NSO's Ring without Words: I tried to enjoy it, honest.

The enthusiastic and elongated standing ovation at the conclusion of the National Symphony Orchestra’s playing, under the direction of Maestro Gianandrea Noseda, “Ring without Words” offered compelling evidence that I was in a minority of one.  Further, I could find no solace in reviews of this work when performed by other orchestras.  Well, I tried to enjoy it, honest, I did.

The National Symphony Orchestra led by Conductor Gianandrea Noseda. Photo by Scott Suchman; courtesy of the National Symphony Orchestra.

For me, Wagnerian opera was an acquired taste, but once acquired it became a passion, though with a bitter taste.  Wagner was both a great composer and, from all reports, a seriously flawed human being.  His forte was composing operas, not symphonic works; he has eleven operas that are still performed today.  He completed only one symphony, which was not well received.  His desire was to create what he called musical dramas as “gesamtkunstwerk”, a theater package that included all art forms as a maxed out dramatic experience, with music being an active participant in the dramas.  He popularized the concept of using leitmotifs or short musical themes to identify with people, places, objects, or ideas.  His music in many of his operas has been redrafted with success for presentation as orchestral works.  Given that my first love is opera and that the NSO performances are always a treat, I could not pass this one up, especially given the chance to hear Wagner’s music performed by an orchestra the size and quality of the National Symphony Orchestra. My expectations were high.

This history behind this performance bears mentioning.  In 1987, the recording company Telarc persuaded the late, great conductor Lorin Maazel to make a condensed orchestral version of music from Richard Wagner’s the Ring Cycle (Der Ring des Nibelungen or The Ring of the Nibelung), a work consisting of four separate operas –

Das Rheingold (or The Rhinegold),

Die Walküre or (Valkyrie),

Siegfried,

Das Götterdämmerung or (Twilight of the Gods) –

a grouping which lasts over 16 hours in total.  The plot-line from Norse mythology that runs through all four opera concerns a golden ring that gives the possessor god like power over everyone… but with the condition that they give up love; overall, the Ring is an engrossing and compelling drama about the destructive influence of power when not guided by love.  Telarc had a confining stipulation for Maazel: the work had to come in under 75 minutes to fit on a single compact disc.  Maestro Maazel’s effort that he labeled the “Ring without Words” stitched together musical highlights from the four operas, presented in the same order as the operas; his program came in around 70 minutes.  The “Ring without Words”, which began as a studio recording, has enjoyed popularity as a concert piece, still performed occasionally today.  This distillation offers music fans the chance to sample Wagner’s music without committing to 16 hours required to hear the operas.  It so happens that NSO’s Music Director and Conductor Gianandrea Noseda has recently conducted the entire Ring Cycle and will do so again in May 2024 for the Zurich Opera House, where he holds the position of General Music Director.  Now, it also happens that there was another concert scheduled for NSO’s season in the January 11, 12, and 13 slot, but the solo performer to appear canceled this past November.  This confluence of need and competence enabled NSO to quickly fill the void with a quality and timely replacement.  I don’t know how season ticket holders took the news, but the KC Concert Hall was mostly packed on Thursday evening.

Conductor and NSO Music Director Gianandrea Noseda. Photo by Scott Suchman; courtesy of the National Symphony Orchestra.

Let me be clear: my issues were with the program, not the performance thereof; this is great music by a great composer, assembled by a great conductor, and it was played with verve and beauty by a great orchestra led by a great conductor.  All the elements were in place for a fine performance. In the beginning, the music of the Rhine entered slowly and swirled, engulfing the audience; the orchestra pushed the ride of the Valkyries out over the audience.  Further along a clanking sound of a hammer fashioning a sword drifted out.  Siegfried and Brunnhilde began their love affair.  Finally, Brunnhilde makes a sacrifice to cleanse and offer hope once more.  That was happening in my mind’s eye which was conjuring images from the operas.  Certainly, it was beautiful music, sometimes in a slow encompassing pace, moving slowly and now and then surging with raging crescendos, sometimes with a wall of shimmering sound (I love Wagner’s use of horns).   Individual sections of the orchestra took turns with the lead and even a lovely cello solo was offered. 

So, what’s your problem, dude?  Well, I looked forward to the opportunity to focus on hearing this music sans the singing and story, but I could not.  One of my favorite moments in opera is the beginning of Das Rheingold when the swirling music of the Rhine rises as in a wave and the Rhine maidens break into song - it’s thrilling, but they weren’t there that night and the water simply moved on empty and alone.  I tried to adjust, but more and more the moments of beauty seemed lonely and disjointed.  I can only wonder what someone unfamiliar with the Ring Cycle heard.  Were they enticed to attend the entire Ring Cycle, or will they think that its music that had its moments but is not worth 16 hours and the expense required?  Based on what I heard that evening, I would be delighted to attend Noseda’s performances of the complete cycle with the Zurich Opera in May, or better yet, how about doing it again in the Kennedy Center.  Francesca Zambello’s 2016 Ring was outstanding; it’s time for another round!

Perhaps for me the experience was like having one potato chip when there are four varieties on the table, but it goes deeper, maybe like hearing four movements from Mozart symphonies without pause, where each movement came from a different Mozart symphony.  Music elicits feelings or at least it shades feelings, but in a personal way, speaking to us in a language we can only understand subconsciously.  Great composers like Mozart could compose ensemble arias where different individuals singing at the same time to the same tune were expressing very different feelings.  The great opera composers became adept at using music to assign meaning to stretches of music that works for their dramas, and when we hear it in the opera, the meaning given to us becomes imprinted on our consciousness.   That music becomes associated in our minds with those characters or places or ideas. I cannot hear the theme from the TV show “Have Gun, Will Travel” without seeing in my mind’s eye Paladin dressed in black, or hear Lara’s Theme without seeing fields of wind caressed flowers in Russia or hear “Do you hear the People Sing” from “Les Misérables” without sensing the patriotic pride of liberty, equality, and fraternity.  Think of what you experience when you hear the musical theme from the movie, “Jaws”.  Wagner refined that ability to create short snippets of music that became associated with characters or places or ideas that helped him tell his stories.  Classical music also has an underlying order, even though it is something I cannot articulate.  That order is why I most often feel calmed by classical music.  However, in opera the meaning of the music has been assigned.  Perhaps when I heard Maazel’s suite of opera music from the Ring Cycle played as an orchestral piece, those meanings, the music and the opera-assigned ones, clashed at transition points, and it felt chaotic, even though musically the transitions were relatively smooth.  Perhaps, seventy minutes of these changes was too much for me to enjoy at one time.  Or perhaps, like Scrooge I can hope that the ghost visiting me that night was just an undigested piece of potato (in my case peanut butter crackers).

Finally, the performance by the National Symphony Orchestra led by Conductor Noseda was as strong as I anticipated, no problem there, but for whatever reason, the Ring without Words program did not work for me that night. For me, Maestro Maazel’s Ring suite of seventy minutes, at best, only made me long for the sweet sixteen hours of Wagner’s. Maybe for the Ring Cycle, I need the gesamtkunstwerk; I hope Ms. Zambello is listening.

The Fan Experience: Performances of “Ring without Words” were scheduled for January 11, 12, and 13 in the Concert Hall at the Kennedy Center.  The work is intended to be performed continuously without interruption, though in Thursday’s performance, enthusiastic fans could not resist interrupting the performance a couple of times with applause.

Parking in the Kennedy Center is typically plentiful at around $25 per day, with a small discount for Kennedy Center members when reserved ahead of the day.  The Metro to Foggy Bottom and the free red Kennedy Center buses, from there to the Kennedy Center running every 15 minutes, are an excellent option.  There is an advantage in getting there a bit early.  KC frequently has multiple performances on its different stages overlapping that can create traffic jams, even unexpected ones inside the Center.  Thursday, the middle section of the Grand Foyer in front of the Opera House was squadroned off and only attendees for “Frozen” could enter that area, and they had to pass through metal detectors to enter.

There are snack stands in the main lobby, and on the Terrace level, the KC Café offers food cafeteria style at moderate prices; fine dining is available on the Terrace level in the Roof Terrace Restaurant.  Food and drinks except water are not allowed inside the opera house, but you can purchase reusable containers with your drinks that you can take inside.

Shakespeare Opera Theatre's Hansel and Gretel: A Fun Experience for All Ages

I attended Shakespeare Opera Theatre’s performance of the opera, Hansel and Gretel, on Saturday afternoon, and it proved to be quite a pleasure as well as a rewarding arts experience.  I told my wife that next time we should bring some friends (be sure to read The Fan Experience section below).

Engelbert Humperdinck (the composer, not the 1960s pop music singer who adopted his name to help the singer revitalize his career) was a talented, even gifted German composer.  He wrote six operas and many other well received musical compositions, but it is his opera Hansel and Gretel for which he is widely known today.  The libretto by his sister Adelheid Wette is based on the famous Brothers Grimm fairy tale.  The collaboration that led to the opera occurred when his sister asked him to compose music for four folk songs to be part of a children’s marionette show she was planning.  The very pleasing melodies and themes of the folks songs are employed in the opera.

In the rear, JP Gorski as Peter, the father, Alicia Woodberry as Gertrud, the mother, with Julie Silva as Hansel and Catherine Moss as Gretel. Photo by Joshua Waits; courtesy of Shakespeare Opera Theatre.

The opera was first performed on December 23, 1893, in Germany, conducted by the even more famous composer Ricard Strauss.  Humperdinck’s opera enjoyed immediate success and became associated with Christmas in Germany and gradually also in the rest of the world.  The Metropolitan Opera’s first live, on-air broadcast was of Hansel and Gretel, performed in New York City on December 25, 1931.  It is frequently performed worldwide today, especially during the holiday season.  It’s themes of childhood innocence and vulnerability, coupled with an overriding divine protection of the innocent fit well with the celebration of Christmas.  To make the opera more accessible, SOT used an English language adaptation of the opera, slightly trimmed and modified; musical accompaniment was by piano.

Shakespeare Opera Theatre is a local opera company founded in 2015 by soprano, Dr. Lori Lind and based in McLean, VA.  After spending years touring around the world, Dr. Lind decided to settle down in northern Virginia and to stay connected to the performance arts by merging her two loves, acting in Shakespeare productions, and singing opera.  She found an acceptance and performance venue at the Grace Episcopal Church in The Plains, Virginia, which was expanded a few years ago to include performances at St. Thomas Episcopal Church, McLean; maximum seating at both is around 85.  While operas based on Shakespeare’s plays are a repeating element of the company’s seasons, the name is meant to indicate a focus on classic works, especially operas where acting is emphasized.  After a couple of rocky years in the beginning, SOT found its footing, and Dr. Lind reports now that performances are frequently selling out.  Based on the matinee performance I saw on Saturday afternoon, it is easy to understand why.

Amanda Wyand as The Witch. Photo by Portraits by Bronder; courtesy of Shakespeare Opera Theatre.

You might wonder about the quality of singers that a small, local opera company can attract and afford to employ; I did.  However, during the performance, those thoughts changed to how can SOT attract singers of such quality!  SOT’s target pool is “emerging artists” (we once called these singer’s young, but now they arrive holding college degrees in music and graduate degrees in voice and have already been performing professionally for years, though still youngish).  The vocalists come from across the U.S. and even beyond.  Dr. Lind told me that SOT auditioned 48 singers for the seven soloist positions, requiring each singer to perform five arias.  As performers themselves, Dr. Lind and the production team have a great deal of experience to draw on; of local interest, I noted that Dr. Lind won the 2005 vocal competition held annually by Annapolis Opera and is the current Organist and Choirmaster at St. Thomas.

Hansel and Gretel are the lead roles for the opera, featured in every scene.  Soprano Catherine Moss as Gretel and mezzo-soprano Julie Silva as Hansel were an excellent pairing, believably portraying a teenaged or preteen sister and brother who love to quarrel almost as much as they love each other’s company.  Ms. Silva sang with a lovely medium deep tone, perfect for a pants role, and Ms. Moss’ voice has a very pretty timbre.  Their voices blended beautifully in their duets.  Ms. Moss is a current member of the University of Maryland Opera Studio; Ms. Silva has sung mezzo-soprano roles worldwide, including performing previously as Hansel.  The Witch was portrayed by mezzo-soprano Amanda Wyand, who in addition to singing well seemed to enjoy giving a fine, campy performance as the Witch.  Ms. Wyand was an apprentice artist with Opera Roanoke and in 2022 was an Ader Emerging Artist with Charlottesville Opera.

Gertrud, the mother, and Peter, the father were sung by soprano Alicia Woodberry and baritone JP Gorski, both of whom sang well and gave engaging performances.  Peter constantly singing la, la, la, la melodically became an earworm for me.  The roles of the Sandman and Dew Fairy were sung by two charmers, mezzo-soprano Elizabeth Barnes and soprano Kathryn Brode, respectively; both left me longing for more.

Elizabeth Barnes as Sandman and Kathryn Brode as the Dew Fairy. Photos by Portraits by Bronder; courtesy of Shakespeare Opera Theatre.

Hansel and Gretel’s popularity is not only due to its appeal as a fairy tale opera for children; it also offers a melodic, musically sophisticated score.  Composer Humperdinck became friends with Richard Wagner and assisted him in a production of Parsifal at Bayreuth.  Musicologists state that the music offers a Wagnerian range of colors and textures, with endless polyphonic variations on the folk melodies; they have even questioned whether the music is too rich just for a simple fairy tale opera.  The piano accompaniment for this performance was supplied by SOT’s Associate Director and Conductor Dr. Lisa Bloy.  The melodies and themes translated well for a production of Hansel and Gretel in a smaller venue.  Ms. Bloy’s playing might have been more nuanced but her timing with the singers was impeccable.  Time and again I marveled at how well they performed together.

The small performance hall for Hansel and Gretel had simple attractive, thematic sets: a cottage set, a forest set, and a candy house set for the different scenes; amusingly, Ms. Lind told the audience that we must ignore the sets not in use for the current scene; it was not a problem.  The Bavarian styled costumes were a delight, though Gertrud’s lavish red gown, while lovely, was more fitting for a queen than an impoverished broom maker’s wife.  This version of the opera was modified for the final scene where, in other versions, the children previously consumed by The Witch appear and are brought back to life.  My difficulty deciphering sung text, even when sung in English, left me unclear whether that aspect had been addressed; my wife, who had not seen the opera before, thought the ending worked as presented.  Regardless, it was a happy ending for all, even The Witch, and the audience was treated to a closing chorus by the ensemble.

Hansel and Gretel is based on a fairy tale that can be presented in many ways.  The SOT presentation is mild in terms of scariness, played more for comedic effect.  Still, children become lost (happiness endangered); children are threatened (innocence lost), and children save themselves (with a little divine intervention) and eventually are reunited with their grateful parents (oh, joy).  All that coupled with great singing and music works for me, at Christmas or anytime.

The Fan Experience: Shakespeare Opera Theatre scheduled Hansel and Gretel performances for December 9 (matinee and evening) and 10 (matinee) at St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Mclean, and on December 16 (matinee and evening) at Grace Episcopal Church in The Plains, Virginia.  The opera is sung in English without subtitles.  SOT’s next production will be Verdi’s Macbeth in July.

SOT’s performance had more of a party atmosphere rather than the church service atmosphere of our major opera halls.  I found little pretense with SOT; they readily own their limitations and still managed to engage us fully.  Dress is “as you like it” and seating is at tables.  Thematic snacks and non-alcoholic drinks are offered for sale (I had the endless hot chocolate) which can be consumed before, during, or after performances.  Children were not only encouraged to attend but Ms. Lind, in her opening remarks, stated not to worry if your children began to act like children, let them be children, and if any adults wanted to play with the toys and coloring books at the back, feel free. Autumn Grimes is SOT’s children’s helper and keeps the children engaged.  

I will close with a personal anecdote and just a wee bit of pontificating.  The college I attended required attendance at church your first year.  I fell in love with the choir which featured an outstanding soprano soloist.  The second year I kept attending regularly, in all honesty, primarily to hear the choir.  This was not the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, but this local choir provided some of my most cherished musical experiences, further enhanced by being part of a community.  I worry that opera has lost much of its direct connection with people and the community contact has become too impersonal, especially as younger generations move increasingly online.  Shakespeare Opera Theatre offers an old-time approach in a modern setting using professional quality singers.  You might find it rewarding, and if you’d also like to rekindle that old flame of community connection, maybe bring a friend.

Washington Concert Opera's Ermione: OMG!

Washington Concert Opera presented the rarely performed Rossini opera, Ermione, Saturday evening in Lisner Auditorium on the GW campus.  With a cast headlined by Metropolitan Opera veterans Angela Meade, David Portillo, Lawrence Brownlee, and Ginger Costa-Jackson with Conductor Antony Walker, I was expecting a good show or maybe just an interesting evening; however, after Ms. Costa-Jackson sang Andromacha’s opening aria with such passion as a woman fearful for her son and crushed by the loss of her husband, all resistance to this opera vanished.  The other singers must have realized at that point that they needed to bring their A-game to match up with her, and they did!  Each of the principal singers elicited explosions of applause from the audience time and again for their various arias, one wow moment after another.  This was the most fun at the opera that I have had in a long time.

Angela Meade as Ermione with Conductor Antony Walker; the Washington Concert Opera Orchestra and Chorus in the background. Production photo by Caitlin Oldham; courtesy of Washington Concert Opera.

I wish Gioachino Rossini himself could have been there.  To say that Ermione failed to impress when it premiered in 1819 can hardly be overstated; it closed after seven performances and the opera was not staged again for one hundred and fifty years.  Even in modern times, it has been produced worldwide only six times in the last ten years.  Rossini moved on, but evidently kept it in his heart, referring to it in his later years as his “little William Tell”.  Many reasons have been proffered for its lack of popularity – it was too avant-garde, seen as an effort of Rossini to break free from the Italian operatic conventions of his day.  The infrequency of its productions today may be a combination of cost – a large cast with four extraordinary singers is needed – and the limited popular appeal of Greek tragedy today, especially one with such a complicated, dark storyline, devoid of comic relief and lacking superheroes…lacking any kind of hero, for that matter.

l to r: Ginger Costa-Jackson as Andromacha, Angela Meade as Ermione, David Portillo as Pirro, and Lawrence Brownlee as Oreste, with Conductor Antony Walker on the platform and in the background the WCO Orchestra and Chorus. Production photo by Caitlin Oldham; courtesy of Washington Concert Opera.

The librettist for Ermione was Andrea Leone Tottola; he adapted the story from Jean Racine’s play, Andromaque.  The time is shortly after the Trojan War, with Trojan prisoners held in Epirus, where King Pirro has placed Astianatte, the son of slain Trojan hero, Hector, in prison; his wife Andromacha is allowed to move about under the protection of King Pirro, who has fallen in love with her.  Noble woman Ermione has learned of his affection for Andromacha and feels jilted and betrayed.  Oreste, son of Agamemnon arrives as an emissary who wants Hector’s son put to death out of Greek fear he could lead a new Trojan uprising.  Oreste is deeply in love with Ermione, who has no interest in him.  The women control the guys with Andromacha wanting to save her son and Ermione wanting Pirro back.  Ermione goes too far, asking Oreste to kill Pirro to get her hand, and then wishing the Furies on him for carrying out her request.  It ends with the Greeks protecting Oreste by escorting him back to Greece by sea.  Epirus is left in turmoil, with the stories of Ermione and Andromacha left unfinished, and no season 2 planned.  If Rossini had employed supernatural Furies and had them do some earlier dirty work, it might have played better for modern American audiences.  Ah, what might have been.

l to r: Kate Jackman as Cefisa, Ginger Costa-Jackson as Andromacha, Erin Ridge as Cleone, and Angela Meade as Ermione, Production photo by Caitlin Oldham; courtesy of Washington Concert Opera.

The outstanding soprano Angela Meade, who portrays Ermione, has appeared in several productions of Ermione over the last ten years, and her performances have been influential in the renewed interest it has received.  In her opening comments, Executive Director Meg Sippey cautioned that Ms. Meade was recovering from a respiratory infection and while fine she might need to cough on stage; she never did, and if this was Ms. Meade at less than her best, please let me experience her best at a future performance.  This is a difficult role, especially in Act 2 when Ermione moves through one emotion to another, from jealous anger to guilt to love to grief to fury, all decorated with melisma and trills in high and low registers.  Despite the caution, her virtuosity and beautiful tone did not disappoint, and I was on my feet with everyone else applauding at the end.  Tenor David Portillo as Pirro was a marvel, singing beautifully with a silvery tone while being pushed back and forth in different directions by Ermione and Andromacha.  He managed some portions requiring rapid fire delivery with his beautiful tone completely in tack.  Tenor Lawrence Brownlee is a treasure and brought his A-game as well playing the love struck, one dimensional Oreste, also requiring some vocal pyrotechnics in a higher range, something he is known for.  Mezzo-soprano Ginger Costa-Jackson as Andromacha was so good and so emotionally expressive I suspected she was channeling Maria Callas on her 100th birthdate (Dec 2, 1923).  She was quite good in a previous appearance with WCO, but she is now performing on an even higher, more accomplished level.  The performance was further embellished by a perfectly cast group of soloists familiar to Washington area audiences, which included bass-baritone Matthew Scollin as Pirro’s tutor Fenicio, Kate Jackman as Andromac’s confidant Cefisa, tenor Rolando Sanz as Pirro’s confidant Attalo, soprano Erin Ridge as Ermione’s friend Cleone, and tenor Matthew Hill as Oreste’s friend Pilade.

David Portillo as Pirro, Lawrence Brownlee as Oreste, Matthew Hill as Pilade, Rolando Sanz as Attalo, and Matthew Scollin as Fenicio. Production photo by Caitlin Oldham; courtesy of Washington Concert Opera.

