Opera Review: Union Avenue's "Carmen" gets Season Thirty off to a strong start

Union Avenue Opera is opening its 30th season with Bizet's "Carmen," a venerable work which, according to a New York Times article from some years back, is the fourth most-performed opera in North America.  And why not?   It has drama, it has some of Bizet’s most memorable and therefore most popular melodies and last – but most definitely not least – it has sex.

Joel Balzun
Photo: Dan Donovan

No, it’s not R or even PG sex, but when Carmen sings the famous "Habanera" while sinuously gyrating around army corporal Don Jose, there’s not much room for doubt what everybody is thinking of when they’re singing about l’amour.  The theatrical vitality of a production of “Carmen” hinges on the ability of the mezzo in the title role can convince the audience that she’s so utterly irresistible that she can entice a straight arrow like Don Jose to abandon the military life and join Dancaïre and his merry bandit band.

Mezzo Elise Quagliata, whose resume includes roles as diverse as Fricka and Sister Helen Prejean, is a slinky, seductive, dangerous Carmen. She’s completely believable as the most desirable woman in Seville and has a big voice to go with it. "Si je t'aime, prends garde à toi!" ("If you love me, beware") indeed.

Meroë Khalia Adeeb
Photo: Dan Donovan

Her chemistry with baritone Joel Balzun’s swaggering, supremely self-confident toreador Escamillo is palpable.  Balzun has a booming voice that they could probably hear out on Delmar on opening night. He completely dominates the stage during the familiar Toreador song in Act II.

There are stellar performance in the supporting cast as well. Micaëla, for example, far too often comes off as a simpering victim. Not so in soprano Meroë Khalia Adeeb’s performance, which adds  some backbone to the character.

Mezzo Holly Janz and soprano Gina Galati (General Director of Winter Opera) are in very much the same league as Carmen’s friends Mercédès and Frasquita. Their voices blend perfectly in the Act III fortune-telling number (“Mêlons! – Coupons!”) as they shuffle (“Mêlons”) and cut (“Coupons”) the cards to reveal increasingly fanciful versions of their futures. Baritone Jacob Lasetter is properly cynical at the ethically flexible Lieutenant Zuniga.

As Don Jose, Brendan Tuohy is vocally solid, as he demonstrated in his Act II “Flower Song” ("La fleur que tu m'avais jetée"), but overall his character lacks passion. I didn’t see the journey from loyal soldier in Act I to delusional killer in Act IV, and without that Jose can come across as more pathetic than tragic.

Holly Janz, Marc Schapman, Elise Quagliata,
Xavier Joseph, and Gina Galati
Photo: Dan Donovan

The orchestra has never sounded better under Scott Schoonover's baton and the chorus is, as always, first rate. Marc Freiman’s stage direction is straightforward and keeps the action moving without drawing attention to itself.

Viewed from a contemporary standpoint, the libretto of “Carmen,” based as it is on an 1845 novella by Prosper Mérimée, clearly looks sexist and, in its treatment of “gypsy” subculture, a tad racist. Attempts to update the opera and somehow modernize the characters tend, in my experience, to create more problems than they solve. Treating “Carmen” as the period piece that it is dodges those bullets and, ultimately, make it easier to enjoy the experience of seeing it. Especially when it’s done this well.

The bottom line is that this is, hands down, the best “Carmen” we have had locally in over a decade. Performances are in French with English supertitles and conclude this Friday and Saturday, July 12th and 13th, at 8 pm at the Union Avenue Christian Church in the Central West End. Don’t miss it.

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

Review: Vocal pearls at Winter Opera

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

Sonja Krenek and Spencer Viator
Photo: Wylde Brothers Productions

Share on Google+:

As I have noted in the past, nobody would ever mistake Georges Bizet's 1863 Les pêcheurs de perles (The Pearl Fishers), an appealing production of which is on stage at Winter Opera this weekend, for Great Art, given what an implausible mess the libretto is.

Set in "ancient times," the story about Ceylon pearl fishers Zurga and Nadir, lifelong friends driven apart by their mutual love for the priestess Leïla, makes little dramatic sense, but Bizet set it to some irresistible music. "Au fond du temple saint," the Act I duet in which the two men swear that their earlier infatuation with Leïla will never part them again, has become something of an operatic Greatest Hit, and the rest of the score is filled with equally appealing stuff.

Winter Opera St. Louis has four very strong singers in the leading and supporting roles (there are only four named roles in the opera), with an especially strong Leïla in soprano Sonja Krenek. "Comme autrefois dans la nuit sombre," a vocally elaborate number in which Leïla recalls her earlier romance with Nadir, requires the high-flying flexibility of a coloratura soprano. Ms. Krenek had that nailed when I heard her at the final dress rehearsal Wednesday, and was believably alluring in her scenes with the besotted Nadir as well.

