WONDER WOMEN

Elad Kabilio and Kirsten Scott at Interface

Elad Kabilio's "Music Talks" are designed to break down the barriers between musicians and audience. Guests at the comfortable Interface on 30th St. are invited to get a drink, to sit on comfortable sofas in an informal arrangement, to learn from the lively and knowledgeable Mr. Kabilio, and then to listen in a new way.

Last night's theme, part of Women in the Arts Festival, was a celebration of Women's History Month and paid tribute to the strong heroines of opera. The liberation we take for granted today was not always the case and these operatic heroines were ground breaking exemplars.

A most interesting feature of the evening was the choice of artists. Mezzo-soprano Kirsten Scott and maître de chant Laetitia Ruccolo are two strong women themselves who got together and formed Bare Opera, an alternative female-run opera company that utilizes unusual spaces to present fresh takes on opera--immersive and intimate. Ms. Scott is Artistic Director and Ms. Ruccolo is Music Director. We have been writing about them for about 3 years. We love what they do.

Mr. Kabilio interviewed Ms. Ruccolo about her role at the piano. She doesn't like the phrase "collaborative pianist" and prefers the French title "maître de chant" to express her wide ranging work in coaching singers, preparing the program, and multiple other tasks.  Ms. Scott was given the opportunity to describe each operatic heroine about whom she was singing. The two women selected the arias to be performed.

We are not sure what the compelling Ms. Scott sang at her Carnegie Hall debut last weekend but everything she sang last night was stellar. The program opened with "Cruda sorte" from Rossini's L'Italiana in Algeri.  Isabella is a strong woman who goes off to Algiers to rescue her lover. The delivery was superb.

Rossini loved his strong female roles, mostly mezzo-sopranos. We have heard Ms. Scott on a prior occasion singing "Una voce poco fa" from Il Barbiere di Siviglia and we loved the way she handled the various sections of the aria and limned Rosina's character through the fioritura. The performance has only gotten better with even more attention to the details of her personality. As she explained, this is an "entrance aria" meant to establish the character. She added that Rosina "keeps me on my toes".

From Purcell's opera Dido and Aeneas, she sang the sad aria "When I am laid in earth", explaining that Dido's strength was not one of accomplishment but an inner reserve that helped her face death fearlessly.

Strength of character is also exhibited by Charlotte in Massenet's Werther and Ms. Scott gave us a lovely performance of "Va! Laisse couler mes larmes" which illustrates the manner in which a tearful catharsis allows women to be strong. She not only captured Charlotte's character but did so with long melodic lines.

Mezzo-sopranos are often called upon to sing en travesti, and Bellini gave the part of Romeo in I Capuleti e i Montecchi to a mezzo. We enjoyed hearing Romeo's aria "Deh tu, bell'anima" in which Ms. Scott used her vibrato to express the character's grief when he believes Juliet to be dead.

In Les Contes d'Hoffman, the hero's muse assumes the identity of a friend Nicklausse who must be strong where Hoffman is weak; she extricates him from some hairy situations. We heard Ms. Scott perform the "Violin Aria" and it took us back to 2013 when she performed this role with Martina Arroyo's Prelude to Performance.  Again, she has only refined the character.

Similarly, we reviewed her Cherubino in 2013 and remember well how persuasive she was in the role, exhibiting all of the character's anxiety and energy.  It was a pleasure to revisit "Voi che sapete" from Mozart's Nozze di Figaro and we enjoyed hearing her tell the audience some of the excitement and challenges of singing en travesti.

Before bringing out the big guns for Carmen, the stage was turned over to the lovely cellist Laura Metcalf who played Hollman's Carmen Fantasy for Cello and Piano. Mr. Kabilio explained the function of these "fantasies" as a means of bringing the operas into the home in an era before radio, TV, CD's and internet. Ms. Metcalf and Ms. Ruccolo played beautifully together and yes, all the big tunes were heard within ten minutes.

Concluding the program were selections from Bizet's opera. The strength of Carmen is undeniable. She lived and died on her own terms--fiercely and fearlessly. We heard the "Seguidilla", the "Habanera", and "En vain pour eviter" from the card-reading scene. All were vocally splendid and dramatically affecting.

This was the perfect evening to have introduced newbie friends to opera.

(c) meche kroop

LEND ME A TENOR

Dan Saunders, Susanna Phillips, Elizabeth DeShong, and Petr Nekoranec

What to do when the star tenor has taken ill? Just raid the ranks of The Lindemann Program and create a new star tenor! 

