A MEMORABLE NIGHT OF OPERA SCENES AT MSM

Joseph Andrew Yu, Xiaoya Guo, and Yvette Keong

We go to the opera to have a good time, not to boast of our interest in "highbrow culture". Last night we had a wonderful time watching scenes from four different operas at the Manhattan School of Music, all directed by the inventive Laura Alley, who never "plays a wrong note". Each scene was "pitch perfect".  The students, drawn from many parts of the world, exhibited healthy young voices with fine technique and impressive dramatic skills.

Two of the operas were oft-heard standards given beautiful productions and two of them were new to us but significant in the history of MSM. Scott Eyerly's The House of Seven Gables was given its world premiere by MSM in 2000 and Marc Blitzstein's spoof The Harpies was given its premiere in 1953 by MSM. It is rare that we enjoy contemporary opera in English but we did last night!

The program began with a scene from The House of Seven Gables in which boarder Holgrave (bass Weichang Wang) is photographing the Pyncheon family, comprising Aunt Hepzibah (mezzo-soprano Xiaoya Guo), Clifford (tenor Joseph Andrew Yu), and lovely young Phoebe (soprano Yvette Keong) who is having a lighthearted flirtation with Holgrave. We were pulled into the story and wanted to see the rest of the opera! Regular readers will be surprised since our taste for the modern is very rarely positive. The music was appealing, the acting was engaging and the voices just glorious.

Second on the program was The Harpies, which reminded us a bit of Offenbach by virtue of its wit.

The blind oracle Phineus (tenor Alexander Mason) is tormented by the avian Furies (Emilyn Badgley, Natalie Rumer, and Erin Wagner) who are not nearly as sweet as the Rheinmädchen in Wagner's The Ring Cycle.  Oh no, they eat Phineas' food and smell bad! Along come three Argonauts to the rescue (Taicheng Li, Daniel Rich, and Zachary Brown) and in a sensationally staged battle and chase scene, Phineas' wellbeing is restored.  The gorgeous goddess Iris (a radiant Shelén Hughes) appears in rainbow attire and sends the Harpies off to torture other victims. The voices were as fine as expected but the ensemble work was even better. We always love harmonies!

Returning to the familiar, we were delighted by the scene from Richard Strauss' Ariadne auf Naxos. Christina Roszhart has a huge soprano with promising roles in her future. She excelled as the eponymous Ariadne, abandoned on the isle of Naxos by her erstwhile lover Theseus. In lovely contrast were the voices of the three nymphs Najade (Hyeree Shin), Echo (Yejin Lee) and Dryade (Sarah Brownawell) who danced and sang their pity for her in suitable choreography and gorgeous vocal harmony.

Enter the feisty Zerbinetta (Kelly Singer) in full commedia del'arte attire, along with her troupe of entertainers. Esteban Zuniga portrayed Brighella, Alexander Mason had the role of Scaramuccio, Harlekin was portrayed by Marcel Sokalski, and Truffaldin was enacted by Edward Lim. Not only was the singing uniformly excellent but the staging and acting left no doubt about the talent onstage.

DON da DON DON

Melanie Spector, Gabe Reitemeier, Yeseul Choi, Laura Alley, Maestro Steven Crawford,  Joshua DeVane, YoungKwan Yoo, Nam Won Huh, and Matthew Greenberg

Seeing and hearing young artists onstage and forgetting that they are "young artists" is a special treat we experience when attending one of Prelude to Performance's productions. Given a professional production and the right coaching the young artists who have completed this program are uniformly excellent in both musical and dramatic values. Happily, the productions are generally traditional, just the way we like them.

In the case of Donizetti's Don Pasquale, director Laura Alley created a comic drama with a successful overall arc; each individual scene was as coherent as a well written phrase of music. There was undeniable rhythm to the performance, and loads of laughs. Replete with duets and a stunning quartet, the score invites such effective direction.

We noticed a theme to this season's productions.  Both of the eponymous heroes are older men who lust after younger women. Both stories involve their humiliation and reformation. Both stories make them likeable by the time the curtain falls. This isn't just in the libretto but in the music and the dramatic skills of the singer portraying them. In the Falstaff we just reviewed, José Maldonado made the Fat Knight seem loveable at the end, and last night, Joshua DeVane's remarkable performance made us care about poor Don Pasquale.