Dancers and chorus
Photo: Wylde Brothers Productions

Tenor Spencer Viator and bass-baritone Andrew Pardini were also vocally stunning. Mr. Pardini, in particular, has the kind of big, ringing voice that can easily fill a theatre. Looking at his resume, I was surprised to see an absence of Wagner; he sounded like a performer who would be at ease in that repertoire.

Mr. Viator isn't quite in the same league in terms of sheer power, but there's a lyrical beauty to his voice that felt like a perfect match for the lovelorn Nadir. He and Mr. Pardini were, to quote a Sondheim lyric, "a practically perfect pair" in "Au fond du temple saint."

The role of the high priest Nourabad isn't large, but he needs to dominate the stage, physically and vocally, when he's there. Bass Richard Zuch certainly did that Wednesday night, with a high-voltage voice that rolled like thunder. An imposing presence is what's called for, and that is what we got.

The chorus is important in Les pêcheurs. Bizet has given them some prime material, like the hymn to Brahma that closes the second act, so they need to grab and hold our attention. Chorus Master Gail Hintz's forces are small but their sound was mighty. The small size of the chorus was also something of an advantage, in that it allowed individual singers to create their own characters and create the sense of a real community rather than just a collection of singers in costume.

Andrew Pardini and chorus
Photo: Wylde Brothers Productions

As he has in previous Winter Opera productions, Darwin Aquino led the small (25 piece) orchestra in an authoritative account of the score. The Winter Opera orchestra always seems to project a sound larger than its size might suggest. I don't doubt that the acoustics of the Viragh Center help in that regard, but it's still a real credit to their work. There was some fine solo work by orchestra members as well, including (but by no means limited to) Carrie Smith's cor anglais accompaniment to Nadir's "Je crois entendre encore" aria; flautists Jennifer Gartley and Laura Dwyer's piccolo work at the top of Act II; and Megan Stout's harp throughout the evening.

Director and talented operatic bass Mark Freiman moves things along briskly but, as has sometimes been the case in the past, still displays an unfortunate tendency to simply plant actors on stage and have them sing facing front. JC Krajicek's costumes and Scott Loebel's set create the right exotic feel, as does the small dancing chorus, although their repertoire of steps is limited.

There are two performances of Les pêcheurs de perles, Friday at 7:30 pm and Sunday at 3 pm, January 26 and 28. Revel in the fine singing and try not to pay too much attention to the plot, and I think you'll find this two-hour trip to legendary Ceylon a welcome respite from crazy weather and crazier politics.

Review: A whimsically colorful "Pearl Fishers" at Chicago Lyric Opera

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

Mariusz Kwiecheń and the company
Photo: Todd Rosenberg

Share on Google+:

Georges Bizet's 1863 opera The Pearl Fishers (Les pêcheurs de perles) is a classic example of a weak libretto bolstered by a very strong score. The Lyric Opera of Chicago production, which originated with San Diego Opera in 2004, takes it up a notch with theatrically canny direction by Andrew Sinclair, colorfully fanciful sets and costumes by Zandra Rhodes inspired by Indian and Balinese art and, most importantly, really splendid singing by all four members of the cast.

Nobody expected much from the 24-year-old Bizet when he was handed the libretto of The Pearl Fishers. Yes, he had just won the prestigious Prix de Rome, but his big hit Carmen was still 12 years in the future and his only previous opera was the one-act Le docteur miracle. Indeed, he only got the commission by the Théâtre-Lyrique because a noble patron had given the company a large endowment specifically to stage operas by Prix de Rome winners.

No surprise, then, that the team of Eugène Carmon and Michel Carré put only minimal effort into a hastily assembled mashup of the then-current novel L'île de Celan et ses curiosités naturelles (roughly, "The Isle of Ceylon and Its Natural Attractions") and La vestale, an 1807 opera by Gaspare Spontini about a vestal virgin whose hormones get the better of her.

The story about Ceylon pearl fishers Zurga and Nadir, lifelong friends driven apart by their mutual love for the priestess Leïla, makes little dramatic sense, but Bizet surprised everyone by setting it to some irresistible music. "Au fond du temple saint," the Act I duet in which the two men swear that their earlier infatuation with Leïla will never part them again has become something of an operatic Greatest Hit and the rest of the score is filled with equally appealing stuff.

Andrea Silvestrelli and Marina Rekeba
Photo: Todd Rosenberg

Polish baritone Mariusz Kwiecheń, so impressive in the title role of Lyric's Eugene Onegin last season, once again commands the stage as Zurga, whose election as king of the pearl fishers is interrupted by the unexpected return of Nadir after years of absence. Mr. Kwiecheń's authoritative voice and credible acting go a long way towards mitigating the role's absurdities. Tenor Matthew Polenzani's passionate Nadir is equally worthy of praise, clearly sung and smartly acted. Their "bromance" duet was warmly received the night we saw the show.

Latvian soprano Marina Rebeka displayed a soaring, gravity-defying voice in Leïla's Act II "Comme autrefois dans la nuit sombre," a vocally elaborate number in which she recalls her earlier romance with Nadir. Like her co-stars, Ms. Rebeka delivered a fully realized character, and her second act love duet with Mr. Polenzani struck real sparks.

