WHAT A FINALE!

Directors Marc Verzatt and Brittany Goodwin taking a bow with participants of IVAI

We were completely bowled over last night at the second and final evening of opera duets, trios, and ensembles. In the week we attended we witnessed something akin to a miracle--the transformation of a group of somewhat insecure and unsteady young artists into fully fledged performers. Perhaps all the requisite skills were there just waiting to be brought out. And brought out they were!

Much credit must be given to coaches Joan Dornemann, Jane Steele, Pei-Wen Chen, and Dura Jun and to the teachers on the faculty whom we never met; there is no doubt in our mind that they kept the students busy with constant lessons and coachings which we did not observe. What we did observe were the juicy fruits of their labor, tastefully arranged for our delectation by directors Brittany (Bea) Goodwin and Marc Verzatt who, without sets or costumes, created meaningful onstage interaction.

There were a number of instances in which we learned something new about characters that are customarily portrayed in a "stock" fashion. Let us provide a couple examples. In the card reading scene from Bizet's Carmen, our doomed heroine (the marvelous mezzo-soprano Jihyun Choi) was set on stage right brooding whilst Frasquita (lovely soprano Hanna Lee) and Mercedes (marvelous mezzo Xiaohan Chen) were having a gay time talking about their future fortunes and upcoming romances. This contrast emphasized the tragedy to come.

There's an even more poignant example from the same opera. Country girl Micaela is usually portrayed rather blandly, as an oblivious innocent. Last night, the way soprano Miriam Chaudoir portrayed her, she sensed, by his indifferent embrace, that Don José (Alonzo Jordan Lopez) was not really present for her. He sings of his joy in hearing from his mother and she sings along but you could tell from her facial expression and body language that she was hurting. She wanted him to sing about his joy in seeing her! This subtle difference made Micaela a complete character, not just a plot device.

In Rossini's Semiramide, the deluded title character, portrayed by soprano Melanie Spector, indicated by her posture and the imperious way she held her head that she couldn't even imagine that Arsace would prefer another. We might add here that Ms. Spector's coloratura fireworks were never impaired by the acting but rather served to illuminate Semiramide's character. Furthermore, Keymon Murrah's countertenor was superbly employed and one could read on his face his discomfort around the heroine's expectations. The two voices sounded so perfect together that we cannot imagine Arsace performed in a different fach.

Soprano Julia Katherine Walsh tackled Lucia's "mad scene" with relish and complete dramatic abandon while maintaining fine control over the vocal fireworks. She has resonance to spare in the high-flying tessitura that sent overtones bouncing around the room. Through her eyes we could see all of her frightening hallucinations. What a performance! 

Juliet Morris created an imperious Queen of the Night from Mozart's Die Zauberflöte, one that wielded authority without benefit of extravagant makeup and costuming. It was all done with posture, gesture, and vocalism. Ms. Morris really knew what she was singing about, making every word count.

The final scene not only knocked our socks off but also our shoes! We were completely unfamiliar with Rossini's Otello and are sure it would have been a major member of the current repertory, had not Verdi undertaken to write his Otello. What a treat to hear scenes from two serious Rossini operas in one night! 

Soprano Jaeyeon Kim was incredibly touching as the frightened Desdemona, singing the heavily embellished vocal line with flexibility and the most gorgeous timbre. In a world in which sopranos sound so much alike, it was a special experience for us to hear a unique instrument. As the jealous Otello, tenor Eduardo Belmonte was threatening and scary, without any holding back. The scene gave ample opportunity for him to show off a strong and full middle voice.

From Puccini's audience pleaser La Bohême, we heard "O soave fanciulla" sung by soprano Clara Iranzo and tenor Eduardo Belmonte. Was it the excellent direction that made their romance seem so very real? Or was it the fact that they are a couple? Like Oscar in Ballo in Maschera, we know but won't tell!

A scene from Puccini's La Rondine was charmingly executed with tenor Nicolas Gerst taking the role of the poet Prunier, starting "Il bel sogno di Doretta" with Ms. Irazo's Magda taking over. In attendance were a group of gossiping friends (Mithuna Sivaraman, Nicole Karrs, and Michelle Encarnacion Pozo) and a finely drawn Lisette (the maid) enacted by Angela Candela. She was so compelling in the role that we wanted to see the scene in the café dansant! She is one of those "stage animals" that can lose herself in any one of a number of characters.

We loved the scene from Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia in which Rosina beats Figaro to the punch. He is clever but she is still more clever. "Dunque io son" was given a humorous performance by mezzo-soprano Cloe San Antonio who is blessed with one of those distinctive voices of true mezzo timbre, flexibility in the fioritura, and a charming stage presence. Her chemistry with baritone Robbie Raso as Figaro was pure delight. We think this role suits him to a "T", giving ample opportunity for acting as well as singing.

From Massenet's Manon we enjoyed the scene in which the now-sophisticated heroine is enjoying some gambling with her fancy friends the "party girls", portrayed by Yingjie Zhou, Olesia Verzole, and Wenjie Zhang. They enjoyed being louche and we enjoyed their enjoyment. The harmonies were exquisite and the French was just fine.

More Massenet followed with a scene from his Cendrillon in which Prince Charmant (the ardent mezzo Heather Jones) becomes enraptured by the title character (soprano Lauren Curet) who sang with brightness and clarity. True to Massenet, the harmonies were again exquisite and no one failed their French.

Finally, we saw an appealing scene from Mozart's singspiel Die Entführung aus dem Serail. The two sopranos (Sarah Heilman and Hyune Kwon) and two tenors (Masachika Watanabe and Zachary Sebek) made some gorgeous harmonies together. It pleased us to see Mozart's genius with contrasting vocal lines so well executed.

This astonishing evening was, for us, the capstone of a wonderful ten days, although there will be one more performance--an evening of American song. We would like to point out that the youngest participant was but 18 years old and several of them are still undergraduates whilst others have completed advanced degrees. Obviously, the 50 participants began the program at varying levels of expertise but they all made a giant step forward. After a brief recess, the Institute will take place in Montreal. We wish we could be a "camp follower"!

(c) meche kroop

A WORLD TOUR IN SONG

International Vocal Artists at IVAI Concert

Last night the International Vocal Arts Institute lived up to the "international" part of its name, presenting a most enjoyable concert of songs from all over the world. This concert had a different format than the one we presented last month at St. John's in the Village. We had six singers, each one given fifteen minutes to sing in his/her own language. Last night we heard 26 singers, each one of them singing just one song. 

We heard songs from Russia and the Ukraine; South Korea, Japan and China; France, Germany, and Italy; England and the USA; Spain, Mexico, and Argentina; Sweden and Iceland. That's quite a world tour!