This theme dates back to commedia dell'arte in which the foolish old man was a stock character. We can't help thinking that we never lose our desire for love and "dirty old men" need love too.

Another stock character is the wily doctor and YoungKwan Yoo was a fine choice for the role of Dr. Malatesta as he plans some trickery to get Don Pasquale to give up on wanting a wife and to let Ernesto marry his beloved Norina.

Of course, the audience is rooting for the success of the young lovers and ready to forgive the three conspirators for their misdeeds. Yeseul Choi made a splendid Norina. We loved the scene in which Dr. Malatesta coaches her on how to act modest and shy like the cloistered sister whom he is passing her off as.  

Another favorite moment is the one in which Norina slaps Pasquale and realizes she has gone too far. One could readily read the shame on Ms. Choi's face and understand so much of her character. Sometimes we do shameful things in pursuit of our goals-- so we get it.

Ms. Choi's musicality was in evidence throughout but really dazzled us in the final scene in which Donizetti provided the soprano with plenty of vocal fireworks, all excellently sung.

NamWon Huh made a very convincing Ernesto, basically a good fellow and loyal to his beloved, but rather entitled. He created a believable character and sang well in the lower and middle register, evincing a lovely messa di voce. To bring his performance up to a "10", he will have to learn to float his top notes. Nothing mars an otherwise fine performance than a tenor who thinks he must push out the top notes at top volume.  Float 'em baby, float 'em!

Gabe Reitemeier created a very funny bit as the notary. Pasquale's servants were performed by Melanie Spector and Matthew Greenberg.

Maestro Steven Crawford led a spirited reading of the tuneful score. From the melodic cello solo in the overture, we knew we were in good hands. There was a brief moment in the prelude to Act II when the strings had some intonation problems but we are sure it had to do with the heat and humidity since we ourselves felt a bit unstrung. 

As usual, Charles R. Caine's costumes were perfect, especially the red velvet gown worn by Ms. Choi as she was leaving for the theater. Steven Horak's excellent wig and costume design allowed us to see the handsome young Mr. DeVane transformed into an elderly man,. Of course, Mr. DeVane's acting sealed the deal. It was very humorous to watch him trying to pick up a barbell with arthritic knees and spine, but to witness how he perked up when Dr. Malatesta told him a wife had been found.

We ourself perked up from our heat-driven lethargy and found ourself dancing and humming on the way home.

(c) meche kroop

GLORIA TUTTI

Maestro Joseph Colaneri and the cast from Mannes Opera's production of Le Nozze di Figaro

We have often averred that we could attend Mozart's masterpiece of social commentary on a weekly  basis without getting bored. Actually we have been seeing it that often and we haven't changed our mind. Mozart's melodies delight the ear and Lorenzo da Ponte's thoughtful yet humorous libretto provides ample food for thought--and not a few giggles.

At the time of The Enlightenment, society was questioning a number of issues, including the inequalities between master and servant and the place of women in society. Sitting in the audience at the comfortable Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College, we mused on the wisdom of Artistic Director Maestro Colaneri and Stage Director Laura Alley who gave us a traditional production, one which allowed us the freedom to see the parallels with our own society in its present state of upheaval.

There is no need to force feed an audience to make them appreciate these similarities by changing the time and place of the opera.  As a matter of fact, references to the droit de seigneur make such updating wrong-headed and despicable. We do not need pandering. We love authenticity.

The performances we witnessed were honest and true to the story. The members of The Mannes Opera performed with true ensemble spirit and, by the end of the evening, we felt that we knew and cared about the characters. We have been writing a lot lately about characterological growth and transformation. Mozart's music limns each character and his/her evolution. It takes a good conductor to bring this out in the orchestra and a good director to show this onstage.

In Laura Alley we had a first-rate director who served the story and not her own ego. It would seem obvious that such is the goal but so many directors nowadays betray that maxim. Ms. Alley not only kept everything moving onstage but provided "stage business" that heightened our awareness of each character's motivation. It's the tiny details that count.  Let us offer just one example. When the Count ships Cherubino off to war, the page joins Susanna and Figaro in a parade around the room. Susanna picks up a curtain rod with a curtain suspended and carries it as a battle flag.  This tells us that she is clever and resourceful. There were many similar touches to come.

