HONGNI WU....WOOOO!

Jeremy Chan and Hongni Wu

Showered with flowers! Not every recitalist commands this much admiration and affection from her colleagues but Hongni Wu is special in many ways. Her recital last night at Manhattan School of Music marked her achievement of a Master of Music degree from that esteemed institution. We first heard Ms. Wu as Prince Orlofsky in Johann Strauss Jr.'s Die Fledermaus last summer as part of Martina Arroyo's Prelude to Performance. It was a breakout performance. We heard her again as Sesto at the MSM production of Mozart's La Clemenza di Tito. We wondered at this young woman who could do justice to two such very different roles.

Ms. Wu has a distinctive mezzo-soprano instrument that has unique overtones and resonance. It sounds like chocolate tastes, rich and creamy.  But there is a sparkle to it as well. This puts her head and shoulders above the many mezzos who all sound alike. Moreover, she has an abundance of onstage presence and the ability to get a song across.

We asked her about her singing in French, Italian (Venetian dialect, no less), and German without actually speaking those languages and were told that she learns the songs phonetically but knows what each word means.  This is amazing to us because, as she sings, the phrasing is easy and fluent--just as fluent as it was when she closed her program with songs in Mandarin.

She opened with a trio of songs by Gabriel Faure--the romantic "Chanson d'amour", the melancholic "Automne", and the bitter "Fleur Jetee".  The long luxurious lines were well phrased and each song elicited a different coloration.

Rossini loved mezzo-sopranos and wrote his best music for them. La regata veneziana is a show-piece and gives the singer three different moods to establish. The heroine Anzoleta is flirtatious before the competition, excited during it, and celebratory afterward. It also requires singing in Venetian dialect, a challenge even for speakers of Italian.

Robert Schumann's Frauenliebe und leben is another cycle that requires changes of mood and coloration and Ms. Wu was wise to have chosen such pieces to highlight her unique artistry. "Seit ich ihn gesehen" was sung with the wonder of discovery and a bit more rubato than we are accustomed to but the fermata was actually quite lovely. In "Er, der Herrlichste von allen", the singer is overcome by idealization; in "Ich kann nicht fassen, nicht glauben", by excitement. The devotion in "Du Ring an meinem Finger" is quite plain;  the young woman begins to grow up and accept the responsibilities of womanhood. All this was made clear. 

We have only one small nit-picky criticism. Ms. Wu has the habit of so many non-German-speaking singers of inconsistency with the "ch" sound. At times it was perfect, at other times it was glossed over.  This should be easy to remedy with a little attention.  Most people would probably not notice it but our ears always pick it up. Some day we hope to hear Ms. Wu sing the entire cycle and by then, the "ch"s will be perfect.

If there is one mid-to-late 20th c. composer whose works we enjoy it would be William Bolcom. We have gone long distances to hear cabaret artist Kim Smith sing "Song of Black Max".  Ms. Wu's interpretation was different but rivaled his with one exception. Her accent made a few words unintelligible and this is a song in which every word counts. The same problem was noted in "Amor" which is our favorite encore piece. The expression and gestures were perfect in both songs but there needs to be a little work on English enunciation.

In Bolcom's "Waitin'" the words are simple and less important so it didn't matter.  The hymn-like melody was delivered simply and effectively.

The program concluded with songs from China. Jeremy Chan brought out the beautiful melody of Rui Zhang's "Condolent speech" which was written in A-B-A form. We do love the sound of Mandarin! The second piece Xianglin Zhou's "A glass of wine" was lighthearted and rhythmic, strangely reminding us of Latin music.

The encore was also in Mandarin--"My Love is Waiting for You".

We are so happy to learn that Ms. Wu will continue her profession studies at MSM because it means we will have further opportunities to hear her.

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LAST LIEDERABEND

Chris Reynolds and Christine Oh

Yesterday was the last Liederabend of the season at Juilliard.  This is a series that showcases several students of the Vocal Arts Department and the Collaborative Piano Department and we always look forward to seeing what the students will choose to perform. It is a golden opportunity to assess the breadth and depth of talent in both departments.

Yesterday's program opened on a cheerful and seasonal note with the lovely soprano Christine Oh, florally gowned and singing of Spring. She selected four of Wolf's sunnier songs, all from his Goethe-Lieder.  Who knew the Goethe of horror could also be the Goethe of joy! 