It is a given that everyone sang well and achieved a higher degree of ease in their own languages. So let us focus on the art of the art song. There is no plot. There are no other characters to deal with. No wigs. No makeup. No sets. It's just the singer and the song, the text and the music.

There are those who prefer a singer who employs only the colors of the voice. We are not of that ilk. We prefer a singer who tells a story using not just the voice but facial expression, gesture, and body movement. That is what draws the listener in to the text. Although hearing a language with which one is familiar gives the listener an advantage in understanding, a good storyteller can enrapture us in any case, even when we don't know the language.

The performance that most enraptured us was that of soprano Elizaveta Kozlova who gave us Mikhail Glinka's "Bird-cherry Tree Will Blossom." The song is about a bride preparing for her wedding and her groom's admiration. We admit we were helped along by the summary in the program and by Ms. Kozlova's costume which was colorful and indicative of a celebration. (Photos can be seen on our FB page--Voce di Meche). But the important thing is that she used the entire stage, dancing with joyful steps, and sharing the excitement of the event. We were reminded of a recital at Juilliard in which the Hungarian singer performed a Czardas.

Although all the South Korean singers were excellent, soprano Hanna Lee impressed us by conveying the several moods of "Miryang-Arirang" with a lot of personality. The embellishment of the vocal line with turns and trills and the rhythmic accompaniment gave her plenty of room for self expression.  Yes, dear reader, the choice of song does make a difference.

The gestures of mezzo-soprano Megan Mateosky brought significance to the Argentinian tango by Carlos Gardel--"El Día Que Me Quieras".

Soprano Isabel Springer used her body well in capturing the excitement of Claude Debussy's "Cheveux de bois". It seemed as if she were actually seeing the carousel and we could see through her eyes.

Baritone Luka Jozic appears to be a natural storyteller using face, gesture, and body to tell the story of Schubert's "Der Tod und das Mädchen". We hope he will work on differentiating the voices of the young woman and that of the death figure. That would take his performance to another level.

Mezzo-soprano Xiaohan Chen used all of her resources in a song about Lady Yang and Emperor Xuanzong from the Tang Dynasty --"Hitom with Autumn Wind". Everything came together in a lovely performance.

Soprano Olesia Verzole used her voice and face to tell the story of Ukrainian oppression "Time Passes" by Stefania Turkewich. We think more bodily involvement would make it even better.

Although we didn't care for the song (Britten's "Seascape"), Jessica Bayne did a lovely job of painting a picture. Even if we couldn't understand all the words we could see the seascape through her eyes.

All of the performances were lovely and it gave us great pleasure to hear so many languages. We have only described the ones that stuck in our mind due to the feature we were focusing on last night--storytelling.

The superb accompanists for the evening were Evgenia Truksa and Dura Jun.

There will be more concerts! Thursday and Friday feature scenes from operas and we are excited to see what these fine young artists will do with scene partners.

(c) meche kroop

AN EVENING OF ARIAS BY IVAI

International Vocal Arts Institute--an evening of operatic arias

Last night was the second of two evenings of arias presented by International Vocal Arts Institute.  Last week we described every single aria but this time we would like to do something different. Hearing twenty singers in one evening was both exciting and exhausting. Some we had heard before at Diana Soviero's master class; a couple we remembered from the first evening of arias; others we reviewed before at other venues.

The evening seemed to be a big blur of fine performances except for a couple singers who stood out by virtue of certain characteristics that we would like to mention in the hopes that it will be helpful to other young singers at the beginning of their careers.

Of course, it helps if Mother Nature has endowed one with a beautiful instrument or a unique one, as is the case with mezzo-soprano Cloe San Antonio who sang "Pensa alla patria" from Rossini's L'Italiana in Algeri. The unique texture of her voice, augmented by the other factors which we will get to, made her performance memorable.

Similarly, counter-tenor Keymon Murrah electrified the audience with "Amour, viens rendre à mon âme" from Gluck's Orphée et Eurydice. This fach is rare and when the singer uses his instrument well, we are inclined to lean forward in our chair.

So, singers can't alter their instrument but they can learn to use it well. There is a reason that teachers put so much emphasis on breathing. Good support is the foundation for everything else. A beautiful legato is so important.

Musicality is inborn in some but can be developed. The ability to hear and respond to the accompaniment, be it piano or orchestra, plays a large part. Being attentive to phrasing is crucial. Running out of breath in an attempt to sustain a long phrase (think Bellini!) can ruin a performance. These phrases must be shaped with attention to dynamics. In our prior review we mentioned a few performances which grabbed us with a gorgeous decrescendo. It can make an audience hold its collective breath.

Mikayla Sager's performance of "Casta diva" from Bellini's Norma employed expressive phrasing and effective dynamic variation with a lovely descending portamento. This performance got our attention and has stayed in our memory!

Language skills are important. Of course one can learn an aria phonetically and this is what most singers will probably have to do for Czech or Hungarian. But there is no reason not to have a basic knowledge of Italian, German, French, and Spanish. We cringe when someone omits a final "ich" in German or pronounces it "ick". Perhaps most American audiences won't notice but you will be singing in Europe and THEY WILL NOTICE. 

Happily, the IVAI students we have heard so far had better than average language skills.

As you probably already know, flexibility is most important in lyric and coloratura sopranos. Readers have heard us praise a singer's pinpoint approach to fioritura. Audiences love "fireworks". A good trill (as explained by Ms. Soviero and mentioned in our review of her class) sends chills up and down the spine.

We noted no major technical flaws in the IVAI students and those we heard twice seemed to be improving in technique.

So what we would like to address is stage deportment and acting. Last night, Artistic Director Joan Dornemann coached the students on how to take a bow. This is something we have never considered! But we have paid lots of attention to how the singer uses the stage. Gripping the piano makes the singer look insecure. Stepping forward toward the audience makes us feel involved with both singer and music. We noticed how Elizaveta Kozlova used the entire stage in her taunting portrayal of Oscar in "Saper vorreste" from Verdi's Un ballo in maschera.

Now let us address the issue of acting. Some singers are natural born "stage animals" and some must learn. In an introspective aria like "E lucevan le stelle" from Puccini's Tosca or "Kuda, kuda" from Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin, or Nedda's "Stridono lassù" from Leoncavallo's Pagliacci, it seems right for the singer to disregard the following piece of advice.

When you are presenting an aria from a scene involving another character, you need to see that other character onstage so we can see through your eyes. This was the major flaw we noted in last night's concert. We heard some lovely voices but several singers just stood there and sang. We have bodies for a reason and we must use them to convey our feelings. "Stock" gestures don't count; they are boring. Each gesture must reflect what your character is thinking about or feeling. 