This resourceful Susanna was performed by the winsome soprano Ana Capetillo who captured our attention from the first moment as she tries to get Figaro's attention away from measuring the room to focus on her bridal veil. Ms. Capetillo is full of personality and possesses a sparkling soprano that seems meant for Mozart. We were surprised to learn that she is an undergraduate! Her "Deh vieni, non tardar" elicited torrents of applause.

She is more than a servant to the Countess; she is a confidant and helper. The Countess was portrayed by soprano Lauren Yokabaskas who employed her fine instrument in lovely legato lines to convey the sadness of a neglected wife who has lost her husband's attention. She sang her two arias with despair and dignity. Anyone who wasn't moved by her "Porgi amor" and "Dove sono" must be horribly hard hearted.

Susanna's nemesis in her struggle to get married to Figaro is Marcellina, here performed by the excellent mezzo-soprano Wan Zhao. We loved the scene where they dish each other and we loved watching the lightning shift in attitude when Marcellina learns that Figaro is her long lost son. She is instantly motherly toward Susanna but it takes Susanna a bit longer to be convinced. We wish her aria "Il capro e la capretta" had not been cut. But it generally is.

The role of Cherubino was interpreted by mezzo-soprano Perri di Christina whose acting measured up to her vocal skills. She was quite convincing as a male youth and just as believable as a youth pretending to be a girl. We better appreciated the texture of her voice in "Voi che sapete", in which the more leisurely tempo than that of "Non so piu" gave us the opportunity to really hear her.

As Barbarina, petite soprano Sara Law was exactly what the role called for. She sang with brightness and lightness and clarity of tone.

And now for the men! In the title role we heard Chase Cornett who we believe to be a bass baritone. The darkness of his tone and a bit of stiffness in his acting threw us off at first but we warmed up to his performance when he relaxed physically and allowed Figaro's playful side to emerge. By the end of the opera we were really enjoying his performance, especially watching his indignant rage when he thinks Susanna is unfaithful. 

Baritone Sunyeop Hwang made a fine Count Almaviva--arrogant, clueless, and lecherous.  (Does this sound like anyone we know?) His "Crudel! perche finora" was splendidly sung. Of course, we enjoyed his comeuppance at the end and hoped against hope that his transformation would endure past the final curtain.

Bass Michael Pitocchi impressed us with his interpretation of Don Bartolo.  In spite of his youth, his acting and the color of his voice convinced us that he was an old fellow, grumpy and disdainful of his servant Marcellina but ready to help her win her suit and later willing to marry her. His Act I aria "La vendetta" was brilliantly sung.

Tenor Hyun Ho Cho made a fine slimy Don Basilio, always ready to gossip and make trouble for others. As the gardener Antonio, bass Jongwon Choi avoided all the drunken clichés and gave a fine realistic interpretation of an aggrieved servant struggling to make his case.

The role of Don Curzio the notary is a small role but tenor Andrès Peñalver made the most of it. Every time he sneezed, the hair on his wig flew up, providing a lot of laughs. Wigs are credited to Amanda Miller.

We are not sure who coached the chorus but they sang beautifully and intelligibly, especially in the beautiful chorus that brings the drama to a happy end with "Gloria tutti".

Roger Hanna's sets were simple but effective. We particularly liked the set for Act I which looked exactly the way a storage room in a palace would look--shelves and cubbyholes filled with all kinds of stuff.

Helen E. Rodgers' costumes were perfect.  They were not only accurate to the late 18th c. period but sported flourishes and furbelows of definite Iberian flavor.  We knew exactly where we were!

Where YOU should be is at today's matinée, the final performance!

(c) meche kroop

FOUR SCENES-FOUR MOODS-FOUR LANGUAGES

Finale from Falstaff  performed by Manhattan School of Music Opera Theater

After our delightful evening at Juilliard last night it seemed like time to show Manhattan School of Music some love.  MSM has a great deal of depth in its vocal department, one of the top training programs in the world, and attracts talented young singers from all over the USA and worldwide. Over 40 countries are represented. Their list of alumni looks like a Who's Who of the opera world.

