OPERA INDEX 2025 WINTER GALA

 Jasmine Ward, Abigail Raiford, Magdalena Kuzma, Luna Seongeun Park, Shelen Hughes, Joseph Parrish, Benjamin Sokol, Son Jin Kim, and Minghao Liu with Jane Shaulis at the podium

Opera Index is an organization that fulfills a number of needs within our opera community, providing financial and career support to emerging opera singers; it is run by volunteers and sustained by donors. To look through the list of their honorees is to look at a Who's Who of Planet Opera. This year's honoree was renowned Welsh bass-baritone Sir Bryn Terfel, given the award by Barry Tucker son of the late great tenor Richard Tucker.

It has been our great pleasure to be a member of Opera Index lo these many years and to have written about the galas and also the less formal recitals at which we get a more substantial hearing of some of the winners. Among the 2024 winners were several young artists that have thrilled us with their undergraduate and post-graduate performances, artists well deserving of awards, attention, and future success.

As is our wont, the ranking of prizes and their commensurate cash value will not be mentioned here; for us these artists are all grand prize winners. If such is your need to know, let us refer you to www.operaindex.org where you can learn more about this storied foundation and (of course) make a donation. President Jane Shaulis opened the evening with some very welcoming remarks, and then....let the excitement begin!

Opening the program was soprano Luna Seongeun Park who let her voice and personality shine in "Chacon le sait" from Donizetti's La fille du regiment, showing not only vocal beauty but capturing Marie's lively temperament. We haven't enjoyed the aria this much since Natalie Dessay performed it at The Metropolitan Opera.

More soprano superiority was to follow with Shelen Hughes showing a melting legato and rich tone in Suzel's charming aria "Son Pochi Fiori" from L'amico Fritz, Mascagni's second most famous opera. Mascagni meant for his music to show us how Suzel won the heart of the landowner and, similarly, Ms. Hughes won the hearts of the audience.

Figaro's unjustified suspicion of Susanna's infidelity is always a crowd pleaser and bass-baritone Son Jin Kim made the most of "Aprite un po' quell occhi" from Mozart's masterpiece Le nozze di Figaro. Mr. Kim's phrasing, dynamics, and rhythmic acuity brought his character to vivid life.

Taking us from comedy to tragedy was soprano Jasmine Ward whose soaring soprano did justice to the tragic lament "My man's gone now" from George Gershwin's Porgy and Bess, the only American opera represented in last night's program. The audience's rapt attention was palpable.

Moving on from tragedy to rage, Abigail Raiford tore into the role of Queen of the Night in "Der Holle Rache" from Mozart's Die Zauberflote. Always a showpiece and a chance for a coloratura soprano to show her stuff, Ms. Raiford evinced clarity in the lavish fioritura and skill with the high tessitura.

From rage to fear we go! So much emotion in one evening!  In Verdi's Macbeth, Banquo senses the upcoming slaughter of himself and his young son in "Come dal ciel precipita". Bass-baritone Benjamin Sokol used the excellent resonance of his instrument to create the character, a superlative performance indeed.

Tchaikovsky's Iolanta is not often produced and we welcomed hearing the heroine's Arioso sung with sensitivity and dynamic variety by soprano Magdalena Kuzma, whose warm voice was echoed by a warm stage presence.

Who doesn't enjoy a good Belcore! Bass-baritone Joseph Parrish delighted us with "Come Paride vezzoso" from Donizetti's  L'elisir d'amore, employing his lustrous tone and charming personality to create a likable and amusing character. Having heard Mr. Parrish sing mostly in Russian and English, we relished the opportunity to enjoy his Italianate phrasing and legato. (With three excellent bass-baritones on the program, we were dying to learn what Sir Terfel thought, but we were sure he would not say!)

Closing the program was the sole tenor of the evening Minghao Liu who is having a fine career in bel canto roles, as well he should. His instrument has tonal warmth which he employs with consummate legato. We particularly enjoyed the way he used the entire staging area for Lindoro's aria. "Languir per una bella" from Rossini's dramma giocosa, L'Italiana in Algeri. We mentally cast him in a few other bel canto roles.

As Collaborative Pianist we had Matthew Lobaugh who easily changed mood and color to suit the varying emotions onstage. Indeed, all the artists succeeded in carrying us from comedy to tragedy to anger to charm. What a splendid celebration of young artists, all of whom are well on their way to successful careers. Bravi tutti!