Bass Andrea Silvestrelli rounds out the cast, giving vocal and dramatic weight to the small but pivotal role of the stern high priest Nourabad.

The clarity and power of the Lyric Opera chorus has never failed to impress me in the past and their work here is no exception. Bizet has given them some prime material, like the hymn to Brahma that closes the second act, and they more than do it justice. The orchestra did well by the score as well, under Sir Andrew Davis's experienced direction.

Dancers in Act II
Photo: Todd Rosenberg

In his program note, director Andrew Sinclair acknowledges the theatrical weakness of the opera's libretto and talks about the small tweaks he has made to give it a bit more coherence. When Nadir makes his first appearance, for example, Mr. Sinclair has Zurga greet him with a dismissing pro forma handshake, suggesting that there is still some bad blood between them. The tension continues during "Au fond du temple saint," which begins with the two singers on opposite sides of the stage. They don't actually come together until the final moments of the number, which gives the song more dramatic weight and hints at the gulf that might still exist. It's one of many strong choices that add credibility without undercutting the intentions of the opera's creators.

Mr. Sinclair has also added a dancing chorus, with choreography by John Malashock that feels strongly inspired by Indian and Indonesian folk traditions. The dancers play a strong narrative role, adding visual interest to elaborate choral numbers like the Act II scene in which Zurga condemns Nadir and Leïla to death for blasphemy.

Combine all that with those imaginative visuals from Ms. Rhodes and the result is a Pearl Fishers that is a delight to both the eye and ear. Bizet and his librettists never had it so good.

Lyric Opera's The Pearl Fishers runs through Sunday, December 10th, at their theatre in the Chicago Loop, alternating with their equally splendid production of Puccini's Turandot. Both are well worth a trip to the Windy City.

Review: A smoky, sexy "Carmen" at Winter Opera

Benedetta Orsi and the company
Photo: Wylde Brothers Productions

Share on Google+:

According to Operabase, during the 2015-2016 seasons Bizet's 1875 tragedy Carmen—a very respectable production of which is on view at Winter Opera this weekend—was the second most-performed opera in the world, edged out only by Verdi's La Traviata. And why not? It has drama, it has some of Bizet's most memorable and therefore most popular melodies and last—but most definitely not least—it has sex.

No, it's not the rolling around, full frontal, direct-to-video type of sex, but when Carmen sings the famous "Habanera" while sinuously gyrating around Don Jose, there's not much room for doubt what everybody is thinking of when they're singing about l'amour. The theatrical vitality of a production of Carmen hinges, in fact, on whether or not the mezzo in the title role can convince the audience that she's so utterly irresistible that she can entice a straight arrow like Don Jose to abandon the military life and become the 18th-century Spanish equivalent of a street thug.

It's a good thing, then, that Winter Opera has Italian mezzo Benedetta Orsi in the title role. With a dark, sensuous voice and a lubricious stage presence, she's totally convincing as the most desirable woman in Seville. Her "Habanera" exudes a smoky sensuality that dominates the stage.

Better yet, she has good chemistry with bass-baritone Neil Nelson as the unabashedly lusty toreador Escamillo. Having previously demonstrated his wide vocal and dramatic range locally in roles a diverse as di Luna in Il Trovatore (Winter Opera) in Tosca and Hagen in Götterdämmerung (Union Avenue Opera), Mr. Nelson adds another feather to his cap here, bringing an engaging swagger to the familiar "Toreador" song in Act II.

"Les tringles des sistres tintaient" from Act II
Photo: Wylde Brothers Productions

Soprano Ellen Hinkle and mezzo Kara Cornell are delighful as Carmen's sisters in crime Frasquita and Mercédès, respectively, and soprano Jacqueline Venable Simmons finds the right amount of vulnerability and sympathy in the somewhat thankless role of Micaëla, whom Don Jose abandons for Carmen. Bass-baritone Robert McNichols, Jr., also makes a strong impression as Don Jose's commanding officer, Zuniga.

Jorge Pita Carreras has a gorgeous tenor voice with an impressive dynamic range but, as was the case with his Manrico in Winter Opera's Il Trovatore a year ago, his acting simply isn't at the same level, resulting in a rather monochromitic portrayal.

Nancy Mayo's chorus sings and acts with real authority, making the many ensemble numbers extremely strong, and Darwin Aquino leads the small but mighty orchestra in a very smart reading of Bizet's score. Director Matthew Haney's blocking and pacing works best when he honors the opera's dramatic realism; less so when they are sttylized and fussy, as in the final confrontation between Carmen and Don Jose.

Performances of Winter Opera's Carmen are Friday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m., March 3 and 5, at the Skip Viragh Center on the Chaminade campus on Lindbergh just north of Plaza Frontenac. The quality and consistency of Winter Opera's productions continue to bet better with each passing year and they deserve your support. For more information: winteroperastl.org.

