JOYCE DI DONATO MASTER CLASS

Ben Reisinger, Michelle Mariposa, Robert Ellsworth Feng, Bridget Esler, Joel Harder, and Justina Lee

 Participants in Joyce Di Donato's Master Classes at Carnegie Hall Weill Music Institute

(photo by Chris Lee)

Master classes are valuable to young singers because they get a fresh perspective  from a master teacher, and Joyce Di Donato is surely one of the most masterful master teachers around. The Master classes held at Carnegie Hall are also valuable to opera lovers who get an opportunity to witness the hard work and total commitment necessary for a singer to succeed in an overcrowded and highly competitive field.

Ms. Di Donato's master classes are a joy to behold. We marvel at her warmth and ability to establish rapport with various personalities. We are impressed by her ability to suss out exactly the type of help each young singer needs to ascend to the next level. We admire the generosity with which she shares her years of stage experience, as well as her own professional growth. Any opera lover who has attended one of her riveting performances will recognize an artist of dedication who uses her prodigious gifts to create  believable characters without calling attention to technique.

Participants in the three-day event included singers Ben Reisinger, Michelle Mariposa, Robert Ellsworth Feng, and Bridget Esler; they were effectively accompanied by pianists Joel Harder and Justina Lee. It was most interesting to observe their artistic growth over such a brief period of time. Right from the start, it was made clear that the workshop was about process, not performance. The audience, comprising opera lovers and young singers, was uniformly attentive and grateful. There were no distractions. AT the end of each session, audience members asked meaningful questions that were answered with honesty and generosity.

We would like to share a few vignettes that captured our attention. We had never heard the term "rage aria" but that is how Ms. Di Donato labeled Frank's aria from Kurt Weill's Street Scene--"Let things be as they always was". This aria was presented by bass Robert Ellsworth Feng  who was taught how to use vocal color and dynamics to get across Frank's character, beyond the unidimensional.  "Make those consonants SEETHE!" We marveled at how Frank became a real complex person and not just an Archie Bunker.

Mezzo-soprano Michelle Mariposa's portrayal of Arsace from Rossini's Semiramide became informed by the notion that the audience must hear three voices--that of Rossini, that of the character, and that of the singer. The singer must search for authenticity and avoid caricature. Rubato can be used to give the impression of spontaneity as if the character were making it up as he goes along.  It is worthwhile to surprise the audience with syncopation.

Soprano Bridget Esler's offering was that of Pamina's "Ah, ich fuhl's" from Mozart's Die Zauberflote. More connection between phrases was needed and that improvement made a world of difference, as did some more original gestures.

Hearing Ben Reisinger as a tenor was quite a surprise for us. We heard him less than a year ago at the Opera Index Awards Recital as a baritone singing "O vin, dissippe la tristesse"  from Thomas' Hamlet. We looked back at our review in which we noted that his upper register opened up beautifully. No wonder he made the decision to change fachs!

He is still feeling his way through and we can foresee a brilliant future as a tenor. He worked on Pinkerton's aria "Addio, fiorito asil" from Puccini's Madama Butterfly. Much improvement was noted when he followed instructions to use the consonants, especially the "v" in "vil". Even more attention is needed on the double consonants. 

Ms. Di Donato advised Mr. Reisinger to go deeper into the character and to build the aria from a pianissimo beginning. Pinkerton is faced with an internal struggle related to his ignorance of the values of a foreign culture. Rhythmically, "four square" must be avoided and more dynamic variation is called for. 

Another day we got to observe his work on "Ah! lève toi soleil" from Gounod's Romeo et Juliette. Subtleties such as a diminuendo on "l'amour" lent authenticity to the character. Imbuing the phrases with direction involves enhancing the legato nature. The aria must unfold and never succumb to choppiness.

We got a further look at Ms. Esler in her "Prendi" from Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore.  The singer must use her imagination making each aria a duet. She must make choices that distill the essence of the character. One must find motivation for each cadenza. That is a point that we truly understand. Coloratura for "show" is just not enough. 

The workshop continued along these lines with insight piling on top of other insights. These fortunate singers must have been carefully chosen for their willingness and ability to absorb new and valuable information!

We can remember when Carnegie Hall was strictly a world famous performance venue. Its recent role in musical education within the Weill Music Institute has magnified its influence in the musical sphere. Not only do singers grow and evolve but so do our cherished institutions!

© meche kroop

ETHNOMUSICOLOGY

Joel Harder, Dominic Armstrong, Kate Maroney, Lucy Fitz Gibbon,  Caitlin Mead,
and Allison Gish

The very idea of basing an operatic work on a newspaper series! Those of us who love Leoš Janáček's Vixen Sharp-Ears (also known as The Cunning Little Vixen) do not find that strange at all. How many of us knew, before last night, that the composer set another newspaper series--this one of a diary in the form of poems?

Had we not ventured to The Brooklyn Historical Society last night for another one of Brooklyn Art Song Society's adventuresome program, we might have spent the rest of our life thinking that "The Diary of One Who Disappeared" had something to do with evil politics.

But no! It's a highly romantic and bittersweet tale of a young farmer who is lured into a sexual relationship with a seductive Gypsy woman named Zeffka. At first he feels guilty and expects the worst from her family, about whom he has absorbed the prejudicial feelings of his community. He worries about his parents as well but her allure overcomes his guilt and prejudice. When she becomes pregnant he bids farewell to his home, his family, and his former life.  Who knows what will happen to them?

The musical form chosen by the composer was that of a song cycle, but it is one that borders on a one act opera since a few lines are given to Zeffka, a role realized as a mezzo-soprano, with the role of the nameless youth being sung by a tenor.

