Sunday, January 29, 2012

Review of Winter Opera's "Araidne auf Naxos"

Winter Opera’s ambitious production of Strauss’s seriocomic Ariadne auf Naxos was impressive, given the size of the cast and intellectual complexity of the piece.

The combination of mythological drama and bel canto–style comedy might have been a bit of a stretch for the fledgling company, but ultimately the problems were more with the material itself and the venue than with the performance.

Ariadne auf Naxos is an odd duck by any standard. It was originally written as a one-act postlude to a German translation by Strauss’s frequent collaborator Hugo von Hofmannsthal of Moliere’s comedy “Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme” in 1912. The difficulty and expense of mounting a play and an opera on the same bill eventually forced Strauss and Hofmannsthal to produce a rewrite that allowed the opera to stand on its own. It was first performed in 1916 and has been in circulation ever since.

The comic Prologue sets up the situation: the “richest man in Vienna” has engaged both a production of the tragic opera “Ariadne auf Naxos” and a commedia dell’arte troupe as after-dinner entertainment for his guests. To save time, he decrees that both shows must take place simultaneously. The performers can work out the details. The resulting conflicts between the opera company’s Composer, Music Master, Prima Donna, and Tenor on one side and Zerbinetta and her group of buffoons on the other generate plenty of laughs, most of them at the expense of the self-important composer and his egotistical leading lady.

After intermission, we see the hybrid opera within an opera set up in the Prologue. Abandoned on Naxos, Ariadne (with the help of three nymphs) yearns for death, but her lamentations are repeatedly interrupted by Zerbinetta and company, who are determined to cheer her up. Drama eventually wins out, however, when Bacchus arrives, declares his love, and joins Ariadne in a long, rapturous love duet.

The opera within an opera has been a bit of a problem from the beginning. At least one early British critic, for example, found the scene with Bacchus to be tedious. My view is that getting the audience to take Ariadne seriously is a tough sell, considering how effective Strauss and Hofmannsthal have been at making fun of the pretensions of operatic tragedy. Strauss’s music shifts the mood appropriately, but you still need fully committed and compelling performances by Ariadne and Bacchus to pull off that big a change in tone.

Winter Opera had a pair of strong voices in soprano Meredith Hoffman-Thompson and tenor Scott Six, but neither of them were particularly convincing in that final scene. Ms. Hoffman-Thompson’s stock theatrical gestures, which worked so well when Ariadne was a foil for Zerbinetta and company, felt out of place, and Mr. Six seemed not to be acting at all. They made beautiful music, but I don’t think that’s enough to compensate for the problem Strauss and Hofmannsthal created.

Comedy was king in this Ariadne. Soprano Mary Thorne wowed the crowd with her coloratura fireworks and was convincingly seductive in her scenes with the terribly serious young Composer, a “pants” role sung with appropriate intensity by mezzo Sarah Heltzel. As Zerbinetta’s four clowns, John-Andrew Fernandez, Charles Martinez, Zach Rabin, and Jon Garrett impressed with their fine quartet singing and physical comedy. Director Marie Allyn King’s decision to make them into the four Marx Brothers, complete with choreography lifted from Duck Soup, was an inspired one.

Baritone Eric McCluskey was all wisdom, authority, and precise diction as the Music Master. His scenes with Philip Touchette’s pompous Major-Domo (a spoken role) set the comic tone for the “Prologue” nicely. The voices of Megan Higgins, Sara Gottman, and Rachel L. Smith blended beautifully as Ariadne’s long-suffering nymphs.

The costumes by Teresa Doggett (a.k.a. The Hardest-Working Woman in Show Biz) were unfailingly appropriate, and I loved the Marx Brothers outfits. Rebecca Hatelid is credited with the English supertitles, which are easily visible above the stage. The translation struck me as a bit clumsy, but it did the job.

Conductor Timothy Semanik’s small orchestra (20 players vs. the 30 or more Strauss calls for) had a surprisingly big sound, some opening night intonation issues aside. There were certainly balance issues with the singers, but fewer than I would have expected given then physical limitations of the venue.

