepladder for Suzel to climb to pick cherries would have been welcome; we supplied one in our mind's eye. There was a huge chandelier that was eye catching but did not contribute anything.

Mr. Bellemer came alive dramatically as the evening progressed and Mr. DeLoach did his best but they seemed to be floundering onstage with nothing to do. We understand a concert performance in which singers use music stands but this was not the case. It would have been simple to have a couple pieces of furniture or props.

An attempt to involve multi-media seemed to us to be a complete failure. We will not mention the names of those involved but the projections were nothing if not distracting. We would not have minded a still shot in the background of a farm or a living room but the kinetic falling ellipses (cherry blossoms maybe) distracted from the singing. Even worse were the closeups of the singers' faces as they sang.

Costuming by Theresa Miles was generic but serviceable. Since the story is not particular to epoch or locale, it was fine. Except for Beppe, a gypsy of indeterminate gender whose costume was just weird.  Nonetheless, Mariya Kaganskaya did a lovely job with her aria.

There was a servant (Kiena Williams) and a couple friends (David Santiago and Rick Agster) who mainly just stood around and a chorus who made a nice vocal contribution.

Mr. Bagwell drew a lovely performance from the orchestra and we just loved the melodic arias and the aforementioned duet.

In sum, it was a delightful evening of music that only needed some directorial ideas and a few props to make it work as drama.

© meche kroop

CUANDO EL FUEGO ABRASA

Nancy Fabiola Heerrera and Gustavo Feulien in Astor Piazzolla's Oblivion

The post-covid season of opera has been slow getting started, but for a weekend of delights we can thank the newly revived Opera Hispanica,  which has joined forces with Teatro Grattacielo. With Maestro Jorge Parodi at the helm, it seemed quite natural to begin with a work by Argentinian master of tango--Astor Piazzolla.

The first half of the program was his 1982 Oblivion which was used in the film Enrico IV. At this late stage of his life, Piazzolla was already famous for incorporating many musical styles into his tangos, from baroque to jazz. This work can be performed in a variety of instrumentations and we were fortunate to hear members of Metamorphosis Chamber Orchestra conducted by Maestro Parodi himself, comprising a string quartet augmented by flute (doubling on piccolo), oboe, trumpet and French horn. Double bassist Pedro Giraudo did some ear-catching riffs of rhythmic vitality and pianist Rodrigo Ilizaliturri provided support and unification to the individual parts.

The star of the instrumentalists was, of course, bandoneonista Rodolfo Zanetti, whose performance was filled with vitality. The structure of the work is a series of songs, mainly about the suffering of lost love. Baritone Gustavo Feulien, whose Onegin we so admired a couple of years ago, sang with full tone and a depth of anguish in voice, facial expression, and body language. A powerful singer as he is can make you feel the torment in one's own body.  Indeed, who has not loved and lost and suffered!

There were interludes of instrumental music, sometimes a tenderness given to the strings, sometimes a harshness given to the winds. Maestro Parodi kept a firm hand and a gentle touch, as called for by the music. Mezzo-soprano Nancy Fabiola Herrera made only a brief appearance but starred in the second half of the program in which Mr. Feulien only showed up incidentally.

Manuel de Falla's El Amor Brujo began life as a work commissioned by a renowned flamenco dancer and was scored for voice, actors, and chamber orchestra.  Its 1915 premiere in Madrid was not successful; it has gone through a number of changes--getting scored for full orchestra and a suite for piano and has also been performed as a ballet.

Ms. Herrera's electrifying performance gave full attention to both vocalism and dance. Not for a moment did our attention lapse as she created the role of Candela, a gypsy woman haunted by her dead husband. Dressed in black she haunted the stage, or rather the cave in which she sought una bruja to rid her of the ghost. Swirling her mantilla madly she employed a style of singing verging on the jondo flamenco style. Boundaries were transcended on the part of the artist and the audience; we nearly forgot we were in the theater. It was one of those performance one is unlikely to forget.