Our disappointment at missing Stephen Costello last night at The Metropolitan Opera's Summer Recital Series evaporated 5 seconds into Petr Nekoranec's performance of "La Donna e mobile" from Verdi's Rigoletto. This young tenor is a stage animal with an appealing presence and a thrilling sound. It is quite difficult to evaluate an amplified voice in an outdoor venue although we admit that the sound was as good as could be expected.

We had only the briefest introduction to Mr. Nekoranec last Spring at a Lindemann recital when we loved his voice but not the material.

We could tell that he knows how to use his vocal assets to good advantage and has great skill with the three languages in which he sang, that he modulates his phrases effectively, and knows exactly how to shape a decrescendo. If he holds onto the "money note" a bit too long you will not hear a word of complaint from us.

We will want to hear him unamplified to learn whether the gorgeous timbre and vibrato impress us as much as it did last night. Likewise we will withhold judgment regarding his suitability for Verdi, which sounded just fine with amplification. But we have no doubt that his bel canto technique is perfectly suited for any type of ornamentation.

In "Ah! Mes amis...Pour mon ame" from Donizetti's La Fille du Regiment, he delivered all the high C's without strain, all the while conveying the youthful enthusiasm and excitement of Tonio as he realizes he has won Marie's love. He has a real feel for French and the long luxurious lines of "Je crois entendre encore" from Bizet's Les pecheurs de perles were exquisite. His diction was so fine that we understood every word.

He also gave a stirring account of Agustin Lara's 1932 song "Granada", and a charming performance of the strophic aria "Au mont Ida, trois Deesses" from Offenbach's La Belle Helene. 

Moreover, he "plays well with others", creating the charming Act II "Cherry Duet" from  Mascagni's L'Amico Fritz with soprano Susanna Phillips as his Suzel--and also with the Act I meeting between Rodolfo and Ms. Phillips' Mimi from Puccini's La Boheme. Of course, he had a sensational Mimi/Suzel to work with!  We confess to being a bit star-struck by this splendid soprano and have preferred her Mozart characters to many others'. 

Her "Summertime" from Gershwin's Porgy and Bess showed off her gleaming upper register and the portamenti were absolutely stunning. But when she got to "Come scoglio" from Mozart's Cosi fan tutte we realized once again how this artist comes across best when there is a dramatic situation to illuminate. Not only was she astonishing in the wide leaps of this challenging aria, but she put her technique in the service of her character Fiordiligi.  This seems a bit trivial but every time she rolled an "r" we got a little thrill. Never too little or too much but just right for the character's personality.

With entirely different colors she performed "Song to the Moon" from Dvorak's Rusalka. Although we don't understand Czech (and we'd love to ask Mr. Nekoranec how it sounded to him) we could appreciate the way the music and the lyrics matched so well. The beauty of her singing and the intensity of her dramatic expression brought tears to our eyes as we considered the unhappy end that comes to those who try to be what they are not.

Ms. Phillips had some outstanding duets with mezzo-soprano Elizabeth DeShong who debuted at the Metropolitan Opera the same year (2008) as Ms, Phillips. Ms. DeShong has a rich texture to her instrument that reminds us of a Guiness--dark, rich, smoky, with a creamy top!  From the Venice act of Offenbach's Les Contes d'Hoffmann, we heard "Belle nuit o nuit d'amour" and cherished the stunning harmonies and barcarolle-type rhythm.

The two voices were equally matched and effectively employed in "Serbami ognor si fido...Alle piu calde immagini" from Rossini's Semiramide. We have never seen this potboiler and are thrilled to learn that we will get our chance next season at The Met when Ms. DeShong will sing Arsace, a warrior who finds himself in an oedipal predicament. (Soprano Angela Meade will fill the title role).

Thankfully, Ms. DeShong will not be confined to trouser roles. Last night she excelled in roles made famous by legendary mezzo-sopranos making comparisons unnecessary. Her "Cruda sorte!", Isabella's aria from Rossini's L"Italiana in Algeri was nothing short of  powerful. The singer's skill with fioritura was employed in the service of the character.

Her versatility as an artist was manifest in "Mon coeur s'ouvre a ta voix" from Saint-Saens's Samson et Dalila. Not only was Samson seduced but so was the audience, yielding to Ms. DeShong's seductive coloring. She was impish in "Nacqui all'affanno e al pianto...Non piu mesta" from Rossini's La Cenerentola, making us wonder what kind of dramatic arc she might create in the entire opera.

