THE BUTTERFLY LOVERS

 Ma Renjie and Xuan Cheng

(photo by Rosalie O'Connor, courtesy of Hong Kong Ballet)

It comes as no surprise that The Butterfly Lovers is one of China's four major folk tales. Dating back to about the 3rd or 4th c. AD, the poignant story of star-crossed lovers has inspired plays, films, a violin concerto, music videos, a figure skating act, and several operas, although we could find no evidence of it being performed by the Peking Opera.

Storytelling has been part of human culture since the dawn of speech, long before the alphabet and written language. Mankind has always loved stories, sharing them by means of music, song, and dance, and eventually through books and film. There is a commonality between opera and ballet in that both performing arts drive straight to the emotions, often bypassing the critical thinking part of the brain. And therein lies their special value.

Last night we had the privilege of attending a performance of the Hong Kong Ballet which was formed in 1979, fortunately escaping the meretricious intentions of The Cultural Revolution. Judging by their repertoire, they are firmly in the camp of classical ballet as exemplified by the choreographers whose works they perform. We are glad, however, that our first experience of their repertoire was The Butterfly Lovers, since we are a great devotée of Chinese culture.

The themes of The Butterfly Lovers are universal--forbidden love, gender inequality, classism, societal norms, and the transcendence of love. Although similar stories can be found in many cultures (Romeo and Juliet, Yentl) here the story is told through a Chinese lens with concept and choreography by Hu Song Wei Ricky and librettist/associate choreographer Mai Jingwen. The story is told episodically with sequential scenes illuminating the relationship of the heroine Zhu Yingtai with her aristocratic parents, her gender secret admission to an academic institution, her meeting with fellow student Liang Shanbo, their developing relationship (including their awkward mutual sexual awakening) and the tragedy which follows her being called home for a forced marriage.

A particularly lovely scene was the sexual awakening when Liang discovers that Zhu is a girl. The set designer Tim Yip (who also designed the stylized but period authentic costumes) had our romantic couple side by side on a nearly vertical bed, giving the audience full view of their awkward and playful interaction. Meanwhile, in a most effective directorial and choreographical gambit, a different pair of dancers created a sensual and tender pas de deux. 

The New York City Ballet Orchestra, under the baton of Maestro Lio Kuokman, performed the varied score of Tian Mi. Did we hear strains of the violin concerto entitled Butterfly Lovers, composed by He Zhanhao  and Chen Gang whilst students at the Shanghai Conservatory? We were inspired to listen to the work performed by Joshua Bell and a group in Singapore playing on Chinese instruments instead of the Western orchestra it was written for. It is a splendid piece of music that was composed in 1959 and was repressed until the Cultural Revolution ended.

As for the dancing, we found it satisfying in every respect. Relationships between characters were made very clear. Zhu's pas de deux with her father was completely different from her pas de deux with Liang. Choreographic combinations flowed with what in opera might be called legato technique. Lifts and carries were exciting and sensual. 

For purposes of variety there were large ensembles in colorful costumes, at times dancing aggressively to aggressive music. There was only one scene that seemed off to us.  It involved a corps of female dancers in white tutus, looking as if they wandered in from another ballet. We just shrugged that off as an anomaly or something that went over our head.

Finally, we would like to mention how the lighting by Yeung Tsz Yan added visual interest to the simple but effective scenic design. We hope that The Hong Kong Ballet will return soon and hopefully perform one of the other four famous Chinese legends. Regular readers will recall our distaste for the didactic and the abstract. Story ballets are what we want to experience, and an Asian company is best suited to introduce us to Asian stories!

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SLEEPWALKING

 Abigail Lysinger, Abigail Raiford, Teresa Castillo, and Christopher Bozeka

"Nothing with kings

Nothing with crowns;

Bring on the lovers, liars and clowns"

The clever lyrics of Stephen Sondheim from the 1962 hit musical Something Happened on the Way to the Forum came to mind, contrasting Teatro Nuovo's production of Bellini's 1831 La Sonnambula with the prior evening's performance of Verdi's Macbeth which we just reviewed. Will Crutchfield's instructive program notes call this work an opera semiseria, differentiating it  from opera buffa, a genre we are all familiar with, thanks to the earlier creations of Rossini.

It is serious because it deals with real human emotion but the comic designation comes from the fact that it has a happy ending. (Truth to tell, it didn't seem so happy to us that the sweet and innocent young Amina (sung  by soprano Teresa Castillo in sensational coloratura form) would be shackled for life to the immature and narcissistic land owner Elvino (played by tenor Christopher Bozeka). 

He is so mistrustful of his bride that he is ready to abandon her on their wedding day and so fickle and vengeful  that he plans to immediately marry another woman. Well, autre temps, autre moeurs. Amina seems a forgiving sort and we hope that the immature Elvino will grow up. It might have seemed less dire if the role had been played by a jejune youth who seemed ready to grow up.

What thrilled us about this performance were the musical values of this period-correct orchestra . Elisa Citterio served as Primo Violino e Capo d'Orchestra often conducting with her bow; Mo. Crutchfield served as Maestro al Cembalo; Derrick Goff was Maestro del Coro.  Bellini's long lyrical lines melded with Felice Romani's flowing poetry to excellent effect. The vocal artistry was nearly perfect, which we will get to later.

What bothered us most was the lack of staging and costuming. At the previous night's Macbeth, we scarcely noticed these deficiencies but there was something a bit "off" about the staging and acting in this Sonnambula. It seemed as if the characters were each performing in a different mode and time period. At times we perceived a sly "meta" wink at the story; at other times a period appropriate sincerity. All in all, the women came across better than the men.

The villager Alessio (bass-baritone Vincent Graña) is in love with the inn-keeper Lisa (soprano Abigail Raiford) who is pursuing the afore-mentioned Elvino, who is about to marry Amina. Amina's somnambulism is not understood by the villagers and, when accused of unfaithfulness, only her mother Teresa (mezzo-soprano Abigail Lysinger) stands by her side. It is the arrival of the long absent Count Rodolfo (bass-baritone Owen Phillipson) that both precipitates and then resolves the crisis.

Ms. Castillo's performance was impeccable with stunning execution of the difficult fioritura; no doubt some of the cadenzas were devised by the artist herself but there were some outstanding embellishments of the vocal line that had been written by Bellini himself but never performed! We invite you, Dear Reader, to hear Mo. Crutchfield's demonstration online in a brief clip including Ms. Castillo. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSX8kuNc6l4.  We would love to hear your comments below.

Unfortunately, we have no equivalent encomia to offer about Mr. Bozeka's performance. He seemed to be having a bad night, particularly in Act II when challenged by the high tessitura. The work was performed in its original key which is higher than that which audiences have previously heard.

