SOME ENCHANTED EVENING!

Even my non-opera-loving friends were enchanted by "The Enchanted Island" shown opening night of The Metropolitan Opera's Summer HD Festival, outdoors on the Lincoln Center Plaza.  This is our third viewing of this dazzling work and we are just as enchanted as we were the first two times when we saw/heard it live.  What was different this time was the contribution of HD Director Barbara Willis Sweete who did a superlative job of finding just the right camera angle and field of view to enhance the viewing experience.  When the action called for intimacy, the camera was right in there focusing on the duo, as in the poignant scene where Sycorax comforts her bereft son Caliban.  All of the magic was visible to the entire audience, not just to those at the front of the orchestra.  When one was curious about a character's reaction, there was the camera.  There are cases when a good HD director can make up for the flaws of the stage director.  There are rare cases when a poor HD director undermines good stage direction.  And finally, there are cases where the HD director compliments and enhances the work of the stage director.  Such was the case last night.  The gods and goddesses onstage brought magic into the lives of the audience in a brilliant replication of the magic of the story in which the immortals wrought their magic on the mortal characters.

Below we will reprint our original review.

Sometimes the Met gets it right.  Righter than The Enchanted Island one cannot get.  A perfect entertainment for New Year’s Eve, this Phelim McDermott production left the festively attired audience in a state of joy and good humor.  Much credit goes to Jeremy Sams who devised the mash-up of music of the Baroque period and wrote the libretto, also a mash-up of Shakespeare’s The Tempest and Midsummer’s Night Dream.  As a fine chef does, Mr. Sams balanced his ingredients with the best of taste and plated everything to tempt--with significant input from set designer Julian Crouch, costume designer Kevin Pollard, lighting designer Brian MacDevitt, choreographer Graciela Daniele, and projections by 59 Productions.  This was a true feast for the eye and ear.

Although this is a work of intense scholarship, fitting arias and ensembles from various composers and tailoring the storytelling, the audience member does not need to consider this; one can just sit back and enjoy oneself.  The stagecraft is noteworthy and the music is “note” worthy.  The singing is glorious and the program notes indicate that many of the arias were chosen by the singers themselves.  More credit to them!  Countertenor David Daniels portrays Prospero, exiled Duke of Milan, living on an island with his daughter Miranda, charmingly sung by soprano Lisette Oropesa; the delightful spirit Ariel brought to lyric life by soprano Danielle de Niese; the lumbering Caliban effectively sung by bass-baritone Luca Pisaroni; and the sorceress Sycorax (a powerful Joyce DiDonato) seduced and abandoned years earlier by Prospero.  (She is supposed to be Caliban’s mother but we never learn if Prospero is the father.)  Prospero has the young Prince Ferdinand lined up as a husband for Miranda but Ariel bungles the magic and instead the two newly wed couples from Midsummer’s Night Dream show up.  The scene of the shipwreck alone is worth the cost of the ticket!

Four amazing young singers handled these roles with great aplomb.  Gorgeous soprano Layla Claire sang Helena,  the gifted tenor Paul Appleby sang Demetrius, and baritone Elliot Madore made an impressive  Met debut as Lysander--all three from the Lindemann program.  Mezzo Elizabeth DeShong was a fine Hermia.  The audience must wait until the second act for the brilliant countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo to appear as Prince Ferdinand; he was worth waiting for.  Let it be noted that everyone handled the fioritura beautifully and that the diction was superb.  The libretto is written with a great understanding of vocal line and emphasis and makes use of the unique properties of the English language.  This is rare in contemporary vocal writing so let us give part credit to the lyricism of the musical language that inspired the libretto.

The orchestra played beautifully for conductor William Christie whether they were playing Handel, Vivaldi, Rameau, Purcell, or some of the lesser known contributors to the pastiche.  Lest we complete this report without a single quibble, we throw this into the pot.  The role of Neptune was given to our beloved Placido Domingo who sadly came across as unsure of himself and a bit ragged of voice.  One wonders if this role would be better suited to a bass.

The countless delights of this production (don’t get me started on the fantastic projections!) are too rich to enumerate but don’t say I didn’t warn you to beg, borrow or steal a ticket.  I myself am returning for a second viewing.  Too bad that The Ring Cycle was not given to this production team.  I would happily vote for scrapping The Beast and doing just that.

© meche kroop

BLACK BOX OPERA

Dialogue des Carmelites

Under the stewardship of Maestro Christopher Fecteau the Artistic Director and his lovely wife Karen Rich, the Dell'Arte Opera Ensemble has performed some valuable functions for the past dozen years.  Aside from providing mid-August relief from opera starvation to New York City opera lovers, they provide the intense coaching that enables emerging singers to bridge the gap between their academic training and a meaningful career.  There is no cost to those who are accepted and intensive coaching in role preparation, diction, movement and the like are provided.  Having a role on one's resume gives one a distinct advantage in getting that role in the future.

