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Maria Nockin's Letters from America July
For experienced opera goers accustomed to hearing the usual 1835 version of Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor, Glimmerglass Opera's presentation of the French version was an unusual treat. For its Paris premiere in 1839, the composer completely revised the opera, eliminating the role of Alisa and changing a good bit of the music for other characters. In France, the title role was sung by the English soprano, Anna Thillon, who must have had an unusual range because the tessitura of French part is higher than that of the Italian.
On July 1, Glimmerglass presented Lucie de Lammermoor in a production directed by Lillian Groag that will also be seen in Boston. Certainly the high points of the story were already known to many in the audience, but this production did little to clarify the French version's unique twists and turns. The stage atmosphere was gloomy, thanks to Christopher Akerlund's minimal lighting and John Conklin's scenery did not provide the artists with an easy space in which to recreate the story. Only Catherine Zuber's historically accurate, detailed costumes gave some visual piquancy to the picture.
Sarah Coburn's Lucie was a revelation. Not only is she a fine actress, she is also an intelligent interpreter and accomplished coloratura soprano for whom high tessitura and numerous intricate runs held no terrors. Raúl Hernández was a romantic, but not overly exciting Edgard who sang with great beauty of tone throughout the evening. His stage deportment could have been more energetic, but his lack of activity may have been the director's choice. Earle Patriarco was ill for this performance, but he managed to show the brooding nature of Henri and much of his resonant baritonal sound came across to the audience. As Raymond, Craig Phillips gave a definitive and sharply honed portrayal of the clergyman and sang with a vividly dramatic, if moderately sized, voice.
Two young tenors, Bryon Grohman and Chad A. Johnson added much to the success of the performance. As Gilbert, Grohman's characterization was sharply defined and Johnson sang the part of Arthur with well produced light tones. Maestro Affron gave a brisk, rhythmically vital reading of the score and, save for a few barely noticeable slips by the wind instruments, drew accurate and intense playing from the orchestra. It was a rewarding evening in one of upstate New York's most beautiful settings.
Every summer the Utah Festival takes place in the Cache Valley, an hour and a half north of Salt Lake City. On July 8, the work presented in the festival's tiny but picturesque Ellen Eccles Theatre was Robert Ward's 1961 Pulitzer Prize winning opera, The Crucible. Based on Arthur Miller's 1953 play of the same name, the work has a libretto by Bernard Stambler that is coupled with music recalling American folk songs and hymns. The composer was invited to take part in the proceedings and he gave several lectures during the festival.
A fine actor and a strong singer, Kristopher Irmiter gave a masterful portrayal of John Proctor while Carla Rae Cook was a secure Elizabeth Proctor. As Abigail Williams, Joy Hermalyn showed her ability to sing coloratura with style and accuracy. Lori Brown Mirabal gave an especially intense, affecting portrayal of Tituba. Nina Yoshida was a rich sounding Rebecca Nurse while Raymond Meyers, who had sung Giles Cory for San Jose Opera, reprised his excellent portrayal. Rachel Sliker was a vocally unwavering Ann Putnam and Daniel Cole was a smooth, deep toned Reverend John Hale.
While most of the summer festivals were offering unusual works, Cincinnati Opera offered a well-cast presentation of Verdi's eternally popular Rigoletto. On Thursday, July 21, the 1851 work was given in a production by Linda Brovsky that was originally seen in Seattle. The action was moved from the Renaissance to Mussolini's time. Of course, the 1930s are famous for wonderful clothes and costume designer Marie Anne Chiment took full advantage of the situation with sumptuous fluid designs.
Dina Kuznetsova was a charmingly girlish Gilda and she looked the picture of innocence in her pretty pink dress. She has a significant vocal talent, too, as was evident when she sang the pyrotechnics of the 'Caro nome' and when her voice soared over the ensembles. Singing with powerful low tones, Eric Owens was a menacing Sparafucile. In this production, Monterone is a Jew facing a mob of fascists. Kenneth Shaw was most effective in this role, both in his acting and in his singing of the curse. A mezzo with a sultry voice and sensuous looks, Tracie Luck was a fascinating Maddalena. The rest of the cast, Michael Mayes as Marullo, Mark T. Panuccio as Borsa and Jessica Vanderhoof as Gilda's Nurse, all sang their lines faultlessly and added a great deal to the value of this fine performance.