Ok, the vocals are great; what about Rossini’s music that so few people have heard?  Well, it is Rossini, always enjoyable to listen to but not always dramatically in sync with the drama, but in Ermione, it mostly is.  The great composer in breaking free of the typical opera seria format of his day, had the chorus chime in during the overture; the overture sounds like a celebration with a great crescendo at the end, but the chorus sings as Trojans bemoaning their loss of the war.  I suppose the point was to contrast what the citizens of Epirus were feeling versus the Trojans?  Staging might have helped this point, though it evidently did not for Italians in the day.  A few times, I had the feeling the music I was enjoying was for a different opera (my wife disagrees), but think of it as two for one.  I read that this opera by Rossini was more in the style of middle Verdi than early 1800s.  Perhaps, but I have trouble imagining Verdi writing that overture and some of the happy time music supporting a Greek tragedy.  Rossini also broke from convention in having his arias join with the next step in the story and even join with other singers.  Actually, there were some great duets!  Rossini also chose to portray a strong, domineering woman dominating supposedly great men.  Evidently, these innovations were off putting to the first Italian audiences.  Rossini was a bel canto master and wrote this opera for some great singers who could make the vocals shine.  Washington Concert Opera took on that challenge and met it with flying colors.

Angela Meade as Ermione and David Portillo as Pirro. Production photos by Caitlin Oldham; courtesy of Washington Concert Opera.

Washington Concert Orchestra led by Artistic Director and Conductor Walker got off to a slow start for me but quickly built to their usual mastery.  It took a lot of effort to stay in sync with these singers singing this great music; I wish I had a recording of Mr. Brownlee’s interplay with the orchestra, a treat that I will long remember.  The WCO Chorus under the direction of Assistant Conductor and Concert Master David Hanlon made the evening more enjoyable, with the men’s section doing most of the heavy lifting in this one.  The finale for Act 1 was thrilling, with all the vocalists and orchestra and chorus participating in the bedlam that had developed.  No staging was used for the performance of this opera, but the singers in character and the music told the story eloquently with great feeling.

Lawrence Brownlee as Oreste and Ginger Costa-Jackson as Andromacha. Production photo by Caitlin Oldham; courtesy of Washington Concert Opera.

If you have the opportunity to see Ermione, I strongly recommend you go, especially if you think the singers can handle it.  Going to see Washington Concert Opera performances is simply something you should put on your calendar.

The Fan Experience: Washington Concert Opera opened their 2023-2024 season with the performance of Ermione on December 2 in George Washington’s Lisner Auditorium.  The opera was sung in Italian with English surtitles on a screen overhead.  This performance was on Saturday, but WCO performances are more typically on Sunday evening, as will be their April 7 performance of La Rondine featuring soprano Ailyn Pèrez in her first appearance with WCO.

Peter Russell, General Director of Vocal Arts DC, presented a pre-opera talk and provided program notes.  Mr. Russell also presents a one-hour lecture on each production in the free Opera Gems Online series.  His lectures are impressively detailed and informative, with samples of the music to be heard.

In my experience, all the seats in Lisner Auditorium are fine for viewing the performance, but the sound is probably better towards the center of the auditorium.  Parking on the street around the auditorium is catch as catch can; be sure to read the signs!  Metro is two blocks away.  WCO has a visitor web page with directions and parking info, helpful in finding nearby parking lots.

Washington National Opera's Romeo and Juliet: Lush with Beauty and Romance

With all the beautiful music, singing, and staging, tragically, Romeo didn’t get the memo.  As a bona fide user of social media, I feel like it is my responsibility to use the entirety of this report to attack, in harsh and vulgar and capitalized terms, Frére Laurent, the well-meaning friar who failed, I say FAILED, to get the word to Romeo that Juliet just looked dead but was not dead.  I repeat – NOT DEAD!  It was kind of important for him to know that as I will explain.  It is also my responsibility, nonetheless, to be more balanced for my readers’ sake.  After all, stuff happens, and besides, we don’t know the details.  With that off my chest, here goes:

Rosa Feola as Juliet in center of ring in party scene from Washington National Opera’s Romeo and Juliet. Photo by Scott Suchman; courtesy of Washington National Opera.

French composer Charles Gounod led an interesting life and managed to write two operas that still get performed regularly today, this one and Faust (1859); as the popularity of Faust has waned, that of Romeo and Juliet (1867) has grown worldwide; of his twelve-opera total, his first opera, Sapho, also occasionally gets produced.  Gounod won the Prix de Paris award for composers when he was only twenty which offered him training in Italy and made additional travel in Europe possible.  His interest was mainly sacred music; his “Ave Maria” is one of the famous versions of the hymn; the composer had a gift for writing beautiful music.  At the age of 28, he entered a seminary to train for the priesthood; he left when he discovered that celibacy was not his thing.  He was befriended by famed mezzo-soprano and socialite Pauline Viardot, who got him started in opera with Sapho.  This led to favor with impresario Léon Carvalho and introductions to other elites of the Parisian musical establishment, including librettists Jules Barbier and Michel Carré, who worked with him on both Faust and Romeo and Juliet.  At the height of his fame, he was considered the leading composer in France.

Romeo (Adam Smith) and Juliet (Rosa Feola). Photos by Scott Suchman; courtesy of Washington National Opera.

Librettists Barbier and Carré used Shakespeare’s play as their source and stayed close to it.  The great Bard’s story of young lovers who cannot be together because they are from rival, warring families, and that wind up committing suicide together, is an all-time classic, presented in uncountable productions of the play and many adaptations in movies, musicals, and operas.  Among the significant changes by the librettists, only Juliet and Romeo are in the Capulet crypt scene, and Juliet wakes up before Romeo’s death to allow for a nice romantic duet and more time for the audience to shed tears.  As a reminder, the friar’s scheme to help the young lovers escape is to have Juliet take a potion making her look dead; then he and Romeo will revive her in the crypt; alas, Romeo doesn’t get the memo and takes a poison when he discovers her body in the tomb…but she then wakes up, and when Romeo dies, she plunges a knife into her chest so that they will remain together forever.  Frankly, with so many deadly conflicts going on today, I was praying that WNO had changed the ending, but no, that was not to be, and I am left to harshly critisize Frére Laurent.

Juliette (Rosa Feola) and Romeo (Adam Smith) in balcony scene. Photo by Scott Suchman; courtesy of Washington National Opera.

Ms. Feola as Juliet lived up to her star diva billing.  Her early on singing of the opera’s pop hit aria, “Je veux vivre” was a delightful, lyrical pleasure.  Ms. Feola is not a belter; she sings with grace and texture and enjoyable clarity, bringing the nature of Juliet more fully to life.  The surprise of the evening to me was just how good tenor Adam Smith was who played Romeo; he was an outstanding pairing with Ms. Feola.  He proved to be a pure voiced tenor with excellent vocal power and a strong stage presence.  I wanted to hit replay on their duet on the balcony late in Part One, a scene where the beautiful couple also displayed youthful agility scaling the wall.  It was not the only time I wanted to hit replay for their arias and duets.

The supporting cast was also strong: I will single out just a few.  Justin Austin made for a rather endearing Mercutio, a friend who loses his life defending Romeo’s honor.  You might remember this young singer’s recent appearance in WNO’s American Opera Initiative’s American Apollo; he is this year’s winner of the Marian Anderson Award.  Tenor Duke Kim, also an AOI alumni, was excellent as hot-headed Tybalt, though casual business attire made his character more difficult to believe for me.  Mezzo-soprano Jill Grove as Gertrude, Juliet’s nurse, was a magnet for attention anytime she was singing or just on stage.  Bass Nicolas Testé sang the roles for both the Duke of Verona and Frére Laurent.  His beautiful voice and singing readily take command of the stage, making me even more baffled that the friar failed to get the memo to Romeo.  Lastly, I will mention mezzo-soprano Winona Martin, a veteran of Wolf Trap Opera who sang the role of Stéphano, a friend/defender of Romeo; her singing of “Que fais-tue, blanch tourterelle” was a standout.

Two views of Mercutio (Justin Austin), party crashing and engaged in deadly combat(includes Adam Smith as Romeo and Kevin Punnackal as Benvolio). Photos by Scott Suchman; courtesy of Washington National Opera.

The Washington National Opera Orchestra under the direction of Conductor Evan Rogister gave an outstanding performance.  Gounod’s marvelous music was played with beauty and sensitivity, expertly partnering with and not overwhelming the singers.  Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet was a perfect match of composer with story.  The orchestra was a joy from beginning to end.  The large WNO chorus was also a delight under the steady hand of Chorus Master Steven Gathman.  The opera opens with both a dramatic overture by the orchestra and a grave prologue by the chorus.

The Director for WNO’s production was Simon Godwin, the Artistic Director for DC’s acclaimed Shakespeare Theater Company; this was his entrance into directing opera.  His talent as a theater director was evident throughout this excellent performance; exceptionally well played was the ending scene between Romeo and Juliet.  Mr. Godwin chose costumes of the mid to late twentieth century to make the story seem more current but kept the setting Veronese; it worked, kudos to Costume Designer Loren Shaw.  The opening party scene was eye catching and circus like, clearly the Capulets were well off.  The set was romantic, mostly lovely stone and arches bathed in soft glowing light; kudos to Set Designer Daniel Soule and Lighting Designer Robert Wierzel.  Scrims were used to open most scenes with mood defining smoky movement, dramatically used at the end of Part One to foreshadow the tumult to come; kudos to Projection Designer Blake Manns.  The party scene and the Mercutio/Tybalt fight were very well done, kudos to Choreographer Jonathan Goddard. 

Juliet (Rosa Feola) and Romeo (Adam Smith) in a dying embrace in the Capulet crypt. Photo by Scott Suchman; courtesy of Washington National Opera.

I was greatly looking forward to attending Washington National Opera’s production of Romeo and Juliet.  Composer Charles Gounod’s music is simply beautiful throughout, and it was my first opportunity to hear the highly acclaimed soprano, Rosa Feola.  I got all that and more.  It was a particularly rewarding artistic experience.  Maybe at some point I will forgive the good friar…but don’t hold your breath. 

The Fan Experience: Romeo and Juliet was scheduled for performances in the Kennedy Center’s Opera House on November 4, 6, 10, 12, 15, 17, and 18.  The November 17 performance will feature WNO’s Cafritz Young Artists in the lead roles.  The opera is sung in French with supertitles shown overhead; it lasts about 2.5 hours in addition to a 25 minute intermission.  Tickets for remaining performances are available at this link.

WNO’s Romeo and Juliet is a co-production with the The Glimmerglass Festival where the opera was performed this past summer.  It is also part of the DC-wide Shakespeare Everywhere Festival; details at this link.

Half hour pre-opera talks are given to ticket holders one hour before performances.  Post-performance question and answer sessions were scheduled with members of the cast on November 6 and 2.

Parking in the Kennedy Center is typically plentiful at around $25 per day, with a small discount for Kennedy Center members when reserved ahead of the day.  The Metro to Foggy Bottom and the free red Kennedy Center buses, from there to the Kennedy Center runnning every 15 minutes, are an excellent option.  There are snack stands in the main lobby, and on the Terrace level, the KC Café offers food cafeteria style at moderate prices; fine dining is available on the Terrace level in the Roof Terrace Restaurant.  Food and drinks except water are not allowed inside the opera house, but you can purchase reusable containers with your drinks that you can take inside.

Washington National Opera's Grounded: Good Opera, Great Show

As WNO’s Artistic Director Francesca Zambello said in her pre-opera talk, “A world premiere is a big deal.”  Her guest, retired Air Force pilot Major Scott Swanson, began his comments with, “War is ugly.” It used to be that you confronted war in its own place on its own terms with a band of brothers (mostly, but not exclusively male).  For drone pilots operating from the U.S., it can be “war with all the comforts of home”, with no one shooting back.  The element of risk has been removed, but so has the band of brothers that offer comradery and emotional support.  No risk?  The data informs us that the levels of PTSD among drone pilots is similar to that of combat pilots.  Drone warfare of current sophistication is relatively new and mostly operates outside of current awareness.  We’ve all seen the exploits of Captain Peter Mitchell (Tom Cruise) as a fighter pilot in the “Top Gun” movies; Jess is his drone counterpart in a military control room near you.  Ms. Zambello said a goal of Washington National Opera is to produce operas that promote discussion of important topics in society today.  Mission accomplished.

An opening number in Washington National Opera’s Grounded. Photo by Scott Suchman; courtesy of Washington National Opera.

The next question - Is Grounded a good opera?  The libretto is by George Brant and is based on his successful 2013 play with the same name.  The play’s only speaking character is an unnamed Air Force combat pilot with swagger, ala a female Tom Cruise.  Enter Janine Tesori, composer of Broadway musicals and opera, who became interested in the play as the basis for an opera; WNO performed her opera Blue last season and her children’s opera The Lion, the Unicorn, and Me will be featured on their December schedule.  Enter the Metropolitan Opera, interested in funding Ms. Tesori to fashion a new opera; they commissioned her and Mr. Brant in 2018 to make an opera of Grounded.  Enter Washington National Opera interested in producing new opera (remember their ongoing American Opera Initiative), who became a co-producer with Met Opera and held a workshop for a first run through of the work in January 2022.  Thus, we have Saturday night’s world premiere at the Kennedy Center of Grounded, the opera.  Grounded will open the Metropolitan Opera’s new season next year.  To some extent this production is a proving ground for next year’s introduction to Met audiences.  One suspects some changes/improvements will be made before the Met debut; so get your tickets for that one as well.

Emily D’Angelo (center) as fighter pilot Jess. Photo by Scott Suchman; courtesy of Washington National Opera.

For the opera, composer Tesori and librettist Brant gave the lead character a name, Jess, and gave other characters a voice, principally her husband and daughter, her navigator, and Air Force commander.  Jess is an Air Force combat pilot loving her job and rightly proud of her accomplishment in securing the job (1% of Air Force personnel are pilots, and 2% of those are female).  She meets and falls in love with rancher Eric and becomes pregnant, which forces her out of her favorite place, “the blue” (note: current rules allow female pilots to fly during the first two trimesters of their pregnancy).  She leaves the service for eight years to care for her family, then reenlists to do what she feels is right for her, but her Commander in charge only gives her the option of serving as a drone pilot on the ground, a position in the “chair force” where she will spend her time in a room staring at gray images on a screen.  Reluctantly, she accepts and begins splitting her time and her personality between days spent combining 12 hours of conducting lethal drone attacks on ground targets on the other side of the world and spending family time safely at home, unable to talk about her work.  The opera tracks her mental dissolution, ending with the denouement of her being ordered to strike a target in Iraq standing next to his young daughter that will cause the death of both.  I was expecting Lucia di Lammermoor’s solution but was much happier with the one that the Tesori/Brandt team chose.  It is a powerful and timely story, worthy of operatic treatment.

On the mid-level stage above, Commander (Morris Robinson) and on the mainstage level below, Jess (Emily D’Aangelo), her daughter Sam (Willa Cook), and her husband Eric (Joseph Dennis). Photo by Scott Suchman; courtesy of Washington National Opera.

World renown mezzo-soprano Emily D’Angelo, in her WNO debut, gave an outstanding performance as Jess.  She possesses a strong voice and demonstrated a strong stage presence in singing the ongoing dialog and a beautiful mezzo in the softer arias.  None of this surprised me.  I saw her play Dorabella in Santa Fe Opera’s Così fan tutte a couple years back; she was sensational in that performance as well.  The supporting cast began with tenor Joseph Dennis who sang well playing her husband Eric.  He was convincing as a Wyoming rancher smitten by Jess, who then takes on the role of caretaker of the marriage; as his mother told him, “Sometimes in a marriage you are the kite and sometimes you hold the string”.  Their daughter Sam was played by Willa Cook of the Children’s Chorus of Washington, providing endearing charm and lovely vocals while displaying the needed innocence to make the story work.  The Commander was played by DC favorite bass Morris Robinson, who gave his usual authoritative performance.  Highly talented tenor Frederick Ballentine provided some comic relief with underlying tension, as her drone trainer.  The role of Sensor, Jess’ drone navigator, was well sung by baritone Kyle Miller.  Sensor was recruited for his job because of his acumen at computer games, and Mr. Miller gives him a relaxed nonchalance in front the computer screen, pulling his legs up in the chair, which spoke to the emotional disconnect of having a young nonmilitary computer wiz in a kill position, and highlighted the increasingly impersonal nature of life today provided by modern technology.   Mr. Miller and Mr. Ballentine are former members of WNO’s Cafritz Young Artists.  Soprano Teresa Perrotta, a current member, was a standout in the brief role of Also Jess, a character created for the opera to express a part of Jess that had split off; I suspect we will see much more of Ms. Perrotta in years to come.  A group of five singers – Michael Butler, Joshua Dennis, Rob McGuinness, Jonathan Patton, and Sergio Martinez – sang the role of the off stage Kill Chain providing information and directions to Jess and Sensor.

A scene from Grounded with the control room overhead and the victims below. Photo by Scott Suchman; courtesy of Washington National Opera.

Composer Tesori’s score was written for a full orchestra, well played by the Washington National Opera Orchestra led by Conductor Daniella Candilliari.  I found the music which combined several musical styles to be melodic, pleasing, and supportive of the singers and action on stage.  The opera is mostly sung-through recitative with some moments of reflection, though it lacked a catchy, tuneful aria.  The opening of Act Two was a mall scene that was a hoot, very Broadway in style, until Jess begins to obsess about the cameras overhead, more evidence of our surveillance culture.  One other memorable moment occurred late in Act Two with a duet between Jess and Also Jess when their voices harmonize so beautifully but then devolve into dissonance.  Yes, yes!  More of that type of innovation, please, more moments when the music stands out!  I found myself wanting to hear Jess and Also Jess sing the Flower Duet.  The score also makes good use of the chorus, ably sung by the WNO Chorus under the direction of Chorus Master Steven Gathman; particularly enjoyable was an opening number involving a large cadre of fighter pilots singing about their destructive capabilities as warriors and their love of “the blue”.  We in the U.S. have been largely buffered from experiencing the realities of modern warfare (with the exception of 9/11); I suspect that hearing our soldiers sing proudfully of their impact as warriors might be eye opening for those who haven’t served in the military: “I break down the airfields, the refineries, the consulates, and factories. I return them to desert, to particles.” The camaraderie of soldiers is important to their mental stability.

Daughter Sam (Willa Cook) and father Eric (Joseph Dennis) in left photo. Drone pilot Jess (Emily D’Angelo). Photos by Scott Suchman; courtesy of Washington National Opera.

Grounded is an opera and a drama, but it also a show.  The technology-enhanced staging by Director Michael Mayer was spectacular, entirely appropriate for an opera involving drone warfare.  Two intersecting planes above and running the width of the mainstage were fitted with LED screens.  On the mainstage level were setups for changeable room scenes, a bar then a home.  The top screen varied between projections of blue sky and clouds, mountain scenes, and then multi-view depictions of on ground moving targets, dial displays, and often a menacing Reaper drone stretching the width of the stage.  Group scenes took place on the middle plane, cadets and Jess’ small attack group. Unless it was a technology illusion, I must give the performers credit for moving deftly on an inclined plane, and kudos to Set Designer Mimi Lien.  The conditions of drone warfare seemed effectively presented to me, and the mall scene expanded the view to surveillance everywhere.  The difficult challenges of depicting technology enhanced warfare and the personality splitting of a single individual were mostly met.  I did think there was some mushiness and overly slow progression in presenting the psychological developments in Jess, especially in Act Two; the progression of Jess’ journey could possibly benefit by being shortened or by defining its stages more sharply and poignantly. Finally, one wonders what the impact will be when this opera is presented in theaters that cannot afford or manage the technology summoned by WNO and the Met; will it be more personal and thus more impactful separated from the technology?

War is of course a timely and highly sensitive topic, and WNO arranged for several sessions of military and community outreach prior to performances. In response to concerns expressed that General Dynamics, a military contractor, supported the production, WNO made it clear that the company support was for the entire season and they had no involvement with the selection or development of any of its operas.

Sam (Willa Cook) and Jess (Emily D’Angelo) as Jess sees the cameras recording overhead. Photo by Scott Suchman; courtesy of Washington National Opera.

Grounded is a good opera about a relatively new dehumanizing aspect of war, and it is a great show presenting a powerful and timely drama about today’s culture; overall, it is an exciting event that I can strongly recommend.  Furthermore, Grounded represents an auspicious step in the direction of bringing grand opera into the modern era, speaking directly to life today.  For that I give it a standing ovation.

The Fan Experience:  Grounded was scheduled for performances in the Kennedy Center’s Opera House on October 28, November 1, 3, 5, 11, 13.  The opera is sung in English with supertitles shown overhead; it lasts about 2.5 hours plus a 25 minute intermission.  Tickets for remaining performances are available at this link.

Half hour pre-opera talks are given to ticket holders one hour before performances.  Post-performance question and answer sessions were scheduled with members of the cast on November 1, 5, and 13.

Parking in the Kennedy Center is typically plentiful at around $25 per day, with a small discount for Kennedy Center members when reserved ahead of the day.  The Metro to Foggy Bottom and the free Red Kennedy Center buses from there to the Kennedy Center which run every 15 minutes are an excellent option.  There are snack stands in the main lobby, and on the Terrace level, the KC Café offers food cafeteria style at moderate prices; fine dining is available on the Terrace level in the Roof Terrace Restaurant. 

Opera Lafayette's Couperin le Grand: Time Travel, First Class

Entering the Kennedy Center’s Terrace Theater for an Opera Lafayette performance often feels like boarding a time machine back to France in the 17-19th centuries.  It’s a first-class cruise: the music is always highly enjoyable, and it will be performed authentically on instruments of that period by outstanding musicians.  The adjectives that will typically come to mind will be elegant and exquisite, and like with most travel, you will leave richer for the experience. 

l to r: Opera Lafayette’s cast for Couperin le Grand, harpsichordist Christophe Rousset, viol player Joshua Keller, bass-baritone Jonathan Woody, flutist Immanuel Davis, and violinist Jacob Ashworth. Photo by Caitlin Oldham; courtesy of Opera Lafayette.

OL’s vision statement includes: “Opera Lafayette gives new life to centuries’ old compositions, supported by scholarly research that highlights both the historical context of these works and their relevance to today’s world. Through this unique combination of entertainment and education, audiences discover opera in a whole new light”.  In their last three seasons, OL has dropped us off in eras in France greatly influenced by women who held sway by their wits and their relationships with the King.  For the 2021-2022 season, it was the era of Marie Antoinette married to Louis XVI, the next season the era of Madame de Pompadour, chief mistress of Louis XV; and this season we are transported to the era of Madame de Maintenon, a wife of Louis XIV married in secret.  And I would add that nobody does time travel better than Opera Lafayette.