Both Abigails performed their parts well with Ms. Raiford playing Lisa for contemporary laughs. The audience loved it and, if the comic emphasis had been consistent, we might have loved it as well. Still, the story is so not contemporary by virtue of the villagers' ignorance and belief in specters that we doubt it would have worked. Sometimes it's best to treat an historical work with authenticity and leave out the irony. 

In sum this was a rare and rewarding opportunity to hear the work as Bellini meant for it to be heard. With appropriate Swiss peasant costuming and a firm directorial hand, this production would put that of any famed opera house to shame.

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THE SCOTTISH OPERA

 

Romeo Lopez, Martin Luther Clark, Ricardo José Rivera, Alexandra Loutsion, and Cumhur Görgün

Verdi's masterpiece Macbeth does not seem to be burdened by the superstitions surrounding Shakespeare's brilliant tragedy. There were no mishaps Wednesday evening at New York City Center when Teatro Nuovo produced an absolutely riveting performance of Verdi's original 1847 version of the opera, composed during his early period. This version is rarely performed, having been supplanted by a revised version Verdi created nearly twenty years later, at a time when his compositional style had evolved. 

Our first contact with the opera was a quarter century ago, before we began writing about opera. Nevertheless we will never forget Lauren Flanigan's performance as the ambitious Lady Macbeth. Since then we have seen a few productions that were well done, especially one by Dell'Arte Opera Ensemble, which also brought the earlier version to light. 

Thanks to Maestro Will Crutchfield and Teatro Nuovo we were able to appreciate an intensely blood and guts creation, heavily influenced by the bel canto period with its plethora of audience favored cabalette.  Crutchfield's pre-performance lecture, given as usual without notes and drawing from an inexhaustible fund of knowledge, went a long way toward our appreciation of Verdi's incomparable skill in expanding the bel canto tropes of the period to great effect on the emotions. We have no opportunity to compare the two versions side by side but trust Crutchfield's instruction. We heard a few cabalette that were dropped for the later version as Verdi's architecture became more sophisticated. We found them rousing and most satisfying.

Sometimes we appreciate the sophistication a composer achieves in his later years, as in Mozart's final few symphonies. At other times we prefer works of an artist's early period when he or she was more daring and searching for a new voice. (In the world of visual arts we were surprised to learn how much we liked Picasso's work before he evolved into cubism). But as far as Macbeth goes, the early version we heard affected us emotionally on a deeper level. For example, in the final act when the chorus (here given a larger part) mourns the sad fate befalling Scotland, we couldn't help but think of the sad path currently being forced upon the United States by power mad forces. This is exactly what art should do--confront us with our situation in an indirect manner that allows us to draw the connection ourselves. Just as the English came to help the ailing Scotland, we fantasized that Canada would come to rescue the United States from the scarily burgeoning Fascism.

It was interesting to learn how enthusiastic the Florentine audience was in 1847, demanding many repeats. It is even more interesting when we learned that no one in Italy knew of Shakespeare's play or the glory of iambic pentameter in his use of the English language.  Probably largely responsible for the roaring success was the combination of Verdi's passionate music and Maria Piave's adaptation of Shakespeare's tale. What a partnership this pair created!

 Jakob Lehmann has the commanding presence of a man twice his size. As Maestro Concertatore e Direttore he was in full command of the orchestra, organized as is customary with Teatro Nuovo with all musician's facing each other. Lehmann conducts with his entire body and sitting close was a real treat for us.

We have nothing but praise for the singers. As the eponymous hero, tenor Ricardo José Rivera managed to color his excellent instrument with increasing darkness, having started out rather mildly but, driven by his wife's ambition and the dark work of the witches, the colors became suitably darker. Embellishments of the vocal line were clean.

Soprano Alexandra Loutsion made an equally compelling Lady Macbeth, at times seductive and at times driving, coloring her huge instrument to the text. The lavish fioritura seemed no challenge for her flexible instrument. Although it was difficult to feel sympathy for Macbeth, the gentle compassion of Lady Macbeth's  lady-in-waiting toward the sleep-walking "heroine" rubbed off on us, an amazing emotional shift.  But no wonder! It was the superlative young soprano Jihye Seo who impressed us so thoroughly this year in her performance of Cio-Cio-San and here did such a fine piece of work as the lady-in-waiting.

Another young artist that grabbed our attention was the up-and-coming tenor Martin Luther Clark whose grief-stricken Macduff tore at our heartstrings . We also enjoyed Derrick Goff as Duncano, the doomed King of Scotland, Macbeth's first victim. Bass Cumhur Görgün did well with the role of Banquo, killed off to early in our opinion! As Duncan's son Malcolm we heard Romeo Lopez who, by contrast, appeared too late. What we mean to say is we would like to hear more of them!

Let us say a few words about the staging. In place of sets we had projections--not the annoying distracting moving variety.  Just a series of still photos establishing the various locations in the castle, a woodland clearing, and Burnham Wood. There was no stage furniture save for a lone modern chair on which Lady Macbeth sat briefly. The sole attempt at staging was a roaring success-- the scene for the witches in which they danced around an impressive cauldron. The scene was inordinately powerful with young artists singing and dancing around the flaming cauldron. 

The minimal staging is quite likely due to a lack of funding which also called attention to itself in a lack of costuming a more serious lack, one which might have been remedied at minimal expense. We have seen small impoverished companies create costuming suggestive of period and place; so, we surmise, the priority of Teatro Nuovo is on top quality  music as evidenced by the superlative singing and outstanding orchestral performance. Oddly, the child Fléance sported a white tunic. Everyone else dressed in black garb or suits. With such intensely satisfying musical values, please, Dear Reader, take this as an observation, not a complaint.

Indeed, this will go down as one of the year's best productions, by virtue of its musical values, it's dramatic impact, and the unique novel effect of being introduced to a rarity.

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ANCIEN REGIME

 

The Versailles Royal Opera Orchestra

We are, by default, members of the Second Estate in late 17th c. France, guests of a gracious host, being royally entertained and plied with drink and nibbles, witnessing all manner of entertainment in a rococo palace,  We do not realize we are the last remaining exemplars of the French aristocracy .

Well, actually, we are attending a gala event at the rococo fashion emporium Printemps, produced by prominent New York impresario Andrew Ousley who knows well how to do "immersive". Putting together such an event requires an inordinate amount of coordination and contacts, as one can well imagine.

The centerpiece of the evening, for us classical music addicts, was the first United States performance of the Versailles Royal Opera Orchestra which performed on instruments of the Baroque period with winds softer and gentler than modern winds, conducted by Concertmaster Stefan Plewniak.

