WATER WATER EVERYWHERE

Sidney Outlaw, Aude Cardona, and Christopher Dylan Herbert (photo by Tony Gale)

We traveled over an hour to the farthest reaches of Brooklyn (Red Hook to be precise) to witness the launch of Floating Opera New York as they presented Debussy's only opera, Pelléas et Mélisande; the opera premiered in 1902 at the Opéra-Comique in Paris and has been revived from time to time, but never on a boat, to the best of our knowledge. 

Floating Opera staged the work on a 101-year-old wooden barge, the last remaining one of its kind. The audience was seated on all four sides of the playing area which was demarcated by strings of colored lights. The set by Jian Jung comprised lots of coiled ropes and a dinghy which served as fountain, spring, and nuptial bed.

We heard the original piano score which debuted before the turn of the 20th c. chez Stéphane Mallarmé at a gathering of Symbolist artists, poets and musicians. It would later be orchestrated. George Hemcher beautifully played the diaphanous impressionistic score while Eric Kramer conducted.

The voices were uniformly excellent. As the mysterious heroine Mélisande we heard the French mezzo-soprano Aude Cardona who managed to sing the elusive unhappy woman with a fine rich tone. The compelling baritone Christopher Dylan Herbert shone as the prince Pélleas who is involved in this delicately rendered love triangle with his older half-brother Prince Golaud, so superbly sung by baritone Sidney Outlaw. The role demanded many vocal colors as he went from tenderness to jealous rage; Mr. Outlaw delivered.

As  Genviève, mother to both men, Jazmin DeRice made a substantial impression in her one important scene. As the blind grandfather Arkel, Paul Goodwin-Groen used his booming base effectively and aroused our sympathy. Another base, Brett Vogel portrayed the Doctor and the young soprano Caroline Rose Loeb portrayed Golaud's young son Yniold. Note that most of the important roles involved low voices!

The story is a strange one. Debussy himself adapted the play by Maurice Maeterlinck, an attempt to depart from realism and naturalism. The story is kind of a fairy tale taking place in vaguely Medieval times. The widower Golaud finds Mélisande weeping at a well.  Her crown has fallen into the water but she doesn't want it retrieved.  He comforts her, takes her back to his castle and weds her.

She is not happy. Pelléas, the younger half-brother, shares a rather innocent friendship with her that blossoms into love, which is only confessed when he is leaving. Nothing is really spoken but the sensual nature of the two artists' physical movement tells us a great deal. In one thrilling scene in which Pelléas sings of embracing her very long hair, he enacts that by horizontally "climbing" the stretched out rope. They are playful like children. In another scene they actually climb opposing walls of the barge.

Golaud is suspicious and tries to get his young son to spy on the pair. He has no evidence but flies into a jealous rage when he sees them exchange a farewell kiss. He slays his brother. Mélisande will soon die.

The symbolism of water is everywhere--spring, fountain, cave, tears.  How fitting to perform the work on the water!

There was only one aspect of the production that we found very UN-fitting. It was decided to present the work in English, a decision which we deplore. It is a very French work; Debussy matched the rhythm of the French language to his music. It was a poor fit to the English language which never flows like French.

Furthermore, the women's diction left much to be desired and, had we not been familiar with the story, we would have been pretty much in the dark as to what was happening. Even with our familiarity, many fine points of the story were missed. A better solution might have been to have sung the work in French with audience members being given a summary to read.

Direction by Isabel Milenski was exciting and the space put to excellent use. Christina Lorraine Bullard designed the costumes with Ms. Cardona's costume being designed by Jana Jarosz.  Effective lighting design was by Jeanette Oi-Suk Yew.

It was a memorable launch of a new opera ship.  Future productions will be staged in other venues.  Hence the title--Floating Opera New York.

(c) meche kroop

PARODI AND MOZART

Kneeling: Luke Scott and Alejandra Ruiz (photo courtesy of NY Lyric Opera)

We always want to be in the audience when the versatile Argentinian conductor Jorge Parodi wields his magic. Friday night at Weill Recital Hall he showed a special affinity for Mozart. The froth of the melodies was all there but full attention was paid to the depths of characterization in Nozze di Figaro. The Metamorphsis Chamber Orchestra gleamed under his guidance.  The Artistic Director of the Orchestra is bassoonist Pierre Lidar.

Able assistance in interpretation was contributed by the singers, directed by Isabel Milenski, who directed the same opera at Juilliard. Her touch is unmistakable. The singers sang well and acted with conviction in this semi-staged production by New York Lyric Opera whose Artistic Director Elizabeth Heuermann can be counted on to put on a good show.  We have no idea who condensed Mozart's long opera into an hour performance but it was long enough and well enough staged that one could understand the story and the relationship between the characters. Effective costumes by Brenna McShane made up for the lack of scenery.

Although the superb chamber orchestra occupied half the stage, the singers had no problem singing above the sound. Luke Scott cut a fine figure as the eponymous hero and we particularly enjoyed his "Non vedrai" in which he employed a falsetto voice for some of the lines. The role fit him like a glove. As his bride, Alejandra Ruiz was winsome and won our heart. She was particularly fine in "Giunse al fin...Deh vieni non tardar".

