A CORNUCOPIA OF GOODIES

Nathan Milholin and Andy Berry in a scene from Prokofiev's "The Love for Three Oranges"

We always count on the Santa Fe Opera for five glorious operas every summer, but the highlight of our visit remains the two evening of Apprentice Scenes. The young singers of the Apprentice Program (established in 1957 and flourishing under the guidance of Artistic Director David Holloway) enjoy a summer of training and performance experience--in smaller roles, in Susanne Sheston's superbly rehearsed chorus, and on two Sundays the experience of performing in a selection of scenes--fully staged and costumed with piano accompaniment. Notably, the Santa Fe Opera was the first company in the United States to have established such a program.

The choice of scenes ranges far and wide, from opera house standards to rarities to new works. Last night, as usual, we had our favorites and some head-scratchers. But regardless of the choice of material we found the performances to be vocally and dramatically worthwhile.

For all around entertainment value, our first choice was Ravel's "L'heure espagnole", directed by Omer Ben Seadia. We have only seen this opera once since it is rarely performed, but it is filled with French farce type humor, dealing as it does with a cuckolded clockmaker and his wayward wife. His unanticipated homecoming necessitates the hiding of his wife's lovers inside some of the grandfather clocks in the shop. As the cuckolded clockmaker, tenor Adam Bonanni had just the right sound for the part and was helped in his humorous presentation by the costume design of Jean-Luc DeLadurantaye--that of a pagliaccio--or Pierrot.

Mezzo-soprano Anne Marie Stanley was delightful as the wayward wife. Her three lovers were excellently portrayed by baritone Brian Vu in full toreador regalia, tenor Stephen Carroll, and bass-baritone Nathan Milholin who had quite a time extricating himself from his hiding place. Their congo line dance just added to the fun.

The Ping-Pang-Pong scene from Puccini's Turandot always provides some comic relief and speaks to us as the plaint of Everyman, who would love to escape his job and retire to the country. Director Kathleen Clawson directed a pleasingly traditional scene of the three functionaries of Ancient China, men who never know whether to plan for a funeral or a wedding. Resplendent in authentic Mandarin costumes (designed by Brenda Birkeland), baritone Dogukan Kuran and tenors Eric Ferring and Andrew Maughan passed the vocal ball back and forth in a highly entertaining fashion. It was a true treat.

The previous night's Lucia di Lammermoor left us in a Donizetti mood and we were glad to see a scene from L'elisir d'amore on the program. Director Crystal Manich's decision to update the action to the ugly 1950's and to change the setting to a soda parlor robbed the scene of the intended impact.  Poor Nemorino was obliged to get intoxicated by an ice cream soda in place of the requisite wine of Dr. Dulcamara; this just didn't make dramatic sense to anyone who knows the opera.

But tenor Carlos Enrique Santelli (just reviewed as Arturo in Lucia di Lammermoor) has a real flair for Donizetti and shone in the role, in spite of the ice cream soda! A clever directorial touch was having him bang the keys of the cash register in time with the music. Soprano Abigail Rethwisch made a lovely Adina, deftly conveying the ambivalence she feels toward Nemorino and the crack in her resistance. Baritone Christopher Kenney successfully created the role of the blustery Belcore and sang in rich full tone.

Rienzi will never be our favorite Wagnerian opera but we definitely enjoyed hearing tenor Stephen Martin (just reviewed as Normanno in Lucia di Lammermoor) sing the title role with authoritative colors and stage presence. As his sister Irene, soprano Tracy Cantin impressed us with her fine singing but Amanda Clark's unflattering wig failed to score. In the trouser role of Adriano we heard mezzo-soprano Hannah Hagerty.  We enjoyed the trio which closed the scene for the tasteful blending of voices. For some strange reason, this tale of 14th c. Rome was updated by director Crystal Manich to something approximating the early 20th c.

Giuseppi Verdi put in an appearance by virtue of a scene from Un ballo in maschera, effectively directed by Susan Payne. One doesn't expect to hear young voices tackle Verdi but soprano Kasia Borowiec showed promise in the role of Amelia with Jorge Espino taking the role of the very angry Renato. The two men initiating the plot to assassinate the Duke, Sam and Tom, were played respectively by bass-baritone Erik van Heyningen and baritone Andy Berry. The duet between Renato and Amelia was most affecting but the final quintet was imperfectly balanced. Soprano Joanna Latini sang the role of Oscar with beautiful tone; a bit more attention to accuracy with the short notes would have made it perfect.