 The anachronistic program included works by Rossini who was not due to arrive on the musical scene for well over a century later. We recognized  works from Tancredi and Semiramide and enjoyed the performance of countertenor Franco Fagioli, as did the rest of the rather large audience.  An unknown piece (unknown to us, that is) was identified by a seatmate as K-Pop, about which we may choose to remain ignorant.

There was more music to delight the ear, much more. The second floor space of Printemps in downtown Manhattan is vast with many rooms connected by corridors, each space affording a new delight. There was a string quartet and a theorboist Dušan Balarin accompanying soprano Ariadne Greif. Adam Young performed on the viola da gamba.

After working our way through the corridor of music we arrived at a series of tableaux vivants, set up within spacious repurposed fitting rooms, illustrating scenes from the "Affair of the Poisons" that created a tumultuous tidal wave in the court of Louis XIV. This led us to inform ourself about this period of French history, about which we knew nothing. Lots of secret poisonings, arrests, and executions.  Live and learn! What good is art if one doesn't also learn something thereby.

The many salons and corridors were peopled by members of Company XIV, actors and performers in lavish period appropriate costumes and powdered wigs. There was also some period dancing which we missed. There was so much going on that one would have had to clone oneself to take it all in. We did catch the end of a sword swallowing act in which the woman swallowed something that was at least as long as a sword but seemed to be neon lit.

Our attention, toward the end of the evening, was riveted by Creatine Price, a singer of our acquaintance who shall remain unidentified  until he gives us permission to reveal it. We admit to loving drag performance, but especially so when performed by a genuine opera singer with a great voice. We particularly enjoyed the no-hold-barred "Habanera" from Bizet's Carmen.

Having enjoyed such a dazzling evening of entertainment and revelry, we have a special reason to mention the high quality wines which were poured, courtesy of Bouchaine Vineyards in Napa County, California. What made this significant is the participation of the owners, Tatiana and Garrett Copeland, who not only provided the wine but were responsible for bringing the Versailles Opera Orchestra to North America for their first tour, including performances in Napa Valley, Toronto, and Montreal. Although the Versailles Opera Orchestra was not in existence at the time of Louis XIV, they were founded in 1770 by Louis XV--before the colonies here declared independence from Great Britain.  Now that's history.

There will be another performance by the Versailles Royal Opera Orchestra tonight at Florence Gould Hall of the Alliance Française but we regret to inform you that the event has long been sold out. Next time Mr. Ousley announces an event we advise you to jump on it. Of course, Dear Reader, you already know about his Death of Classical events at The Crypt? If not, just ask us.

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THE DRAMA OF THE LIED

 

Lara Saldanha, Victoria Falcone, and Nina Riley (photo by Andrew Bisdale)

If you were fortunate enough to have attended Dell'Arte Opera Ensemble's concert last night at the A.R.T. Center you would have experienced what a lieder recital can and should be. In a program conceived by Maestro Chris Fecteau, each set of songs became a mini opera, since each set had a theme.

There was an overall unity to the program since all of the texts were written by Paul Heyse who translated them from Italian--hence the title of the concert Italienische Liederbuch. Most fans of lieder have heard Heyse's poetry as set  by Hugo Wolf under that very name. But many of us, ourself included, did not know the wealth of material set by other composers. 

We did, of course, know that other German texts have been given multiple settings by different composers but this assemblage had a dramatic intent, the realization of which was an original and effective undertaking. Although no director was listed in the program, we will hazard a guess that Mo. Fecteau undertook the task and it was a fine undertaking indeed.

The material was not organized by composer, but rather organized along the principle of theme, so each listener was swept into the mini dramas and offered an opportunity to access his or her own memories and imagination.

Hermann Goetz's brief period of composition predated that of the late 19th century Hugo Wolf whereas Joseph Marx's heyday was somewhat later. Nonetheless, there is enough similarity within German Romanticism to unite the works, which also included one by Brahms and also Arnold Mendelssohn (a relation of Felix). There was no jarring as there might have been if modern compositions had been included.

The first set of songs was entitled "Young Lovers" and found the bright-voiced soprano Nina Riley locking gazes with the richly voiced mezzo-soprano Victoria Falcone. Both singers amplified the vocalism with dramatic enactments of flirtation. Accompanying with panache at the piano was Lara Saldanha.

We have special admiration for singers who deliver their material "off the book" which makes for better audience contact and soprano Ellen Teufel accomplished that with ease, accompanied by Mo. Fecteau himself who is always a pleasure to hear.

Following was an exploration of a love triangle comprising soprano Heather Bobeck, mezzo-soprano, Olivia Ericsson, and tenor Stephen Steffens. The facial expressions and gestures of the two women were priceless. Furthermore, it was a pleasure to hear Mr. Steffens in gentler material than that written by Mozart for Emperor Tito, which we had heard the night before.

The relationship between Father and Daughter was well explored by soprano Elizaveta Kozlova and bass Jason Adamo who presented a very distant father who seemed never to look at his lovely daughter. David Stech accompanied and also provided an absolutely delightful interlude.  Felix Mendelssohn' Songs Without Words do not need words but his "Barcarolle" in the hands of Mr. Stech produced images of Venice in my mind's eye, a gentle swaying in my body, and strangely enough, in my mind's ear, the lonely musings of the gondolier paddling himself home at the end of the night! Words were not needed but they came unbidden.

Soprano Clara Lisle joined with tenor Andres Penalver for songs about love transcending death, accompanied by Ms. Saldanha. Just when we thought the program was over, we were fortunate enough to have two more songs by Ms. Teufel accompanied by Mo. Fecteau. We observed that Ms. Teufel is always "off the book" and in a position to make good contact with the audience. In the Wolf "Gesegnet sei" she was very still but seemed to loosen up with her gestures in Marx's "Ständchen". We had the thought that her artistry could go from an "A" to an "A-plus" if she could make her gestures more specific. This is a fine point we have been becoming more aware of recently. It takes a performance to a higher level.

Although we could happily have listened to more, we did feel satisfied by the program, which succeeded in accessing our own memories and associations. As in the other two events of Dell'Arte's 25th season, we were very happy with the organization of the space and the clarity of the supertitles. We found ourselves wishing there were more events!

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WITTEN IN HASTE, ENJOYED FOR CENTURIES

 Barbee Monk, Valérie Filloux, Elizaveta Kozlova, Stephen Steffens, Sarah Nelson Craft, Jason Adamo

Mozart's opera seria La Clemenza di Tito was "dashed off" in 1791 within weeks of its commission, to celebrate the coronation of Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor, as King of Bavaria. (This commission was first offered to the more senior composer Antonio Salieri.) The libretto by court poet Caterino Mazzolà was edited from an original version by Metastasio which had been set numerous times. At the time, Mozart was actually in the middle of composing Die Zauberflöte and careful listening to the score reveals a number of similarities.

