Maria Nockin's Letters from America July to December 2003 July Wozzeck at the Opera Festival of New Jersey: Daniel Sutin in the title role and Robert Pomakov as the first soldier Photo: Cory Weaver The city of Logan, 75 miles north of Salt Lake City, is the home of the Utah Festival Opera Company which performs in the neoclassical Ellen Eccles Theatre, built in 1923 and completely restored to its original elegance a few years ago. The company is made up of artists from all over the United States and a few from abroad who come to this scenic, mountainous location to perform two operas and two musical comedies each summer. This year the festival embarked on an unusually difficult venture for a small company, the presentation of Verdi's Nabucco. As any seasoned operaphile knows, the leading soprano part in this opera demands a singer of extraordinary ability. Their choice was the New Zealand born soprano, Marie-Adele McArthur. Having begun her career as a mezzo, she had well-developed low notes, but it was her beautiful high extension which led her to become a dramatic soprano. As Abigaille, she had a commanding presence on stage and her sizable voice had a good variety of color which enabled her to handle both the visual and vocal demands of the role. Nabucco at the Utah Festival Opera: Michael Corvino as Nabucco and Lisa van der Ploeg as Fenena Photo: Ken Howard Michael Corvino sang the title role with a robust, virile sound and he never seemed to tire. He was not a menacing despot at the beginning, but he proved his acting ability with a skillful portrayal of the king's mental breakdown. Lisa Vander Ploeg's lustrous, ringing tones made her an excellent Fenena while Kenneth Shaw's resonant bass voice and authoritative stature made him an outstanding Zaccharia. Although tenor, Nicholas Coppolo, did not have an large role, he sang Ismaele's lines with the clear tones of a well schooled voice. Nabucco: Kenneth Shaw as Zaccaria Photo: Ken Howard Jacobo Kaufmann's production was efficient with its emphasis on translucent screens and atmospheric lighting. He moved groups of people across the stage with great skill, but the soloists were sometimes allowed to stand on one spot while singing. Chorusmaster, Susan Mc Daniel, made a first class ensemble out of the participants in the festival's young artist's program and their singing of the emotionally uplifting 'Va pensiero, sull' ali dorate' was enthusiastically hailed by an appreciative audience. Karen Keltner's dramatically incisive conducting galvanized the orchestra and its members made consistently beautiful music all evening, bringing out all the intricate nuances of the score. Nabucco: Marie-Adele McArthur as Abigaille Photo: Ken Howard Another summer venue that is making a name for itself is the Opera Festival of New Jersey. Held in Princeton, it attracts crowds from both New York City and Philadelphia. It, too, is presenting some less frequently heard works, one of which was Alban Berg's twelve tone blockbuster, Wozzeck. In 1995, John Rea re-orchestrated Berg's score so that it could be played by smaller companies which can't afford the large orchestra called for by the original. The New Jersey presentation, conducted by the company's artistic director, David Agler, used only 21 players, but each was required to play much more intensely than normal, especially since there was no intermission. Despite these difficult conditions, the members of the orchestra played accurately and the reading of the score sounded like the conventional rendition. Of course, it was much easier for the singers to be heard over the ensemble and this allowed some smaller voices to be used. Alexis Barthelemy as Margret and Daniel Sutin as Wozzeck at the Opera Festival of New Jersey Photo: Cory Weaver Daniel Sutin was a vocally effective Wozzeck whose character had significant psychological problems from the beginning, making his descent into total madness the only logical conclusion to his emotionally compelling portrayal. Marjorie Elinor Dix created a rather downtrodden Marie and sang enough of her role to let the audience hear the beauty of her middle register. Her bible reading was effective and her lullaby was particularly touching. Tenor, John Easterlin, sang with excellent sprechstimme and created a nervous, impulsive Captain. Dale Travis was a deranged Doctor who enunciated his lines with a strong voice and excellent German diction. John Easterlin as the Captain and Daniel Sutin as Wozzeck at the Opera Festival of New Jersey Photo: Cory Weaver The Drum Major has to be a good looking man whose physique attracts Marie. Jason Collins fulfilled these aspects of the role to perfection and sang with fine dramatic emphasis. The surprise of the evening was the Margret of Alexis Barthelmy. She made a great deal of this small part, singing with velvet tones and sophisticated phrasing. In the even smaller roles of the apprentices, Robert Pomakov and Keith Phares showed a great deal of promise. This minimalist production was conceived by Dutch Director, Wim Trompert, who presented the entire piece from Wozzeck's point of view and even staged some of his hallucinations. Leslie Frankish's single set included a slowly turning wheel against an arch of blue sky sometimes obscured by smoke stacks. Helen Kuuka's lighting added variations of visual clarity appropriate to each scene. Although this was not a perfect performance, it was a noteworthy endeavor and allowed a new audience, one that might not get to attend opera in New York very often, to hear and appreciate a rarely performed work. Alexis Barthelemy as Margret and Daniel Sutin as Wozzeck in New Jersey Photo: Cory Weaver The Kirov Opera from the Mariinsky Theater of St Petersburg, Russia, made a visit to New York in July and presented several works, including Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin, at the Metropolitan Opera House. The rather plain production by Moshe Leiser and Patrice Caurier is shared by the Russian company and the Théâtre du Châtelet of Paris. It features neutral-colored panels that are used with tree trunks for outdoor scenes and with room furnishings to depict indoors. The elaborate costumes by Augostino Cavalca helped evoke the feeling of the Czarist era. The Tatiana of Pushkin's verse novel is first seen as a giddy young girl not yet schooled in the ways of the world, and Irina Mataeva, who is a stunning beauty, was completely convincing as the naive letter writer. During the course of the opera she seemed to mature and in the final scene she was a perfectly poised grande dame, an appropriate consort for the prince. She sang with a technically proficient, bright, silvery voice, easily sailing through the demanding score and she proved to be a skillful, charismatic actress. Tall, dark and good looking Vladimir Moroz is a baritone whose warm voice is somewhat light for the title role. He projected it well, however, and despite some overly loud playing from the orchestra, he was easily heard. He did not overdo his character's world weariness and concentrated on bringing out the more dramatic aspects of his part. He was especially convincing in the duel and in the final scene. As Lenski, Yevgeny Akimov sang with a rather slender tone and little variation of color, but he was a passionate poet and jealous lover who also contributed much to the effective duel scene. Recent 'Singer of the World' finalist, Ekaterina Semenchuk, was a delightful Olga with a plum velvet mezzo sound. Svetlana Volkova was a dignified Madame Larina and Olga Markova was a stentorian Filippevna. Bass, Mikhail Kit, gave a solid account of the role of Prince Gremin and rendered his aria with deep, resounding tones. Valery Gergiev led the orchestra with interesting variations of tempi and, with one short exception in Act I, the musicians responded with elegant playing. Although the conductor seems not to favor applause for the singers after their arias and attempted to continue the music whenever it began, the New York audience sometimes won the battle. Most surprising for a Russian production of this opera, the Act III Polonaise was played with the curtain down, disappointing many fans who expected to enjoy some fine dancing. Another popular summer festival is the Glimmerglass Opera at Cooperstown in northern New York State. Among the operas presented there this season was Jacques Offenbach's comedy, Barbe-bleue, sung in English using a witty, modernized translation by Charles Kondek. The work was updated to the 1950s by director, Christopher Alden. John Conklin's set depicted a luxury resort hotel with bilious green wallpaper, a neon sign for its flower shop, an elevator and a rather sad looking palm tree. Kathy Voyce's flashy, exuberant costumes were appropriate to the setting and added to the humor of the piece as did Mark McCullough's hard-edged lighting. Tracy Wellborn is a fine singing actor and he portrayed Barbe-bleue as a soft spoken serial killer with a southern accent. He sang with a sturdy voice which featured exquisite high notes. As the uncouth Boulotte, Phylllis Pancella chewed gum whenever she was not singing, placing her wad on any convenient surface for the duration of each solo. She produced sumptuous tones, however, and carried off her part with gusto. Craig Phillips was a hit as Count Oscar and his aria about being obsequious at court was hysterically funny. Kevin Burdette took the part of Popolani, the alchemist who takes care of disposing of Barbe-bleue's cast off wives, and he was a big hit singing his patter song in an Elvis costume. As the florist who is to become the killer's next wife, Monica Yunis sported a Brooklyn accent and tossed off her coloratura with accurate vocal piquancy. The roles of Prince Saphir, sung by Peter Nathan Foltz; King