THE DRAMA OF THE LIED

 

Lara Saldanha, Victoria Falcone, and Nina Riley (photo by Andrew Bisdale)

If you were fortunate enough to have attended Dell'Arte Opera Ensemble's concert last night at the A.R.T. Center you would have experienced what a lieder recital can and should be. In a program conceived by Maestro Chris Fecteau, each set of songs became a mini opera, since each set had a theme.

There was an overall unity to the program since all of the texts were written by Paul Heyse who translated them from Italian--hence the title of the concert Italienische Liederbuch. Most fans of lieder have heard Heyse's poetry as set  by Hugo Wolf under that very name. But many of us, ourself included, did not know the wealth of material set by other composers. 

We did, of course, know that other German texts have been given multiple settings by different composers but this assemblage had a dramatic intent, the realization of which was an original and effective undertaking. Although no director was listed in the program, we will hazard a guess that Mo. Fecteau undertook the task and it was a fine undertaking indeed.

The material was not organized by composer, but rather organized along the principle of theme, so each listener was swept into the mini dramas and offered an opportunity to access his or her own memories and imagination.

Hermann Goetz's brief period of composition predated that of the late 19th century Hugo Wolf whereas Joseph Marx's heyday was somewhat later. Nonetheless, there is enough similarity within German Romanticism to unite the works, which also included one by Brahms and also Arnold Mendelssohn (a relation of Felix). There was no jarring as there might have been if modern compositions had been included.

The first set of songs was entitled "Young Lovers" and found the bright-voiced soprano Nina Riley locking gazes with the richly voiced mezzo-soprano Victoria Falcone. Both singers amplified the vocalism with dramatic enactments of flirtation. Accompanying with panache at the piano was Lara Saldanha.

We have special admiration for singers who deliver their material "off the book" which makes for better audience contact and soprano Ellen Teufel accomplished that with ease, accompanied by Mo. Fecteau himself who is always a pleasure to hear.

Following was an exploration of a love triangle comprising soprano Heather Bobeck, mezzo-soprano, Olivia Ericsson, and tenor Stephen Steffens. The facial expressions and gestures of the two women were priceless. Furthermore, it was a pleasure to hear Mr. Steffens in gentler material than that written by Mozart for Emperor Tito, which we had heard the night before.

The relationship between Father and Daughter was well explored by soprano Elizaveta Kozlova and bass Jason Adamo who presented a very distant father who seemed never to look at his lovely daughter. David Stech accompanied and also provided an absolutely delightful interlude.  Felix Mendelssohn' Songs Without Words do not need words but his "Barcarolle" in the hands of Mr. Stech produced images of Venice in my mind's eye, a gentle swaying in my body, and strangely enough, in my mind's ear, the lonely musings of the gondolier paddling himself home at the end of the night! Words were not needed but they came unbidden.

Soprano Clara Lisle joined with tenor Andres Penalver for songs about love transcending death, accompanied by Ms. Saldanha. Just when we thought the program was over, we were fortunate enough to have two more songs by Ms. Teufel accompanied by Mo. Fecteau. We observed that Ms. Teufel is always "off the book" and in a position to make good contact with the audience. In the Wolf "Gesegnet sei" she was very still but seemed to loosen up with her gestures in Marx's "Ständchen". We had the thought that her artistry could go from an "A" to an "A-plus" if she could make her gestures more specific. This is a fine point we have been becoming more aware of recently. It takes a performance to a higher level.

Although we could happily have listened to more, we did feel satisfied by the program, which succeeded in accessing our own memories and associations. As in the other two events of Dell'Arte's 25th season, we were very happy with the organization of the space and the clarity of the supertitles. We found ourselves wishing there were more events!

© meche kroop

WITTEN IN HASTE, ENJOYED FOR CENTURIES

 Barbee Monk, Valérie Filloux, Elizaveta Kozlova, Stephen Steffens, Sarah Nelson Craft, Jason Adamo

Mozart's opera seria La Clemenza di Tito was "dashed off" in 1791 within weeks of its commission, to celebrate the coronation of Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor, as King of Bavaria. (This commission was first offered to the more senior composer Antonio Salieri.) The libretto by court poet Caterino Mazzolà was edited from an original version by Metastasio which had been set numerous times. At the time, Mozart was actually in the middle of composing Die Zauberflöte and careful listening to the score reveals a number of similarities.

As centerpiece of its 25th season, Dell'Arte Opera Ensemble chose this treasure to present in an original reduction of the score by Maestro Chris Fecteau. We lack the time and energy to fulfill every request for a review and we pick and choose on the basis of our interest in the work, an opportunity to hear a singer we like, a recommendation by a friend or colleague, or our particular affection for the producing company.  It is often the case that we find ourselves more impressed in the viewing/hearing by a feature we weren't expecting. 

Our long term affection for Dell'Arte Opera Ensemble seemed reason enough to attend a Mozart opera that is not among our top four. To our delight, we heard elements of the score that were illuminated by Mo. Fecteau's reduction, elements that delighted the ear and impressed us with their effectiveness. We love vocal duets but what astonished us last night was the idea of a duet between a singer and an instrument, in this case mostly the clarinet. It was as if there were an invisible singer offstage in dialogue with the actual singer, one repeating an idea of the other, or advancing a complementary melody. We might say that our ears received the gift of an education, or a revelation.