Symphony Review: A mostly French St. Louis Symphony program highlights principal players

Share on Google+:

Who: The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra conducted by David Robertson
What: Music of Bizet, Debussy, Elgar, and Ravel
Where: Powell Symphony Hall, St. Louis
When: May 1-3, 2015

[Find out more about the music with the SLSO program notes and my symphony preview.]

Allegra Lilly
harpcolumn.com

This is a big weekend for the Principal and Associate Principal players in the St. Louis Symphony (and even a couple of guests). The concerts begin with an orchestral suite from Bizet's massively popular 1875 opera "Carmen" and end with Ravel's even more massively popular "Bolero"—both works packed with solos for individual instruments.

In between are pieces that feature SLSO musicians not often seen in the solo spot: Principal Harp Allegra Lilly in Debussy's 1904 "Danses sacrée et profane" ("Sacred and Profane Dances") for harp and strings, and Principal Tuba Michael Sanders in Vaughan Williams' 1954 "Tuba Concerto in F minor."

For people like me who enjoy seeing members of the band step forward and strut their stuff, it's all very gratifying.

The "Carmen" selections consist of eleven of the twelve sections of the two suites that Bizet's friend and fellow composer Ernest Guiraud put together in the 1880s. Bizet never heard them—he died shortly after "Carmen" opened to tepid reviews and public apathy in 1875—but I think he would have appreciated the way his colleague reassigned the original vocal lines to a wide range of individual instruments. The trumpet, in particular, carries a lot of the weight, with prominent roles in the "Habañera," "Seguedille," "La Garde montante," and most notably, the famous (and often parodied) "Chanson du Toréador."

Mr. Robertson's rearrangement of the order of the selections made me hear this music in a very different way. Having the brisk march of "Les Toréadors" segue immediately into the ominous Act I "Prelude," for example, created a nice bit of dramatic contrast. Ditto putting the delicate "Intermezzo," with its lovely duet for harp and flute, in between the "Chanson du Toréador" and the lively "Danse bohème." His interpretation brought out all the drama and high spirits of the opera, ending with a "Danse bohème" that burned up the stage.

A few fluffs here and there not withstanding, the musicians with the solo spots performed brilliantly. Principal Trumpet Karin Bliznik had the most to do, of course, but there were also terrific moments from Principal Flute Mark Sparks, Principal Oboe Jelena Dirks, Associate Principal Bassoon Andy Gott along with fellow bassoonist Felicia Foland, Principal Piccolo Ann Choomack along with second piccolo Jennifer Nichtman (doubling on flute), harpist Megan Stout, and Concertmaster David Halen. Mr. Halen's solo in the "Nocturne" starts at the bottom of the violin's range, and brought a dark, silky tone to it.

As the second half of the concert began, Allegra Lilly made a strong impression before she even played a note, gliding onstage in a iridescent blue spaghetti strap gown that was as lovely and elegant as her playing—and that's saying something. Soloists sometimes get lost in the fog of Powell Hall's acoustics, especially for those of us in the Dress Circle, but Ms. Lilliy's harp came through rich and clear, its full-bodied sound assisted by a resonating platform and Debussy's intelligent orchestration, which never allows the string ensemble to overcome the soloist. She and Mr. Robertson gave the music a graceful and sensitive treatment that emphasized the shimmering, shifting colors of this music. I know Debussy disliked the term "impressionism," but for works like this it feels quelle apropos nevertheless.

Michael Sanders
stlsymphony.org

The Vaughan Williams tuba concerto was next, and you couldn't have asked for a more marked contrast from the Debussy. It's a consistently ingratiating and playful piece, with a strong English folk flavor. The composer wrote it with (and for) London Symphony Orchestra Principal Tuba Philip Catelinet—who must have been quite the virtuoso, judging from the difficulty of the solo part. The first and third movement cadenzas, in particular, exploit the instrument's full range, including those growling bottom notes.

Soloist Michael Sanders did very well by the piece Friday morning, dancing with ease through those cadenzas and the rapid passages that begin the final movement. He had an appealingly full, mellow sound at the upper end of his range (which is where most of the part lies), running into difficulty only in those growling bottom tones. As a former low brass guy myself (trombone, euphonium and, yes, Sousaphone) I sympathize.

The concert came to a slam-bang tang of a finish with Ravel’s ever-popular “Bolero.”

What can one say about "Bolero" that hasn't already been said a thousand times? Ravel himself apparently began to view it in somewhat the same way that Rachmaninoff came to view his equally popular “Prelude in C sharp minor”: as a career milestone that eventually became a millstone. At least Ravel wasn’t obliged to perform it everywhere he went. It is, in any case, music that never fails to entertain—and it certainly did on Friday morning.

