A DIVINE COMEDY

Enes Pektas as Gianni Schicchi

Having succeeded so admirably in last year's production of Il Tabarro, Classic Lyric Art Vocal Academy has continued with their production this year of another part of Puccini's Il Trittico--Gianni Schicchi. And what a great choice it was, making full use of CLAVA's ability to collaborate as an artistic community to create a work that was greater than the sum of its parts.

These "parts" comprise an astute director (Daniel Isengart) who knows how to come up with original ideas and then to trust the cast members to take these ideas and run with them; a musically gifted conductor (Mo. Michelle Rofrano); a superlative pianist who created an entire orchestra with ten fingers (Luc Xu Cheng) and a gifted group of singers, members and graduates of CLAVA. These singers, having spent so much time with their colleagues, are imbued with ensemble spirit. There is no individual grandstanding, each singer served the telling of the tale.  And tell it they did!

Like Verdi, Puccini tackled comedy rather late in his career at the age of 60. Both of these Italian titans avoided the slapstick humor of Rossini (which we also love) and used their comedic gifts to shed light on human foibles. Verdi's Falstaff invites us to laugh at the pomposity of a Shakespearean knight of centuries earlier, whereas Puccini used humor to shed light on one of the less attractive features of Italian culture as exemplified by Dante in his Divine Comedy, also written centuries earlier. One might conclude that the temporal distance from the butt of humor makes it easier to laugh at.

No doubt there are still grasping families who can't wait for an elderly progenitor to leave this world so they can enjoy the benefits of his wealth. It is all in the telling of the tale and  Mr. Isengart told it well, making ample use of choreography that varied from chaos-- as the Donati family ransacks their dead relative's home for his will-- to elements of swirling unity as they agree on a common plan.  The character of the eponymous Schicchi is based on a real person, someone related to Dante's wife. As usual, the dramatist heightens and amplifies reality to make a dramatic point.

Puccini's librettist Giovacchino Forzano took Dante's story and embellished it, much as Mr. Isengart put his own stamp on it. What we most appreciated about the storytelling was that each character differentiated him/herself. As many times as we have seen this opera we could never tell one member of the family from another. Perhaps it was the clarity of direction and the dramatic skill of the singers, or perhaps the fact that we were sitting on the front row, we had no problem differentiating one from another.

The adorable Gherardino (Iris Whelen) was the first onstage, totally convincing as a little boy. His father Gherardo (Samuel Ng) and mother Nella (Estelina Syla) left no doubt about their annoyance with the child. Tia Zita (Miastasha Gonzales-Colon) convinced us that she was matriarch of this squabbling family and totally in control of her nephew Rinuccio (Fernando Silva-Gorbea) and his hoped for marriage to the lower-classed Lauretta (Laura Soto-Bayomi). Rinuccio's idea to bring Lauretta's father Gianni Schicchi (Enes Pektas) on board to help the family will be his ticket to romantic fulfillment.

And there's impoverished  Cousin Betto di Signa (Christopher Lau) and the wise patriarch Simone (George Baolin) with his son Marco (Henry Horstmann) and Marco's wife La Ciesca (Sofia Durante). All of them grasping, all of them furious that the dead Donato has left his wealth to the monastery, all of them willing to have Schicchi perjure himself to make themselves wealthy.

Alejandro De los Santos portrayed both doctor and notary with Quinlan Sellars portraying Pinellino the cobbler, both adding to the comedy.

And oh, how Puccini's musical ideas heighten the drama. The opening rhythmic motif that stirs our funny bone, the dirge that accompanies the phony grief of the Donati family, the lyrical love song that stirs our heart "Lauretta mia, staremo sempre qui!", the ladies' trio "Spogliati, bambolino!", and Rinuccio's philosophical paean to Florence "Firenze è come un albero fiorito". What about the most famous aria of the opera? "O mio babbino caro" was given an original interpretation that made perfect sense. Lauretta is just as devious as her father and is manipulating him into securing her future. Mr. Cheng was masterful in capturing both lyricism and humor, confusion and despair whilst Mo. Rofrano's firm conductorial hand kept it all together.

Missing were the lavish Florentine set and costumes and we can only say that the fine musical and dramatic values made them superfluous. The grieving family all wore black and the set comprised nothing but a four-poster bed for the dying Donato. Nothing more was needed.

Regular readers know that we are sick and tired of directorial conceits that must be elaborately explained in the "Director's Notes". This production managed to tell this story of comeuppance in a most relatable way with the most meager of resources. Mr. Isengart's notes were strictly academic and intellectual backstory for those who find such background information worthy of reading. Thankfully, there were no narcissistic ramblings and justifications.

It is thrilling to watch Classic Lyric Arts develop their performing arm. Although the selection of operas is probably designed to show off the talent that is available on any given year, as an audience member we felt as if the work had been chosen for our delight. The enormous space that held the performance and audience members was absolutely packed and very deserving of a proper theater with raked seating. From the front row we had no complaint but we wondered how the people in the rear fared. We cannot help but wonder why the best city in the United States has no suitable small theater. Any ideas, Dear Reader, will be welcome and passed along.