Speaking of which: Ariadne was staged in the opulent second-floor ballroom of The St. Louis Woman’s Club, a converted 1895 mansion at 4600 Lindell in the Central West End. Given that the opera takes place in the ballroom of a mansion, that added a bit of extra-musical resonance, especially when you consider that there was an optional dinner preceding the show downstairs. The downside was that the orchestra had to be placed on the ballroom floor in front of the stage, with the audience behind them on freestanding chairs. There were no risers, so sightlines are a problem for all but the first few rows.

It was not, in short, an ideal arrangement. It’s a testament to Winter Opera’s skill and dedication that their Ariadne was, despite these limitations, both artistically satisfying and highly entertaining for most of its length.

Now in its fifth season and with a new home at the Skip Viragh Center for the Arts on the campus of Chaminade Preparatory School, Winter Opera stands poised to be an important player in the growing opera scene locally. If this production was any indication, we can expect great things from them.

Winter Opera’s Ariadne auf Naxos was presented on Friday and Sunday, January 27 and 29. Their season concludes with “La Boheme” at the Viragh Center on March 2 and 4. For more information, you may visit winteroperastl.org.

Chuck Lavazzi is the senior performing arts critic at 88.1 KDHX, where this review originally appeared.

Saturday, January 28, 2012

The Critics on "Ariadne auf Naxos"

Winter Opera Saint Louis' production of Ariadne auf Naxos opened last night. Here's a sample of what Sarah Bryan Miller of the Post-Dispatch and Chuck Lavazzi of KDHX had to say about the production:

Sarah Bryan Miller:
"Soprano Meredith Hoffmann-Thomson's Prima Donna/Ariadne has the goods for this demanding role, with a big, soaring voice that never stinted with the high notes. ... Sarah Heltzel, the Composer, has a gorgeous instrument and was a believably angst-ridden young man. Soprano Mary Thorne brought the requisite knowing sexiness, effortless coloratura runs and solid acting skills to the role of Zerbinetta."
Chuck Lavazzi:
"Comedy is king in this 'Ariadne'. Soprano Mary Thorne wowed the crowd with her coloratura fireworks and was convincingly seductive in her scenes with the terribly serious young Composer, a 'pants' role sung with appropriate intensity by mezzo Sarah Heltzel.

Now in its fifth season and with a new home at the Skip Viragh Center for the Arts on the campus of Chaminade Preparatory School, Winter Opera stands poised to be an important player in the growing opera scene locally. If this production is any indication, we can expect great things from them.
"
Winter Opera Saint Louis' final performance of Ariadne auf Naxos takes place tomorrow Sunday, January 29 at 3pm at the St. Louis Woman’s Club located at 4600 Lindell Boulevard (map). The production is sung in German with projected English supertitles. Tickets for performances and the post-performance dinner may be purchased by calling Winter Opera Saint Louis at 314-865-0038 or online at http://winteroperastl.tix.com/ For further information on the company, its future performances and special events, visit winteroperastl.org.

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Patricia Racette Returns as "Tosca" on Met's Saturday Matinee Broadcast, January 28


St. Louis Public Radio will carry the Met Opera broadcast of Giacomo Puccini's Tosca on their HD channel, KWMU-3 beginning at 12 noon. Approximate running time 3 hours, with intermissions at approximately 12:45 p.m. and 2:00 p.m.

The Met says:
Patricia Racette won plaudits when she first sang the title role at the Met in 2010. Now she she's back with Robert Dean Smith as her heroic lover, Cavaradossi. James Morris is Scarpia.
CBC Radio 2 reports:
"A shabby little shocker" is how the opera Tosca has been described. One French critic called it "coarsely puerile, pretentious and vapid." Even the New York Times felt compelled to comment that "Puccini will do better with a better story." It's a tale that features torture, attempted assault and murder, and to this day audiences can't seem to get enough of it. Before there was C.S.I. or Law and Order SVU, there was Puccini's Tosca!