Last night the MSM Opera Theater, of which the esteemed Dona D. Vaughn is Artistic Director, presented four opera scenes, apparently chosen for variety of mood and language, and to show off the special skills of the current crop of graduate students. There wasn't a disappointing voice to be heard.  As a matter of fact, the vocal glories were abundant.

In place of orchestral accompaniment, we had four hands at two pianos--a pair belonging to Jorge Parodi and another to Scott Rednour. Maestro Vlad Iftinca conducted sans baton; he clearly was involved with every singer and every phrase, using both hands to bring out everyone's best.

What made the evening so enjoyable, aside from the splendid singing, was the professionalism of all concerned. Director Laura Alley never fails to honor the piece and does not torture the libretto to fit into a self-serving "concept".  The pieces were staged with a minimum of props but nothing was missed. Costumes were not lavish but were appropriate and tasteful. We ourselves prefer creativity and imagination over distracting extravagance.

The program opened with "The Presentation of the Rose" from Richard Strauss' Der Rosenkavalier, one of our favorite operas. The nouveau riche Herr Faninal (resonant baritone Shuo Yang) is excited about his daughter's marriage into nobility. Young Sophie (crystalline voiced soprano Yesul Yeon) considers her obligations as a wife, whilst her chaperone Marianne (lovely mezzo-soprano Madalyn Luna) tries to keep Sophie's exuberance in check.

Octavian arrives in the person of the marvelous mezzo Hongni Wu in travesti who falls instantly in love with the beautiful Sophie. The two singers created marvelous chemistry together which made the scene work beautifully.  Even if you never saw the opera you could tell that Sophie will never ever marry the old Baron Ochs to whom she is affianced. The duet between Ms. Yeon and Ms. Wu told us everything we needed to know. We observed that Maestro Iftinca was in love with both of them!

An abrupt change of mood took place for the second scene which we believe was actually the entirety of Ned Rorem's 1951 opera A Childhood Miracle. The libretto by Elliott Stein was based on a creepy Hawthorne story in which two little girls (convincingly portrayed by mezzo-soprano Charlotte Merz and soprano Kristina Brost) play in the snow and build a snowman (tenor Elijah Graham) which comes to life.

Their mother (mezzo-soprano Monica Talavera) is sitting indoors with her sister Emma (mezzo-soprano Polixeni Tziouvaras) doing needlework and gossiping. Father (bass-baritone Andrew Henry) is upset to see his daughters with a strange man and insists that he come indoors where he melts. The daughters run outside into the snowstorm and turn into snow, or something else which wasn't exactly clear.

It is our opinion that magic realism is best done by Latin Americans, like Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Perhaps some Victorian touches would have helped.  The story seemed more tragedy than miracle. Still, the singing and acting were exemplary and Rorem's writing was more musical than most 20th c. writing. Thanks to English diction coach Kathryn LaBouff, every word was clear.

The mood turned again to a more somber contemplative scene from Gluck's Iphegénie en Tauride. Gluck's music gave us plenty of variety, expressing the mood of the ocean from calm to stormy. If the lovely mezzo-soprano portraying Iphegénie (Yunlei Xie) has not had ballet training we would be rather surprised since her physical movement was as graceful as her phrasing. 

In this scene of prayer for protection, she is surrounded by a chorus of Priestesses and we were impressed by the unison feature of their singing and movement. French coach Elsa Querón must get some credit! There is a lot of depth in this chorus and evidence of intense rehearsal. The two chief priestesses were sung by sopranos Si-Yeon Kim and Sasha Gutiérrez Montaño. The staging here was particularly lovely with the chorus dressed in black and carrying candles.

The final work on the program was the final scene from Verdi's Falstaff, fortunately not updated to the 1950's, as it is in "the big house". We think José Maldonado absolutely owns the role of The Fat Knight. His voice is as expansive as his girth and his acting conveyed every nuance of terror, humiliation, abject self-realization, and finally humorous self-acceptance.