The individual solos were impeccable, featuring most of the same players from the Bizet. Notable performances were also turned in by Principal Bassoon Andrew Cuneo and Principal Clarinet Scott Andrews, assisted by Associate Principal Diana Haskell on E-flat clarinet and Tzuying Huang on the rarely-heard bass clarinet. Guests Nathan Nabb and Jeffrey Collins on soprano and tenor sax, respectively, brought a bit of a jazzy feel to their solos, as did Principal Trombone Timothy Myers.

Performances of "Bolero" inevitably remind me of Garrison Keillor's joke that the worst pumpkin pie you'll ever eat isn't that much different from the best pumpkin pie you'll ever eat. It's hard to screw this music up as long as the orchestra's technique is solid. That said, there's no gainsaying that Mr. Robertson brought real visceral excitement to this old warhorse and sent us all home with smiles on our faces. And for that, we were all thankful.

This weekend's program repeats Friday and Saturday (May 1 and 2) at 8:00 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. The Saturday evening concert will be broadcast live on St. Louis Public Radio.

Next at Powell Hall: Mr. Robertson conducts the orchestra, chorus and an international roster of soloists in a complete concert performance of Verdi's beloved potboiler "Aida," including special lighting and video design by S. Katy Tucker. Performances are Thursday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m., May 7, 9 and 10. Friday night, May 8, at 8 p.m. Mr. Robertson conducts the last of the Whitaker Foundation "Music You Know" programs, with popular classics by (among others) Copland, Elgar, Bizet, Liszt, Vaughan Williams, and Charles Ives. For information on all concerts: stlsymphony.org.

Symphony Preview: The (mostly) French connection with the St. Louis Symphony, May 1-3, 2015

Share on Google+:

To close out the current season, the St. Louis Symphony has put together three blockbuster concerts of music sure to appeal to just about anyone who loves the classics. It starts this weekend as David Robertson conducts works by Bizet, Debussy, Vaughan Williams, and Ravel.

Georges Bizet in 1875
en.wikipedia.org

Opening the concerts will be eleven orchestral selections culled from the two suites Ernest Guiraud put together in the 1880s from his friend Georges Bizet's massively popular 1875 opera "Carmen." Poor Bizet died before he could hear them, alas—he passed at the age of 36 from a heart attack a few months after the opera opened to tepid reviews and public apathy. So he went to his grave not knowing that he had composed what would become one of the most popular operas ever written. Operabase statistics for the 2013/2014 season, in fact, show it as number 2 worldwide, surpassed only by Verdi's "La Traviata."

For this weekend's concerts, Mr. Robertson has taken the two suites, reshuffled them, and dropped the "Marche des Contrebandiers" ("March of the Smugglers") from Bizet's Act III. The new re-arranged suite looks like this:

1. Les Toréadors: "Procession of the Toreadors" from Act IV.
2. Prélude: Includes the "Fate" motif first heard from the brasses at the beginning of Act I.
3. Habañera: Carmen's famous Act I aria, "L'amour est un oiseau rebelle" ("Love is a rebellious bird").
4. Seguedille: The Seguidilla from Act I, "Près des remparts de Séville" ("Near the ramparts of Seville"), in which Carmen invites the hapless Don Jose to run away with her to Lilas Pastia's Inn (a decision he will come to regret).
5. Les Dragons d’Alcala: the entr'acte between Bizet's Acts I and II, covering the scene change from the Act I cigarette factory to Pastia's Inn.
6. La Garde montante: Back to Act I, as Don Jose marches in with the soldiers, who are greeted and the imitated by a crowd of street urchins singing "Avec la garde montante, nous arrivons, nous voilà! / Sonne trompette éclatante!" ("With the mounting guard, we arrive; here we are! / Sound, dazzling trumpet!").
7. Aragonaise: The entr'acte between Bizet's Acts III and IV, giving the stage hands time to change the scene from the smuggler's mountain hideout to the bullring.
8. Nocturne: Back to Act III as Don Jose's loyal but naïve girlfriend Micaéla arrives at the smuggler's camp in a futile attempt to get him to return to the army. "Je dis, que rien ne m'épouvante," she sings ("I say, that nothing terrifies me"); "je dis, hélas, que je réponds de moi, / j'ai beau faire la vaillante / mais j'ai beau faire la vaillante / au fond du coeur, je meurs d'effroi!" (I say, alas, that I take care of myself, / But try as I might to be the brave "girl, / At the bottom of my heart, I'm dying of fright!")
9. Intermezzo: The entr'acte between Acts II and III, for the scene change from Pastia's Inn to the smuggler's camp.
10. Chanson du Toréador: The famous "Toréador song" from Act IV. 'Nuff said!
11. Danse bohème: From the top of Act II, as Carmen and her friends Frasquita and Mercédès dance for some army officers in Pastia's Inn; a certified rouser and an ideal Big Finish.