For example, Clara Luz Iranzo sang "Quando m'en vo" (Musetta's aria from Puccini's La Bohême) quite well but we never got the feeling that she was showing off for Marcello and taunting him. Similarly, Oleksandra Verzole sang well in "Giunse al fin il momento...Deh vieni non tardar" from Mozart's Nozze di Figaro; but we didn't get the important point that she was teasing Figaro and "laying it on with a trowel". Likewise, Yaewon Jun could do better at "smelling the rose" and shyly flirting with Octavian.

On the other hand Robbie Raso showed us what an arrogant fellow Belcore is in "Come Paride vezzoso" from Donizetti's L'Élisir d'amore. We could just visualize the local peasants surrounding him and the unimpressed Adina. And Xiaohan Chen's performance of the "Violin aria" from Offenbach's Les contes d'Hoffman made us feel Hoffman's presence as she tried to persuade him to turn away from frivolous romances and to devote himself to his art. (Actually, she persuaded us!)

We realize that some of the students were trying out new material and in no way did we expect a finished performance. We hope our suggestions will be taken in the helpful spirit in which we offer them and not as destructive criticism.

The Institute has several more days to go and we will be reporting on the next few events. Stay tuned!

(c) meche kroop

WIN-WIN

The excellent artists of the International Vocal Arts Institute 

onstage at Mannes College of Music

It has become a yearly event that we look forward to every June--Joan Dornemann's International Vocal Arts Institute in residence for ten days at Mannes College of Music. Last night we wrote about Diana Soviero's brilliant master class and tonight we attended a concert of arias performed by the students. It was particularly interesting to hear singers we heard last night to evaluate how well they incorporated  what they learned. For some, it was too soon to telp but one soprano stood out.

Melanie Spector was last on the program last night but the first to come to mind since she took what she learned about breathing and let the sound fly. She performed Norina's scene from Donizetti's Don Pasquale with a voice twice the size of what we heard at the master class. Furthermore, she demonstrated an understanding of the text and a lot of personality. The ascending and descending scales were beautifully rendered, as was the trill.

This opera is full of humor and charm and we enjoyed baritone Gabriel Garcia's Dr. Malatesta as he tries to sell Don Pasquale on his so-called sister, the aforementioned Norina. His baritone has a nice texture and pleasing tone.

Donizetti was quite popular in this concert. We were thrilled hearing mezzo-soprano Jihyun Choi who performed "O mio Fernando" from La Favorita. Her intense involvement in the role pulled us right in. There was a lovely contrast between the legato of the cantabile and the animated cabaletto.

From the master's L'Elisir d'Amore, tenor Eduardo Belmonte performed "Una furtiva lagrima" with sincerity of feeling and generosity of spirit. He has a graceful crescendo which opens up his voice beautifully.

From the same opera, tenor Zachary Sebek lent his sweet tone to Nemorino's other aria "Quanto è bella". When he lets go of the piano and steps forward toward the audience he comes across much better.

Donizetti also set operas in French and Fille du Regiment is a favorite. Tenor Nicolas Gerst bravely tackled "Ah! Mes amis...pour mon âme" with some fine French and a lovely descending portamento at the end.

We do believe French is more difficult to sing than Italian but all of the students excelled. Soprano Hyune Kwon performed "Je suis Titania" from Ambroise Thomas' Mignon, an opera we have never seen. Her coloratura was excellent with fine execution of the fioritura; the upper register had an appealing bright tone. We wanted her to let go of the piano and act the part. The character Philine is an actress after all!

Édouard Lalo came along a generation later and his Le Roi d'Ys is high on our list after hearing tenor Yunxuan Zhu perform Mylio's aubade to his bride. We liked the timbre of his voice and his ardent delivery. Lalo's music is as melodic and rhythmic as one would wish. We'd like to hear more!

Massenet came along shortly thereafter and, although we are familiar with his more serious operas, hearing soprano Angela Candela sing Chérubin's Act I aria "Je suis gris" from his light hearted  opera of the same name made us want to hear the whole opera. We think singers love doing scenes of intoxication the way actors crave death scenes. Ms. Candela chewed up the non-existent scenery and created the character before she even began to sing. We loved it!

As an aside, several composers have tried to continue what Mozart and Rossini started with mixed results. We liked Corigliano's The Ghosts of Versailles and we hated Milhaud's La mère coupable.

But in telling the tale of the Almavivas, nothing can compare with Mozart's Nozze di Figaro and we enjoyed Cherubino's aria "Voi che sapete" sung by mezzo-soprano Heather Jones who showed that she knew what she was singing about. We remember Ms. Jones well from her performances with Cantanti Project, Light Opera of New York, and Mannes Opera.

From his Don Giovanni,  soprano Jaeyeon Kim gave a convincing portrayal of Donna Anna in "Crudele...Non mi dir". There was a good contrast between the legato and the fioritura. We appreciated that she stepped forward from the security of the piano and connected with the audience.

We found plenty of other works to enjoy from the Baroque and Classical periods.

From Händel's Giulio Cesare, soprano Mithuna Sivaraman tackled the long and difficult aria "Da tempeste il legno infranto" and wrestled it to the ground. We loved Cleopatra's enthusiasm expressed through accurate coloratura that served the text. Her performance reminded us of how much we enjoyed her performances with Cantanti Projects and New Camerata Opera.

From his Rinaldo, we heard the famous "Lascia ch'io pianga" given a splendid performance by soprano So-Chung Shinn who conveyed Almirena's grief by means of vocal artistry and facial expression. We would like to see her add some involvement with her body as well which would necessitate letting go of the piano! The embellishments in the return were finely rendered.

In the opera canon, Haydn is kind of a wild card. Baritone Luka Jozic conveyed the joy of a happy farmer in "Schon eilet froh der Akersmann" from Die Jahreszeiten, and he did it in good crisp German.

Sarah Heilman's German was also fine in "Ach, ich liebte" from Die Entführung aus dem Serail. Her bright tone was notable in the upper register.

We are looking forward to a performance of Carl Maria von Weber's Der Freischutz next season and got a good preview when soprano Hanna Lee performed Ännchen's aria "Einst träumte meiner sel'gen Base". This character has a lot of personality and Ms. Lee captured all the nuances as she related her scary dream to Agatha the bride. She had no problem establishing the character by means of expression and gesture. It was a treat.

We have saved for last the aria "My Darling Jim" from Tom Ciupullo's Glory Denied. This is one of those prosey arias that amounted to a weather report, apparently from a wife to her husband who is fighting in the Vietnam War. Soprano Jessica Bayne employed perfect diction and appeared involved but we were bored. This is generally the case with contemporary opera with which we rarely can relate. We crave melody!

The excellent accompanists for the evening were Jestin Pieper and Pei-Wen Chen.