Before she was Madame de Maintenon, she became known to Louis XIV as a caretaker for some of his children, eventually becoming his mistress and then his wife in a secret ceremony; she remained his wife until his death.  The influential Maintenon became known for starting a boarding school for girls, Maison Royale de Saint-Louis, where music was a core subject.  She favored religious music and was suspicious of any music that generated feelings not in accord with religious vows; she disliked opera altogether for this reason. Until her influence, Louis XIV had favored using opera to expand his authority.  She reigned in her husband, who had multiple official and unofficial mistresses, and she played to his increasing interest in religion as he moved into his later years; thereby, she also reigned in the music supported by the king.  Secular music moved away from the court, mainly to Paris, and adopted new forms.  There also developed a struggle within Paris with more freewheeling Italian music, vying for the soul of France; and of course, while each remained distinctive, there was a meld, as features of the Italian genre seeped into French music.  These are the broad strokes of a complicated history underlying OL’s intriguing season and that influenced the music presented in Couperin le Grand.

left photo: Christophe Rousset. right photo: Jonathan Woody. Photos by Caitlin Oldham; courtesy of Opera Lafayette.

The primary focus of the evening’s concert, François Couperin, composed music for Louis XIV’s court recitals near the end of his reign.  The highly regarded composer was known as Couperin le Grand to distinguish himself from other members of a musically talented family.  This carefully focused program was arranged by renown harpsichordist and conductor Christophe Rousset who also played, beautifully I might add, anchoring the program.  Mr. Rousset is founder and director of the French famed early music ensemble, Les Talens Lyriques. He was joined by Opera Lafayette’s concertmaster Jacob Ashworth on baroque violin, also by Joshua Keller on viola da gamba, and Immanuel Davis on baroque flute. Opera, in the era of Couperin’s influence, was not favored by the court. Likely for this reason, the program included only cantatas with vocals by bass-baritone Jonathan Woody; Mr. Woody has often appeared with Opera Lafayette and continues with the company as chorus personnel manager.  Overall, the program included three cantatas, one by Couperin, separated by two chamber concert works by Couperin:

Cantate: La Morte d’Hercule by Louis Nicolas Clérambault

Concert no. 7: from “Les Goûts Réunis, ou Nouveaux Concerts” by François Couperin

Cantate: Ariane console per Bacchus by François Couperin

Intermission

Concert no. 3: from “Concerts royaux” by François Couperin

Cantate: L’Enlèvement d’Orithie by Michel Pignolet de Montéclair

l to r: Christophe Rousset, Joshua Keller, Immanuel Davis, and Jacob Ashworth. Photo by Caitlin Oldham; courtesy of Opera Lafayette.

The cantatas involved Mr. Woody as the narrator providing commentary on stories of Roman gods, focusing on the denouement and moral outcome of each story/cantata, rather than singing as a character.  Mr. Woody’s weighty voice seemed to me a perfect match for these stories.  The first cantata by Clérambault centered on the death of Hercules as an allegory for the death of Louis XIV, in praise for the revered king.  The meaning of the actions in the cantatas are often open to interpretation and Clérambault’s as presented by OL was centered on warning lovers to be kind and respectful to one another.  The second cantata was a piece recently discovered by Mr. Rousset and determined to be a work by Couperin.  It tells a story of Bacchus’ pursuit of Ariadne, encouragement perhaps for wine drinkers (this was written for the French).  The third cantata centered on the story of Boreas’ pursuit of Orithis; brutal in the legend that includes abduction and rape, OL chose words carefully to focus on advising lovers to demonstrate their worthiness as well as expressing their longing for the the object of their affection, if they want to be successful.  In all three cantatas, bass-baritone Woody sang beautifully, embellishing the lines with emotion and expressive gestures, and to the delight of all, Mr. Woody returned with the ensemble for a marvelous encore, “Vos mépris chaque jour” by Michel Lambert, actually a highlight of the program. 

The intervening Couperin pieces were quite pretty. The intricate interplay of instrument lines, such as one observes with string quartets, required I suspect, considerable virtuosity to play well and add in embellishments.  Couperin’s works were written for harpsichord with additional instruments to be added as desired to create a chamber ensemble.  I thought the pairing of harpsichord, viola da gamba, flute, and violin was a beautiful pairing.  The different sections of the works played allowed different instruments to be the center of attention, especially the flute and violin.  Mr. Ashworth’s violin was especially expressive, particularly in the last cantata where Boreas conjures up a storm to impress Orithia.

l to r: Jacob Ashworth, Christophe Rousset, Immanuel Davis, Jonathan Woody, and Joshua Keller. Photo by Caitlin Oldham; courtesy of Opera Lafayette.

All in all, Couperin le Grand was another gem of a concert by Opera Lafayette.  My wife and I went home, had a glass of wine, and enjoyed the glow it had created.

The Fan Experience: Couperin le Grand was performed on October 22 in the Terrace theater of the Kennedy Center, sung in French with surtitles in English.  All Opera Lafayette performances are also performed in NYC, this one on the following day, October 23, at the Kosciuszko Foundation.  Typically, OL’s education efforts include online presentations and discussions on the upcoming performance.  Two Salon Series videos, Part I and Part II covering the Era of Madame de Maintenon, are currently available online.  There was also a pre-opera discussion one hour prior to the performance featuring Opera Lafayette’s Founder Ryan Brown and musicologist Saraswathi Shukla.

The next installment of the Era of Madame de Maintenon is titled From Saint-Cyr to Cannons: Moreau and Handel’s Esther to be performed at the Terrace Theater on February 8 and in St. Peter’s Church in NYC on May 9.  This will be an orchestral concert with several vocalists.  The climax of this season will be Mouret’s Les Fêtes deThalie, a modern premiere of the opéra-ballet, to be performed in the Terrace Theater on May 3, 4 and at the El Museo del Barrio in NYC on May 7.

Opera Baltimore's Rigoletto: A Stellar Classical Production

If you like your nineteenth century operas staged in a Las Vegas Casino or a spaceship, this is not that opera.  Amusingly, I found it almost shocking to see an opera staged today in the time period it was written for, the 1500s.  Verdi’s Rigoletto is a great Italian opera, perhaps the finest example of classic Italian opera.  It has maintained its enormous popularity since its premier in 1851, regardless of how it is staged.  Worldwide, the current average is two productions of Rigoletto every week of the year and was, for many years, my favorite opera.  Opera Baltimore’s stellar, classically staged performance on Sunday afternoon reminded me why I love it.  Let me count the ways…and why it bothers me.

Rigoletto (Grant Youngblood) surrounded by masked courtiers. Photo by Moonloop Photography; courtesy of Opera Baltimore.

There are three main characters in Rigoletto (Warning – spoilers ahead): The Duke of Mantua, a one dimensional womanizer who wields enormous power due to his position; Rigoletto, his sharp-tongued court jester, a more complex character who while sympathetic is no innocent, venting his wrath on an unfair world; and Gilda, the sheltered daughter that Rigoletto has raised alone and maintained in a secluded apartment, innocent, unaware of the deception and evil lurking in the world.  The Duke spots a beautiful young woman and follows her home, not knowing who she is, and plots her seduction, pretending to be a poor college student (note: at the beginning of the opera, he is seducing the wife of a courtier and at the end, he is attempting to bed a tavern wench, Maddelena).  Protected by the Duke’s patronage, Rigoletto frequently mocks members of court, incurring their anger.  He continues to ridicule Count Monterone, whose daughter was defiled by the Duke, and Monterone places a curse upon him, “…you who ridicule a father’s grief, my curse upon you!”.  Rigoletto is frozen with fear.  Ultimately, with the help of the courtiers who then laugh at Rigoletto, the Duke succeeds with Gilda, and the enraged Rigoletto hires the assassin Sparafucile to kill the Duke.  Rigoletto leads Gilda to witness the Duke’s attempt to seduce the tavern wench Maddelena and orders her away.  But no, her purity and her love for the Duke cause her to remain and sacrifice her life “for the Duke to lead a happy life”.  In the final scene, Rigoletto discovers it is Gilda and not the Duke who has been killed.  The curse has been realized. 

Gilda (Rachel Blaustein) sits alone, isolated in her upstairs room. Photo by Moonloop Photography; courtesy of Opera Baltimore.

The opera was adapted by Verdi and his librettist Maria Francesca Piave from a Victor Hugo play that was banned after one performance for political and moral reasons.  Mr. Hugo’s play, and thus the opera, was mostly based on real people but the storyline is fiction.  A story this powerful and complex needs the compositional powers of a Verdi to have music that both draws the audience into the opera house and draws them into the story.  Pleasing, feel good tunes abound and melodies flow like wine, but all are carefully constructed, with purpose, by Verdi.  Conductor Viswa Subbaraman made his Opera Baltimore and OperaDelaware debuts with this production.  I was surprised to read after the performance that this was also his debut in conducting Verdi.  Maybe I should scale back the positive comments I was going to offer about the musical performance?  No, I thoroughly enjoyed the Verdi music performed by the OperaDelaware Orchestra under his direction.  On a few occasions, the music seemed a little overpowering, but was overall not a major issue.  The music, which often uses phrases with only a few instruments, is carefully crafted and needs to be precisely delivered.  Maestro Subbaraman and the orchestra did well; kudos to both.

The Duke (Dane Suarez) pursues the married Countess Ceprano (Denique Isaac). Photo by Moonloop Photography; courtesy of Opera Baltimore.

Opera Baltimore/OperaDelaware have brought together a large cast for this production; thirteen named performers are listed in the performance notes.  Veteran baritone Grant Youngblood delivered a standout performance as Rigoletto.  Early on, my heart melted at the beauty of his voice and his singing of Verdi’s duet with Gilda.  His portrayal of Rigoletto was equally effective.  I had the feeling I was observing the Duke’s physically and morally deformed court jester and not just an actor performing the role.  I had the feeling Mr. Youngblood was born to play this role.  Tenor Dane Suarez sang the role of the Duke of Mantua with an appealing, deeply resonant voice.  He performed the hit tunes “Questa e quella” and “Donna e mobile” pleasingly, and his act 2 solo with emotion.  I never quite got the measure of him as the Duke; early on he seemed a bit sensitive, though at the end in the tavern, he achieved the Duke’s vacuousness.  I have become a big fan of soprano Rachel Blaustein who sang the role of Gilda, having attended two performances by her where she was a standout, especially as Countess Almavira in The Marriage of Figaro; she was also a 2022 grand finalist in the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition .  She portrayed Gilda convincingly; however, at the beginning of her act one duet with Rigoletto, she initially seemed pushed to the background by the level of the music and the power of Mr. Youngblood’s baritone.  How much this was due to stage placement and the acoustics of the hall, I could not tell.  In the second half of her aria “Caro Nome” she soared beautifully in her upper register at a pleasing volume; her singing was gorgeous, and she won me back.  I quite enjoyed the rest of her performance, though on a couple occasions she also seemed to need a bit more volume to ride over the orchestra. 

Count Monterone (Eric McKeever, on steps) proclaims his curse on Rigoletto (Grant Youngblood, lower left), the Duke (Dane Suarez, top left), and Count Usher (Gordon Blodgett). Photo by Moonloop Photography; courtesy of Opera Baltimore.

All of the supporting singers performed well, but I will single out just two more, bass Young Bok Kim who gave us excellent vocals and a scary Sparafucile, and baritone Eric McKeever as Count Monterone, who made me glad I was not the object of his venom.  Verdi, who makes such good use of the chorus in his operas, chose to only use a male chorus in this one; the four tenors and five basses in the Opera Baltimore Chorus under the direction of Aurelien Eulert were a pleasure in enhancing the storytelling, even singing as the wind in the last act.

Rigoletto (Grant Youngblood) has brought Gilda (Rachel Blaustein) to witness the Duke (Dane Suarez) pursuing Maddalena (Megan Marino). Photo by Moonloop Photography; courtesy of Opera Baltimore.

The staging of this Rigoletto including set design, lighting, and costumes made for a complete and appealing package.  The attractive set design placed us in Italy of the sixteenth century, with stone steps and broken columns for larger gatherings. and to the right, a revolving platform that provided more intimate settings.  The lighting gave a glow to the stage that made it more impressive and adjusted as the action progressed to focus our attention.  The gorgeous costumes pleased the eye and helped establish the time period.  Kudos to Scenic Designer Jefferson Ridenour, Lighting Designer Tláloc López-Waterman, and Costume Designer Glenn Breed.  Director Kristen Barrett moved the characters around efficiently, maintaining the tension throughout the drama.  I have seen other performances focused more on the Duke’s insidousness, but this one kept the focus on Rigoletto’s love of Gilda, the misery created by his entanglement in corruption, and the love of Gilda for the Duke.

Assassin Sparafucile (Young Bok Kim) and his sister Maddalena (Megan Marino), the lastest pursuit of the Duke. Photo by Moonloop Photography; courtesy of Opera Baltimore.

Themes abound in Rigoletto: the corrupting influence of power; the corrupting influence of societal prejudice; the corrupting influence of deception and revenge; the inability of parents to completely protect their children from the world; the coexistence of good and evil in people; all as relevant today as in the 1500s.  A good production also results in a hangover for me the morning after viewing it.  This question kept fitfully bubbling up into my consciousness the morning after: how could I derive such pleasure from witnessing this tragedy and its display of evil?  That does bother me.  I blame it on Verdi.  His music and storytelling made me like it.  And on Opera Baltimore for such a fine performance.  What’s your excuse?

Rigoletto (Grant Youngblood) holds his dying daughter Gilda (Rachel Blaustein). The curse has been fulfilled. Photo by Moonloop Photography; courtesy of Opera Baltimore.

Want to know my favorite opera now? Me too; there are so many great ones.

The Fan Experience: Rigoletto was performed in Stephens Hall at Towson University on October 20 and 22.  The opera was sung in Italian with English surtitles.  The opera is about 3 hours, including two 15-minute intermissions placed between the acts.  This production was developed in cooperation with OperaDelaware and now moves to the Grand in Wilmington on October 27 and 29: tickets are available at this link. 

Opera Baltimore 2023/2024 season will continue in concert opera performances in the Engineers Club.  Next up is another of my favorite operas, Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin to be performed on February 28 and March 1, 3; that’s one more performance than usual. 

Dr. Aaron Ziegel, OB’s scholar-in-residence and Associate Professor of Music History and Culture at Towson University provides excellent pre-opera talks an hour before performances.  He also oversees OB’s “Opera Insights” series, multiple lectures on each upcoming opera, providing a deep dive into the opera itself and insights into the elements of opera and opera history during the period in which the work was composed.  The lectures begin as Zoom calls.  These are archived and then made available for viewing to all, not just ticket holders.  Opera Baltimore has also posted Dr. Zieglel’s pre-opera talk from Towson on Opera Insights.

If you are interested in a deeper dive on how lighting affects the audience response to an opera, I strongly recommend Lecture #2 in the Rigoletto series which includes an interview with Lighting Designer Tláloc López-Waterman.  His is a very interesting story, and I gained a much better appreciation for the impact of lighting design for theater productions.

Virginia Opera's Siegfried: Pleasing Music, Singing, and Drama in a Puzzling Staging

Virginia Opera brought Siegfried to Fairfax Saturday night, after opening the week before in Norfolk.  I am a huge fan of Richard Wagner’s Ring Cycle (Der Ring des Nibelungen), a tetralogy of operas that proceed in order The Rhinegold (Dad Rheingold), The Valkyrie (Die Walkũre), Siegfried (Siegfried), and The Twilight of the Gods (Götterdämmerung); I was greatly looking forward to episode three.  Wagner wrote the libretto, largely based on Nordic legends, starting from the ending to the beginning, as each new episode led him to write a prequel and then composed the music from the beginning to the end; the process took 28 years.  The Ring Cycle is a monumental, multilayered work that is an intriguing amalgam of political, social, moral, and philosophical issues encapsulated in stunning music, vocals, and storytelling.  As has been substantiated and widely written about, Wagner the person was odorously flawed, but his music and operas were watershed events for those genres in the latter half of the nineteenth century.

l to r: Kyle Albertson as Wotan, Alissa Anderson as Erda, and Cooper Nolan as Siegfried. Photo by Dave Pearson Photography; courtesy of Virginia Opera.

VO is presenting the Jonathan Dove and Graham Vick abridged versions of the Ring in four succeeding years, having begun in 2021 with The Rhinegold.  Siegfried is a hero in Norse mythology from the 12th century who did slay a dragon and later was impacted by the dragon’s blood and did fall in love with a beautiful woman, but in Wagner’s Siegfried, there is even more.  Siegfried is the only hope of Wotan, the leader of the gods, to alter the path to destruction of the gods that Wotan himself has set in motion through his own corrupt instincts.  The young Siegfried must first reforge a powerful sword to slay the dragon that possesses the magic gold ring which will allow its possessor to rule the world, then he discovers he must rescue Brünnhilde, Wotan’s disobedient daughter, whom he has placed asleep in the middle of a ring of fire; all of this is part of Wotan’s plot to accomplish what he cannot do himself.  Just a simple fairy tale about the beginning and the end of the world, and the fatal flaws that brought it all down.  I have read that Wagner was fascinated by Siegfried and meant this episode to be a comedy, at least in part.  Personally, while there are a few funny moments, I have never been able to see it as a comedy, more later.

Cooper Nolan as Siegfried reforging the sword Nothung, and Matthew Peña as an excited, frightened Mime. Photo by Dave Pearson Photography; courtesy of Virginia Opera.

Clearly, the major highlight of Saturday evening’s performance at the George Mason University for the Center for the Performing Arts was the talented cast of singers giving strong and enjoyable performances across the board.  The cast included tenor Cooper Nolan as Siegfried; tenor Matthew Peña as Mime, a Nibelung (a member of an underworld tribe) who reared Siegfried when his mother died; bass-baritone Kyle Albertson as Wotan, who he also played in the first two installments of VO’s Ring Cycle and in this version is disguised as the Wanderer; baritone Joshua Jeremiah as Alberich, the Nibelung who started it all by stealing the gold and fashioning the powerful ring; bass Ricardo Lugo as Fafner, the giant/dragon; contralto mezzo-soprano Alissa Anderson as Erda, Mother Earth and mother of Brünnhilde; soprano Alexandra Loutsion as Brünnhilde, a role she also portrayed in VO’s The Valkryie; and, soprano Alicia Russell Tagert as A Woodbird/robot, who sang warnings to Siegfried.  Mr. Nolan, Mr. Peña, Ms. Anderson, and Ms. Tagert were in their first roles for Virginia Opera. 

Kyle Albertson disguised as the Wanderer, standing, to quiz and warn Mime played by Matthew Peña, seated; the robot standing in the background holds Alicia Russell Tagert as A Woodbird. Photo by Dave Pearson Photography; courtesy of Virginia Opera.

There were three moments in their performances that I will long remember.  The first was soprano Taggert lifting the visor in her robot suit and singing the role of The Bird.  First, halfway through Siegfried, it was the first appearance of a female voice, and Ms. Tagert’s voice and singing was rapturous, a perfect fit, and a total delight.  The next moment I will highlight, and my favorite of the night, was the scene where Wotan calls upon Erda for advice.  The costumes and staging here were used to great effect, with bass-baritone Kyle Albertson being an excellent Wagnerian singer, and soprano Anderson matching his performance; I wish I could watch it again.  Kudos to Scene and Costume Designer Court Watson. Finally, and in the final scene, Siegfried passes through the ring of fire and encounters the sleeping Brünnhilde, his first sight of a woman; he experiences fear for the first time – chew on that one for a while, well played and sung by Mr. Nolan.  Then Ms. Loutsion as Brünnhilde awakens in a costume more befitting a lovely maiden than the warrior gear she had to wear in The Valkyrie.  She is also an excellent Wagnerian singer and animates the scene explosively.  Her thunderous welcoming of the sun woke me up and made me glad I was there. In general, the second act had less distraction and was beautifully done.

Cooper Nolan as Siegfried (foreground) slays the giant/dragon Fafner played by Richard Lugo. Photo by Dave Pearson Photography; courtesy of Virginia Opera.

The Virginia Symphony Opera and Conductor/Artistic Director Adam Turner are an outstanding combination.  The score for Mr. Dove’s version of Siegfried is paired from the original’s four hours to a little less than three hours, and the chamber-sized orchestra employs less than half the musicians called for in the original.  Conductor Turner says, however, that every note played was composed by Richard Wagner.  In the first act, I felt the music seemed a tad thin and not entirely in sync with and supportive of the singers.  However, that may be unfair; my response to the music was influenced by the difficulty I had with the staging in the first act, as I will next discuss.  The music in the second act more than met my expectations.  The intricate music was beautifully played and executed, another highlight of the opera for me.

Alissa Anderson as Erda and Kyle Albertson as Wotan. Photo by Dave Pearson Photography; courtesy of Virginia Opera.

Now let’s deal with the staging.  The Ring touches on many important issues and stage directors typically narrow the focus of a production to a main one or two.  Director Joachim Schamberger used a similar modernized symbolic approach to the staging of Siegfried that he employed for VO’s The Valkyrie about which I offered critical comments in my report on the distractions created by that staging.  I applaud creative and innovative staging in general, but these did not work well for me.  I listened as I always do to scholar in residence Joshua Borth’s “Let’s Talk Opera” episode online, this one covering Siegfried, and he admonished his audience to pay attention to what VO’s opera director was trying to accomplish.  This is good advice, and I tried.  I once defended Washington National Opera’s outstanding, modernized Ring Cycle in 2016 with this comment praising the innovations: “With Wagner, just get into the fantasy and leave the driving to the director.  The truth will not appear on the surface, but it will seep into your bones and heart; you will be mystified, maybe even spell bound, but changed”.  On the other hand, I recall disliking a Met Opera production of the Ring that was staged on a giant piano keyboard. Let me offer another reflection as part of my explanation for my discontent.  I am fond of trying to solve the NY Times daily puzzle called Connections where you try to arrange 16 words into four groups of words each related by a theme.  Recently, I tried to solve one of the groupings while watching a football game on television.  I am proud to say I solved the puzzle.  However, I was oblivious to the plays that led to a touchdown while I was working on the puzzle.  Trying to understand Director Schamberger’s staging – what was the purpose of the robot and what was the robot doing, for example – made me less attentive to the music and singing and the flow of the storytelling.  I welcome innovative stagings, but one hopes that all the elements of the opera will work together to enhance the audience’s experience of each element.

