OPERATIC TEASE AT DUANE PARK

The Sexy Sopranos of The Operatic Tease at Duane Park

We cop to being a serial attendee at the monthly show called Operatic Tease at Duane Park. Our ears are tickled by the superb performances of our favorite arias. Our eyes are widened by the spectacular display of twirling tassels and daring gymnastics. Our taste buds are awakened by the delicious flavors of hand-crafted cocktails and the kind of food one doesn't expect in a nightclub. Duane Park on the Bowery, dear readers, is an amazing place--reeking in elegance with nary a whiff of tawdriness. Who'd a thunk it?  Opera and burlesque. 

That the singers happen to be talented ecdysiasts as well is just icing on the operatic cake. If one closed one's eyes, one would be experiencing a splendid sampling of arias at a recital; but if one did so one would be depriving oneself of some entrancing eye candy as these ladies are experts in both areas. Moreover, one of them, Marcy Richardson, aka Operagaga, is an amazing aerialist who performed some wild contortions within a large steel ring, of which we failed to get a good photo.

We love to see unusual productions in interesting venues because they serve a somewhat younger audience and also introduce people who are not regular opera goers to an art form to which we are addicted.  Let us hope that some of them get bitten by the bug.

To "set the stage" let us describe the venue and the menu, which are all part of the experience. Duane Park is situated on The Bowery, just north of Houston Street; the hidden entrance gives one the feeling of entering a speakeasy during Prohibition. Once inside, one is greeted by Jonathan, who is an excellent host, making every attempt to get parties comfortably seated. One looks around at the opulent decor and is reassured that there is nothing "cheap" about this venue. All preconceived notions of "strip-joints" evaporate in this refined air.

The menu offers choices for everyone and we were astonished at how fine the food was. We enjoyed some unusual handcrafted cocktails and some delicious shrimp and grits that made us feel as if we were in Charleston or N'awlins. Our companions raved about the merguez. Kudos to Executive Chef Richard Overholt. Our server Braz was attentive and didn't miss a beat.

And neither did accompanist Seth Weinstein who showed off les girls to good advantage. We would like to show off les girls as well and if you did not arrive at this website through a link on Facebook, we refer you to our FB page "Voce di Meche" because a picture is worth a thousand words.  A word of warning-- it's not for the kiddies because we photographed a lot of tits and ass!

But we write about singing and isn't that what y'all want to hear about?  Our Mistress of Ceremonies for the evening was the lovely actress Laura Murphy who assumed the character of Harlow Wigglesworth and introduced each artist with a wiggle and a wink and a chorus girl accent--a fine piece of acting. That her parents were in the audience reassured us that this would be "family entertainment". Well, maybe not exactly!

The program opened with Kasey Cardin, aka Dixie De Light, who gave a special sparkle to "Je veux vivre", Juliet's waltz from the Gounod opera. The French was fine as was the phrasing and, yes, the undressing was fine too. Later on, Ms. Cardin gave a special not-so-innocent interpretation of "O, mio babbino caro" from Puccini's Gianni Schicchi with Italian as fine as the French.

Gounod made a further appearance in "Que fait-tu, blanche tourterelle", Stefano's aria in which he teases the Capulets, performed by mezzo-soprano Rachel O'Malley, aka Ladybird Finch, who did plenty of teasing herself. She showed her humorous side in "What a Movie" from Bernstein's Trouble in Tahiti, in honor of the Bernstein centennial.

Soprano Francesca Caviglia, aka Trixie La Feé, appeared in a Cleopatra costume, which she shed whilst performing "V'adoro pupille" from Händel's Giulio Cesare. Her baroque style was impeccable. She also did a fine job with "I'm a stranger here myself" from One Touch of Venus by Kurt Weill and Ogden Nash, shedding her white tie and tails in fine sophisticated style.

We were a little worried that Trixie would not perform with her feathered fans, an act we have seen before; we needn't have been concerned because she appeared later in the program with a dazzling display that took our breath away. Whilst Ms. O'Malley sang "L'invitation au voyage" by Henri Duparc, Ms. Caviglia gave a perfect illustration of the text "Luxe, calme, et volupté" that exceeded the Matisse painting and Baudelaire's poetry.