Within the black box theater on 13th St., operas were stripped of their accretions and presented afresh.  Maestro Fecteau is not only a superb conductor but a superb orchestrator, as noted last year for his work on Ariadne auf Naxos.  His score reduction for Carmen this year was no less wonderful.  Under his skilled baton, barely a dozen musicians in the Festival Chamber Orchestra delivered Bizet's score with incomparable immediacy; every theme could be distinguished with great clarity.  We were particularly delighted by the woodwinds.

Knud Adams directed Carmen in a most original fashion.  One observed first that we were hearing the original Opera Comique version with expanded spoken dialogue which revealed a great deal of the characters' backstories.  We did not miss the cuts of several choruses and the story became more immediate and personal.  Mr. Adams chose to present the story in modern dress, a choice of which we are not fond; that being said, we admit that we were forced to see the story with fresh eyes.  The Wardrobe Coordinator Carla Gant followed through with the concept.  The soldiers were now soccer-playing riot police who controlled the crowds as if they were current day protesters.  Carmen herself, finely sung by mezzo Elisabeth Shoup, appeared as a sexily androgynous biker chick; by dint of acting skill, she overcame her naturally soft and vulnerable features to adopt a coolly rebellious and mostly indifferent aspect.  Adam Juran's Don Jose was pretty cool as well.  In Act IV they faced each other from across a carpeted space, sitting on two bridge chairs.  It was so cold and calculated that the stabbing became more shocking.

Notable was the lovely soprano of Lauren Onsrud as Micaela and an amusing duet between Frasquita (soprano Yungee Rhie) and Mercedes (mezzo Jocelyne O'Toole) whose voices blended beautifully.  Escamillo was sung by Elias Notus as less arrogant than that to which we are accustomed.  The smugglers El Dancairo and El Remendado were well sung by Jonathan Morales and David Burkard.  Brian Long portrayed Zuniga.  Now, get this!  the role of Lillas Pastia was taken by a woman--Kate Ross who added a lot of color dancing the part of the bull to Escamillo's toreador in Act II and who reappeared as a symbol of death in Act IV.  There were some directorial choices which we found somewhat less fortunate but the entire production seemed to resonate with the enthusiastic audience.

Poulenc's Dialogue Des Carmelites is an entirely different type of opera.  As in most 20th c. operas, the aria is reduced in importance, as is the melodic vocal line.  We pay more attention to the orchestra; that's where the interest lies.  And what excellent music it is!  The ensemble work was superb and we were thrilled by the choruses of Ave Maria and the Salve Regina.  Chorus Master was Johnathan Spencer IV.

As Madame de Croissy, the Prioress who cannot manage to die with dignity, Leanne Gonzalez-Singer impressed us with her voice and her acting.  Likewise her successor Madame Lidoine who has the sole aria, perfectly sung by Mary Ann Stewart. As Blanche, the fragile young aristocrat who chooses to join the Carmelites to escape her fears, Jennifer Moore managed to convey a growing strength as she found solace amongst her convent sisters.  A standout as Constance, the always cheerful sister, was Maria Alu.  Laura Federici showed growth as Mere Marie, her severity softening over time.

As they say, there are no small roles.  We want to hear more of Mathew Klauser who impressed us with his focused baritone.  Victoria Crutchfield directed the work with directness and simplicity; the final scene as the nuns go off to the guillotine was very powerful.  Most scenes ended with a "freeze-frame" given special importance by the lighting of Scott Schneider.

There is another set of performances next weekend with several different cast members.  We urge you to avail yourself of this excellent opportunity to hear the stars of tomorrow.

(c) meche kroop

STARS BEFORE DARK

The stars came out last night at Jackie Robinson Park long before the sky darkened.  And what stars they are!  The second of the Metropolitan Opera's two summer recitals put four of our favorite young artists onstage to the delight of the audience gathered around the bandshell.

Beautiful soprano Deanna Breiwick literally floated onstage in a magnificently becoming purple gown lending a great deal of glamour to the casual setting.  Her accurate coloratura and liquid trill were most evident in her charming selection from Donizetti's Don Pasquale, "Quel guardo il cavaliere"; the Verdi was its equal, "Sul fil d'un soffio etesio" from Falstaff.  Still, the "Glitter and be gay" from Bernstein's Candide won laurels as a crowd-pleaser.  It would be fair to say that the audience went wild.

Tenor Alexander Lewis sang "Avete torto" from Puccini's Gianni Schicchi as if it had been written for him and graciously explained to the audience what the aria was about.  His "Dein ist mein ganzes herz" from Lehar's Das Land des Lächelns fulfilled the romantic promise of a summer night.