The scene from Benjamin Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream was peculiarly staged by Mr. Seadia. The scene involves the romantic misadventures of Shakespeare's four young lovers lost in a forest near Athens. Here, they are in something resembling a dormitory with four beds and in various stages of undress (costumes by Ruby L. Rojas). Fortunately, the fine singing made up for the strange and distracting setting. The performances were quite physical and succeeded in conveying the Bard's sense of humor. 

Mezzo-soprano Kristen Choi impressed us with her vocalism in the part of Hermia; she doesn't know what to do with all that unexpected male attention. Soprano Adelaide Baedecker made a fine Helena, suffering the loss of love of her Lysander (tenor Jesse Darden) with baritone Thaddeus Ennen completing the quartet in the role of Demetrius.

Prokofiev's The Love for Three Oranges was staged by Susan Payne as the fairytale it is. Prokofiev's music for the scene begins with some insistent chords and the stage was dominated by a large multi-colored proscenium arch. Morgen Warner's costumes were appropriately fantastical. The problem was that the scene did not offer the young singers much opportunity to show off their vocal skills. That being said, we did enjoy the humor and fantasy. Mr. Berry made a magical magician in his golden cape, and bass-baritone Nathan Milholin was funny with his feathered fan. Mr. Maughan made a fine Prince, strangely attired in a night shirt; Mr. Darden portrayed the Prince's companion Truffaldino attired in a suit.

We cannot say too much about the scene from Paul Moravec's The Shining. We found the music lacking in the very qualities that make us want to listen, and the scene itself did not hold our interest. Baritone Kenneth Stavert sang the role of an ex-alcoholic starting a new life in a boiler room.  Mr. Carroll portrayed a ghost in the hotel. The libretto did not strike us as singable. We did enjoy Mr. Carroll in L'heure espagnole and hope to get another opportunity to hear Mr. Stavert in music kinder to our ears.

It was a fun evening and we find ourselves trying to anticipate which of these promising artists will thrive in their professional careers and return to the Santa Fe Opera stage.

(c) meche kroop

THE LICIA ALBANESE-PUCCINI FOUNDATION AWARD RECITAL

Stars of The Licia Albanese-Puccini Foundation Gala onstage at the Rose Theater

The citizens of Planet Opera gathered yesterday for the 42nd Anniversary of The Licia Albanese-Puccini Foundation. It was a stellar celebration with grants being awarded to a stunning selection of young singers—rising stars, every single one of them. The audience at Rose Theater of Lincoln Center was gloriously entertained.  As if that were not enough, honors were distributed to those who have contributed so much to the field of opera.

Sachi Liebersgesell, President of the Foundation, always eloquent, was rendered nearly speechless when given the honor of receiving the kimono worn by Ms. Albanese when she performed the role of Cio-Cio San. Bryan Hymel, winner from 2008 and master of the French repertoire, shared his recollections of Ms. Albanese and received a Distinguished Achievement Award, as did Ailyn Perez, Nadine Sierra, and Mariana Zvetkova.

Ms. Sierra was put onstage at the age of 16 by Ms. Albanese, singing “O mio babino caro”—and if you have already guessed that she performed the same aria yesterday, give yourself a nice pat on the back. Her voice has become richer and more expansive but she has not lost the pure tone and youthful presentation.

Soprano Ailyn Perez treated us to “Io sono l’umile ancella” from Cilea's Adriana Lecouvreur, sung with generous voice and heart, and accompanied by the outstanding Bryan Wagorn.   Ms. Zvetkova gave us a Strauss song with thrilling tone. Both artists revealed anecdotes about Ms. Albanese's effect on their lives.

We were blown away by Lauren Flanigan’s performance as Lady Macbeth. Ms. Flanigan was quite open with the audience about a neurological illness that has damaged her hearing to such an extent that she has been struggling with novel ways to express her creative bent. How she could perform so far beyond excellence is beyond our understanding but she did. Had she not mentioned the deficit we would never have suspected. Let this be a lesson to those who complain about their handicaps; let this be an inspiration to all of us!  