Ms. Oh has a light lyric instrument that falls so pleasantly on the ear that one could listen for hours on end; Mr. Reynolds' light touch on the keys made for a perfect partnership. Ms. Oh has the advantage of onstage charm. Moreover, having done the translations herself, she knew exactly what she was singing about and conveyed all the meaning of these delightful songs.

On the other hand, the next two singers chose material of a darker hue. Mezzo-soprano Natalia Kutateladze, sounding much healthier than she was supposed to, sang some Schonberg songs from Op.3 that were relentlessly troubling--a rather jaundiced view of nature and a display of nasty jealousy. Only "Geubtes Herz" held a note of hope for the experienced heart that has learned from suffering.  These are challenging songs for the singer but Ms. Kutateladze performed them well with sufficient dramatic realization, and collaborative pianist HoJae Lee matched the mood.

The choice made by bass-baritone Cody Quattlebaum was Vier Gesange, Op.2 by Alban Berg, another set of difficult material which Mr. Q. enjoyed performing. His deeply resonant voice and engaging stage presence served the material well but, like the Schonberg, these songs are not likely to wind up on our list of favorites. These are moody texts, with the first three connected by themes of sleep. The final song "Warm die Lufte" was a peculiar text (or perhaps we just don't appreciate Alfred Mombert's poetry) but Mr. Q's performance drew us in, especially when he stepped forward from the piano, which was so well played by Katelan Terrell.

The set by Poulenc seemed light-hearted by comparison. Soprano Anneliese Klenetsky performed some songs relating to the French Resistance and her Gallic subtlety was matched by Minjung Jung's light touch on the piano. The irony of the tragic lyrics of "Le disparu" was counterposed with the pleasant piano part. "C'e" treats the sorrow of loss with pleasing melodies. "Fetes galantes" is filled with surreal imagery.

Grace Canfield has a pleasing soprano and was accompanied by Rosa Li on the piano for some songs by Charles Ives. "Thoreau" begins with some spoken prose which Ms. Canfield recited beautifully to a spare piano accompaniment. When Ives tries to rhyme, it comes out like doggerel--even "Cradle Song", which achieves no conclusion. "At the River" involved overly elaborate piano writing for a simple folk tune. We love Ms. Canfield's voice but these songs will not join our "Hit Parade".

The program concluded with the divine Mikaela Bennett singing songs by Samuel Barber. This gal is one of those singers who, like Julia Bullock, can sing the phonebook and keep us interested. We scarcely noticed the music but focused on her performance, which made much out of the nonsense humor of "Monks and Raisins".  

Now the words of James Joyce are delicious to read on the page but his neologisms have to be seen to be appreciated. Setting a passage from Finnegan's Wake to music did not appear to us to be a good idea but Ms. Bennett performed "Nuvoletta" well with a soaring soprano. The humor occurred in the piano, so ably played by Yoon Lee. "Nocturne" seemed strange to our ears with the text speaking of calm but the piano anything but calm, rather agitated.

We would say that we were butting heads with the 20th c. for most of the recital but we are always happy to hear the superb young artists pushing themselves into challenging territory. It is only fair that we in the audience challenge our ears as well.

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MS.BOTTOMS IS THE TOPS

Jenni Seo and Amanda Lynn Bottoms (Dan K. Kurland at the piano)

We have written about mezzo-soprano Amanda Lynn Bottoms at least ten times in the past couple of years, predominantly about her appearances with Steven Blier's cabaret evenings, with a couple brief roles in a couple of operas, and a star turn as Carmen in a recent master class. She has always impressed us with her warm dusky soprano and elegant stage presence. But last night's recital at Juilliard, in honor of her Master of Music degree, showed us fresh aspects of her artistry.

Prior commitments kept us from enjoying the entire recital, but the hour we spent listening to Ms. Bottoms brought us joy and terror. Let us start with the terror because it was a very special terror.  How rare to hear a woman tackle Schubert's "Erlkonig"! How successfully she performed it!  Goethe's text is replete with supernatural horror but the work needs both a dramatically skilled singer and  aggressive hands on the piano.

Ms. Bottoms revealed herself to be a consummate storyteller, coloring her voice four different ways to bring to life each character. Moreover, her body language and facial expression were brought to bear on the individuation. When the titular character spoke, our blood ran cold, our hairs stood at attention, and we shivered.  Now that's a performance! Dan Kurland's vigorous piano added yet another dimension. We doubt we will hear the like again and we don't think we will ever forget those few minutes of horror.

