PORT OF ENTRY: NEW YORK

Dina Pruzhansky, Ruoting Li, Alexandra Linde, Pavel Suliandziga, and Rachel Arky

What a thrill! It isn't every day that we get to see not just one but two singers from our Around the World in Song concerts, onstage at Carnegie Hall. What was interesting about last night's concert was that the presenters--New York Artist Management and Composers Concordance--have the same goals as Around the World in Song does--to explore the artistic heritage of musicians from around the world who call New York City home.

These two organizations cast their net wider than we do, including all kinds of musicians, not just singers. We had the opportunity to hear music we had never been exposed to, most of which we enjoyed a great deal.

Renowned and much celebrated composer Dina Pruzhansky grew up in Israel and performed two of her own compositions. From her opera Shulamit, she chose the "Wedding Duet" with text drawn from the highly romantic "The Song of Songs". We regret having missed past performances of the opera and hope we will have an opportunity to hear a revival in the near future. Unlike most contemporary composers, Ms. Pruzhansky writes music that is melodic and accessible.

Mezzo-soprano Rachel Arky performed the female role and tenor Pavel Suliandziga performed the male part. Mr. Suliandziga was featured in our very first Around the World in Song singing Tchaikovsky.

Ms. Arky has been on our radar screen for several years. She made a fine Papagena as a guest artist with Career Bridges (having previously won an award) and we recall her Gianetta in Bare Opera's L'elisir d'Amore. The two made a fine pair with some beautiful harmonic blending in this melodic duet.

Ms. Pruzhansky also shared a solo piano work entitled AM New York which describes a day in New York in a manner that brought to mind Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue. But in her composition, the day began with a jangling alarm clock followed by some unhappy chords in the piano. We enjoyed this colorful work immensely.

We were also delighted to hear Swedish songbird Alexandra Linde once more since she had performed some charming Swedish folk songs on the same program as Mr. Suliandziga. Last night she "put on her opera hat" to perform "Linee" an aria from Luigi Porto's Anita Di Laguna, with which we are unfamiliar. She was accompanied by pianist Ruoting Li.

Also on the program was a soprano from the Belgrade Opera, Snezana Savicic Sekulic who demonstrated a gorgeous upper register in "O Mio Babbino Caro" from Puccini's Gianni Schicchi. She also performed Rachmaninoff's haunting "Ne Poy Krasavitsa Pri Mne" and we would have preferred a simpler delivery than that used in opera.  We might have enjoyed Villa Lobos' "Melodia Sentimental" more if she had not been obscured by a music stand. With its elaborate fioritura Arditi's "Il Bacio" was a good selection for showing off her consummate coloratura.

The remainder of the program was instrumental and, above all, we favored the refined guitar artistry of Serbian Nemanja Bogunovic whose connection with his instrument is so intense that we thought he must eat, drink, and sleep with it. With each successive selection we thought "Oh that's my favorite"! There was incredible variety of rhythm and mood from one piece to the next and each one dazzled in a different way.

He not only composes for his guitar but also arranges his music for a string quintet that lay down a carpet of sound as a worthwhile background for his guitar.

Pianist Jasna Popovic delighted us with the filigree of Barcelo's "La Grandalla". Pianist Ruoting Li began the evening with Kostabi's "Italian Summer", an accessible piece that started off with a riff on Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" from his Ninth Symphony. This made more sense to our ears than "Away" by Pritsker.

Krstajic's composition "Zasp'o Janko" contained the most delightful folk tune that was ruined for us by amplification, as was the romantic "Solo Una Noche".  They were performed by "vocalist" Tamara Jokic about whom we have nothing to say. Amplified voices just hurt our ears; that being said, the audience seemed to enjoy both her and the accompanying jazz band.

In sum, it was a worthwhile evening and filled with delights--above all hearing music that was new to us.

© meche kroop

LOVE FOR L'ELISIR

Christine Lyons telling the tale of Tristan and Isolde

Xiaomeng Zhang enlisting Charles Sy into the military

ARE Opera was founded just a year and a half ago by Megan Gillis and Kathleen Spencer, two singers who want to make opera Accessible, Relatable, and Enjoyable. So far, they have succeeded admirably.