The Lifetime Achievement Award she was given was well earned. Anyone who doesn’t know about her Music and Mentoring House needs to get informed.  Young artists find affordable lodging in Ms. Flanigan’s artistic home, along with socializing with fellow artists, and much needed emotional support.

Every young artist on the program is a star on the rise.  Winners were, as usual, selected from an enormous field.  We were hearing la crème de la crème. Do not look to us for information about the financial awards. We will just tell our readers what struck us according to fach.

Soprano Vanessa Vasquez is winning awards all over the place and deserves every one. Her performance of “Un bel di” from Puccini’s Madama Butterfly was gloriously intense. We were so wrapped up in the mood she created that technique was forgotten; but upon reflection, there is no doubt that she uses this fabulous instrument with attention to all the fine technical aspects.

We are suckers for Puccini and soprano Karen Barraza performed “Tu che di gel sei cinta” from Turandot,  ushering us into Liu’s very soul. Her singing should have melted Turandot’s icy heart on the spot. A third soprano, Tracy Cantin, sang the bittersweet “Chi il bel sogno di Doretta” in fine form.

In the baritone fach, we loved Jared Bybee’s “Vision fugitive” from Massenet’s Hérodiade. We have been hearing quite a bit of Mr. Bybee lately but it is never enough! His creation of a long legato line was masterful and his French is parfait! He was in complete control of tempo and dynamics, both of which he utilized in the service of the aria's changing moods. 

All the baritones were excellent and Norman Garrett could be the Verdi baritone for whom we have been waiting. His “Eri tu che macchiavi quell’anima” from Ballo in Maschera was beautifully proportioned and dramatically expansive.

Kidon Choi did a swell job with “O, Mariya, Mariya!" from Tchaikovsky’s Mazeppa, an opera with which we are unfamiliar. Mr. Choi’s performance made us want to hear the entire opera.

There were two tenors on the program as well. Alasdair Kent swept us along in a wave of Gallic glory in “Fantaisie aux divine mensonges” from Delibes’ Lakme. The flaw we find in most tenors was blissfully absent. Mr. Kent can spin out a delicate thread of pianissimo perfection. There was no tension, no pushing.  Just gorgeously floated tone.

Yet another terrific tenor delighted our ears with his languorous French line; Fanyong Du performed “Je crois entendre encore” from Bizet’s Les Pêcheurss de Perles, having mastered the diminuendo so beautifully that we were holding our breath.

Bass-baritone André Courville created a marvelous marching military man in “Air du tambour major” from Thomas’ Le Cid, another opera with which we need to get better acquainted. His voice is a substantial one and reaches out to grab you gently by the ears. His dramatic presentation adds to the effect.

Finally, we recall several outstanding duets—and we do so love duets! Soprano Maria Natale and tenor Alexander McKissick brought new life to the tender “O soave fanciulla” from Puccini’s La Bohème. There’s a reason certain duets appear over and over again on recital programs. Young artists can put their own stamp on a beloved and familiar work.

In the same fashion, soprano Mia Pafumi and baritone Pawel Konik gave a slightly new sound to “La ci darem la mano” from Mozart’s Don Giovanni—not different enough to upset the balance but different enough in color to make it their own.

Soprano Amber Daniel and mezzo-soprano Samantha Hankey (the only mezzo on the program) sang the familiar duet “Sous le dôme épais” from Lakmé. The impressive part of their performance was that neither held back and we heard a glorious richness of consequent overtones that filled Rose Theater with sound. They must have worked together diligently to make this duet their own.

As usual, the excellent host was Brian Kellow and the versatile accompanists were Arlene Shrut and Jonathan Kelly.

This yearly event is always familiar but ever new, restoring our belief in the future of opera!  Bravissimi tutti!

(c) meche kroop

FINAL DISPATCH FROM SANTA FE

Kasia Borowiec and Jarrett Ott in a scene from Eugene Onegin
(photo by Bobby Gutierrez)

Our last night in Santa Fe was happily spent watching the apprentices show their stuff.  And what stuff they showed!  We were given to understand that the nine scenes were chosen to highlight the individual talents of the apprentices. We have nothing but plaudits for the singing, but we were not always in tune with the staging and costuming.

In the final scene from Tchaikovsky's masterpiece Eugene Onegin, Kasia Borowiec sang Tatiana with a fine tone and deep emotional involvement as she attempted to resist the blandishments of the eponymous Onegin, with whom she had been so infatuated a few years earlier.