Truth to tell, we did not comprehend Ms. Bottom's introduction to the set of three songs asserting that they were related. The first of the set was a beautifully sung piece by Dvorak about a broken heart; it brought Russalka's "Song to the Moon" to mind. The third of the set was "Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen" from Mahler's Ruckert-Lieder. It was also beautifully interpreted but we were still living in the Goethe and had been denied the release of applause!

A pair of songs by Brahms (Zwei Gesange, Op.91) were accompanied by the viola of Jenni Seo. The poor viola is largely overlooked and unfairly maligned. Ms. Seo was playing largely in the lower range of the instrument and it sounded like a less mellow cello. Our favorite was the lullaby "Geistliches Wiegenlied". The haunting oft-repeated motif ensures that the song will stay in one's ear for at least the remainder of the day. It was sung with appropriate tenderness.

Debussy's Chansons de Bilitis stand in a special place in our affection, especially "La Chevelure", the first and most romantic of the set. Ms. Bottoms sang it so wonderfully we wanted her to sing the rest, allowing her skill at coloring and phrasing to tell the entire story, but we will have to wait for that gift.

Instead we heard "La Fraicheur et le Feu" with the typical surreal text that Poulenc liked to set.

At this point we had to leave for the opera and missed the closing spirituals.

We had thought twice about racing up to Juilliard to experience just a part of a recital but we wouldn't have missed the experience for the world.

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JUST LIKE CHAMPAGNE

Kimberly Hann and Kristen Kemp

Vocal music is like champagne, you can have too much but you can never have enough.  This is what we thought whilst heading downtown for Kimberly Hann's graduation recital at Mannes just after attending a satisfying recital at the Morgan Library. Is this greed and gluttony? Was it time to show Mannes School of Music some love? Or was it the memory of Ms. Hann's outstanding performance with Cantanti Project as the warrior Orlando, suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder to Handel's beautiful music.

Ms. Hann calls herself a Contralto/Mezzo. She has the low notes but, as you can see in our photo, she is far too beautiful to portray witches and sorceresses, and way to feminine for trouser roles. We will just have to wait and see!  Perhaps someday, someone will write an opera for her unique assets. 

The program lasted only an hour but revealed a well rounded artist who has worked hard to earn her Master of Music degree. She began with two arias by Handel which expressed a great deal of feeling. From Alcina, she sang "E gelosia, forza e d'amore"; in this Act I aria, Bradamante comes to the sorceress' island to find her lover besotted by Alcina.  She expresses her jealous rage in vocal fireworks from the top of her register to the bottom.  Quite an opener, and very well handled by the gifted Ms. Hann.

In the challenging "Cielo! Se tu il consenti" from Orlando (an aria we heard her sing before), the warrior's jealousy is not only murderous but suicidal. Ms. Hann conveyed all the madness of the character. Handel is perfect for her voice and she attacked the fioritura with as much artistry as enthusiasm.

A total change allowed the audience to relax from all that intense excitement. Four melodic songs by Brahms elicited different moods. "Immer leiser wird mein Schlummer" takes us right to death's door with a dying woman begging her lover to come quickly. The last song "Von ewiger Liebe" is a real charmer and clearly Ms. Hann understands what she is singing about. Although we heard a slight alteration of color from the man's trepidation to the woman's reassurance, we would like to hear just a little more variety.

Tchaikovsky's songs are always welcome even though we do not understand Russian.  This is OK as long as the singer understands and communicates. This was beautifully conveyed in "Reconciliation". We loved the phrase "And try not to remember in winter How you picked the roses in spring!"

"None but the lonely heart" is yet another setting of Goethe's text "Nur wer die sehnsucht kennt" which we would not have translated as lonely.  It comprises yearning, longing, and anxiety. We would like to offer a prize to a reader who can name all of the composers who set this wonderful text. Someday we would like to hear all the settings on the same program.

Especially lovely was Ms. Hann's performance of the first four songs of Hector Berlioz' Les nuits d'ete. These gave Ms. Hann the opportunity to express a variety of moods and colors from the lighthearted "Villanelle" to the "liebestod" experienced by the rose in "Le spectre de la rose". The darker color of "Sur les lagunes" matched the sorrow of death and the teasing good humor of "L'ile inconnue" involves a man who promises a woman abundant fantasy until she lets him know what she really wants--fidelity.

