BUBBLY CHAMPAGNE!

Elisabeth Harris as Prince Orlofsky and Chorus in Act II of Die Fledermaus

We never tire of Johann Strauss II's comic operetta Die Fledermaus. The witty libretto by Karl Haffner and Richarde Genée pokes a finger in the eye of late 19th c. Vienna with all its hypocrisy, class consciousness, and upper-class frivolity. The composer's music is equally witty and the score is well knit from overture to finale with glorious melodies tumbling out one after another--danceable waltzes and duple meter ones as well. Conductor Valéry Ryvkin and his excellent orchestra didn't miss a beat or a bubble in this champagne score.

Last night's production by Prelude to Performance was somewhat simplified as compared with the lavish one of 2016 with evening dress substituted for period costumes and projections standing in for elaborate sets. Nonetheless, the evening glittered by virtue of some outstanding performances.

If you don't know the story, dear reader, please enter Die Fledermaus in the search bar; we have told the story too many times to repeat it--once for Prelude to Performance and once for Amore Opera (both outstanding iterations.)

We have written every summer about Prelude to Performance which is celebrating 15 years of training young artists in many areas of performance, most notably that of character interpretation. We have never seen/heard anyone in one of their performances that failed to fully inhabit their character and bring it to vivid life. That is thanks to input from Artistic Director Martina Arroyo, the legendary soprano who has devoted her post-performance years to developing the talents of the up and coming young singers in her program.

Take, for example, soprano Lisa Faieta who gave us a complex and believable Rosalinde. Whether fighting off the attentions of Alfred (the aptly named Congju Song whose prodigious talent is new to us), soothing her about-to-be-jailed husband, rejecting the pleas of her maid Adele, or affecting the identity of an Hungarian Countess. As a matter of fact, it is in the latter guise that we were best able to appreciate her skills. Voice and gesture joined in this convincing portrayal and we were dazzled by a stunning messa di voce in "Klänge der Heimat". Two years have passed since we heard Ms. Faieta  with IVAI; her voice has developed wondrously.

Soprano Yejin Lee took the role of Adele and impressed us with her sprightly portrayal and dazzling coloratura. We had only seen her briefly before as one of the nymphs (Echo, we believe) in Ariadne auf Naxos; it was great to see more of her. As Rosalinde's maid she went over the top in her wheedling efforts to get the night off. In Act II, wearing Rosalinde's gown, she pretended to be the actress "Olga" and audaciously confronted Eisenstein when he recognized her. She absolutely scored in her "Adele's laughing aria". In Act III as she tried to convince Frank of her acting potential, we thought she could have been more convincing. That's the right place for some over-acting.

Mezzo-soprano Elizabeth Harris made an excellent Prince Orlofsky, emphasizing his bizarre personality and his ennui. Her arias were marvelously delivered. We always love "Chac'un a son goût" and the "Champagne song" in which the excellent chorus joins in. We could scarcely believe Ms. Harris' versatility, having reviewed her in several roles at Manhattan School of Music. What a contrast between Orlofsky and the cold-hearted Aunt Hannah in Tobias Picker's Emmeline!

As Eisenstein, baritone Jimin Park was lovable even when cheating on his wife (or so he thought). On his way to a brief jail sentence, he was lured to attend Prince Orlofsky's party. His dissembling with his wife Rosalinde and again at the party where he pretended to be Marquis Renard, established his character. His embarrassment when he sees Adele there was hilarious, as was his pidgin French with Frank the jailor who was posing as Chevalier Chagrin (neither man knew a word of French beyond "merci"), not to mention his flirtation with his own wife. All this comedy was accompanied by some fine singing that exhibited a tenorial quality in the upper register. We want to hear more of this young artist.

In the role of the jailer Frank, we heard baritone Yichen Xue, whom we heard two years ago singing "Scintille diamant" at Manhattan School of Music. We noted his excellent performance then and were glad to hear how his instrument has expanded. The scene in Act I in which he arrives to take Eisenstein to jail and finds Albert instead was a very funny one, as Rosalinde must pretend that Albert is her husband to preserve her reputation. He was quite funny again in Act II, pretending to be French.

The mastermind of this elaborate plot is Falke, so well sung by baritone Michael Parham, possessor of a fine instrument and elegant stage bearing--so elegant that we can just imagine the humiliation Falke must have experienced from Eisenstein's prior prank (the backstory) and his delight in the revenge.

Tenor Esteban Jose Zuniga, had a fine time and a funny one in the role of Dr. Blind, confirming everyone's worst expectations of the legal profession. 

Stage Director Alan Fischer did a fine job of keeping the action moving along at a galloping clip. We could not find credit for the direction of the chorus but they were excellent. Vera Junkers as language coach made sure that everyone's German was crisp and clear.

One measure of the success of this production is that the opera "newbie" we brought had a fine time. Wasn't this operetta the perfect introduction?

We should also mention that during Act II, the action was suspended for performances by some famous singers who appeared as guests introduced by WQXR's Robert Sherman. We particularly enjoyed the performance of soprano Nicole Haslett in Nanetta's aria, a role she performed with Prelude to Performance in 2012 and reprised last night! She got our attention then and we reviewed her 4 years ago as a George London competition winner. But what really stood out for us was her performance as Chloe in Offenbach's Daphnis and Chloe. 

That was the night we fell in love with Heartbeat Opera. Both Ms. Haslett and Heartbeat Opera are thriving, and to bring things full circle, she will be performing with them again next season in Der Freischutz. Nothing could keep us away!

Also on hand were soprano Mariana Zvetkova who sang "Io son l'umile ancella" from Cilea's Adriana Lecouvreur, soprano Harolyn Blackwell who sang "O mio babbino caro" from Puccini's Gianni Schicchi, and tenor Noah Stewart who performed "Donna non vidi mai" from Puccini's Manon Lescaut.

We could not imagine a more entertaining evening!

