SPANISH INSPIRATION

Gustavo Ahualli, Anna Tonna, Luiz Ottavio Faria, Lucy Arner, and Miguel Borrallo

At this point, dear reader, we have realized just how difficult it is to pull off a successful recital; furthermore we have learned how valuable it is to have a good theme. It was a brilliant idea to present arias from operas that were inspired by Spain, or located in Spain. Quick....how many can YOU name?

Last night, with the stunning Church of the Transfiguration providing an appropriate backdrop, we were treated to a satisfying survey of arias and ensembles drawn from some of these operas, sung by an experienced cast. At this level of singing our attention is drawn to interpretation and emotional content. If we see in our mind's eye an imaginary setting, or perhaps a remembered one, we know the singer is giving her/his all. Last night we heard just such a cast, accompanied by the excellent pianist Lucy Arner.

Ladies first! We have heard mezzo-soprano Anna Tonna many times and feel that this was the best we have ever heard. Perhaps there was something in the music that inspired her, just as the country of Spain inspired the composers.

She opened with what must be every mezzo's favorite aria, "Una voce poco fa" from Rossini's comic masterpiece Il barbiere di Siviglia. With a beautifully textured tone, Ms. Tonna used a variety of vocal colors to capture the nuances of a basically good young woman who is capable of all kinds of devious behavior to get her way. Ms. Tonna's embellishments to the vocal line were often incredibly inventive and illustrated Rosina's fiery temper. The gestures and facial expressions sprang directly from the text. Altogether a fine performance!

From Donizetti's La favorita, "Fia dunque e vero...Oh mio Fernando" was performed with dramatic recitativo and a lovely legato aria with a fiery cabaletta. We couldn't help but admire the secure placement of the voice. The purity of the vowels was ensured by an accurate embouchure. The sound of "maledetta, disperata" still rings in our ears. Povera donna!

If we had to name our top five favorite operas by Verdi, Don Carlo would surely be among them. We were fortunate to hear several selections which brought to mind the first time we saw the opera at the Metropolitan Opera with Dmitri Hvorostovsky in the role of Rodrigo, the Marquis de Posa. 

Ms. Tonna sang Princess Eboli's Act II aria in the original French with a fine brightness of tone in the upper register and flights of fioritura. We detected a strong whiff of saffron in the melody.

The other selections from Don Carlo took up a major portion of the program. The male members of the cast were similarly excellent. It isn't often that we hear Verdian voices since we write mainly about singers at the beginning of their careers. 

We always wonder how Verdi's music could make us feel pity for King Filippo who is a thoroughly reprehensible character. The performance of "Ella giammai m'amó" by bass Luiz Ottavio Faria accomplished just that as he realizes the wife he stole from his son (!) has never loved him. Faria's voice is authoritative and his delivery revealed a deep understanding of the text. To the credit of the accompanying pianist Lucy Arner, the theme was beautifully highlighted.

Argentinian baritone Gustavo Ahualli showed depth of tone and depth of feeling in his delivery of "Per me giunto", Rodrigo's aria of self-sacrifice. There was a great beauty of harmony in Mr. Ahualli's duet with tenor Miguel Borrallo "Dio che nell'alma infondere" in which they establish their loyalty and brotherhood. We'd call it perfect casting! Mr. Borrallo has a ringing tenor with lovely overtones.

Mr. Borrallo also had his special moments with other composers: from Mozart's Don Giovanni, we heard Don Ottavio's aria of devotion "Dalla sua pace" sung with tenderness. This artist utilizes dynamics to expressive ends; the messa di voce was more than admirable.

He also had a chance to exhibit his bel canto chops with one of the best arias in the tenor fach--Nemorino's showstopper "Una furtiva lagrima" from Donizetti's L'Elisir d'amore. There were a couple times we wished he would back off a bit at the upper register; we notice this a lot when tenors go for volume. Just in case you were wondering about the inclusion of this opera on the program, Mr. Borrallo assured us that the setting is the Basque part of Spain. We believe him!

"Lo vedremo, veglio audace" from Verdi's Ernani was introduced by a propulsive piano, after which baritone and tenor joined once more in gorgeous harmony. The entire company sang the ensemble from the finale of Act I and we wished that we knew the opera better. Mr. Faria's booming bass filled the sanctuary of the church with overtones in "Infelice tu credevi" and dug deeply into the sound at the lowest end of his register.

We enjoyed the trio from Donizetti's Don Sebastiano, although we know nothing about the opera. Ms. Tonna sang a phrase and then Mr. Borrallo and Mr. Ahualli joined in with harmony. We realize that our high estimation of Donizetti's artistry has been "kicked up a notch".