There is a male member of the troupe and his name is Brad Lassiter, aka Lance-a-lot. He gave a fine musically valid performance of "C'est moi" from Lerner and Loewe's Camelot, stripping down to some gilded skivvies, with some female assistance. His Belcore was even better, as he sang, "Come Paride vezzoso" from Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore.

Marcy Richardson, aka Operagaga, gave a fine performance of the Jewel Song "Ah, je ris" from Gounod's Faust with a sparkling soprano and equally sparkling pasties. We found no fault in her fine French.

We know from witnessing countless master classes and our own voice lessons just how difficult it is to master an aria--the language, the breaths, the phrasing, the skips, the legato, the fioritura, etc.  Now, just imagine accomplishing all that while shedding your clothes in an artistic manner!  Now imagine doing that while performing difficult gymnastic maneuvers and you will get some idea of what we witnessed as Ms. Richardson sang "Lascia ch'io pianga" from Händel's Rinaldo!  What a feat!

We hope you all know the rousing "Champagne Aria" sung by Prince Orlofsky in Die Fledermaus by Johann Strauss II.  Now imagine it sung by the entire cast in their closing number, toasting the audience and vice versa.  Now you know just how much fun we had last night at Duane Park.

We understand there is another show on August 21st and are feeling very sorry that we will not be able to attend due to a prior commitment. But, dear reader, we urge YOU to attend and to tell us all about it. We fear that if we make an open call for a guest reviewer we will be swamped with offers!

(c) meche kroop

I AM CARRREÑO

Stephanie Chase, Isabel Pérez Dobarro, Anna Tonna, and Robert Osborne

Last night's recital was much more than a recital. It was a dramatic and musical biography of a notable female figure who is rather unknown in the USA but who deserves to be celebrated. For this celebration we must thank The Hispanic Society Concert Series which was initiated in 2010 to promote the music of Spanish and Hispanic composers.

Teresa Carreño was born in 1853 in Venezuela to a musical family which moved to the USA. A childhood prodigy she toured the world as singer, pianist, composer, and conductor. A huge arts complex in Venezuela bears her name. This fiercely independent woman lived life on her own terms and married four times; two of her husbands were brothers. The program notes of dramaturg August Ventura (best known for his film about the Verdi fanatics of Parma) were replete with interesting tidbits.

Mr. Ventura's script, tying all the musical numbers together, made use of Carreño's own words and those extracted from the correspondence of those who knew her, as well as critics and contemporaneous biographers. The selections on the program were composed by her, or by those in the music world who championed her, befriended her, or studied with her.

It was surely a labor of love to research all this material and construct a script. Bass-baritone Robert Osborne performed the musically equivalent labor of love in reconstructing and transcribing her scores and manuscripts.

Her talent was so varied that two artists were required to represent her onstage. As Carreño the singer, we had mezzo-soprano Anna Tonna; as Carreño the pianist, we had Isabel Pérez Dobarro. Both women, as well as violinist Stephanie Chase rocked gorgeous late 19th c. gowns and hairstyles, transporting us to our favorite epoch.

Mr. Osborne portrayed the men in her life and was also spiffily clad in period attire and in fine voice as well.

The program opened with her jaunty Intermezzo scherzando which left no doubt about her superb writing for piano. Gottschalk's The Dying Poet was given a lyrical waltz treatment. That she could write for other instruments as well as piano was demonstrated by her Romance for violin and piano.

But our favorite work for piano was Chopin's Mazurka, op.33, no. 1. The work is in Rondo form and the first theme overwhelmed us with it's sorrow; it is never lugubrious but we heard plenty of pain. The second section sounded a note of triumph. Each time the first section was repeated, the color became a little brighter and by the end it was almost cheerful. Ms. Dobarro must be a magician on the keys to limn so much subtlety.

There were two devilishly difficult pieces on the program that did not faze this gifted pianist: "Lizst's Transcendental Etude #10" and Edward MacDowell's "Hexentanz".