Bobèche, portrayed by Anthony Laciura; and Queen Clementine, interpreted by Dorothy Byrne, were all portrayed with great comic skill. It was a thoroughly enjoyable evening and Gerald Steichen's energetic conducting of the rollicking Offenbach score contributed a great deal to the realization of this fine performance. The 71-year-old Central City Opera of Colorado is one of the oldest companies in the United States, but it is always looking for new ways of presenting opera. This year the company decided to recreate the world premiere of Enrique Granados's opera Goyescas which was preceded here by Ruggiero Leoncavallo's Pagliacci just as it had been at its first performance on January 28, 1916, at the Metropolitan Opera. The music of Goyescas was constructed from a suite of piano pieces that the composer had written in contemplation of paintings by Goya, and its libretto by Fernando Periquet y Zuaznabar was put together to tell a story about some of the people pictured in the paintings. Stage director, David Edwards, focused on the aspects of the libretti that were common to both operas and Peter Harrison's single bare set was used for the entire evening as it was appropriate to all the stark emotions being played out on the stage. The dramatic lighting by David Martin Jacques intensified the passions expressed in the music. The 'Ringmaster' who presided over both pieces was Grant Youngblood. His Prologue was particularly well sung and one or two audience members were heard to remark that his voice was somewhat reminiscent of Tito Gobbi. In Pagliacci, Adam Klein was an impressive Canio, especially in his searing rendition of 'Vesti la giubba', although his voice might be a bit small for the role in a large house. Emily Pulley, was the mainstay of both operas. A seductive and alluring Nedda, she sang her 'Ballatella' with burnished golden tones. Corey McKern was a creditable Silvio while Javier Abreu was a convincing Beppe. In Goyescas, Youngblood's powerful, sonorous voice and excellent Spanish diction made his Paquiro most enjoyable. Chad Shelton was a poignant Fernando who sang of his lost love with mellifluous romantic fervor. Rosario, Pulley's eighth new role of the season, is very dramatic and calls for something approaching a Wagner heroine. She met all its challenges well, however, and her aria was simply enthralling. Central City's orchestra has some fine first chair players but the over all standard of musicianship was less than perfect. Nevertheless, John Baril elicited energetic playing from the group. Although the plot of Goyescas is sketchy at best, the combination of the seldom heard Granados opera with the popular Leoncavallo piece made for an interesting melodic evening. © Maria Nockin, 31 July 2003  August Summer in Santa Fe with photographs by Ken Howard Madame Mao: Robynne Redmon as the older Jiang Qing On August 8, Santa Fe Opera performed the world premiere production of Bright Sheng's Madame Mao. The opera details the rise to power and eventual fall from grace of Jiang Qing, wife of the Chinese Communist leader, Mao Zedong. Librettist, Colin Graham, told his fictionalized version of her biography with the help of flashbacks. The title character was portrayed by two singers: Anna Christy was the young girl who became Mao's third wife and Robynne Redmon was the older, emotionally abused Madame Mao who renounced love in favor of power and revenge. Madame Mao: Alan Opie as Mao and Anna Christy as the younger Jiang Qing Both women gave imposing portrayals of their marathon roles which sometimes even required them to sing together. Redmon declaimed Jiang's bitterness with impressive, well supported tones while Christy, as the beautiful actress who had originally attracted the attention of the Chinese dictator, sang with a light, silvery soprano sound and danced seductively in the scene from the Chinese opera, Heaven's Gate. As Mao, Alan Opie sang with a dark-toned resonance and a Verdian legato, making light of his difficult part. Kelly Kaduce, a new and exciting soprano who recently sang Gretel at the NYC Opera, excelled in her three supporting roles. Special kudos should be given to costume designer, David Woolard, for his exquisite oriental robes and magnificent feathered headdresses. Madame Mao: seated left to right, Branch Fields, Derek Taylor, Carlos Archuleta, Nicholas Perna, Christopher Wilburn, and standing, Michael Kirkpatrick, and Alan Opie as Mao Colin Graham directed a thrilling production in which the tension never slackened. The scenic design by Neil Patel was unadorned but functioned well while Lily Cai's authentic, inventive choreography never asked the singers to go beyond their ability. All eight of her dancers performed with consummate grace. Conductor, John Fiore, made all these disparate forces come together smoothly and this fusion of Chinese and Western music formed an interesting combination that was pleasant to hear. It was a truly great evening at the opera. This is a piece that one might also hope to hear in other venues. Madame Mao: Robynne Redmon as the older Jiang Qing, Alan Opie as Mao, and Kelly Kaduce as Zhi Zhen On the previous evening, August 7, the Santa Fe Opera presented Káta Kabanová, for which Leos Janacek wrote both the libretto and the music. This opera is a tour de force for a leading soprano and Patricia Racette had no trouble in filling the bill. Her portrayal of the psychologically repressed young wife who succumbs to temptation and is then overcome by her guilt was heart-rending. Her singing, sometimes soft and subtle and, at the more dramatic moments, strong and powerful, was always perfectly projected. Her acting seemed natural, too, making this a haunting interpretation. Káta Kabanová: Patricia Racette in the title role As her husband, Tichon, Patrick Marques proved to be a heroic tenor with a well trained voice who can sing a difficult role with tones of burnished gold. He gave a thoroughly credible impersonation of a husband whose life is totally controlled by his mother. Judith Forst, a veteran artist whose voice is still in excellent condition, gave a chilling portrayal of Kabanicha, Tichon's vindictive mother. Her harrowing, acid-toned denunciation of Káta made her interpretation most memorable. Patricia Risley was a sweet sounding young Varvara and one could only hope that she would escape the repressive society that eventually took the life of Káta. Like the rest of the principals, she brought her character to life. The only weak link in the whole cast was Richard Decker who replaced Martin Thompson as Boris. Although he sings dramatic roles in the smaller German opera houses, Decker seemed to have some difficulty projecting his voice over the orchestra. Káta Kabanová: Judith Forst as Kabanicha, Patrick Marques as Tichon, and Patricia Racette as Káta As Dikoj, Mikhail Svetlov, who has been featured in leading roles both at Arizona Opera and at the Bellas Artes of Mexico City, showed that a fine artist shines just as brightly in a smaller part. His low notes were solid and he had a thorough command of the Czech style. Michael Smallwood sang with a bright, lyrical voice and was an ideal Vana Kudrjas. The production, which director, Jonathan Kent, updated to the 1950's, was searing in its realism. He told the tragic story with care and had his singers sing and act with great credibility. Paul Brown's scenic design reinforced the realistic production but still offered some surprises. For example, the interior of the Kabanov home rose from below the garden. Duane Schuler's lighting was especially effective in the way it mimicked sunlight playing on the tree and the old pickup truck in the garden. The open back of the stage also added mountains to the first scene, since there was still light outside the theater at that point. Conductor, Steven Sloane, galvanized his orchestra into giving a rich and confident reading of this most complicated score. Káta Kabanová: Patricia Racette in the title role On August 12 the same company presented Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Così fan tutte in an updated production by James Robinson. The performance contained some of the most beautiful singing heard at the festival. As Ferrando, Charles Castronovo, a tall tenor with chiselled features, exhibited a warm and exciting Italianate voice, a passionate temperament and a talent for comedy. Ana Maria Martinez, the Fiordiligi, has been a poignant Mimi but her ability to sing Mozart was not yet widely known. Her coloratura was close to perfection and she sailed through the wide intervals of 'Come Scoglio' as though they were child's play. Her Act II aria, 'Per Pietà,' was icing on an already delectable cake. Così fan tutte: Charles Castronovo as Ferrando and Troy Cook as Guglielemo in Act I Robinson's concept placed the story in the 1950's and, instead of the usual 18th-century outfits, costume designer, David Woolard, dressed the women in flared skirts with crinoline petticoats. The staging told the story of the libretto most of the time, but the first scene was moved to an army base where Don Alfonso became a physician. Ferrando and Guglielmo, flanked by a large number of other recruits, were given all sorts of physical tests during the one of the composer's most exquisite contrapuntal trios. The set by Allen Moyer that was used for the rest of the opera was basically a foil-lined room with doors leading to various parts of the house. For the garden in Act II it split into 3 parts and potted plants were brought in. For the opera's final scene we saw the room come together but its parts did not fit exactly, symbolizing the lovers' relationships which will never again be the same. Duane Schuler lit the production with great care and the reflective surfaces never gave off a glare. Così fan