Jarrett Ott took the role of the now lovesick Onegin in both hands and made it his own with his superb baritone and impassioned acting. The scene was directed by Jordan Fein. We could imagine no rationale for Nicole Grebb's dressing of Ms. Borowiec as a 1950's prom queen and robbing her of the 19th c. dignity that the role requires.

Similarly, the third act of Puccini's La Bohème was beautifully sung by Alexandra Razskazoff as the ill-fated Mimi and Jessica Jones as the fickle Musetta. We liked Benjamin Werley as Rodolfo and significant contributions were made by Nicholas Davis' Marcello. 

Kyle Lang directed in the manner of film noir-- with costumes of the 1930's designed by Maria Nieto--a period just as remote from today's audience as the time in which the story took place, but with uglier clothes and hairstyles. To what end we could not fathom. Nothing was added to our understanding of the four bohemians.

Beautiful period costuming was provided by Krista Intravanuovo for Cendrillon in which Alyssa Martin captured all the delicacy of Massenet's deliciously Gallic tunes, with her suitor, the pants role of Le Prince Charmant, portrayed finely by mezzo-soprano Pascale Spinney. The harmony of their voices was stirring and we felt squarely in the fairy tale epoch, thanks to Matthew Ozawa's direction.

Similarly, there was an authentic feel of time and place given to his direction of the scene from Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor--a confrontation between Lucia's lover Edgardo (tenor Derrek Stark) and her controlling brother Enrico (baritone Jared Bybee). The voices were well matched and the characterizations apt.  We believed every moment. Caleb Howell designed the wonderful clan costuming.

Where Mr. Ozawa lapsed was in his staging of Tannhäuser which struck us as unsuitable to piano accompaniment.  One could barely identify it as a work of Richard Wagner. The men were dressed in suits (Sharne van Ryneveld) and it felt like a corporate meeting.  That being said, we heard some fine singing, especially from tenor Tyson Miller's Walther and bass Önay Köse's Biterolf. Tenor Cooper Nolan did well in the title role with David Leigh as the Landgrave, Adrian Smith as Wolfram, Andrew Maughan as Schreiber, and Andrew Bogard as Reinmar. 

Kathleen Clawson directed a fine scene from Rossini's Guillaume Tell, another case in which the apposite costuming (Cheyenne Smith) added to the believability. Baritone Andrew  Paulson made a fine Swiss patriot, helped along by Andrew Simpson as Walther, in convincing the wayward Arnold to return to the cause.  This role was superbly sung by tenor Carlos Santelli. Everyone's French sounded just fine.

Ambroise Thomas' Mignon impressed us on all accounts.  Sarah Coit was effective and moving as the unfortunate heroine and sang with a lovely free soprano. Carlos Santelli's fine tenor was heard in the role of Wilhelm Meister with bass-baritone Alan Higgs as the kind minstrel Lothario and baritone Nicholas Davis as the gypsy who sells Mignon to Herr Meister.  The scene was directed by Kyle Lang with the perfect costumes by Tommy Cobau. It made us yearn to see the entire opera!

Bellini's Norma is one of our favorite operas and we were presented with two lovely harmonizing voices--the soprano of Tracy Cantin as the eponymous Druid priestess and the mezzo-soprano of Olivia Vote as her handmaiden Adalgisa. In this moving scene from Act II, Norma tries to persuade Adalgisa to look after her children. Why director Jordan Fein decided to set this gorgeous duet in the room of the children is a mystery and why they were in vaguely 20th c. costumes (Morgan Warner) is beyond me. It added nothing in terms of insight and detracted from the verisimilitude of the scene.  The presence of a pistol was just plain jarring.

There was also a scene from a contemporary opera--Joby Talbot's Everest which premiered last year at The Dallas Opera. In spite of fine singing by tenor Tyson Miller as the expedition leader Rob, with mezzo-soprano Corrie Stallings as his wife and Mr. Bybee as Doug--the scene left us as cold as the climate on Everest and we have no wish to see the rest of the opera. Call us a Philistine if you wish but so many contemporary operas lack memorable vocal lines.  Give us romance, give us passion, give us murder, give us suicide, give us arias!

(c) meche kroop