As centerpiece of its 25th season, Dell'Arte Opera Ensemble chose this treasure to present in an original reduction of the score by Maestro Chris Fecteau. We lack the time and energy to fulfill every request for a review and we pick and choose on the basis of our interest in the work, an opportunity to hear a singer we like, a recommendation by a friend or colleague, or our particular affection for the producing company.  It is often the case that we find ourselves more impressed in the viewing/hearing by a feature we weren't expecting. 

Our long term affection for Dell'Arte Opera Ensemble seemed reason enough to attend a Mozart opera that is not among our top four. To our delight, we heard elements of the score that were illuminated by Mo. Fecteau's reduction, elements that delighted the ear and impressed us with their effectiveness. We love vocal duets but what astonished us last night was the idea of a duet between a singer and an instrument, in this case mostly the clarinet. It was as if there were an invisible singer offstage in dialogue with the actual singer, one repeating an idea of the other, or advancing a complementary melody. We might say that our ears received the gift of an education, or a revelation.

The reduction of the score involved piano, violin, cello, and four winds--the aforementioned clarinet (played by Katie Curran), flute, bassoon, and French horn. There was a remarkable clarity in the voicing and we heard the score with fresh ears.

Metastasio's story features the titular Tito, a loving and generous ruler who puts the well being of his subjects ahead of his own desires. If Mozart chose to flatter the anointed Leopold we wouldn't be a bit surprised. We couldn't help fantasizing that our contemporary self-appointed "King" might change his ways if he deigned to visit a performance at the Kennedy Center! We wish!

Tito (tenor Stephen Steffens) casts aside his intended Beatrice because she is a foreigner (ahem!) and chooses a local lady, sister of his friend Sesto (mezzo-soprano Sarah Nelson Craft in travesti)  Unfortunately Servillia (soprano Elizaveta Kozlova) is in love with Annio (Valerie Filloux also in travesti) another one of his friends. With generosity of spirit, the magnanimous Tito wishes her well and turns his marital ambitions toward Vitellia (soprano Barbee Monk) who, unfortunately, has persuaded her most ardent admirer Sesto to murder Tito to avenge her father whom Tito had deposed.

The unlucky Sesto is weak-willed and easily manipulated by the vengeful Vitellia (although the lucky singer who sings Sesto gets to sing the memorable "Parto, parto") and the suspense is whether the loyal Sesto will betray her to save his life or will this narcissistic woman realize the error of her ways and tell Tito that she was the one who set the assassination plot in motion. If you want to learn what happens you will have to attend one of the upcoming performances on June 20th and 22nd. The sixth member of the able cast is Publio, sung by Jason Adamo.

We recommend the performance but we don't recommend reading the Director's Notes as Benjamin Spierman tries to mansplain why the innocent toga-clad Servillia (the kindest character in the opera) is sporting a black leather motorcycle jacket. Fortunately Vitellia's Ancient Rome attire is a propos and we will just assume that Costume Designer Eric Lamp was just trying to fulfill a directorial concept. Please don't ask us why there was a videographer wandering around from time to time with the results projected onto the walls!

The black box playing space is comfortable with raked seating along two sides of the box and the chamber orchestra along the third side. Again, let us praise the clear titles that are adequate in size and projected where every audience member can read them.

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VOICE OF HER HEART

 Dell'Arte Opera Ensemble is celebrating its 25th Anniversary with some compelling evenings this week and next. The season opener was a delightful evening celebrating women composers and songs about women, sung by an all-female cast. Among the singers we heard some fine young singers comprising those singing currently with Dell-Arte and some alumnae that we recall from years gone by.

We were enchanted by the first half of the program which represented various stages of a woman's life, apparently inspired by Adelbert von Chamisso's text which was set by Robert Schumann and Carl Loewe (Frauenliebe und Leben). We would never hold one above the other; each composer invested the text with different shades of emotion, within his compositional style. 

Both sopranos served the music well, as did collaborative pianist Lara Saldanha. We have been hearing Elizaveta Kozlova quite a bit recently whereas Victoria Falcone has been off our radar screen since 2017 when we loved her performance in Janaçek's Cunning Little Vixen at Manhattan School of Music. It is always rewarding to hear singers remembered from their conservatory years. This part of Act I was called Enchanted and we were indeed enchanted, especially by the sopranos opening and closing the set with a Schumann duet.

Separating Enchanted from Betrothal  Ms. Saldanha delighted our ears with Clara Schumann's Fier Flüchtige Stücke, no. 3.

The Betrothal section also focused mainly on the Schumann and Loewe settings. The fine singers were soprano Jennifer Gliere, well remembered for a stunning Violetta about 8 years ago in Amore Opera's production of La Traviata, and mezzo-soprano Valerie Filloux who performed so well just last year with Dell'Arte.  We couldn't help noticing that the young narrator of the von Chamisso text was so much calmer in "Ich kann nicht fassen, nicht glauben" than the one portrayed by Schumann. We were also glad to hear  a lied by Clara Schumann, a setting of a Rückert text which was later set by Richard Strauss--"Liebst du um Schönheit". The fine accompaniment was performed by David Stech.

The third section, also accompanied by Mr. Stech,  was entitled Motherhood, and was performed by sopranos Nina Riley (new to us) and Jenny Ribeiro whom we reviewed at least a decade ago as a fine Susanna and an even finer Rosina, surprising us with her take on a role usually assigned to a mezzo-soprano. Augmenting the most welcome excerpts from the Schumann and Loewe cycles, were two duets, one by Mendelssohn ("Volkslied") and one by Richard Strauss ("Muttertanderlei") which never fails to amuse us with two mothers boasting about their respective offspring.

The final section of Act I was entitled Departed with Ms. Filloux returning, joined by soprano Barbee Monk accompanied by Ms .Saldanha. The two lovely ladies opened with a Brahms duet "Klänge 1" and closed in perfect harmony with Maestro Chris Fecteau's arrangement of the tragic "Nun hast du mir den ersten Schmerz getan", weaving together Schumann and Loewe, whose compositional voices joined as successfully as the voices of the two singers had.

It is always a pleasure to hear Maestro Fecteau at the piano but we cannot express the same enthusiasm for Act II as we did for Act I. Perhaps it is unfair to try to appreciate contemporary compositions when one has just swooned over the 19th century greats. Three female composers from New York City were given voice--Martha Sullivan, Valerie Saalbach, and Ellen Mandel.