Cooper Nolan as Siegfried finds and awakens and falls in love with Brünnhilde portrayed by Alexandra Loutsion. Photo by Dave Pearson Photography; courtesy of Virginia Opera.

That said, the innovative approach to staging was interesting and did not prevent me from enjoying the opera, just made it more of a challenge than I wanted.  Remember I said I had difficulty experiencing Siegfried as a comedy.  The performance began with a large leaf (representing nature?) projected onto a large scrim that formed the backdrop for the stage.  A circle opened in the leaf with red and then black smoke or liquid filling the circle, reminiscent of blood and the dark forces.  Wotan appears in the circle breaking a limb from a tree, to fashion a spear – nature being violated to serve the interests of power and control.  Nothing funny here.  While I am critical of the staging, it should be said that Driscoll Otto’s work on the lighting and Mr. Schamberger’s projection work was excellent. The opening scene in Mime’s forge could be funny.  Siegfried is an unruly, impulsive teenager type who creates difficulty for his caretaker Mime.  However, Siegfried is portrayed as obnoxious and we know Mime is evil, using Siegfried as his tool to capture the ring for himself.  Remember the scene in the first Indiana Jones film where Harrison Ford was in the room with snakes?  That was funny because we liked him and knew he would survive the danger.  Nothing lighthearted to me about this early scene in Siegfried that appears to be a contemporary of the film “Deliverance”.  The air resistance bike seemed out of place; I guess that could be funny if this was cartoonish and so could the mini fridge with canned drinks, but this opera never seems to distinguish itself on this level.  It goes on like this all the while with images moving onto and around the scrim to remind us, I suppose, of how AI has seeped into our lives.  In the final scene, Brünnhilde has been placed in a high-tech chamber while she sleeps.  It didn’t seem so at the time but that could be viewed as funny, but magic doesn’t need high tech to work and there is serious business afoot – the gods have to be destroyed.

Alexandra Loutsion as Brünnhilde, now in love with Siegfried embraces her new life and purpose. Photo by Dave Pearson Photography; courtesy of Virginia Opera.

I hope it is clear that I support VO’s forward thinking and its approach of reaching out to all of its fans in its programing choices.  I also hope it is clear I recommend Virginia Opera’s Siegfried as an entertaining evening and a worthwhile artistic experience, despite my reservations with the staging, and I hope that my comments have piqued your interest and might be helpful to those readers who intend to take in a performance.

The Fan Experience – Siegfried was scheduled for performances in Norfolk on September 29, October 1; in Fairfax on October 7 and 8; and in Richmond October 13 and 15.  The opera is sung in German with supertitles in English shown on an overhead screen; the performance lasts for a little less than 3 hours plus a 20 minute intermission.  Tickets are available at this link.  Virginia Opera intends to finish its Ring with a production of the final episode, Gotterdammerung, next season.

VO’s next production this season will be The Barber of Seville in Norfolk on November 3, 4 and Fairfax on 11, 12 and Richmond on 17, 19. See this link for details.

I recommend the pre-opera talk on Siegfried, given by Joshua Borths, Virginia Opera’s scholar in residence, which starts 45 minutes before the beginning of the opera. Get there early to get a good seat. If you can’t make a performance but want to know more about the opera, Mr. Borths covers the same material and more in his “Let’s Talk Opera” lecture available on Youtube.com; in fact, I recommend both.  For a traditional audience attending an avant garde production, it might be helpful for Virginia Opera to go even further and point out with more detail in the program book what is going on with the symbolism in innovative productions, just a thought. I suspect that spending this much time thinking about the staging, I would enjoy it more if I saw it a second time.

Opera Philadelphia's Unholy Wars: Pretty Music and Pretty Singing with a Message

Unholy Wars is one of three operas included, with an array of concerts and recitals, in Opera Philadelphia’s two-week long Festival O23.  This work premiered at the Spoleto Festival in 2022 to great acclaim; the performers and creative staff are those from Spoleto.  This opera, or music drama if you will, was created by Lebanese-American Karim Sulayman; the work is a musical patiche of Italian songs and operatic selections from the 17th and 18th centuries with additional music inspired by Arabic folk idioms by Armenian-American composer Mary Kouyoumdjian.  The cohesive theme of Unholy Wars is the retelling of an historical event by those on the “other side” (creed or culture) to provide balance, and to improve understanding of each other as a path away from conflict and war.  Mr. Sulayman takes aim at refocusing European stereotypical depictions of middle eastern people in art and literature as exotic.  His production fits very well with the spirit of OP’s Festival O23, works that explore the boundaries of opera.

Dancer Coral Dolphin and Tenor Karim Sulayman. Photo by Ray Bailey; courtesy of Opera Philadelphia.

The historical focus of Unholy Wars is the Crusades of the 11th century, known in western culture as the “Holy War”, bloody battles fought to overthrow the Saracen/Muslim occupation of middle eastern land, especially Jerusalem.  The longest and central element of Unholy Wars is a dramatic acting out of Monteverdi’s Il combattimento di Tancrédi e Clorinda (1624) by three singers and a dancer.  In the opera, Tancrédi, a leader of the European forces fights hand to hand in bloody combat in full battle gear with the leader of the Muslim forces, neither knowing the identity of the other.  After slaying the Saracen leader, Tancrédi lifts his opponent’s visor to see the face of the leader.  He sees the face of Clorinda, his Muslim lover, and is overwhelmed by grief. 

l to r: Bass-baritone John Taylor as Tancrédi, tenor Karim Sulayman as narrator, soprano Raha Mirzadegan as Clorinda, and dancer Coral Dolphin. Photo by Ray Bailey; courtesy of Opera Philadelphia.

The story of Tancrédi and Clorinda as well as the entire production is played out with clever, evocative props and gestures against a large screen of images of middle eastern buildings, people, animals, and seas, sometimes being enveloped by fire or water.  The visual images, with frequent animations, by Kevork Mourad and projections by Michael Commendatore are beautifully artistic and enjoyable.  Sometimes travel log-ish and sometimes phantasmagorical, the projections were a major element in conveying “otherness” in this production.  They give the feeling that they are drawn from an art museum in the Middle East.  Director Kevin Newbury’s placements and movements of his actors provided effective story telling with only a few props such as buckets of sand and water to evoke images of deserts and the sands of time passing.  There were physical struggles, but mostly symbolic in nature.  It is the emotions of the performers that were the focus, the sense of love and then loss.  The talented dancer Coral Dolphin with choreography by Ebony Williams was a constant companion to the singers, moving as a ghostly companion trying to offer comfort and warnings to the players, adding another delightful artistic feature to the production.

Dancer Coral Dolphin, John Taylor Ward as Tancrédi, Karim Sulayman as narrator, and Raha Mirzadegan as Clorinda . Photo by Ray Bailey; courtesy of Opera Philadelphia.

A powerful element of the storytelling and a highly pleasing aspect of the performance was the music and its playing.  The performance began with “Gloria Patri” by composer Kouyoumdjian, a tenor duet, where with electronic help, both parts were sung by Mr. Sulayman.  Then came compositions by Monterverdi and Caccini, and in the latter section of the production, those of Kempis, Rossi, and d’India.  The last piece before Ms. Kouyoumdjian’s Outro was the well-known “Lascia ch’io pianga” from Handel’s Rinaldo, expressing the desire to weep over a cruel fate.  The small ensemble of musicians delivering these works included two theorbos, a violone, and a harpsichord, as well as violins, viola, and cello, adding to the authenticity of the baroque music.  Led by violinist Julie Andrijeski, this integration of works with connecting interludes by Ms. Kouyoumdjian were well played as seamlessly as possible, and well-coordinated with the singers on stage.

John Taylor Ward as Tancrédi, Raha Mirzadegan as Clorinda, Karim Sulayman as narrator, and dancer Coral Dolphin. Photo by Ray Bailey; courtesy of Opera Philadelphia.

I find late Renaissance, early baroque music to be among the most beautiful music ever written that couples so well with operatic voices; the music often possesses an innate spiritual quality.  The songs and arias were delivered by three very talented singers.  Tenor Sulayman, soprano Raha Mirzadegan, and bass-baritone John Taylor Ward had voices that were excellent choices for baroque music.  They sang with affecting emotion and delivered engaging acting performances.  This was a highly pleasing evening of baroque music and singing within an emotionally involving story line.

The cast of Unholy Wars in silhouette. Photo by Ray Bailey; courtesy of Opera Philadelphia.

I liked the premise behind Unholy Wars very much: reducing “otherness” through a war on stereotypes might reduce conflict and destruction and help us come to terms with a shared history of conflict.  Unquestionably, Unholy Wars had pretty music and pretty singing, and it was a rewarding artistic experience, but how did it do on reducing “otherness”?  It was gentle in its approach, not preachy or into blaming, other than stressing the needless destruction of wars.  Instead, it tugged at the human heart.  Anger was exposed, deriving from the conflict between a sense of honor and our human needs, but if Unholy Wars wounds, it also wraps you in a warm blanket of love for comfort.  Differences were presented but to me they didn’t seem so different.  Maybe that was the message.

The Fan Experience: Unholy Wars was scheduled for performances on September 23, 27, 30, and October 1.  The opera is sung in Latin and Italian with English translations projected.  The opera is 70 minutes long without an intermission.  Information and tickets can be accessed at this link  

Opera Philadelphia has placed a helpful, short video on Youtube giving an overview of the opera and its history by scholar in residence, Lily Kass.  The video is eight minutes long and well worth viewing.

Festival O23 continues through October 1.  The two-week program, which also includes performances of Simon Boccanegra and 10 Days in a Madhouse as well as many concerts and recitals. can be viewed in its entirety at this link.  I might also add that Philadelphia remains one of my favorite places to visit, offering so much in history, culture, entertainment, and great food! 

Opera Philadelphia's 10 Days in a Madhouse: A World Premiere at Festival O23

Opera Philadelphia opened its Festival O23 the way you should, with a showpiece, and what better showpiece than a world premiere of a new work.  Such was the case in putting forward composer Rene Orth’s and librettist Hannah Moscovitch’s chamber opera, 10 Days in a Madhouse, the telling of investigative reporter Nellie Bly’s experience via an emotionally immersive musical drama.  Madhouse’s all-female creative team communicates the wrongful internment and cruel mistreatment of women in Blackwell’s Asylum in the 1880s, and the societal issues underpinning those misdeeds, with a plea to end the continuing saga; remnants remain today, even in current times.

Real life Elizabeth Jane Cochran, famously known later by the pen name Nellie Bly, was a female reporter who needed work, difficult to come by for female reporters back then.  She accepted a daring assignment no man could accomplish.  She feigned mental illness to get herself committed to Black’s asylum in 1887 to expose conditions there.  She wrote about it afterwards in articles and a book, from which the opera’s name is taken.  Her work on this assignment had a significant impact by increasing public awareness that led to improved conditions. 

A view of the set and orchestra placement for 10 Days in a Madhouse, with, l to r, Will Liverman as Dr. Blackwell, Kiera Duffy as Nellie Bly, and Lauren Pearl as the Nurse. Photo by Dominic M. Mercier; courtesy of Opera Philadelphia.

The opera begins in the asylum, known then as the Women’s Lunatic Asylum on New York’s Blackwell Island, now named Roosevelt Island; the stigmatizing name speaks to societal attitudes of that period.  It is day 10 of Nellie’s stay in the asylum.  She wants out of the asylum, but her pleas are ignored by Dr. Blackwell; he asks if she is still hearing voices.  Director Joanna Settle will take us back in time over the next 90 minutes, stopping in a few different days to see Nellie’s condition and the treatment of her fellow inmates.  Those stops offer views of a fellow inmate Nellie befriends, Lizzie, who is grieving over a lost daughter.  Lizzie is distraught with mourning but has been led to believe she is “mad”.  We learn but little of Dr. Blackwell; his wife has died, and he treats female patients with waltzes as therapy.  We meet other patients, some there due to mental illness, some misdiagnosed and some simply cast off and powerless.  We meet a nurse who shepherds the inmates, and we learn of the brutal treatment from the nurses and the lack of adequate heat and food.  The plot is loosely based on the real story; except for Nellie, the characters are creations of the composer and librettist.

Raehann Bryce-Davis as Lizzie and Kiera Duffy as Nellie Bly. Photo by Dominic M. Mercier; courtesy of Opera Philadelphia.

The story telling is enhanced by Andrew Lieberman’s set and lighting design.  We see only the stark exterior wall of a circular building and glimpses of a center door and hallway.  Costumes by Asta Hostetter and Avery Reed seemed appropriate for the date and setting.  The Wilma Theater is smallish which works well for such an intimate drama.  Director Settle kept the action moving as it drifted back in time.  This theatrical element of reversing time may have engaged the audience more, but such a powerful story would be effective either way. Sometimes the characterizations were a bit baffling, and some of the poignant interactions among the patients might have benefited by further development to develop more empathy for their characters, but the points overall were well made.

Lauren Pearl as the Nurse in the foreground controlling a group of patients. Photo by Dominic M. Mercier; courtesy of Opera Philadelphia.

The chamber-sized orchestra was seated atop the stage, which seemed logical though at times a bit distracting.  Composer Orth’s music included a mixture of genres, a style she is known for; in this case, chamber music represented reality and electronic represented insanity, entirely reasonable (both true and a joke).  It was a bit crazy-making to hear melodic themes appear and then be replaced or overridden by disturbing electronic music recordings.  The vocals were mostly intense, shrill really, and worked to convey the story.  Composer Orth’s music was performed well as led by Conductor Daniela Candillari, and it must have been a challenging assignment, given the nature of the music and the lack of line of sight to the singers.  I enjoyed the music as an integral part of the whole work, a work I liked and found affecting.  I’m not sure I’d want to sit down and listen to it with a glass of wine in the evening.  But maybe…I’ll give it a try if it becomes available.  I recommend it, though I’m not sure I want to see the opera again.  Ninety minutes in a madhouse is quite enough, thank you.

Will Liverman as Dr. Blackwell and Kiera Duffy as Nellie Bly. Photo by Dominic M. Mercier; courtesy of Opera Philadelphia.

As is often the case, Opera Philadelphia hedges its bets by casting their operas with top notch singers.  Frankly, if it is redone with soprano Kiera Duffy, mezzo-soprano Raehann Bryce-Davis, and baritone Will Liverman I might go see it again.  It was a treat to see Ms. Duffy perform with OP once more since she was so impressive in the premiere of Breaking the Waves a few years back.  Not only was her singing exceptional once again, but her acting was impressively controlled; she owned the stage, seeming a bit deranged by her experience at day 10 and appearing pleased with herself for fooling them on day one.  Mr. Liverman has become a hot ticket, winning many awards and appearing on the best opera stages.  His baritone voice and singing was enjoyable to hear again.  His Dr. Blackwell was likable, a seemingly sympathetic physician, but a bit creepy, one whose motives you would not trust.  A tender scene was provided by Ms. Bryce-Davis as Lizzie; her vocal fireworks and pathos over the loss of her daughter, her only child, ripped my heart out and will yours.  Soprano Lauren Pearl seemed an unsympathetic controlling nurse who also performed a dramatic dance number, contributing to the unsettling atmosphere. The principals were supported by a nine-member female chorus led by Chorus Master Elizabeth Braden.

Kiera Duffy as Nellie Bly reporting the results of her expose. Photo by Dominic M. Mercier; courtesy of Opera Philadelphia.

My one disappointment with the production was that I had hoped to have the opera be more about Nellie Bly.  I agree with composer Orth that this story of the madhouses needed to be told as an opera, but there is more to Bly’s story that could be artfully mined by opera.  Ms. Bly raised the bar for investigative reporting, and she seems to have been a remarkable person and a trailblazer for improving opportunities for women.. 

The many problems associated with the diagnosis and health care of mental illness are being reported in the mainstream news now.  However, in addition to its value as an artistic work, 10 Days in a Madhouse, serves to remind us that these problems have gone on too long.  The closing scene has Nellie Bly giving a talk on her experiences and the conditions in the asylum.  She closes with “Make it stop…please”.

The Fan Experience: 10 Days in a Madhouse was scheduled for performances on September 21, 23, 26, 28, and 30.  The opera is sung in English with English translations projected on side monitors.  Information and tickets can be accessed at this link.    

Opera Philadelphia has placed a helpful, short video on Youtube giving an overview of the opera and its history by scholar in residence, Lily Kass.  Ms. Kass notes that in 19th century America, the people with the power to arbitrate sanity were almost exclusively men; one wonders what it is today. The video is less than eight minutes and well worth viewing.

Festival O23 continues through October 1.  The two-week program, which also includes performances of Simon Boccanegra and Unholy Wars as well as many concerts and recitals. can be viewed in its entirety at this link.  I might also add that Philadelphia remains one of my favorite places to visit, offering so much in history, culture, entertainment, and great food! 

Opera Philadelphia's Simon Boccanegra: A Good Opera, Who Knew?

Opera Philadelphia’s Festival O23 opened their new season by once again giving opera festivals a good name, full of freshness, innovation, fun, and quality.  I was able to take in their three headliner events that will run for two weeks, along with many concerts and recitals.  The headliner productions are the world premiere of 10 Days in Madhouse, a made fresh Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra (1881), and Unholy Wars, a different take on the crusades.  Before I comment on the Verdi opera, let me give a tip of the hat to Opera Philadelphia for continuing to serve the opera community so richly with their annual fall festival.

Boccanegra (Quinn Kelsey) and Amelia (Anna María Martínez) discover that they are father and daughter. Photo by Steven Pisano; courtesy of Opera Philadelphia.

My expectations for Boccanegra were low.  This Verdi opera from his middle period has been universally described as overly complicated, too sad, even unlovable, and it favors male voices as if that is a bad thing, supposedly an opera just for opera connoisseurs.  We should have faith in Corrado Rovaris, Opera Philadelphia’s Music Director and Conductor who spearheaded the drive to perform this opera in the Academy of Music.  We should also have faith in the ability of Opera Philadelphia to bring in top notch singers to bring these works to life.  Yes, the plot for Boccanegra is overly complex for even a three-hour opera and requires some effort on the part of attendees, but the reward for this effort is great.  This is a very good opera.  Unfortunately for Verdi, he is the standard by which his operas are measured; keep in mind that merely good by Verdi places it in the better group of all operas in the canon.  As performed by Opera Philadelphia on Friday night, it was a gem.

Boccanegra (Quinn Kelsey) has his ear bent by Paolo (Benjamin Taylor), the man who enabled his rise to DOGE. Photo by Steven Pisano; courtesy of Opera Philadelphia.

The plot, taken from a Spanish play by Antonio Garcia Gutiérrez of the same name, was first developed into an opera by Verdi with his long-time librettist Francesco Maria Piave.  They had many hits, such as Rigoletto and La Traviata, but this one did not find favor with Italian audiences in 1857.  Verdi himself played a strong role in developing the libretto and later concluded it was “too desolate, too sad”.  Some twenty years later, his publisher Giulio Ricordi convinced him to revise the work as an entry step to working with a new librettist/composer Arrigo Boito (they then worked together to create Otello and Falstaff).  Presumably, Verdi also agreed because he wanted to see wider distribution of his message supporting the Risorgimento, the unification of Italy.  The revisions were viewed favorably, though at the time Boito did not want his name associated with the opera.

Boccanegra (Quinn Kelsey) tries to settle differences with Fiesco (Christian Van Horn). Photo by Steven Pisano; courtesy of Opera Philadelphia.

The plot is too detailed to cover adequately here; see the Fan Experience section below for a suggestion.  I will mention several themes: the plebian (a commoner) Paolo, plots to have Simon Boccanegra, a corsair (a useful pirate), elected Doge of Genoa, so he can use him as a puppet to gain power and influence to pad his own pocket; it doesn’t work out so well for him as Boccanegra turns out to have an honorable streak, and Paolo plots his demise.  Boccanegra is in love with and has borne a child with Maria, daughter of the patrician (a rich guy) Fiesco, who has a reputation to think of and is now really angry with our hero.  Maria dies and the child, also named Maria, has been lost.  Fast forward twenty-five years…Fiesco has adopted Maria, not knowing it is his granddaughter, and named her Amelia.  He is also still plotting the overthrow of Boccanegra, now with Amelia’s great love, Adorno.  There are also conflicts going on within rival groups in Genoa and between Genoa and Venice that Boccanegra tries to soothe and get everyone working together (composer’s message to Italians at the time).  The complexity is interesting once you delve into it and likely would make a good mini-series.  The mixing does interrupt the flow of the individual stories, but the opera has many potent scenes, perhaps the most powerful is when Boccanegra and Amelia discover they are father and daughter; it will bring tears to your eyes.  I almost titled my report, “A Father’s Love is a Beautiful Thing”.

Adorno (Richard Trey Smagur) struggles with his feelings for Amelia. Photo by Steven Pisano; courtesy of Opera Philadelphia.

These powerful scenes are brought to life by an extraordinary cast of singers.  OP brought back the pairing from 2021 who starred in their production of Tosca, abbreviated, and performed outdoors due to pandemic regulations as The Drama of Tosca.  This was an inspired decision.  Baritone Quinn Kelsey was as likable as the conflicted Doge as he was scary as Scarpia.  Anna María Martínez was as compelling as Amelia/Maria as she was as Tosca.  Both sang beautifully in both productions and were magic together, especially in the scene of their reuniting as father and daughter.  They were well matched in the beauty of their voices, the precision and emotion of their singing, and believability of their characterizations by baritone Benjamin Taylor as Paolo, bass-baritone Christian Van Horn as Fiesco, tenor Richard Trey Smagur as Paolo, and base-baritone Cory McGee as Pietro, Paolo’s accomplice.  This outstanding team were supported by a very strong performance by the Opera Philadelphia Chorus, led by Chorus Master Elizabeth Braden.

l to r: Pietro (Cory McGee), Amelia (Anna María), and Paolo (Benjamin Taylor). Photos by Steven Pisano; courtesy of Opera Philadelphia.