On the evening of July 2, Des Moines Metro Opera gave a performance of Benjamin Britten's Gloriana at the Blank Performing Arts Center. Company artistic director Robert L. Larson not only conducted the musical forces but directed the stage action as well. He did well in both roles, too. His reading of the musical score was well shaped and seemed to fulfill the composer's intentions. He also told the story clearly and was rewarded with skillful stagecraft from the singers. Carey Wong's setting was appropriately palatial and the costumes by Malabar Ltd of Toronto were richly detailed, visually intriguing and historically accurate. © Maria Nockin, 29 July 2005 August Summer in Santa Fe
Santa Fe's opera house lies high in the mountains, seven miles north of the high altitude New Mexico city. It's an excellent place to experience the magnificent colors of the desert sunset and, since the sides of the theater are open, one can always see the darkening sky at the beginning of a performance. On August first, the opera presented was Gioacchino Rossini's bubbling 1816 comedy Il barbiere di Siviglia, in a tastefully decorated version conducted by Kenneth Montgomery and directed by Stefano Vizioli. Possibly because the music was florid and fast paced, the staging reflected those attributes, sometimes to the point where it was distracting. Riccardo Hernandez's set was simple and functional while Anna Maria Heinreich's delicately colored costumes were richly detailed and appropriate for the time setting. Harpsichordist Glenn Lewis played the recitatives from the right side of the stage which encouraged close harmony with the singers
The star of the show was Puerto Rican soprano Ana Maria Martinez, for whom the fast tempi posed no problems. She tossed off the most intricate coloratura with fluent ease, sometimes with delightful ornamentation. Her Rosina was a confident young woman who knew she would outsmart her captor sooner or later. Martinez looked the part and proved to have excellent timing.
Brian Leerhuber was an energetic and flamboyant Figaro with a bright sound and a flair for the 'Largo'. He should mature into a fine artist. Bruce Sledge was an amusing Almaviva, an endearing lover with incredible bravura technique. A grouchy Bartolo, Dale Travis had a great variety of facial expressions and an agile voice. Wayne Tigges has a robust bass voice with a great deal of resonance and his 'La calunnia' was a vocal gem. His face was often a complete deadpan while he fascinated onlookers with his hand movements.
In this production the maid, Berta, appeared in many more scenes than usual. Veteran dramatic soprano Mary Jane Johnson has excellent comedic skills and director Visioli made full use of them, allowing her to be a foil for Bartolo and Basilio. Sean David Anderson was an accomplished Fiorello and Sam Handley, a spirited Ambrogio.
At sunset on the following evening, we listened to the opening strains of Giacomo Puccini's last opera, Turandot, actually being played for the first time at Santa Fe Opera. Director Douglas Fitch, who also designed the sets together with Adam Stockhausen, presented a production that utilized not only the entire width of the stage but many vertical levels as well. Costume designer Willa Kim, famous for her work with ballet, gave the principals colorful robes that reflected her knowledge of Chinese culture and her ability to translate it to the stage. Costuming is often an extra, but here it was central to the functioning of the production. It worked well, too, especially as seen under Duane Schuler's imaginative lighting.
Although Carl Tanner does not have the biggest heldentenor sound in the world, he uses his resources well and has a good variety of vocal colors, many of which he used in his thunderously well received rendition of 'Nessun' dorma.' Before the performance, there was an announcement telling the audience that Patricia Racette had a sore throat, but that was never evident in her honeyed and poignant singing of the loving and vulnerable Liu. Ping, Pang and Pong were faultlessly sung with great beauty of tone by Hyung Yun, David Cangelosi and Keith Jameson. Dramatic voiced Kevin Langan was a strong Timur and Andrew Oakden was an authoritative Mandarin. Only Toffer Mihalka, who seemed miscast as Altoum, had some problems with intonation. This was a visually fabulous performance and the music came close to the same level of excellence.
On Wednesday evening August third, the opera given was Osvaldo Golijov's Ainadamar. Its libretto was written in English by playwright David Henry Hwang and translated into Spanish by the composer. The opera's title comes from the Arabic Ayn al-Dam meaning fountain of tears and its story deals with the execution of author Federico Garcia Lorca by Spain's fascists on August 19, 1936. This libretto does not endeavor to tell a complete story, but instead shows snatches of it through the reminiscences of the actress, Margarita Xirgu, who had appeared as Marianna Pineda in the Lorca play of the same name. During the opera the dying actress tells her pupil, Nuria, of her time in Spain because she hopes the younger woman will keep her memories and love of freedom alive.