Debussy in 1908
en.wikipedia.org

Music from another famous Frenchman is next: Debussy's "Danses sacrée et profane" ("Sacred and Profane Dances") for harp and strings. The famed French instrument makers Pleyel and Wolff commissioned the piece in 1904 as part of a marketing effort for their latest invention, the chromatic harp. Unlike the conventional pedal harp, which was then (and still is) the concert standard, the chromatic harp had two sets of strings, one tuned to C major and the other tuned to F-sharp/G-flat pentatonic. Unlike a conventional harp, this allowed the player to produce all twelve of the notes in a chromatic scale.

The instrument was not a success. As Daniel Durchholz writes in his program notes, the instrument "turned out to be too cumbersome in a variety of ways. It was hard to tune and keep in tune, difficult to play, and simply not as resonant as a standard harp. Without much fanfare, it was quickly abandoned." Fortunately, the music was easily adapted to the conventional pedal harp and has proved enduringly popular.

Which makes it a bit surprising that the SLSO has only performed it twice—on October 10th and 21s, 1981, with Frances Tietov at the harp and Leonard Slatkin on the podium for both performances. That interpretation was, happily, preserved on by Telarc on a CD that also contains "La Mer" and "Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune." It's still in print and definitely worth having. This time around the solo role goes to SLSO Principal Harp Allegra Lilly, whose work has graced the Powell Hall stage since 2013.

FYI, the word "profane," in this context, means "secular" or "sensual," to indicate that the second of the two dances is less serious than the first.

Michael Sanders
stlsymphony.org

After intermission, an instrument that rarely gets the solo spot will be front and center: the tuba. Specifically, it will be an F tuba (as opposed to the bigger and deeper B-flat tuba more commonly heard in orchestras) played by SLSO Principal Tuba Michael Sanders. He'll be playing the "Tuba Concerto in F minor" that Ralph Vaughan Williams wrote in 1954 with (and for) London Symphony Orchestra Principal Tuba Philip Catelinet. Catelinet premiered the concerto at the LSO Golden Jubilee Concert in June of 1954, and while it has never been wildly popular—the only previous SLSO performance was in September of 1987—that's probably more a reflection of the dearth of great tuba players than any knock on the music itself. It's consistently ingratiating and playful with a strong English folk flavor. And it will be nice to see Mr. Sanders in front of the orchestra for a change.

The concerts close with one of the most popular orchestral works ever written and certainly the best-known thing Maurice Ravel ever wrote: "Bolero." Composed originally on commission for the dancer Ida Rubinstein, "Bolero" was first performed by her at the Paris Opéra on 22 November 1928, with choreography by Bronislava Nijinska and designs by Alexandre Benois.

Not mentioned for two whole paragraphs
officialboderek.com

"Inside a tavern in Spain," runs the scenario printed in that first program, "people dance beneath the brass lamp hung from the ceiling. [In response] to the cheers to join in, the female dancer has leapt onto the long table and her steps become more and more animated." In program notes for the New York Philharmonic, the late New York Times music critic Louis Biancolli goes into greater detail. "The men gathered in the public room of the inn eye the dancer fixedly. As her movements grow more animated, their excitement mounts. They beat out an obbligato with their hands and pound their heels. At the peak of the crescendo, where the key abruptly shifts from C major to E major, the sharpening tension snaps. Knives are drawn and there is a wild tavern brawl."

Sounds like a hell of a party. There will be no weapons at Powell Hall this weekend, fortunately, so you will be able to enjoy Ravel's Greatest Hit in safety.

And you will notice I got through two entire paragraphs on "Bolero" without once mentioning Bo Derek.

The Essentials: David Robertson conducts the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra with harpist Allegra Lilly and tuba player Michael Sanders on Friday at 10:30 a.m. and 8 p.m., Saturday at 8 p.m., and Sunday at 3 p.m., May1-3. The concerts take place at Powell Symphony Hall, 718 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information: stlsymphony.org.

All the hits, all the time

Steven Jarvi

Share on Google+:

The St. Louis Symphony's regular subscription season ended a month ago with a bang-up performance of Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5 the weekend of May 9th. But they've got a final encore concert for you this Saturday.

In fact, it's kind of a meta-concert in that it's an encore program consisting of works often played as encores or (in at least one case) curtain raisers. They're calling it "Bravo! An Evening of Classical Favorites." And so it is.

Here's what's on the program, along with a few brief comments from me.

Berlioz: Roman Carnival Overture, op. 9 - This was actually an attempt by Berlioz to salvage something from his failed 1838 opera Benvenuto Cellini. It includes some themes from the opera's carnival scene, hence the title. Considered radical in its time and technically challenging, the opera has rarely been performed.

Faure: Pavane, op. 50 – Originally an 1887 solo piano piece, the Pavane was later orchestrated Faure for a small ensemble with optional chorus. There's no chorus listed on the program, so presumably you'll get the orchestral version. Faure thought this haunting and stately little piece "elegant, but not otherwise important." It turned out to be one of his biggest hits.