Finally, let us mention something about the Brazilian composer Antônio Carlos Gomes. We have heard excerpts from his opera Salvator Rosa but never heard the entire opera. The libretto is in Italian and the music is definitely worth a hearing. Thanks to Mr Faria we heard "Disposo di Padre", a gem indeed.

The program was presented by Centaurus Artes which showcases artists from Spain and Latin America.

© meche kroop

HOW SWEET IT IS!

Craig Ketter, Rebecca Wilson, Pamela Lloyd, Olga Bakali, and Ryan Kinsella

Opera Dolce has been delighting New York audiences for six years.  In the past few years they have been bringing the works of Antonio Carlos Gomes before the public. It is unfortunate that the works of this 19th c. Brazilian master have been overlooked. He was the first New World composer to be accepted in Europe; indeed his operas thrived in opera-hungry 19th c. Italy. It would be fair to say that his pot-boiler plots were no worse than those of the Italians.

Several of his operas dealt with themes of the Portuguese aristocrats rubbing up against the indigenous people of Brazil. This must have seemed exotic to the Europeans who lauded his work. We are unaware of his operas being presented in the United States in the present time, but it would be a pity to overlook his writing. Presenting his arias as "stand alones" is the approach taken by Opera Dolce and we are thrilled to hear his marvelously melodic arias and duets.

Last night's recital, Oceans Apart: Wagner and Gomes United in Music, presented his music alongside that of another titan of the 19th c., Richard Wagner, the great German Romantic whose lush orchestrations and new harmonies astonished the opera world. Gomes wrote in the Italian style but managed to incorporate influences from the senior Wagner.

New to us, but not new to the world of opera, was dramatic baritone Ryan Kinsella who made a superb long-suffering Dutchman in the duet "Wie aus der Ferne" from Richard Wagner's Der Fliegende Holländer. Mr. Kinsella's substantial voice was finely balanced by the brightly resonant voice of soprano Pamela Lloyd who portrayed Senta. There appeared to be no chemistry between the two characters at first but by the end of the aria, the Dutchman responded to Senta's earnestness.

Mr. Kinsella is masterful in using his full-throated voice to convey emotion while being spare in his gestures, making them all the more effective when he employs them. He barely moved his body in "O du mein holder Abendstern", Wolfram von Eschenbach's aria from Wagner's Tannhäuser but shaped his phrases with great beauty and dynamic precision. 

He was far more theatrical in his other duet with Ms. Lloyd--"Fra questi fior che adori" from Gomes' Lo Schiavo in which the two singers got quite worked up. Gomes' minor key melody was gorgeous.   

Ms. Lloyd, with her brilliant upper register demonstrated a great deal of strength in the lower register as she sang "Quale orribile peccato" from Gomes' Fosca, the tale of a really really bad woman who ends the opera by taking the poison she intended for her rival.

Soprano Olga Bakali was also new to us and impressed us with her powerful voice in "O ciel di  Parahiba" from Gomes' Lo Schiavo. There is plenty of strength at the bottom and some beautifully drawn out pianissimi. She showed equal facility with Wagner, giving her all to "Elsa's Dream" from Wagner's Lohengrin. It was a nicely modulated performance, notable for her emotional connection.  She was equally fine in the rapturous "Liebestod" from Wagner's Tristan und Isolde.

There was a third fine soprano on the program, also new to us and recently arrived from Chicago. Rebecca Wilson met "Dich teure Halle" head on, filling the exultant aria from Wagner's Tannhäuser with a huge sound. We hope our first hearing of this sizable voice will not be our last.

Accompanist for the evening was Craig Ketter who has a fine light touch at the piano and always seems supportive of the singers.

(c) meche kroop

HOMAGE TO CARLOS GOMES

Maestro Harold Rosenbaum, Adam Cromer, Elena Heimur, Andrew Costello, Luiz-Ottavio Faria, Philip Alongi, Pamela Lloyd and Craig Ketter

It's about time someone showed Antonio Carlos Gomes some love and Opera Dolce was just the right group to do it.  The Brazilian composer, admired by Verdi and Liszt, is not exactly forgotten but neither is he remembered as he should be. Listening to arias and duets extracted from six of his operas, we were entranced by his way with melody. His compositional style always suited the character and the setting of the story, bridging bel canto and verismo. 