The cast seemed to be having as much fun onstage as we experienced in the audience. We cannot deny that we enjoyed seeing ill-behaved men getting their comeuppance at the hands of some aggrieved women, nor can we deny drawing an analogy with the present day politics.  Plus ça change!  It is so much more fun when the director doesn't shove it down your throat.

The old Dottore Caius (Mr. Graham) gets married to Bardolfo (tenor Samuel White) disguised as Nannetta (soprano Hee So Son) who gets to defy her father's choice and marry the man she loves--Fenton (tenor Philippe L'Esperance). But not until they get to sing a beautiful duet. We have admired Mr. L'Esperance's voice on prior occasions.

The role of Ford was sung by baritone SeokJong Baek who always turns in a fine performance. Soprano Celeste Morales made a fine Alice whilst Meg was sung well by mezzo Elizabeth Harris. Mezzo Michelle Blauman did justice to the role of Mrs. Quickly and bass-baritone Matthias Villwock took the role of Pistola.

The staging was great fun, especially when the huge Falstaff is rolled around the stage with the entire cast prodding him with sticks. If Falstaff isn't fun we feel we've been shut out of something that Verdi and his librettist Arrigo Boito intended. This scene left us grinning from ear to ear.

The evening was perfect, although we could have enjoyed a few more scenes. The time seemed to fly by.

(c) meche kroop

MORE MOZART

Kidon Choi, Maria Lacey, Sunyeop Hwang, Maestro Joseph Colaneri, Laura Alley, Heather Jones, Pavel Suliandziga, and Danielle Beckvermit

The second entry in our weekend of Mozart was a winning production of Mozart's 1790 masterpiece Cosi fan tutte, presented by The Mannes Opera at the Gerald Lynch Theater--of perfect size, grand acoustics and excellent sightlines. Our guest for the matinée was an opera newbie who enjoyed the entire affair just as much as we did--which was a very great deal.

We have no idea why it was set in the mid 1960's--an epoch as remote from us as the late 18th century. But, no matter, the direction was delightful, the singing superb, and the acting accomplished.  Director Laura Alley made sure that every action was motivated and the interactions between the characters made clear.

Maestro Colaneri's conducting elicited the fine musicianship of The Mannes Orchestra. Like all other Mozart operas, this one is filled with sparkling tunes that one can't resist humming as they linger in the brain.

The story of Lorenzo da Ponte's libretto is that of two young men challenged by an older wiser one over their belief in the fidelity of the two sisters with whom they are in love.  There is a wager and a plan to follow.  The plan is to tell the young women that they have gone off on a military excursion and then to reappear in disguise to court the women. 

Don Alfonso's plan is aided and abetted by Despina, the servant of the two sisters. The silliness seems a lot more acceptable in 18th c. style than in the 1960's. Instead of appearing as exotic "Albanians", they appear as rock 'n rollers with leather motorcycle jackets and t-shirts proclaiming Rolling Stones and The Who.  Why not? It's the swinging sixties, after all!

As Don Alfonso, baritone Kidon Choi nearly stole the show from a very talented cast. His acting was larger than life and his sturdy voice impressive.  It is no wonder that he is garnering prizes for his prodigious talent.

Spunky Despina was portrayed by Canadian soprano Maria Lacey who negotiated Mozart's music with aplomb and demonstrated comedic chops as the crazy doctor with his Mesmer machine and later as the faux notary. "In uomini, in soldati", showed her at her wiliest.

The sisters and their lovers were all excellent. Soprano Danielle Beckvermit was a knockout as Fiordiligi. Mozart's challenging aria "Come scoglio" was perfectly sung and indeed reflected upon her steadfast character--at least more steadfast than her sister!

Mezzo-soprano Heather Jones made a delightful Dorabella, at first histrionically devastated by Ferrando's departure in "Smanie implacabile" and later, coy as she succumbs to the advances of Guglielmo.

The two men were terrific. Tenor Pavel Suliandziga (whom we previously enjoyed so much as Nemorino in L'Elisir d'amore) was an ardent Ferrando, singing with beautiful unforced tone in "Un aura amorosa", ending it with a delicate decrescendo. When he learns that his beloved Dorabella has betrayed him with his buddy, his face revealed many shades of dismay.