The reduction of the score involved piano, violin, cello, and four winds--the aforementioned clarinet (played by Katie Curran), flute, bassoon, and French horn. There was a remarkable clarity in the voicing and we heard the score with fresh ears.

Metastasio's story features the titular Tito, a loving and generous ruler who puts the well being of his subjects ahead of his own desires. If Mozart chose to flatter the anointed Leopold we wouldn't be a bit surprised. We couldn't help fantasizing that our contemporary self-appointed "King" might change his ways if he deigned to visit a performance at the Kennedy Center! We wish!

Tito (tenor Stephen Steffens) casts aside his intended Beatrice because she is a foreigner (ahem!) and chooses a local lady, sister of his friend Sesto (mezzo-soprano Sarah Nelson Craft in travesti)  Unfortunately Servillia (soprano Elizaveta Kozlova) is in love with Annio (Valerie Filloux also in travesti) another one of his friends. With generosity of spirit, the magnanimous Tito wishes her well and turns his marital ambitions toward Vitellia (soprano Barbee Monk) who, unfortunately, has persuaded her most ardent admirer Sesto to murder Tito to avenge her father whom Tito had deposed.

The unlucky Sesto is weak-willed and easily manipulated by the vengeful Vitellia (although the lucky singer who sings Sesto gets to sing the memorable "Parto, parto") and the suspense is whether the loyal Sesto will betray her to save his life or will this narcissistic woman realize the error of her ways and tell Tito that she was the one who set the assassination plot in motion. If you want to learn what happens you will have to attend one of the upcoming performances on June 20th and 22nd. The sixth member of the able cast is Publio, sung by Jason Adamo.

We recommend the performance but we don't recommend reading the Director's Notes as Benjamin Spierman tries to mansplain why the innocent toga-clad Servillia (the kindest character in the opera) is sporting a black leather motorcycle jacket. Fortunately Vitellia's Ancient Rome attire is a propos and we will just assume that Costume Designer Eric Lamp was just trying to fulfill a directorial concept. Please don't ask us why there was a videographer wandering around from time to time with the results projected onto the walls!

The black box playing space is comfortable with raked seating along two sides of the box and the chamber orchestra along the third side. Again, let us praise the clear titles that are adequate in size and projected where every audience member can read them.

© meche kroop

FLEUR DU MAL

Sadie Spivey

(Photo by Brian Long)

What an exceptionally interesting idea to present a program of Charles Baudelaire's poetry as set by a variety of musicians of the 19th and early 20th c.! Of course, when one reads the program of an art song recital, the writer of the text is credited, but we had never realized the extent of Baudelaire's influence on so many composers--and not just the famous ones like Fauré, Duparc, Debussy, and Chausson! 

Last evening's entertainment, conceived and directed by Judith Barnes, was far more than a recital of mélodie. It was a peek into the mind of a literary artist whose life was a catastrophe but whose literary output was grand and influential. Ms. Barnes' program notes told us many things about Baudelaire's life; her thoughts were illustrated during the performance as the artists onstage read (in English) from his letters and journals telling us about his dissolute life as a wastrel. He burned through the family fortune in a brief period of time, necessitating what amounted to a guardianship. He died in miserable poverty, never knowing what work of art would result when French musical geniuses found the beauty in his verses, so maligned in his lifetime.

Although the readings were in English, the mélodies were performed in French by the following singers; Jason Adamo, Valerie Filloux, Sadie Spivey, Jeremy Sivitz, Olivia Ericsson, Alexandra Cirile, Helen Haas, and the final number "L'invitation au voyage" by Henri Duparc sung by Perri Sussman, perhaps the one most often performed in recital--but here, given new meaning.

The viewer was given the opportunity to connect with a strange and disturbing world, a louche world of dissipation and desire. Onstage elements, designed by Maestro Fecteau included a recamier, some chairs, a table with a decanter of vin rouge, un escritoire. Singers were costumed (by Angela Huff) in varied states of déshabillage, partly unlaced corsets, culottes, loosened coiffures, white stockings or pieds nus. Singers lounged about indifferently. Once two women rose and danced together. The chansons were interspersed with readings from Baudelaire's letters to his mother or from his journals. Ms. Barnes' direction was absolutely stellar.

Similarly, the musical accompaniment was perfection. The piano parts were performed by a tag team of Lara Saldanha and Maestro Chris Fecteau himself. There was a highly original opening to the evening when Mo. Fecteau played a captivating melody ( by Pierre de Breville. First movement of the Prélude, méditation et prière for organ without pedals (1912) on an antique harmonium. We were so enchanted that after the performance ended we insisted that he give us a demonstration of this instrument. (Dear Reader, we had made the same request of a glass harmonica player and a theorboist. We suffer from unbridled curiosity.)

The evening ended with the aforementioned Ms. Sussman singing the final Duparc chanson from a corner of the room, at the top of the raked staging, dressed in a long white garment, similar to the ones worn by Ms. Saldana and Mo. Fecteau. It was an eerie coup de theâtre which set the three of them apart from the others, leaving one free to speculate on the significance.

There will be one more performance of this unusual entertainment on Saturday evening and more information on the Dell'Arte Opera Ensemble season can be found on their website...dellarteopera.org. If you have not yet caught any of the season, you are hereby urged to do so.

Since we cannot close without something nitpicky, the projected titles were blurry and nearly impossible to read. For our part, however, we preferred to listen to the music and mentally participate in the drama.

© meche kroop