The 2011-2012 Metropolitan Opera Radio Broadcast season continues with a live broadcast of Puccini's Tosca, starring Patricia Racette as the fiery title character, Marcelo Álvarez as her lover, the idealistic Cavaradossi, and James Morris as the villain Scarpia. Finnish conductor Mikko Franck makes his Met debut with this season's performances of Tosca, and veteran bass Paul Plishka, whose distinguished Met career spans more than 40 years, sings the role of the Sacristan in his final Met performance.

Earlier this season, Plishka decided that this performance would be his farewell to the Met. Since his debut as a monk in Ponchielli's La Gioconda on September 21, 1967, he has sung more than 1,600 Met performances in 88 roles, including the title roles in Mussorgsky's Boris Godunov and Verdi's Falstaff, Philip II in Don Carlo, and Leporello in Don Giovanni. During the first intermission, an onstage presentation will mark his final performance. The radio broadcast will carry this special moment as part of its intermissions, along with backstage interviews with the stars and the "Opera Quiz."

Monday, January 23, 2012

"Ariadne auf Naxos" Opens Friday Night

Winter Opera Saint Louis continues its fifth season this weekend. After a successful production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s A Grand Night For Singing at the newly opened Skip Viragh Center for the Arts at Chaminade, the company returns to the operatic repertoire with a production of Richard Strauss’ opera Ariadne auf Naxos to be performed on Friday, January 27th at 8pm and Sunday, January 29th at 3pm at the Saint Louis Woman’s Club at 4600 Lindell Boulevard.

Scored to a libretto by Strauss’ longtime collaborator Hugo von Hofmannsthal, Ariadne auf Naxos combines beautifully the elements of grand opera and commedia dell’arte slapstick. The wealthiest man in Vienna summons two groups of musicians to perform at his home: a burlesque ensemble led by the saucy Zerbinetta and an opera company to perform the serious opera Ariadne auf Naxos, written by a passionate young composer. When both groups arrive, the Major-Domo announces that bothcompanies have to perform simultaneously…or not get paid.

THE SINGERS


(Pictured Clockwise from top Left: Hoffmann-Thomson, Six, Thorne, Heltzel)

Winter Opera Saint Louis presents a cast, crew and orchestra comprised of artists from across the country. Several principal singers make their company debut: Soprano Meredith Hoffmann-Thomson, who has performed with Opera Theatre Saint Louis and Sarasota Opera, sings the role of the opera company’s Prima Donna (later Ariadne). Tenor Scott Six, a 2010 first place winner in the Wagner Division of the Liederkranz Vocal Competition in NYC, sings the role of the Tenor (later Bacchus). Mezzo-soprano Sarah Heltzel, an artist with Seattle Opera, Indianapolis Opera and Syracuse Opera, sings the pants role of the idealistic young Composer. A frequent soloist with Amato Opera and Bronx Opera, Soprano Mary Thorne sings the coloratura-infused role of Zerbinetta. The full cast list can be found by clicking here.

THE CREW

Conductor Timothy Semanik of Ann Arbor Opera and Great Lakes Lyric Opera makes his Winter Opera Saint Louis debut. Stage Director Marie Allyn King, well versed in opera, theatre, musical comedy and cabaret, returns to stage Ariadne after last season’s La Traviata. Nancy Mayo, adjunct professor of in piano and accompanying at Webster University and resident collaborative pianist with Winter Opera Saint Louis, serves as rehearsal pianist. Teresa Doggett, whose designs grace the stages of several theatre companies and Union Avenue Opera in St. Louis, serves as costume designer. Sean Savoie of Washington University’s Performing Arts Department and The MUNY in Forest Park serves as lighting designer.

IN THE MEDIA

Be sure to read Sarah Bryan Miller’s St. Louis Post-Dispatch story on the production including an interview with Meredith Hoffmann-Thomson. Patricia Rice has interviewed Artistic Director Gina Galati on Ariadne auf Naxos and the rest of the season for the St. Louis Beacon.

IF YOU GO...

Ariadne auf Naxos will be performed on Friday, January 27th at 8pm and Sunday, January 29th at 3pm at the St. Louis Woman’s Club located at 4600 Lindell Boulevard (map). The production is sung in German with projected English supertitles.