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HOW SWEET IT IS!

Lynnesha Crump, Sharon Sweet, Woo Young Yoon, Molly Burke, Spencer Hamlin, and Zaikuan Song

We almost always enjoy master classes. It is exciting to learn things we might not pick up on our own. We can feel personally satisfied with a singer's performance of an aria but when the master teacher makes some changes we hear the aria again and recognize what we may have missed the first time.

We are planning to attend as many Prelude to Performance master classes as possible this month to prepare ourself for the upcoming season at Hunter College--7/6-7/9. We love getting to know the singers better, to hear what they are capable of, and in what way they can improve their performance.

Legendary soprano Martina Arroyo knows how to select the very best master teachers. It was truly a coup to enlist another legendary soprano Sharon Sweet to teach these five impressive artists who are now headed for major careers--at least, that is our opinion! Some master teachers make nice and fall all over themselves complimenting the students and just tentatively offering some little change "to see if it works" for them.

Not so Ms. Sweet! With high spirits and great humor, she "calls 'em as she sees 'em". She is direct but never offensive. The best support one can give, after all is said and done, is honest feedback. All five of last night's students profited greatly from the work they did with Ms. Sweet. There was no "boilerplate" that was given to all.  Each singer got something special and unique.

Woo Young Yoon sang first with "La fleur que tu m'avais jetee" from Bizet's Carmen. His sweet ping-y lyric tenor grabbed us from the first note and held us captive 'til the end. But in the process of his highly individual instruction, he and we both learned something new that took the performance to a new level.

We had never heard the phrases "onset" and "offset" but they deal with the initiation of a phrase without "scooping" and the ending of a phrase without trailing off.  Also, there are places in the line where the singer must not take a large inhalation but rather permit a subtle release of the abdominal muscles. When one does take a full inhalation, think about the entire phrase. Ms. Sweet does not speak of "legato" but rather of singing a phrase horizontally, not vertically. We understood exactly what she meant.  Great advice!

Soprano Lynnesha Crump blew us away with "Senza mamma" from Puccini's Suor Angelica, one of the operas to be performed in July. Ms. Sweet asked her to create a backstory for Angelica and to portray the vulnerability of a woman who has just been shocked and grief stricken to learn that her illegitimate son has died, and also disappointed that the visit from La Principessa had a cold, rejecting, and strictly practical object. 

Ms. Crump was urged to get down on the floor and to feel her inner thoughts. We were blown away with twice the force! And there was a technical issue that we would hear again later--using the tongue to articulate, not the jaw.

Just imagine two fine tenors in the same class. Spencer Hamlin, who will be singing Renuccio in Puccini's Gianni Schicchi during the July season, gave us a foretaste with "Avete torto...Firenze e come un albero fiorito". Mr. Hamlin possesses a fine squillo but sounded even better after his work with Ms. Sweet.

He was advised to take his time in the recit whilst scolding his squabbling family. There was a lot of emphasis on rhythm. Dotted 1/8 notes are not to be sung like triplets. Grace notes must be brought out. He was also urged to sing the aria with his hands in his pockets, acting solely with his face and his voice. We heard about the jaw again as well. And we heard some general tips about never clearing the throat or drinking water, both of which are abrasive to the vocal cords..

Zaikuan Song performed Leporello's "Catalogue Aria" from Mozart's Don Giovanni and was admonished to pay more attention to the rhythmic markings, i.e. singing the "ma" off the beat. It is necessary to count the beats carefully in Mozart! Also we heard a suggestion about double consonants which are best sung connected to the subsequent vowel. Mr. Song came prepared with his "catalog" in hand which the audience loved. Ms. Sweet urged him to act less with his body and more with his voice, for example in the repeating phrase "La piccina, la piccina, la piccina". Mr. Song (how well named he is!) has a wonderfully full bass and we are looking forward to hearing his Zuniga in Bizet's Carmen during the July season.

Last on the program was mezzo-soprano Molly Burke who performed "Acerba Volutta" from Francesco Cilea's verismo opera Adriana Lecouvreur. Her voice struck us as a force of nature with a future in Wagner. (Let us hope!) Her performance launched a valuable discussion of using the head voice, and of not being afraid of the passaggi. She was given vocal exercises to deal with the descent from pure head voice and taught how to move the same amount of air faster. The other great tip was to create space for the highest note in a phrase during the inhalation. The singer needs to start with the palate elevated.

There was one exercise that seemed helpful for all the singers--the lip trill. Singers can practice doing a phrase with the lip trill before adding the words.  They can learn thereby when and where they run out of breath.

Accompanist for the evening was Dan K. Kurland who was ready, willing, and very very able.

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OH THE INTIMACY OF IT ALL!

Chunfeng Li, José Rubio, Eric Delagrange, Jeff Byrnes, and Dángelo Diaz (photo by Jen Joyce Davis)

Regular readers will recall the high esteem in which we hold Martina Arroyo's Prelude to Performance which has been providing training and performing experience to young artists for the past dozen years. So let us get down to the specifics of last night's La Bohème--the anti-Zeffirelli version. We do not mean to express the slightest dissatisfaction with that version and would despair if the Met replaced it, as it has regrettably done to so many of Zeffirelli's masterpieces.  We only want to suggest that P2P has provided a different way of looking at this intimate story--a story of growing up and accepting reality.

P2P's annual performances always accomplish miracles by focusing on the interactions between the characters, who seem to grow before our very eyes. In the horseplay of Act I, Scene I (pictured above) we see a group of young men sharing a garret in Paris, unable to afford food and wood for the fire.  We do not need modern dress or contemporary slang to identify with their predicament. They joke and tease and cheer each other up. They pull a fast one on their landlord Benoit (a hilarious performance by Eric Delagrange) by getting him tipsy, drawing him into a confession of sexual escapades, and then mock-shaming him.  So puerile!  So believable! How can one not think of the young men who converge upon NYC and cram themselves into a tiny space, just for the stimulation of living here! 