As you may know from our prior writings on the topic, New York City badly needs a small opera company to present the best of the canon in authentic productions. With our three music conservatories producing strange operas that no student needs in their repertory (I'm looking at you, Mannes) or putting weird spins on familiar works (I'm looking at you, Juilliard and Manhattan School of Music), we support CLAVA's gradual expansion and are pleased to note that next season may bring us two productions.  Stay tuned!

© meche kroop

CLASSICAL, LYRICAL, AND ARTISTIC

 Luc Cheng, Glenn Morton, Young Kwang Yoo, Kevin Jasaitis, Sofia Gotch,  Sofia Durante, Sara Stevens, John Viscardi, Eliza Masewicz, Maia Sumanaweera and Samuel Ng

Regular readers recall my enthusiasm for Classical Lyric Arts, a highly esteemed immersive summer training program for young singers  held in France, Italy, and the Berkshires. Here is some great news, Dear Reader! CLA has expanded into an all year program helping recent conservatory graduates to navigate the difficult period of launching a professional career. Assistance is given in many areas including (but not limited to)  navigating auditions and competitions,  choosing repertory wisely, choosing management, and of course the finer points of singing. We think of it as polishing the gems.

Last night a private recital was held to celebrate this launch and the fortunate members of the audience had an opportunity to hear a program of Italian love songs, arias, and duets. What better language than Italian to sing of love! Even speaking Italian sounds like a love song! Our host, Glenn Morton (Artistic Director of CLA), accompanied some of the singers and the talented Luc Cheng accompanied other singers , including Executive Director John Viscardi (a graduate of CLA) about whom more later.

If we have heard a better recital, we cannot recall. The CLA singers demonstrated fine technique in which we can find no flaws. Their Italian was universally perfect, evidence of the fine immersive training they received in Italy. What most astonished us however, was how each singer showed something we call stage worthiness. They not only understood the text and the emotions which generated it, but they managed to employ the dramatic skills learned from faculty member Daniel Isengart, using facial expression, gesture, and the physical space that was available to create believable dramatic situations.

There were about 15 pieces performed and we will attempt to describe a few to illustrate this. In Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia , Rosina persuades Figaro to get a note to the Count. Mezzo-soprano Sofia Durante created the character of the spunky young woman who is going to get her way whilst baritone Kevin Jasaitis was absolutely taken aback by her anticipation of his plot. They were so effective that one could imagine everything that led up to that moment and everything that would follow.

Ms. Durante also showed her aptitude for breeches roles in two scenes. From Bellini's I Capuletti e I Montecchi, we heard "Ah, crudel d'onor ragioni" in which Romeo and his Giulietta (soprano Sofia Gotch) sing a duet of conflict and anxiety. She also made a fine Nerone in duet with Poppea (soprano Maia Sumanaweera) from Monteverdi's L'incoronazione di Poppea. We heard this duet recently in which the singers "sexed it up" which removed the chemistry we felt from this performance as the singers slowly approached each other, heightening the anticipation.  Yes, we all know that Nero and Poppea were terrible people but in this opera you have to want them to triumph and so they did.

In a scene from Mozart's Don Giovanni, Mr. Jasaitis--now suave and perfectly self-assured--seduced a flirtatious Zerlina, adorably performed by soprano Eliza Masewicz. Each showed impressive comprehension of the character at that particular point in the opera.  In a different scene the seductive Don (Mr. Jasaitis who seems to own the role) performed the serenade "Deh vieni alla finestra" gazing upward at an actual window with the unknown woman actually there, lending verisimilitude to the performance.

The Cherry Duet from Mascagni's L'amico Fritz was performed by  Ms. Sumanaweera and tenor Samuel Ng with such intense chemistry that no one could have missed foretelling the romantic ending to the opera.

There were two entries from Puccini's tragic love story La Bohême. The Mimi of Act I was performed in a touching fashion by Sara Stevens, possessor of a huge and gorgeous soprano, who gave her all to "Mi chiamano Mimi". This was followed by "O soave fanciulla" with  Mr. Viscardi as the ardent Rodolfo (a role he just performed in Colorado, a role that fits him like a custom tailored suit).

There were also several more arias and songs to tickle our ears. We love Tosti's songs and Mr. Ng's impassioned delivery of "Ideale" perfectly captured the Italianate style, as did Mr. Viscardi's performance of "Sola tu manchi".

Ms. Gotch created a memorable Gilda from Verdi's Rigoletto, adorning the vocal line with precisely rendered coloratura flourishes. Similar technical precision was evinced by Ms. Masewicz performing "Qui la voce sua soave" from Bellini's I Puritani. We don't want to end without mentioning a funny moment. We were surprised when the photographer (whose photos are guaranteed to be better than ours) was called upon to sing. It turned out that Young Kwang Yoo had been pressed into service as photographer for the event and is actually an opera singer of terrific talent.

© meche kroop