We enjoyed a couple of duets from Ms. Tonna and Mr. Osborne. We particularly enjoyed Anton Rubinstein's tender Der Engel. "La ci darem la mano" from Mozart's Don Giovanni can be performed countless ways and our two artists put their own spin on it.  Mr. Osborne's Don was more authoritarian than seductive and Ms. Tonna was less coy and sang some of the lines as if they were private thoughts, not shared with the Don. We usually hear a soprano in this role but Ms. Tonna's voice was well suited to the role.

Ms. Tonna also excelled in Rossini's "A Granada" which seemed perfect for her warm tone and graceful phrasing. There was some lovely melismatic singing in a Carreño piece entitled "Barcarola".

Another Carreño piece "Feuillet d'Album" was sung by Mr. Osborne in his customary fine French which he also employed in Gounod's famous "Sérénade", a melodic setting of text by Victor Hugo to which Stephanie Chase's violin contributed.

We liked these better than "Sebastianos Tanzlied", composed by Eugen d'Albert, one of Carreño's husbands. This had nothing to do with Mr. Osborne's performance but it seemed off-kilter that a French composer wrote about a Spanish theme, in German.

The program ended with "La Serenata" by Gaetano Braga, a duet with which Carreño usually ended her program. All four artists joined for a beautiful finale.

The program entertained and educated. We hope to see works by Carreño on more programs.

(c) meche kroop

ADES COMPETITION WINNERS RECITAL

Craig Rutenberg, Shaina Martinez, and SeokJong Baek

This is the time of year when singers we know and love are graduating from our three local music conservatories; it is a bittersweet time for us. We are thrilled for their accomplishments and excited about their summer programs and young artist programs; we feel sad because we will miss them; we always hope they will stay in touch and let us know how they like their "new homes".

Thankfully, Opera America's Emerging Artist Recitals series (the last of the season) presented two singers who won the Alan M. and Joan Taub Ades Vocal Competition; the purpose of the competition is to select singers who possess outstanding talent and potential for careers in opera. As pointed out by Dona D. Vaughn, Artistic Director of the MSM Opera Theater, the winners' prize money is used to support the singers' professional development in many ways, subject to approval.

Competitors are selected from among students getting their degrees from Manhattan School of Music.  The top three winners this year were baritone SeokJung Baek, mezzo-soprano Hongni Wu (who just won the Met National Council competition) and soprano Shaina Martinez, all of whom are being awarded their Masters of Music degree.

Onstage last night in Scorca Hall at the National Opera Center were Ms. Martinez and Mr. Baek, both covering wide musical territory that revealed their versatility. They were accompanied by the always wonderful Craig Rutenberg whose light touch and sensitivity toward the singers always impresses us.

Ms. Martinez opened the program with "Come scoglio", from Mozart's Cosi fan tutte; Ms. Martinez' sizable soprano was put in the service of Fiordiligi's resoluteness in the face of temptation. Whilst negotiating the huge leaps Mozart wrote (purportedly to embarrass an unpopular soprano) and some lovely embellishments, she managed to portray a young woman who "doth protest too much". 

This soprano is poised onstage and able to use expressive gestures to amplify her expressive voice. She switched gears for two selections from Poulenc's Fiançailles pour rire which shows Poulenc's lighter side--the languorous "Violon" and "Fleurs" with its delightful piano part. Her French was quite good.

But, for reasons of our own, we got the biggest thrill from her singing in Spanish, a language that resonates with us on par with Italian. We heard a trio of songs by the 20th c. Argentinean composer Carlos Guastavino. Ms. Martinez' partnership with Mr. Rutenberg was outstanding in "Pampamapa" with its vigorous rhythms. In "Abismo de sed" she sings "Soy cantor" (I am a singer) and we smiled. The third song was "Hermano".

Even better was "Hija del amor" from Gonzalo Roig's zarzuela Cecilia Valdés in which a mother vows to protect her daughter from the romantic betrayal she has endured.  The air was thick with passionate intensity and we were transported.

This versatile artist, having done justice to opera, art song, and zarzuela, joined Mr. Baek for the duet "Nedda! Silvio!" from Leoncavallo's Pagliacci. The pair left no doubt about the high stakes they were facing. Ms. Martinez limned Nedda's conflict; Mr. Baek used every strategy he could to persuade her to leave Canio--seduction, promises, and even guilt. Meanwhile, Mr. Rutenberg's piano sustained the tension.