It was a most satisfying recital and presages a fine future for this lovely young artist. We were glad we went.

Collaborative pianist was Kristen Kemp.

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SOME BIG BIG VOICES

Alan Darling, Amber Wagner, and Reginald Smith, Jr.

Another excellent George London Foundation recital was heard yesterday at The Morgan Library; it is customary to bring together two award winners, one more senior than the other. Soprano Amber Wagner won a major award in 2010 and baritone Reginald Smith, Jr. did so in 2015, and also in 2014, if we are not mistaken (not 2016 as in the program notes). When such talented artists win awards from multiple foundations, it is easy to get confused!

In any event, Ms. Wagner's artistry has won her a major singing career and the contributions made by the George London Foundation have been instrumental.  Similarly, Mr. Smith's star is on the rise and we will hear much more of him in the future.

We assume that singers in recital choose works that they love and/or works that bring out the best of their particular talents. Ms. Wagner chose wisely in opening the program with four songs by Richard Strauss. Her rich creamy sound is just right for Strauss and the entire hall was vibrating with her abundant overtones. It is a thrilling sound and she poured plenty of passion into the expansive "Zueignung", bringing things down a notch for the gentle and expressive  "Morgen!" At "stumm", we realized we were having a breath-holding moment. "Beim Schlafengehen" brought out her artistry in the vocalise passages, and "Cacile" took us back to a place of passionate devotion.

So why did we feel so uninvolved in "Du bist der Lenz" from Richard Wagner's Die Walkure? This is our favorite scene in the entire Ring Cycle and we wanted so much to feel the thrill of recognition and the wonder of connection with a soulmate. We thought perhaps there was insufficient forward momentum. Undeniably the instrument is a thrilling one and plenty large enough to sail over an orchestra. We will hope that her characterization of Sieglinde will develop over time.

Mr. Smith has a powerful baritone that we have written about several times. We loved his Verdi and his interpretation of The Emperor Jones overcame our disinterest in American music. We were hoping he would sing that yesterday but he did not. As a matter of fact, we did not think his programming was the most successful at showing his artistry.

Yes, it is Sunday, but if we were interested in a sermon we would have gone to church. Carlisle Floyd's settings of grim verses from the bible seemed ponderous. Four of them were four too many. Taking into account the spirituals offered as encores, it was just too much religion for our taste, although we are sure there were many in the audience who found the works moving.

Tackling a quartet of chansons by Ernest Chausson was a brave move for an artist with such a powerful instrument and we found his voice colored with surprising tenderness. He produced some sensitive dynamics and fine French diction. Still, should an artist attempt what lighter voices can achieve so well, when few have the powerful voice necessary for Verdi and Wagner? 

In "Nemico della Patria" from Umberto Giordano's Andrea Chenier, he applied his powerful instrument to great effect, limning a world gone mad, a situation which seems particularly relevant today.  He varied the colors along with the dynamics to express incredulity and disillusionment. "A old fable that gladly the public still swallows". Indeed!  We loved his Italianate phrasing and wanted to hear more of his operatic side. And we did!

In a scene from Verdi's Aida, he and Ms. Wagner excelled. He knew the role well and conveyed all of the paternal manipulation that Amonasro needs to convince the ambivalent Aida to betray Radames and save her people. In spite of the use of the loathed music stand, Ms. Wagner filled her role with drama and used her voice to its best advantage.

Her program also included a trio of Barber songs marked by excellent English diction. "Nocturne" was quite expressive and permitted some mystery from Alan Darling's piano. He has been Ms. Wagner's coach for the past ten years.

As encores we heard Ms. Wagner sing "His Eye is on the Sparrow", sung with great feeling. Mr. Smith sang "He'll Bring it to Pass" and the pair joined forces for some lovely harmony in an unusual arrangement of "This Little Light of Mine".

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OPERA'S DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES

Michael Pilafian, Judith Fredricks, Veronica Loiacono, Edgar Jaramillo, Theresa Panicaldi, Patricia Vital, Carlos Jimeno, and Elena Heimur at The Metropolitan Room

The theme for last night's Opera New York event at The Metropolitan Room was "Opera's Desperate Housewives: and the Men Who Made Them That Way". We were sure that we were going to hear Lucia's mad scene but we did not.  Not to worry, there are plenty of opera heroines suffering at the hands of men, enough for several evenings.