Next week will bring another concert of arias and two recitals of opera scenes, all of which we intend to attend. The win-win situation here is that the students at the institute get an opportunity to perform and the audience gets a thrilling evening of singing, without cost. Do come!  You won't be disappointed.

(c) meche kroop

e

WORK OR FUN?

Pei-Wen Chen, Joan Dornemann, Melanie Spector, Diana Soviero, Emilia Poma, Cloe San Antonio, Jennifer Jaroslavsky,
Zachary Sebek, and Clara Iranzo

We have lost count of all the master classes we have attended. We have noted that each master teacher brings something else to the table. Some focus on role interpretation, some on language skills, some on stage presence, and other aspects of performance.

Last night, as part of the International Vocal Arts Institute at Mannes College for Music, we became acquainted with the unique style of superstar soprano Diana Soviero. Ms. Soviero is a "character" and we mean this in the best possible way. She is fearless in her attempt to get her students on the right pathway, even at the expense of making funny faces and saying funny things, and contradicting "received wisdom".

The true measure of her method is the change in the sound of the students. The six people we heard were all excellent to start out with but achieved a far fuller sound under her tutelage. We would say that they did the work and we had the fun but, truth to tell, they seemed to be having as much fun as we did. Ms. Soviero stands right next to the student and moves their arms, conducting them as they sing. 

Rather than describe what each one sang, we will share with you some of the valuable tips we gleaned. We confess that some of the tips exceeded our modest understanding but most of them made sense to anyone with a basic knowledge of vocal production.

Before the singing began, the arrival of a few latecomers became an opportunity to tell the singers to never turn their backs to the audience but to stand and wait, in character, until the audience settles down. She also pointed out how the orchestral introduction tells the singer when and how to begin. Never begin by belting the note but slide into it.

Of course, everything starts with the breath and most singers have an unclear picture of the role of the diaphragm and have been ill-advised to "push the breath". Ms. Soviero is careful not to label anything as "wrong" but prefers to call things "misunderstood". One way to keep the larynx and diaphragm down while going up is to try to lift the piano!

Some of the singers needed to be told not to hold back but to send the sound out. We have always heard the instructions to send the voice forward but her instructions were often to send it back. For our understanding, this would require a bit more explanation but it certainly made a positive difference. 

To achieve a diminuendo, she instructed the student to send the sound out with energy so it vibrates, and then to bring it back in. Another tip for a dry mouth is to suck in on your cheeks.  That's one we never heard before!

In a trill, the singer should put the lower note on the beat. That was a good one!

Since the tongue connects with the larynx, it is important to avoid mouth positions that tense the tongue. The upper molars should be well separated from the lower ones. "Nyeh, nyeh" is a good way to find the right place for the tongue.

It isn't necessary to open the mouth wide to get a big sound. We've never heard a teacher focus on the embouchure but she described the upper lip as a steering wheel that directs the sound. Singers should be careful about jutting the jaw forward.

Before going higher, lift the palate first. 

To find the center of the pitches one can practice humming them first. Hum the upward jump, then open the mouth. Keep the vowel in place for upward leaps.

Much of this comes from the Garcia technique, of which we have never heard; but since it worked so well for these six singers it would be valuable to learn more about it.

Beyond the technical aspects there were a couple acting strategies that we'd like to share. In "Stridono lassù", the soprano should not keep looking up. A flock of birds doesn't remain overhead, they sweep across the sky. The singer can follow them just for a brief moment only! We never heard that before but it makes so much sense.

Also in Pagliacci, when Arlecchino serenades Columbina, he should be very relaxed and can . "tune the lute" before he begins to sing. It's these little gestures that make a performance believable and we were so glad to be made aware of them.

We expect big things from these six promising young singers!

We plan on attending the concerts of arias and opera scenes for the rest of this 10-day institute about which we have written a great deal in the past.  So should you!  Particulars are on the IVAI website.

(c) meche kroop

IVAI AND MASTERY AT MANNES

Diana Charlop and Joan Dornemann

It's June busting out all over once again as the International Vocal Arts Institute offers its annual program of concerts, recitals, lessons, and master classes to young singers on the cusp of professional careers in opera. Under the guidance of Artistic Director Joan Dornemann, these young artists are poised to make a major leap forward, with tutelage from an impressive faculty. There are still nightly events open to the public and we deem them highly worthwhile. Were we not previously engaged we would have arranged to attend them all.

The institutes have been presented all over the world for over thirty years.  We are not sure how many years it's been since we first observed Ms. Dornemann teaching a master class but we well recall the contents; soprano Olga Makarina sang "Mi chiamano Mimi" from Puccini's La Bohème and Ms. Dornemann gave Ms. Makarina interesting pointers on interpreting Mimi's encounter with Rodolfo.  We can never watch La Bohème without recalling that special moment. Of course, Ms. Makarina went on to superstardom and is herself a master teacher.

Every master teacher has his/her own style. Ms. Dornemann doesn't waste time swooning over how wonderful the student's voice is but rather cuts right to the chase. She identifies one thing that needs work and addresses the issue right away--with humor and not harshness.

With baritone John Ford, she worked on how to walk onstage looking as if one belongs there. If a singer is auditioning, he or she must appear to be a winner! The singer must be in control and set the pace for the accompanist (in this case, the excellent Binna Han).

In Belcore's aria from Donizetti's L'Elisir d'Amore ("Come Paridi") sixteenth notes must be observed and not sung as grace notes. This sounded very difficult to do since the rhythm is different in the piano and the vocal line!  Every note must be vocalized and a good way to accomplish this is to practice on "Na"; at first on every syllable, then on every other syllable.

Soprano Dounia Behna was asked to think about what worked and what didn't work instead of just labeling a performance "good" or "bad". Many interesting subtleties of Puccini's writing for Mimi's "Senza rancor" aria were outlined, including an unexpected key change. 

Soprano Diana Charlop was coached to be less elegant in her role as Despina in Mozart's Cosi fan tutte.   She was urged to pay more attention to double consonants, lest laughter be evoked in her performance of "Una donna di quindici anni"!

Soprano Lindsey Chinn performed "Ach! Ich fuhl's" from Mozart's Die Zauberflöte; the originalities in Mozart's cadences were highlighted so that certain notes could be emphasized rather than swallowed.

Soprano Isabella Lamadriz sang "Dearest Mama" from Douglas Moore's The Ballad of Baby Doe and gave Ms. Dornemann an opportunity to discuss the flow of language as it connects with the music.  This aria needed to be less "measured" and to sound more like speech.

Soprano Samantha Nahra had a great time with "I'm full of happiness", Lady Billows' aria from our favorite Britten opera Albert Herring. She was counseled to consult the International Phonetic Alphabet to get all the vowels and diphthongs of American speech as accurate as possible. We ourselves have often commented that American singers fail to make English clear.