Orsini's brindisi "Il segreto per esser felici" from Donizetti's Lucrezia Borgia was given a spirited performance; yet another aspect of her talent was revealed in "Sein wir wieder gut" the Composer's aria from Strauss' Ariadne auf Naxos.

The fireworks onstage far outweighed the discomfort of the sultry weather. It was a highly exciting evening both from the standpoint of relishing the performances of vocal superstars and from the standpoint of witnessing the versatility of an exciting new tenor. There will be five more recitals in this series; folks in every borough should get a chance to enjoy this gift from The Metropolitan Opera and the Department of Cultural Affairs.

Host for the evening was Mary Jo Heath and Dan Saunders provided the superb piano accompaniment.

(c) 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

ANOTHER TRIUMPH FOR NYCO

Philippe Talbot and Marie Lenormand--photo by Carol Rosegg

New York City Opera closed its season with another indisputable hit--Offenbach's charming 1968 Opera bouffe, La Périchole.  The silly plot concerns a couple of down and out street singers in Lima, Peru who are so unlucky or so untalented that they cannot afford a marriage license.  Don Andrès de Ribeira, the Viceroy, falls in lust with La Périchole and offers her a position at the court; she is so hungry that she accepts.  The Mayor of Lima, Don Pedro de Hinoyoso and the First Gentleman of the Bedchamber, Count Miguel de Panatellas, are charged with finding a husband for La Périchole because the law demands that the position must be filled by a married woman.  The two men unwittingly select her beloved Piquillo, get him drunk and obtain his consent to marry.

La Péerichole recognizes the man she loves but he doesn't recognize her.  When he sobers up he is furious with her and won't present her to the court and is thrown in a prison for "recalcitrant husbands", one of whom has been trying to tunnel his way out for a dozen years.  The rest of the story deals with their escape and the obligatory happy ending.  We have Henri Meilhad and Ludovic Halévy to thank for this wacky story.  But it is Offenbach to whom our most ardent thanks are given, for his frothy melodies delight the ear to such an extent that we have been humming them for days.

We also must express gratitude to Emmanuel Plasson for his Gallic spirit on the podium; he kept the orchestra humming along with one spirited number after another.  And the chorus? They too kept the action moving along and sounded just great doing so.  It could not have been easy to find such superb singers to enchant us with their singing and delight us with their comic skills.  Our compliments to the casting director!

Mezzo Marie Lenormand is a tiny gamine with a huge personality; she met the vocal and dramatic demands of the eponymous role with talent to spare.  As Piquillo, tenor Philippe Talbot hit all the high notes of comedy and pathos.  Even funnier was bass Kevin Burdette who created a lecherous wacky Viceroy by using his long loose limbs to great comic effect.  Baritone Joshua Jeremiah and tenor Richard Troxell filled the parts of the Viceroy's two henchmen in fine form.  The three cousins who cater the Viceroy's parties and have a lot of stage time were soprano Lauren Worsham and mezzos Naomi O'Connell and Carin Gilfry.  There was not a single weakness in the casting and there was a terrific sense of ensemble.  Special credit must be given to the hilarious bartender (Philip Littell) who did not sing but whose subtle facial expressions were an additional stimulus of audience laughter, not to mention his bassoon solo.

Director Christopher Alden can be credited for his plethora of ideas; director Christopher Alden can be blamed for his plethora of ideas!  He certainly kept the laughs coming but he tends to get carried away by his ideas and overdoes things to a certain extent.  We thought there was an excess of "shtick" but the audience seemed not to mind a bit.  There was a bit with a pair of tongs that amusingly clacked along with the music but then were used in a gratuitously sexual manner.  EWWW!

Sets by Paul Steinberg were lively in color and design and modern in time period.  The prison for "recalcitrant husbands" contained a Barcalounger with wrist and ankle restraints.  Piñatas hung from the ceiling and large saguaro cacti made us think of Mexico or Arizona rather than Peru.  Costumes by Gabriel Berry were also somewhat contemporary.  In the opening scene the chorus was dressed in shorts or clam-diggers with bright printed shirts, looking like guests at a suburban backyard barbecue.  Our suspicions were confirmed when the three passive-agressive cousins started passing out hot dogs.  The Viceroy appeared in a succession of outlandish costumes we call "Early Halloween".

The running joke is that the population of Peru must pretend to be happy about the Viceroy's rule but they are completely miserable.  We wonder how the director presented the opera back in Offenbach's day; at NYCO everything that could be done to make it funny to today's audience was done--and then some! 

Still, it was a vastly entertaining evening; audience members left with big smiles.  We are thrilled to see NYCO back on its feet.

© meche kroop