OP’s Simon Boccanegra is a new production, premiered in 2022 by Opéra Royal de Wallonie Liége.  The set by designer Gary McCann was an impressive display of imposing geometric columns and walls placed on the stage floor’s rotating disc to move from scene to scene, clearly communicating the halls of power of the Doge and the isolated areas for intrigue.  The performance was also enhanced by the lighting effects of John Bishop and the period costumes of 14th century Genoa by designer Fernand Ruiz.  Director Laurence Dale used these elements well and kept the flow of the story moving, adding some especially dramatic staging with Boccanegra sitting alone, isolated at the top of a throne against a wind-swept landscape and the appearance of the original Maria’s ghost at the end.  It was sad, and at times it was desolate, but Opera Philadelphia’s Boccanegra was also affecting and touchingly bittersweet.

The final confrontation between Simon Boccanegra (Quinn Kelsey) and Fiesco (Christian Van Horn). Photo by Steven Pisano; courtesy of Opera Philadelphia.

Musicologists tell us that this version of Simon Boccanegra was the beginning of Verdi’s maturation in moving from formulaic operas to a more realistic style, less show stopping arias and more recitative storytelling using dramatic music and the full orchestra in accompaniment, closer in style to Otello than Traviata.  Kudos to Conductor Rovaris and the Opera Philadelphia Orchestra for the beautiful and highly dramatic music.  It was Verdi after all, and great Verdi, per usual!

If your initial thought was similar to mine: I’m not sure I want to go see Simon Boccanegra.  Be assured, this is a very good opera and this production of it is outstanding.  Different eras tend to favor different artistic works.  Maybe Simon Boccanegra’s time has come.  Kudos to Opera Philadelphia for using its Festival O23 to bring us something old that feels new and will be new to many of us, and something that is really, really good.

The Fan Experience: Simon Boccanegra was scheduled for performances on September 22, 24, 29, October 1.  The opera is sung in Italian with English translations projected overhead.  Information and tickets can be accessed at this link

Opera Philadelphia has placed two helpful, short videos on Youtube, one giving an overview of the opera and its history by scholar in residence, Lily Kass, and another that presents a detailed synopsis of the opera in a clever and artistic fashion.  These are less than nine minutes each and well worth a viewing.

Festival O23 continues through October 1.  The two-week program can be viewed in its entirety at this link.  I might also add that Philadelphia remains one of my favorite places to visit, offering so much in history, culture, entertainment, and great food! 

Look at Who's at the Door! The 2023-2024 Opera Season

Hey, over here!  Yes, I know that football season just got underway, that baseball is moving closer to the playoffs and the World Series, that the kids are back in school with all the schedule juggling, and that the sofa plus Netflix/Hulu/MAX beckons.  There are lots of options for any entertainment free time.  It’s exciting and compelling, but don’t forget about opera – take a quick look at the upcoming seasons for the four largest companies in the mid-Atlantic; these represent just part of the opera performances coming our way in 2023-2024 (see the larger list below).  Classic opera fans will again be well served by the new season and so will fans of newer works that address contemporary social issues.

Opera Philadelphia (M) - https://www.operaphila.org 

Festival O23: 10 Days in a Madhouse – Sep 21, 23, 26, 28, 30

Festival O23: Simon Boccanegra – Sept 22, 24, 29, Oct 1

Festival O23: Unholy Wars – 23, 27, 30, Oct 1

Festival O23: Afternoons at AVA – 23, 27, 30

Festival O23: Curtis Voices – 22, 29

Festival O23: Late Night Snacks – 21, 22, 23, 24, 27, 28, 29, 30, Oct 1

Apr 26, 28, May 3, 5 – Madame Butterfly 

Opera Philadelphia again begins their season with an opera festival, this one labeled Festival O23.  Among the highlights, O23 begins with an opera premiere: Composer Rene Orth and librettist Hannah Moscovitch tell us the story of investigative reporter Nellie Bly who, in the late 1880s, faked mental illness to get herself committed to Blackwell’s Asylum in order to reveal the treatment of women there and the larger implications for society; soprano Kiera Duffy and baritone Will Liverman return to OP for this production.  Simon Boccanegra, an opera from Verdi’s middle period, will feature baritone Quinn Kelsey and soprano Anna María Martínez in the Academy of Music with Conductor Corrado Rovaris.  Unholy Wars is a recent much acclaimed opera that examines Baroque views of the Crusades from an American Arab perspective.  A goal of OP’s festivals is to explore the boundaries of opera.  From September 21 through October 1, there will be daily performances of operas, recitals, and after-opera cabaret in various venues across the city, 33 performances in 11 days.  I have visited all the festivals since the inception of the program with O17, and each has been a highlight of the opera season for me.

Pittsburgh Opera (M) - https://www.pittsburghopera.org  

Oct 14, 17, 20, 22 – The Barber of Seville

Nov 11, 14, 17, 19 – The Flying Dutchman

Jan 20, 23, 26, 28 – Iphigénie En Tauride

Feb 17, 20, 23, 25 – Proving Up

Mar 16, 19, 22, 24 – La Traviata

Apr 27, 30, May 3, 5 – The Passion of Mary Cardwell Dawson

Classic opera fans will delight in Pittsburgh Opera’s new season with operas by Rossini, Wagner, Gluck, and Verdi.  Fans will enjoy visits from Figaro, the Dutchman, and Violetta in the grand opera house of the historic Benedum Center, and I also recommend scrambling for tickets to the performances in the smaller venues that feature Pittsburgh Opera’s highly talented Young Artists that frequently sell out.  These have been among my favorite PO productions.  PO ends its season with a recent opera, The Passion of Mary Cardwell Dawson, that will star mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves, and tells the story of the Pittsburgh native who in 1942 founded and directed the National Negro Opera Company, at a time when black singers were not allowed on the stages of mainstream opera houses, not even at the Metropolitan Opera in NYC.  She is credited with training hundreds of African American youths to sing.

Virginia Opera - (M) - https://vaopera.org  

Sep 29, Oct 1, 7, 8, 13, 15 – Siegfried

Nov 3, 4, 5, 11, 12, 17, 19 – The Barber of Seville

Jan 26, 28, Feb 3, 4, 9, 11 – Sanctuary Road

Mar 8, 9, 10, 16, 17, 22, 24 – Madama Butterfly

The newly adventurous Virginia Opera began its presentation of the four operas of Wagner’s Ring Cycle over four seasons by performing Rhinegold with an outdoor staging at Top Golf, that enabled the company to present the opera live and at the same time observe pandemic restrictions still in effect in 2021.  They lead off this season with the third episode, Siegfried, performed in opera houses in Norfolk, Fairfax, and Richmond.  In addition to three classic operas, VO will present a staged version of the oratorio, Sanctuary Road (2017) by composer Paul Moravec and librettist Mark Campbell.  This opera tells the story of William Still who helped hundreds of slaves flee to freedom via the Underground Railroad and recorded this history for posterity.  Virginia Opera will also present the ever pleasing The Barber of Seville and Madama Butterfly.

Insider tip: Check out the excellent one-hour “Let’s Talk Opera” lectures by VO’s scholar in residence Joshua Borths.  These are given via Zoom sessions on Facebook, Youtube, and LinkedIn prior to the opening of each Virginia production; they have invariably provided background and insights into the operas that increased my understanding and enjoyment of them.  The Zoom sessions are announced a few weeks before each opera, and once broadcasted, remain online for viewing anytime.

Washington National Opera (M) - https://www.kennedy-center.org/wno/home/ 

Oct 28, Nov 1, 3, 5, 11, 13 – Grounded

Nov 4, 6, 10, 12, 15, 17, 18 – Romeo and Juliet

Dec 8, 9 (2), 10 – The Lion, the Unicorn, and Me

Jan 19 (2) – AOI: Three One-Act Operas

Mar 9, 11, 15, 17, 20, 23 – Songbird

May 11, 13, 17, 19, 22, 24, 25 – Turandot

Washington National Opera opens a strong season with the premiere of a new opera, this from composer Jeanine Tesori, titled Grounded, explores the personal consequences of drone warfare.  WNO says, “In a first for opera stages, massive LED-screen technology will immerse audiences in the psychological and social implications of virtual warfare, suggesting that “distance” from war through technology is no distance at all”.  A month later, Gounod’s Romeo and Juliet is a must for me. Why? My first chance to hear soprano Rosa Feola live.  Tesori’s family opera (bring the kids) is featured in the holiday season, then an equally strong second half in 2024, American Opera Initiative’s annual premieres of new short operas, Washington favorite, Isabel Leonard, starring in Songbird, and adaptation of Offenbach’s La Périchole (jazz meets operetta), and finishing with an exciting young cast giving new life to the opera that has defied cancel culture, Turandot.  This looks to me to be one of WNO’s best seasons.

The mid-Atlantic region is also rich with smaller, often niche, opera companies that serve local fan bases.  The season listings for both large and small companies is maintained on OperaGene’s Seasons List page with links to the companies.  These lists go back to the 2015-2016 season when OperaGene began.  These companies are all included in the Seasonal Lists Page:

Academy of Vocal Arts 

Annapolis Opera

Opera Baltimore (formerly Baltimore Concert Opera)

Bel Cantanti Opera 

Charlottesville Opera  

Curtis Opera Theatre 

INSeries

Maryland Lyric Opera 

Maryland Opera

Opera Delaware  

Opera in Williamsburg 

Opera Lafayette  

Opera on the James 

Opera Philadelphia  

Opera Roanoke

Pittsburgh Festival Opera 

Pittsburgh Opera   

Princeton Festival

Shakespeare Opera Theater

Urban Arias

Victory Hall Opera 

Virginia Opera   

Washington Concert Opera 

Washington National Opera  

Washington Opera Society 

Wolf Trap Opera   

Audiences are yet to fully return to pre-COVID levels.  The ‘do it from home’ restrictions of the pandemic have caused some societal shifts, but live opera you cannot do at home, and opera live is as good as it gets.  Support your local opera companies, and they will sing you a song and tell you a story that reconnects you with your humanity.  Abandon the sofa and head to your local opera house.  Go, enjoy, and be enriched!

Wolf Trap Opera's Faust: Michelin Star Opera

There are two things that make summers in DC bearable, Wolf Trap Opera and air conditioning, and when attending opera performances in The Barns at Wolf Trap, you get both.  That’s not all, with their current showing of Charles Gounod’s Faust (1859), you get one of WTO’s best ever.  If Wolf Trap Opera was a restaurant, Faust would earn them a Michelin star, maybe two.  Even The Bear might be envious.

The treats begin before the performance starts.  To bring the storyline closer to American audiences, Director Alison Moritz has cleverly set WTO’s Faust early in the 20th century in New Orleans (in an American story with dark undertones, where else?); I remember Ms. Moritz for her creatively staged Così fan tutte in 2022 for Washington National Opera.  The character Marguerite has been modeled on Marie Catherine Laveau, a Voodoo Queen “known within her community for her contribution to women’s causes, acts of service to prisoners, and care for the sick”.  The stage has been transformed into a stylish, French Quarter residence in New Orleans with a runway that juts out into the center of the audience, fun for those with tickets but cutting down a bit on attendance; the runway also goes over the orchestra pit at the mid-point, adding to the challenge for Conductor Geoffrey McDonald, a WTO veteran, who had to stand to the right side of the pit, a bit more difficult for line of sight to the singers and half the orchestra.  However, the traffic of performers on this inlet accentuates a special benefit of attending opera in The Barns.  The Barns is smallish, cozy, and intimate and for Faust has singers trafficking down the middle of the audience; it’s quite an experience hearing the soprano singing her aria practically in your lap; you are not going to get that at the Met.  Kudos to Scenic Designer Lawrence E. Moten III for an attractive, thematic set, and bringing us even closer to the action.

The elderly Dr. Faust (Eric Taylor) contemplating his demise. Photo by Scott Suchman; courtesy of Wolf Trap Opera.

As the music begins and the lights come up, an old Dr. Faust is seated at his desk, drinking and contemplating suicide, morose that pleasures of youth are gone; he is alone and questioning his life, cursing God, seeing nothing ahead except an empty road to death.  Satan, never one to miss an opportunity, appears in his room to make Faust an offer he can’t refuse.  Well, he could but Mephistopheles conjures a vision of the beautiful Marguerite and promises him the youth to win her; just sign away his soul on the dotted line.  Warning: don’t try this at home; this is always a bad, bad, bad bargain.  Faust is to receive help from Satan above and serve his bidding below.  Faust succeeds in seducing Marguerite, impregnates her, abandons her, and with Mephistopheles’ magic, kills her brother Valentin, who dies cursing his sister.  Satan tries to banish Marguerite to hell.  She resists, goes insane, and kills her baby for which she goes to prison.  Again, Satan tries to take her down, but she resists, prays to God, dies, and Angels announce she is accepted into heaven.  Faust realizes his destruction of Marguerite, for whom he had genuine feelings of love, or maybe only she did for him.  The Devil had to resign himself to only getting one out of two.  Through Marguerite, faith and goodness triumphed.  This is a big opera being performed in a small space and Director Moritz does an outstanding job moving the players around and the story along.  The ending might have been made a little clearer for those unfamiliar with the story.  At the end, Faust is distraught on the stage, left to go to hell with the knowledge he has ruined Marguerite’s life, but you might also wonder, the way it is played, if perhaps Marguerite’s love for him, expressed again when he visits her in prison, has allowed him to escape the worst of his fate.  Also, the penultimate scene that showed Faust being serviced in a demonic bordello, Big Easy style, made hell more appealing than I was expecting, a little late in the opera; surely this was meant to explain why he abandoned Marguerite.  Overall, the libretto offers up one of those stories that doesn’t hold up to scrutiny, but it is excellent theater and fun opera.  Its sins are forgivable because the plot is held together and made to work by Gounod’s beautiful, lyrical melodies, one after another.

Marguerite (Brittany Logan) in a time of innocence. Photo by Scott Suchman; courtesy of Wolf Trap Opera.

The cast for Faust was outstanding as a group.  All the roles with one exception were played by Wolf Trap Opera Filene Artists, a talented group of emerging artists who already have accumulated professional experience and accolades; they were selected for additional training in competitions across the U.S; then, WTO’s operas are selected to match the talents of each year’s selectees.  Although Gounod’s opera is loosely based on Part I of Goethe’s immortal poem and play of the same name, the opera is mainly derived from librettist Michel Carre’s play, Faust et Marguérite; Jules Barbier was co-librettist for the opera.

Two views of Mephistopheles (Wm. Clay Thompson), as the dapper bargain-maker for human souls on earth and as the leader of his demon lair below. Photos by Scott Suchman; courtesy of Wolf Trap Opera.

Before moving on to offer accolades for the excellent cast and performances, let me hand a couple out for Costume Design and Wig & Makeup Design to Lynly Saunders and Priscilla Bruce, respectively.  Not only did they help established the time and period, they embellished the storytelling and were a visual treat in their own right.  This aspect might have gotten WTO over the hump in getting that Michelin star.  Also maintaining the edge of quality for all aspects of this performance was the lighting design by Colin K. Bills, showcasing aspects of heaven and hell as well as life on earth.

Photo 1: Siébel (Mary Beth Nelson) sings of her love for Marguerite. Photo 2: Valentin (Kyle White) duels with a youthful Faust (Eric Taylor) as Mephistopheles (Wm. Clay Thompson) looks on. Photos by Scott Suchman; courtesy of Wolf Trap Opera.

The role of Dr. Faust was played by versatile tenor Eric Taylor who had two roles to play, Faust as an old man and Faust as a young man.  He acted and sang well in moments of both passion and despair.  He will soon appear as Pinkerton with Detroit Opera and Houston Grand Opera.  Marguerite is a central character in Faust the opera, and her tussle with Satan is its central element.  That assessment was strongly bolstered by the outstanding performance of soprano Brittany Logan in that role.  With the audience so close, acting becomes almost as important as singing in The Barns, and Ms. Logan was pitch perfect in both; her range from low to high notes had pinpoint control with impressive fluidity, and her acting was superb as a shy, young beauty, a budding coquette charmed by jewels, and a fallen woman in despair.  Ms. Logan was a Lindemann Young Artist with the Metropolitan Opera and will make her debut at the Met this Fall as Anna in Nabucco.  Mephistopheles was played by bass Wm. Clay Thompson who has trained at the Ryan Opera Center of the Lyric Opera of Chicago.  Dressed in angelic white, he was impressive singing and acting devilishly, whether entreating his victims or showing explosive rage.  This trio of emerging artists were outstanding, whether singing in solo arias or in ensemble numbers.

Costumes, costumes, costumes as Marthe (Kathleen Felty, center) joins the ensemble in a dance. Photo by Scott Suchman; courtesy of Wolf Trap Opera.

The supporting cast was also excellent. Mezzo-soprano Mary Beth Nelson in a pants-role played Siébel, a young man hopelessly in love with Marguerite.  She sang beautifully especially in a touching aria collecting a bouquet for her love.  This performance was quite a contrast to her recent role as Rosina for Opera Baltimore’s and Opera Delaware’s The Barber of Seville, where she was also a delight.  Tenor Kyle White sang the role of Valentin convincingly, exhibiting a warmth and beauty in his voice that made both myself and my wife wanting to hear more.  We had previously seen his performance in Virginia Opera’s The Pirates of Penzance.  For another contrasting performance, I offer up mezzo-soprano Katherine Felty who impressed in June as the Prince, a pants-role in WTO’s Semele; in Faust, she was a charming Marthe, a married friend of Marguerite’s who flirted with the devil.  The soloist cast was completed by Studio Artist tenor Maria Manzo who was engaging as soldier Wagner.  Additional WTO Studio Artists filled in as the chorus and supernumeraries.

Wagner (Mario Manzo) leads the ensemble in a song. Photo by Scott Suchman; courtesy of Wolf Trap Opera.

Of necessity, the score for WTO’s Faust was adjusted for a chamber-sized orchestra.  That said, I thought Conductor McDonald and the Wolf Trap Orchestra played marvelously.  Time and again when I noticed I found them in sync with the action on stage and providing Guonod’s embellishments beautifully.  The WTO Chorus sang well on and off stage under the direction of Chorus Master William Woodard. Faust is a hits list of arias, and the orchestra delivered them with the full charm of Gounod’s lyricism.  Bravi!

Mephistopheles (Wm. Clay Thompson) accosts Marguerite (Brittany Logan) in church, failing to banish her to hell. Photo by Scott Suchman; courtesy of Wolf Trap Opera.

Wolf Trap Opera has taken their productions to another level.  I found WTO’s Faust to be filled with excellence at all levels from beginning to end.  The singers, orchestra, and creative staff were all at the top of their game.  It has been said that good opera intoxicates all the senses.  Wolf Trap Opera’s Faust did that at the highest level.  Yes, two stars, such quality deserves two stars.  To get three stars, I think you would have to bring back Pavarotti.

The Fan Experience: Now the bad news – Performances of Faust were scheduled for July 21, 23, 27, and 29; the two remaining performances are sold out.  You might try dropping by the box office to see if there have been any returns or checking Craig’s List online to see if anyone wants to sell their tickets.  The opera is sung in French with supertitles in English shown overhead; with one intermission, run time was about 3 hours.  WTO’s next fully staged production will be Don Giovanni in the Filene Center, on Friday, August 11; tickets remain for that performance.

Wolf Trap Opera's Semele: A Cornucopia of Delights

Do you like classic Italian, French, or German opera?  Semele (George Frederic Handel, 1744) is not that.  Do you like baroque music and Handel’s The Messiah?  That’s closer but with a big difference.  Semele is not a religious event unless you are a believer in Roman/Greek gods that populate the opera.  It’s secular and sexy, and it has tunes that are as much Broadway-like as opera aria-like, sung in English by the attractive, talented, and energetic Filene and Studio Artists, who are spending a summer with Wolf Trap Opera to hone their skills and be seen.  As always, WTO’s opera selections are strongly influenced by the singing talent available that year, and this year’s cast for Semele is a very strong one.  In fact, there are aspects to enjoy in each of the performance’s elements, a cornucopia of delights.

Semele (Ester Tonea, center) in send off to endless pleasure, endless love by reception well wishers. Photo by Ken Howard; courtesy of Wolf Trap Opera.

The first time my son listened to Bizet’s Carmen, he said that it had too many pop tunes to be called an opera.  Think of Semele as Handel’s Carmen.  In fact, composer George Frederic Handel wrote it as an opera to be performed as an oratorio, and that is where it gets even more interesting for modern audiences.  Performed as an opera gives directors an open palette for interpretation and staging.  In Director Tara Faircloth’s hands we get very clever, creative staging…more later. 

A popular saying when I was growing up in the South was “don’t get above your raisin’”.  A lyric in a Lester Flatt song by that title, goes “don’t get above your raisin’, stay down to earth with me”, but what if one of you is a god.  The mortal Semele, for reasons that can be contested – a high minded young woman wanting to elevate her position or a lovesick young woman wanting to be fully with her true love – tried to go above her raisin’.  Semele is smitten by Jupiter (Jove), the king of the gods, and they begin an affair, but Semele moves beyond just having an affair with a god and wants to become a god.  Juno, the jealous wife of Jupiter, schemes to have Semele extract a promise from her love that he will appear to her in god-like form; Semele believes this will make her immortal.  Juno knows that seeing a god in their true form causes mortals to burst into flames, fait accompli for Juno.  Semele, too inflamed with the possibility, will not heed Jupiter’s warning and becomes the victim of Juno’s revenge.  There are several other engaging characters who have their own issues and add family intrigue.  In the end, the Roman legend and composer Handel offer us a happy ending for all but Semele: in death she has born a child who is Bacchus, god of wine-making and fertility, which makes everyone believe their troubles are over.  I’d be happy to settle there, but references tell us he was also the god of insanity and madness.  Clunk.  So, was Handel’s message that good things come from extending yourself, or was it don’t get above your raisin’? 

The jilted Prince Athamas (Kathleen Felty) being approached by the love-struck Ino (Emily Treigle). Photo by Ken Howard; courtesy of Wolf Trap Opera.