Soprano HaYoung Jung performed "Deh vieni non tardar" from Mozart's Nozze di Figaro. A lot of time was spent on the meaning of the words --"giunse" indicates a very important arrival; "goder" indicates more than simple enjoyment.  Susanna is putting on a show for Figaro and laying it on with a trowel. She is getting revenge for her groom's mistrust.

At the conclusion of the evening, we realized that there is nothing Ms. Dornemann doesn't know.  She knows the subtleties of the score, the knows the meaning of each phrase of the libretto, she knows the characters and just how to reveal them. It was a most illuminating evening.

(c) meche kroop

DARLING DUNN

Juri Jung and Mignon Dunn

Being a great singer does not guarantee being a skilled pedagogue but it's always a pleasure to find an artist who impresses us in both roles. Last night was our last opportunity to share in the excitement of the International Vocal Arts Institute. We have been exposed to so many up and coming young artists who seem to have grown a great deal through their participation.

Mignon Dunn's master class was not just an opportunity to hear more of these young artists but an opportunity to learn what to listen for and what to appreciate. Ms. Dunn, in a brief 15-20 minutes, was able to identify exactly what each young singer needed to improve the aria that he or she chose to present. There was no boilerplate, not just one issue that she emphasized for all comers.  No! Each young artist got individualized attention and a pointer or two to take them to the next level.

Tenor Alexei Kuznietsov is already quite a star in his homeland, the Ukraine. But moving onto the opera stage requires new techniques and he has grown considerably during his time spent with IVAI. He just needed to hear the advice not to pack in the breath and push out sound. He also needed a boost to get into the character of Don Jose in the "Flower Aria" from Bizet's Carmen. Everyone noticed the difference.

Soprano Claire Wilmoth sang "Du bist der Lenz" from Act I of Wagner's Die Walkure. This is our favorite part of the entire Ring Cycle and we were thrilled to hear it sung by someone with Wagnerian potential. What was needed here was some dramatic verisimilitude. Ms. Dunn coached Ms. Wilmoth to recite Wagner's alliterative poetry and to recite it slowly. Ms. Wilmoth was still a bit on the declamatory side until Ms. Dunn asked her to whisper it. Then, and only then, did she sing it as beautifully as one would have wished.  As a matter of fact, we have been reciting it all night at a whisper and feeling the beauty of the discovery of love. Yes, Wagner did write gorgeous poetry and yes, it is just as important as the music.

Baritone Evan Henke had a marvelous lesson from Ms. Dunn. At first, his serenade "Deh vieni alla finestra" was not quite convincing. It was too sweet, too polite.  Don Giovanni is a vile seducer and some of what Tarquinius puts into his aria in Benjamin Britten's The Rape of Lucretia was just what was needed to make the performance consistent with the character. We couldn't help noticing that Mr. Henke has a marvelous embouchure which carried over even into Britten's English.

Tenor Hyunho Cho performed "Recondita armonia" from Act I of Puccini's Tosca. Ms. Dunn pointed out a subtlety that we had overlooked but we will never miss it again! The painter Cavaradossi must show more feeling when he describes his brunette lover Floria Tosca than when he describes the blond woman in his painting of the virgin. That means fewer portamenti for the Virgin! Ms. Dunn wanted more beauty and less volume. Also she mentioned that is was OK to leave out the "s" in Tosca at the upper end of the register where the voice seems to catch.  Franco Corelli was mentioned as an artist who never pronounced an "s" and everyone had a good giggle.

Mr. Cho also sang "Nessun dorma" from Puccini's Turandot. He needed to trust his voice more and not to push so hard. A borrowed pair of earplugs did the trick! Further, he needed to find a good placement for the final "Vincero!" and to hold the final syllable longer.  These tips made a big difference.

Soprano Juri Jung closed the class with Adele's "Audition Aria" from Johann Strauss' Die Fledermaus. This is a marvelous audition piece in which the soprano gets to overdo it as she tries to convey all the different roles she could perform. Ms. Jung nailed the adorableness of the role and her vocal performance dazzled us with it's embellishments and fine trill. She negotiated the wide skips with ease and Ms. Dunn's main suggestion was to portray more desperation. Probably everyone in attendance was recalling how hard they try when they audition!

Peiwen Chen did her usual fine work as accompanist.

Although prior commitments will prevent us from enjoying the final two IVAI events, we would like to encourage you to attend tonight's performance of Puccini's Suor Angelica. With all the marvelous women singers we heard over the course of the institute, it should be a real treat.

Also, there is a recital of American Art Song Saturday night. This is not our thing but it may be yours!  Go!  Enjoy!

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SCENE MAKERS

Pavel Suliandziga, Jarvis Dams, Claire Wilmoth, Olivia Ottinger, and Amanda Panaccione

Instead of another "curtain call" photo, we have decided to give our readers a better idea of what we experienced at last night's IVAI recital of opera duets, trios, and ensembles. If you haven't already guessed, Mozart's Die Zauberflote was the source of this scene from Act I in which the three ladies (sopranos Amanda Panaccione, Claire Wilmoth, and Olivia Ottinger) have just given  Tamino the titular Magic Flute.  And what a scene that was with the three ladies harmonizing beautifully and Pavel Suliandziga giving us all the drama and vocalism we want in Tamino. As Papageno, baritone Jarvis Dams was hilarious trying to express himself with a lock on his mouth.

A second Papageno (baritone Evan Henke) performed a charming scene with the exciting young soprano Melody Yun Xie  who is so well-named. "Bei Mannern" is melodic and tender, and just right for Melody and Mr. Henke.

With a program this uniformly excellent, it is difficult to single out the ones that were outstanding. Everything was memorable.

The idea of presenting the opening scene of Puccini's Manon Lescaut followed by the same opening scene from Massenet's Manon was a brilliant one. The story is a very French one and perhaps that gave Massenet's a slight edge, although we must say that the appropriately named Nanyoung Song  matched incredibly well with the Des Grieux of Fanyoung Du. Both are possessors of gorgeous instruments which they use well to create believable characters. Mr. Du was convincingly smitten and Ms. Song showed evidence of the high spirits that will create so many problems later in the opera. That they sang in fine French style was a bonus.

In the Puccini, tenor Alexei Kuznietsov revealed a sizable instrument that bodes well for his future. He sang his "Cortese damigella" to soprano Lisa Faieta with great conviction and passion. Ms. Faieta maintained her modest air almost to the end when they ran offstage. We were glad to hear more of her as Donna Elvira in a scene from Mozart's Don Giovanni.