Troy Ogilvie is credited as choreographer yet Ms. Herrera's performance seemed spontaneous. The set and lighting design was by Jon de Gaetano; it was simple but effective--a few reflective box-like elements scattered about the stage.  At times they were lit so that they appeared as fireplaces, which was particularly effective. Direction was by Malena Dayen. The excellent subtitles were credited to Francisco Miranda

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REALISMO...FOR REAL

 Cav&Pag by New Camerata Opera

(Photo by Michelle Rofrano)

We confess we had our trepidations about traveling to the depths of Brooklyn to see a mashup of Pietro Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana and Ruggero Leoncavallo's Pagliacci. These two operas are most often presented in a double bill, an evening which we have always found satisfying. Both operas take place in small Italian villages and give us a glimpse of what life was like in the late 19th c. Both deal with similar themes of adultery and its consequences in the lives of ordinary people--a period in opera known as realismo.

If that epoch manifested a certain code of honor that is unknown today in civilized countries, our epoch is no stranger to toxic masculinity, abused women, adultery, and revenge. The idea of combining these two operas is not really that farfetched since the music of both composers is written in the same style and the characters are subject to the same passions.  But how to combine them is the question.

We imagine it took a great deal of effort on the part of Director John de los Santos, Music Director Samuel McCoy, and Dramaturg Cori Ellison to weave the two stories into a seamless whole.  The effort paid off and we were rewarded with a gripping evening of entertainment without any "spoon-feeding" to force us into seeing parallels with current social mores; we are left to do our own thinking about the consequences of our behavior.

The director set the story in a small Sicilian village called Poggioreale following the devastating earthquake of 1968. The stage is littered with debris and the citizens are cleaning up the mess. Of course, this cannot fail to remind us of the upheaval in our own lives caused by Covid. It is tempting to think that chaos contributes to peoples' bad behavior. We leave this to you, dear reader, to decide for yourselves.

The singing was excellent with Megan Nielson's lustrous soprano bringing to life the misery of Santuzza, seduced and abandoned by Turridu, played by tenor Steven Wallace as a feckless fellow who flits from woman to woman. In the opera he has fallen for the married Lola (well sung by Eva Parr) and ditched Santuzza. Mamma Lucia was well played by mezzo-soprano Leslie Middlebrook who managed the transition from hostility to sympathy for her son's discarded mistress.

The acting was believable with Ms. Nielson growing in dramatic stature as the story evolved and Mr. Wallace playing a narcissist to the hilt. But the most convincing acting was that of baritone Costas Tsourakis who not only has a superb voice but also impressive acting chops. He had us literally trembling in fear when his Alfio accosts Turiddu. This is opera up close and personal if ever we experienced it.

The role of Canio was played by tenor Erik Bagger who evoked both sympathy (as a victim of his partner's infidelity) and horror equally, as he does what you all know he does. To watch him decompensate as he watches his faithless wife onstage enacting the equivalently faithless Columbine was wrenching. 

Soprano Samina Aslam made a fine Nedda and we particularly enjoyed her slapstick performance as Columbine. An unexpected brilliant performance by a singer formerly unknown to us is a special treat and the size of the role, as you know, means nothing. Rashard Deleston has a sweet plangent tenor which he employed beautifully when Arlecchino serenades Columbine.

The role of Nedda's lover Silvio was persuasively performed by Angky Budiardjono who employed his beautiful baritone instrument to create a most importuning lover, one that would be difficult to resist.

The vengeful Tonio was effectively played by Stan Lacy as a character for whom one feels no sympathy. It is he who sets the tragedy in motion. No one likes a tattletale. Similarly Santuzza is not rewarded by Alfio when she blows the whistle on his errant wife.  The two stories echo each other in a manner that provokes thought.

The townspeople operated as the chorus of onlookers at the traveling show and were effective as a unit and also as individuals reacting to the events.

Director John de los Santos kept the action moving at a lively clip. A bit of comic relief is always welcome in a tragedy and the rubber chicken that Columbine was about to cook found its way into Tonio's pants in a "cock"adoodledoo maneuver that we have never seen before. He utilized the aisles as well as the stage giving the audience a surround sound experience.