Director Ian Campbell did not miss a single trick in illuminating the personalities of the frustrated writer Rodolfo (Dángelo Diaz), the equally frustrated painter Marcello (Jeff Byrnes), the unshaven philosopher Colline (Chunfeng Li) and the musician Schaunard (José Rubio) who seems to be the provider of sustenance.  

When Schaunard is relating the amusing story of how he earned money to bring home the bacon, no one pays attention because they are only interested in stuffing their famished mouths. Joking about saintliness and placing a large round platter behind the head to look like a halo in a religious painting was another clever touch. Every bit of Puccini's well-considered orchestration was employed to support the onstage action.

When Mimi (Jessica Sandidge) enters to get a light for her candle, the entire mood changes and the frisky tunes turn lyrical. Anyone who has had the experience of meeting a potential lover will recognize the verisimilitude of this scene in which Rodolfo sings about himself in boastful terms and Mimi, visibly impressed, searches modestly for something to relate about her own life, and gradually opens up emotionally and vocally.

Eric Delagrange, Claire Coolen, and Jeff Byrnes (photo by Jen Joyce Davis)

In Act II, the wealthy fop Alcindoro (Mr. Delagrange, revealing significant versatility) is outraged by the behavior of Musetta.  We have never witnessed a production that so cleverly used Puccini's music.  Three admirers of Musetta successively present her with roses (yellow, of course) just before her big aria--all set up by Puccini's score and realized by Mr. Campbell.  

She inches her chair ever closer to the man she really loves (Marcello), leaving poor Alcindoro sitting at the table by himself. This "relationship" makes one think of the wealthy older men and the nubile young women who meet on the website "Seeking Arrangements". Sugar Daddies and Sugar Babies. Everything old is new again.

Even Mimi's character is revealed a bit more in this scene as she flirts with a gendarme--and Rodolfo's jealousy emerges.  He has just bought Mimi a bonnet and now that he has invested in her he needs to protect his investment. 

The rowdy children and their put-upon mothers were well-portrayed as the children begged for toys from Parpignol (portrayed by Sergio Stefani).

In Act III, the scene opens at the city gates with a passive-aggressive Sergeant (a most believable Thomas Petrushka) who is going to take his sweet time drinking his coffee while the tradespeople are kept waiting in the cold. Does this not remind us of civil servants of today?

Mimi has come to find Marcello to get some advice. Rodolfo's affections have cooled. Marcello confronts him and, like any young man of today, he first blames Mimi for being a flirt, but finally owns up to his deepest fear-- she is terribly sick and he cannot even express the fear that she will die and leave him.

Mimi is hidden in the shadows eavesdropping and one can witness her dawning realization of the extent of her illness. We get to see her inner strength of character. We feel the grief of young people whose lives will be terminated before they have time to have lived them.  This act was a masterpiece of direction and acting.

Dángelo Diaz and Jessica Sandidge (photo by Jen Joyce Davis)

In Act IV, Rodolfo and Marcello pretend to each other that they don't care about their lost loves but their private thoughts are revealed both musically and lyrically. Who cannot relate to these attempts to deny loss! We get to see Musetta's noble character that underlies her superficial histrionics.

When Colline clutches the overcoat he will pawn we know he is bidding farewell to far more than a piece of clothing.  Can we all remember a time when we suffered a nearly unbearable loss and just knew that our lives would never ever be the same?

This group of six young people will be reduced to five. In some ways, their lives will be diminished but in other ways they will have grown up.  The final tableau when, one by one, they realize that Mimi has died was a stark one and perfectly matched Puccini's tragic music.

We have dealt at such length with the characters themselves because that is what struck us most. A sterling production like this one causes us to relate to people of other times and places. P2P's productions are always authentic. Mr. Campbell's direction served the libretto of Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. There was no pandering to "modern audiences".  There was no self-serving egotism.

  

But let us not neglect the musical and production values which underlay the excellence of the drama. The singing was of the highest order and always supported the characterization. Ms. Sandidge's lovely soprano was appropriately colored between moments of joy and moments of anxiety and pain.  It was a knockout performance.

Another knockout performance was that of Ms. Coolen whose robust soprano sailed over the orchestration and was accompanied by all the right gestures of a woman accustomed to manipulating men. Her delivery of "Musetta's waltz" had an astonishing diminuendo that was spun out beautifully for a time in which we held our breath!

Mr. Diaz' tenor has a wonderful timbre and he established good chemistry with Ms. Sandige. Like many young tenors, he will have to learn not to push for his high notes but rather to work on floating them. 

Mr. Byrnes uses his baritone instrument well and impressed us with his sincerity and musicality.

We have nothing but admiration for the way Mr. Li's bass resonated in his "Vecchia Zimarra" and for Mr. Rubio's recounting of the tale of the parrot and the poisoned parsley.

Mr. Delagrange delighted and Mr. Petrushka evoked some knowing nods.

Maestro Willie Anthony Waters led his orchestra with clarity of line but occasionally overwhelmed the singers. There were times when we wanted him to just lighten up.

Noby Ishida provided for a very well trained chorus.

Charles R. Caine's costume designs were just about perfect.

April Joy Vester's set utilized something resembling large shoji screens as background which served well as garret windows but were just confusing in the Café Momus scene as well as the scene taking place at the city gates. However, it did allow for short intermissions! The furniture in the garret was appropriately minimal.

Joshua Rose's lighting was effective, indicating when the fire in the stove was burning hot or dying down.

Italian diction was excellent, with much credit to Italian coach Sergio Stefani. We never noticed when the titles vanished for we-don't-know-how-long. Every word was crystal clear.

This most remarkable success came out of six weeks of intense work in every aspect of performance and the establishment of a true ensemble feel. All this training is provided at no cost to those accepted into the program; and this year, for the first time, the generosity of patrons permitted stipends for the performers. 

