PRELUDE TO PERFORMANCE DOES CARMEN

Emily Righter and Ben Werley

Last night we attended opening night of the 13th season of Prelude to Performance, Martina Arroyo's summer program in which 75 participants study for 6 weeks learning roles. They are given instruction in language, dramatic interpretation, recitativi, and stage combat; they receive coaching and also participate in several master classes, some of which we have reviewed. This program is unique in that the young artists receive stipends, thanks to the generosity of the donors who support the program. Many graduates go on to major careers.

Judging by the tumultuous applause that greeted the curtain call of Bizet's Carmen, the program is, as it has been, a major success. Participants learn a great deal and walk away with a role "under their belts" that should serve them well in the future. And the audience, comprising a Who's Who of Planet Opera, walks away happily entertained.

If you share our taste, it's likely that you have longed for a traditional production of Carmen. We have gotten rather tired of updatings and novel interpretations, with the exception of one very radical Carmen produced by Heartbeat Opera. One can always count on Prelude to Performance to do a traditional production and to do it exceptionally well.

Last night's Carmen can be seen again Saturday night and we hope you will still be able to secure tickets. You will see the beautiful mezzo-soprano Emily Grace Righter as Carmen and tenor Ben Werley as Don Jose. This tragic character must evolve from a rather buttoned up corporal as the opera commences into a raging murderous maniac at its conclusion. Mr. Werley's plangent tenor was most remarkable in his second act aria "La fleur que tu m'avais jetee"; he was totally convincing as the lovesick corporal and evinced a lovely legato.

We recall Ms. Righter from four years ago when we reviewed her performance in a small role in Rossini's Mose in Egitto, presented by New York City Opera. She is maturing into a fine performer with a very lovely instrument and fine stage presence.  As she grows into this role, we hope she will dig deeper into the earthiness, a difficult task given her refined appearance. There was nothing wrong with her seductive acting but we feel that there is a need for a deeper more organic approach.

Baritone Brian Major has a fine instrument well suited to the role of Escamillo but also needs a bit more work in creating the character from the inside out. Soprano Sarah Cooper performed the role of Micaela and grew in stature such that her third act aria "Je dis que rien ne m'epouvante" brought down the house.

We greatly enjoyed the performances of soprano Shana Grossman (Frasquita) and mezzo Olivia Johnson (Mercedes) who threw themselves into their roles with abandon. As a matter of fact, our favorite part of the opera was the second act quintet which provides some necessary comic relief. Baritone Dan Ewart as Le Dancaire and tenor Hector Mir as Le Remendado turned in some fine performances as they joined the three women in the humorous planning of a smuggling operation.

Bass Zaikuan Song handled the role of Zuniga, Don Jose's superior and competitor. Phillip Bullock used his mellow low voice in the role of Morales, pressing his attentions on the shy Micaela at the beginning of the opera.

The chorus sang well and there was no fudging the French anywhere.

The work was finely directed by Laura Alley with some very lively business on the streets of Seville in front of the tobacco factory, and later at Lilas Pastia's tavern. There was also a twist at the end which we decline to reveal but it worked well. Recitativi were sung, not spoken. The long scene in Act IV with the parade of picadors was cut but no one seemed to miss it.

As usual, costuming (Charles R. Caine) was lavish, as one can see on the carousel of photos which we posted on our Facebook page (Voce di Meche). The tobacco factory girls were scantily clad (for that time period) and the gypsies and smugglers looked just the way one wants gypsies and smugglers to look. The military men looked exactly right.

Also as usual, the set (Joshua Rose) was simple but effective, making use of projections. The lighting was fine, especially in Act III where the dark lighting elicited a sense of menace, leaving the audience to imagine the mountain pass.

The overture began somewhat raggedly but Maestro Daniel Lipton brought the unruly strings under control rather rapidly and we particularly enjoyed solos by flute, clarinet, oboe and the brass section. 

Tonight we will be reviewing an evening of Puccini and hearing the large cast of women in Suor Angelica, most of whom are new to us. We are particularly looking forward to hearing Leah Marie de Gruyl as La Zia Principessa, having heard her in a master class.

