Summer Opera Traditions

One of the most melancholy days for any opera fan falls in the middle of May when the curtain closes on the final performance at the end of a Metropolitan Opera season. This moment begins a period of four months of no live opera on the Met’s grand stage. For diehard New York opera fans, the summer months can feel endless as we await opening night of the new season in late September. However, every year one can find a variety of local opera events to keep the summer musical. For years I have attended the same events, and this year, these two happened to fall within two days of each other – a presentation of Rossini’s last and grandest opera Guillaume Tell on July 9th followed soon after by an opera recital in Manhattan’s Central Park on July 11th. This operatic long weekend was able to provide enough delightful music to keep me satisfied until the Met’s Summer “Live in HD” Festival in late August.

Caramoor's Venetian Theater during the day...

Since 1997, the Caramoor Center for Arts and Music (a peaceful and rural music complex surrounded by meadows and gardens in Upstate New York) – in addition to offering a summer full of symphonic and chamber music – presents two or three operas in concert as part of its “Bel Canto at Caramoor” series. This year, the company presented performances of Gilbert and Sullivan’s classic operetta H.M.S. Pinafore and Rossini’s rarely performed Guillaume Tell. To many this opera is Rossini’s masterpiece, and he composed it immediately before retiring from opera composition at the age of thirty-seven. In addition to being quite long – it runs over four hours without cuts – the piece has an intricate plot which proves difficult to stage. Yet even more challenging, Rossini demands much of every singer; giving them all technically complex and emotionally varied music. For these reasons, the work is rarely performed. It’s a shame that this piece is not presented more often, for it is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful, dynamic, and unified scores Rossini ever composed.

...and at night!

After hearing such a powerful performance this summer, I could understand why music experts praise this work so highly. Every aria, ensemble, choral piece, and orchestral interlude which make up the score are unique and novel while still being musically advanced. However, all these components work extremely well together and create one cohesive work.

Daniel Mobbs as the Swiss patriot William Tell carried the evening with his lyric bass-baritone, but his voice never seemed weakened by the lengthy role. The Austrian princess Mathilde was portrayed by soprano Juliana Di Giacomo dominated the stage with her gigantic voice. Although she overpowered her colleagues at times, Ms. Di Giacomo delivered a superb performance with soaring tones and dramatic intensity. And as the conflicted Arnold, Michael Spyres performed with a nice timbre and light top notes proving that he has the talent to be a great Rossini tenor. However, when contributing to larger ensembles, he struggled to hold his own.

In the “trouser role” of Tell’s son Jemmy, Talise Trevigne easily managed the high parts of the role with her sparkling soprano. As Jemmy’s mother Hedwige, Vanessa Cariddi performed with a hefty yet smooth mezzo-soprano. Ms. Cariddi was able to transition from the low-lying legato phrases to the occasional high notes with ease. As the sadistic Austrian governor Gessler, Scott Bearden delivered a powerful performance with his large baritone. Other notable performances came from tenor Brian Dowen delivering a finely sung fisherman and bass Nicholas Masters as Walter –William Tell’s fellow patriot. The Caramoor Festival Chorus contributed much to the performance with beautiful singing and its proficiency at handling the opera’s vast amount of choral music. The Orchestra of St. Luke’s under the direction of Maestro Will Crutchfiled played the opera’s textured score both expressively and dynamically.

During the performance of "Guillaume Tell": from left Talise Trevigne (in green), Vanessa Cariddi, Julianna Di Giacomo, and Daniel Mobbs

The whole event surrounding the performance of this opera was thrilling. From an all-day series of stimulating lectures with Maestro Crutchfield and renowned musicologist Phillip Gosset to the final bows, the day was filled with excitement. There was a palpable feeling that all present where participating in a rare experience. As the famous finale from the Overture (better known to many as the “Long Ranger Theme Song”) flew out from the orchestra, a rush came over the audience, and this excitement carried through the rest of the evening. And once the final bars of music soared out over the audience, a roar of applause erupted like I’ve never heard at any other classical performance.

However, as electric as this performance was, the presentation of the opera in a concert setting does not do this work justice. Guillaume Tell is one of Rossini’s best operas and deserves to be staged more regularly in the world’s great houses. Much of the drama was lost in the concert staging, and some moments even seemed farcical (for instance the famous moment where Tell shoots an apple off his son’s head was presented without any attempt to convey the actions of the libretto – a choice which received chuckles from some audience members). Overall, this performance made a strong case for bringing Tell into the mainstream.

A video about Caramoor’s Young Artist Mentoring Program:

And for more information on the Caramoor Center for Arts and Music, click here.

To continue my operatic long weekend, I attended the first in a series of six Metropolitan Opera Recitals in parks throughout New York City. This recital took place in the center of Manhattan at Central Park Summer Stage. After a disappointing experience at Summer Stage last year, I was worried that many of the problems I encountered at that performance – a disrespectful staff, some poor choices in musical selections – would be repeated this time around. However, I was pleasantly surprised that every employee of Summer Stage was courteous, and the recital’s program included many popular pieces, as well as some lesser-known works that allowed the soloists to show off their talents.

Central Park Summer Stage (photo courtesy of Rachel Rowland)

Soprano Angela Meade – a winner of the 2007 National Grand Council Finals – began the recital on a “high note” with a nicely sung “Casta Diva” from Bellini’s Norma and displayed a natural talent for Bel Canto singing throughout the whole evening. With her pure tones, Ms. Meade excelled in many of her offerings and showcased a beautiful voice with delicately-sung, pianissimo high notes.

The second singer on the stage was Jennifer Johnson Cano, a member of the Met’s Lindeman Young Artist Development Program. With her light mezzo-soprano, Ms. Johnson Cano also excelled in the works of the Bel Canto composers Bellini and Donizetti. In duets with Ms. Meade, the two young singers complemented each other nicely, and a real thrill of the evening was “Sul suo capo aggravi un dio” from Donizetti’s Anna Bolena (the opera which is to open the Met’s 2011-2012 season and which will star Ms. Meade in subsequent performances) where they offered dramatic intensity and blended harmonies.

Angela Meade - in violet - and Jennifer Johnson Cano - in red - (photo courtesy of Rachel Rowland)

But of course this is opera – an art form teeming with drama – and it couldn’t be opera without some excitement. On this evening, the drama came in the form of a last-minute replacement of an ailing Dimitri Pittas for former Lindeman Young Artist Atalla Ayan (a Brazilian tenor making his Met debut with this recital). Mr. Ayan posses a mature-sounding voice despite being only twenty-five years old. With his powerful voice, he excelled in selections from a variety of standard repertoire (Gounod, Verdi, and Puccini) and produced vibrant and strong high notes. The audience at this recital may have witnessed the Met debut of a soon-to-be world-class tenor.

After two nights of pure operatic bliss I feel as if I can now endure the two more months until the beginning of the Met Season. I urge opera lovers to explore the musical events in their communities. And don’t feel too disheartened…the new season opens in fewer than two months!

You can learn more about these three young artists at these websites: Angela Meade, Jennifer Johnson Cano, Atalla Ayan.

Please leave a comment and feel free to email me at cbrowner@taftschool.org

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