There will be another performance with this same wonderful cast on Saturday night. And on Friday night and Sunday matinée, other members of this program will perform Johann Strauss' Die Fledermaus. We can scarcely contain our excitement.

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MOUNTING A BUTTERFLY

Brandie Sutton and Hyona Kim (photo by Jen Joyce Davis)

In Puccini's hit opera Madama Butterfly, the eponymous tragic heroine expresses her fears to the American naval lieutenant that in the USA, butterflies are caught and pinned.  Lieutenant Pinkerton assures her that is to prevent them from flying away. He doesn't tell her that they die.

For us, this story of a 15-year-old geisha, high born but fallen on hard times, is a story of rampant colonialism and child abuse.  It is a love story only in the eyes of "povera Butterfly" who is deluded by wishful thinking; she believes that Pinkerton really loves her when he has only purchased her services along with the house in Nagasaki, an arrangement that favors only him and perhaps Goro, the marriage broker who is nothing more than a pimp.

We have no quarrel with those who see it in a different light but we stand by our opinion. Indeed, Puccini himself was obliged to modify the original 1904 La Scala version which, we believe, having seen it many years ago, was too strong for the public to accept. Conventional wisdom suggests that the first version was unpopular because of inadequate rehearsal but we are left wondering. Puccini wrote four more versions until he was satisfied. Or until the public was satisfied.

Last night, we heard a performance of the opera by a superb cast of young artists--the culmination of six weeks of intense study in Prelude to Performance, Martina Arroyo's decade-long program devoted to developing the talents of those fortunate enough to be accepted. Master classes and coaching are provided in all areas of performance from movement to language to character creation.

We believe it is Ms. Arroyo's emphasis on the latter which enabled us to see artists in non-traditional casting and to forget the inconsistencies. Try to imagine an American naval officer of the early 20th c. and the American consul both portrayed by Asians! Imagine a Caucasian Prince Yamadori!  An Afro-American Butterfly! (Of course, Ms. Arroyo accomplished that feat years ago.)

The entire affair somehow worked, thanks not only to the conviction of the cast members but to the superb direction of Gina Lapinski who provided concrete motivation for each action of each character. Stereotypes were avoided--i.e. Prince Yamadori was anything but the clown he is usually portrayed as. There were no inebriated relatives celebrating the wedding but a chorus of beautiful maidens in kimonos the colors of flowers, raising their voices in delicious harmony, directed by the excellent Noby Ushida. The chorus was heard again in the "humming chorus" at the end of Act II and we have never heard it performed better.

Typical of Prelude to Performance productions, the set was simple but effective--shoji screens suggesting the hilltop house, some flowers, and some panels suspended from on high. Meganne George's set design was significantly enhanced by the evocative lighting by Joshua Rose. In the final scene of hara-kiri, the colors disappear into chiaroscuro with the desperate act taking place behind the screen in silhouette--surprisingly more chilling than the usual "out there" bloody deed.

The singing was excellent for the most part.  Not only did Brandie Sutton grow in stature as the story progressed but her voice bloomed into great beauty. In Act II, her"Un bel di" left the audience astonished with a chorus of "bravas" that might have been heard from Lexington Ave. to Park Ave.

One could not have imagined a better Suzuki than Hyona Kim whose rich mezzo has impressed us on several prior occasions. Every movement, every reaction, every gesture and facial expression revealed depths of character in a fresh manner.

Baritone Young Kwang Yoo made an effective U.S. Consul Sharpless whose thankless duty as the voice of reason goes unheard. But his own voice was very much heard and a pleasure to hear.

Yet another baritone left us wanting a second hearing. Alexander Boyd was regal as Prince Yamadori, the much married aristocrat who would like to add Cio-Cio San to his list. We enjoyed his regal bearing and fine voice, relieved that we were not subject to so-called comic relief.

In the role of Goro, tenor Alexander Lee created a character not a caricature. It was clear that he was an opportunist who lost no opportunity to ingratiate himself. He has a fine instrument and a lovely legato, filling each vowel to its proper metric value.

As The Bonze, Hangzhi Yao, a bass-baritone, impressed us with his onstage authority and deep rich voice. Lindsay Mecher in the small role of Kate Pinkerton appeared suitably uncomfortable. We hoped that she would make a good mother to little Dolore (the adorable Akari Wientzen) and spitefully wanted her to make her husband miserable for the rest of his life!

Tenor Taehwan Ku  had the thankless role of Pinkerton--the entitled exploiter, the child abuser. At the end of Act III, when he sang "Addio, fiorito asil" we could not bring ourselves to pity him. He's a coward who makes a mess and expects other people to clean up after him and cries crocodile tears. The fact that we took the story so seriously is just further evidence of the artists' skill in portraying John Luther Long's tragic story, so beautifully transformed into the libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa.

Should you be inspired to share our intense involvement in this excellent production, there will be one more performance Saturday night at the Kaye Playhouse of Hunter College.  Should you be inspired to give financial assistance to the Martina Arroyo Foundation and contribute to the development of these young artists, please keep in mind that it is a rare program that not only provides the six-week training gratis, but also provides stipends for the young artists.  Now that's what we call generosity!

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MORE GRIST

Brandie Sutton and Reri Grist 

Marisan Corsino and Reri Grist

Renowned soprano and esteemed teacher Reri Grist was introduced by Martina Arroyo as a friend of fifty years duration, an announcement that evoked torrents of applause from the audience-- eager to hear the divine Ms. Grist coach young singers--part of the Prelude to Performance program.

We have previously noted that each master teacher seems to focus on one thing above all others and Ms. Grist's focus was largely on a forward sound placement. Each of the four students in her master class benefited by bringing the voice up and forward and out of the throat. This was particularly valuable in descending vocal lines.