Baritone Edward Parks absolutely oozed charm when he opened the evening's festivities with Rossini's "Largo al factotum" from Il Barbiere di Siviglia.  We loved his "Figaro giu, figaro su".  On a more serious note he sang "Avant de quitter ces lieux" from Gounod's Faust with moving intensity.  And he closed the program with the Soliloquy from Rodgers and Hammerstein's Carousel.  Nowhere could a better case be made for appreciating the American musical on the same plane as opera.

We just love duets and the evening offered several.  "All'idea di quel metallo" from "Barber" offered the men an opportunity to show their dramatic chops while "La ci darem la mano" from Mozart's  Don Giovanni did the same for Ms. Breiwick and Mr. Parks.  "Una parola, o Adina" accomplished the same for Ms. B. and Mr. Lewis.  Notably, Ms. B. moved flexibly from Adina's reserve to Zerlina's ambivalence.  The two men's voices blended beautifully in "Lily's Eyes" from Norman and Simon's The Secret Garden.

At the piano, Vlad Iftinca changed styles with admirable flexibility.  He is always a pleasure to hear.  Let it be noted that Italian, French and German were given perfect diction by all three singers.  This will go down as one of the best recitals of the year.  We will surely see and hear much more of these four talented artists in years to come.  Shall we call it "stardom threshold"?

(c) meche kroop

LAST DISPATCH FROM SANTA FE

           
Glamorous mezzo Susan Graham made a delightful hostess for the Santa Fe Opera's fundraiser "Susan Graham and Friends".  With several changes of    attire and a charming manner, she introduced the glittering stars of the      evening who competed with the star-studded New Mexico skies.                 
Especially glittering onstage was coloratura soprano Erin Morley who sang "O beau pays de la Touraine" from Meyerbeer's Les Huguenots.  Ms. Morley's technique is amazing; her trills are liquid silver and her fioritura is always invested with pinpoint accuracy.  Most of the selections from the first half of the program were from lesser known operas, and while given with great artistry, were not always perfectly suited to the singers who performed them, and unfamiliar to the audience who might have preferred some old chestnuts.  Nonetheless, hearing bass-baritone Luca Pisaroni, soprano Leah Crocetto, tenor Bryan Hymel, soprano Erin Wall, baritone Mark Delavan and Ms. Graham herself is always a treat.  The Santa Fe Opera Orchestra, conducted by Kenneth Montgomery, has played remarkably well all season.  Frederic Chaslin accompanied Ms. Graham for her "Ch'io mi scordi di te".The second half of the program was given over to lighter works--operetta and Broadway musicals.  Still, it is difficult to consider the "Epiphany"  from Sondheim's Sweeney Todd as a light work and Mark Delavan showed every nuance of its nastiness.  We were surprised and delighted to see Nicholas Pallesen, well remembered from Juilliard days, who gave a stirring performance of "If ever I would leave you" from Lerner and Loewe's Camelot.  Ms. Graham was hilarious in "The boy from..." by Sondheim and Rogers.  The program closed with the finale from Bernstein's Candide, sung by Zach Borichevsky whom we enjoyed so much as Matteo in Arabella. His Cunegonde was sung by promising coloratura soprano Lindsey Russell, one of this year's apprentices.

CHECKMATE

Mariusz Kwiecien and Erin Morley

Szymanowski's King Roger at the Santa Fe Opera was             sensitively conducted by Evan Rogister and beautifully played by the Santa Fe Orchestra; the strong yet lyrical singing of   baritone Mariusz Kwiecien made the Polish libretto as easy on the ears as Italian; the thrilling coloratura sounds of soprano  Erin Morley remained constant throughout her entire register; the colorful costuming of Ann Hould-Ward was particularly       apt with the exception of that for the Shepherd;  Stephen       Wadsworth's direction did its best with what is essentially  a  plotless drama.                                                                       

The story, such as it is, concerns an inner journey of a medieval king of Sicily whom Mr. Kwiecien portrays as melancholy and     disaffected, rebuffing the tender concerns of his Queen          Roxana.  Enter the mysterious Shepherd who is supposed to be so compellingly Dionysian that he seduces the conservative       members of the congregation who initially want him imprisoned  as an heretic.  Roxana easily falls under his spell and even         King Roger, for a time being.  The problem is that tenor         William Burden is just not mysterious and compelling; his          clunky costume does nothing to help.  In spite of a fine              voice, we just could not fall under his spell.  A  slender youth with magnetic eyes might have done the trick. Laura Wilde was fine as the Deaconess and Raymond Aceto as the Archbishop.  Dennis Petersen made a fine Edrisi, the King's advisor.                                                                           

 The apprentices in the chorus, under the guidance of Susanne Sheston opened the piece with a memorable chorale.  Thomas Lynch's set was perfect in evoking a medieval church.  Peggy Hickey's choreography was fine as far as it went, but there was plenty of room for more eroticism.  The lovely lighting was by Duane Schuler.