“Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December;
And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.
Eagerly I wished the morrow; vainly I had sought to borrow
From my books surcease of sorrow, sorrow for the lost opera performances.”
Maybe I changed the last line a tad from The Raven’s version. Frequent collaborators, Baltimore Concert Opera and Opera Delaware have joined forces to sustain their fans through this bleak December all the way through February, with a resounding “Nevermore” to the pandemic’s toll on opera (Poe was from Baltimore, you know). Their online, artist-curated “Sunday Spotlight” biweekly series was initiated Sunday with a Christmas Concert by soprano Robin Leigh Massie and baritone Steven Condy accompanied by pianist Aurelien Eulert, in a program of art songs, arias, and Christmas favorites. Both singers are polished, established professionals who have a history with the companies. This recital was taped in the Presser Black Box Theater at the Opera Delaware Studios in Wilmington Delaware, and it will be re-broadcast on Dec 23. My bottom line is that Sunday’s program succeeded on both an artistic level and as a holiday enjoyment.
Artwork for the initial program in the Sunday Spotlight series. Courtesy of Baltimore Opera.
I was pleasantly surprised that the program was weighted more to art songs and arias than to Christmas music, which was held until the last section of the 45-minute program. I say this even though my attraction to lieder is still in a development phase; my enjoyment was increased by the song translations made available in a separate document. A couple of Mozart’s pleasing duets were reassuring. I expect that if I heard “Pa, Pa, Pa” a hundred times, it would still make me smile and put me in a good mood. Ms. Massie has a light soprano voice and sings beautifully. Her husband’s baritone has one of the most pleasing timbres I have heard. The Christmas songs fitted the season, imparting that sense of love and joy we associate with Christmas. I have praised Mr. Eulert’s touch at BCO’s piano before and it was a pleasure to hear him again. He and the singers were separated by plexiglass shields. Visually, the recital had a formal, eye-catching appeal with Mr. Condy in a blue suit and Ms. Massie in a beautiful sequined, Christmas red gown; Mr. Eulert was also nattily attired. Both the formality and the color of the dress reflected the nature of a program of serious art in a Christmas wrapping designed by the singers, not a Christmas sing-a-long. At the same time, it had an intimate feel befitting the season, as though the performers were in your living room providing comfort and joy. As such, it gave much needed sustenance to this fan of the arts.
Pianist Aurelien Eulert, soprano Robin Leigh Massie, and baritone Steven Condy performing in the initial program of the Sunday Spotlight series. Photo courtesy of Baltimore Concert Opera.
I thought of a few analogies to use for what’s going on: “The Sunday Spotlight series is an artistic watering hole for opera fans” and “BCO/OD have formed a bread line for opera fans starved for art”. I’ll stop there. Kudos to Baltimore Concert Opera and Opera Delaware for staying engaged though this pandemic period. Even though the doors of opera venues are closed, they are managing to provide some work for performers and a maintenance diet for their fans until we can all gather together for live performances once more. They also are making tickets available for free to those who cannot afford it right now (see below). Quoth the Raven: Well done!
The Fan Experience: The cost for viewing the Sunday Spotlight series is $15 per performance. In the holiday gift-giving spirit and considering the pandemic hardships, the ticket purchasing webpage for each performance has three options: ticket purchase for yourself, pay it forward by purchasing a ticket for someone else, and “in need?”, request a ticket at no cost for fans unable to buy a ticket currently. Each program has a premiere and a re-broadcast date; your online ticket allows for viewings for four hours after the broadcast and can commence at any time during that period. Dates and performances for four additional programs can be found at this link. More programs are being planned.
Sign up is easy and the Facebook feed provided a clear video signal and sound when viewed on my MacBook and Apple TV; kudos to Weston Sound & Video for the excellent recital recording. Any internet device should be able to access the YouTube channel. Subtitles for the selections are not provided for the Christmas progam, but for the art song/aria portion a document with English translations is provided through a separate link; subtitles may be available for some of the future programs. The FAQ webpage contains helpful information about access and access periods.
A relaxed Steven Condy and Robin Leigh Massie chatting by Zoom with BCO’s Director Julia Cooke and OD’s Director Brendan Cooke. Photo courtesy of Baltimore Concert Opera. The husband/wife duo also hve a Christmas album, “The Blessings of Christmas”, available on the major streaming services.
Julia Cooke, BCO Artistic Director and General Manager, and her spouse, Brendan Cooke, General Director of Opera Delaware, open the program with brief comments about the Sunday Spotlight series. They also return on screen following the artistic program for an interesting 30-minute discussion/Q&A with Ms. Leigh and Mr. Condy via Zoom, covering topics about the nature of the program, how it was selected, differences in performing on video and in front of a live audience, and the effects the pandemic is having on themselves and the opera community.