Judith Fredricks, Artistic Director of Opera New York, is hard at work bringing opera to unusual venues and new audiences. Last night she served as Mistress of Ceremonies, introducing the arias to the audience and the audience to the arias. Although we were in a nightclub environment, the audience was rapt and completely quiet until they burst into wild applause at the end of each number.  So yes, newbies can be turned onto opera and no, opera is not dying. There is nothing like hearing a trained voice without amplification and people respond readily to it.

In Leoncavallo's Pagliacci, the leader of a traveling circus is so controlling of his wife Nedda that he drives her into the arms of Silvio. As Ms. Fredricks pointed out, this will not end well. She further pointed out how the prologue serves the opera as an overture serves the symphony, introducing all the themes. In place of an orchestra, we had Michael Pilafian, the Music Director of Opera New York, at the piano--introducing all those themes.  Baritone Carlos Jimeno sang the prologue in which the clown Tonio describes the upcoming action in "Si puo...si puo".

Later in the program, tenor Edgar Jaramillo sang "Vesti la giubba", the famous aria from the same opera in which Canio, the leader of the troop, expresses the misery he feels underneath the funny exterior of face paint and costumes. Mr. Jaramillo always sings with a depth of passion, almost wringing sympathy from the audience for this man who is about to kill his wife. Looks like Canio was the desperate one in this case!

Russians are also given to great passions and we heard two arias from Tchaikovsky's Pique Dame, arias sung by the unhappy Liza, driven to suicide by the neglect of her gambler/lover. We do not speak Russian but soprano Elena Heimur sounded great and sang with suitable passion.

Soprano Veronica Loiacono dazzled the audience in an interesting juxtaposition of two arias sung by the same character in two different operas by two different composers in two different languages. She sang Marguerite's Jewel Song "Ah, je ris" from Gounod's Faust in which Faust, under the tutelage of the devil, seduces the young innocent girl with a cask of jewelry. Ms. Loiacono's artistry shone in her tone and it shone in the fine French she employed.

From mad with joy to mad with sorrow, the character known as Marguerita in Boito's Mefistofele has a very sad mad scene in prison after she has killed her baby. The colors and the sound of Italian are quite different but Ms. Loiacono handled the change easily.

We were happy to see Patricia Vital once again and particularly enjoyed her portrayal of Ophelie in Ambroise Thomas' Hamlet. She performed "A vos jeux, mes amis" with excellent dramatic instinct. She appeared quite crazy, tearing up flowers, prior to drowning herself. We were quite moved. Her vocal skills included sensitive dynamics and the ability to float a high note. Mr. Pilafian's piano part was equally compelling.

New to us was soprano Theresa Panicaldi whose large voice and ample overtones did justice to "Vieni, t'affretta" from Verdi's Macbeth. In this case one would wonder from where Lady Macbeth's desperate hunger for power originated. She does go mad with guilt and dies but the source was herself. We have no man to blame here, unless her father did it!

With all that sturm und drang out of the way, the evening closed with something more tender--from Puccini's La Boheme. Mr. Jaramillo and Mr. Jimeno performed the nostalgic duet from Act IV "O Mimi". The finale of the evening was rather original--the Act III quartet from the same opera with Ms. Loiacono and Ms. Panicaldi both portraying Mimi with Mr. Jaramillo as Rodolfo (a role in which we first heard him and fell hard for his performance)--and Ms. Heimur and Ms. Vital both portraying Musetta to Mr. Jimeno's Marcello. 

As an encore, the ensemble sang "Libiamo" from Act I of Verdi's La Traviata.  Yes, Violetta did sink into declining health, despair, and death--at the hands of a provincial Giorgio Germont and his hot-headed son Alfredo.  Thus we returned to the theme for the evening.

The audience was highly enthusiastic and our newbie friend found the evening joyful and fun, contrary to expectations of stultification.

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SOMETHING OLD AND SOMETHING NEW

Robert Davidson, Maestro Ian Shafer, Madison Marie McIntosh, Jonathan Hare, and Francesco Pavesi

This is  Christman Opera Company's second evening, the first having been reviewed 6 months ago. Pianist and keyboard teacher Theodore Christman seems headed for a future as a composer of works that are entertaining. This is the second time he has presented a short work of his own composition, with Anna Winslow as his librettist; he pairs his own work with a well-established work and casts them both with fine young singers.