My guess is that Handel wrote Semele like all his operas as vehicles for excellent singers to show off singing his arias.  Regardless of the opera, a strong appeal of WTO performances is the fresh, invigorating experience of hearing the emerging artists who perform.  The soloists for Semele, with one exception, were drawn from the Filene Artists and the chorus and supernumeraries came from the Studio Artists. Handel filled this opera with several characters who get to sing beautiful arias, but make no mistake, this is Semele’s opera and a chance for that soprano to shine.  Soprano Ester Tonea sang the role of Semele.  Ms. Tonea was a Winner in 2022 in the prestigious Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition.  As Semele, she demonstrated a big instrument, capable of vocal fireworks, with clarity and a pleasing tone.  Her singing was bright and beautiful, but I suspect baroque style is not yet her forte; melisma, in general, was in short supply in this production, perhaps purposively.  Her rendition of “Endless pleasure, endless love” was engaging, and her “Sleep, why dost thou leave me” was a truly lovely performance; and her aria “Myself I will adore” was delivered with an appealing light comic touch.  I thought she played Semele with more of a wives of Hollywood appeal than a Romeo and Juliet one.  I hope she returns to the DC area for performances frequently; this young soprano appears to have a high ceiling.

Juno (Emily Treigle) plotting with Iris (Véronique Filloux). Photo by Ken Howard; courtesy of Wolf Trap Opera.

Mezzo-soprano Emily Treigle performed in two roles, as Juno and as Ino, sister of Semele who purloined for Prince Athamas, Semele’s jilted betrothed.  Ms. Treigle was a Winner in the 2021 Laffont Competition, and she proved to be quite the actress.  She portrayed the roles as different personalities and was completely believable in each.  Her singing was also impressive in each, and her arias showed an appealing array of colors in her voice.  Juno was assisted by her messenger Iris in her efforts to bring down Semele.  Director Faircloth turned what is largely a minor role of Iris into a bit of a showstopper, casting soprano Véronique Filloux as Iris, decked out in a colorful uniform that a circus master might have worn.  Ms. Filloux complemented her on point singing with energy, humor, and impressively deft choreographed movements.  Ms. Treigle and Ms. Filloux were well matched and played effectively off each other on stage. 

Juno (Emily Treigle) tempts Somnus (Eric Lindsey), the god of sleep, with a reward for his help. Photo by Ken Howard; courtesy of Wolf Trap Opera.

Handel often wrote to have castrati sing roles in his operas; today these roles are most often performed by countertenors or by mezzo-sopranos in a pants role.  Mezzo-soprano Kathleen Felty, who was previously in the Santa Fe Opera Apprentice Program, sang the role of Athamas well and anchored the first scene with the stature and manner to make it believable.  Her sad aria “Your tuneful voice my tale would tell” was well done and her duet with Ms. Treigle, “You’ve undone me”, was especially enjoyable.

Semele (Ester Tonea) sleeps in the sensuous abode that Jupiter has built for his mistress. Photo by Ken Howard; courtesy of Wolf Trap Opera.

Lunga Eric Hallam, a tenor from South Africa, was a standout as Jupiter, definitely an emerging artist to take note of.  He sang with clarity and sweetness in all his arias, with romantic appeal singing “I must with speed amuse her” and a special pathos in “Whither is she gone, unhappy fair “.  Another two-role player was bass Eric Lindsey who played Cadmus, King of Thebes and father of Semele and Somnus, god of sleep.  Mr. Lindsey was effectively an officious father and a funny Somnus.  I especially appreciated the beautiful tone of his voice in the slow singing as Somnus.  The lone Studio Artist appearing as a soloist in this performance was tenor Samuel Krausz who gave us a joyful performance as Apollo announcing the happy ending.  There are many enjoyable duets and ensemble numbers in Semele, and another delight of this production were Handel’s choral numbers, sung marvelously by the Studio Artists; kudos to Chorus Master David Hanlon.

Jupiter (Lunga Eric Hallam) embraces Semele (Ester Tonea) in a love scene. Photo by Ken Howard; courtesy of Wolf Trap Opera.

Handel’s music, as well as his arias, are exceptional in Semele.  The music was delivered in pleasing, baroque simplicity by Conductor Timothy Long and the Wolf Trap Orchestra, limited to twenty-something players by the relatively small orchestra pit in The Barns.  Conductor Long maintained the musical pace in a timely manner, showcasing the emerging artists, keeping the music much in the accompaniment background.  This production was somewhat trimmed from the full production of the opera.

Semele’s story is presented in broad strokes, and this emphasizes the individual scenes, more than the flow.  Director Faircloth’s staging took advantage of this aspect and presented a different styled staging for each scene.  Her attention to detail added comic touches in each.  I was delayed by a traffic jam getting into my seat, arriving at performance time.  With the stage still empty, and the music yet to begin, I thought more late arrivers were flowing in behind me, but it turned out to be the cast flowing into the temple on stage for a wedding service to begin.  It was an effective beginning, immediately drawing me into the story.  The dating and costume styles of each scene were different, perhaps to better connect with modern audiences and to show that the themes remain true across the centuries, or maybe just to make the opera more entertaining. Kudos to Ruth Varland for great work with the costumes and to Anne Nesmith for wigs and makeup.  Lighting effects were well done by Mark Stanley, and special kudos to Cameron Anderson for a striking and effective scenic design; each was a bit of a surprise and the scene opening in the quarters Jupiter had prepared for Semele was a standout.

Apollo (Samuel Krausz) and Iris (Véronique Filloux) appear in the center to assure everyone their troubles are over. Photo by Ken Howard; courtesy of Wolf Trap Opera.

So, Wolf Trap Opera’s Semele, that opens their summer season of fully staged operas, offers Handel’s beautiful, tuneful arias beautifully sung by a multitude of enthusiastic emerging artists, supported by the fine playing of his marvelous music, with enjoyable choral numbers, all enhanced by an engaging, creative staging.  Yes, I think a cornucopia of delights describes it very well.

The Fan Experience: Semele is scheduled for performances on June 23, 25, 29, and July 1 in The Barns at Wolf Trap.  The opera is sung in English with supertitles in English shown overhead; with one intermission, run time was about 2.5 hours.  Limited tickets are available for remaining performances.  WTO has also scheduled fully staged productions of Faust (The Barns) and Don Giovanni (Filene Center) this summer as well as several concerts/recitals; check their website for details.

One aspect of Wolf Trap Opera’s productions worth noting under the management of Lee Anne Myslewski, Wolf Trap Vice President of Opera and Classical Programming, is their commitment to diversity.  Among others, Semele includes a female stage director, a South African tenor, and a conductor of Muscogee Creek and Chocktaw descent.  This commitment is very much appreciated.

The Barns is an excellent venue for opera, intimate with good acoustics.  Even the seats at the back and in the balcony are relatively close to the performers, but some of those in the very front and in the back on the floor lack a view of the supertitles.  The floor seats are not tiered but those in the balcony are.  Food and beverages are available before the performances and during intermissions.  During DC’s hot and humid summers, it has excellent air-conditioning.  Parking is free, plentiful and is easy-in/easy-out.  There can be traffic slowdowns approaching The Barns on days when Filene performances are scheduled at the same time, so leave some extra time for commuting on those days.

Washington National Opera's La Bohéme: Likable and Sustaining

Washington National Opera’s current production of La Bohème is many things.  This popular choice offers a homecoming for fans of classic opera; it is click-bait to hook new fans; it is a showcase for young opera stars; it is an opportunity to hear some of the most beautiful music ever composed; and it is a fitting dessert, a sweet ending for WNO’s 2022-2023 season.  The performance Monday night was Puccini at his likable best, comfort food for fans of opera.  I have now seen La Bohème frontwards, backwards, and as remembered by Rodolfo, and it’s all good.  The story and music hold up well as companies and director’s infuse novelty into their productions of an opera that has been regularly performed by almost every opera company since its premiere in 1896.

Mimi (Gabriella Reyes) and Rodolfo (Kang Wang) search for her key on the floor and find love. Photo by Scott Suchman; courtesy of Washington National Opera.

Let’s begin with the story, and if you are an opera newbie, be warned that there are spoilers ahead.  Giacomo Puccini and librettist Luigi Illica developed the story line from tales of bohemian friends and acquaintances related by author Henry Murger in his book, Scènes de la vie de bohème (1896).  The opera has four acts, each a stage of the love affair between the poet and playwright Rodolfo and the seamstress with a cough Mimi, which takes place in a bohemian community in Paris.  In act I, we meet Rodolfo and his good friends and compatriots in art, Marcello the painter, Schaunard the musician, and Colline the philosopher, all leading impoverished lives to devote themselves to their art, feeling they have the “soul of a millionaire” while unable to pay for heat in winter’s cold.  Their comradery is further demonstrated in their comic attempt to dispose of landlord Benoit’s attempt to collect the rent.  We also meet Mimi who is to become the love of Rodolfo’s life.  In act II, our lovers further bond at a festive and lively Christmas Eve dinner at Café Momus, and we meet Marcello’s love interest Musetta as they bicker and reunite.  In act III, Musetta and Marcello continue their tempestuous ways while Mimi and Rodolfo have become estranged though still deeply in love.  In act IV, the deathly ill Mimi and Rodolfo reunite while their friends can only offer comfort as Mimi dies. 

Musetta (Jacqueline Echols) takes the stage at Cafè Momus to sing “Quando me’n vo” as her wealthy benefactor, Alcindoro (Peter Rose) looks on from the lower right. Photo by Scott Suchman; courtesy of Washington National Opera.

WNO’s La Bohème is set in post-WWI Paris of the 1920s, also a time when artists came to Paris to develop their skills, commune with like-minded souls, and become world famous.  WNO chose to revive their 2014 production by Jo Davies, using the lavish sets and detailed costumes from those performances.  The sets, costumes, and staging under new direction of Peter Kazaras were quite impressive and effective in presenting a classic production of Puccini’s opera.  My one wish for La Bohème’s staging is that the stage director would add a character to begin act III who, in poetic terms, prepares the audience for the shift from the warmth of Christmas Eve to the icy cold waters of act III.  Puccini and Illica had prepared another act to transition more smoothly between acts II and III but decided not to use it.  I find that having now viewed the opera multiple times, I can better appreciate the power and beauty of act III in the moment.  There are also some small jolts in transition from act III to IV, such as the lovers all being separated in the beginning.  Nonetheless, the opera has so much to offer that the classic staging certainly works well.

The classic production also works well when the singers can communicate their individual charms as well as their group comradery with both acting and singing.  WNO’s production gets high marks on this aspect with a bevy of young opera stars with strong voices who fit the molds laid out by Puccini and Illica.  Mimi is portrayed by soprano Gabriella Reyes, tagged for stardom, who had two performances in Met Opera’s 2021-2022 season.  For Bohème to work you must like Mimi.  Ms. Reyes made her easy to love as she explains to the poet Rodolfo in poetic terms the simple life she leads and why she loves to embroider flowers.  Award winning tenor Kang Wang, previously seen in WNO’s Cosí fan tutte, was her match in warmth and passion.  Marcello played by baritone Gihoon Kim and Musetta sung by soprano Jacqueline Echols were an amusing and ultimately, an endearing couple with their relationship accentuated by love-warfare.  I have seen La Bohème enough that I enjoy it relatively tension free.  For this performance, it was so nice to be able to just sit back and listen to the beautiful singing coming forward from this cast; all of them stood out. 

The four bohemian friends, (l to r) Schaunard (Blake Denson), Marcello (Gihoon Kim), Rodolfo (Kang Wang), and Colline (Peixin Chen), have a moment of play. Photo by Scott Suchman; courtesy of Washington National Opera.

Rodolfo’s compatriots, Schaunard and Colline were ably and enjoyably played by baritone Blake Denson and bass Peixin Chen in completing the circle of friends.  Bass Peter Rose played the roles of both the landlord Benoit and Musetta’s wealthy benefactor, Alcindoro; he made both comic treats.  The other players of minor roles, and the WNO Chorus as singers and supernumeraries contributed to the effectiveness and enjoyment of the performance, though I thought the chorus in the Café Momus scene seemed a little underutilized.

I thought the music in WNO’s La Bohéme was superb as played by the WNO Orchestra under the direction of guest conductor, Alevtina Ioffe, in her WNO debut.  The music played a strong role in the effectiveness and likability of this performance, so crisp and clear, painting scenes with strokes of color and beauty, never dominant and never too distant.  The music warned us when trouble lay ahead and then reassured us that love was still the guiding light.  I became consciously aware several times in the performance of how much I was enjoying the music.  I wish I had a recording to hear this musical performance again.

Rodolfo (Kang Wang) and Mimi (Gabriella Reyes) have renewed their vows of undying love at the end. Photo by Scott Suchman; courtesy of Washington National Opera.

I sometimes ask myself if I want to see yet another performance of La Bohéme as I do for many of the popular classic operas, but I attend La Bohème again, and on the way home, I feel all warm and toasty inside, like someone gave me a warm blanket on a cold winter’s night.

The Fan Experience:  Performances of La Bohéme were scheduled for May 13, 14, 15, 19, 21, 24, 26, and 27; Cafritz Young Artists were scheduled to perform the principal roles on May 13 and 26.  The opera is sung in Italian with supertitles shown overhead in English.  May 19 is WNO’s Pride Night Out, with ticket savings and a private champagne intermission event.  Performance information and tickets can be accessed at this link. Neither masking nor proof of vaccination is required to attend performances. 

Half hour pre-opera talks are given to ticket holders one hour before performances.  Post-performance question and answer sessions were scheduled with members of the cast on May 14, 15, and 21.

Parking in the Kennedy Center is typically plentiful at around $25 per day, with a small discount for Kennedy Center members when reserved ahead of the day.  The Metro to Foggy Bottom and the free Red Kennedy Center buses from there to the Kennedy Center which run every 15 minutes are an excellent option.  There are snack stands in the main lobby, and on the Terrace level, the KC Café offers food cafeteria style at moderate prices; fine dining is available on the Terrace level in the Roof Terrace Restaurant. 

There are many side activities to attend at the Kennedy Center.  Mini-concert, free performances are scheduled on the Millennium Stages at either end of the main floor foyer.  There also is a still new, permanent exhibit on John F. Kennedy’s life and support for the arts on the Terrace Level.  The REACH is a modern addition to the Kennedy Center that offers numerous activities.

Opera Lafayette's Opéra-Ballet Premieres: a Fun Léandre et Héro and an Audacious Io

The timing for these performances was all wrong.  On Tuesday Night, Opera Lafayette blew the roof off the Kennedy Center and continued its recent trend towards bringing yesterday’s French music to today with authenticity but in ways that modern audiences can more fully appreciate and enjoy.  The operas and music were good; the singers and dancers were great; and Machine Dazzles’s costumes must be seen to be believed.  These two performances together should either have been held on New Year’s Eve in the Kennedy Center or as part of the Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans, and soprano Gwendoline Blondeel as La Folie would have been declared queen of the ball.  For Io in particular, Opera Lafayette put the spectacular in opera’s spectacle.  As they say in New Orleans: Laissez les bons temps rouler!

La Folie (Gwendoline Blondeel) in Opera Lafayette’s Io surrounded by Graces and Pleasures (Séan Curran dancers). Photo by Jennifer Packard Photography; courtesy of Opera Lafayette.

Composer Pierre de La Garde’s and librettist Pierre Laujon’s Léandre et Héro (1750) and composer Jean-Phillipe Rameau’s Io (2023) were expected to provide a pleasant evening of authentic 18th century French music, singing, and dancing performed beautifully by polished performers with dash added by the creative efforts in costuming by Machine Dazzle.  It was so much more.  The costumes dazzled alright, but so did the staging, the choreography, and the performances.  Founder and Artistic Director Ryan Brown remains true to OL’s mission but refuses to let this company rest on its laurels.  I am literally still decompressing from Tuesday night’s experience. 

Cast photo from Léandre et Héro with Maxime Melnik as Léandre and Emmanuelle de Negri as Héro in center, surrounded by Séan Curran Company dancers in modern costumes, Triton costumes and dancers in period shepherd and shepherdess costumes of The New York Baroque Dance Company on either side, and Douglas Williams as Neptune on the pedestal in the background. Photo by Jennifer Packard Photography; courtesy of Opera Lafayette.

I covered much of the background for these two works in a preview report but let me touch again on a few important points:

1.     Léandre et Héro and Io are actes de ballet, which are single act versions of French operas-ballets, a mix of opera and dance with an ending divertissement of primarily dance intended to be “joyous, festive, and conclusive”.

2.     Léandre et Héro was presumed lost, but a copy showed up at auction in 2021; Opera Lafayette obtained exclusive production rights from Bibliothéque Nationale de France for one year to produce a modern premiere, not seen for about 270 years.  Because this acte de ballet, being last in a trilogy, lacked an overture, and for this performance, OL added an overture from similarly themed Clerambault’s Léandre et Héro and de La Garde’s La Toilette de Venus.

Douglas Williams as Neptune, god of the sea, with Séan Curran Company dancers in the foreground. Photo by Jennifer Packard Photography; courtesy of Opera Lafayette.

3.     Io was thought to be unfinished, but scholars with Rameau’s Opera Omnia led by Sylvie Bouissou recently surmised that the missing parts had been removed for use in another opera, Rameau’s Platée, and they were able to reconstruct Io.  OL’s is a first-ever production of this 280-year-old work.

4.     Performances of these two actes de ballets was the final segment of OL’s 2022-2023 DC season whose theme has been the life and times of Madame Pompadour.  She, King Louis XV’s chief mistress, sang the role of Héro at Versailles; she was also a major supporter of Rameau and other composers, and had a substantial influence on the development of French music in the mid-18th century. 

Séan Curran dancers in modern costumes and Triton attire in the Baroque style, dance before Neptune (Douglas Williams), Léandre (Maxime Melnik), and Héro (Emmanuelle de Negri). Photo by Jennifer Packard Photography; courtesy of Opera Lafayette.

5.     All three productions of Opera Lafayette’s 2022-2023 season now move to be performed next week in a festival format in NYC.  This expert combination of history, education, and performance art, all solidly researched by experts, is typical of Opera Lafayette and is what makes it extraordinary.

Léandre et Héro tells the dramatic story of two mythical characters, Léandre who swam every night across a sea to visit his forbidden love, Héro, until he drowns in a storm, and when Héro learns of this, she jumps into the sea and drowns.  Neptune brings them back to life, making them immortal so their love can survive forever.  Io is a comedy in which Jupiter and Apollo, in disguise, compete for the affection of the mortal Io.  Jupiter wins and creates a storm revealing his godly nature.  Apollo leaves and La Folie (Folly) appears, leading Jupiter’s charge for everyone to partake in fun and games, pleasures, and graces.  The ending divertissements for each work were about one-third of the acts – a substantial dance involvement.

left photo: Patrick Kilbride as Mercury and Douglas Williams as Jupiter. right photo: Emmanuelle de Negri as Io. Photos by Jennifer Packard Photography; courtesy of Opera Lafayette.

Stage direction and French libretto translation (shown on an above screen) for both works was done by Nick Olcott.  The same simple set was used by both actes de ballet, white columns in a V-shape pointing to a pedestal with a screen projection of the goddess of love appearing above the pedestal and screen projections of clouds behind the columns.  Credit to Lighting Designer Christopher Brusberg for lighting changes that enhanced the scenes. For the first work, in front of the columns was the sea composed of six dancers from the Séan Curran Dance, wearing modern blue tights.  The first surprise of the night, both funny and delightful, was the manner by which Léandre swam through the sea to meet his love.  The stormy sea in which Léandre died and then Héro committed suicide required some nifty choreography by Séan Curran.  Standing on sidelines in baroque costumes were six dancers representing inhabitants of Sestos and Tritons from the New York Baroque Dance Company; the baroque dance moves were choreographed by Catherine Turocy. 

left photo: Maxime Melnik as Apollo. right photo: Gwendoline Blondeel as La Folie being attended by Séan Curran Company dancers as three Graces. Photos by Jennifer Packard Photography; courtesy of Opera Lafayette.

The excellent cast of singers for Léandre et Héro included tenor Maxime Melnik as Léandre, making his U.S. debut, the pure-voiced soprano Emmanuelle de Negri as Héro, who starred in OL’s the Salons of Versaille, and bass-baritone Douglas Williams as Neptune.  All sang beautifully and effectively portrayed their roles.  Ms. de Negri was especially captivating in this role, which fit her singing style perfectly, allowing the beauty in her voice to shimmer and shine.  The de La Garde’s music, well-played by the Opera Lafayette Orchestra was led by Avi Stein as both conductor and harpsichordist.  The pleasing music accompanying the vocals was mostly by harpsichord.  The soloists were joined impressively by a 15-member chorus who sang off-stage, then from rows in the audience, finally joining on stage in costume as characters of Sestos, Sailors, and Divinités de la Mer.  The music for the divertissement was livelier and fuller, played by the complete 23-member ensemble, a mixture of strings and woodwinds.  The visual appeal of the dancing greatly elevated the appeal of Léandre et Héro, making it fun; may the lovers live forever.  However, as inventive and enjoyable as it was, this performance did not prepare me for what was to come.  Opera Lafayette kicked it up a couple of notches with Io.

Séan Curran Company dancers in left photo as Fun & Games and in the right photo as Pleasures. Photos by Jennifer Packard Photography; courtesy of Opera Lafayette.

For Io, the three singers switched roles and continued their excellent vocals; and, importantly, some new ones were added; dancers were from Séan Curran Company with choreography by Séan Curran.  Bass-baritone Williams became Jupiter and tenor Melnik became Apollo, both trying to win the heart of Io, played by soprano de Negri, played in campy style.  Mr. William’s singing as Jupiter commanded the stage even more effectively than it did as Neptune, and Mr. Melnik was an appealing loser in the race for love.  The reliably effective tenor Patrick Kilbride joined as Mercury in the early going, assisting Jupiter in his plot.  The early part of this comedy was Marx brothers-like with lots of banter and characters running about in and off stage trying to see and not be seen; Director Olcott enhanced the pace and fun with a snappy, slang filled libretto translation.  Finally, Jupiter called the question and created a swirling storm, followed by a celebration of Graces, Fun and Games, and Pleasures.  Machine Dazzle’s costumes to this point in Io had been striking, with great attention to detail and meaning, i.e., Apollo was dressed in a fishnet with fish attached signifying his failed attempt to woo Io, caught in his own net.  In an essay in OL’s program booklet, Melissa Hyde and Mark Ledbury point out that Machine Dazzle’s exuberant, boundary defying costumes fit the rebellious Rococco style and culture of the mid-18th century France arts scene, the period of Io’s composition.  The attached photos can serve as an introduction to the costumes’ color and design, but you need to be present in person to fully experience the textures and vibrancy of the pieces.