As Guglielmo, originally more successful at seduction, baritone Sunyeop Hwang was equally fine with his smooth caressing baritone and fine phrasing. We especially enjoyed his humorous aria  "Non siate ritrosi" in which he describes his manly attributes.

    

There were countless marvelous moments--the sisters' duet "Ah, guarda sorella", and particularly the trio "Soave sia il vento".

We have seen productions in which the girls return to their original lovers and versions in which they stay with the new lovers. But we have never seen one in which they walk away from the wedding at the end.  That was original and surprising!

Costuming by Helen E. Rodgers was certainly authentic to the period and colorful. Set designer Roger Hanna created a trompe l'oeil golf course for the first scene in which Don Alfonso is playing golf with Ferrando and Guglielmo. Later, it doubled as a suburban back yard. One might call this production a "hole in one". Mannes really sank the putt!

(c) meche kroop

WE DRANK IT AND FELL IN LOVE

Eunjin Jung, Kidon Choi, Pavel Sulyandziga, Sara Papini, Matthew Cossack

L'Elisir d'Amore is the perfect opera for a young cast. Gaetano Donizetti filled it to the brim with memorable melodies; librettist Felice Romani peopled it with characters that embody all the struggles of young love. Nemorino is a shy fellow in love with the vivacious and fickle Adina. She treats him dismissively as the young tend to do with those who put them on a pedestal.

To make him jealous she agrees to wed an arrogant army officer. In desperation, he buys a love potion from the traveling "doctor" Dulcamara. The potion is just Bordeaux and he gets very tipsy.  Meanwhile, the young ladies of the town learn that he has inherited a great deal of money and surround him with attention. He believes it's because of the love potion. Now it's Adina's turn to get jealous.

Of course, it all works out in the end and we leave the theater grinning from ear to ear.  The Mannes Opera gave Donizetti's 1832 comic masterpiece (which Donizetti tossed off in six weeks) a fine production at the Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. This just happens to be a fine comfortable theater with great sight lines but there is something strange about it's bi-level orchestra pit.

The strings are just a bit lower than the audience, with the winds behind and a level below that. Artistic Director and Conductor Maestro Joseph Colaneri conducted The Mannes Orchestra which turned in a well-balanced performance. The strings lay down a luscious carpet of sound with important contributions from the winds, particularly in Nemorino's big aria "Una furtiva lagrima", marked by some lovely arpeggios on the harp (Elena Caramihai).

The singers are all graduate level students at Mannes School of Music, which is part of The New School. Each and every one turned in a stellar performance and seems headed for a fine future in the opera world. The lead couple--soprano Sara Papini as Adina and tenor Pavel Sulyandziga as Nemorino--were perfectly cast and completely convincing in their acting. Adina is spunky and full of personality; Nemorino is shy and unassuming. Their body language told a great deal about their characters.

Similarly, the outrageous character of Dr. Dulcamara was well portrayed by bass-baritone Kidon Choi who manifested no difficulty with the wide range. As the self-important Belcore, baritone Matthew Cossack was admirable. Eunjin Jung was a pert Giannetta.

The direction of Laura Alley kept things moving forward nicely with plenty of appropriate stage business. Costume Designer Helen E. Rodgers duplicated the fashions of the 50's quite accurately, even dressing Adina in a poodle skirt. But, may we ask, how does setting this opera in the 1950's make it more relevant? We wondered how many people in the audience were alive 60 years ago!

Instead of a wealthy landowner, Adina is now the proprietor of a pasticceria in Little Italy. Roger Hanna's painted set, representing a street corner, was so accurate that we recognized the locale! We are convinced he copied Caffé Roma on Broome St. (If we are wrong we will atone by eating a dozen sfogliatelle!)

The chorus sings about sitting in the shade near a stream!  Other references in the libretto have been mistranslated to allow for Dr. Dulcamara to be driving a "snazzy car". We could justify the presence of military personnel because the time period coincided with the Korean war. But how do we account for Sergeant Belcore carrying around enlistment papers in his pocket and paying cash to Nemorino to enlist? We suppose most people would just overlook these anachronisms but they do bother us, purists as we are. But they didn't bother us enough to spoil the fun.