Mr. Baek is similarly versatile and we were very happy to hear two of his "signature arias" which he performed in 2016 when we was an Opera Index Competition winner. His facility in French has gotten even better with more legato in the line; his interpretation of Valentin has also grown. His baritone is capable of silky smoothness and also vigor. In "Avant de quitter ces lieux" he used the vigor as he sang of battle and a smooth tenderness when he spoke of his love for Marguerite. His voice swelled to a passionate climax.

The other "signature piece" is Tosti's "L'alba sepàra dalla luce l'ombra" sung with great depth of feeling. We think we understood the meaning of the song for the first time.

Renato's rage at Amelia, the wife he wrongly suspects of infidelity, is the subject of the aria "Eri tu ce macchiavi quell'anima" in Verdi's Un ballo in maschera. Only an artist can reveal both the outer contempt of Renato whilst letting the grief and pain peek through. Looks like we have a new Verdi baritone worth celebrating! 

In yet another manifestation of versatility, he captured the wry humor of "La Maîtresse volage" by Poulenc.  Two other songs from Chansons gaillardes were "Madrigal" and the rather naughty "L'Offrande" in which Mr. Rutenberg's piano portrayed the postulate's innocence.

From Copland's Old American Songs we heard the tender "Long Time Ago" and the jaunty "The Boatmen's Dance". They were sung in crystal clear well-enunciated English and given the grace and simplicity they require.

It was over all too soon.  Mr. Baek leaves for San Francisco Opera's Merola Program and then will be a resident artist at Lyric Opera of Kansas City. 

We wish all good things to these artists but also to all of the wonderful students getting their degrees from MSM this month. We wish we might have heard all of their graduation recitals.

(c) meche kroop

OPERA INDEX WINNERS

Michael Fennelly, Leo Radosavljevic, Emily Pogorelc, Jane Shaulis, Andres Benavides Cascante, and Jaeman Yoon

Last night was the Opera Index annual membership party which consisted of some exciting entertainment and a buffet supplied by the members, who, we might add, are all given to l'abbondanza. We love great food to go along with great singing.

And great singing was definitely on the menu. Five splendid singers entertained us royally in between les hors d'oeuvres and le grand buffet.

Soprano Hayan Kim performed first since she was on her way to an audition. With a crystalline soprano at her disposal she performed "Je veux vivre" from Charles Gounod's Roméo et Juliette. We were impressed by her ability to engage the audience with her charming stage presence and involvement with the text. She conveyed all the youthful passion required by the role. A fine vibrato ensured that the molecules of air danced around the hall.

Gounod was not the only composer to have tackled Shakespeare's tale of young love. Vincenzo Bellini took a different tack and we were fortunate to hear soprano Emily Pogorelc sing "O quante volte" from I Capuleti e i Montecchi. This aria comes along later in the plot when Juliette has already fallen for Romeo and we had the impression that Ms. Pogorelc knew exactly what she was singing and sang it in beautiful bel canto style.  We liked her phrasing of Bellini's long lines and use of dynamic variation.  And we loved the way pianist Michael Fennelly played Bellini's arpeggi.

Bass-baritone Leo Radosavljevic employed perfect French in his performance of "Riez Allez" from Jules Massenet's Don Quichotte. In this aria Sancho Panza is scolding the people who made fun of his master Don Q. We particularly enjoyed the texture of Mr. Radosavljevic's instrument and his expansive delivery.

Baritone Andres Benavides Cascante evinced a great deal of vocal flexibility in his portrayal of Count Almaviva in "Hai gia vinta la causa" from Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro. The poor Count is clueless and covers it up by being indignant.  All this was conveyed to the audience because Mr. Cascante knew the text and knew it well. 

Baritone Jaeman Yoon wowed the audience with his big round sound and pleasing vibrato as he performed an emotionally intense "Nemico della patria",  Gerard's aria from Umberto Giordano's verismo opera Andrea Chénier.

Three of the artists graciously provided encores of a lighter nature. Ms. Pogorelc performed "Kiss Me Again" from Victor Herbert's comic operetta Mademoiselle Modiste. This is a lovely tuneful song which Ms. Pogorelc graced with some divine portamenti.