tutte: from left to right, Patricia Risley as Dorabella, Ana Maria Martinez as Fiordiligi, Charles Castronovo as Ferrando, and Troy Cook as Guglielmo Christopher Feigum was an ardent, romantic Guglielmo who gave a fine rendition of an ungrateful role. Patricia Risley, in a complete turn around from her role in Katya Kabanova, was a smooth, lyric Dorabella whose voice blended beautifully in the ensembles. Andrew Shore gave a polished portrayal of the cynical Dr. Alfonso. He has a robust voice with only a hint of excess vibrato and he was particularly effective in his scenes with Despina. Lillian Watson was the worldly wise servant, Despina, who tried to teach her employers about the game of love. Vocally, she had a good command of Mozart style and her coloratura was accurate but her acting could have been a bit more sharply edged. Conductor, Yves Abel, elicited rhythmically alert, brisk and flexible playing from his musicians but the orchestra was occasionally too loud. The music of this piece often touches the heart much more deeply than its libretto and it is in the many ensembles that Mozart is at his most magnificent. On this evening the principals and the chorus, under Robert Wood, excelled at the counterpoint which makes those special moments come to life. La belle Hélène: Susan Graham in the title role (above), and with William Burden as Paris, and Barry Banks as Ménélas (below) American opera goers have heard a great deal about the Paris production of Jacques Offenbach's La belle Hélène at the Châtelet in September of 2000, and many of them came to Santa Fe this summer to see the same production. Director, Laurent Pelly, took this 1864 piece and updated it just enough to make its lines amusing to today's audiences. Pelly achieved a high point of comedy with his clever juxtaposition of present day and classic Greek styles and he never lost touch with the sophistication of the original opéra-bouffe. The performance on August 11 was sung in French but the dialogue was in English. Titles for the entire work were available in both Spanish and English. Chantal Thomas's scenic design was in keeping with the rest of this tongue-in-cheek production and Pelly's costumes, which sometimes involved combinations such as a trench coat over a draped Greek garment, completed the picture perfectly. La belle Hélène: Act 1, Meredith Barber as Parthoenis, Francois Le Roux as Calchas, and Leah Wool as Leoena Susan Graham is always a graceful diva and she excelled as a believably beautiful Hélène who is tired of her boring older husband. The first act aria, 'Amours divins' captured her longing for a more appropriate match. Graham sang her part with radiant high notes and plum velvet low tones to which she added her innate intelligence and perfect comic timing. Of particular interest was the way she resolved a jazzy sound not generally used in opera into a perfect Mozartean trill. William Burden was the perfect foil for her with his movie-star looks and sumptuous legato singing. He has a true French sound and he was a delightfully flirtatious Paris. As Calchas, the venal high priest, Francois LeRoux, the only native French speaker in the cast, sang with secure resonance and delivered his comic lines with pin-point accuracy. Kristin Rothfuss was a charming Orest who declaimed with tonal beauty and excellent diction. Barry Banks, who has ringing top notes but is somewhat vertically challenged, was hysterically funny when he played up his 'shortcomings' as Ménélas. La belle Hélène: (above) Barry Banks as Ménélas (front); with (left to right) Francois Le Roux as Calchas, Dmitri Pittas as Achille, Adam Kirkpatrick as Ajax I, Timothy Nolen as Agamemmnon, Kristin Rothfuss as Oreste, and Wilbur Pauley as Ajax II. (below) Leah Wool as Leoena, Meredith Barber as Parthoenis, and Kristin Rothfuss as Oreste, with members of the chorus Léoena and Parthenoenis, played in revealing outfits by apprentices Leah Wool and Meredith Barber, were appropriately enticing and sang splendidly. As the three kings, Ajax I, Ajax II and Achille, Jeffrey Halili, Wilbur Pauley and Dimitri Pittas were excellent operatic comedians, while Timothy Nolen was an Agamemnon who added much to the success of the performance. Laura Scozzi's energetic and inventive ballet pieces were a joy to behold as they captured the light and airy spirit of Offenbach's work. Conductor, Kenneth Montgomery, led his players with infectious verve and they responded with joyful music making, full of color and excitement. Robert Wood's apprentice chorus, too, added to the enchantment of this opéra-bouffe. La belle Hélène: Act 3 Richard Strauss's Intermezzo is an unusual opera, small scaled and intimate, with almost all of the melodic music relegated to the instruments of the orchestra. Santa Fe Opera founder, John Crosby, always made a point of having his company put on works by this composer and he would have conducted this opera, had he not passed away in December of 2002. In taking over the baton, Kenneth Montgomery drew precise playing and rhythmic accuracy from the orchestra and it resulted in a fine rendition of the work. The trumpet and French horn playing was particularly noteworthy. Intermezzo: Scott Hendricks as Robert Storch, Mark Garrett as Franzl, and Judith Howarth as Christine In keeping with the nature of the piece, Carl Friedrich Oberle's sets for its fourteen scenes were simple and economical while his costumes made up for any lack of decoration with their visual punch. Intermezzo was performed in an English translation by Andrew Porter. The libretto is based on an incident in the composer's own life and Ken Cazan's direction made the family seem like the normal people that they probably were in realty. Judith Howarth was a commanding Christine Storch with faultless diction. She maintained excellent phrasing throughout the long recitatives. Although the character is a bit of a scold, Howarth evoked sympathy at times and she softened credibly at the end. Handsome Scott Hendricks was completely believable as the husband accused of infidelity. He gave an energetic interpretation of his role and sang with a distinctive sonority. Intermezzo: Mikhail Svetlov as an opera singer, Christopher Feigum as a businessman, Wilbur Pauley as the lawyer, Scott Hendricks as Robert Storch, and Barry Banks as Stroh Erie Mills was fun to watch as the often exasperated maid, Anna, observing the whims and jealous tantrums of Christine with amusement and occasional thoughts of leaving her position. Her acting was believable and she sang with great eloquence. Fanny, the cook, was played in deadpan fashion by the very talented apprentice, Laura Vlasak Nolen, who also sang with considerable vocal acumen. Another apprentice, Amanda Borst, was the fresh sounding, personable parlor maid, Marie. Other fine singing actors who performed admirably were: Christopher Feigum as the businessman, Mikhail Svetlov as the opera singer, Barry Banks as Stroh and Wilbur Pauley as the lawyer. Santa Fe's talent pool is very deep! Intermezzo is perhaps not exactly top flight Strauss but it is still an interesting work that deserves to be revived every few years. Intermezzo: Judith Howarth as Christine On Saturday evening, August 9, we were treated to an orchestral concert with French coloratura soprano, Natalie Dessay, and Italian conductor, Evelino Pidò. As the sun began to set outside the open sided theater, Dessay, clad in a simple black gown with a red chiffon stole and a turban on her head, began with the 'Air de l'Ensoleillad', an enchanting piece from Jules Massenet's Cherubin. She easily evoked sunlit days in a warm climate with her dulcet tones. She had a fine command of the audience, and they were eating out of her hand before she even began her second selection, also by Massenet: the air and gavotte from Manon. Her coloratura was fluent and flexible, her pianissimi shimmering and, of course, her French diction was perfect. Completing the first half of the evening was Ophelie's Mad Scene from Hamlet by Ambroise Thomas. She showed her mastery of breath control as she acted out the mental wanderings of her character. It was an intense, moving interpretation and made many in the audience long for the opportunity to see Dessay in a staged opera. After the intermission Maestro Pidò and the orchestra played a rousing version of Gioacchino Rossini's overture to Semiramide in which there were some fine instrumental solos. Then, the soprano reappeared to sing Giulietta's aria 'Eccomi, o quante volte' from I Capuleti e i Montecchi by Vincenzo Bellini. She sang with a smooth legato and seemed to have no difficulty at all with the long melodic lines. Next, the orchestra played the overture to Gaetano Donizetti's Don Pasquale with lilting rhythms and great translucence. The finale of the evening was Dessay's magnificent rendition of the 'Mad Scene' from Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor. Again, as in the Hamlet, she acted out the scene as well as she sang it and added brilliant cadenzas, making some people remember great coloraturas of the past. When the concert was over, the audience applauded and bravoed vociferously until the artists finally appeared with an encore, 'Je veux vivre', from Charles Gounod's Roméo et Juliette. Although it had been a strenuous program, Dessay was still fresh as she sang the young girl's waltz song and, after much more applause, the audience reluctantly left the theater. It was later announced that Dessay will return to Santa Fe next summer in Bellini's La Sonnambula. © Maria Nockin, 3 September 2003 September Nicholas and Alexandra at the Los Angeles Opera: Plácido Domingo as Rasputin Photo: Robert Millard/LA Opera Nicholas and Alexandra is a new work commissioned by the Los Angeles Opera, and the September 