Forgive us Dear Reader if we seem somewhat vague but try as we might, we could not keep our 19th century-tuned ears involved in the compositions, one of which was a setting of text by Elizabeth Barrett Browning. However, we did appreciate hearing some new voices. The soprano of Andrea Chinedu Nwoke is an astounding instrument, full of power but also luscious in its overtones We were not surprised to learn that she has a past in the mezzo-soprano fach. 

We were also happy to get another hearing of soprano Antonina Ermolenko, who we remember for having sung some delightful Ukrainian songs perhaps two years ago. We were also glad to get a further hearing of Clara Lisle. She was a bright light in a regrettable 2018 production of Eugene Onegin which we are glad she survived! She closed the program with Ellen Mandel's setting of a text by Seamus Heaney entitled "Sleep".  Our opera singer companion thought the program should have ended with a more rousing finale but we actually enjoyed the soothing quietude.

The second half of the program involved a dancer of the Modern Ballet persuasion which involves a lot of floor work and is not to our taste. We are great fans of virtuoso classical ballet which commands our full attention, especially when it brings Tchaikovsky's music to visual life. What we saw was  more a distraction in its abstractness and did not appear to add anything to the music. We are quite sure however that there were many in the audience who found pleasure in it. We are just rather particular in our taste.

We cannot close without praising the titles which were projected in full view of everyone in the audience, and sufficient in size and illumination. This seems rather basic but we recently had an experience where the text was tiny and obliterated by the set for most of the time, and washed out by the lighting.

Dell'Arte has two more events in store that we are looking forward to and you should too. The Italienische Liederbuch will be presented on 6/19 and 6/21. Mozart's La Clemenza di Tito will be performed on 6/18, 20, and 22.

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A BAROQUE SALOME

Patrick Ressenbacher, Raven McMillon, Randall Scotting, Maestro Neal Goren, Joseph Beutel, Olanna Goudeau, and Edith Harrison

What we heard at Catapult Opera's production of Alessandro Stradella's San Giovanni Battista delighted the ear but was violently at war with what we saw onstage. Our troubled brain was catapulted back and forth between some thrillingly adventurous Baroque music, as thrillingly sung as it was played, and some colorful but nonsensical hijinks taking place onstage.

Let us begin with the delights. Stradella's oratorio is three and a half centuries old and yet it struck us with its freshness. We are far from expert in Baroque music and barely know the difference between a concertino and a concerto grosso, but we are familiar with melodic invention, rhythmic variety, and vocal virtuosity. To say that Maestro Neal Goren (well remembered from Gotham Chamber Opera) elicited a magnificent performance from his musicians would be an understatement.

Vocal artistry was presented in good measure by a vocally accomplished cast. The eponymous Giovanni (John the Baptist) was sung by counter-tenor Randall Scotting. Bass-baritone Joseph Beutel performed the role of Herod, with his wife Herodiade sung by soprano Olanna Goudeau. Soprano Raven McMillon  performed the role of Salome. Tenor Patrick Bessenbacher sang the role of the Councilor. Stradella's vocal writing was fluid with lots of duets, trios, and ensembles, all given exquisite harmonies. No complaints there!

The problem for us was integrating what we heard with what we saw.  Set designer Joshua Sticklin created  a vaguely 1970's home, complete with a credenza housing a television screen, and a well-supplied bar. Oana Botez' costumes included a golden caftan for Herodias which matched her golden voice, platform shoes for Salome which did not interfere with her petite stature, and Western attire for San Giovanni Battista. What, may you ask, was this Marlboro Man doing in this suburban home?

The "concept" of Director Timothy Nelson was to illustrate the depravity of Herod's household by setting it in the 1970's with a dysfunctional family right out of a Wes Anderson film. Mother is clearly disappointed in Father and flirts openly with what appears to be a family friend. There is a considerable amount of imbibing. Little sister is glued to the TV, watching what seems to be a screen-saver. Just normal suburbia, except for the table which reveals itself to be a tiny cell into which the visiting Marlboro Man is imprisoned, and behind which he will be decapitated. This takes us beyond Wes Anderson territory and into Wes Craven territory. Yikes!

Then, Dear Reader, there is the obligatory homosexualization of the story. Marlboro Man kisses Daddy on the mouth and there is hand-holding and other signs of mutual affection. Does Daddy order Marlboro Man's death out of a homosexual panic instead of indulging his stepdaughter's blackmail? Can a man be both homosexual and also a girl-child abuser?

The beheading of Marlboro Man is performed by Mother's paramour (thankfully secreted behind the little prison) and by the time the bloody head came out on the silver platter we were ready to just close our eyes and listen to the daddy-daughter duet--he in despair and her in exultation. And then....the music stops! Stradella ended his oratorio on the dominant, never resolving to the tonic. We surmise Stradella wanted his audience to leave upset and upset we were.

The libretto was written by a priest named Ansaldo Ansaldi who based his text on the Book of Matthew. We cannot comment on it because the positioning of the titles and the lighting (by Yannick Godts) obscured the titles much of the time, but we would hazard a guess that it did not mesh well with the onstage action.

By a strange coincidence, it was only a few moths ago that Heartbeat Opera produced Strauss' Salome in the exact same venue--The Space at Irondale. In spite of the fact that it was sung in English and presented in contemporary times, there was no battle between sight and sound. Perhaps Stradella's work might better have been left as the gorgeous oratorio it was written.

©meche kroop

EARLY STRAUSS

 Maestro Leon Botstein congratulates soprano Angela Meade

 

In yesterday's discussion of the various forms of opera available to New Yorkers, we neglected to mention a most important one--that of the concert presentation as exemplified by the American Symphony Orchestra as well as New Amsterdam Opera. As a matter of fact, our first exposure to opera came through Eve Queler's Opera Orchestra of New York. We recall sitting up in the 4th balcony, following along with the libretto and forming our taste in opera.

There are benefits and drawbacks to concert presentations of operas. There are rarely titles and following along with the libretto, as our companion did, may help you identify the characters and appreciate the linguistic and diction skills of each individual singer. However, it also deprives you of the opportunity to focus on the music and the voices. In the context of a staged opera there is plenty of drama and characterization to focus on as one can observe body movement in service of those aspects. Sadly, this is missing in a concert presentation.

Last night, at American Symphony Orchestra's concert production of Richard Strauss' first opera Guntram, for which the composer wrote his own libretto, we chose to focus on the aural experience. Given our lack of familiarity with the rather inert story we were happy to focus on the orchestral writing until a bit of singing captivated our ear.

After Guntram's modest success in 1894 in Weimar, it flopped in Munich the following year and was forgotten until recently. Musicologists blame its lack of success on its purported similarity to Wagner's opus. Indeed, perhaps the music world had heard enough about Medieval minnesingers, sin, and redemption. Although we have never thrilled to Parsifal and Tannhaüser, we have experienced no end of delight from Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg with its more captivating story.