If you love Puccini's Madama Butterfly as much as we do, you will not want to miss soprano Brandie Sutton's performance as Cio-Cio San on July 9th and 11th at Hunter College. Her glorious instrument soared in the final act aria "Che tua madre" and needed only a few hints from Ms. Grist--hints that made all the difference. In this case, Ms. Grist asked Ms. Sutton to use the initial consonant to help project the "ah" sound into the mask, achieving a rounder sound. A gentle boost from the diaphragm was also helpful.

Donizetti's Fille du Regiment will be performed on July 10th and 12th (matinée) and soprano Claire Coolen will be covering the role of Marie.  We never wish ill on a performer but if Ms. Coolen manages to sing one of the performances we would be thrilled to hear her. She sang "Chacun le sait" with panache and spunk and brilliant tone.  She was coached to take her time between phrases. 

Tenor Jon Jurgens gave full voice to "Addio fiorito asil", Lt. Pinkerton's final act aria from Madama Butterfly, a role he is covering.  He was coached to "cool it" in Ms. Grist's well-chosen phrase--to save his voice and not push.  Our own thoughts were along the same lines. We wanted him to start more gently and build to a climax when he realizes how vilely he has behaved toward Butterfly. Using his diaphragm helped him to get up and out of his throat.

Mezzo-soprano Marisan Corsino, the Suzuki cover, sang "Una voce poco fa" from Rossini's Il barbiere di Siviglia. At first, she delivered it to the audience and Ms. Grist coached her to pretend she was singing it to her image in the mirror, which made a world of difference. Moving around the stage also helped to eliminate the presentational quality. Another great suggestion was to achieve more variety when a phrase is repeated several times. A bit of playfulness with the rhythm added still more to the performance.

Soprano Maria Brea, who is cast as Marie on July 10th and 12th sang "Par le rang et par l'opulence" from Act II of Fille du Regiment. Ms. Grist worked with her on character interpretation and when the aria was performed with purity and simplicity it became not just a beautiful tone but a meaningful portrayal.

Tenor Alexander Wook Lee, who will be singing Goro in Madama Butterfly, did not need any help in the acting department. He sang Beppe's serenade (as Arlecchino) to Nedda (as Columbina) from Leoncavallo's Pagliacci, with an abundance of humor and personality. He received good coaching from Ms. Grist on increasing his support on the high notes, getting the song up and out of his throat. The tips on vowel modification were also helpful.

Ms. Grist taught with warmth, generosity, and humor. Accompanist Ed Bak did the usual fine job of supporting each singer. We noticed he has a special affinity for Puccini.

The prolonged period of individualized and group coaching ensures that the performances of these two beloved operas are guaranteed to delight the audience as they do every summer. We urge you to get your tickets quickly before they are all gone.

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MAESTRO RICHARD BONYNGE MASTER CLASS

Chungfeng Li coached by Maestro Richard Bonynge

A few fortunate folk got to sit in on Maestro Richard Bonynge's master class, presented as part of the intensive training given to the lucky young singers participating in Martina Arroyo's Prelude to Performance program.

The famous conductor and recording artist speaks softly and carries a big stick!  No, not the baton; we mean it figuratively. He is quiet but very firm, insisting the students repeat the same phrase until they get it right. An acknowledged bel canto specialist, his gentle corrections made a noticeable difference in the students' performances. He is not at all like other master teachers who fawn all over the students telling them how marvelous they are and suggesting they add just one tiny thing "if it works for you". 

No! Mo. Bonynge does not even listen to the entire aria. He will stop a student immediately and get to work. He is not there to praise and support but to teach. There was a theme running through the afternoon. Almost all the singers were trying too hard; they were going for volume and big effects and Mo. Bonynge persuaded them to "bring it down a notch". This is bel canto and going for the "bel" seemed to be the message.

Maria Brea opened the program with "Par le rang et par l'opulence" from Donizetti's Fille du Regiment, which will be presented at Hunter College on July 10th and 12th, the culmination of the months of work by the students in the program. Ms. Brea worked hard on observing the piano markings on the score.  Master and student also worked on extending the vowels and achieving more flow through the cadenza.

Hyo Chang An sang "Pour me rapprocher Marie" from the same opera and was instructed to work on his legato and to lighten up the finally "e" at the end of several words. This was another theme on which we heard a great deal. Singers were mistakenly emphasizing that final syllable and were instructed to just touch it. He was also instructed to control the decrescendo in the descending scale passage and to open the vowels a bit more

Karolina Pilou has a large deep voice with an interesting quality. She sang "Fia dunque vero?...O mio Fernando" from Donizetti's La Favorita. She was instructed to eliminate the crescendi and the extra breaths which she consequently wouldn't require. She was also taught to not rush or push and to save something for the cabaletta.

Spencer Hamilton performed "Ah! mes amis....Pour mon âme" and he too had to work on decreasing his force and increasing the tonal beauty with rounder vowels. It seemed that pushing the end of the phrases was not at all helpful.

Claire Coolen and Jacopo Buora performed the duet "La voilà...Au bruit de la guerre" from Fille du Regiment and again we heard quite a bit about lightening up the final "e". We began to wonder whether another coach had insisted that they all work on emphasizing it! Ms. Coolen worked on eliminating the crescendo on her trills and indeed they sounded much better. Her vowels also needed to be rounder.

Chungfeng Li sang "La calunnia è un venticello" from Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia. He sang it so well that he was not interrupted. The only suggestion he got was to pay attention to doubled consonants, a feature of Italian to which all singers should attend.

A lot of Mo. Bonynge's corrections were performed by the use of his expressive hands which meant that his often inaudible words were unnecessary. We got his very important messages. At the piano, Ed Bak performed in true yeoman fashion, serving each singer and his/her material.

Each singer progressed and we hope they will continue to work on these corrections that made such a difference in their performances. Tickets to Madam Butterfly and Fille du Regiment are going fast and if you plan on being in town in July, these two operas could make a profound difference in an operatically barren summer.