Mr. Radosavljevic performed William Bolcom's "Black Max" (our all time favorite Bolcom song). Not since we heard cabaret artist Kim Smith's interpretation have we truly enjoyed this song which requires an enormous amount of dramatic interpretation. We were very impressed by Mr. Radosavljevic's ability to paint a picture with his voice.

And finally, Mr. Cascante sang "Mi Aldea" the opening aria of Jacinto Guerreros' zarzuela Los Gavilanes.  In this opening scene, Juan returns to his village from a long sojourn in Peru. The delivery was delightful and readers may recall how greatly we treasure zarzuelas.

This year Opera Index has awarded $55,000. to 16 singers.  Judging by tonight's sampling, the judges of the competition did a great job winnowing from a large field of applicants. There will be a gala on January 21, 2018, at which we will hear more of the winners.

Opera lovers who have not yet joined Opera Index are encouraged to do so at the modest membership cost of $45. There will be many opportunities to meet fellow opera lovers and help young singers. The list of winners from bygone years is astounding and includes so many of the greatest names in opera.

(c) meche kroop

EIN LIEDERABEND

 Mary Feminear, Angela Vallone, Michael St. Peter, Kara Sainz

If you've never been to a liederabend at Juilliard let us tell you what you're missing.  You are missing an opportunity to see the opera stars of tomorrow (or maybe next year) in an early stage of development.  They are in no way beginners.  They have been cherry-picked from an enormous field of applicants and given superb instruction and coaching in all aspects of performance.  They are definitely performance-ready and have already been performing around the country and often abroad.

Last night, for example, we heard four fine singers perform songs we love, most of them familiar and a few new to us.  Soprano Angela Vallone opened the program with five songs by Brahms.  With each song her voice opened up and her connection to the text deepened.  She and her sensitive collaborative pianist Jung A Bang made a fine team and exhibited excellent dynamic control.  Her German diction made the words clear.  Our personal favorites were the sad "Mädchenlied" and the charming "Ständchen" which painted such a colorful picture.

Mezzo-soprano Kara Sainz, in fine partnership with pianist Kyung Hee Kim, followed with a set of songs by Fauré .  Together they did justice to "Mandoline", another lied about a serenade that brought a smile to our face. But it was in "Les berceaux" that Ms. Sainz reached a depth of feeling that touched our heart; one could feel the ships rocking in the waves and the cradles rocking at the hands of the sailors' wives.

Michael St. Peter has a sweet lyric tenor that he employed to great advantage in a set of lieder by Hugo Wolf.  We loved the play on the word "elf" in "Elfenlied", a frisky little narrative.  But the tender tale of a man seeking peace at any price with his beloved, "Nun lass uns Frieden schliessen", moved us deeply.  Furthermore we are delighted to report that Mr. St. Peter has mastered the pronunciation of "ich"; as our readers have probably noticed, we are unhappy when a singer pronounces it as "ick", or, worse yet, avoids it altogether.  We didn't even need to look at the libretto to understand his German.  Bravo!  Raymond Wong accompanied beautifully.

The final set of songs by Gounod were performed by Mary Feminear whose rich creamy soprano recently graced the stage at Gotham Chamber Opera.  She has a lovely voice and a facility for French.  In "Sérénade" there was a beautiful arpeggiated melisma on the word "chantez".  There was plenty of excitement conveyed in "Viens, les gazons sont verts!"  Ms. Feminear was accompanied by none other than Brian Zeger himself who coaches the students of the Institute for Vocal Arts.  To hear his piano in "Venise" was to be transported; the minor key and the delicacy of the playing were enough to put us in a traveling mood.

If this description is tempting to you, watch out on the Juilliard calendar for the next Liederabend.  They occur monthly at 6PM on Wednesdays.  A better hour could not be spent--a true mid-week respite.

© meche kroop

STARS BEFORE DARK

The stars came out last night at Jackie Robinson Park long before the sky darkened.  And what stars they are!  The second of the Metropolitan Opera's two summer recitals put four of our favorite young artists onstage to the delight of the audience gathered around the bandshell.