Bass-baritone Lawson Anderson impressed us in two roles, demonstrating a real feel for Mozart and an equal feel for complicated male characters. As Don Giovanni in the aforementioned scene, he was busy trying to persuade Donna Anna (soprano Claire Jihye Choi) and Don Ottavio (tenor Eric Alexieff) that Donna Elvira was crazy.  The scene was his and we were captivated by the texture of his voice and the intensity of his acting.

He was equally fine as Figaro in Mozart's Nozze di Figaro and sang the opening scene with soprano Sofia Sanchez as his Susana. Ms. Sanchez is not the only singer to blossom in an operatic role, making a far greater impression than when delivering a song.

Figaro's Act IV aria "Aprite un po' quegli occhi" was delivered with great indignance over his bride's supposed betrayal. Meanwhile, soprano Kyaunnee Richardson had a fine time teasing him with "Deh vieni non tardar". When we hear of Mr. Anderson performing either role in toto, we will SO be there!

The third Susana of the evening was Ashley Alden who teased Evan Henke's Almaviva in the excellent duet "Crudel, perche fin'ora". This group of IVAI singers responded so well to Mozart, bringing his music to vivid life.

We recently heard soprano Banlingyu Ban's Cio-cio San at Heartbeat Opera so we were not at all surprised by the excellence of her performance last night in the duet "Bimba dagli occhi pieni di malia" --the performance itself filled with malia! But we were astonished by the ardent performance of tenor Yang Chen. Both artists have ping-y qualities to their instruments and a most affecting quality.

And finally, from Mozart's Der Schauspieldirektor, two sopranos (Ashley Alden and Amanda Panaccione) got to duke it out while tenor Eric Alexieff tried to make peace. We saw that opera not too long ago in Santa Fe and have always enjoyed that scene, although, truth to tell, the sopranos we know are uniformly supportive of one another. But still the cliche is a funny one and satisfies those opera goers who would like to imagine catfights between rivals.  And now, we are thinking of Rossini's "Miaou" and if you've never heard that piece of vocal one upmanship, do give it a listen.

Stage Directors for the evening were Joshua Major and Dietlinde Maazel. Conductors were Maestri Paul Nadler and Brent Chancellor.  Pianists/coaches were Lucy Arner, Liora Maurer, and Jane Steele.

For lots of photos of these scenes, please see our Facebook Page, Voce di Meche.

(c) meche kroop

IVAI at MANNES

IVAI Italian-Spanish Song Concert--Pianist/Coach Lucy Arner and Participants

The International Vocal Arts Institute has been helping young singers bridge the gap between studies and professionalism for thirty years, under the guidance of Founder /Artistic Director Joan Dornemann and Music Director Paul Nadler. We just caught up with them last year and was sufficiently impressed that we blocked out as much time as possible to attend their events this year.

IVAI holds these institutes in Asia, Latin America, and Canada. This year's institute drew 80 young singers from 16 countries.  It is only one week into the program in residence at Mannes School of Music at the New School. With nearly two weeks left, the young artists are already showing the signs of some excellent coaching, witnessed by the fact that they all had good command of both Italian and Spanish and some good legato technique.

The composition of the group of singers on tonight's program was varied from undergraduate level to singers who have been singing professionally. In the latter category was Banlingyu Ban, a highly gifted soprano from Shanghai who dazzled us recently in her performance as Cio-Cio San with Heartbeat Opera (review archived).

She performed the lovely Verdi song "In solitaria stanza" and we are pleased to report that her appealing stage presence lost nothing by moving from opera stage to recital stage. Her tone is lovely with a special quality in the upper register and she invested the song with convincing passion as the poet laments his very sick beloved Irene.

Her Spanish was equally memorable in a couple of songs from Manuel de Falla's Siete Canciones populares Espanolas. Our hands down favorite was "Asturiana" which she invested with appropriate melancholy.

Another fine singer who appears to be well on her way was mezzo-soprano Mariel Reyes from Veracruz, Mexico.  So many fine singers seem to be coming from Mexico lately! We enjoyed her performance of Rosa's aria of jealous fury from Jose Serrano's zarzuela Los Claveles--"Que te importa que no venga". Regular readers will recall how fond we are of zarzuela!

Ms. Reyes closed the program with a trio of songs by Fernando Obradors, each one exhibiting a diifferent mood and sung with different coloration--the frisky "Tres Morillas", the tenderly romantic "Del cabello mas sutil", and the intense and melodic "El Vito". Ms. Reyes truly knows how to get a song across and held our attention with her intensity.

Another singer who possesses this marvelous Latin American sazon is Colombian tenor David Rivera Bozon. The familiar "No puede ser" from Pablo Sorozabal's La Taberna del Puerto was given a highly affecting performance. He also performed a pair of songs by Alberto Ginastera of a rather mournful nature--"Triste" and "La concio del arbol del olvido". Mr. Bozon knows how to get inside a song and make it his own. We couldn't help observing that in the 20th c., when North American songs were being written with impoverished melody, South American composers knew exactly what their audience wanted to hear! And we want to hear it today in the 21st c.!

We particularly enjoyed the flirtatious duet performed by Mr. Bozon and soprano Eugenia Forteza --"Caballero del alto plumero" from Frederico Moreno Torroba's zarzuela Luisa Fernanda. Every time we hear a program of arias from zarzuelas, we wish someone would produce one in its entirety.

Ms. Forteza is from Argentina and selected a pair of songs composed by her countryman Carlos Guastavino. We particularly loved hearing "Bonita rama", the lovesong of a willow tree. We had another opportunity to hear her singing some of the Manuel de Falla songs.  Her performance of "Polo" was riveting in its expression of secret sorrow.

We have a couple observations to throw out for singers to consider.  One is that the use of a music stand is unacceptable. There were a couple singers whom we decline to name who committed that folly. The consequence is the break of connection with the audience. The performance becomes a private conversation between the singer and the score with the audience "eavesdropping". We have heard every excuse in the book for being on the book. We don't buy it.

The singers in question did sing other material without the use of a score and they were much more effective when not glancing down and turning pages.

Our second observation is that we got the sense that some of the singers were performing songs they didn't particularly care for or to which they didn't relate. The audience can tell, believe us! We will never forget the take home point we got from a master class given by James Levine with the wonderful mezzo Isabel Leonard participating. The point was "Sing what you love!"  Great advice from a great teacher.

The fine tenor Hyunho Cho seemed not terribly involved with Tosti's "Malia" but when he sang "Non t'amo piu" he was a different artist completely. He became expansive in his voice and his feelings. We believed in the poet's denial of love and admired the exquisite decrescendo at the end.  We also liked the way he sang Joaquin Turina's "Las locas por amor" with a true feeling of fun.

As far as songs to love or not love, our personal feelings were that we'd love to hear more of Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari but less of Ottorino Respighi, whose piano writing is lovely (and pianist/coach Lucy Arner surely made the most of it) but whose vocal lines just don't "sing" to us.

