Graduates of Classic Lyric Arts Summer Programs
Autumn has just arrived but the graduates of CLA's summer programs are still glowing with the excitement of their artistic growth, achieved by constant expert tutelage and total immersion in the languages of opera. Two programs in Italy and one in France struck us as "finishing schools". Of course opera singers are never "finished"; even the greats continue to take lessons and coaching sessions. Perhaps it would be better to think of these summer intensive trainings as a "polishing" --and indeed these young singers are all gems!
Last night's event was just one of several we plan to attend during the course of the academic year. This particular one was a private event for donors and we dare say that the enthusiastic faces of the select audience revealed no small measure of satisfaction in the results of their generosity. This seems to us a win/win situation! Glowing faces and smiles on both sides of the virtual curtain.
In a scene from Act I of Bizet's Carmen , we enjoyed Daisy Dalit Sigal's enactment of Micaëla in perfect French diction (something CLA emphasizes). Her instrument has a fine vibrato which we noticed in her speaking voice as well when we chatted after the recital. Her Don José was Carter Bonyeop Gu who evinced a pleasing tenor. We were happy when he reappeared later in the program in "La fleur que tu m'avez jetée" showing a different side of the character's personality as he addresses two very different women.
It is not unknown for the role of Carmen to be sung by a soprano and we would love to witness Nicole Magallon in that role but we will have to wait for another recital. Last night she presented a very flirtatious character in Satie's "La diva de l'empire". and later employed her vibrant. personality in the role of Adina teasing the Nemorino of Thomasluke Florez-Mansi in the duet "Chiedi all'aura lusinghiera" from Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore. This scene was cleverly staged by Daniel Isengart who is on the faculty of CLA.
Mr. Florez-Mansi's fine tenor reappeared as he brought Ferrando to vivid life singing the lovely aria "Un aura amorosa". from Mozart's Cosi fan tutte. We liked the sustained pauses between the verses and a graceful downward arpeggio.
Soprano Weiting Xu had two chances to impress us and succeeded both times. She made an absolutely delightful Fairy Godmother in Massenet's Cendrillon and charmed us again in "Duet et Tango" by Dédé, sung with Luke Randazzo who also performed "Riez, allez'' in which Sancho Panza berates the crowd for ridiculing his master in Massenet's Don Quichotte. Both roles were well sung in fine Gallic style.
Soprano Estelina Syla (whom we remember from her undergraduate days) also had two chances to dazzle our ears. The first was Mimi's bittersweet farewell to Rodolfo "Donde lieta usci" from Puccini's La Bohême. We could actually see the snow falling in this sad scene. Another one of Puccini's "piccole donne", Cio-cio San in Madama Butterfly was shown in the Act I love duet "Vogliatemi bene" performed with Fernando Silva-Gorbea whose tenor instrument is so large and strong in the lower register that we are tempted to call him a baritenor.
The very beautiful Maia Sumanaweera sang a beautifully importuning "O mio babbino caro" emphasizing Lauretta's innocence rather than the manipulation in Puccini's Gianni Schicchi.
And last but not least, n a departure from the Franco-Italian emphasis of the evening we heard George Jiavi Baolin sing "In diesen heil'gen Hallen" from Mozart's Die Zauberflöte.The tessitura is very low but Mr. Baolin rose to the demands (or should we say "descended").
Let u give credit to the fine collaborate pianists who are similarly trained in the summer programs--JunBeom Park, Luka Marinkovich,and Daniel Farah,
What a fine showing these young artists made. We realize that the CLA programs include lots of performances for the locals in France and Italy and we have always felt envious. Now we no longer need to experience envy since we got the full monty, as they say.
© meche kroop
No comments:
Post a Comment