Beautiful soprano Deanna Breiwick literally floated onstage in a magnificently becoming purple gown lending a great deal of glamour to the casual setting.  Her accurate coloratura and liquid trill were most evident in her charming selection from Donizetti's Don Pasquale, "Quel guardo il cavaliere"; the Verdi was its equal, "Sul fil d'un soffio etesio" from Falstaff.  Still, the "Glitter and be gay" from Bernstein's Candide won laurels as a crowd-pleaser.  It would be fair to say that the audience went wild.

Tenor Alexander Lewis sang "Avete torto" from Puccini's Gianni Schicchi as if it had been written for him and graciously explained to the audience what the aria was about.  His "Dein ist mein ganzes herz" from Lehar's Das Land des Lächelns fulfilled the romantic promise of a summer night.

Baritone Edward Parks absolutely oozed charm when he opened the evening's festivities with Rossini's "Largo al factotum" from Il Barbiere di Siviglia.  We loved his "Figaro giu, figaro su".  On a more serious note he sang "Avant de quitter ces lieux" from Gounod's Faust with moving intensity.  And he closed the program with the Soliloquy from Rodgers and Hammerstein's Carousel.  Nowhere could a better case be made for appreciating the American musical on the same plane as opera.

We just love duets and the evening offered several.  "All'idea di quel metallo" from "Barber" offered the men an opportunity to show their dramatic chops while "La ci darem la mano" from Mozart's  Don Giovanni did the same for Ms. Breiwick and Mr. Parks.  "Una parola, o Adina" accomplished the same for Ms. B. and Mr. Lewis.  Notably, Ms. B. moved flexibly from Adina's reserve to Zerlina's ambivalence.  The two men's voices blended beautifully in "Lily's Eyes" from Norman and Simon's The Secret Garden.

At the piano, Vlad Iftinca changed styles with admirable flexibility.  He is always a pleasure to hear.  Let it be noted that Italian, French and German were given perfect diction by all three singers.  This will go down as one of the best recitals of the year.  We will surely see and hear much more of these four talented artists in years to come.  Shall we call it "stardom threshold"?

(c) meche kroop

THE MEDIUM AND THE MESSAGE

How do we love Romeo and Juliet?  Let us count the ways.  Do you swoon for Shakespeare's iambic pentameter?   Will wrote his masterpiece in the late 16th c.  based upon a story which dated back to antiquity and had been given several incarnations until the bard brought the two young lovers and their warring families to life.

Do you prefer treating the tale operatically?  Countless composers have given it a go.  Gounod's Roméo et Juliette is arguably the best known.  Bellini's I Capuleti ed I Montecchi has some lovely tunes but has been criticized for not following the story.  Berlioz' version is more of an oratorio.  Let us not forget Tchaikovsky's symphonic poem.

The medium of film has made good use of the story as well.  Zeffirelli's 1968 version far surpassed MGM's 1936 version by casting young non-actors in the lead roles, lending the tale the advantage of verisimilitude.  Baz Luhrman made a post-modern MTV version in 1996.  The Bernstein/Sondheim musical of 1957 West Side Story was based on R&J and was filmed in 1961.

But for us, the pinnacle of pleasure is reached in the medium of ballet.  The visuals and the kinesthetics  allows us to turn off our intellect and to directly experience the intensity of adolescent passion, intergenerational conflict, tribal warfare and profound loss.  John Cranko choreographed a superb R&J in 1962 and Sir Kenneth MacMillan a no less wonderful one in 1965.  It is this latter version currently being presented by the American Ballet Theater.  We just witnessed a triumph of role interpretation by Herman Cornejo who wears the role of Romeo like a second skin.  We were quite sure no one could replace Julio Bocca and the memory of his performance remains untarnished in our mind; but Mr. Cornejo owes us no apologies.  What he lacks in height is more than made up for by his artistry; actually his size works to his advantage in this role and  he is completely believable as an impetuous adolescent.  Xiomara Reyes is a winsome Juliet and convinces us that she is but 13 years old.  The production was effectively staged by Julie Lincoln and the handsome sets and costumes, mostly in tones of burnt sienna and ochre, evince Renaissance Italy.

So, readers, what is your pleasure?  The printed word, the spoken word, film, opera, musical, or ballet?  Please leave your opinions and comments!