They have chosen their productions wisely and cast them with talented young singers. They stage them in ways that are up front and personal so that audience members feel involved.  At one point Nemorino sat down in one of the very few empty seats in the house, right next to ours, and we almost put an arm around him to give him some encouragement in his struggle to win Adina's affection.  Now that's personal!

The proof of the pudding is in the audience reaction. At a few points we tore our attention away from the performers to glance at the audience and what we saw was glee and rapt involvement. The "newbie" we invited was delighted with the experience and full of questions and observations.

Let us take a closer look at what makes this production such a delight.  Of course, Donizetti's sparkling and tuneful music, played by pianist Andrew Sun (who is also Chorus Master), is at the foundation. Felice Romani's charming libretto is, well, felicitous! It allows the audience to identify with the underdog Nemorino (little worm) who is too shy and lacking in self-confidence to win the love of the landowner Adina, apparently the only literate person in her village.

Director Jessica Harika has wisely kept the action in the right time and place--a small village in the 19th c. She has added some pantomime to the overture showing us the two almost-lovers as children (Angel Figueroa and Alexa Sternchos) manifesting youthful crushes, their interaction giving us some backstory. She has credited Dean Anthony with the concept.

All of this excellent foundation laid the groundwork for some excellent performances. As Nemorino,  Charles Sy exhibited a rich but flexible tenor that grew in impact from his opening aria "Quanto è bella, quanto è cara" to his final "Una furtiva lagrima". We have heard Mr. Sy often in recital but it was a revelation to witness his dramatic prowess. He created a character that we cared about. We could laugh at him without looking down on him. He was funny in his gullibility and ignorance, but did not ever invite scorn.

As Adina, the proud object of his romantic longing, soprano Christine Lyons was given reason to reject him, dating back to their childhood experiences. Her lustrous soprano won us over from the start as she read to the villagers in her aria "Della crudele Isotta". At the end she has trouble actually declaring her love in "Prendi, per me sei libero"-- until Nemorino actually forces her hand. Although Donizetti has written some fabulous fioritura, for Adina he has given us just enough embellishment to add to her emotional range-- and enough to show us what Ms. Lyons is capable of.

The role of Sergeant Belcore is an interesting one. He must be a "player" with a macho show of arrogance and yet be more than a tool for Adina to make Nemorino jealous. We sense his humanity underneath the bravado. Here, baritone Xiaomeng Zhang, whose work we have enjoyed on many occasions, lent his expansive and resonant instrument to the portrayal and gave us a highly memorable performance. His delivery of "Come Paride vezzoso" was masterful and we loved the moment when he comments on helping his rival to succeed.

The lovable snake oil salesman Dulcamara was given a fine performance by bass-baritone Brent Hetherington who was just right for the part. His patter song, promising the naive villagers a cure for all their ills, is always a highlight--"Udite, udite, o rustici". Donizetti wisely gave Dulcamara a clever and tuneful duet with Adina  "Io son ricco e tu sei bella" and we have never seen it better performed.

Mezzo-soprano Rachel Arky made a fine Gianetta and the chorus was marvelously together, showing evidence of fine guidance by Mr. Sun and some substantial rehearsal time. Maestro Jonathan Heaney's conducting was as excellent as Mr. Sun's piano. We wondered if we were hearing Richard Wagner's piano reduction but there was no mention in the program. The costumes by Wardrobe Witchery were perfectly a propos with Dulcamara's plaid suit winning the prize for being the most colorful.

His entrance was marked by offstage trumpet and snare drum, played by Mitchell Curry whilst the lovely mezzo-soprano Alanna Fraize performed the role of Dulcamara's assistant, miming the trumpet playing--a moment the audience loved.

There will be two more performances at St. Veronica's church on Christopher Street--tonight and Sunday matinée. You could not find better lighthearted yet deeply enjoyable entertainment.