Then, the explosions came, first in the form of the storm, where the characters were blown around and were joined by costumed Séan Curran dancers, three twirling about holding costumed whirlwinds overhead (this must have taken a lot of practice).  Then as the storm recedes, three dancers appear as Graces in beautiful, alluring costumes; two male dancers appear in purple, erotic outfits as Pleasures; and one dancer in a black and white striped costume with large balls attached appeared as Fun and Games.  Even this did not prepare me for what was to come.  Suddenly the action slowed as someone in an enormous yellow and pastel costume was assisted onto the stage.  The lights came up and soprano Gwendoline Blondeel as La Folie was in place on the pedestal bedecked in a huge, stunning, ostentatious, bright yellow costume.  Apollo had departed, and she has stolen his lyre to lead the merriment, proving life is crazy by turning things topsy-turvy, making sad songs fun and fun songs sad. 

Finale photo from Io featuring costumed Séan Curran Company dancers. Photo by Jennifer Packard Photography; courtesy of Opera Lafayette.

La Folie’s entrance was eye-opening itself, but if you saw Ms. Blondeel singing “Stabat Mater” in a reverent church girl performance in Opera Lafayette’s Pergolesi! earlier this year, you’d find her performance as La Folie a rather shocking transformation.  The first few minutes of her center piece solo, I felt like I was in Las Vegas and Beyoncé had just come on stage.  She soon unbuckled her outsized costume and gave a leggy showgirl performance from then on.  Wow, what a dynamic singing performance; it was beautiful operatic singing, but it was also showtime, a strong contender for my favorite performance of the year!  The Opera Lafayette Chorus, also costumed in Machine Dazzle’s shimmering duds appeared on stage to join in the fun.  Delightful fun, singing and dancing filled out the performance.  Special kudos to Ms. Blondeel for her show-stopping  performance in what was quite a show.

Conductor Avi Stein also led the Opera Lafayette Orchestra and Chorus in Io.  The musical performances were excellent. I enjoyed Rameau’s music which seemed fuller and more complex than de La Garde’s, but honestly, the visuals in Io were so engaging that I could not focus on the music or playing; perhaps the most appropriate comment might be that the music and the chorus participation fit beautifully with an overall outstanding program.  To have been less would have been distracting.

Opera Lafayette, you have outdone yourself!  I cannot imagine what next season drawn from The Era of Madame de Maintenon will bring, but I do not intend to miss it.

The Fan Experience:  Léandre et Héro and Io were scheduled for performances on May 2 and 3 in the Terrace Theater of the Kennedy Center and on May 9 at the El Museo del Barrio Theater in NYC; the entire Festival program for NYC can be found at this link.  The actes de ballets were sung in French with supertitles in English.  The performances were scheduled for two hours, including a 20 minute intermission but ran closer to 2.5 hours total.

An informative pre-opera discussion that took place one hour before showtime included Opera Lafayette Artistic Director Ryan Brown, Mathais Auclair of the Bibliothéque Nationale de France, music historian and Rameau expert Sylvie Bouissou, and music historian Rebecca Harris-Warrick.

These experts also contributed to an extensive program book that includes essays by these authors and others.

Opera Philadelphia's Bohème La: Love and Death Becomes Death and Love

My wife says it’s not a competition and that Director Yuval Sharon’s production of Puccini’s La Bohéme should not be compared to classic productions.  I’ll try, but that’s a tall order given that practically the whole thing is taken from the classic production, just reversing the order of the acts, and adding a character to tell us what is going on.  Remember that this is one of the most popular and beloved operas of all time.  Few opera fans will view this production without already having feelings for the characters and making comparisons.  I guess the important question isn’t which version you might prefer, but how will this telling affect your feelings.

Mimi (Kara Goodrich) is dying as she is surrounded and comforted by her friends (l to r) Marcello (Troy Cook, kneeling), Rodolfo (Joshua Blue, kneeling), Schaunard (Benjamin Taylor, sitting), Colline (Adam Lau, standing), and Musetta (Melissa Joseph, sitting). Photo by Steven PIsano; courtesy of Opera Philadelphia.

In Act I of the original La Bohème, we meet four bohemian friends – Rodolfo the poet, Marcello the painter, Schaunard the musician, Colline the philosopher, and Benoit their landlord.  Then we are introduced to Mimi the seamstress who will quickly become the love of Rodolfo’s life.  In Act II, there is a Christmas Eve party at Café Momus where lovers Mimi and Rodolfo bond forever and lovers Marcello and the coquettish Musetta spar with each other.  In Act III, Rodolfo’s and Mimi’s relationship has become strained, and they struggle to reconnect; Musetta and Marcello spar more.  In Act IV, Mimi dies from consumption and everyone, including the audience is sad.  But for this production, Director Sharon has reversed the order; you get the sad stuff at the beginning of the opera and the happy stuff at the end.

The National Gallery of Art has a series of paintings by artist Thomas Cole titled “The Voyage of Life”, four paintings depicting childhood, youth, manhood, and old age.  They have fascinated me since I was a young man, and one can view them in chronological or reverse order, but they represent stages of life, not specific events.  Puccini’s opera portrays four scenes from a developing relationship: chance encounter, celebration of love, a falling out, and the risk of loss.  The exact scenes depicted are the result of specific decisions made in a timeline, even though they also represent different stages of a love affair.  Normally, these stories are told as leading from one stage to the next, but what would be the effect of viewing them in reverse chronological order, of telling or remembering them differently?  In Fall 2021, Virginia Opera performed La Bohème: Rodolfo Remembers, a shortened version which begins with Rodolfo remembering Mimi and trying to come to grips with his loss; it was affecting, an excellent production.  After all, they are just stories – Puccini himself omitted one act from the original five acts in the libretto.  What is gained in the changes?  What is sacrificed?  How do the changes impact the listener?

Mimi (Kara Goodrich) sings to Marcello (Troy Cook) of the trouble in her relationship with Rodolfo. Photo by Steven PIsano; courtesy of Opera Philadelphia.

What was gained in this production of La Bohème?

First, Opera Philadelphia further enhanced its reputation as a leading, progressive opera company.  This production could have been featured in the coming O23, OP’s fall festival that seeks to discover opera’s boundaries. 

The audience got to see something different while viewing a classic opera.  One of the director’s goals was to give modern audiences the opportunity to view a classic opera as a world premiere.  In that, it succeeded.  It helped a lot that Puccini’s music holds up to changes in the order played, and that Conductor Corrado Rovaris and the Opera Philadelphia Orchestra played the music so beautifully, woven seamlessly into the timing of the singers and the plot.  Impressive.

A scene with cast and chorus as characters celebrating Christmas Eve in the town square near Cafe Momus, revealing the circular, rotating disk tilted up. Photo by Ray Bailey; courtesy of Opera Philadelphia.

Speaking of singers, this was a fine cast, beginning with soprano Kara Goodrich as Mimi.  She sang beautifully with a powerful, attractive, emotion-filled voice.  It was easy to understand why, after her appearance in a minor role in OP’s Rigoletto in May of last year, OP had no problem casting her in a major role.  Tenor Joshua Blue was also excellent.  For much of the opera I thought his voice waxed and waned in intensity, but in his major arias, he shone brightly and drew well deserved applause.  The principal singers were overall quite good: baritone Troy Cook as Marcello and soprano Melissa Joseph as Musetta; bass Adam Lau as Colline and baritone Benjamin Taylor as Schaunard.  In this version, Schaunard and Colline are also a couple.  In a contributing supporting cast, Musetta’s sugar daddy Alcindoro was well played by bass-baritone Frank Mitchell.

At Cafe Momus, Musetta (Melissa Joseph) delivers “Quando me’n vo’”, perhaps La Bohème’s most famous aria. Photo by Steven PIsano; courtesy of Opera Philadelphia.

An audacious staging by Director Sharon, who is Gary L. Wasserman Artistic Director of Detroit Opera and a Macarthur Fellow (the genius award), added to the enjoyment of the new and different in this version.  This production had been previously honed with performances in Detroit, the Spoleto Festival, and Boston.  With very limited sets all assembled in place on a large circular, rotating disc, the action flowed from scene to scene non-stop, without intermission.  I liked the absence of an intermission, personally, but staging was sans the visual appeal of the Zeffirelli staging used by the Met, which requires pauses for set changes, but draws you into the scene more completely.  The many costumes were colorful and fun; kudos to Costume Designer Jessica Jahn. The singers on the disc were frequently handing things off to the costumed actors appearing at the edge of the disc; whether this was done for effect or was simply functional was not clear.  The Zeffirelli production focused on enhancing the romantic aspects.  Mr. Sharon’s seemed a little more verismo focused; he wanted us to appreciate the poverty of the bohemians and question how things happen.

Members of the Philadelphia Girl’s Chorus and the Philadelphia Boy’s Chorus added color to the Cafe Momus act. Photo by Ray Bailey; courtesy of Opera Philadelphia.

The lack of a more complete set was most notable in the Café Momus scene, but was largely offset by the brilliant use of an extra large chorus which paired the Opera Philadelphia Chorus with the members of the Philadelphia Girl’s Choir with the Philadelphia Boy’s Choir.  The use of such a robust chorus with limited props was exceptionally effective, and they sounded great under the direction of Chorus Master Elizabeth Braden.  The rush of a horde of chorus members to begin this act was fun, but near the end, I did find that the thinness of the set began to wear on me.

For me, the best moment of this version came in Sharon’s Act II/Puccini’s Act III.  That act has always been somewhat of a shock and downer as we leave the joyous lovers and are plunged into the icy water of their estrangement (the act Puccini removed helped bridge this change).  Coming as relief to the death just witnessed, I was more receptive to the arias sung in this act.  This is really a great act, and one that the singers excelled with; Troy Cook as Marcello was especially strong in this act.  The final act where Rodolfo and Mimi forge their love had some outstanding vocals by Joshua Blue and Kara Goodrich and perhaps Puccini’s most compelling music, but this was my favorite act in this production. It was new to me, almost like really seeing it for the first time; I now look forward to seeing that scene in a classic production.

In the last act, the friends are gathered for friendly banter as Colline (Adam Lau) and Schuanard (Benjamin Taylor) dance as Rodolfo ( Joshua Blue) and Marcello (Troy Cook) look on. Photo by Ray Bailey; courtesy of Opera Philadelphia.

What was sacrificed?

For me, there are two things that every La Bohème must do.  First, make the audience feel like bohemians, connect with the youthful idealism of living for soul-felt art and willingness to suffer the deprivations and creature comforts that requires, and second, convey the friendship borne of that special bond comrades in purpose enjoy.  It’s not so important that we feel serious sympathy for their living conditions.  La Bohème is a romantic work.  Rodolfo tells Mimi that in his soul he is a millionaire; the production must impart that feeling to the audience; it puts everyone in good spirits.  It is the true setting of the story, and coupled with Puccini’s outstanding music, we are put in the perfect mood to respond deeply to the love story.  With the right players, and OP had the right players, it happens readily in the beginning of the Puccini version where the bohemian friends are a major focus and then head off to party.  There is even a comic scene, excised from this version, where the friends tease and trick landlord Benoit in his attempt to collect the rent.  If you don’t like the four friends and their irrepressible spirit, the romance of the entire opera is deflated.  I already knew the four friends, but I suspect that starting with the heartache of Mimi’s death somewhat mutes that aspect for audience members meeting them for the first time.

I think the other essential element of La Bohème is that you must like, even fall in love with Mimi.  She must make you want to put your arms around this charming, gentle spirit we meet in Puccini’s Act I.  Ms. Goodrich acted that part well, but we meet her in this telling on her deathbed, staggering in movements; and in the next act, we experience her in argumentative conflict with Rodolfo.  I was already bought in to Mimi’s character through multiple viewings of La Bohème; how did novices respond to Mimi?  Did they manage to love her at the end?

In the end, which was the beginning, Mimi (Kara Goodrich) and Rodolfo (Joshua Blue) fall in love. Photo by Ray Bailey; courtesy of Opera Philadelphia.

Some of the staging did not work especially well for me.  The introduction of a new character, the Wanderer, to explain the scenes was more a distraction than helpful, even though actor Anthony Martinez-Briggs was outstanding in the role; I liked the Wanderer very much, just not in this opera.  His refrain was that ‘it could have all turned out differently if’ was supposed to make us think.  I was thinking already.  A brief introduction at the beginning by one of the existing characters would have sufficed.  In the final scene where Mimi and Rodolfo meet and fall in love, their big arias were sung to the audience as they watched each other from the background.  For me, it gave the scene a little bit of a recital quality, but the performances of those arias were outstanding.

Should you go see this version?  I strongly recommend it for the novel staging by one of America’s most creative, young stage directors, the marvelous singer/actors, and wonderfully played music and the extraordinary choruses.  If you have seen La Bohème enough to be a little weary of it, this might be a good refresher and offer some new insights like Sharon’s Act II/Puccini’s Act III did for me.  If it’s your first viewing, I’d like to know what you thought.  Perhaps most importantly, Bohème La did rekindle my affection for La Bohème.

The Fan Experience: Performances for La Bohème were scheduled for the Academy of Music on April 28, 30 and May 5, 7.  The opera is sung in Italian with surtitles displayed on the overhead screen in English.  There are four acts but no intermissions.  Running time was one hour and forty minutes.

I’d also recommend making your plans now for Opera Philadelphia’s O23 festival to be held over twelve days this September/October.  This event has consistently been a hightlight of the opera season for my wife and me.  My preview of O23 can be found at this link.

Opera, Dance, and Dazzle: Opera Lafayette's May Premieres of Two Opéras-Ballets

Logo courtesy of Opera Lafayette.

Opera Lafayette is best known for performing 17th-19th century French music and vocal works authentically using period instruments. However, one aspect of Opera Lafayette’s productions that I have found to have endearing appeal has been the frequent inclusion of dance - see photos below - which was seminal in French operas until the mid-20th century.  To me, dance seemed such a natural part of the works performed that I have never given it much thought.  However, the upcoming performances of Io, reconstructed though detective work, and Léandre et Héro, made possible by a rediscovered score, can be referred to as “opéras-ballets” (a genre of French baroque theater that combines opera and ballet), or more precisely, “actes de ballet” (opéras-ballets with only one act), and have caused me to give the inclusion of dance in opera some thought.  Are opéras-ballets ballets or operas?  I suspect the question is like asking whether Reese’s Cups are chocolate or peanut butter candy; they are both, but so good together!  Not only that, but Opera Lafayette has decided to put them in dazzling new wrappers, costumes by designer Machine Dazzle.

Charles André Van Loo - Madame de Pompadour en belle jardinière - v.1754-1755. Image from Wikipedia is in the public domain.

I don’t think that OL chose these works because they are a fusion form, but rather, because the works themselves are central to the theme of their season constructed around the life and times of Madame de Pompadour, a fascinating and controversial figure in 18th century France, who had a significant impact on French opera and music in her day (see my report on OL’s “The Era of Madame de Pompadour”).  Mme Pompadour achieved court status by becoming the chief mistress of King Louis XV.  Despite the derision and opposition from court members dismayed to have a commoner in their midst, she became a friend and principal advisor to the king, who rewarded her with other appointments as well.  In addition to bearing the gifts of intellect and personality, she was also a talented musician and opera singer who managed salons at a theater named the Théâtre des Petits Cabinets, which she had constructed at Versailles; she was well prepared for this role, having established a presence in the Parisian salon scene prior to achieving court status.  Performances there, which often included her, were immensely popular with the king.   Invitations to perform and attend became coveted among singers and musicians, which gained her influence with Opéra Paris, and courtiers, which gained her additional influence at court.  Her interests swayed the interests of France’s musical establishment.

Therein lies the special appeal for Opera Lafayette, but the plot is a good bit thicker.  The composers of both operas received patronage from Mme Pompadour, and the subject matter for each opera may have been, at least partially, intended as payback for that patronage.  In each work, a woman of true spirit is challenged and love triumphs; their light illuminated Madame de Pompadour quite favorably.  King Louis XV’s chief mistress commissioned several works by composer Pierre de La Garde, including Léandre et Héro, and secured for him the position of music instructor for the king’s daughters.  She was a staunch supporter of Jean-Phillipe Rameau, composer of Io, securing commissions for him from the Opéra Paris; you might think of her perhaps as the Francesca Zambello of her day.  Rameau was fifty years old by the time of his first opera and needed her support to challenge the operatic paradigm established by composer, and Louis XIV favorite, Jean-Baptiste Lully.  The score for Léandre et Héro by de La Garde was believed lost to antiquity, but recently surfaced.  Opera Lafayette supporters enabled Bibliothèque nationale de France to secure this work and was rewarded with exclusive rights for productions of this opéra-ballet for one year.  If you attend OL’s modern premiere next week, you will be among the first to see it in 250 years or so.

Portrait of Jean-Philippe Rameau, 1728, by Jacques Aved. Photo in Wikipedia in public domain.

The plot is even thicker when it comes to Io; you see, Io was never performed, and its manuscript did not survive intact.  The existing musical manuscript of Io lacks the overture and most of the final divertissement (an ending scene in French baroque opera that includes dance).  Musicologist and Rameau expert Sylvie Bouissou, who is working with Opera Lafayette on this project, has made a compelling case using evidence from history, texts, and music that the missing portions were excised for use in a later Rameau opera, Platée.   This reshuffling of music and scenes was a common practice of 18th century opera composers. Rameau was a respected musical theoretician in his day and became a major composer of French opera. Musicologist Bouissou has provided a proposed complete Io by using the overture and divertissement from an early version of Platée.  In the plot, Jupiter and Apollo in disguises compete for the affection of Io; forced to choose, she chooses Jupiter, who reveals his true self, while Apollo goes off to sulk. Folly or La Folie appears, having stolen Apollo’s lyre, to show how crazy the world is, making merriment in Jupiter’s call for graces, pleasures, and games.  The only two Rameau operas where Folly appears is Io and Platée, further strengthening Dr. Bouissou’s case.  Io also further strengthened Madame de Pompadour’s case as her being the choice of a powerful leader.  This reconstructed Io has been sanctioned by Rameau’s Opera Omnia as a complete Io. 

Portrait of King Louis XIV as Apollo in the Ballet Royal de la Nuit (1653). Image in Wikipedia in public domain.

Let’s talk about ballet in opera, since it is a significant part of OL’s premieres, a modern premiere of Léandre et Héro and an original premiere of Io.  Ballet began to be included in French operas in the seventeenth century as Italian operas were imported and modified to fit French tastes; ballets had already been featured at royal courts often including royalty among the dancers and often carrying political messages, such as the king is the divine ruler.  Ballets included in operas were mostly interludes or divertissement added between acts or at the end to entertain and give a pause from the singing, sometimes only loosely related to the opera’s plot.  This adaptation perhaps took strongest root in Jean-Baptiste Lully’s operas and evolved by the nineteenth century for it to become de rigueur for French opera; even the great Verdi acquiesced, adding ballet scenes to meet French expectations.  It is claimed that during the 19th century the ballets were needed to attract to the operas an important audience, the wealthy male patrons of the Paris Jockey Club who liked to gaze at the lovely dancers.  Unfortunately, the incorporation of ballet in opera seems to have faded in the modern era.  The inclusion of ballet in opera to me seems a valid part of opera’s goal of engaging all the senses in as many ways as an artistic work can muster.  As a fan, I love it!

Artistic Director Ryan Brown often adds novel elements to OL’s eighteenth century opera performances to better engage modern audiences; in 2020, he even turned a French opera comique into a Hollywood-style western.  It is primarily in the dance portions that such enhancements have been made for these operas-ballets.  Director Brown sees the ballet portions as integral to the overall production.  In a telephone chat, he noted, “The inclusion of dance and ‘divertissements’ in opera is usually very carefully integrated into the experience of the whole. In Mozart's Idomeneo, an opera based on what was originally a French libretto, and including dance, for instance, the choral and dance segments relieve the tension of the plot involving the main characters. When I saw a televised Met production from the 70's or 80's (it included Pavarotti), something seemed terribly amiss when the cameras focused in on the tense faces of the principals during the choral and dance segments when those principals were not singing, thus giving us no emotional relief, and missing what I'd call the emotional pacing of the opera. Similarly, there have been productions of Berlioz's Les Troyens which cut all the dance sequences, but which seem much longer than productions (like the Gardiner one in Paris) which include them and preserve the intended emotional pacing.”  Regretfully I think, the ballet portion of Idomeneo is most often omitted in contemporary productions.

Photo of dancers from the Séan Curran Company in a scene from Opera Lafayette’s performance of Handel’s Radimisto in 2019. Photo by Louis Forget; courtesy of Opera Lafayette.

First up will be Léandre et Héro, where the two lovers are each drowned by the sea and then brought back and given immortality by Neptune; Madame de Pompadour originally sang the role of Hero, which again placed her and her relationship with the king in a favorable light.  In OL’s production, the Séan Curran Company’s dancers will portray the sea using a modern free form style of dance, while the New York Baroque Dance Company will play onlookers on land using a formal 18th century dance style.  The acte-de-ballet Léandre et Héro was the third part of the opéra-ballet, La journée galante; the second act, La toilette de Vénus, was also recovered at the same time, and these can now be combined with the existing first act Æglé to form the complete work.

Photo of a scene from Opera Lafayette’s performance of Rameau’s Les Fêtes de l’Hymen et de l’Amour, ou Les Dieux d’Égypte, performed in the 2014, featuring dancers from the New York Baroque Opera Comapny in period dress and dancers from the Séan Curran Company in modern dress; not shown, but also featured in this performance were members of Kalanidhi Dance. Photo by Louis Forget; courtesy of Opera Lafayette.

The historic premiere of Io, which will follow Léandre et Héro, will have dancers from the Séan Curran Company, and both singers and dancers will have extraordinary costumes.  Director Ryan said that, “The fact that the libretto called for everyone to be in disguise (the singers are the character of Jupiter, Apollo, and Io and Mercury and La Folie, and the dancers are Graces, Pleasures, and Games), plus the fact La Folie arrives to make everything topsy turvy, and because we have Machine’s costumes for all, combined to suggest to us that contemporary dance movements would be appropriate for this half of the show.”  The show is 18th century opéra-ballet.  Director Brown became a fan of designer Machine Dazzle through articles about him, his awards, and Dazzle’s first solo exhibition, Queer Maximalism x Machine Dazzle, at the Museum of Arts and Design in NYC; Mr. Brown was impressed with the designer’s talent for using “ordinary objects to extraordinary effect”.  Through a contact, he was able to bring Machine Dazzle on board for this production.  Machine will have to go some to top Louis XIV’s costume, but rest assured - I stated that the singers and dancers will wear extraordinary costumes, but Opera Lafayette says they “will don Dazzle’s works of art”. 