23 performance was part of its world premiere run. The music was composed by Deborah Drattell, already famous for her operas: Lillith and A Festival of Regrets. The libretto was written by the well-known author, Nicholas von Hoffman. Drattell is said to orchestrate as she composes. Perhaps that is why this work seemed somewhat less than fully scored for an opera of major proportions. Conductor, Mstislav Rostropovich, brought out the passion and drama of the music which is largely based on the Russian Liturgy and it was pleasing to the ear, even though there was little augmentation of the original chant. Nicholas and Alexandra: the chorus Photo: Robert Millard/LA Opera Anne Bogart's direction was realistic but did not require a great deal of movement from the singers. The members of her Siti Company posed in interesting ways, sometimes holding icons, when not rearranging Robert Israel's traditional looking green panels for the next scene. Although the decor was rather plain, the Gibson Girl Era costumes by Catherine Zuber provided much visual excitement. They were especially opulent in the temptation scene during which the monk, Rasputin, played skillfully by Plácido Domingo, was seen with a bevy of seductive courtesans. Nicholas and Alexandra: the royal family (clockwise starting bottom right), Terri Hill as Maria, Jessica Rivera as Anastasia, Rodney Gilfry as Nicholas, Margaret Thompson as Olga, Jonathan Price as Alexis, Michelle Fournier as Tatiana and Nancy Gustafson as Alexandra (center) Photo: Robert Millard/LA Opera As Nicholas, the reluctant Czar, Rodney Gilfry interpreted his tragic role with great skill and sang with strong, dramatically colored tones. The part of Alexandra, the German born Czarina, is long and taxing but Nancy Gustafson sang and acted it with ease. She portrayed a woman with few choices in life who was always blamed for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. The innocent victims of the family's inescapable destiny were the children. Jessica Rivera, a budding star, was Anastasia; Margaret Thompson, Olga; Terri Hill, Maria and Michele Fournier, Tatiana. All of them sang with delightfully fresh voices and acted realistically. Treble singer, Jonathan Price, who took the part of the Czarevitch, also acquitted himself with honors. Nicholas and Alexandra: Jonathan Price as Alexis and Plácido Domingo as Rasputin Photo: Robert Millard/LA Opera The meatiest role in this opera is that of Rasputin and it was performed with extraordinary grace and skill by Plácido Domingo. According to history, the wily monk was poisoned, stabbed, shot and drowned before he finally died. The Drattell/von Hoffman death scene gave Domingo a fine opportunity to exhibit his dramatic ability. This opera has a huge cast and some of the other singers whose work was especially fine included: Kate Aldrich, a sexy and silken toned Countess Zavolsky; Suzanna Guzmán, a dramatic Empress Maria and heldentenor, Gary Rideout, whose ringing high notes made him an unforgettable Prince Orlov. David Babinet and Gregorio Gonzalez were properly conspiratorial as Yusupov and Obolensky. As with most Russian opera, the chorus has an important part to play and its singers, especially the basses, performed extremely well under the direction of William Vendice. Nicholas and Alexandra has been recorded in high definition video for future release as a DVD, thus assuring the preservation of both the musical and visual values of this LA Opera production. Nicholas and Alexandra: (left to right) David Babinet as Prince Yusupov, Plácido Domingo as Rasputin and Kate Aldrich as Countess Zavolsky Photo: Robert Millard/LA Opera For financial reasons the San Francisco Opera jettisoned its planned new production of Rimsky-Korsakov's Le coq d'or and substituted a revival of David Hockney's production of Die Zauberflöte. Although this might have been something of a disappointment to fans of Russian opera, the September 9 performance turned out to be a wonderful rendition of the well-known Mozart work. Hockney's solid, mostly traditional sets are brightly colored with just a suggestion of abstraction about them and his costumes are attractive and functional. As lit by Thomas J Munn, everything on stage looked fresh, despite the production's 1987 origin. Director, John Cox, told the story in a straight forward manner and made no attempt to gloss over its politically incorrect aspects. His was an energetic and witty conception, full of unexpected effects - just plain fun. Die Zauberflöte at the San Francisco Opera: Twyla Robinson, Heather Meyers, Elizabeth Bishop as the Three Ladies and Charles Castronovo as Tamino Photo: Larry Merkle Making their debuts in this revival were the singers who had just finished appearing in the well received Santa Fe Cosi fan tutte, soprano, Ana Maria Martinez and tenor, Charles Castronovo. Martinez, an American born in Puerto Rico, is a consummate artist whose Mozartean phrasing speaks well of her training at the Vienna State Opera. She has the glistening top tones one expects to hear from a first class soprano and her lower register is warmer and has more of a velvet quality than those of most singers, giving her voice a recognizable, individual sound. Her tenderly rendered, poignant Pamina was sung with great precision and musicality. Castronovo looked the part of the young, desirable suitor and sang his role with confidence. This truly gifted young singer has a secure technique, a smooth legato and great presence on stage. It made him a believable and passionate Tamino. Another young singer of great promise is Johannes Kränzle. His warm, sensual voice and impeccable comic timing made him a brilliant Papageno. The perky Papagena, Marnie Breckenridge, was a perfect consort for the bird catcher. Suzanne Ramo had all the notes for the role of Queen of the Night and brought out the malevolence of the character but lacked some of the style and phrasing that the piece demands. Paata Burchuladze, the Sarastro, spoke and acted well but had difficulty with some passages in his arias. Dennis Peterson was a cunning Monosatos and Philip Skinner was an imposing Speaker. The Three Ladies, portrayed by Twyla Robinson, Elizabeth Bishop and Heather Meyers, were totally charming and their voices blended well. Conductor, Oleg Caetani, the son of Igor Markevitch, also made his San Francisco Opera debut on this occasion and he commanded the orchestra with authority. Although his tempi were faster than most, the players were able to respond with crisp, clean playing while maintaining the elegance of the piece. Die Zauberflöte: Act II finale with Charles Castronovo as Tamino, Paata Burchuladze as Sarastro, and Ana Maria Martinez as Pamina Photo: Larry Merkle On September 23, the Teatro Lirico d'Europa, an international touring company with an excellent reputation, performed Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Don Giovanni in Boston's Majestic Theater. The slim and agile Lithuanian baritone, Vytas Juozapaitis, portrayed the Don as a self-centered nobleman who paid little attention to people unless he wanted something from them. He sang with an pleasant voice and, unlike most interpreters of the role, he had no trouble tossing off the 'Champagne Aria' at top speed. Stefano de Peppo's Leporello was a complex character. On occasion, the servant was as self assured as his master but at other times, he was driven by fear and insecurity. This was a real human being. A native speaker of Italian, de Peppo's perfect diction was wedded to a warm and powerful voice with a distinctive timbre. Korean American soprano, Su-Jin Lee, was a poignant Elvira with a large, rich-toned voice culminating in a slightly metallic top. She moved well, had a commanding presence and used the colors of her voice to express a variety of emotions. Don Bernardini has a resonant, lyric tenor voice. He phrased beautifully and his 'Il mio tesoro' was a complete delight. It is unfortunate that this version of the score did not give him the chance to sing 'Dalla sua pace'. The attractive, young Czech soprano, Ludmila Vernerová, has a lighter voice than one usually hears in the part of Donna Anna, but it did not detract from the performance. She ornamented her role tastefully as she sang with cool tones and a solid technique. Hristo Sarafov was an effective, buffo style Masetto and his Zerlina, Vessalina Vassileva, was a wholesome and sweet sounding peasant girl. Stentorian bass, Viacheslav Pochapsky is an accomplished singer with a rich voice and, after a slight mishap when he first came on stage, he was a mesmerizing Commendatore. The production, directed by the company's founder and artistic director, Giorgio Lalov, emphasized the darker side of the Don but also brought out the comic elements of da Ponte's drama giocoso. The set by Valentine Topencharov followed in the tradition of Alfred Roller and the costumes were in keeping with it. Maestro Krassimir Topolov gave a light and brisk reading of the score and the continuo playing of Timothy Steele was of virtuoso quality. This company, which features traditional productions of popular operas, has attracted a sizeable audience in the US and will be found in other American venues this season. On September 13 the New York City Opera premiered the new Francesca Zambello production of George Frideric Handel's Alcina, starring Christine Goerke who made a tremendous hit in the same composer's Rinaldo in 2000. On this evening she produced thunderbolts of sound as her clear, precise coloratura filled the hall and she proved that she has the ability to create a believable character in almost any situation. Jennifer Dudley, the Bradamante, sang with dazzling pyrotechnics after a slow start. Katharine Goeldner, a soldier like Ruggiero, was at her best in