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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

LES CONTES D'HOFFMAN

Won Whi Choi and Kirsten Scott (photo by Jen Joyce Davis)

At world famous opera houses, singers fly in from all over the world, generally experienced in the role for which they have been hired; they have the briefest of rehearsal times.  Not so at Martina Arroyo's Prelude to Performance, a program she began a decade ago.  Participants in the program are chosen by audition from a large field of applicants and given scholarships; they spend a considerable period of time in concentrated study, focusing mainly on character development and authenticity.  Coaches and master teachers help them hone their skills.  The results are impressive.  The young singers, many on the cusp of major careers, work together as an ensemble and give a performance of convincing authenticity.

We do not go to the opera to learn about current events and politics; we go to be transported to another time and place.  This goal is best achieved by supporting the intentions of the composer and librettist and this is something at which Prelude to Performance excels.  We do not see machine guns, cell phones or black leather coats.  We see what audiences saw when the opera was first premiered.  In the case of Les Contes d'Hoffman, that was 1881 at the Opéra Comique.  Jacques Offenbach had seen a play entitled Les Contes Fantastique d'Hoffman, written in 1851 by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré, which had woven together a number of stories written by E.T.A. Hoffman between 1814 and 1819; he chose Mr. Barbier as his librettist.  Poor Mr. Offenbach died shortly before the premiere and had not finished orchestrating the work.  Fervent musical scholarship has nearly succeeded in eliminating the spurious changes to the work and come up with a definitive version.

The framework of the story is the character Hoffman recounting the three great loves of his life and his realization that his current lady love, the diva Stella, is an amalgam of all three-- the young girl, the musician and the courtesan.  The theme of the story is the devotion of the artist to his craft versus the pursuit of love.  The character The Muse takes on the identity of Hoffman's best friend Nicklausse and takes part in all three of his adventures, always trying to rescue him from his ill-fated romantic adventures so that he may devote his life to art.  Each act has a villain, the personification of evil and Hoffman's nemesis.

In last night's cast, tenor Won Whi Choi impressed us with his beautiful singing and convincing acting.  His Hoffman was well into his cups during the Prologue, doing a memorable rendition of "Kleinzach"; he created a sympathetic poet who cannot take care of himself and really needs The Muse to bail him out.  The power of his voice grew as the evening progressed and he shone both in his arias and in his duets.

As The Muse, Kirsten Scott created a winning character and sang with a lovely evenness of tone throughout her register.  One sensed the worthiness of her motives and the resourcefulness of her strategies.  We particularly enjoyed her "Violin Aria".

As the perennial heavy, bass-baritone Yuriy Yurchuk was evil personified.  In the tavern scene, he was the arrogant Councillor Lindorf who plots to steal the Prima Donna Stella away from Hoffman.  In the Olympia act, he portrayed the nasty Dr. Coppelius who sells Hoffman the magic glasses that make him see the doll as a real woman.  In the Antonia act, he is the wicked Dr. Miracle who causes Antonia's death.  In the Giulietta act he is the evil magician who bribes Giulietta with a diamond in order to steal Hoffman's reflection.  In every case, he created a different color of evil.  Let us not fail to mention the richness of his voice.  This man has low notes to spare!

One more character appears in every act as a servant and tenor Francisco Corredor deserves to be singled out for his contribution as comic relief.  His Cochenille moved as mechanically as Olympia causing the audience to burst into laughter; he was again hilarious as the hearing-impaired Frantz who would really prefer singing and dancing to serving Dr. Crespel.  In the Giulietta scene he portrayed Pitichinaccio.

Bass Benjamin Bloomfield made a fine Luther, absorbing all the good natured taunts of the students.  He appeared again as Crespel, Antonia's possessive father and later as Schlémil, one of Giulietta's lovers.  Again, he excelled at creating different characters.

Originally, the three important women's roles were sung by the same soprano and this is occasionally done in modern times.  Nonetheless, due to the drastically different types of voices called for, it seems better to cast each role with a different soprano.  Last night we loved the finely honed coloratura of Mizuho Takeshita as Olympia the mechanical doll.  A superb lyric soprano Lenora Green was affecting as Antonia who loves Hoffman and loves singing and must make a choice.  The larger voice of Tamara Rusqué was perfect for the wily courtesan Giulietta.

Walker Jermaine Jackson made a fine Spalanzani; Samuel Thompson did equally well as Hermann; Chantelle Grant sang the voice of Antonia's mother; and Meroe Khalia Adeeb made a great diva in the role of Stella.

Robert Lyall conducted and we heard some fine sounds, especially from the woodwinds and horns.  We appreciated the directorial choices of E. Loren Meeker who kept the action moving and told the story cleanly without any directorial conceits.  Costume design by Charles Caine was exactly right, as were Wig and Makeup Design by Steven Horak who did especially well with the villain roles.

The set design was not credited but the entire opera took place in Luther's Nurenberg tavern with half-timbered walls.  It was simple and it worked.  The three "Tales" utilized a minimum of furniture which brought the attention to the singers.  The singers were the stars last night.  Even the chorus, directed by Nicholas Fox, shone brightly.  The opera will be repeated Saturday night and we are eager to see the other cast.  We expect they will put as much magic in the magic realism as last night's cast.

© meche kroop

A HANDS-ON MASTER CLASS

Benjamin Bloomfield, Tito Capobianco, Yuriy Yurchuk

Master classes generally offer the student something of value from the master teacher's experience.  The student may very well recall who taught them what, if it was of value.  But for the observer, all the acquired wisdom seems collective.  Yesterday was different.  Tito Capobianco's hands-on way of teaching was likely unforgettable to everyone who witnessed the transformative nature of his teaching style.

He opened, in true Socratic fashion, getting students to understand the importance of self-awareness, gained only by looking within--not from any formula.  He defined acting as...lying (what we would call pretending)-- being someone else.  He urged the student to develop their imagination, to know the language, to understand that spontaneity comes from motivation and conviction.