We were so glad that Artistic Director and Founder of B.A.S.S. Michael Brofman treated us with this novel work and cast it so well. We have never heard Dominic Armstrong sing with such passionate involvement; furthermore, the tessitura of the piece fit his voice like a glove to a hand. He created a great deal of dramatic interest by employing dynamic variety. Singing Zeffka's lines was mezzo-soprano Kate Maroney whose acting and voice were also superb. Although the text does not give much opportunity for staging, the two performers made the most of what was there. Duets were especially lovely.

Adding a fresh dimension was a trio of female voices comprising sopranos Lucy Fitz Gibbon and Caitlin Mead and mezzo-soprano Allison Gish. They sang from the rear of the theater in heavenly harmony and we could only regret that the composer did not give them more to sing.

Collaborative pianist Joel Harder was consistently supportive of the vocal line, never overwhelming the singers. He was particularly effective creating the twittering of the swallows and the delight experienced by the youth in watching his pregnant beloved. There was an exceptional piano solo in which the piano evoked images of the couple making love--or so we imagined!

Just as we were impressed by Mr. Armstrong learning the lengthy cycle in Czech, a notoriously difficult language, so were we impressed by soprano Lucy Fitz Gibbon performing Dorfszenen Sz. 78 in Slovak. It was written by Béla Bartók, a major figure of the early 20th c., arriving on the musical scene a generation or two after Janáček.

We cannot say that we actually heard the folk melodies so assiduously collected by Bartók and his colleague and contemporary Zoltán Kodály but Ms. Fitz Gibbon's performance allowed us to see images of peasant life. The pictures we saw in our mind's eye were that of lives that were tough, even when the music was exuberant. We particularly liked the wedding song, catching a glimpse of a woman who would prefer to stay single!

Along with an attractive bright soprano, Ms. Fitz Gibbon used her entire body in a captivating sincerity of expression that succeeded in bringing each song to vivid life.

From the singer we learned that the cycle has been performed in German and English but rarely in Slovak, a language that appears to be as difficult as Czech. Learning these five songs and giving them such a dramatic performance was a true labor of love, one which we appreciated doubly, inasmuch as the Kodály songs were sung "on the book" by Ms. Maroney.

As regular readers know, your reviewer loses connection when a singer keeps glancing at the score and this becomes the perfect time to pay attention to the piano.  Mr. Brofman, who played for Ms. Fitz Gibbon and Ms. Maroney, is a pianist worth paying attention to. This early 20th c. music is difficult for us to wrap our ears around with its rhythmic complexity and dissonance. Our music education apparently ended before we learned about bitonal and modal harmonies!

We can say however that Mr. Brofman himself understands it well and made sense out of it such that we appreciated the emotional tone of the pieces whether they were sprightly, tender, or ironic.

This season's theme continues on March 6th with songs by Sibelius and Grieg.

© meche kroop

LIEDERABEND CLXX

Amanda Lynn Bottoms, Aaron Mor, and Kelsey Lauritano

Three singers from the Marcus Institute for Vocal Arts coached by Cameron Stowe showed their stuff yesterday and what fine stuff it was!  These lieder recitals at Juilliard offer an incredible opportunity to hear the stars of tomorrow.  The liederabend gives them the chance to try out material in front of an audience and to work with students from the Collaborative Piano Division.

Tenor Aaron Mor exhibited an interesting darkish colored tenor as he performed a trio of songs by Franz Schubert, a composer whose songwriting gifts have never been equalled.  The three he selected are not as well known as the more famous ones but they were no less lovely.  Collaborative pianist Kristen Doering opened the set with "Die Sterne" in which she successfully emphasized the pattern in the piano which rises through several successive keys.

The song is filled with beautiful imagery of the night sky and we enjoyed Mr. Mor's lovely phrasing. "Vor meiner Wiege" is a more disturbing song with text by the same poet (Karl Gottfried von Leitner) drawing an analogy between the cradle and the coffin.  Mr. Mor successfully captured the nuances.  But it was the poetry of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe which inspired Schubert to write such gorgeous music for "Auf dem See".

There were two excellent mezzo-sopranos on the program and we were so pleased to note that they sounded very different from one another.  We confess we get bored with voices that sound generic.

Amanda Lynn Bottoms, accompanied by Joel Harder's sensitive playing, commanded the stage with the captivating texture of her dusky instrument.  The vibrato struck us as just right and she used gesture successfully to illuminate Arnold Schoenberg's difficult songs, particularly the mysterious "Erwartung" with text by Richard Dehmel, who also contributed the poetry for the equally elusive "Jesus Bettelt" and "Erhebung".

Somewhat more accessible were the songs of Hugo Wolf from his Spanisches Liederbuch sung by the expressive Kelsey Lauritano, accompanied by the similarly expressive Edward Kim.  In "Klinge, klinge, mein Pandero" his fingers literally flew over the keys.

Ms. Lauritano connected well with the material and we particularly enjoyed "Sie blasen zum Abmarsch" in which a woman despairs over her lover's departure for battle.  "Dereinst, dereinst, Gedanke mein" and "Bedeckt mich mit Blumen" are sad songs about death so we were glad the program ended with the charming "Wer tat deinem Füsslein weh?".

Notable in Ms. Lauritano's performance was her superb German diction.  It is nearly universal among young singers to be afraid of the final "ch"; Ms. Lauritano's pronunciation was absolutely perfect.

All told, it was a fine recital.  If you have not yet experienced one of these monthly events, we urge you to attend.  Tickets are free and available online.

© meche kroop