Morton Gould

Gould: "Pavanne" from American Symphonette No. 2 – American composer Morton Gould's "Pavanne" couldn't be more different from Faure's if it tried. It's jazzy and jaunty—very much in keeping with the overall mood of the American Symphonette No. 2, which Gould wrote for radio in 1939.

Grieg: "In the Hall of the Mountain King" from Peer Gynt – This five-act epic verse drama by Henrik Ibsen is (unlike many of the great Norwegian dramatist's other plays) rarely seen outside of his native land. The music Grieg wrote for the premiere production, though, has proved immensely popular. There's an optional choral part for this piece as well.

Dvorák: Selections from Slavonic Dances, op. 46 – Dvorák wrote two sets of Slavonic Dances (Op. 46 in 1878 and Op. 72 in 1886) as pieces for two pianos. They were so popular he was obliged to orchestrate them—and those versions proved even more popular. Every one of these works is a little orchestral gem, representing a different type Czech dance.

Open-air performance of The Bartered Bride
at Zoppot Waldoper, Danzig

Smetana: "Dance of the Comedians" from The Bartered Bride – Smetana's 1863 comic opera had a rocky beginning, but has gone on to achieve popularity world-wide. Performances of it aren't as common here in the USA, but the overture and orchestral excerpts like this one are invariably crowd pleasers. The "Dance of the Comedians" also pops up in "Road Runner" cartoons, as I recall.

Bizet: "Farandole" from L'Arlésienne – Alphonse Daudet's 1872 drama (usually translated as "The Girl from Arles") wasn't well received in its day and has pretty much disappeared since. Bizet's incidental music, though, continues to be popular. The "Farandole" incorporates a traditional French Christmas carol, "The March of the Kings."

Glinka: Ruslan and Lyudmila Overture - Glinka's 1842 fairy-tale opera isn't done very often. The overture, though, one of those pieces that used to crop up often as “filler” on classical LPs—a function it still serves on classical radio stations today. Its alluring melodies and neat little solo tympani part are irresistible.

Fred, Ginger, and canine companion

Gershwin: Promenade – This perky little tune started out life as the accompaniment for a dog-walking sequence aboard an ocean liner in the 1937 Fred Astaire-Ginger Rogers vehicle Shall We Dance. In 1960 it was published as "Promenade." There are many recordings of it out there, including one by the St. Louis Symphony as part of its complete Gershwin orchestral works set.

Gliere: "Russian Sailors' Dance" from The Red Poppy – This 1927 ballet has would up on the ash heap of history, largely (I assume) because of the heavy-handed Soviet propaganda that constitutes its scenario. Individual numbers are still popular, though—especially this typically rousing dance that starts majestically and builds to a wild climax. I recall playing this in the school orchestra. The trombone part gets pretty hectic towards the end.

Tchaikovsky: "Waltz" from Sleeping Beauty, op. 66 – Here's one of those famous classical pieces that became the basis for a popular song: Jack Lawrence and Sammy Fain's "Once Upon a Dream" from the 1959 animated Disney film Sleeping Beauty. In its original 1890 form it's a typically sweeping Tchaikovsky waltz.

Brahms: Hungarian Dance No.5 in G minor – It's only appropriate that this should be on the same program as the Dvorák Slavonic Dances since it was, in part, the success of the Brahms dances that moved Dvorák to compose his. Although Brahms is the composer of record for the 21 Hungarian Dances, most of them actually used existing folk melodies. The fifth dance, in fact, uses a melody composed by Béla Kéler, which Brahms, apparently innocently, took for a folk tune. Copyright law was less fierce in those days.

Grieg: "Last Spring" from Two Elegiac Melodies – The Two Elegiac Melodies for string orchestra from 1880 were inspired by poems of Aasmund Olafsson Vinje. "Last Spring" is wonderful mixture of joy and sadness, with some final bars that will melt the hardest heart. Bring a hankie.

El sombrero de tres picos
by the Spanish National Ballet

Falla: "Final Dance (Jota)" from El sombrero de tres picos (The Three-Cornered Hat) – I can't think of anything better to bring you back from the melancholy of "Last Spring" than this joyous final dance from Manuel de Falla's 1919 comic ballet. First performed at the Alhambra Theatre in London, El sombrero de tres picos boasted choreography by Léonide Massine and costumes by some guy named Picasso. The great Ernest Ansermet conducted. Not shabby.

The essentials: Steven Jarvi conducts the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra in "Bravo! An Evening of Classical Favorites" on Saturday, June 7, at 7:30 PM at Powell Symphony Hall, 718 North Grand. For more information: stlsymphony.org. Note that Circus Flora is set up on the Powell Hall south lot, so parking could be at a premium.

En blanc et noir

Kendall Gladen

Who: Opera Theatre of St. Louis
What: Carmen
When: May 19-June 23, 2012
Where: The Loretto-Hilton Center

Share on Google+

Carmen as film noir? With a femme fatale heroine, a doomed anti-hero, and a netherworld in which cops (well, OK, the fascist Guardia Civil) and crooks meet, the concept behind Opera Theatre’s production has genuine merit. It’s not without its missteps, but strong performances by (among others) Aleksey Bogdanov as Escamillo, Corinne Winters as Micaëla, and—first and foremost—hometown gal Kendall Gladen as a magnetic Carmen make it work much more often than not.