As we pointed out in our prior (archived) review his music is anything but academic; it is meant to be entertaining and employs melody to enhance the story line. The tunes and the text work together well in the manner of a Broadway musical. 

The work we heard last night at the National Opera Center was called "The Dreamer" and involved an encounter between Aidan, a businessman visiting Chicago in the 1940's and Elizabeth, the daughter of the bookseller whose shop he is patronizing. Aidan becomes infatuated with Elizabeth who dreams of becoming a novelist. She rejects him because she believes him to be married, but there is a surprise twist that leads to a happy ending.

The lovely mezzo-soprano Marie Madison McIntosh, whose growth we have been chronicling, made a winsome Elizabeth, with the role of Aidan being taken by bass Derrell Acon whose melismatic singing had particular luster. Accompaniment was by one piano four hands, two belonging to Juan Condor and the other two belonging to Vesela Kirova. The arias were quite listenable with thematic repetition making the melody memorable--perhaps with a shade too much repetition. But, as we pointed out, it was a pleasure to hear words and music marching together. Unfortunately, the recitativi were a trifle awkward but the words were clear.  English diction was mostly good except for the high-lying passages of Elizabeth's arias. The best part was the harmonic writing for the duets.

It was a worthy entry as far as contemporary opera goes and held our interest far more than most entries in that field, even though it comprised a dialogue between two characters, without any activity.

Rossini was a composer who understood the concept of entertainment and if you do not find Il Barbiere di Siviglia wildly entertaining, your funny bone must be broken!  This opera has endured for two centuries exactly!  Rossini knew just how much repetition to use and just how far to carry a joke. The music sparkles and the plot moves along at breakneck speed. The characters are lovable although each has his foibles.

As the eponymous hero, baritone Jonathan Hare carried the evening with his pleasing and flexible voice, portraying a jack-of-all-trades with a winning personality and enough charm for several characters. He made ample use of gesture and facial expression to get this across. His "Largo al factotum" was as fine as one would wish and his excellence carried right through to the end.

Ms. McIntosh was a spunky Rosina, willful and devious when needs be, as she struggles to get out from under the domination of the controlling Dr. Bartolo. Ms. McIntosh has recently made the transition from soprano and her voice sparkles in the upper register; the breadth in her lower register keeps growing and there is a nice seamless quality from the tippy top almost to the bottom. The low notes are there and just a little work should integrate them more perfectly.

We love the way she delivered "Una voce poco fa" with plenty of razzle-dazzle in the fioritura; some of the embellishments seemed new to us. 

As Count Almaviva, tenor Francesco Pavesi sang the role beautifully, wafting garlic with every beautifully turned phrase. He had to portray frustration in the opening scene when Fiorello (baritone Clayton G. Williams) and his band of musicians fail to get Rosina to appear. He had to be conspiratorial with Figaro, romantic with Rosina, and drunk in his first appearance in Don Barolo's villa. His serenade of Rosina was ardent and beautifully modulated.

Soprano Erin Brittain shone in Berta's aria, lamenting her character's loneliness. She has a fine clear tone and an expressive manner. We look forward to hearing her in a larger role.

There were no titles but a minimal knowledge of Italian would have seen any listener through each scene, and for this we credit the fine direction of Eowyn Driscoll who did such a fine job as the Sorceress in Dido and Aeneas. She had no set to work with and no costumes, the only prop being a chair; wisely she focused on the interaction between the characters.

Bass-baritone Robert Davidson made a sturdy Dr. Bartolo who handled the patter well; he joined forces with Don Basilio (Mr. Acon) in an attempt to rule the unruly Rosina. "La calunnia" is always fun!  And so is the "Buona sera" scene when the conspirators try to get rid of the unwelcome Don Basilio. As a matter of fact, this opera has no mediocre arias, and especially notable are the ensembles which close each act, a Rossini trademark, in which all the characters are stupefied or chaotic.

Maestro Ian Shafer effected a suitable balance in this chamber orchestra, situated on half the stage, with the action taking place on the other half. Beside the string quartet there was a bass, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, and two horns which behaved very well in spite of the horrendous weather.  Mr. Condor played the continuo part on the piano, in the absence of a harpsichord. Daniel Moreno was responsible for the fine guitar accompaniment.

Judicious cuts were made and toward the end there was a loss of continuity due to the omission of the scene in which Bartolo turns Rosina against Almaviva. The singing lesson scene also was truncated. None of these compromises proved fatal. A good time was had by all!

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