We very much enjoyed Strauss' orchestral writing for Guntram and if there were echoes of Wagner, they were of Wagnerian innovations that we favor. We particularly enjoyed the opening leitmotiv that reappeared in various forms throughout the opera, a rhythmically memorable descending pattern that Strauss renewed throughout the work in different keys, providing unity to the work.

The orchestral writing was indeed lavish and lavishly orchestrated. Had it been a symphony we would not have missed the voices. However, it was an opera and there were voices, all of them at least serviceable but often thrilling. In the only opera Strauss wrote with the male role as  the most important, we must say that it was soprano Angela Meade who ran away with the honors. 

Entering the stage in a gilded gown, she appeared like the Greek god Helios, drawing his golden chariot across the sky. Her voice, similarly, seems a gift from the gods--strong and gleaming when called for yet tender in the final love scene with the eponymous Guntram, sung by tenor John Matthew Myers. The role of Guntram is extremely demanding with long arias in each of three acts. Prior to the final scene we found Mr. Myers'  voice somewhat irritating and forced in the upper registers, although far more agreeable in the middle and lower ranges. (The mighty Strauss orchestra, conducted by Maestro Leon Botstein, is rather a beast to be heard over but Ms. Meade's steely soprano cut right through the dense orchestration.)  However, we must admit that in the final scene of love and renunciation, Mr. Myers' voice sounded much more musical, perhaps inspired by the tenderness of the love he felt compelled to renounce.  Or perhaps, he had just been saving himself for the end.

Bass-baritone Kevin Short sang the role of Freihild's father, the Old Duke, and impressed with his deep resonance. As the wicked Duke Robert we heard baritone Alexander Birch Elliott, as unpleasant a character as one might imagine. Indeed, the opera begins with his wife Freihild running toward the lake to drown herself and one could truly understand why.

As we learned from reading the synopsis, Freihild and Guntram are birds of a feather whose mutual empathy is understandable. Too bad that Guntram kills Robert and decides to spend the rest of his life in solitary atonement--not because he murdered but because he "sinned in his heart" by loving a married woman!  Perhaps there are some out there who might find this story worthy of a staged production but we do not.

Aside from the final scene of love and renunciation, there were a few vocal moments that took our attention away from the instrumentals. One was a chorus of four men whose voices combined and intertwined in the most delicious harmonies. Unfortunately, since we were not following along with the libretto, we are unable to identify them. Nor are we able to identify a male singer who came on for a brief aria on stage right and sang with beautiful clarity of tone. If you were there and can say who the singer was, please leave a comment below.

Mezzo-soprano Katherine Goeldner put in a brief appearance in Act I as an old woman with tenor Bernard Holcomb as an old man. Bass-baritone Nate Mattingly sang the role of Friedhold. 

Thanks to the American Symphony Orchestra for giving us this opportunity to hear some gorgeous orchestral writing and for giving us the gift of Ms. Meade. We wouldn't have missed it for the world!

© meche kroop

ZEMLINSKYS ZIMMER

Michael Boley, Mary-Hollis Hundley, and Eric McKeever

(photo by Philip Schneidman)

There seems to be a number of options available to opera goers in New York City. We have selections from the canon given lavish productions by the Metropolitan Opera and beloved standards given bare bones productions by an ever diminishing number of scrappy companies like Amore Opera. There is a slow stream of contemporary works with polemic subjects and non-musical music that no one ever cares to revisit as well as exciting productions of newly discovered works from the 18th and 19th century (by Lafayette Opera and Teatro Nuovo respectively). There are the daring companies like Heartbeat Opera that put original spins on the classics, and finally companies that bring to light some rather odd pieces that merit a hearing.

Of course we are speaking of Little Opera Theater of New York, known as LOTNY, which has just brought a rarity to light at The Fisher Center of The Brooklyn Academy of Music. We were pleased to attend opening night of Zemlinskys Zimmer and found much to enjoy--some fine singing in well-enunciated German, an excellent chamber orchestra that gave an admirable reading of Roland Freisitzer's reduction of the Zemlinsky score, and some gorgeous colorful projections by Kylee Loera.

The cultural scene of fin de siècle Vienna was responsible for a number of innovations in the visual and performing arts as well as some socio-sexual experimentation.  One has only to think of the wild adventures of Alma Schindler who threw aside composer/conductor Alexander Zemlinsky for composer/conductor Gustav Mahler, whom she also threw aside for a succession of lovers. One might speculate that Zemlinsky's choice of Oscar Wilde's unfinished play A Florentine Tragedy  (translated into German by Max Meyerfeld) as a subject for the opera we saw last night was based on his experience with the faithless Alma.

The story involves a woman named Bianca (how ironic!) who entertains a nobleman named Prinz Guido Bardi right under the nose of her merchant husband Simone. As directed by Philip Schneidman, the lustful lovers exercise minimal restraint in hiding their feeling. Simone (baritone Eric McKeever) plays a cat-and-mouse game with the Prince (tenor Michael Boley) and Bianca (soprano Mary-Hollis Hundley) who appear to ignore the warning signs of the rage behind Simone's obsequious behavior. The evening ends in a duel and a strangling of the Prince, after which Bianca fawns over her previously despised and disparaged husband. One imagines that Zemlinsky might have wished to strangle Mahler! One wonders whether Mahler and Alma were present at a performance.  Now that would have made a fine opera!

The three cast members are to be complimented on their fine singing as well as their not-so-subtle acting. The adulterous story was prefaced by the lovely Ms. Hundley reclining on a chaise longue, apparently awakening from a dream and singing Zemlinsky's luscious setting of Richard Dehmel's "Maiblumen blühten überall" against that afore-mentioned projected background reminiscent of visual arts of that period. 

This was followed by Mr. Boley  performing "Liebe Schwalbe" from Walzer Gasänge Op. 6,  a setting of text by Ferdinand Gregorovius. It seemed a marvelous opportunity to get acquainted with works by a composer who was quite famous in his time but whose light diminished when he fled the Nazis and wound up in New York.

Costumes by Lara Bruijn were a propos, as were the garments Simone brought out for the Prince to wear. Only one element stood out in a jarring way and that was the black corset worn by Bianca. We thought it should have been white like the other undergarments.

Now what about the score!  Stage left held most of the musicians; strings were joined by sufficient winds to provide color, including flute, clarinets, oboe, horns, trumpet, and trombone. On stage right, thrillingly right under our nose, were a celeste, a piano, and some exciting percussionists. Concertmaster was Stani Dimitrova and Maestro Tiffany Chang brought it all together, filling the space (comprising blessedly raked seating) with thrilling sound.