This "hands-on" director led each student by physically moving their arms, legs and head while they were singing.  Maria Fernanda Brea became even more believable as Adina when Mr. C. guided her into the demonstration of overcoming shyness.  Stephen K. Foster as Dulcamara was shown how to make his gestures and phrasing more persuasive as he was peddling his nostrums.  Smitha Johnson's portrayal of Antonia was deepened as she wavered between her state of bliss from playing the piano to the sadness of reality.  Yuriy Yurchuk was shown how to make his Dr. Miracle truly frightening to Joseph Brent's Hoffmann and Benjamin Bloomfield's Crespel.  Kirsten Scott was coached how to handle the violin in Nicklaus' violin aria, how to present the instrument to Hoffmann.

But the most stunning piece of coaching was for Javier Bernardo's Nemorino.  "Una furtiva lagrima" is a "stand-and-deliver" piece.  Who would expect him to sing it curled up in fetal position?  Who wouldn't be shocked to hear him sing it with the stored-up anger from Adina's prior rejection?  And yet.  And yet.  We interviewed Mr. Bernardo after the class and he reported that his voice seemed freer than ever before and he felt better able to express the many nuances of Nemorino's emotional state at that moment.

Readers!  The proof of the pudding is in the performance and, having heard both casts over the past month, we can only urge you to catch as many performances as possible to hear as many of these gifted young artists as possible.  Performances will take place at Hunter College with Les Contes d'Hoffmann on 7/11 and 7/13 at 7:30PM and L'Elisir d'Amore on 7/12 at 7:30 and 7/14 at 2PM.  The performances are fully staged, elegantly costumed, and presented in the original languages (French and Italian respectively) with subtitles.  Let's not forget the orchestra and chorus!  Come to honor the great Martina Arroyo.  Come to give yourself a summer treat.  Satisfaction guaranteed!

© meche kroop

TEACH 'EM LEECH

Richard Leech surrounded by Prelude to Performance singers

The major excitement of this week's Prelude to Performance Masterclass was witnessing some remarkable growth in the singers we heard a week ago and then observing even further growth based on the instruction by master teacher and renowned tenor Richard Leech. Mr. Leech's major point was the importance of communication with the audience; with that point we could not agree more.  He began by urging the students to build their craft to the level that they know their voice, know the role, and then to "just do it" by trusting that the voice will respond when the singer has something to say.

He quoted Kirsten Flagstad: "Singing is just speaking on pitch".  He further quoted his own voice teacher who told him to "be adequate" with adequacy being defined as fulfilling the task at hand.  Do the necessary work and then just set it aside!

Then Mr. Leech got down to the nitty-gritty with each student.  Over and over again he made the point of the importance of the words and counseled the students to give each vowel and consonant its full measure, especially in the recitatives.  He wanted each student to include the members of the audience and to let them into his/her inner thoughts.  The thought should precede the phrase that is sung.

Tenor James Knight sang "Una parola, o Adina" from Donizetti's L'Elisir d'Amore with the excellent Maggie Sczekan.  The instruction to have him stop briefly and change the color between his calling out to her and the more internal aspect of speaking her name with great feeling worked wonders.

Tenor Javier Bernardo, so fine last week, had managed to incorporate Mr. Owens' lesson to great advantage and this week was instructed to establish a chain of little moments with frequent breaths in between; each moment must have a specific meaning.

Ignacio Gama, singing Dulcamara, was told that the bass is the heartbeat of a duet (or trio, or quartet) and must establish a strong rhythm.  The clarity of his character was emphasized.  When James Knight (who dropped the "Edgar"?) sang "Una furtiva lagrima", he was taught to let the audience into his private thoughts; this really made a difference!  Major WOW factor!

Halfway through the class, the performance of  Les Contes d'Hoffman was addressed.  We were impressed by the growth of tenor Won Whi Choi who gave a riveting interpretation of "Kleinzach", having been instructed to engage the audience and to think more about communicating than about making pretty sounds.  In this aria, rhythm is important in the storytelling.  Later, the tenor brilliantly sang a duet ("Malheureux, tu ne comprends donc pas") with silvery-voiced Tamara Rusqué who was advised to exaggerate the commas in order to separate Giulietta's thoughts.

In the duet "C'est une chanson d'amour", sung by tenor Joseph Brent as Hoffmann and soprano Janani Sridha as Antonia, Mr. Leech explained that in an extended duet such as this one, both singers must stay committed and remain in the same physical posture for a longer than average time.

It is enormously gratifying to hear each singer improve over such a short period of time.  Each master teacher has something different to offer.  We are eagerly anticipating next Wednesday's master class with Ken Benson who always makes valuable contributions.  The final master class will be given by Tito Capobianco on Friday 6/28, also at 6PM.  If you love singing, if you love singers, if you love learning--you should be there.  Furthermore, there will be a free taste from this lavish buffet table on Saturday at 3PM in Lang Hall of Hunter College.  And finally, you would be well advised to save the weekend of July 11th.  Both operas will have two performances with two different casts.  We are sufficiently impressed by the talent to want to hear both casts.

© meche kroop

LESSONS FROM THE MASTER

Eric Owens and Martina Arroyo

The coaching provided to the fortunate young singers chosen for Martina Arroyo's Prelude to Performance Program is always of incomparable value.  Yesterday's masterclass was masterfully given by bass-baritone Eric Owens.  He has always impressed us with his glorious singing and convincing acting; but this stage animal has another side which we were thrilled to discover.  Mr. Owens is an astute but gentle teacher with amazing diagnostic skills, able to pinpoint exactly what each student in the class needed to take him/her to the next level, and then to convey the information with vast humor and support.