Golijov's music is basically a melodic mix of Spanish and Latin American styles. Conductor Miguel Harth-Bedoya succeeded in joining the various themes and he made a unified work of the opera's disparate sounds, some of which had to be amplified in order to be heard in the theater. The panels and floor which framed the action were all hand painted by Los Angeles artist, Gronk, and they were able to be viewed by the audience before the opera began. It was interesting to see how they changed under James F. Ingalls varied shades of lighting.
Xirgu was brilliantly played by Dawn Upshaw whose lovely soprano voice has many variations of color and who easily managed the differing styles of music. In the trouser role of Lorca, second year apprentice Kelley O'Connor showed that she is ready to take a significant place among American mezzo-sopranos. The last member of the female trio was soprano Jessica Rivera whose limpid high tones also made a notable impression. Although the males parts were much smaller, they were well interpreted. Alex Richardson was an imperious Ruiz Alonzo and Scott Tomlinson an unwavering José Tripaldi. Wade Thomas and Rob Asklov were moving as the teacher and matador executed with the poet. Singing with the soloists and adding much to the musical fabric of the piece was a group of 8 black garbed female apprentices directed by Kostis Protopapas. It's good news that this fascinating piece will be shown again next summer at California's Ojai Festival.
Following his success in Milan with Mitridate, re di Ponto, the 16-year-old Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart wrote Lucio Silla, an old styled opera seria that was premiered in the same city during the winter season of 1772. It's libretto by Giovanni de Gamerra is very loosely based on the life of Lucius Cornelius Sulla (138-78 BCE) as recorded by the historian, Plutarch, but fictional characters and incidents were added to make the story more interesting. Possibly because Silla is an opera seria, unlike the more familiar Mozart stage works, director Jonathan Kent presented an unusual production. The sets by Paul Brown and Luis Carvalho were simple and functional circular walls that opened and closed, sometimes showing a tree or a piece of furniture. Their minutely detailed, unusually wide costumes, however, were designed to pique the interest of the audience.
The music was completely faithful to Mozart's time and style. Bernard Labadie, artistic director of L'Opera de Montreal, drew clean, well phrased playing from his musicians he accompanied the singers in a manner that showed their best qualities. Singing Cecilio, a part originally written for the famous castrato Venanzio Rauzzini, was Susan Graham, the star of the show. Her acting was skillful and her interpretation of the Act I aria, 'Il tenero momento' was vocally stunning.
Silla was portrayed by Gregory Kunde with a mixture of self important royal demeanor and menace. He sang with golden tones and discrete ornamentation. Former apprentice Celena Shafer is fast becoming a world class coloratura soprano. She produced a clear flute-like sound and her voice carried well, even in the softest passages. Her bravura singing was precise and her intonation was usually perfect. The Shafer-Graham duet was a thing of exquisite beauty.
Anna Christy, who was the young Mme Mao in the 2003 premiere of the Bright Sheng work, sang Celia with secure but pale tones which made her voice contrast nicely with those of Graham and Shafer. Male soprano Michael Maniaci has an unusually high voice for a counter tenor and, like the women in this cast, he sang with consummate skill. Although this was a highly unusual production, it held the audience's interest in a way that opera seria seldom does today.
The last night of our visit, August 5, was stormy and streaks of yellow lightning blazed across the night sky that, for this production, could be seen not only at the sides of the stage but at its back as well. Scottish director Paul Curran staged Benjamin Britten's 1945 opera, Peter Grimes, in such a way that the blackness upstage was the perfect representation of an angry sea. One could almost hear the pounding of the waves during the interludes. At the sides of the stage were Robert Innes Hopkins's tall, movable clapboard houses and they set each scene appropriately. Anthony Dean Griffey is the Grimes of any opera goer's dreams. His stature and carriage denote strength and possibly stoicism, while his distinctive tenor sound completely fulfilled all the vocal requirements of this difficult role. His fisherman was a complex mixture of pitiable loneliness and angry brute force.
Ellen Orford was interpreted by Christine Brewer, who portrayed Richard Strauss's Die ägyptische Helena on the same stage in 2001. She sang with clear lustrous tones and acted with considerable skill. Jill Grove was a fun loving Auntie with luscious low notes. Judith Christin gave a memorable characterization of the village busybody, Mrs Sedley, whose actions were amusing because they were also very human. Wilbur Pauley was a gregarious Hobson and Kevin Langan a conceited Swallow. Both sang with vocal acumen. Providing an anchor for the proceedings was Alan Opie as a commanding Balstrode. Kevin Jameson was a formidable Bob Boles and David Cangelosi a trumpet voiced Reverend. Auntie's nieces were impressively sung and acted by the attractive second year apprentices, Emily Martin and Bronwen Forbay, while Richard Byrne was a commendable Ned Keen. Special credit should go to the young actor, Austin Ames, for his moving and poignant portrayal of Grimes' apprentice. This was a truly memorable performance and it was the crowning glory for a wonderful week in the southwestern American city that best remembers it's Spanish heritage, Santa Fe.