Why not add a sumptuous dinner with fellow opera patrons to your evening? Chef Leon Dubinovsky prepares a dinner on Friday evening at 6pm before the performance and after the Sunday performance. Dinner cost is $45 per person. Menu can be seen here.

Tickets for performances and the dinner may be purchased by calling Winter Opera Saint Louis at 314-865-0038 or online at http://winteroperastl.tix.com/ For further information on the company, its future performances and special events, visit winteroperastl.org.

Friday, January 20, 2012

"The Enchanted Island" Met's Saturday Matinee Combines Shakespeare with Baroque Opera


St. Louis Public Radio will carry the Met Opera broadcast of The Enchanted Island on their HD channel, KWMU-3 beginning at 12 noon. Approximate running time 3 hours, 5 minutes. Intermission at approximately 1:30 p.m.

The Met's web site says:
In one extraordinary new work, lovers of Baroque opera have it all: the world’s best singers, glorious music of the Baroque masters, and a story drawn from Shakespeare. In The Enchanted Island, the lovers from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream are shipwrecked on his other-worldly island of The Tempest. Inspired by the musical pastiches and masques of the 18th century, the work showcases arias and ensembles by Handel, Vivaldi, Rameau, and others, and a new libretto by Jeremy Sams. Eminent conductor William Christie leads an all-star cast with David Daniels (Prospero) and Joyce DiDonato (Sycorax) as the formidable foes, Plácido Domingo as Neptune, Danielle de Niese as Ariel, and Luca Pisaroni as Caliban. Lisette Oropesa and Anthony Roth Costanzo play Miranda and Ferdinand.
The High Definition transmission of The Enchanted Island will be presented at AMC Esquire 7, 6706 Clayton Road; St. Louis Mills 18; 5555 Saint Louis Mills Boulevard; AMC Chesterfield 14, 3000 Chesterfield Mall; O'Fallon 14, 900 Caledonia Drive; and The Hett, McKendree College, 701 College Road, Lebanon, IL. Click here to buy tickets.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

"Ariadne auf Naxos" at Winter Opera Saint Louis on Jan 27 & 29

Can grand opera and madcap slapstick coexist onstage?

The richest man in Vienna seems to think so, as long as the fireworks at his party can go off at nine o’clock sharp!

Winter Opera Saint Louis invites you to experience the intersection of high and low art in Richard Strauss’ Ariadne auf Naxos, which opens next weekend. Artistic Director Gina Galati and Music Director Steven Jarvi have assembled a cast and crew of artists from across the country to bring this beloved opera to St. Louis audiences. Performances take place on Friday, January 27th at 8pm and Sunday, January 29th at 3pm at the Saint Louis Woman’s Club (4600 Lindell Boulevard). Production sung in German with projected English supertitles.

TICKETS may be purchased by calling Winter Opera Saint Louis at 314-865-0038 or online at http://winteroperastl.tix.com/ Why not consider adding a sumptuous dinner to your opera jaunt? Tickets for dinner at the Woman’s Club before the Friday performance or after the Sunday performance are also on sale!

Be sure to check back here at Operatic Saint Louis, the Saint Louis Beacon as well as the A&E Section of this Sunday’s St. Louis Post-Dispatch for more news. For further information, visit http://www.winteroperastl.org/

Friday, January 13, 2012

Joan Sutherland and Marilyn Horne Star in the Met's Archive Broadcast Saturday Afternoon

Joan Sutherland and Richard Bonynge from the New York Times, April 12, 1970


St. Louis Public Radio will carry the Met Opera's archival broadcast of Vincenzo Bellini's Norma starring Joan Sutherland and Marilyn Horne from April 4, 1970 on their HD channel, KWMU-3 beginning at 12 noon.

Harold C. Schonberg reviewed a performance of Norma in the March 5, 1970, edition of the New York Times saying
There was screaming Tuesday night at the Metropolitan Opera and for once it did not come from the stage. The eagerly awaited debut of Marilyn Horne in Bellini's Norma, singing opposite Joan Sutherland, in a new production, was the stimulus.