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IVAI DOES ROMEO AND JULIETTE

Sandra Hamaoui and Nenad Ciča in the Balcony Scene (photo by meche)

 

 

The lavish sets and costumes of The Metropolitan Opera were not to be seen last night; Gounod's luscious orchestrations were not to be heard. What we got instead was a 90 minute adaptation of Roméo et Juliette that was astonishing in its intimacy, immediacy, and Gallic flavor. Truncated as it was, it managed to capture the essence of Shakespeare's tragic tale by virtue of astute casting and committed performances.

In cooperation with The New School Mannes, The International Vocal Arts Institute is winding down their annual New York City training program, which has attracted 80 young artists from 16 countries, all on the brink of major careers,  Over the past three decades, Artistic Director Joan Dornemann and Music Director Paul Nadler have been passing the torch and launching international careers with institutes held all over the world. The three-week long NYC Institute is presently winding down after several master classes and performances, all open to the public.

The libretto of Gounod's 1867 masterpiece, adapted by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré from Shakespeare's tragedy, wisely focuses on the plight of the "star-cross'd lovers" with several themes from Shakespeare's play eliminated.  Last night's performance trimmed things down still further, eliminating the page Stefano, the favored suitor Paris, and the choruses (although the cast assembled onstage and sang the opening chorus-- and sang it as beautifully as we have ever heard it). The fight scene was replaced by a dramatically affecting narration by the lovely Dietlinde Turban Maazel, holding a bloodied cloth in her hand.

This abridgement brought the titular pair into bold relief and allowed one to concentrate on the gorgeous arias and duets.  Gounod lavished all his melodic gifts on this score and gave us memorable tunes that rest in the memory for a long while.

As Juliette, Sandra Hamaoui's clear-voiced instrument was employed with great artistry and adept vocal coloration. Her prodigious acting skills gave us a totally believable teenager, motivated by youthful hormones, abetted by adolescent recklessness. Her flawless French made every word understood, a great advantage in the absence of titles.

As her Romeo, Serbian tenor Nenad Ciča was youthfully ardent and impulsive and fulfilled his role in a similarly convincing fashion. We would like to hear a bit more "center" in his voice but that will come. His voice balanced well with that of Ms. Hamaoui and the harmonization was gorgeous.

Another voice that impressed us was that of baritone Lawson Anderson whose rich full voice was perfect for the role of Count Capulet, Juliette's father. In spite of his youth, he sang with authority and evinced a strong stage presence.

Baritone Evan Henke did a fine job as Roméo's friend Mercutio, with his "Queen Mab" aria--another singer we would like to hear more of.

Mezzo-soprano Michelle Siemens had a lovely sound and connected well with her role as Gertrude, Juliette's nurse, proving that there is no such thing as a "small role".

This was also the case with tenor Pavel Suliandziga who sang the part of Tybalt and sang it with such unique timbre that we were disappointed when he was killed off so early!

As Frère Laurent, bass Christopher Nazarian acted the part well but sang with a somewhat grainy tone.

Conductor Paul Nadler has beautifully expressive hands and we could imagine an entire orchestra responding; only pianist Dura Jun was there but her playing left nothing to be desired. The portentously grim music of the final scene with its arpeggiated diminished chords were effectively brought out. The recapitulation of the music from the bedroom scene added to the tragedy.

Direction by Omer Ben Seadia was as creative as it could be in a black box theater with nothing onstage but a stepladder and a few chairs. The Venetian masks used for the opening scene (the Capulet's ball) were a wonderful touch. Seeing Juliet hugging the pillow after Roméo departs the nuptial bed was a touch any woman in the audience would immediately understand.

No one was credited with the lighting but we found it absolutely instrumental in creating atmosphere, particularly in the absence of sets. For example, the lighting became somber when Juliet learns that the boy she fell for is from the family of her father's enemy.

If you were so unfortunate as to have missed this wonderful performance, you will have an opportunity to hear Puccini's La Bohème tonight, which promises to be as wonderful. And on Thursday night there will be a rare performance of Leoncavallo's version of the same story, a performance which we are already regretting missing. Hopefully, readers, you will not have a prior commitment and can attend. As for us, we wish we could clone ourselves.  So much culture, so little time!

(c) meche kroop

MORE IVAI

Rainer Armbrust, Jelena Banković, Gina Perregrino, Antonina Chekhovskaya, Christopher Georgetti, Dorothy Gal, Zayra Ruiz, and Sandra Hamaoui

Having greatly enjoyed the evening of arias presented by the International Vocal Arts Institute last Thursday (scroll down if you missed it) we were eager to hear how the talented young artists would fare with an evening of lieder and mélodies. Although many of the necessary skills overlap, the requirements for the latter differ from the former. 

In opera, an artist can succeed on the basis of a beautiful voice and good technique. For lieder, a deeply personal understanding of the text and the ability to draw the audience in are minimum requirements. The ability to access one's own feelings and communicate them to the audience so that they share the feelings are what distinguishes a great lieder singer. We have seen/heard some major stars of the opera world fail to achieve this difficult task.

We take pleasure in reporting that the students in the IVAI Summer Institute showed great promise in this challenging art form. Since the text achieves prominence in these works, the singer must be scrupulous in diction. These young artists appear to have benefited from the daily coaching sessions, with only an occasional avoidance of the final "ch" in German to detract from otherwise excellent diction.

Again, we were very impressed with soprano Sandra  Hamaoui (the Juliette of last Thursday) who performed "Absence" from Berlioz' Les Nuits d'été. Her well-focused voice was under fine dynamic control and the heartfelt communication of longing entranced us. We were so drawn in that we forgot where we were!

From the same cycle, soprano Jelena Banković sang "Villanelle" with piquant personality and high spirits. What a contrast from her performance as the tortured maiden in "Gretchen am Spinnrade" earlier in the program; she began seated and as the song built to a stunning climax she rose from her chair and then collapsed in despair at the end.  Simply riveting!

We have not heard mezzo-soprano Gina Perregrino sing in some time and was delighted to hear her sing "Le spectre de la rose". Her French phrasing was scented with the perfume of the spirit of the rose. Very fragrant indeed!

Soprano Dorothy Gal made more of an impression than she had the other night when she breathed life into "L'île inconnue" just as the poet speaks of filling the sails of a boat.

Another singer who made more of an impression last night was baritone Lawson Anderson who limned the sorrowful colors of Hugo Wolf's "Verborgenheit" and provided necessary variety by means of dynamic control.