© meche kroop

DON JOSE ON THE COUCH

John Kim, Conrad Schmechel, Bonnie Frauenthal, Michael Celentano, Melissa Serluco, Paul Khoury, Perri Sussman, and Julia Gmeiner

Although we generally take a dim view of updating the classics, what Lenora Eve accomplished with Bizet's Carmen was nothing short of miraculous. As President, Founder, and Artistic Director of Opera Breve, Ms. Eve devised an original concept that shed new light on the opera. She gave herself the role of psychoanalyst Dr. Eve Stone, delivering a paper on "Love, Obsession, and Addiction", illustrating the pathology of one Don Jose whom she had interviewed as he was on death row, awaiting execution for the murder of Carmen.

She did an impressive job of presenting the scenes of the opera onstage as illustrations of the points she made from her offstage podium. This concept appealed enormously to our psychoanalytic self and sounded exactly like papers we have heard at psychoanalytic conferences. The amazing thing was that her theorizing was astute and accurate.

One point that we had never considered is that Don Jose saw himself as a victim and was unable to see his role in the tragedy.  Carmen was portrayed as an insecure woman, fearful of abandonment, using her wiles to bring men close to her and then dumping them before they could abandon her. We found this interpretation thought provoking.

Moreover, the eight performers cast in the opera seemed to intuit Ms. Eve's analysis or were very well directed by her. The entire cast sang well and their French, if not always perfect, was perfectly understandable. The diction and acting were so on point that titles were unnecessary.

As the eponymous Carmen, mezzo-soprano Melissa Serluco turned in her customary fine performance. As befitting Ms. Eve's concept, there was nothing sinister about her seductions and one could feel considerable empathy for the character. Both the Habanera and the Seguidilla were performed with style and substance. Having enjoyed her performances with Utopia Opera and Amore Opera, we were unsurprised by the rich texture of her voice and fine phrasing.

We felt the same appreciation for soprano Bonnie Frauenthal's Micaela, even though her character was presented in the traditional fashion--shy, innocent, vulnerable, but calling upon faith to give her courage. Ms. Frauenthal has a lovely bright instrument and used it well in the service of the music and the character. Her "Je dis que rien ne m'epouvante" was incredibly moving. We have heard and enjoyed Ms. Frauenthal's performances with Dell'Arte Opera Ensemble and Utopia Opera.

Both of these young artists seem to be in demand by New York's most impressive boutique companies, as is the terrific tenor Michael Celentano, whose performances we have also enjoyed in lots of major tenor roles. As Don Jose, he sang and acted with distinction, seeming to convey the very points made by "Dr. Stone" at the podium. We loved the way he sang "La fleur que tu m'avais jetee" and the abject manner in which he begged Carmen to return to him.

His duets with Carmen and with Micaela were marked by depth of feeling and lovely vocal balance.

Soprano Julia Gmeiner as Frasquita and mezzo-soprano Perri Sussman as Mercedes added a lot of personality to their roles as friends of Carmen who flirted wildly with Escamillo (Paul Khoury, who managed to sing while twirling his cape and engaging in a knife fight with Don Jose) and accepted money for their sexual favors at Lillas Pastia's tavern cum brothel.

Tenor John Kim made a fine El Remendado and also doubled in a very funny turn as a shy reluctant client at the brothel.  His facial and bodily expressions were priceless. Baritone Conrad Schmechel was a fine addition as El Dancairo.

We always look forward to the humorous scene of the smugglers planning their next adventure. Here, it was particularly well done.

Replacing Bizet's stunning orchestration with a piano reduction is always hit or miss.  In this case, it was clearly a hit.  Pianist Matthew Lobaugh has the normal set of ten fingers but we heard the sound of scores of instruments.

Combat Director Joseph Melendez was so effective that we were holding our breath in anxiety for the artists.  Not to worry.  No one was at risk; it just looked that way.

Kristine Koury's costumes were simple for the most part and contemporary in style. Don Jose wore army fatigues; Escamillo had a fine matador costume with a cape of gold, not red. We like the dresses worn by Frasquita and Mercedes which had a definite flamenco flair. Micaela was dressed like a country girl; it was perfect.

We were delighted to see an old warhorse in a fresh light. If only other directors were similarly original with their concepts and creative in their executions! Unfortunately, most of them seem to come from a place of directorial arrogance and self aggrandizement and have nothing original to say.

The best proof of this production's success was that our companion for the evening had never seen an opera before and has declared himself as an ardent fan, eager for more experiences. If a small and adventuresome company can win converts like that, we must consider them a roaring success!

(c) meche kroop