Reading the stories of the operas, happily included in the program, we learned that his plots were just as filled with love, jealousy, murderous rage and self-sacrifice as all the other mid-19th c. operas that we love so dearly.  Salvator Rosa, Maria Tudor, Joanna de Flandres, Lo Schiavo, Fosca and Il Guarany would all be perfectly wonderful given a full production.

For the moment, however, we were content to hear some fine large voices fill the space of the auditorium of Washington Irving High School, newly restored to Art Deco magnificence-- none of which distracted from the auditory treats. Sopranos Elena Heimur and Pamela Lloyd both have expansive sounds and the requisite dramatic intensity to get these arias across.  Glamorously gowned, they took possession of the stage with commitment to the material and communicated the passion to the audience.

Tenors Adam Cromer and Philip Alongi both exhibited the same assets--commitment, communication and passion.  Bass-baritone Andrew Costello filled the auditorium with a deep rich sound and bass Luiz-Ottavio Faria absolutely commanded the stage with a sound that reminded us of chocolate stout.  We particularly enjoyed his "Oh Dio degli Aymoré" from Il Guarany and "Di Padre, Di Sposo" from Salvator Rosa.

Other favorite selections included Ms. Heimur's love duet with Mr. Cromer--"Soli del Mondo Immemori" from Fosca, in which the pair achieved perfect balance and harmony of voices.  Mr. Cromer's solo from Maria Tudor, "Sol Ch'io ti sfiori", was especially lovely in the tender pianissimi moments.

In "Sogni d'amore" from Lo Schiavo, Mr. Costello's voice opened up beautifully under the influence of that gorgeous melody.  He showed another side of himself in the more lighthearted waltz "Senza Tetto" from Il Guarany, which reminded us of a drinking song.

Ms. Lloyd used her big bright sound to great advantage in "Vendetta" from Maria Tudor, backed by Maestro Rosenbaum's Canticum Novum Singers. In "Quale orribile peccato" from Fosca, she was called upon to show remorse for plotting a kidnapping and murder.

Mr. Alongi's solo "Intenditi con Dio" from Fosca was filled with passion and showed great dynamic control in an admirable diminuendo.  At the piano, Craig Ketter made a fine accompanist for all that drama and passion without ever drowning out the singers.

So...is there an adventurous company out there ready, willing and able to put one of these exemplary operas onstage?  We surely hope so!

© meche kroop

GOMES, OPERATIC TREASURE OF BRASIL

Antonio Carlos Gomes

Sometimes one "discovers" what has been there all along; you only need someone to draw your attention to it.  We will be forever grateful to the good folks of Opera Dolce, namely Andrew Costello and Pamela Lloyd for introducing us to the relatively "unsung" but highly enjoyable 19th c. works of Antonio Carlos Gomes, operatic treasure of Brazil.  Giuseppi Verdi himself is reported to have said: "Questo giovane comincia da dove finisco io".  ("This young man starts where I finish".)   Indeed the influence of Verdi is heard throughout his work.  The melodic invention is luscious and the harmonies gorgeous.  We tried to imagine what they would sound like with full orchestra.

At last night's recital, arias and duets from five of his operas were heard: Salvator Rosa, Maria Tudor, Fosca, Lo Schiavo and Il Guarany.  Synopses of all were thoughtfully included in the program so that audience members could understand the place in the drama held by each number.  We particularly enjoyed the duet "Soli, del mondo immemori" from Fosca, sung by soprano Raquela Sheeran and tenor Adam Cromer; the voices balanced well and the harmonies were lovely.  The same could be said for "Colui che non canta" from Maria Tudor, sung by soprano Catherine Murphy, also with Mr. Cromer, and "Salvator libero sei" from Salvator Rosa, sung by Pamela Lloyd and tenor Philip Alongi. 

Mr. Costello himself used his big bass-baritone in the aria of renunciation "Sogni d'amore" from Lo Schiavo and in the strophic drinking song from Il Guarany-- "Senza tetto, senza cuna".  Soprano Pamela Lloyd sang "Come serenamente" from Lo Schiavo, demonstrating a really fine trill.  The accompanist for the evening was Craig Ketter.

Some dances from Lo Schiavo were performed by Alison Cook Beatty and Alejandro Herrera in bare feet.  We would have preferred to see them in ballet footwear, more suitable to this 19th c. work.

The program (sans ballet) will be repeated Thursday evening at Christ and St. Stephen's Church where we hope the acoustics will be more suitable and kinder to the voices.

Hearing a full opera by this gifted composer is going on our wish list.  It seems tragic that his work, oft celebrated in Italy, has been rather ignored in the USA.

© meche kroop