We had never heard soprano Aine Hakamatsuka before but she sang one of our favorite Wolf songs--"Das verlassene Mägdelein". She completely captured the daily tedium and vague unhappiness of the young woman and on "plötzlich" all the colors changed when she recalled the masculine source of her misery and flashes of anger emerged.  So powerful!  The far more cheerful "Er ist's" allowed her to exhibit completely different vocal colors.

Mezzo-soprano Georgia Burashko did some fine work in Schumann's "In der Fremde", the challenging opening song of his Liederkreis with it's lonely feeling and changes of key. (Strangely the translation provided was for the other "In der fremde" which is song #8.)  In a totally different mood was "Waldegespräch" in which she captured the sense of menace; we hoped to hear a bit more contrast of color between the voices of the man and the Lorelei and a clearer  "ch" at the end of the words. 

In "Die Rose, die Lilie, die Taube", light tenor Mattheus Coura showed all the impetuosity of a young man who idolizes his girl, perhaps in the way that Schumann worshipped his Clara.  It felt delightfully spontaneous.

Tenor Christopher Eaglin possesses a heavier instrument and his songs were wisely chosen.  He sang "Im Rhein, im heiligen Strome" and then "Ich grolle nicht", both also from Schumann's Liederkreis. He sure knows how to sustain a tone to the end of the phrase.

There was only one bass-baritone on the program and he is a born storyteller. He sang Schumann's "Die beiden Grenadiere" with fine diction and expressiveness of voice, face, and gesture. Vocal coloring sustained interest throughout.

Several more young artists were on the excellent program--sopranos Yulan Piao, Antonina Chekhovskaya (reviewed last Thursday), and Kimberly Merrill, mezzo Zayra Ruiz (reviewed last Thursday), and tenors Zachary Rubens and Christopher Georgetti. All impressed us and merit further hearings.

Accompaniment was excellent and provided by Rainer Armbrust whose piano postlude in "Er ist's" was dazzling.  the effective staging was done by Joshua Major who had several singers seated onstage at once, listening raptly to whomever was singing. It produced a more dramatic effect than one usually experiences at a lieder recital but, paradoxically felt casual, as if we were at a musicale in Schumann's parlor.

There will be a final recital on Wednesday and we regret that we have a prior engagement. We urge you to go hear these fine young artists.

(c) meche kroop

IVAI AND MANNES

International Vocal Arts Institute at Mannes College, the New School for Music


We love getting acquainted with programs that share our interest in promoting the growth and development of young singers. The International Vocal Arts Institute is holding their program in New York for the first time, in partnership with Mannes College. And a fine partnership it is!

IVAI was brought into being in 1986 by Co-Founders Joan Dornemann as Artistic Director and Paul Nadler as Music Director--another fine partnership. Ms. Dornemann's coaching is legendary and Maestro Nadler's conducting has delighted us often at the Met, particularly in Dvorak's Rusalka and Gounod's Roméo et Juiliette. 
For two weeks the students, chosen by audition, receive daily master classes by some of the finest teachers in New York (Ken Benson and Ira Siff among many others) as well as several performance opportunities. Last night's recital of arias, duets and a trio demonstrated some fine work by students who have been working on technique, role preparation and interpretation, diction and acting, as well as career development.

All the singers were well worth hearing but a few stood out for various reason. The very young soprano Sandra Hamaoui, partnered by tenor Evanivaldo Correa Serrano, performed "Nuit d'hyménée" from Gounod's Roméo et Juliette with such an abundance of adolescent passion that we became oblivious to matters of technique. Her bright soprano melded perfectly with Mr. Serrano's robust tenor and the acting was electrifying. What a convincing portrayal! There was no hint of self-consciousness or staginess.  Regarding Mr. Serrano, he sounds like the product of that fine Mexican teaching that brought us Rolando Villazon.

In terms of versatility, we were highly impressed by another Mexican artist--mezzo-soprano Zayra Ruiz who knocked our socks off with our favorite zarzuela number "Las Carceleras" from Ruperto Chapi's Las Hijas del Zebedeo. Her performance was compelling and full of sazón. Could this be the same Zayra Ruiz who played the ambivalent Dorabella being wooed by Guglielmo (the fine ardent baritone Lawson Anderson) in the duet "Il core vi dono" from Mozart's Cosi fan tutte? Apparently she is one of those special singers who can readily slip into and out of a role.

Matching her in versatility was soprano Antonina Chekhovskaya who used her generous instrument and finely tuned dramatic sense to portray a reckless young woman and a wise and experienced aristocrat. Her Tatiana in Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin was filled with passion and trepidation; she employed facial and body gesture along with word coloring and dynamic variety to make this long scene seem brief. Later, she distinguished herself with her regal and generous bearing as the Marschallin in Strauss' Der Rosenkavalier.

The final trio "Hab' mir's gelobt" is one of the most gorgeous trios ever written with each character expressing a different set of emotions on a different vocal line--everything coming together in a dense and satisfying texture. Gina Perregrino's lovely mezzo and Meechot Marrero's light soprano added to the picture.

Harmonious vocal blending was also in evidence when mezzo Michelle Siemens as Cornelia and mezzo Jooyeon Song as Sesto performed the sad duet "Son nata a lagrimar" from Handel's Giulio Cesare. The tenderness between mother and son was moving.

We have reviewed bass Pnini Gruber on prior occasions and have always enjoyed his performance. Last night we adored his Don Pasquale as he negotiated with baritone Edward Cleary's Dr. Malatesta in "Fra da una parta" from Donizetti's opera of the same name. He was so effectively funny that we would consider this his signature role. In spite of his youth he went beyond stereotype and conveyed every shade of his character's nature.

We also enjoyed soprano Yulan Piao's sweet Mimi with tenor Fanyong Du a shade too forceful as Rodolfo in the Act I duet from Puccini's La Bohème. Soprano Barbara Kits sang the beautiful aria "Mercé, dilette amiche" from Verdi's I Vespri Siciliani. Soprano Dorothy Gal sang Manon in her first meeting with Des Grieux (Nenad Čiča) in Massenet's Manon.

Mozart's operas were well represented. Soprano Shannon Jones sang Susanna to baritone Edward Cleary's Count Almaviva in a duet from Nozze di Figaro; in "Crudel! Perché finora" she pulls him into a trap. From his Don Giovanni, we heard baritone Matthew Gamble doing his best to woo soprano Samarie Alicea as Zerlina in "La ci darem la mano".

Maestro Nadler himself conducted.  Accompanists were Brian Eads, Chun-wei Kang, and Dmitri Glivinskiy. Scenes were effectively staged by Joshua Major and Pat Diamond. It was a splendid evening and we will be attending another performance next week so stay tuned for more. When this program ends, another institute will be held by IVAI in Montreal. To visit IVAI's website and see the list of alumni was a revelation. So many highly accomplished artists have passed through their program!

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