In his program notes, director Stephen Barlow makes a strong case for turning Bizet’s 1878 opera into a 1940s black and white crime movie, complete with opening and closing titles. “The ominous world view of film noir,” he writes, “sits remarkably well with both Mérimée’s and Bizet’s Carmen, especially given that they all share the exact same theme: the impossibility of escape from a cold implacable fate.” Don José’s self-destructive obsession with Carmen also works in both worlds, as does the drama’s setting in the fringes of society.

In order for José’s fall from grace to work, though, there has to be some grace there in the first place. In the context of the original libretto the army is, at worst, morally neutral, and José’s sense of duty is actually admirable. When the army in question is the fascist Guardia Civil of World War II Spain, however, the equation changes drastically. In this context, that sense of duty and Micaëla’s determination to bring him back to it are, at best, naïve if not actually delusional. I’m also not convinced it makes sense to turn José into a murderer two acts early by having him shoot Zuniga at the end of Act II.

Changing the smugglers’ contraband from unspecified goods to undocumented immigrants (possibly refugees; it’s not that clear from the staging) also complicates the moral landscape. It’s one thing to be a tax dodger; it’s quite another to make a profit off the desperation of your fellow humans.

Still, the general idea is a good one and when this Carmen is firing on all cylinders the results are entertaining as hell. An excellent example is the crowd scene and pre-bullfight procession that open Act IV. There’s a pair of adorable tykes dolled up as a toreador and his lady, a statue of the Virgin, flamenco dancers, and finally an entrance in a vintage touring car and a shower of monochrome confetti by Carmen and Escamillo who sing their love duet to the microphones as part of a photo opportunity. It’s a neat demonstration of gaudy pageantry and mindless hero-worship that contrasts starkly with the upcoming deranged declaration of love from Don José.

All this is buoyed considerably by a mostly fine cast, a superb chorus with elocution so clear the projected English text was often irrelevant, and a first-rate orchestra of St. Louis Symphony musicians under the baton of the much-praised young Venezuelan conductor Carlos Izcaray.

The sine qua non for Carmen is, of course, a convincing performance in the title role—someone who can persuade the audience that she’s so utterly irresistible that she can bend every man she encounters to her will. In St. Louis native Kendall Gladen, we have all that and then some. Despite the handicap of a sinus infection on opening night, Ms. Gladen gave us a smoky-voiced and fiercely seductive Carmen whose dealings with the men around her bring to mind lyrics from the 1924 classic “Hard Hearted Hannah (The Vamp of Savannah)”: “To tease ‘em and thrill ‘em / To torture and kill ‘em / Is her delight, they say.” It’s not difficult to envision this Carmen “throwing water on a drowning man.”

Ukrainian baritone Aleksey Bogdanov is an ideal Escamillo—a preening, self-satisfied showoff who, unlike poor Don José, understands exactly what he’s getting into with Carmen. His Act II “Toreador” song has all the swagger and vocal flash you could wish for.

Former Gerdine Young Artist Corinne Winters makes the most of the “good girl” role of Micaëla, especially in her heartfelt Act III aria. As written, the character is painfully stereotypical—the virgin vs. Carmen’s whore—but Ms. Winters gives her a genuine soul.

Speaking of the Gerdine Young Artist program, current members of that program Shirin Eskandani and Jennifer Caraluzzi make a strong impression as Carmen’s friends Mercédès and Fasquita. So does Bradley Smoak (another former program member) as the arrogant Zuniga.

Vocally you couldn’t ask for a better Don José than Adam Diegel. His ringing tenor voice and clear articulation add much to the role. Dramatically, though, I found him less than convincing. His character seemed more petulant than tragic and his spoken dialogue came across as a bit stilted. Some of that’s in the libretto, of course, but even so, there’s more emotional range in Don José than we saw on opening night.

Set and costume designer Paul Edwards has carried out the black and white movie motif perfectly, with discrete touches of color (Carmen’s Act I flower and the neon sign for Pastia’s bar, for example) for dramatic impact. Christopher Akerlind’s shadowy lighting falls right into line, mimicking the shadowy look of those classic films.

The bottom line, then, is that while Opera Theatre’s Carmen is far from perfect, it succeeds often enough to be well worth seeing, especially if you’re a fan of the piece to begin with or just want to welcome a hometown gal back in triumph. The director’s concept may not always work, but it’s an intelligent attempt to put a novel spin on classic in a way that respects the world of the original, and for that I think it deserves our support.

Carmen continues through June 23rd in rotating repertory with three other operas on the main stage of the Loretto-Hilton Center on the Webster University campus. For more information, you may visit experienceopera.org or call 314-961-0644.