the legato passages. Keith Jameson was a spunky Oronte with machine gun coloratura and an infectious sense of fun while Joshua Winograde was a strong Melisso. As Morgana, Lauren Skuce had the opera's best known aria, 'Tornami a vagheggiar' and she sang it with many variations of color in her voice. Although still quite young, she is an accomplished actress. Zambello's simple production made this opera's convoluted story as understandable as possible. Her main innovation was a corps of male dancers representing trees who performed Sean Curran's choreography wearing camouflage clothing and branches emanating from their fingers. Daniel Beckwith conducted with lively tempi and tailored the ornamentation to the individual ability of each soloist. This opera is not quite as much fun as Rinaldo, but it did allow the New York City Opera's Handel fans to enjoy another production of one of his major works On September 11, Wichita Grand Opera presented Georges Bizet's Carmen at the Century II Concert Hall (instead of the Bradley Fair because of bad weather). Much of the scenery had to be left behind, but the cast was excellent and the lack of visual enhancements allowed the audience to concentrate more intensely on the superior quality of the musical performance. Conductor, Karl Kohn, gave an ambitious and propulsive rendition of the score, holding his musical forces to a high standard, and the most difficult passages of the opera were played with seeming ease. Kirstin Chavez has a well schooled mezzo voice with a great deal of color and an earthy stage personality, making her an excellent choice for Carmen. In Acts I and II she was a provocative tease, while in the Act III 'Card Song' she showed the unusual plush beauty of her low tones. Her singing of the Act IV duet was intensely dramatic. Michael Hayes was a properly jealous Don Jose whose manner indicated a thinly-veiled tendency toward violence. His voice was well focused and he had no difficulty with the dramatic passages. Lillian Sengpiehl was a naive and appealing Micaela with silvery soprano tones that contrasted well with the other voices. Kansas native, Zeffin Quinn Hollis, a former Santa Fe Opera apprentice, sang Escamillo with a robust voice and cut a suave figure on stage. The Frasquita and Mercedes, Kristin Johnson and Rebecca Robbearts contributed much to the success of the evening as did Blaise Pascal and Matthew Schloneger, the smugglers, and David Feiertag, the Zuniga. The stage director for this production was Margaret Pent, founder and artistic director of this rather new company. She had her cast ready to appear in either setting and everyone on stage seemed thoroughly at home with the emergency venue. The cast never compromised the slightest bit of action and this was, indeed, a thoroughly enjoyable evening. On Sunday evening, September 14, the Georgian bass, Paata Burchuladze, and his Ukrainian accompanist, Ludmila Ivanova, gave a recital of Russian music at the Sherwood Auditorium of the Museum of Contemporary Art in La Jolla, California. They opened the program with songs by Tchaikovsky and Glinka, but perhaps the most beautiful was Anton Arensky's 'The day has ended'. Burchuladze's singing was both sensitive and passionate as he described the nightingale singing among the lilacs at sundown. There were also a group of songs by Rachmaninov. The powerful 'At the gates of the holy cloister', offered the bass an opportunity to sing with a dramatic flair. Destiny, which quotes Beethoven's Fifth Symphony in telling of the inability to escape one's fate, allowed both the singer and the pianist to show their bravura abilities. It was a memorable interpretation. After a short intermission Burchuladze and Ivanova continued with excerpts from Modest Mussorgsky's opera Boris Godunov. Ivanova is a consummate artist at the piano so one did not miss the full orchestra! Burchuladze is obviously a fine Boris and he created the character of the guilty Czar with his voice, his stance and most especially with his eyes. You believed he saw the visions he was describing. Vocally, he has a great variety of colors at his disposal and he used them with great skill. After much applause and a number of bows, there was one encore, also by Mussorgsky, 'The flea', which sent the audience home laughing. © Maria Nockin, 2 October 2003  October Houston Grand Opera's Tosca: Alfredo Portilla as Cavaradossi (center) in the final act Photo: Brett Coomer On its opening night, October 24, the Houston Grand Opera presented a truly outstanding rendition of Giacomo Puccini's Tosca with an all-star cast. Russian soprano, Maria Guleghina, sang the title role. Her characterization ran the full psychological gamut from delicate and refined convent school graduate to passionate lover and unrepentant murderess. Her singing was simply glorious, from the lyricism of her meeting with Cavaradossi in the church to the dramatic intensity of her attempt to save his life. Tosca: Richard Sutliff as the Sacristan with the altar boys in Act I Photo: Brett Coomer Alfredo Portilla, a handsome, honey-voiced tenor from Mexico, was a romantic Cavaradossi who, despite his love for Tosca, retained a roving eye. The tenor's fine acting skills made him a credible revolutionary as well as an appealing lover. Baron Scarpia was played by German baritone, Franz Grundheber, who sang with dark stentorian tones and held attention every moment he was on stage. The smaller parts, too, were well cast. Richard Sutliff provided some opening comedy as the Sacristan while the Spoletta of Jonathan Green and the Sciarrone of Joshua Hopkins were depicted as thoroughly corrupt goons. Tosca in Houston: Franz Grundheber as Scarpia Photo: Brett Coomer Although Jean-Pierre Ponnelle's production has been around for many years, it is still able to set the varied moods of this intense piece. Director, Garnett Bruce, helped his singing actors to flesh out passionate characters and Christopher Akerlind's well thought out lighting added to the effectiveness of each scene. Conductor, Antonello Allemandi, who was making his debut, led this fiery performance with propulsive force and a fine command of Puccini style. It was a block buster opening night and Houston audiences will be hoping for more performances like it. Tosca in Houston: Alfredo Portilla as Cavaradossi with Maria Guleghina as Tosca in Act III Photo: Brett Coomer Georges Bizet's Les pêcheurs de perles was originally to be set in Mexico but in order to meet a deadline, previously composed material was utilized and the locale was changed to Ceylon. Arizona Opera's production, now owned by Opera Ontario, was originally conceived at the Teatro Municipale of Santiago, Chile, and it featured appropriately exotic scenery by Roberto Oswald, dominated by huge temple statues. The stage direction was by Brian Deedrick, the administrative director of Edmonton Opera, who followed the libretto scrupulously, assisting the singers in building strong characterizations. Annibal Lapiz provided the production with inventive costuming, but having Leïla sing through a veil for much of the time seemed rather counterproductive. Chester Dubaj's lighting emphasized the beauty of the sunlit beach and the eerie atmosphere of the shadowy island at night. Les pêcheurs de perles at the Arizona Opera: Amanda Smith dancing in Act I Photo: Tim Fuller/AZ Opera Nadir was sung by John Bellermer who looked enough like a handsome hero, but had difficulty with his high notes. Scott Scully, who sang in the second cast, also looked well and handled the role's vocal difficulties with ease. Scully has a sizeable bright voice which he used to emphasize his role's more dramatic aspects. He made the evening exciting and the duet, 'Au fond du temple saint', which he sang with Victor Benedetti, was the memorable experience that the audience was expecting. Gaetan Laperriere, who sang Zurga in the first cast, is a fine baritone with a strong, virile voice and his duet with John Bellemer was also a thing of beauty. Kathleen Brett was a soubrette Leïla who sang with a silvery sound. Jeanine Thames in the second cast, who was a creditable Violetta last season, excelled in this part and her aria, 'Comme autrefois', was gracefully sung with soaring tones of limpid purity. Both sopranos were accompanied by the smooth, virtuoso horn playing of Keith Johnson and Nathan Mitchell. Mark Risinger looked the part of Nourabad and his singing was impressive when he was downstage where his voice was deflected out toward the audience. Unfortunately, he was often placed far upstage where his singing was not nearly as effective. Cal Stewart Kellog conducted his excellent players in an eloquent reading of Bizet's exotic score. He brought out the young composer's brilliant lyric orchestration and provided Arizona's audiences with a delightful excursion into uncharted musical territory. Les pêcheurs de perles in Arizona: Jeanine Thames as Leïla Photo: Tim Fuller/AZ Opera On October 7, the Washington Opera, still in its temporary home of Constitution Hall, presented Vincenzo Bellini's Norma with the Armenian soprano, Hasmik Papian. The opera was an excellent choice because the hall does not have much in the way of modern theater technology and Norma is about singing, not theatricality. However even a 19th-century theater would have had the orchestra between the stage and the audience, whereas in this hall the singers had to be in front of the instrumentalists. Accordingly they could only see the conductor's beat on monitors at the sides of the stage. In spite of this, everything worked well and this was an evening of great singing. Papian has a large, flexible voice and she proved that she has the stamina to conquer this marathon bel canto role. Her top notes were platinum, her lower tones