Music Director Samuel McCoy was in full command of his reduced orchestra comprising a string quartet augmented by a particularly eloquent string bass, a flute, an oboe, and keyboard. All of the themes were elucidated and one had the impression of a much larger ensemble. We loved the flute's birdsong which inspires Nedda's aria "Stridono Lassu".

Dramaturg Cori Ellison wove the two stories together successfully, inventing some recitativi and dialogue that seemed integral.

Asa Benally's costumes amounted to mid 20th c. streetwear with the shamed Santuzza in black and the flirtatious Lola in a bright dress. Notable were the commedia dell'arte costumes for Columbina and Arlecchino which were adorably silly.

Emily Clarkson's lighting was effective in calling attention to the dramatic moments.

We had a wonderful time and you will too. There will be three more performances and a second cast which promises to be just as good as this one. The venue is a short walk from a stop on the L train and is actually a circus school--a spacious establishment that lent itself well to the performance.

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CITY LYRIC OPERA KICKS IT UP A NOTCH!

"

A RAPT AUDIENCE THRILLS TO SEASON KICK-OFF

A frisson of anticipation filled the theater of The Mansion at Murray Hill. A sizable group of opera lovers, thirsting for live vocal artistry, filled the theater to capacity and rewarded the four splendid singers with enthusiastic applause after every offering. The accomplished artists deserved this wild applause, made even wilder by Covid-related deprivation. We felt like a starving person encountering a buffet table loaded with goodies.

The artists were known to us and have sung either for Around the World in Song or for Voce di Meche's House of Music (Manhattan's tiniest venue-- our living room to be exact)--both situations for which we thought it unfair to review. Thus, it is our greatest pleasure to finally get to tell you what great choices City Lyric Opera has made for their upcoming season.

Beautifully accompanied by the lovely pianist Dura Jun, the singers took turns showing off their versatility.  We, however, will focus on the singers individually. As is customary, we will start with our soprano Shaina Martinez. Ms. Martinez has been on our radar screen since her days at Manhattan School of Music. We were there reviewing her dazzling performances when she won the Ades Competition 3 years ago and when she astonished the huge audience at Riverside Church with a song cycle by Turina. We have thrilled to her Fiordiligi and her Violetta. We never tire of her richly textured sizable soprano.  We love that she will tackle anything and make it her own.

Last night she sang "Glück, das mir verblieb" otherwise known as "Marietta's Lied" from Korngold's Die Tote Stadt, which we never heard her sing before. As in everything else she sings, the flawless vocalism was matched by depth of feeling and understanding of the character.

As far as the Puccini canon, we have enjoyed her Liu and last night found equal pleasure in "Chi il bel sogno di Doretta" from La Rondine, perhaps Puccini's most frivolous opera. Ms. Martinez showed herself to be a superb storyteller. There was one held note that took our breath away as it progressed through an entire rainbow of feelings.

As a prelude to CLO's first offering of the season--Pauline Viardot's  Cendrillon--Ms. Martinez performed "Si je n'y venais" which we had never heard before. The artist portrayed her as a gentle soul but not a victim. We were entranced and, no matter what variant Covid throws at us in December, nothing will keep us away from this production. We advise you to jump on it as soon as the dates are announced.

 Linda Collazo has delighted New York audiences with her richly toned mezzo-soprano and wide range. Indeed, she was the first artist we went to hear just as soon as we got vaccinated when she performed a program of arias and songs about strong women. This reminds us to tell you, dear reader, that CLO is a company founded by two strong women--the lovely Megan Gillis and the equally lovely Kathleen Spencer-- both participating in announcing the season with their winning enthusiasm. To add to the gynocentric orientation, CLO's new Music Director is Maestro Michele Rofrano (no relation to Octavian).

We have mostly heard Ms. Collazo singing zarzuela arias which we love. Last night we were pleased to hear her take on Bizet's Carmen in the "Seguidilla", thankfully sung without the clichés that leave us rolling our eyes. Her Carmen is more subtle and relies more on her voice than posing and strutting. 

"Smanie implacabili" from Mozart's Cosi fan tutte allowed Ms. Collazo to get emotional--even hysterical--which showed off her strengths throughout the register.