© Maria Nockin, 1 September 2005 September
On September 15, Los Angeles Opera presented the rarely-seen Offenbach comedy, La Grande-Duchesse de Gérolstein. It was sung in French but had English dialogue adapted by stage director Garry Marshall. Like the rest of the production, the translation was done with a light touch. Marshall, best known for his work in motion pictures and television, made his opera debut with this work. Most of his comedy came across the footlights, but it was gentle material with few laugh-out-loud punch lines. The ornate and sometimes intentionally overdone sets were by Heidi Ettinger, the intricately detailed costumes by Constance Hoffman and the atmospheric lighting by Mary Louise Geiger.
The star of the show was the inimitable Frederica von Stade, whose musical and theatrical prowess is legendary. Her demeanor was charming, her singing stylistically perfect, and it was easy to understand her French pronunciation. A visually striking performer, she looked regal in Hoffman's elegant gowns. Paul Groves, a tenor with a golden sound, phrased his lines handsomely and was convincing as the confused private who is elevated to general.
Coloratura soprano Constance Hauman was a attractive and amusing Wanda who could both speak and sing with a thick lisp. Rodney Gilfry was a courtly Prince Paul and John Cheek was a thoroughly bombastic General Boum. In this production, Jason Graae as 'Mr O' a character made up to somewhat resemble the composer, appeared at various times on stage or in the orchestra pit to give sparkling commentary on the proceedings. The Duchess's ladies in waiting: Laura Kay Swanson, Teresa Brown, Cynthia Jansen and Suzanna Guzmán all sang with well projected tones and added much to the beauty of the stage picture. Emmanuel Villaume conducted with a light touch and propelled the work forward, never letting the composer's effervescent music fall flat.
On Sept 14, Los Angeles Opera presented Ruggiero Leoncavallo's opera Pagliacci in a revival of the Franco Zeffirelli production. This year it was staged by his frequent associate, Marco Gandini, who changed the time setting of the work to the late 20th century and brought all sorts of circus acts to the opera stage. At one time the programming of this opera by itself caused some people to question whether or not they were getting a full evening's entertainment, but this production gave the viewer a huge show to watch. The set consisted of three levels, so the action was both vertical as well as horizontal and Ramonda Gaetani's creative costuming was distinctive, even down to the chorus dresses.
All of this would have made a wonderful background for a commanding Canio. Unfortunately, Roberto Alagna's voice seemed rather small scaled in comparison to his surroundings. He hit all the notes, however, and sang with emotional intensity, so his interpretation was effective. His wife, Angela Gheorghiu, had less to do but created a huge impression with her characterization of the unfaithful wife singing about the freedom of the birds. As Tonio, Alberto Mastromarino sang rather carefully and never created the evil aura that this character might have conjured up.
Greg Fedderly was a capable Beppe with a firm voice and Mariusz Kwiecien was an ardent Silvio with a robust sound. It is possible that this performance would have been a complete success if conductor Nicola Luisotti had been more temperate in his decibel level. His reading of the score was quite slow and most of the orchestra's playing was loud enough to cause problems for the singers. It was a most interesting evening, but it could have been even better if the vocalists did not have to work so hard to be heard.
On September 9, Lyric Opera of San Antonio presented a performance of Gioacchino Rossini's 1816 comic opera Il barbiere di Siviglia. Lyric is just one of the myriad opera companies to be found in the huge state of Texas and it only mounts three operas per season, but it has the resources to put on some very fine performances. In 1997 it began playing to a four hundred seat house but quickly graduated to a 1,000 seat venue. This year it has moved again to San Antonio's Municipal Auditorium which has a more commodious orchestra pit and a bigger stage. The effective rotating scenery for this work was bought from Santa Fe Opera and the production was directed by Dr. William McCrary, a voice teacher and head of the opera theater at the University of Texas in San Antonio. He presented the piece as light comedy and it never lost its airiness.
