MUSIC
Opera Returns with Uplifted Voices
New York City Opera offers summer of free concerts
BY ELI JACOBSON
The New York City Opera
(NYCO), which has been
living a precarious existence
during the last fi ve
years, returned with little advance
fanfare, presenting a summer series
of free live outdoor concerts in
Bryant Park. NYCO kicked off their
season on June 18 with a festive
Pride in the Park Concert.
Currently headed by Michael
Capasso, former artistic director of
Dicapo Opera Theater, the roster of
singers included many Dicapo alums
including Kristin Sampson,
Peter Kendall Clark, and Lauren
Hoffmeier. In fact, the general level
of singing and artistry — with
some exceptions — seemed closer
to plucky basement opera than
the NYCO of old. The few operatic
chestnuts on the program lacked
vocal distinction except for the
moving fi nale of Iain Bell’s underrated
“Stonewall” opera.
The repertoire leaned towards
musical theater with numbers
from “West Side Story,” “Carousel,”
“Falsettos,” “A Little Night Music,”
and “La Cage aux Folles.” Coloratura
Jessica Fishenfeld sang “Glitter
and Be Gay” from Bernstein’s
“Candide” with fi nished technique
bravely resisting any hint of vulgarity
or shrill exaggeration while still
getting laughs and an ovation. Peter
Kendall Clark’s mellow baritone
ingratiated in various classic standards.
“Can Belto” musical theater
diva Lauren Hoffmeier proved the
star of the evening with powerfully
sung, emotionally raw renditions of
“As if We Never Said Goodbye” from
“Pride in the Park” marked Pride month.
“Sunset Boulevard” and “Meadowlark”
from “The Baker’s Wife.”
(Hoffmeier also stole the show as
Cleo in Dicapo’s 2012 production
of “The Most Happy Fella”.) Piano
accompanist Kathryn Olander was
an alert and versatile collaborator
performing diverse repertoire in a
diffi cult outdoor venue. The festive
and communal nature of the
event overshadowed any musical
or artistic shortcomings. NYCO’s
Bryant Park series continues on
August 21 and September 3 more
info here: https://bryantpark.org/
programs/opera.
In late July, opera returned to
Lincoln Center — but not to the
Metropolitan Opera (which is
scheduled to reopen on September
27). Instead, Teatro Nuovo presented
two semi-staged opera-inconcert
performances of Rossini’s
beloved “The Barber of Seville”
outdoors in Damrosch Park next
to the Met. This time we had a full
INSTAGRAM/@NYCOPERA
orchestra and chorus.
This wasn’t a business as usual
“Barber”: Teatro Nuovo took their
bel canto seriously, performing
the scores from critical editions
with a period instrument orchestra
led not by a conductor but by a
duo of keyboard and fi rst violinist
conforming with early 19th century
practice. General director Will
Crutchfi eld mans the fortepiano
while associate director Jakob Lehmann,
on violin, cues the orchestra
with his bow. Vocal ornaments
are taken from contemporary
sources or developed by and for the
singers at hand.
Vocal casting tended towards
the heroic rather than lighter coloratura
voices. In fact, the Rosina,
Figaro, and Almaviva had been
originally contracted to perform
Rossini’s tragic opera “Maometto
Secondo.” Bass Hans Tashjian was
cast against vocal type as Figaro,
usually a baritone role, rather
than Don Basilio. (Rossini’s autograph
lists all the lower male roles
as “basso.”) Tashjian’s “Largo al
factotum” was shorn of the traditional
interpolated baritone high
notes, but also the inevitable vocal
mugging and mimicry. Tashjian’s
suavely restrained rendition revealed
subtle musical details and
compositional structure that is habitually
torn to bits by the comedic
shtick. Mezzo Hannah Ludwig
unleashed a major voice as Rosina,
but of the womanly contralto type
— one could imagine her as Carmen.
Her assertive, rather reserved
interpretation of the role eschewed
minx-like charm reminding me of
Marilyn Horne as Rosina. Ludwig’s
“Una voce poco fa” surprised with
unfamiliar ornamentation culminating
in low alto tones rather
than the usual belted high notes.
As Almaviva, Nicholas Simpson
wielded a rangy, angular but fl exible
tenor voice with more metal
than lyric sweetness in the tone —
a future Florestan in Beethoven’s
“Fidelio” or Arnold in Rossini’s
“William Tell”? Simpson’s lack of
mezza vocedynamics and graceful
line caused one not to regret
the omission of the second verse
of “Se il mio nome” and the entire
aria “Cessa di più resistere” in an
otherwise conservatively cut performance.
The youthful baritone
Scott Purcell (who also sings Figaro)
was also cast against type
as Doctor Bartolo. Purcell’s vocal
energy and free top made the fast
patter solo “A un dottor della mia
sorte” a walk in the park rather
than the usual effortful slog by an
aging basso buffo winded by the
high notes and long phrases. Bass
Daniel Fridley sang as well as Don
Basilio, but lacked stage presence
and vocal personality. Soprano
Alina Tamborini made a charming
and surprisingly youthful Berta —
she sparkled in Berta’s throwaway
aria, providing an unexpected vocal
highlight. There was a prevailing
aura of dramatic inhibition
and reserve — most of these singers
were new to their roles and not
fully inhabiting them.
Crutchfi eld and Lehmann led
a rather desultory and, at times,
out of sync rendition of the famous
overture. As the evening progressed,
the Teatro Nuovo Orchestra
gained in accuracy, ensemble
and verve — the fi nales to Act I
and Act II bubbled with energy and
élan riding Rossini’s crescendos
to dizzying heights. Crutchfi eld
wants the listener to hear even
an over-familiar opera like “Barber”
(too often familiarity breeds
contempt) as if it were a new work
freshly rediscovered.
AUGUST 12 - AUGUST 25, 2 18 021 | GayCityNews.com
/
/
/GayCityNews.com