But it was "Una voce poco fa" from Rossini's Il barbiere di Siviglia that delighted us the most. We loved the way she gave Rosina a unique personality, using her phrasing most effectively. Readers will recall how much we lean toward bel canto. We enjoyed the very delicate vibrato, the notable decoration of the vocal line, and the fiery cabaletta. The descending scale passages were finely wrought.

Our tenor Cesar Andres Parreño is as gifted dramatically as he is vocally. We first heard him just before Covid struck when, as a student at Juilliard, he participated in a NYFOS program entitled "Cubans in Paris". We were so delighted by his talent that we recruited him to sing in our Around the World in Song.  He is not Cuban but rather Ecuadorian and represented his country magnificently with a selection of folk songs. 

What a pleasure it was to hear him again! He opened the program with an aria from Torroba's Maria Fernanda entitled "De este apacible rincón de Madrid" which suited his plangent lyric tenor perfectly. The timbre is just right for zarzuela and we were thrilled to witness his performance as he varied his emotional tone from tender to powerful.

We were over the moon when he performed yet another zarzuela aria, this one the famous "No puede ser" from Sorozábal's La taberna del Puerto. There is no way to fail to grasp the pain of deception and the delusional quality of one who cannot believe that a woman he loves does not share his moral compass.

In "Una furtiva lagrima" from Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore, the hero Nemorino has the great fortune of winning the woman he loves and Mr. Parreño captured the youthful innocence of his character with his sweet tone and effective acting. It takes courage to tackle an aria that has been performed by all the greats and to make it your own!

Baritone Andres Cascante is less well known to us than the others but we recall that he was one of Opera Index' prize winners about 4 years ago and had pleased us by performing a zarzuela aria.  Maybe he is less known to us but certainly not less appreciated! He made a wonderful Count Almaviva in "Hai già vinta la causa!" from Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro. He used voice, facial expression, and bodily gesture to bring the clueless Count to vivid life. He sang with full tone and total awareness of the text.

In Puccini's Gianni Schicchi, the main character is as arrogant as the Count but a lot smarter.  In "Si corre dal Notaio" he devises a plot to fool the greedy relatives of a dying old man. Mr. Cascante showed himself to be a most effective storyteller.

We must call Mr. Cascante's performance last night "3 shades of arrogance". The Count is arrogant by birth; Schicchi by wiliness; and Escamillo by public adoration. As our artist delivered "Votre toast" from Bizet's Carmen, he created a character enamored of his skill and fame. We just loved the subtleties that limned three very different characters with the same characterological feature.

We recall CLO's initial venture a few years ago when they called the company A.R.E.-- accessible, relatable, and enjoyable.  Although the name was changed, we are happy to report that their aim is the same and their aim is true.

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WHAT LIES BENEATH

 

SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE

            Maestro Will Crutchfield and The Teatro Nuovo Cast and Orchestra

Last night's production of Gioacchino Rossini's comic masterpiece Il barbiere di Siviglia at Damrosch Park was a joy to behold and a night to remember. The New York City opera community has been starved for live opera for over 16 months (but who's counting?) and Maestro Will Crutchfield served up a tasty dish that was completely satisfying but also left us eager for the next meal.

There was something for every taste.  Those who appreciate scholarship had access to some extensive program notes online which we were glad to have read in advance. Readers who are of the same mind can find them here

 https://www.dropbox.com/s/j8glxrj6qhmcrc5/The%20Barber%20of%20Seville%20-%20Preview%20Program.pdf?dl=0#

It was fun to learn more about the background of the opera, some of which we knew and other facts that were new to us. We never knew, for example, how flexible the composition was in terms of numbers that were created by the singers themselves. We were also unaware of the relative absence of fach in Rossini's operas. 

We'd always been told what a departure it was for a soprano to take on the role of Rosina, written for a mezzo-soprano. Not so; categories had yet to be written in stone. Last night's Figaro, for example, was sung by bass Hans Tashjian--and very well sung we might add. We hadn't heard Mr. Tashjian since his multiple appearances with Dell'Arte Opera about seven or eight years ago and were delighted to witness the growth in his artistry.