Mark Adamo's Little Women has been performed quite regularly since it's premiere in 1998. It may be one of the few contemporary operas that is truly part of today's repertoire. Surprisingly, it's the composer's first opera and he wrote the libretto himself. On September 16, it was presented by Milwaukee's Skylight Opera Theatre, a company that undertakes a broad spectrum of works, ranging from baroque opera to musical comedy. Their production of the Adamo work was staged by its composer, a very old tradition that is seldom repeated today. © Maria Nockin, 1 October 2005 October
On Friday, October 7, Arizona Opera presented Georges Bizet's Carmen to an audience that included participants in its first 'Noche de Opera' for Spanish speaking opera lovers. The performance was held in the newly refurbished Phoenix Symphony Hall, and an improvement in the acoustics was evident. It seems as though Kirstin Chávez was born to sing this opera. Since her 1999 apprenticeship in Santa Fe, she has sung the title role with various companies and on November 19 she makes her Metropolitan Opera debut as Mercédès.
As Carmen, Chavez showed the heat of the Spanish sun by cooling herself at the fountain that was the centerpiece of the set for Act I. Lighting designer Harry Frehner added to the realism of the scene with deep contrasts of light and shadow. That was the prelude to the hot and passionate encounters between Carmen and her Don José, ardently sung by Eric Fennell. Both singers have good sized, lustrous voices and they sang with sensuous tones. As Escamillo, Keith Phares was slightly less impressive. He sang all the notes in the right places, but did not convince the audience that he was brave enough to stare down a charging bull.
Outstanding among the singers of smaller roles was Jennifer Nagy, the Frasquita. She is a promising soprano with a radiant voice and splendid high notes. As Mercédès, Olga Perez sang with smoky tones and proved to be a dependable companion for Carmen. The brawny voiced Ben Sorenson played Zuniga as a man who definitely wanted Carmen for himself. Jay Kuh provided some comic relief as Morales, while Todd Strange and Reynaldo Romo as Le Remendado and Le Dancaïre completed the quintet of gypsies who sang their ensemble with perfect timing.
Nicolle Foland was a sweet and innocent Micaela, but her character was one dimensional and could never be a worthy opponent for Carmen. Her phrasing was silken and she sang with pure, sweet tones. Joel Revzen has done a great deal to build up the Arizona Opera Orchestra. They played Bizet's mellifluous tunes with infectious verve and brought out all of the score's variegated orchestral colors.
On Saturday October 15, at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts not far from Los Angeles, the Czech Opera Prague presented Johann Strauss's Die Fledermaus in a traditional setting. The stage direction, design, lighting and newly updated dialogue were all the work of the company's artistic director, Martin Otava. Although the company is touring the United States and everything used on stage has to be trucked to the next city each night, the sets were fresh looking and substantial, while the costumes were colorful and attractive.
Jitka Svobodova was a charming and intelligent Rosalinda who made one wonder why Eisenstein did not treat her better. Her singing soared over the orchestra and she proved to be a skilled actress, especially in the crucial moments of Act II. As her husband, Eisenstein, Jan Jezek sang with a well projected, robust sound and was a convincing married playboy. Jaromir Novotny was an amusing and amorous Alfred who sang snippets of Italian opera with romantic fervor. An accomplished singing actor, Pavel Klecka was an edgy Dr. Falke who could be personable in social situations, but never let the audience forget he was intent on getting his revenge.
Much of the opera is dependent on the ability of the Adele, played here by the multi-talented Anna Klamova-Janotova. She was lazy as the chambermaid in Act I, haughty as the would-be singer who had occasional lapses of class in Act II and charming as the supplicant in Act III who won over the jailer. Not only can this singer act, she has good coloratura and a silvery mid-sized voice that carried well in the large hall.
Although Viara Zhelezova was a charming Orlovsky, you knew it would be perilous to contradict the seemingly vague but actually powerful member of the nobility that she portrayed. Small boned with a trim figure, she has the low notes for the part and she sang them with gusto. Marian Rehor was an effusive prison director and a perfect co-conspirator for Klecka's Falke. Jiri Kubic was a comical Blind and Gueorgui Dinev was hysterically funny as the drunken Frosch.
At the Bass Concert Hall, on October 7 and 8, Austin Lyric Opera presented Giuseppe Verdi's well loved Il trovatore to an appreciative audience. Sets for this production had to be improvised because they had originally been ordered from hurricane ravaged New Orleans. Stage director Josemaria Condemi and lighting designer David Nancarrow used projections accompanied by a ramp with a platform for the background. Together with good costuming and realistic acting, they managed to tell the work's violent story in a relatively understandable manner.