Mr. Sulyandziga's "Una furtiva lagrima" was delivered with his hands in his pockets, every nuance coming strictly from his voice. Never have we ever wanted so much to see a guy get the girl!

(c) meche kroop

THE ASTONISHING ASCENT OF THE FALLEN WOMAN

Paul Han and Cecilia Violetta Lopez (photo by Jen Joyce Davis)

It's been over a decade since we heard a thrilling La Traviata.  It was at The Metropolitan Opera and Rolando Villazon made his debut as Alfredo with Renée Fleming as Violetta.  Since then we have gritted our teeth and held our nose through productions that violated the spirit of the work.  Last night at The Kaye Playhouse of Hunter College, Martina Arroyo's Prelude to Performance presented Verdi's masterpiece in a manner that restored our deep love for this work.

Credit can be given to the three principals and to Laura Alley, the astute director.  To begin with the singing, Cecilia Lopez dazzled as the "fallen woman".  Her warm ample soprano has a superb squillo in the upper register and an overall evenness throughout.  Interesting overtones caused the very molecules in the auditorium to dance.  In "Ah, fors'è lui – Sempre libera", she employed different vocal colors to limn her conflicted feelings.

Tenor Paul Han made an excellent Alfredo and sang with maximum musicianship and fine phrasing.  His "De' miei bollenti spiriti " was extraordinary. We suspect he was suffering from a respiratory disorder, having heard him singing in French not too long ago at the Gerda Lissner Awards Recital when his sound was not as covered.

In terms of dramatic impact, the two leads had excellent chemistry and were completely convincing--she as a woman facing death and trying to stare it down by wild living, he as a young man from Provence besotted by this glamorous creature of the night.  His emotional range included rapt devotion, childish rage when he believed himself to be betrayed and later, abject remorse.  Ms. Lopez also created a dramatic arc--the Act I "party girl", the tender lover in Act II, the stoic but suffering woman of Act III and the desperate dying woman in Act IV.

The third main character is Germont Père who has come to rescue his son from this threatening alliance.  The magic in Verdi's music and Francesco Maria Piave's libretto is that each of these characters is multidimensional.  Violetta may be a member of the demi-monde but she has a nobility of character and a readiness to give up everything for love.  Alfredo is loving and devoted but capable of having a childish tantrum.

Papa Germont comes on as a narrow-minded bigot but he is also a concerned father who wants the best for his son and daughter.  Each character undergoes growth.  Robert Kerr, the baritone singing the role of Germont evinced a full rich voice and did justice to his character and his emotional shifts.  His Act II arias bore intense charges.  His shame for his son in Act III was palpable.  When he embraced Violetta as his daughter in Act IV, we could literally feel his remorse.

To speak of Laura Alley's direction also requires a host of superlatives.  She wisely kept the action exactly where and when it belongs; it is a story very much of its time.  Instead of imposing a ridiculous "concept" on the work, she used her creativity to bring in small bits of stage business that deepened our understanding of the characters.

For example, at the end of Act I when Alfredo leaves with the idea of returning the next day, he actually returns at that moment and Violetta rushes into his embrace, which tells us exactly how passionate they are for one another and how impulsive.  This sets us up for Act II.

When Alfredo crumples and discards Flora's invitation, his father picks it up so we don't have to wonder how he can find his son in Act III.  Alfredo comes to Flora's party with a new woman on his arm.  This shows just how hurt and betrayed he feels.  And in Act IV, Violetta kneels on a prayer bench when she questions her god about her fate.  These are just a few of the refined directorial touches that we appreciated.

Baritone Samuel McDonald created a very believable Baron Douphol who is annoyed with the young whippersnapper who is poaching his mistress.  As the threat level increases, so does his rage, building up to the point that he challenges Alfredo to a duel.  And Mr. McDonald accomplished all this while using his generous baritone in some fine singing.

Mezzo Marisan Corsino sang the role of Violetta's friend Flora and soprano Elizabeth Kelsay sang Annina, Violetta's faithful servant.  Bass Eric Delagrange made a fine concerned but helpless Dr. Grenvil who had the air of having seen many young people die of tuberculosis.  Baritone John Callison portrayed the Marchese d'Obigny, Flora's "patron".  The interaction between him and Flora in the palm-reading sequence succeeded as comic relief.  Tenor Tyrone Chambers II sang the role of Gastone.