No one will leave depressed because that opera will be followed by another one-acter by Puccini that always leaves us laughing--Gianni Schicchi. Remember "O mio babbino caro"? This is the opera from which that aria comes. But you knew that already, didn't you?

Do consider catching both the Puccini double feature tonight and Carmen tomorrow night!

(c) meche kroop 

ROSSINI'S BIBLE STORY

Keri Alkema as Amaltea (photo by Carol Rosegg)

We were quite sure that we couldn't take any more bible stories this week but fortunately we changed our mind and had a grand old time at New York City Opera's production of Rossini's Mosè in Egitto.  This 1818 opera tells the same story as Schoenberg's Moses und Aron but it's a lot more fun and a lot more accessible.  Although the master rewrote the opera a decade later with a French text, we are completely in love with this version from the three sustained opening chords.

If you haven't read the bible lately, we shall remind you that there was a big stand-off between Moses and Egypt's Pharoah, as in the spiritual "Let my people go".  Moses threatens the Pharoah with all kinds of plagues which his god will invoke on the recalcitrant Egyptians if the Hebrew people are not freed from slavery.  In this libretto, written by Andrea Leone Tottola, there is a rather unbiblical love story between the Pharoah's son Osiride and one of those nice Jewish girls Elcia.  (Oh, those Italians!  But what's Italian opera without a love story and un sacrifizio?)

In this version, Faraone is a flip-flopper, depending upon whoever is more persuasive at the moment.  His wife (or consort) Amaltea is the voice of reason and urges him to release the Hebrews.  His son Osiride is in love with the Hebrew girl Elcia and doesn't want to lose her.  He is assisted by a rather manipulative priest Mambre who presents all kinds of political arguments in favor of their remaining.  On Mosè's side is his brother Aronne--and, of course, the Hebrew god who produces the plagues that eventually lead to the Exodus.

Rossini's music is melodic and inventive all through the opera.  We loved the quintet and the love duet. We enjoyed the way Rossini has the same melody reflected by various voices and instrumental groups, giving the ear something to hang onto.  Having settled into the run, Conductor Jayce Ogren elicited a fine performance from the orchestra; we heard some mighty fine clarinet solos from Steven Hartman and some shimmering sounds from harpist Victoria Drake.

Still, opera is about the voices and we heard some fine singing as well.  Most admirable was Keri Alkema whose coloratura was accurate and precise; not only does she have an impressive instrument but she created a character with stature.  Just as wonderful was Siǎn Davies, the soprano who sang the role of Elcia and created an abundance of sympathy as she weighed her love against tribal loyalty.  Mezzo Emily Righter sang her small role as Amenofi so well that we are eager to hear more of her.

To our ears, the women somewhat outshone the men.  David Salsbery Fry was fine as Mosè with a pleasant bass-baritone, duking it out with the other bass-baritone Wayne Tigges who sang with a full rich sound in the role of the ambivalent Pharoah.  Tenor Aldo Caputo fulfilled the role of Aronne with distinction and tenor Zachary Finkelstein was weird and chilling as Mambre the manipulative priest.  Tenor Randall Bills was not quite accurate in the fioritura and tended to push his high notes instead of floating them.  He had a stiff and uncomfortable stage presence which made one wonder what Elcia saw in him.

The production itself was just shy of excellent.  Although we have not been a fan of video, in this case the projected images, realized by Ada Whiney of Beehive, were mostly wonderful.  The scene in which the lovers enter a cave was astonishing; the realistic scenes of desert and dunes and the night sky won us over while the abstract scenes turned us off.  Something seemed amiss at the end when the Red Sea parted and the Hebrews walked off into the wings; and the video of the drowning Egyptians was silly if you thought they looked like tadpoles and upsetting if the image recalled the victims of the 9/11 attack who jumped out of windows.

Michael Counts is credited as Director and also Production Designer and we hope to see more of his work in the future.  Costumes by Jessica Jahn seemed appropriate, subdued biblical dress for the Hebrews and dramatic regal garb for the Egyptians; sadly, poor Ms. Davies was peculiarly and unbecomingly gowned.  Lighting by Ryan O'Gara was effective.

We hope that no more will be written about the misfortunes of the NYCO; let us instead applaud the revival and resurrection of "opera for the people".  Next year's season is already in the works.  Stay tuned!

© meche kroop