Maestro Crutchfield devoted a great deal of time and effort in stripping the opera of years of accretions and, truth to tell, we didn't miss the shtick. Thankfully, in spite of a few judicious cuts (necessitated by consideration for the neighbors living around Lincoln Center), all of the scintillating melodies were there, melodies which are still spinning around in our head. Our feet were dancing their way down Broadway, thanks to Rossini's rhythmic gifts.

We can't help wondering where is today's Rossini. He or she is probably writing for Broadway, not for the opera house. We sometimes fail to remember that in the 19th c., opera was a popular art form, an entertainment; it was not about someone grinding a political axe.

Do we care if opera is "relevant"?   No we don't. Do we criticize the presence of stock characters and stereotypes?  We do not. Do we judge the opera for its sociocultural sensitivity? LOL.  We want to have a good time, and last night we did. Pardon our rant but we just had to go there!

As much as we encourage you to read Mr. Crutchfield's exegesis, one didn't need to know a thing about operatic history or scholarship to delight in the wacky story of Cesare Sterbini's libretto. The familiar 19th c. story of a possessive old goat and his subjugated ward has been turned on its head by Sterbini's creation of the subversively rebellious Rosina who outwits the old goat with the help of the wily Figaro, one of opera's most endearing characters.

The role of Rosina was sung by mezzo-soprano Hannah Ludwig who possesses  plenty of strength in the lower register and a brilliant upper register, well employed in a spate of highly original embellishments which, as we learned, Rossini encouraged his singers to devise, as did Maestro Crutchfield  We hope that Ms. Ludwig's artistic evolution involves knitting the two registers more seamlessly, since the decorations often served to highlight the lack of continuity.

The role of Count Almaviva was portrayed by tenor Nicholas Simpson whom we remember as a superb Charles II in Little Opera Theater of New York's production of Carlisle Floyd's Prince of Players and also as having risen above the world's worst production of Wagner's Tannhaüser in the title role. His bright clear tone was perfect for the role; we wanted, however, more clarity in the scale passages and fioritura.

Scott Purcell made a marvelous Doctor Bartolo with first rate singing and acting. The lecherous Doctor is not a likable character but in Mr. Purcell's hands he became a figure of sympathy.

Soprano Alina Tamborini came to our attention just 2 years ago, not only through Teatro Nuovo but also through Talents of the World Competition. We can never forget her performance of "Adele's Audition Aria" from Johann Strauss' Die Fledermaus. How happy we were to hear her again in the role of Berta to which she lent her crystal clear soprano and lovely phrasing.

Daniel Fridley made a fine Don Basilio; we just loved the scene in which the other characters tried to get rid of him. It occurred to us that this is a theme of this particular opera. In Act I, Almaviva tries to get rid of the noisy musicians. Later, Dr. Bartolo tries to get rid of Almaviva who is disguised as a drunken soldier.

Wil Kellerman made the most of his role as an officer, singing with clarity and acting with purpose and conviction.

Kyle Oliver was successful as Fiorello trying to control his boisterous band of musicians accompanying Almaviva's serenade.

With the shtick removed from the big arias, we were able to focus more on the beauty of the duets and the elaborate construction of the ensembles which Rossini used to bring each act to a climax-- leaving everyone exhausted.

The Teatro Nuovo Orchestra filled the plaza with a gorgeous carpet of sound. Maestro Crutchfield led from the cembalo, following the tradition of the early 19th c. First violinist Jakob Lehmann made significant contributions, as did Peter Ferretti who handled his contrabass as one of the characters in the drama.

We would hope to see Maestro Crutchfield "version" with sets and costumes some day, although we think the cast did a fine job of getting the drama across in what is called a "semi's staged" production. So delighted were we to hear live opera, we were in no frame of mind to attack the amplification; nonetheless, it did not exactly improve upon the singers' natural voices.

Furthermore, we were feeling rather tolerant of the titles projected behind the orchestra.  Lucy T. Yates and Maestro Crutchfield himself were given credit for the titles which rhymed but were not direct translations from the Italian. We dealt with it by ignoring them when we couldn't reconcile them.