Conductor Daniel Lipton did his best with the reduced orchestration but we noticed a lack of balance with the brass overwhelming the strings in places, especially in the overture.

Costumes by Charles Caine were gorgeous and totally appropriate.  Violetta had completely different looks in each act.  There was no stinting in that department!

Set and Lighting Designer Joshua Rose designed sets that were appropriate without being overly fussy. 

All said, it was a thrilling theatrical experience and an opportunity to hear some promising voices that we are sure to hear more of in the future.  As you probably already know, Ms. Arroyo's program bridges the gap between academic training and a major professional career.  The fortunate singers who get accepted receive, without fee, six weeks of intense training by the best talents in the field.  Support for Prelude to Performance is always welcome.  It is extremely gratifying to witness the successful results of one's philanthropy.

There will be one more performance of La Traviata Saturday night with the same glorious cast.  And tonight sees the opening of Il Barbiere di Siviglia.  Tragedy last night; comedy tonight!  Need we say more?

© meche kroop

IGOR MEETS GIOACHINO

The person who calls Chicago "the second city" might call Mannes College for Music "the third school of music".  But the performance put on by The Mannes Opera was first-rate.  Under the baton of Artistic Director Joseph Colaneri, the Mannes Orchestra played with high energy and skill while the singers--a few undergraduates, a few graduate students and some Professional Studies Diploma candidates--sang and acted with energy, skill and enthusiasm to match.

The December 19th program was entitled "Igor meets Gioachino" and introduced the audience to two rare one-act gems from two different periods, the first by Stravinsky and the second by Rossini.  Both were entertaining and delightful under the superb direction of Laura Alley, known to us through her work with New York City Opera and Martina Arroyo's Prelude to Performance.

The brief curtain raiser, Stravinsky's Mavra, a satire of bourgeois manners, tells the tale of a young woman, apparently a White Russian émigrée in Paris, who smuggles her lover into her mother's home, disguised as a maid.  The young lady was sung by soprano Liana Guberman, the mother by mezzo Elizabeth Picker, the neighbor by Kirsten Scott, and the Hussar boyfriend by tenor Christopher Colmenero.  The performances were fine on both vocal and dramatic levels.  Our only reservation was about the choice to sing the work in English.  It seemed as if the rhythm of the words and that of the music were out of sync.  We had the same feeling when hearing the Met's "family oriented" production of Il Barbière di Siviglia sung in English.  There are probably some good reasons for this choice but...just sayin'.

The libretto was by Boris Kochno, based on a Pushkin story that actually took place in Russia but the change of locale was not a problem.

The second work was Rossini's La Scala di Seta, another opera buffa with stock characters inherited from la commedia del'arte.  One easily gets a glimpse here of the young Rossini gaining command of his musical vocabulary with lively music, duets, trios and ensembles, and much frantic behavior.  However, the characters are unidimensional.  The libretto was written by one Giuseppe Maria Foppa.

Giulia, sung by soprano Boya Wei, is a young woman who was secretly married to Dorvil (tenor Adam Bonanni).  Her guardian, tenor Deun Lee, would have her marry Blansac, a friend of Dorvil (bass Enrico Lagasca).  Giulia's cousin Lucilla (soprano Lydia Dahling) would love to marry Blansac.  Comic relief is provided by the bumbling servant Germano (a very funny Suchan Kim, bass).  This was not the clever servant devised by daPonte for Mozart!  No, this servant makes several errors of judgment regarding who is climbing the silken ladder by which Dorvil gains access to Giulia.  The entire plot is delightfully silly and the music sparkles like champagne.

The single set, a house in Paris (which explains why the action of Mavra was geographically altered) was unfussy and effective.  Roger Hanna is credited with the Set Design.  The always attractive and suitable costumes were by Helen E. Rodgers; the Lighting Design by Jeff Davis contributed to the overall excellence.  Amanda Miller is credited with Makeup and Wig Design.  The harpsichord was played by Eunkyung Lee.

The Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College makes a fine venue for chamber opera and the choice of these gems was perfect for the fine young cast.  Great evening all around!

(c) meche kroop