On October 6, the New York City Opera presented a true rarity: Ariane et Barbe-bleu, the only opera by the composer of the much more widely known Sorcerer's Apprentice, Paul Dukas. The opera's libretto by Maurice Maeterlinck is full of mysterious symbols and you never really know whether some of the lesser participants are real or figments of a character's imagination. Louis Desiré's sets were in keeping with the ambiguity of the work and his restrictive costumes brought out the state of deprivation endured by the wives. © Maria Nockin, 1 November 2005 November
On November 11, the Florentine Opera of Milwaukee presented an updated production of Ludwig van Beethoven's only opera, Fidelio. Yugoslavian-born director Dejan Miladinovic set the story in the German Democratic Republic where those who resisted the government ideology were often imprisoned. His Florestan is in prison for revealing the regime's brutality. Miladinovic based the character on the case of photo journalist H J Helwig-Wilson who was jailed there for 13 years.
Since neither the libretto nor the music of this opera is strongly tied to the originally stated time and locale, it transplants well. Noele Stollmack's massive scenery suggested violence and the impossibility of escape with its movable wall and dark reddish brown spatter patterns that resembled dried blood. She also designed the lighting which added much to the aura of repression.
As Rocco, opulent-voiced Stephen Morschek brought his character to life when he sang about the value of money. Kristopher Irmiter's strong dark voice seemed to portend evil, making his Pizzarro someone you would not want to meet in a dark alley. Valérie McCarthy was a pert and charming Marzelline with a sweet sound, while Jay Morrissey sang Jacquino with well supported golden tones. As Don Fernando, Ethan Herschenfeld's stature and dramatic presence were underscored by his ability to act with his voice.
To open its 55th season, the last in Miami's Dade County Auditorium, Florida Grand Opera presented Giacomo Puccini's La fanciulla del West (The Girl of the Golden West) on November 12. Next year the company will perform at the brand new Miami Performing Arts Center. Stage director Lillian Groag told the California gold rush story in an easily understandable manner and constructed good drama from the libretto. John Conklin's setting and Robert Wierzel's atmospheric lighting design placed the 'forty-niners' in a believable environment. Conductor Stewart Robertson brought out the relationship of this late Puccini opera to French impressionism and other modern music that was beginning to be heard during the first decade of the 20th century. His tempi kept the natural momentum of the piece flowing and he was careful to accede to the needs of the singers.
Arizona Opera presents a wide variety of musical productions. Last month Phoenix Symphony Hall was full for Carmen. On November 17, its seats were almost equally well sold for an edgy, adult presentation of Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill's Die Dreigroschenoper (The Threepenny Opera) which was sung in English. Based on John Gay's The Beggar's Opera of 1728, but written in the period following World War I, the piece depicts the loss of morality and common decency among those who suffer intractable poverty.
Narration was split between Doug Jones, who was made up to look like Joel Gray in Cabaret, and Gloria Parker who wore ruffled hot pants and tails reminiscent of Marlene Dietrich. A capable mezzo-soprano with a sultry sound, she was also a convincing Jenny Diver. Jonathan J Peachum, the clan's head of household and a sleazy racketeer, was personified by New York City Opera baritone, Victor Benedetti, who proved that he can act as well as sing. Elizabeth Keusch was a lovely looking, silvery voiced Polly who shocked some of the Arizona audience with her graphic descriptions. As her mother, Celia, Kitt Foss looked stylish and sang her numbers with commitment.
On November 1, Houston Grand Opera presented a revival of Göran Jarvefeldt's 1988 production of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro. Because it has weathered the intervening years well, Carl Friedrich Oberle's sets and costumes, which are reminiscent of Sweden's Drottningholm Court Theater, still delight the eye. This year the stage direction was by Harry Silverstein who brought Lorenzo da Ponte's libretto to life in an energetic romp.
As the Countess, Ana Maria Martinez sang with a sumptuous middle register and glorious clear high notes. Her dramatic interpretation injected a few bits of humor into the character's otherwise long suffering existence. A gifted comedienne, Zheng Cao was a definitive Cherubino who stole many of 'his' scenes. She has excellent stylistic command and sang with flexibility as she produced floods of honeyed sound.
During the weekend of November 5 and 6, The Canton (Ohio) Museum of Art held a symposium on the works of Richard Wagner. It culminated in a Sunday night concert featuring excerpts from Der Ring des Nibelungen. The soloists, soprano Susan Marie Pierson and bass-baritone Charles Robert Austin, were accompanied by the Canton Symphony Orchestra conducted by Gerhardt Zimmermann. © Maria Nockin, 1 December 2005 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 other letters in the Archives.
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