Authentic French music played on period instruments, excellent singing, intriguing dancing, and dazzling costumes, and all this in the intimate Terrace Theater of the Kennedy Center - what more could you want for a fine night out?  And while I’m not too sure about Reese’s Cups, I feel safe in claiming that Opera Lafayette’s operas-ballets will be good for you.

The Fan Experience: Léandre et Héro and Io will be performed in the Terrace Theater of the Kennedy Center on May 2 and 3 and in El Museo del Barrio in New York City on May 9.  Each opera is one act; vocals are sung in French with English subtitles displayed on side screens.  The May 9 performance will be part of the Opera Lafayette New York Baroque Music Festival that will include In the Salons of Versailles on May 10 and Pergolesi! on May 11; both works were presented previously in DC as part of this season.

The opéras-ballets Léandre et Héro and Io will be directed by Nick Olcott who has previously worked with Opera Lafayette, and the music will be directed by harpsichordist/organist Avi Stein.  Renown French soprano Emmanuelle de Negri and tenor Maxime Melnik, making his first U.S. performance, will star in the title roles and be joined by bass-baritone Doug Williams, soprano Gwendoline Blondeel, and tenor Patrick Kilbride.  As noted, the productions will feature Seán Curran Company (choreographer Seán Curran) and New York Baroque Dance Company (choreographer Catherine Turocy).

Opera Baltimore's La Traviata: An Elegant and Entertaining Evening of Love and Death

You might think because I saw another production of La Traviata just two weeks ago that I might have little to say.  If so, you don’t know Violetta!  La Traviata (1853) by composer Giuseppe Verdi and librettist Francesco Maria Piave was Opera Baltimore’s second fully staged production, and like last year’s The Barber of Seville, the opera played to a packed house in both performances --- and deservedly so.  Look, I gave up March Madness to attend Friday night’s performance, and all through the performance I kept thinking that this experience was so much richer than anything on TV.  Part of my response was that it was a live performance of singing, music, and storytelling being enjoyed as part of a community, part of it was the greatness and sheer pleasure of Verdi’s music, and part of it was the life breathed into La Traviata, with love, by Opera Baltimore. 

Soprano Lindsay Ohse plays Violetta in Opera Baltimore’s performance of La Traviata. Photo by Kiirstn Pagan; courtesy of Opera Baltimore.

In La Traviata (translated as “a fallen woman”), Violetta is a highly sought after French courtesan who is committed to living for pleasure and frequents lavish salon parties with her upper-class gentlemen benefactors; she has contracted tuberculosis and is faltering.  She is wooed and falls in love with a young gentleman, Alfredo.  Violetta experiences true love for the first time, and they live together briefly, until Giorgio, Alfredo’s father, visits her to demand, then plead with her to give Alfredo up before she sullies the family name and reputation, which would ruin Alfredo’s sister’s chances of marrying into a good family.  Violetta, whose sickness is worsening, gives in, proving her virtue and honor, showing her to be a person of courage and resolve.  She slips away and returns to the Baron, her previous sponsor, as the only way to make Alfredo leave her side.  Alfredo, angry at this apparent rejection of his sincere devotion, denounces her in an ugly confrontation in front of a shocked salon party crowd and goes abroad.  In the finale, Alfredo has been told of Violetta’s sacrifice by Giorgio, who has grown to deeply respect her, and Alfredo returns to renew his vows to Violetta, finding her on her death bed.  Now, that’s opera!

left photo: Matthew Vickers as Alfredo. right photo: Benjamin Taylor as Giorgio. Photo by Kiirstn Pagan; courtesy of Opera Baltimore.

The great opera composers were not only imbued with extraordinary musical and compositional talent, but they were also gifted with an acute ability to recognize the complexities of human personalities; their characters are typically a mix of admirable and not so admirable qualities.  In most cases, that ability matured over time as did their musical talents.  One report I read on composer Verdi said that in 1844, a close friend recommended a work to Verdi as a possible source for an opera.  Verdi is quoted as responding, “I know the subject you suggest.  The heroine is a character I don’t like.  I don’t like prostitutes on the stage…“. 

Matthew Vickers as Alfredo and Lindsay Ohse as Violetta backed by a cast emsemble. Photo by Kiirstn Pagan; courtesy of Opera Baltimore.

Yet, in 1852 he began work on an opera about a French courtesan, a high-level prostitute, determined to show her good heart and honorable soul…on stage.  Why the change in attitude you might ask; maybe Verdi just knew a good subject for an opera when he saw it, but there is more to the story to consider.  The source further notes that Verdi found the story for La Traviata in a play he attended titled La Dame aux camélias by Alexandre Dumas, fils, a play that Verdi attended with the famous soprano Giuseppina Strepponi, a sophisticated, cultivated woman who gave birth to three children out of wedlock and while details are murky, not all from the same father.  She later became Verdi’s wife, remaining so until she died.  Verdi wanted to title the opera Amore e Morte (Love and Death), a subject Verdi knew well from personal experience, but the sensors would not allow it.  He also strongly wanted the opera to be set in his own time period, the middle of the 18th century, but opera companies insisted it be moved to the year 1700, perhaps fearing it struck a little too close to home?  I think there are connections between all these events, to each other and to viewing audiences that have been seminal in making La Traviata among the most popular operas in the world for 170 years.

La Traviata has three acts that move from the lovers meeting, their time together and breakup, and the death bed.  Stage Director Kaley Karis Smith did an excellent job telling the story with a compelling flow in those settings.  Her choices added accents to the story, such as an opening scene during the overture that made the point that Violetta was passed between men and such as adding photo-taking, where the expression on Violetta’s face changed dramatically between waiting for the photo to be taken and when the picture is snapped, a hint her life might not be as gay as she professed.  I did find it a little concerting that often the singers were singing to the audience and not each other.  The sets by Scenic Designer Jefferson Ridenour were attractive and evocative of Verdi’s era, and settings for each act were designed to aid the storytelling.  The costumes by Costume Designer Glen Breed were fabulous.  Effective lighting changes were employed throughout by Lighting Designer Tláloc López-Watermann.

The Opera Delaware Orchestra under the direction of Conductor Domenico Boyagian played Verdi’s music capably and generally in a satisfying manner (Opera Delaware is a co-producer of the opera).  Keep in mind, I’m responding from a single hearing with other parts of the performance competing for my attention, but there were a few times when it left me wanting.  I personally found it somewhat lackluster in the first half of the evening, perhaps thin in a few spots in instrument selection, and at one point Alfredo and the orchestra seemed out of sync.  The orchestra did have some highlights, such as the crescendo that takes place in the confrontation scene and most of the softer, gentle playing.  I was not underwhelmed by the playing but I was expecting to be overwhelmed, and I was just whelmed. I certainly was able to enjoy the beautiful Verdi music that was being played in support and enrichment of the drama. 

left photo: Matthew Vickers as Alfredo, Lindsay Ohse as Violetta, and Daniel Sampson as Gaston. right photo: Rachel DiBlasio as Annina and Lindsay Ohse as Violetta. Photo by Kiirstn Pagan; courtesy of Opera Baltimore.

La Traviata is a personal drama; attention is focused almost exclusively on Violetta, Alfredo, and Giorgio, but it is Violetta’s opera.  Soprano Lindsay Ohse proved to be an excellent one; her “sempre libra” was simply thrilling.  Her trills and coloratura flourishes were good, but it was the beauty of her singing and the emotional palette displayed that were outstanding.  She also excelled at acting, a believable, endearing Violetta from beginning to end.  Tenor Matthew Vickers who played Alfredo sings well with a burnished tenor voice, and he gave an enjoyable performance, especially singing.  I have seen and enjoyed Mr. Vickers’ performances several times.  I am almost always impressed with his vocals and almost always wishing his acting was less stiff and formulaic, which I thought it was for much of La Traviata; to his credit, his acting was much stronger from the confrontational scene until the end.  Baritone Benjamin Taylor was good as Giorgio, but it was how shockingly good his velvet baritone voice was and how almost effortless his singing was that caught me off guard.  His vocals were a highlight.  I had a hard time accepting him as Giorgio because the youthful virility in his voice seemed to belong in a romantic lead role.  He is certainly a singer not to be missed; he will of course appear when the production moves now to Opera Delaware, and he appears again in late April in Opera Philadelphia’s new production of La Boheme (I have tickets). 

left photo: Melanie Ashkar as Flora encircled by dancers/chorus members. right photo: Lead dancers in the ballet, Antonio Rosario and Taylor Ciampi. Photo by Kiirstn Pagan; courtesy of Opera Baltimore.

The performance was further embellished by the overall excellent quality of the supporting cast that included: mezzo-soprano Melanie Ashkar as Violetta’s friend, Flora; tenor Daniel Sampson as Gastone, Alfredo’s friend; baritone Ben Lowe as Barone Douphol, Violetta’s sponsor; mezzo-soprano Rachel DiBlasio as Annina, Violetta’s maid; baritone Jeffrey Gates as Marchese d’Oigny; and bass Mark Hightower as Dottore Grenvil, Violetta’s physician.  A strong highlight for me was the chorus which made me sit up and take notice with their impressive, enthusiastic singing throughout the performance; kudos to Chorus Master Aurelien Eulert. The brief ballet in the second half of the second act was a delight, especially the dancing of the two lead dancers, Antonio Rosario (choreographer) and Taylor Ciampi, who gave us a charming pas de deux..

Opera Baltimore’s performance of La Traviata was attractive, polished, and highly entertaining.  If you have been to a few of their performances, you know it becomes addictive.

The Fan Experience: La Traviata was performed in Stephens Hall at Towson University on March 24 and 26.  The opera was sung in Italian with English surtitles.  The opera was about 3 hours including two 15-minute intermissions placed between the acts.  My thanks to the folks who set up and staffed the snack and drink stands on the lower level before and during the intermissions; much appreciated.  This production was developed in cooperation with Opera Delaware and now moves to the Copeland Hall at the Grand in Wilmington for March 31 and April 2 performances; tickets available at this link. 

Opera Baltimore was known as Baltimore Concert Opera until last year and current plans are to continue to offer a mix of concert performances in the Engineers Club and fully staged performances in Stephens Hall.  The operas to be performed in the 2023-2024 season will be announced on June 6; both venues are modest in size; so get your tickets early.  Opera Baltimore is the only company performing high quality, professional fully staged operas in Baltimore and seems to be growing.  The strong ticket sales are encouraging but ticket sales cover less than 20% of the cost of a production; the remainder must be made up from contributors within the community. As always, the community will decide the fate of opera in Baltimore.

Dr. Aaron Ziegel, Associate Professor of Music History and Culture at Towson University provides the pre-opera talks an hour before performances.  He also oversees OB’s “Opera Insights” series, four lectures on each upcoming opera, providing a deep dive into the opera itself and insights into the elements of opera and opera history during the period in which the opera was composed.  The lectures begin as Zoom calls but are later placed online.  They are archived and available for viewing to all, not just ticket holders as in the past, as are the Zoom call presentations. 

If you are interested in La Traviata, I especially recommend lecture #1 where Dr. Ziegel discusses the woman who was the inspiration for Dumas’ novel and play and Verdi’s opera, courtesan Marie Duplessis.  Learning of her history of sexual abuse at the hands of many men, including her father, made me wonder what Violetta’s history might have been if she were a real person and how her history led her to become a courtesan.  We don’t really know Violetta.

Annapolis Opera's The Marriage of Figaro: Singing that Impressed and Music Playing that Wowed

The Marriage of Figaro (Le Nozze di Figaro, 1786) is one of the most beloved operas in the repertoire.  Why?  The old saying is that power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely; power has been corrupting mankind since Adam and Eve.  Composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and his librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte, however, also saw that human beings are capable of magnanimity, reform, redemption, and plain silliness, as well as corruption, but most importantly, they understood that the healing grace is love.  The team’s profound insight that human goodness is a work in progress, coupled with their keen sense of humor, provided us with stories in which we can see and laugh at ourselves.  Color those stories with Mozart’s ability to write music of great beauty and charm that fully illuminates the human heart, and classics emerge, beloved in every age.  Annapolis Opera delivered a faithful, entertaining, and satisfying performance of The Marriage of Figaro this past weekend. 

The Marriage of Figaro was the first of three operas by Mozart and Da Ponte that included Don Giovanni followed by Così fan tutte.  All three are among the most often performed operas in the repertoire.  This team seems an unlikely pairing, the roguish, rookie librettist Da Ponte and the superstar composer Mozart.  However, Da Ponte was Austrian Emperor Joseph II’s court poet and a favorite of the emperor.  Mozart realized the best path to a court sponsored production was to engage Da Ponte, a collaboration determined by fate and circumstance and the fact that both men were worldly wise.  Mozart suggested to Da Ponte that he write a libretto using a Beaumarchais play of the same name, the second play in a trilogy about the Count Almavira and Rosina.  The first play in the series was The Barber of Seville, later made into the highly successful Rossini opera, and the last play being The Guilty Mother.  Fans of Cosí fan tutte will notice the Mozart/Da Ponte joke when a line in Figaro states that all women are like that.

Rachel Blaustein as the Countess, Helen Zhibing Huang as Susanna, and Efrain Solis as Figaro. Photo by Michael Halbig; courtesy of Annapolis Opera.

As was the case for all Mozart/Da Ponte collaborations, there is more afoot than comedy; social change rippling through society at that time was also a target of the opera.  The play, The Marriage of Figaro, was barred from production in Vienna by the emperor due to incendiary language inspiring subjects to throw off the yoke of the nobility.  The choice was timely for impact, but Da Ponte had to reduce and modify the spoken play to text that could be sung in an opera that he might be able to pass under Joseph II’s radar.  Thus, in a scene where Figaro is angry with the Count, the Beaumarchais text reads “Because you are a great lord, you think you are a great genius!  You took the trouble to be born, that’s all.  You remain nothing but an ordinary man; while I…had to use more science and calculation simply to survive than it has taken to rule Spain for the last hundred years!”  See why Emperor Joseph might object to a servant uttering these words?  In the opera, Figaro merely sings, “Well, little count, if you want to dance, I will choose the tune.”  The aria makes the point that the servant does not accept the count’s yoke of control, but in a safer manner, flavored by high comedy to make the medicine go down.  Da Ponte and Mozart knew what they were dealing with and how to navigate the terrain.

Helen Zhibing Huang as Susanna, Kevin Godinez as Count Almavira, and Elizabeth Sarian as Cherubino. Photo by Michael Halbig; courtesy of Annapolis Opera.

The Marriage of Figaro plot has a lot going on in a short period of time; I suggest prior reading of the program’s synopsis.  Briefly, in the opera, Count Almavira desires to bed Susanna, his wife Rosina’s servant, supposedly justified by droit du seigneur (right of the lord); this was the purported feudal right of a lord to bed a servant girl on her wedding night before her husband could sleep with her, a right Count Almavira had disavowed.  Susanna’s betrothed, Figaro, in cahoots with her, the Countess, and a love struck page, Cherubino, lay plans to outwit the Count, but first they must invalidate an existing contract that would require Figaro to marry Marcellina, Dr. Bartolo’s maid, both continuing characters from The Barber of Seville.  Plots and subplots are begun and go astray, and hilarious surprises abound in classical opera buffa style, which is to say, in classical commedia dell’arte style.  Now, le droit seigneur has a murky history at best from the medieval period and certainly was not found in 18th century Europe.  Regardless, it was an excellent plot device for Beaumarchais to make the point quite clearly that nobility had more control over their subjects, even their bodies, than should be granted; this was a controversy roiling aristocracies of the continent at that time.  Da Ponte and Mozart bring us to the conclusion that both rulers and subjects are flawed human beings and that love conquers all, with the only path forward being to ask for and give forgiveness and move on.  Surely that was the shared belief that allowed them to work together and produce great works.  When forced to confront his philandering and abuse of his wife, the Count asks for forgiveness.  The social order took time to change but has; the themes of human susceptibility to transgression and the need for forgiveness continue, and thus, we still embrace The Marriage of Figaro.

Let me digress for a moment: think of opera as baseball.  Hang with me here!  I enjoy watching baseball at all levels, from Little League to the Majors.  Opera is also played at different levels based on resources and market size available to a company.  AO’s President in opening remarks noted that this was Annapolis Opera’s 50th Anniversary Season.  Congrats!  Annapolis Opera continues to impress by consistently providing productions of a quality one would only expect of a much larger city.  AO’S Figaro sparkled with both talent and professionalism. 

Rachel Blaustein as the Countess, Helen Zhibing Huang as Susanna, and Efrain Solis as Figaro. Photo by Michael Halbig; courtesy of Annapolis Opera.

The cast that Artistic and Music Director Craig Kier assembled for this production was one I greatly looked forward to seeing and hearing, having enjoyed performances by many of them previously.  The number of singers and creative staff needed for Figaro is demanding.  Twelve named singers are listed in the program and there was a fifteen-member chorus.  Several of the soloists are emerging stars that are no longer just displaying talent and potential, but are beginning to dazzle. 

The role of Figaro was played by baritone Efrain Solis, whom I have seen previously in productions by Washington Concert Opera and Virginia Opera.  He played well the crafty Figaro, deeply in love with his wife and determined to protect his interests, very capable in the humorous banter, which was often ongoing.  Mr. Solis has a deep roasted baritone and sings expertly.  His Susanna was soprano Helen Zhibing Huang whom I have heard previously with Washington Concert Opera.  She has a bright soprano voice and sings well, playing a beleaguered Susannah, feigning emotions to carryout plots, as well as displaying sincere ones.  It was my first time hearing baritone Kevin Godinez, who has a rich, lighter baritone, and sang exceedingly well, sometimes impressively, as Count Almavira.  It was interesting to watch his performance as the Count who changes over the course of the evening, moving from an effete nobleman difficult to take seriously to a ruler who begins to take control and appears threatening before his transformation as a recalcitrant; at the same time, he fully participates in the comedy.  The Countess is the most sympathetic role in the opera and has some of the most beautiful arias.  I have seen soprano Rachel Blaustein, who played the role, several times:  in the 2019 Annapolis Opera Vocal Competition, in an Opera Theatre of St. Louis performance this past summer, and earlier this year in a performance with Maryland Lyric Opera.  She has a lovely soprano voice and sings beautifully, maneuvering easily in her higher register.  My takeaway from this performance is that she is no longer an emerging opera star; soprano Rachel Blaustein has arrived.

In addition to the Figaro-Susanna romance and the Count-Countess romance, Mozart and Da Ponte gave us Dr. Bartolo-Marcellina and Cherubino-Barberino romances, each with their own issues.  Bass-baritone Andrew Adelsberger was an excellent Dr. Bartolo, officious and pompous.  Marcellina was played by mezzo-soprano Hannah Shea.  I first heard Ms. Shea sing in Washington National Opera’s American Opera Initiative and then in WNO’s performance of Carmen; she is a highly promising young performer.  In Figaro, she displayed a talent for comedy as well as singing.  Mezzo-soprano Elizabeth Sarian in a pants role as Cherubino was one of the highlights of the performance, singing and acting and cross dressing (do you think that Figaro can now be performed in Tennessee?).  Turkish soprano Öznur Tülüoglu made an impression in a minor role as Barbarino, love interest of Cherubino.  Can she be that good?  I’d like to know, more please.  Bridesmaids soprano Amanda Densmoor and soprano Denique Isaac were pleasing in their duet during the marriage scene.  Tenor Brian Walling was a bright spot in two roles, Basilio, the music teacher, and Don Curzio, the judge; he displayed a deft, natural comic touch.  Bass-baritone Christopher Hartung was an amusing Antonio, the drunken gardener.

Kevin Godinez as the Count, far left, Elizabeth Sarian as Cherubino, seated, and Efrain Solis as Figaro, on right. Photo by Michael Halbig; courtesy of Annapolis Opera.

There were many fine solo arias in Figaro allowing each of the principal soloists their moment or moments in the spotlight, and all were reasonably well done.  However, Mozart was the master of composing ensemble singing, ranging from two to seven singers.  If you think a piece of music can only serve one emotional purpose, listen to a Mozart opera where three or four characters are singing at the same time about their different issues.  The ensemble singing in this performance, supported by a fine chorus and impressive orchestra accompaniment, was outstanding.  Craig Kier also served as the Conductor for the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra.  From the spirited opening of the Figaro’s overture to the sublime pathos in Act IV’s ending, the playing of the music was outstanding.  Honestly, I was very impressed; this was some of the best playing of Figaro’s music I have experienced.  Bravi!

Stage Director Corinne Hayes did an excellent job of staging and communicating the story, moving a large cast effectively around a stage with little room to spare, and spicing the action with comedic touches.  The showing of fireworks on a screen at the ending, referred to in the libretto, meaning to be cheerful, added little for me.  The choreography by Sarah Oppenheim of the marriage dance added to the enjoyment.  The simple set used for all acts with slight modifications was reflective of the age  and were quite pretty, which enhanced the performance of a romantic comedy.  The costumes were beautiful and perfect for the era, also adding richness; kudos to Costume Designer Patty Hibert.  Lighting by Christopher Brusberg was well done. 

Mozart, Da Ponte, and Annapolis Opera proved to be a symbiotic combination this past weekend.  If you saw the performance, you likely went home satisfied, happy, and whistling one of Mozart’s catchy tunes.

The Fan Experience: Performances of The Marriage of Figaro were held March 17 and 19 in the Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts.  The opera was sung in Italian with English super titles.  The performance lasted about three hours including one twenty-minute intermission.  Parking at the Maryland Hall was free.

There are two events remaining in Annapolis Opera’s remaining 2022-2023 season:

“Voices of Our Time” on April 15, a recital featuring countertenor John Holiday.

“35th Annual Annapolis Opera Vocal Competition” on April 16, a free event where audience members can vote on the winners.