In the roles of the aristocrats, Boris Mitchell sang and acted successfully as Count Almaviva and Jennifer Noel, as his Countess, did a lovely job with "Dove Sono", such that we mourned the missing "Porgi Amor". Her duet with Ms. Ruiz delighted the ear.

It is a small role but we were enchanted by Joseph Andrew Yu's gossipy Don Basilio. How surprising it was to learn that he is still an undergraduate at Manhattan School of Music. We predict a good future for this young man. We also liked another young artist, Matthew Hutcheson-Bleiberg whose lanky appearance added to his success as Antonio.

Kaitlin Hatchett as Cherubino, Courtney Wilson as Marcellina, and James williams as Bartolo all contributed to the fun onstage and sang well.

The first half of the evening was given over to a succession of arias, each sung by a different singer.  It was a great opportunity to hear a lot of different artists, among whom several stood out.  Giovanni Longo's accompaniment was unusually sensitive and supportive.

Tenor Percy Martinez sounded more impressive than he has on prior hearings in smaller rooms.  His voice was just the right size and timbre for "E lucevan le stelle" from Puccini's Tosca.

We liked the intensity of tenor Antonio Signorello in "Vesti la giubba" from Leoncavallo's Pagliacci. We were impressed by the harmonization of Kaitlin Hatchett and Sangying Li in "The Prayer Duet" from Humperdinck's Hansel und Gretel". Their English diction was so excellent that we missed not a single word. Any singers who have tried to make themselves understood in English will understand how difficult that is.

Danielle Davis sang "Elsa's Dream" from Wagner's Lohengrin with authority and good dynamic control. She started sweetly but built to an heroic climax.

Although we are in the dog days of summer, New York Lyric Opera had no problem packing the house. Opera lovers are always thirsting for talent and there was plenty of that onstage!

(c) meche kroop

WHEN IN ROME

Maestro Parodi and cast of L'incoronazione di Poppea

In the prologue to Monteverdi's final work, the prim Virtue (Leeanne Kaufman) and the slatternly Fortuna (Jessica Adkins) argue about which one is the stronger in affecting human behavior.  But it is Amore (Rebecca Wood) who laughs last, although Cupid seems to be more supportive of lust than love. Giovanni Francesco Busenello's libretto has taken literary liberties with history.

The dissolute emperor Nerone (Rahim Mandal) wants to rid himself of his wife Ottavia (Abigail Shapiro) so he can marry the sexy Poppea (Margaret Newcomb).  Ottone (Isaac Assor) the rejected suitor of Poppea is enlisted by Ottavia to murder her, disguising himself in the clothes of his servant Drusilla (Teresa Castillo) who would do anything to gain his love, including taking the rap for him.  Since great liberties were taken with history, Nerone's character has been softened and he graciously allows the perpetrators and his cast-off wife to live in exile.  Are we having fun yet?  Oh, yes, we certainly are!

Premiered in Venice in 1643, the work is relevant today even without contemporary attire; we are still plagued by cheating rulers and ambitious mistresses.  In fact, this opera represents a major moral departure from the standard of wrong-doers being punished. How refreshing!  How cynical!

Isabel Milenski has directed the students of the Manhattan Summer Voice Festival at Manhattan School of Music with a sure hand, keeping the action moving and the arias motivated.  It is difficult to believe that the singers are students; each and every role was beautifully sung and convincingly acted.  Comic relief was provided mostly by Drusilla and the fanciful costumes of the gods.  Amore had red feathered wings, Pallade had helmet and breastplate, Virtue looked like a 1950's church-goer and Fortuna, swilling from a bottle, was decked out in sequins.  Poppea's nurse Arnalta (Jillian Wiley) had fun toward the end when she lords her newly exalted position over the other servant Nuttrice (Ms. Kaufman)--Ottavia's nurse.  Elizabeth Barrett Groth was Costume Designer.

Musical values were splendid in every respect as Maestro Jorge Parodi conducted the Dorian Baroque Orchestra.  Our fascination with the theorbo continues and Kevin Payne's duet with cellist Margalit Cantor just about knocked our socks off.  There is much scholarly argument about whether Monteverdi wrote the entire opera or whether he had ample assistance from students and younger colleagues.  In any event, the music is gorgeously melodic and the young singers did it justice as did the musicians.  Duets were especially lovely as voices blended in perfect harmony.  We particularly enjoyed the love duets between Poppea and Nerone, and the duet between Nerone and the poet Lucano (John Ford) taking place at the baths.  Let it be said that the towels did not slip and there was no wardrobe malfunction Sunday night.  We make no promises for future performances Tuesday and next weekend!

As a stand alone aria, one could not ask for a better one than Ottavia's lament in Act I, describing the plight of women.  We long to hear it again.  In the relatively small role of a soldier (here an FBI-type bodyguard) Michael Papincak evinced an instrument of distinction.  We yearn to hear more of him.

The set design by Jian Jung was simple but effective--no more than a few architectural elements that served as bed, bath, table, whatever--and some columns.  Nothing distracted from the superb music and singing.

The Manhattan Summer Voice Festival seems to have attracted some highly talented young performers and molded them into a splendid ensemble in a few short weeks.  Bravi tutti!

© meche kroop