(c) meche kroop

CAREER BRIDGES HONORS MARTINA ARROYO

Career Bridges Grant Winners

Career Bridges held their 16th annual gala concert and dinner last night at the Metropolitan Club. Citizens of Planet Opera gathered to honor distinguished soprano Martina Arroyo, whose Prelude to Performance has done so much to help young singers to launch their careers. Her Lifetime Achievement Award is so well deserved!

Patron of the Arts Award was given to Joan Taub Ades, a philanthropist on many fronts, famous at Manhattan School of Music for endowing the Ades Performing Space and for establishing the Ades Competition which, coincidentally, we reviewed last night. Scroll down to read about it. As if that were not enough, she started "Joan's Closet" which provides appropriate gowns for female singers.

What is unique about Career Bridges, founded by David Schuyler Bender and Barbara Meister Bender, is that they make a three year commitment to the chosen singers, providing training, mentoring, financial support, and performance opportunities. They also bring opera to young school children, whose ears, hearts, and minds are thirsty for this most absorbing of all the arts.

The entertainment portion of the evening was most generous, and continued all through dinner. Not only did we hear 2018 winners but also winners from prior years and guest artist tenor Jonathan Tetelman.

There were so many excellent performances we don't know where to begin. So let's begin at the beginning when mezzo-soprano Rachel Arky (2012) and baritone Robert Balonek (2007) got the evening off to a great start with the charming Papageno-Papagena duet from Mozart's Die Zauberflöte. The audience went wild when he picked her up in his arms and carried her offstage.

Baritone Michael Gracco (2018) gave a powerful performance of Valentin's aria "Avant de quitter ces lieux" from Gounod's Faust. Mezzo-soprano Yinpei Han (2018) was artistically forceful in Dorabella's aria "Smanie implacabili" from Mozart's Cosi fan tutte.

Baritone Matthew Ciuffitelli was appropriately annoyed as Count Almaviva in "Hai gia vinta la causa" from Mozart's Nozze di Figaro. Soprano Brittany Nickell reprised her "signature aria" "Robert, toi que j'aime" from Meyerbeer's Robert le diable with the fine French we well remember.

Baritone Emmet O'Hanlon (2018), whose Juilliard days we fondly recall, gave a landmark performance of "Largo al factotum" from Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia. Soprano Emily Misch (2017) performed the delightful "Ch'il bel sogno di Doretta" from Puccini's La Rondine.

Super-charged baritone Joshua Conyers (2018) lent his large instrument and dramatic intensity to "Nemico della patria" from Giordano's Andrea Chenier. Soprano Megan Nielson (2016) sang "To this we've come" from Menotti's The Consul. There is no denying her artistry but we wish she had chosen a different aria. We have heard her many times and love her voice but that aria just doesn't do it for us.

What did do it for us was baritone Hubert Zapior (2018) who sang Eugene Onegin's aria "Kogda bi zhizn domashnim" by Tchaikovsky. This was a special treat because Mr. Zapior just appeared on our radar screen this year and because this is the year we have developed a fondness for Russian opera. The performance was flawless and character driven.

From Cilea's rarely heard L'Arlesiana, tenor Jonathan Tetelman sang a beautifully rendered "Il lamento di Federico", filled with sorrow and longing.

Soprano Teresa Castillo (2017)was glittery and gay in Bernstein's sensational aria from Candide and captured Cunegonde's dual nature. Baritone SeungHyeon Baek (2015) performed his "signature aria"--the Prologue from Leoncavallo's Pagliacci--and was just as superb as we remembered.

An inspirational closing was provided, as it was last year, by baritone Jesse Malgieri singing a medley of Mitch Leigh's "Impossible Dream", from Man of La Mancha, and Richard Rodgers' "Climb Every Mountain" from The Sound of Music. 

With such a wealth of talent in every fach, performing the final quartet from Verdi's Rigoletto was a kind of foregone conclusion and we very much enjoyed Ms. Misch, Ms. Arky, Mr. Tetelman, and Mr. Balonek whose voices blended beautifully.

Music Director for the evening was Ted Taylor and the host was WQXR's Robert Sherman. It seemed like everyone in the room was on the same page, doing whatever they could with whatever resources they have, to foster these brilliant young singers. We loved each and every one of them and imagine they will all go far!

(c) meche kroop