We will also mention that the titles by Dalia Sevilla were not the ordinary barely legible afterthoughts but made a part of the projections which also did a fine job of establishing time and place.

© meche kroop

 

THE GIULIO GARI FOUNDATION WINNERS RECITAL

Hyunu Roh, Abigail Raiford, Jihye Jang, and Giorgi Guliashvili

What an outstanding Sunday we spent at The Players Club, celebrating the winners of the 2025 Giulio Gari Foundation Vocal Competition. What could be more worth celebrating! Most of the citizens of Planet Opera were there to hear and to honor seven talented young singers well on their way to promising careers, aided by the generous prizes suppled by the foundation that honors the memory of renowned tenor Giulio Gari.

Accompanied by the versatile pianist Mary Pinto, we got to hear a few singers we know well, a few we are just getting familiar with, and a couple that were new to us. The level of artistry was impressive. For a change, let's talk about the ladies first.

Lyric soprano Sofia Gotch, well known to us from Classic Lyric Arts, dazzled us with "Caro nome" from Verdi's Rigoletto. So dazzled were we by her astute characterization that we forgot to take her photo! Unlike the unidimentionality of most sopranos that tackle the character of Gilda, the complexities of a young woman experiencing her first crush were completely explored by means of vocal color, facial expression, and bodily gesture. We would say that Ms. Gotch owns the role.

And now, let's consider Abigail Raiford whose coloratura gifts were obvious from the totally exposed vocalise that opens "Ou va,la jeune Indoue" from Delibes' Lakme. Every element of fioritura was perfectly captured-- the fine trill, the clarity of tone, the exotic coloration, the staccato notes, and the scale passages. It seemed to be a lesson in coloratura technique.

Soprano Jihye Jang exhibited some fine German in her performance of Arabella's aria "Das war sehr gut Mandryka" from the Strauss opera of the same name. We also enjoyed her Mimi when, as pictured above, four of the winners created the scene from Act II of Puccini's La Bohême. There was a dramatically exciting contrast with Ms. Raiford's shrewish Musetta. 

The men were equally superb. We have been writing about baritone Yeongtaek Yang for a couple years, since his days at Manhattan School of Music, always admiring the flexible manner in which he can slide into a variety of roles, both comic and tragic. Last night he created excitement performing the role of Tonio who must open Leoncavallo's Pagliacci with a dual purpose-- the excitement for the onstage "audience" being encouraged to buy tickets and the foreshadowing of tragedy for the actual theatrical audience. He accomplished this with a toolbox of skills, both vocal and dramatic. It was riveting.

We saw the opera world's next Verdi baritone in the making when Enes Pektas (recently reviewed as Michele in Classic Lyric Arts' production of Il Tabarro) performed "Per me giunto" from Verdi's Don Carlo, bringing back memories of a Hvorostovsky performance at The Metropolitan Opera. The nobility of the Marquis de Posa's character came through loud and clear with excellent musicality.

Recently winning prizes in several vocal competitions, tenor Giorgi Guliashvili delighted the audience with "O Souverain" from Massenet's Le Cid, sung in fine French with Gallic style. We liked the tender tone and the fine vibrato.

Completely new to us was baritone Hyunu Roh who surprised us with impressive Italianate style, performing Bixio's "Parlami d'amore Mariù". This song is a beloved staple that has survived nearly a century, having been written for a film. The passionate Italian temperament was well captured.  Mr. Roh's subsequent performance as Marcello in the quartet showed a different side of his artistry and we hope to hear more of him, although he is returning to Korea today, leaving with, we hope, good memories of New York and the competition.

The evening was not over yet. Tenor Neil Shicoff graciously received a Distinguished Achievement Award, prizes were presented, and then.....SURPRISE! Maria Brea, whose performance of Marie in Fille du Regiment ten years ago presented by the sadly defunct Prelude to Performance, lingers in our memory along with the concurrent undergraduate performances at Manhattan School of Music. 

Ms. Brea performed arias from Lecuona's Maria La O and Golijov's Ainadamar. We were filled with the joy that is unique to bearing witness to artistic growth and a burgeoning career. Accompanying Ms. Brea was her highly tuned in husband/pianist Colby Charnin. We hope that this year's winners were inspired by the fact that Ms. Brea was the First Prize Winner in 2017. 

© meche kroop

THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT

 John Taylor Ward and Rachel Kobernick

(photo by Andrew Boyle)

The Faust legend has been the basis for many literary, artistic, cinematic, and musical works that have reinterpreted it through the ages. Plays and comic puppet theatre loosely based on this legend were popular throughout Germany in the 16th century, often reducing Faust and Mephistopheles to figures of vulgar fun. The story was popularized in England by Christopher Marlowe, who gave it a classic treatment in his 1592 play The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus.  In Goethe's reworking of the story over two hundred years later, Faust became  a dissatisfied intellectual who yearns for "more than earthly meat and drink" in his life.

In terms of the operatic canon, There are dozens of iterations, two of them preceding Gounod's, beginning with Louis Spohr's Faust in 1816 and Berlioz' La Damnation de Faust in 1846. Following Gounod's Faust in 1859, there was Boito's Mefitofele in 1868. And that's just in the 19th century. The 20th century brought many more iterations.

So why wouldn't it be acceptable for Director Sara Holdren to tell the story her own way?    So why not stage scenes in a bar? Why not have the denizens of the bar dance around with party hats. Why not characterize Seibel as a female bartender enamored of the shy Marguerite. Why not replace the original spoken dialogue of Jules Barbier (adapted from Michel Carré's play Faust et Marguerite)  with contemporary chatter? Why not make Martha a yenta who loves shopping? Why not end the opera with Marguerite, Seibel, and Martha having a picnic outdoors with Marguerite's baby in a cradle ?

Part of us wishes that Music Director Jacob Ashworth had commissioned arranger Francisco Ladrón de Guevara to write a contemporary score instead of co-opting Gounod's music. A motley collection of instruments (violin, mandolin, cello, bass, harmonium, piano,flute, clarinet, and trumpet) produced some interesting sounds indeed. But they could also have played original music instead of Gounod's.

Among the singers, baritone Alex DeSocio gave an excellent performance as Valentin with a robust yet mellow tone and a sincerity of acting that made us regret his death at th hands of Faust, a most unlikable character.. We enjoyed his "Avant de quitter ces lieux".The last time we heard him sing he played a nasty bigoted drill sergeant. How odd to see him as a military man once more.