After each aria and ensemble of those two thoroughbreds, Sutherland and Horne, the house erupted. Miss Horne, at the end of the third act (the two acts of Norma have been divided into four), received standing ovation. People just stood, applauding and yelling. Miss Sutherland got the same treatment after the fourth act.

Norma was last done at the Metropolitan with Maria Callas, in the 1956-57 season. Whatever the virtues of La Callas and of course they were many, she did not begin to sing the role as well as Miss Sutherland did last night. And this is despite the well-known category of Sutherland liabilities -- her sloppy diction ("Costa diva" instead of "Casta," and so on), her occasional lapses from pitch, her habit of sliding into notess, her rather sluggish rhythm.

I know it all, and I couldn't care less. Miss Sutherland has the most glowing, the richest and most sensuous-sounding voice, of any soprano before the public, and she is one of the most exciting technicians.

Miss Horne has many of Miss Sutherland's attributes with several pluses and one minus. Her big, securely produced voice does not have the sensuous sheen of Sutherland's. But she is a better musician, has better diction, sings with better rhythm and clearer shape to the phrase, and has a wider compass. Miss Sutherland is not happy with low notes. Miss Horne, a mezzo-soprano, has the low notes together with the top of a dramatic soprano.

During the intermission, Marilyn Horne and conductor Richard Bonynge will
discuss Joan Sutherland and their performance of Norma.

In the April 12, 1970, edition of the New York Times, Judy Klemesrud called the Norma "the big hit of the season." Klemesrud also wrote:
The first question is obvious. How did the world's leading prima donna, whose rich and glowing voice shoots arrows of spun gold all the way to the top balcony, react to all the praise and attention heaped upon Horne?

Miss Sutherland chuckles, not nervously but good-naturedly. Before she answers, she glances across the living room at her husband, Richard ("Ricky") Bonynge, a dark-eyed man with salt-and-pepper hair who is four years her junior (she's 43), who conducts all her operas, and who looks like a French matinee idol. He smiles and gently prods her, "Tell her, dear."

"Well," the Australian soprano says, "it was, after all, her debut at the Met, and she is an American artist, and frankly deserves no end of praise. Jackie [Miss Horne's nickname -- her brother wanted a baby brother] is a very fine singer, especially in this type of role. And, dear, it's not like I've never shared the spotlight before."

Bonynge cuts into the conversation. "The idea is not to have one great singer surrounded by a bunch of nitwits," he says. "When the others are good, too, that's when you get something happening in opera."

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Engelbert Humperdinck’s "Hansel and Gretel" Met's Saturday Matinee Broadcast on January 7


St. Louis Public Radio will carry the Met Opera broadcast of Engelbert Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel on their HD channel, KWMU-3 beginning at 12 noon. Approximate running time 2 hours, 10 minutes with an intermission at approximately 1:00 p.m.

The Met's web site says:
The Met’s wickedly funny production returns as this season’s English-language holiday presentation for families. Aleksandra Kurzak is Gretel, with Alice Coote alternating as Hansel. Robert Brubaker is the witch who plots to bake them into gingerbread.

In a December 18, 2011, review in the New York Times Steve Smith says:
Grimm’s fairy tales are hardly kids’ stuff: a point that Humperdinck’s buoyantly luscious music, Adelheid Wette’s slightly softened libretto and David Pountney’s quippy English translation don’t disguise. Richard Jones, the director, cleverly based his imaginative 2007 production around the relatable notion of gnawing hunger; two acts set in kitchens frame a central scene set in a haunted forest that magically transforms into a whimsical dining room.

That second act, with its animated trees, pudding-faced chefs and dignified fish waiter, probably held the most charm for the scores of children on hand. A cheer also went up when the Witch — played to the hilt by the tenor Robert Brubaker — was booted into her own oversize oven in the end.

You had the sense that the cast knew its audience well. The mezzo-soprano Kate Lindsey (who alternates in the role with Alice Coote), as Hansel, and the soprano Aleksandra Kurzak, as Gretel, sang beautifully and well. The Polish-born Ms. Kurzak’s lightly accented English earned mostly top marks.