like velvet and she phrased her interpretation of the passionate Druid priestess with great elegance. Richard Margison was a powerful Pollione who shaded his tones artfully and showed himself to be a worthy partner for Papian. As Adalgisa, Irina Mishura sang with great intensity. Her voice blended exquisitely with Papian's as they sang a perfectly synchronized 'Mira o Norma'. Kyle Ketelson was an authoritative, convincing Oroveso who sang with a rock solid technique and a supple legato. Here was a warlike Druid who could also show compassion. Israel Lozano was an expressive Flavio, and Keri Alkema's voice bloomed beautifully as she sang the role of Clotilde. Norma at the Washington Opera: Kyle Ketelson as Oroveso and Hasmik Papian as Norma Photo: Carol Pratt for The Washington Opera Stage director, Paolo Miccichè, used movable curtains and panels to convey the ancient setting. Patrick Watkinson's projections added Roman and Druid artifacts to firmly establish the locale and Alberto Spiazzi's flattering costumes added color and interest to the stage picture. Emanuel Villaume made Bellini's music seem fresh. His tempi were brisk but unhurried as he coordinated his forces. He was sensitive to the needs of the singers and he elicited crisp entrances from his orchestra. Rumor has it that he is on the short list of possible successors to the company's music director, Heinz Fricke. The Washington Opera's stay at Constitution Hall will be over in March of 2004 when the newly refurbished Kennedy Center will open. Mourning Becomes Electra, composed by Marvin David Levy to a libretto by Henry Butler, had a successful premiere in 1967. Unfortunately, like so many 20th-century operas, it fell into oblivion after a few years. In 1998 it was brought back in a revised edition by the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Much of the heavy orchestration was thinned out. Now, after further restructuring and the removal of much atonality, it is being presented by Seattle Opera. Although this was the first opera Bartlett Sher had ever staged, it was extremely well done. He never let the action falter for a moment and he made it possible for the singers to bring out both the secret and overt passions of their characters. Michael Yeargan's sets consisted mainly of simple Grecian style columns, but they were enough to provide an imaginative background for the action. The role of Christine, a modernized version of Clytemnestra, calls for a large dramatic voice and, in the performance given on October 19, Susan Marie Pierson fulfilled the bill admirably. Her opulent high notes filled the hall with lustrous sound and her eloquent acting reflected the emotions of her passionate character. The capable Rayanne Dupuis handled the difficult role of Lavinia (Electra) gracefully, despite its punishing high tessitura, as she plumbed her character's psychological depths. Gabor Andrassy was a sexy and resonant Ezra and the equally handsome Jason Howard was a romantically persuasive Adam Brant. Kurt Ollmann sang with great power as he brought out Orin's tortured soul. Morgan Smith and Julianne Gearhart excelled in the smaller but important parts of Peter and Helen Niles while Archie Drake's powerful voice and superb stage presence made him a fine Jed. Richard Buckley drew out the lyricism of Levy's brilliantly reworked orchestration and his efforts were crowned with superb playing from the Seattle orchestra. Together, they urged the singing and the action forward in waves of magnificent sound, punctuated by moments of atmospheric beauty. At the October 4 matinee, the Metropolitan Opera revived its 1982 production of three diverse Stravinsky pieces: The Rite of Spring, a ballet; The Nightingale, an opera-ballet and Oedipus Rex, an opera-oratorio. The real star of this show was conductor, Valery Gergiev, who brought out the barbaric splendor of The Rite, the delicate beauty of The Nightingale and the dramatic power of Oedipus. Few of his tempi were predictable, but they made sense as part of the entire context. The fabulous playing of Metropolitan Opera Orchestra was also, in a large part, responsible for the success of the performance. Unfortunately, Doug Varone's new choreography for the Rite was not very successful in bringing out the primal passions of the blood sacrifice, and it paled in comparison to the music. Dance fared much better in the second piece which was choreographed by Sir Frederick Ashton and recreated by David Kneuss. The nightingale, Julie Kent, and the fisherman, Damian Woetzel danced with flashing limbs and great lyric charm while Olga Trifonova and Barry Banks sang the parts from the pit. The soprano's coloratura was accurate and cleanly executed while the tenor's clear voice filled the huge auditorium with glorious sound. Maria Zifchak's rich mezzo was put to excellent use in the comic scenes. Julian Robbins was a strong chamberlain, Michael Devlin a commanding Bonze but Victor Chernomortsev was a somewhat underpowered emperor. In the third piece, Oedipus Rex, a narrator, played effectively by Philip Bosco, tells the story in English while the singers perform in Latin. Robert Gambill sang the title role with sturdy, robust tones and he seemed to have little trouble with the difficult music. Stephanie Blythe has one of the most beautiful mezzo voices now gracing any stage and she sang Jocasta with burnished tones, her outstanding stage presence evident even in this rather static piece. Evgenij Nikitin's warm voice was not quite acidic enough for Creon, but he was an excellent messenger, while Eric Halfvarson was a strong, deep-toned Tiresias and Barry Banks was a sonorous shepherd. David Hockney's designs were both beautiful and functional in all three pieces and the men of the Metropolitan Opera Chorus sang with strong and virile sounds. © Maria Nockin, 3 November 2003  November Washington Opera's Die Walküre: Anja Kampe (left) as Sieglinde and Linda Watson (right) as Brünnhilde, with the Valkyries (from left to right) Caroline Thomas as Helmwige, Heidi Vaderford as Schwertleite, and Mlada Hudoley as Gerhilde Photo: Carol Pratt On November 5, the Washington Opera, still in its temporary home at Constitution Hall, presented a new production of Richard Wagner's Die Walküre by Francesca Zambello. Since this theater has no orchestra pit, the instrumentalists were placed behind the stage, a format that worked out very well acoustically. Zambello emphasized the emotional interaction between characters as she told Wagner's story. Peter J Davison's sets consisted mainly of metal stairs and narrow bridges, augmented by well placed chairs. Anita Yavitch's timeless leather costumes were imaginative with many slits, straps and patches. All of this was integrated into a well thought out whole by Mark McCullough's effective lighting and Jan Hartley's atmospheric projections. Conductor, Heinz Fricke, has made a fine ensemble of the Washington musicians and he led them in a sweeping romantic rendition of the score which never overpowered the singers. Die Walküre: Alan Held as Wotan and Elena Zaremba as Fricka Photo: Carol Pratt Most outstanding among the singers was Anja Kampe, a svelte woman with a large Wagnerian voice. She sang Sieglinde with great passion and charmed the audience with her graceful phrasing and natural stage ability. Placido Domingo is still the premier Siegmund of our time. His was a passionate portrayal and he sang with powerful, burnished tones. He was at his best in his second act scene with Brünnhilde. Linda Watson, who sang the errant Valkyrie, is a secure singer with a particularly warm middle register and she portrayed her role with great emotional intensity. Bass baritone, Alan Held, was an energetic, exciting Wotan whose large bright voice carried easily over Wagner's complex orchestration. His interpretation was intelligently constructed and his farewell to Brünnhilde was heartbreaking. Die Walküre: Linda Watson as Brünnhilde and Alan Held as Wotan, with the Valkyries (from left to right) Beverly O'Regan Thiele as Ortlinde, Stacey Rishoi as Rossweisse, Heidi Vaderford as Schwertleite, and Carla Rae Cook as Waltraute Photo: Carol Pratt Elena Zaremba was an outstanding Fricka. Her character was much more sympathetic than usual and she stated her views with a huge well focused voice. This was not one of Kurt Rydl's better nights, unfortunately. He looked the part of Hunding, dark and threatening, but his intonation left something to be desired. The Valkyries, Mlada Hudoley, Caroline Thomas, Carla Rae Cook, Heidi Vanderford, Beverly O'Regan Thiele, Mary Ann Stewart, Patricia Hussey and Stacey Rishoi, all had strong voices and looked sexy in their black outfits. For their 'Ride' they sang from various levels in the hall before assembling on stage. This was a very well put together production starring some of the best talent available today and the overall result was a spectacular performance. Florentine Opera of Milwaukee's production of La traviata: Jan Grissom as Violetta and Raúl Hernandez as Alfredo Photo: Richard Brodzeller Florentine Opera of Milwaukee offered a production of Giuseppe Verdi's La traviata on Saturday, November 8, at a time that seems to work for them, 5:30 pm. The Milwaukee Symphony played with precision and gave the work an emotional intensity not often experienced in the accompaniment of opera. Conductor, Joseph Rescigno's vast knowledge of Verdi style was evident as he wove the many parts of this opera into a fine performance. Jan Grissom was a captivating Violetta with a lustrous voice and the technical ability to sing the difficult Act I coloratura passages fluently. Hers was a poignant portrayal. You could see from her demeanor that her world was being torn to pieces by the words of Germont in the second act and