Those were our only quibbles with an evening of delights, made even more delightful by sharing the experience in public with fellow opera lovers. We began by describing the opera as having something for everyone. Academics could enjoy the research that went into restoring the opera to something close to its origins. Neophytes could enjoy it for its good humor and tunefulness. Many might not have been aware of the cuts, the eliminations, or the original contributions. But everyone had a good time!

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A NEW LOOK AT VIOLETTA

 We would go to the ends of the earth to hear one of our favorite sopranos interpret the role of our favorite female character. Fortunately we only had to go to 112th St. to hear Shaina Martinez show us more about Violette Valery than we had ever realized. Aside from a stunning voice, it is just this sort of insight that keeps us involved and makes us want to hear the same opera repeatedly. It's all in Verdi's music, of course, but most singers fail to delve deeply enough into the role and surrender to stereotypes. 

Let us begin by thanking The Lighthouse Opera Company for this live performance of Verdi's masterpiece La Traviata. We can think of no other opera that has such a profound effect. It is the clearly drawn and complex characters of Francesco Maria Piave's  libretto (adapted from Alexander Dumas' La dâme aux camellias) and their growth from one act to the next that captivates us.

In Act I, Violetta is a brittle and shallow "party girl", burning the candle at both ends. In Act II, she is a woman who has surrendered to love and softened. She is struck down by some pretty bad news delivered by her lover's father, allowing the provincial papa to see her true feelings but bravely hiding them from her lover.

In Act III, she is a pathetic and desperate dying woman, longing for the support that may never come. Although we were not given an excerpt from Act I (the restrictions of the staging could not have allowed it) Ms. Martinez limned her characters growth in Act II and her fading hopes of Act III.

And here comes the part that was new to us, an aspect that the artist conveyed by the most subtle but effective coloration. Violetta is not just making a sacrifice to help her lover's sister achieve a respectable marriage; she is actually identifying with this pure young woman who has led a respectable life, is accepted by society, and enjoys protection by her devoted father. One could see in the artist's facial expression and hear in her voice how her nobility of character and identification with the other more fortunate woman made this sacrifice possible.

Not only did we thrill to Ms. Martinez' vocal artistry but we were captivated by the depth of her characterization. Who of us has not felt a combination of admiration, identification, and envy of those whose fortunes are far more sanguine than our own.

The vocal artistry was so perfect that it served the character without calling undue attention to itself. This is what we love to see in an opera performance. We think that those who focus on the high notes or other technical aspects are missing the boat.  The thrill of opera is in the drama! Do we believe it? Can we identify? Are we moved? Yes, yes, and yes.

The other performances were excellent. Tenor Michael Celentano did a fine job as Alfredo. His "De' miei bollenti spiriti" was as ardent as one would wish and we were pleased to note Mr. Celentano's growth as an artist since we heard him the last time.

Baritone Joseph Gansert was an effective Giorgio Germont, demonstrating all the smugness of a provincial ready to read the riot act to the unacceptable paramour of his wayward son. How effectively he rose to a position of empathy as he realized Violetta's quality! This set the stage for Act III when he comes to her deathbed with respect and affection.

The duet with Violetta "Pura siccome un Angelo" was finely rendered and his pleading with his son "Di Provenza mar e suol" revealed him to be well meaning but manipulative.

Violetta's companion Annina was performed by Ema Mitrovic and the role of Dr. Grenvil was taken by Charles Carter. Matteo Adams portrayed the messenger Giuseppe. These are small roles but were well done.

Conductor and pianist Stephen Francis Vasta stood in for the orchestra and managed to convey the textures of the music as well as a solo piano could. Director John Tedeschi did the best he could within the confines of a tiny stage in a lovely church. All he had to deal with was a couple of chairs and a lectern that stood in the way. Singers were obliged to keep their six feet of distance with exchange of letters merely suggested.

These are indeed strange times for opera and The Lighthouse Opera Company did their best. Exceptional voices and acting can make up for a lot of "lacks". The imagination of the viewer must compensate and what our mind's eye produced was definitely not the "Dr. Death and Big Clock" symbolism of the latest Metropolitan Opera iteration but rather scenes pulled from our memory of more traditional and effective productions. 

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