The two operas to be presented in July are Donizetti's L'Elisir d'Amore and Offenbach's Les Contes d'Hoffmann.  Baritone Carlos Saenz began with Belcore's aria; he nailed the arrogance of the character and had some fine low notes but seemed to us to be putting too much effort into his performance.  We loved the way Mr. Owens got him to ease up and sing more naturally and were thrilled by the result.  Mr. Saenz was a most receptive student and was able to retain the characterization while being less aggressive in his approach.

Tenor James Edgar Knight made a fine Nemorino and profited by the suggestion to maintain the accented syllable even when it falls on the low note right before a jump upward on the scale.  He was also instructed not to "telegraph" about Adina and Belcore's interaction but to make his part of the trio be about HIS character.  In this trio, Maggie Sczekan made a winning Adina and Jorell Williams needed only to maintain the legato feeling over the rests so that each phrase maintained the same color.

In "Una parola o Adina" Javier Bernardo was convincing and moving in his portrayal with Yunnie Park as his fine Adina.  The coaching centered on keeping the intention right through the rests, in order to bridge the divide between phrases, and on lining up the vowels.

Switching to French for the second half was a whole 'nother thing but much of the instruction was similar, except that French is sung very forward in the mouth.  Bass-baritone Eui Jin Kim made a fine villainous Lindorf but even villains must sing through and establish vibrato on each and every note.  Mr. Owens helped Mr. Kim to ground himself on the high notes.  A brief exercise of singing only the vowels helps to line them up.

A very funny rendering of "Kleinzach" was offered by tenor Joseph Michael Brent who was instructed to balance his stunning squillo with some earthiness and support.  The singer needs to let go, to guide the voice but not over-control it.  Similar instruction was given to tenor Blaise Pascal and bass-baritone Yuriy Yurchuk in their duet.

The session closed with luscious-voiced Lenora Green singing Antonia to Won Whi Choi's Hoffmann who sounded even better after he was coached to take his time and maintain more consistency in his legato.  Mr. Owens emphasized the importance of consistency and commitment at the close of the class.  It was remarkable to hear how much each singer profited by the instruction. 


We were not able to get the casting list for July's performances but, after hearing everyone sing, we decided we will be happy no matter whom we hear since all singers were topnotch.  We urge you to set aside time to attend as many performances as possible the weekend of July 11th.  You won't be disappointed!  We further urge anyone who sings or loves singing to attend the two subsequent masterclasses at Hunter College, Wednesdays at 6PM.

© meche kroop

FLAWLESS FALSTAFF

It is with no small degree of embarrassment that we confess to not appreciating the charms of Verdi's final opera--not until tonight, that is.  Under the stewardship of Artistic Director Martina Arroyo, the program Prelude to Performance once again provided a matchless evening of entertainment, fun and artistic merit to a delighted audience as well as performance opportunities to young singers at the cusp of major careers.  Now how does she do all this????

By doing what the Metropolitan Opera, with all its vast resources, cannot.  She hires the best talent in the business to coach and direct the young performers in a concentrated program; the ensemble feeling is evident from one moment to the next.  We were privileged to attend several master classes and gratified to see how the young artists put their new skills to good use.

Under the astute direction of Matthew Lata, the story made complete sense and every character was well-rounded and believable.  Falstaff, as portrayed by the generously proportioned (voice as well as girth) Robert Kerr (photographed by Jen Joyce Davis and seen above), was not just a self-deluding has-been and a figure of scorn; he became an object for our empathy as well.  His two down-at-the-heels henchmen, ably sung and hilariously performed by tenor Christopher Longo (Bardolfo) and bass Christian Zaremba (Pistola), kept us in stitches with their hijinks. 

Mezzo Nichole Ashley Peyreigne had a marvelously resonant voice and impressive comedic skills as Dame Quickly; we were impressed by the variety of tone she gave to her salutations to Falstaff--"Reverenza" never sounded so good.  We were dazzled by the spine-tingling soprano of Nicole Haslett whom we first heard and enjoyed in The Ghosts of Versailles; she gave an outstanding interpretation of a young woman trying to learn something about life from the older housewives--Dame Quickly, Meg Page (a fine mezzo Kiri Parker) and her mother Alice Ford (an equally fine Allyson Herman whom we remember well from Summer and Smoke at Manhattan School of Music).  Tenor Brandon Snook, belying his youthful good looks, was made up to look like the cranky old fogey Dr. Caius and sang with distinction.  Tenor Youngchul Park, well known to Prelude audiences, was a likable Fenton and did a fine job with one of the very few arias in Falstaff--the meltingly beautiful "Dal labbro il canto".  The other aria, sung by baritone Matthew Gamble as Mr. Ford was equally delightful to hear.

Fortunately, Mr. Lata, unlike some of the new directors hired by the Met, made no self-serving attempts to alter time and place.  This is very much a 16th c. tale and the Elizabethan costumes designed by Charles Caine were dazzling.  See photo of Mr. Kerr's  Falstaff above.  Not much scenery was necessary but Peter Harrison used a few pieces to convey a sense of atmosphere.  We especially enjoyed the laundry hanging out to dry which provided a playground and hiding place for Fenton and Nannetta as they sang their love duet.  The illusion of being alongside the Thames was abetted by the subtle lighting of Traci Klainer Polimeni.  We loved the scene of Falstaff and his page (Natan Mulady) swimming down the river and climbing out which was augmented later by the illusion of Fenton poling his way downstream.

Finally we were most impressed by the fine-tuned conducting of Maestro Willie Anthony Waters who pulled some fine playing from his pickup orchestra.  There is one more performance on Sunday afternoon and one could do no better on a stuffy day in New York City than to drag one's fatigued body up to Hunter College and to fill your ears with Verdi's swan song and your heart with laughter.  If we had one operatic wish (and we have not yet shared this with Ms. Arroyo) it would be to have her productions all year round.  As it is, one must wait for the dog days of summer--but the experience is worth waiting for.  You will see us tonight at Cosi fan Tutte which promises to be equally rewarding.  Come and revel!

(c) meche kroop