her death scene was extremely moving. Raúl Hernandez, who made a spectacular Met debut as Don Ottavio last season, proved that he can take on a slightly heavier role. He sang with clarity and a smooth legato. Thus he was an excellent match for Grissom. He seemed quite at home on stage as well, and his interpretation made Alfredo a very realistic young man of his era. Guido LeBrun was a conniving, manipulative Germont who cared more for his family's position in society than for the happiness of either his son or Violetta. He sang with well phrased dark tones as he bent the younger characters to his will, and he made the role of Alfredo's father much more interesting than usual. Kim Reuter Foss was an effective Flora who declaimed her well projected lines with clear diction. The staging by Bernard Uzan brought out some very interesting interpretations while telling this tragic story in an easily understandable manner. He had obviously developed character motivations and manifestations in body language with the capable cast. The traditional sets and costumes were functional and added visual piquancy to the overall performance. Jan Grissom as Violetta and Raúl Hernandez as Alfredo in Milwaukee's la traviata Photo: Richard Brodzeller Friday, November 21 saw the debut of the Mozart Festival Opera, an offshoot of the well known Teatro Lirico d'Europa, featuring young American singers, stage directors and conductors, touring across the country. Their gala, sold out opening Don Giovanni took place at the newly renovated Philharmonic Center for the Arts in Naples, Florida. Most outstanding of the artists in this performance was New York soprano, Melody Alesi, as Donna Anna, whose beautifully colored lyric voice has a distinctive sound. She moved well and portrayed a believable character. Vytautas Juozapaitis, a tall, good looking baritone from the Lithuanian National Opera, was a Don to be reckoned with. A skillful actor, he portrayed the charismatic playboy with a large, warm voice that he used lyrically for seduction and dramatically to fend off accusers. Stefano de Peppo was a very human Leporello who knew he was being abused, but was afraid to stand up to his master. He sang with resounding tones and perfect native Italian diction, making his brisk paced 'Catalog Aria' a perfect gem. Benjamin Brecher, a suave, aristocratic Don Ottavio, sang the long graceful phrases of his role with ease and elegance of tone. Steffanie Pierce was a convincing and poignant Donna Elvira, one of the many women seduced and left in the lurch by the Don. She has a fine technique and navigated her coloratura well. The sweet voiced Vesselina Vassileva gave a somewhat underplayed portrayal of the easily seduced peasant girl, Zerlina, but her singing was beautiful enough to melt the hardest of hearts. Her understandably jealous groom was portrayed realistically by Hristo Sarafov who sang with a commanding dark sound. Alexi Ivanov sang the Commendatore with stylistic excellence. Stage direction was by Giorgio Lalov, who gave a straightforward reading of Lorenzo da Ponte's libretto that ended with the Don and the Commendatore enjoying a bottle of wine together, comfortably ensconced in Hell. Because the company will tour constantly, its scenery has to fit into two trucks. Nevertheless, when assembled on the stage, this set by Valentin Topencharov provided archways, balconies, walls and gates as needed, along with a wonderful painted backdrop of seventeenth century Seville. Conductor, Krasimir Topalov, held his musicians to a high standard and they played with contrapuntal elegance. Each member of the small chorus portrayed an individual character adding to the impact of this excellent performance which was vociferously applauded at its close. This is an interesting and valuable young company which will be presenting both Don Giovanni and Le nozze di Figaro in theaters throughout the US during the coming year. Pittsburgh Opera, which has presented no Wagner opera for a decade, staged Die fliegende Holländer on November 15 in a production originally conceived by Christopher Alden for Canadian Opera. He devised a persuasive but radical retelling of the story, changing the ending completely by having Erik shoot Senta! In general, this was a version that stripped away much of the opera's mystique. The work was performed with no intermission as originally envisioned, but never implemented, by the composer. Wagner's magnificent music was the reason opera lovers flocked to the Benedum Center on this evening, and they were in no way disappointed. In the title role, Greer Grimsley, wearing the garb of a Holocaust victim, sang with an enveloping warm sound as he acted out his moving portrayal of this larger-than-life character. Margaret Jane Wray's bright, sunny soprano resonated beautifully in the hall and conveyed her inner thoughts to the audience as she portrayed the obsessive young girl. Singing a Wagner role for the first time, Dean Peterson was an abusive and greedy Daland whose stentorian voice was a good match for those of Wray and Grimsley. Erik was sung by the very talented Thomas Studebaker who brought out the vocal beauty of the part. Susan Shafer was an officious Mary with an authoritative voice. Pittsburgh young artist's program member, Jason Collins, was an outstanding steersman from whom many more fine performances can be expected. The Pittsburgh Opera Chorus sang in tune and maintained rhythmic accuracy. Maestro John Mauceri elicited beautifully blended playing from the orchestra and it contributed a great deal to the magnificent sound of this performance. Fromental Halévy's La Juive, absent from the Metropolitan Opera since 1936, was presented on Thursday, November 5, in a modern production by Günter Krämer. To show the division of the society in which the opera takes place, set designer, Gottfried Pilz, placed the Christians on an upper level with white walls and a crystal chandelier while the Jews were relegated to a lower level and darker colors. The costumes by Isabel Ines Glathar, too, reflected this dichotomy. Many of the Christians wore light colored clothing while the Jews were clad in the darker shades. The chief reason for bringing this production to the Met was the participation of tenor, Neil Shicoff. His was a sympathetic portrayal of Eléazar, the goldsmith who has become bitter after battling anti-semitism for many years. He gave a rich and exciting rendition of 'Rachel! Quand du Seigneur,' which was accompanied by exquisitely plaintive English horn playing, and it received an appreciative ovation. Soile Isokoski was a cool, silvery-toned Rachel whose voice rose easily over the orchestra and chorus while her interpretation captured the hearts of the audience. Her lover, Prince Léopold, was ardently sung by 1998 Met Audition winner, Eric Cutler, who will be heard as Don Ottavio in Santa Fe next summer. Ferruccio Furlanetto was a grave and powerful Cardinal Brogni with thundering low notes. Elizabeth Futral sang Princess Eudoxie with soaring high phrases after a bit of time spent warming up. She looked gorgeous on stage in her white gown. The Met chorus sang their lines well but seemed to be rather recalcitrant anti-Semites. Marcello Viotti conducted a spirited rendition of the score. Musically this performance was a complete success, although some boos were directed at the production team during the curtain calls. © Maria Nockin, 2 December 2003  December Orfeo ed Euridice at the Los Angeles Opera: the finale Photo: Robert Millard On December 3, the Los Angeles Opera presented Christoph Willibald Gluck's opera, Orfeo ed Euridice, in its original 1762 version. When first performed, the role of Orfeo was sung by castrato, Gaetano Guadagni, a fine singer who had studied acting with the British Shakespearian star, David Garrick. The success of this opera depends largely on the abilities of the artist assuming the title role and it was sung here by the mezzo-soprano, Vivica Genaux. Tall and slim, she excels at trouser roles and her agile voice has a wide variety of dramatic colors. As Orfeo, her embellishments were few but she sang them gracefully. Her trills were superb with some beginning on the upper note and some on the lower. She was particularly effective in showing the depth of Orfeo's grief over the loss of his bride as she sang with power, pathos and purity of tone. Orfeo ed Euridice: Carmen Giannattasio as Amor above Vivica Genaux as Orfeo (left) and Maria Bayo as Euridice Photo: Robert Millard Director, Lucinda Childs, who was also the choreographer, presented a modern, spare production which propelled the story forward with few frills. Tobias Hoheisel's sets, were also minimal and his costumes were inventive. The lighting by Alan Burrett added measurably to the total picture by showing brightly lit Elysian Fields and forbidding red shadows surrounding the guardians of the underworld. Maria Bayo was a lyrical Euridice and she sang with a more opulence than is usually heard on her recordings. As Amor, Carmen Giannattasio interpreted her entire part perched above the stage on a moderate sized globe. Although she had little visible means of support, she did not seem the least bit perturbed by her position and she sang with a rich, full bodied sound. Orfeo ed Euridice: Vivica Genaux as Orfeo surrounded by the Furies Photo: Robert Millard Gluck wrote some unusual sonorities for the chorus in this work and they were handled well by William Vendice's singers. The orchestra, under the direction of Hartmut Haenchen, playing on modern instruments with the addition of basset horn and theorbo, never let the tension sag and gave a rhythmically alert reading of the score. La bohème at the Dallas Opera: (from left) Stephen Morscheck as Colline, Teddy Tahu Rhodes as