Rachel Kobernik made a shy and innocent Marguerite. John Taylor Ward used his lengthy flexible body to create a very slimy Mephistopheles. We enjoyed "Faites-lui mes aveux" sung by mezzo-soprano Addie Rose Brown portraying  Siebel, but not as a pants role. (We think it's impossible for Heartbeat Opera to resist the impulse to have homosexual references in their productions, witness the love affair between Eugene Onegin and Lensky in their recent production of the Tchaikovsky opera.) The role of Faust was played by Orson Van Gay II and the role of Martha was played  for comic relief by Eliza Bonet.

What set this Faust apart were the special effects; there was perhaps too much of a good thing. Imagination ran high; the execution was sometimes magical and at other times the effects distracted from the singing. Borrowing from Japanese Kabuki theater, puppeteers Rowan Magee and Emma Wiseman, dressed completely in black, manipulated the set and props to magical effect, with objects seeming to float in the air.  Co-Scenic Designers were Forest Entsminger and Yichen Zhou who also designed the effective lighting. Costumes were designed by Elvia Bovenzi Blitz. Nick Lehane designed the puppets. And yes, you did see two puppets copulating.

Gounod's opera was squeezed into two hours without intermission and we found our attention wandering and our senses overloaded by the visual effects. The standing ovation at the conclusion indicated that our tedium was not shared.

Heartbeat Opera will continue to do what they do, reinterpreting the classics, and we have resigned ourself to a position of ambivalence. Sometimes we will see an old work with new eyes, as we did with their recent Salome;  sometimes we will believe that a masterpiece was trashed; sometimes we will enjoy a clever and original reduction of a score as in the all-clarinet chamber orchestra in Salome and in Faust's unusual scoring; sometimes we will miss the traditional orchestral colors.

© meche kroop

SHOWCASE OR NEW OPERA COMPANY?

Enes Pektas as Michele

Sarah Stevens as Giorgetta and David Freides as Luigi

With his typical modest manner, Glenn Morton, Director of Classic Lyric Arts Vocal Academy, introduced CLAVA's debut opera performance at The Blue Gallery. As a member of the audience we are not obligated to be modest. As a matter of fact, we are over the moon about a completely engaging performance of Il Tabarro, one third of Puccini's  Il Trittico. The singing was stellar with major roles performed by members of CLAVA and supporting roles cast with graduates of CLA's  immersive summer programs in Italy, France, and The Berkshires.

Adding to the immeasurable vocal thrills of the evening were three factors. The finely tuned direction of Daniel Isengart (a CLAVA Faculty Member) told the timeless story with specificity of detail and characterological honesty.  The conducting by Maestro Michelle Rofrano  built the intensity of Puccini's score to a fever pitch, relaxing only briefly for the dancing scene. The piano artistry of Doug Han who, by some kind of magic, created all the colors of the orchestra.

Mr. Isengart's stage direction was so specific that our guest, who speaks no Italian, was able to relate the story to us after the curtain.  And no, he did not read the synopsis. This was an experiment because there were no projected titles. Not only was the story well told, but each character was believable, evoking memories of real people.

As Michele, the Captain of the barge, we heard baritone Enes Pektas, whose Master's Degree recital we recently reviewed. (You can, Dear Reader, enter his name in the search bar if you missed the review.) His acting was so intense and brooding that we lost sight of the artist as someone we have seen and heard before. He actually became the character and we felt the pain of being betrayed. Although Giuseppi Adami's libretto is set a century ago, the story is a timeless one. The narcissistic injury endured by a man in a loveless marriage unable to retain his wife's affection can easily turn to murderous rage. That story is not unknown today.  The sullen vocal color infused Mr. Pektas' portrayal whilst he preserved his beautiful tonal quality and phrasing.

As his unhappy wife Giorgetta, soprano Sara Stevens (also reviewed several times this year for her performances as a Master's Degree student at Manhattan School of Music) turned in a most affecting performance. By means of vocal coloration she demonstrated the coldness she felt for her much older husband and the feminine energy she projected with Luigi, a stevedore on the barge. By some fine acting one could sense that she and her lover had a past that they shared. Indeed they both came from the same suburb of Paris and probably grew up together. All this was conveyed with facial gesture and posture, but probably came from a deep belief in the character. 

There was the lighthearted side of Giorgetta as well, when she brought wine to the stevedores and danced. There was even a funny moment when Tinca (played by John Viscardi, once a CLA student but now Coach and Artistic Director) tried clumsily to dance with her and stepped on her toes.

The character of Luigi the lover was wisely drawn by tenor David Freides who was careful not to make him too sympathetic. Did he deserve his fate? That was left for the viewer to decide. That he sang with beautiful tone might have prejudiced the audience to more sympathy than he deserved.

It is said in the theater that there are no small parts and that seems to be true in opera as well.  As evidence we offer the fine performance of mezzo-soprano Sofia Durante as La Frugola who comes on board with trinkets and gossip that she shares with Giorgetta. She immersed herself so completely in this voluble role that it took us a few minutes to recognize her as someone we have heard in concert several times before. 

As her husband Talpa, Alejandro De Los Santos made an equally fine showing. The carefree domestic affection between this pair served as counterpoint to the tense relationship between Michele and Giorgetta. This is something we never perceived before and for this we thank the direction.

As far as the setting, there is no actual stage in The Blue Gallery. A metal bar stretched horizontally across the playing area and we had no trouble perceiving it as the railing of the barge. Stevedores toting large boxes across the stage added to the illusion and reminded us that much can be accomplished with minimal material resources and a lot of imagination.

The minor characters were portrayed by Samuel Ng and Sofia Gotch singing from behind the audience and in a space up near the ceiling. This was not a problem since it served to focus attention on the major characters. Costuming was minimal and timeless.

Everything served to show us that opera is theater with gorgeous voices. Famous names and elaborate sets are not as important as the music and the storytelling, of which we had the very best!

A couple years ago the late and lamented On Site Opera produced this same opera at The Seaport (review can be found in the search bar) with action taking place on a ship and the audience seated on the dock. We enjoyed the realism but the voices required amplification. This made last night's performance even more valuable as we heard Puccini's vocal lines delivered with musicality and authenticity.

Without the obligation of bringing in famous names to fill a huge theater, opera can once again be restored to its original function and we applaud this aim. This opera was chosen by CLAVA, not to please an audience, but because they had the right singers for the roles. Would this model work for a small opera company in Manhattan? We very much think so and will be first in line for their next venture. Was this experience valuable for the young artists who participated in CLAVA? We definitely think so. Academic institutions cast them in contemporary operas no one else will ever produce, or in weird productions of great operas. But to get a chance to perform in an authentic production of a great opera means that they can sing these roles anywhere in the world. And we hope that they will!!!!!

© meche kroop