Marcello, Frank Lopardo as Rodolfo, and Mel Ulrich as Schaunard Photo: George Landis On Friday evening December 12 the Dallas Opera presented its holiday offering, Puccini's La bohème, with a sterling cast and a conductor, Klaus Flor, with a novel interpretation. Maestro Flor, a frequent guest leader of the Dallas Symphony, took the opera at a slow pace but he was always in complete control of all his forces, including the crowd scenes and ensembles of Act II. His interpretation was subtle but he built up a great deal of tension which resulted in an emotionally affecting Act III. Stage Director, Garnett Bruce, gave a traditional reading of the libretto. He kept the horse play among the male bohemians to a minimum and helped the Musetta portray a character that was coquettish in the early acts, but turned into a truly concerned friend later on. The sets by Jean Pierre Ponnelle were neither new nor unusual, but they served their purpose well as did Peter J Hall's attractive 1830s costumes. La bohème: Indira Mahajan as Musetta Photo: George Landis Nuccia Focile was a delicate and fragile Mimi who sang with an unexpectedly large sound. Despite this she was occasionally overpowered by the orchestra. Since she is a skilled actress, and has sumptuous overtones in her voice, she was convincing in her portrayal of the ailing bohemienne. As Rodolfo, Frank LoPardo started off slowly and his part in the Act I duet was slightly underpowered, but he came into his own later, singing Acts III and IV with well projected resonant tones. He is also a fine actor so he and Focile made a compelling young couple. Baritone star, Teddy Tahu Rhodes, was an outstanding Marcello with commanding stage presence. One rarely gets to see such a fine artist in this role and his robust, dramatic singing added a great deal to the success of the evening. Mel Ulrich, too, put in an excellent performance as Schaunard. Indira Mahajian was a credible Musetta with good diction and clear tones who did not over act in the scene at the Café Momus. Stephen Morschek sang Colline with a lustrous sound and Scott Sikon conjured up amusing characterizations for the dual roles of Alcindoro and Benoit. La bohème: (from left) Indira Mahajan as Musetta, Frank Lopardo as Rodolfo, Stephen Morscheck as Colline, and Nuccia Focile as Mimi Photo: George Landis The Metropolitan Opera celebrated the 200 birthday of Hector Berlioz with two productions: the epic Les Troyens, performed last spring, and a much earlier opera, Benvenuto Cellini, given this month. The Cellini production was by Andrei Serban who lost no opportunity in adding visual interest to Léon de Wailly and Auguste Barbier's libretto. There were dancers, commedia dell'arte characters, mimes and all sorts of extras in continual motion. Even Berlioz, himself, is seen looking over his work. It was a rather unusual production for the Met but perhaps some new approaches are being added to its long standing traditions. Giorgio Tsypin's set showed a semi-circular white building on the stage's turntable with two winding staircases on either aside. Ladders and scaffolding helped depict the everyday life of Cellini, the artist, and the result was an excellent backdrop for the unveiling of his statue of Perseus. The colorful costumes by Georgi Alexi-Meskhishvili with their rich fabrics fit the time and place of the action. This opera, like many pieces by Berlioz, has a finely orchestrated, musically interesting score. He first wrote it for the Opéra Comique but it was refused there. Later, a revised version was accepted at the Opéra with the proviso that the pope should not be shown on stage. After a stormy premiere it received only three further performances and was forgotten for the next 13 years. Conductor, James Levine, caught the elusive spirit of this music and he led his excellent orchestra in an ebullient reading of the difficult score. The title role was given to Marcello Giordani who looked striking in a black wig and acted his part with consummate skill. He sang ardently with clearly understandable French. Nevertheless this is a long and difficult part and when he eventually tired his intonation suffered. Isabel Bayrakdarian, a singer with great stage presence, sang Teresa with bright, bell-like tones. She is a fine actress and she looked enchanting in her flowing costumes. John Del Carlo was a properly blustering Balducci and Alan Opie a cunning Fieramosca, while Kristine Jepson was an agile and golden toned Ascanio. The part of Pope Clement VII was played as somewhat of a caricature by the strong-voiced bass, Robert Lloyd. At the end of the performance the singers were warmly received but when the stage director appeared the bravos were laced with boos! However, that may just be the reaction of an audience that is unused to new methods of stagecraft. The Lyric Opera of Chicago is one of the few companies that offers premieres on weeknights. On Tuesday, December 16, it presented Camille Saint-Saens' Samson et Dalila as a setting for spectacular singing by Russian mezzo-soprano, Olga Borodina and Argentine tenor, José Cura. Borodina was an exciting Dalila with all the vocal and physical attributes that the role demands, a perfect temptress whose captivating seduction made it easy for the legendary warrior lay down his weapons. She gave a 'golden age' performance. Cura sang with powerful dark tones, impressing the audience with his stagecraft and athletic physique. In his interpretation he showed that he was aware of his weakness for Dalila, but totally unable to resist. He had not been heard at the Lyric Opera in nine years and he received a warm welcome. Jean Philippe Lafont was an evil high priest who sang with an acid tone, Tigran Martirossian a mocking, acerbic Abimelech and Raymond Aceto a touching Old Hebrew. The chorus, led by Donald Palumbo, performed well throughout and conductor, Emmanuel Villaume, drew sensuous sonorities from the fine orchestra. Special kudos go to the woodwinds for their exquisite work in the love scene. Sandra Bernhard's production was effective without being overdone. Set designer, Douglas Schmidt, made Dalila's Act II boudoir visually piquant with diaphanous draperies and it provided a wonderful background for seduction. The finale worked perfectly, too, with the coordinated collapse of the temple barely preceding the falling curtain. Costumer, Carrie Robbins, had attractive singers to dress and she decked them out in an aura of beauty: Samson in a short robe and Dalila in flowing garments. The only weak point in the whole production was the rather lack-luster ballet which did not seem in keeping with the sinuous rhythms of the Baccanale. The Opera Orchestra of New York, now in its 33rd year, often performs concert versions of neglected works that warrant a hearing, but might not sell enough tickets to make a full-scale production possible. On December 14 the seldom heard piece was Gaetano Donizetti's Anna Bolena. It was a cold and damp evening but opera lovers paid the weather no mind as they flocked to Carnegie Hall to be rewarded with some of the finest singing heard in New York so far this season. Krassimira Stoyanova was an energetic Anna and her dramatic phrases soared elegantly throughout the large hall. She has a shimmering soprano voice and interpreted her role with great sensitivity, even in this concert presentation. Her low tones were velvet and her middle register was beautifully colored. It was only on her very top notes that one could notice some occasional whiteness. Tenor, Yeghishe Manucharyan, has the sweet sounding high voice needed for the role of Percy. He was well received for his aria and cabaletta with its coloratura fireworks, even though he seemed a bit taxed by end of it. As Giovanna Seymour, Jennifer Larmore sang with seductive finesse. Her high notes were golden, her words understandable and she exhibited considerable knowledge of bel canto style. This opera showed a completely different side of Wagner bass-baritone, James Morris. He was an imposing and credible Enrico VIII despite a lack of flexibility and a bit too much vibrato on some of the longer held notes. The surprise of the evening for New Yorkers was mezzo, Kate Aldrich, who sang Smeton. She has already made a name for herself in Los Angeles. Tall, slim and fair of face, she has a rich voice with exquisite low notes. Her personality, too, is impressive on stage and her future was the talk of the intermission. Two other singers who acquitted themselves well are currently in the Opera Orchestra's young artist program. Derrick Ballard was a fine Rochford and Guillermo Lagundino sang a superb Hervey. Obviously, Eve Queler, who conducted rather perfunctorily despite having assembled a stellar cast, runs an excellent program for emerging professional singers. This was a wonderful vocal performance, despite a few less than perfect aspects, and it will long remain in the memory of everyone who attended it. © Maria Nockin, 3 January 2004  Maria Nockin grew up in New York. Born of a German Jewish/British/Bahamian family, She enjoyed a thorough-going musical upbringing, inspired by family friends like the violinist Mischa Elman, pianist Alexander Siloti, and soprano Grete Stückgold. Eventually concentrating on vocal studies, she became a soloist in New York churches, worked for the Metropolitan Opera Guild and later became a public high school teacher. Moving to Arizona in 1993, she started a new career as a music journalist contributing reviews and articles to Opera Japonica and other print and web publications. At her ranchito in the desert near Casa Grande, she paints watercolors and keeps two cats called Figaro and Siegfried. See the current Letter from America and also Letters from America 2000, 2001, 2002, January to June 2003 and 2004