Rigoletto at the LOB or An Evening of Obstacles

On Friday, May 17^th I headed down to the Lyric Opera Baltimore to see Verdi’s Rigoletto with this blog’s (and pretty much everybody else’s ) favorite tenor Bryan Hymel as the Duke of Mantua.

I have to say that this was not the smoothest evening at the opera – indeed, I’ve had smoother ones. Not to complain or anything, because nothing, I repeat, nothing can ever take away from the joy of seeing Verdi’s Rigoletto live (especially with such great leads as Steven Powell, Bryan Hymel and Norah Amsellem), but if I had to name the evening, without much hesitation I would name it an evening of obstacles.

When I approached the will call window to pick up my ticket, it turned out that there actually was nothing put away for me and my ticket was printed out while I was standing there. Thank God I remembered to bring the e-mail confirmation, otherwise, who knows what would have happened.
My seating for the evening was quite poor. Row C in the Dress Circle, my friends, which in the given theater is quite far from and quite high above the stage. Isn’t the company interested in the press to have a good view of the stage? On a second thought, maybe not. Sometimes the less you get to see the better it looks.

But of course, the biggest obstacle of the evening was served up by conductor Richard Buckley who let the orchestra play insanely loud and at an insanely fast tempo. Poor Bryan was not even heard in his Questa or quella, even though in his delivery of the piece he did focus on his sound much more than on his tone. Count Monterone sung by Matthew Trevino had an even smaller share of luck. His  curse scene resembled an old silent movie with lots of action and articulation, but – no sound whatsoever. In short, Scene 1 was quite pitiful to watch and hear. Eventually, things did get better and all the three leads got plenty of opportunity to shine, of which you can read in my Bachtrack review if you click on the top review here.

And of course, both the scenery and the costumes were a wonderful fusion of tradition and taste. I think I find certain comfort in seeing some operas staged traditionally, and Rigoletto is definitely one of them. Sorry, folks, but I have a hard time getting convinced by Gilda blogging (or god forbid, tweeting) about her love for the Duke of Mantua or rather (Doug of Mantua, OH) or by Rigoletto making his living as a stand-up comedian. I have not seen this interpretation anywhere (well, at least not yet), but considering all the modernized Rigolettos that have popped up in the recent years, how far off can we be from a version like that?

And this, my friends, concludes my 2012-2013 reviewing season on Bachtrack. This season I have beaten my own reviewing record, having reviewed the total of 13 performances, which now makes me feel like I have earned a nice brain vacation, so I could open the next season rested, replenished and full of inspiration to embrace and reflect on more music. While I am not planning to review any events for Bachtrack this summer, it does not mean that Troy and I will stay away from the concert halls. Not at all! In fact, as of today there are two events that we are planning to attend and, depend upon it, my friends, you’ll be able to read all about them here, on Mandolin Vision.

P.S. Contrary to the tradition of this blog, there are no sneak-pics of the show this time, my friends. I happened to be seated right next to a couple of important acquaintances from the opera world and, frankly, was embarrassed to sneak-flash my camera  in front of them. Oh, and did I mention it was an evening of obstacles? LOL!

The Corpse de Met Ballet

Oh well, my friends, apparently, what has been the Mets' corps de ballet just turned into the corpse of the Met's ballet.

Click here to read and feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section of this post.

Take 2: Acteo-o-o-on!

Still mesmerized with Charpentier’s Acteon, I shared it with the one who I knew would appreciate it most: my son (and everything-music buddy) Troy.
With some knowledge of Greek mythology under his belt (the myths of Orpheus, the Minotaur and Medusa being among his favorites), Troy just gulped the story of Acteon, only asked to repeat it some 9 times and watched the You Tube clip (see previous post) with utmost attention.

Of course, I made sure to "take care" of the scenes that added nothing to the story, yet could cause unnecessary questions – we just skipped them. Troy loved the hunters’ chorus and while listening, pretended to ride a horse. He loved “Liberte, mon coeur, liberte”, asked to watch it a few times and still hummed it hours later.

And then, next day the funniest of things happened.

We were driving through a woody area which naturally had deer crossing signs.

As soon as Troy saw one of those, he screamed from the top of his lungs in a super-excited voice: “Oh, look, mama, look – Acteooooon! Acteooooon!”

A Different Carmen

About 2 months ago, my friend and co-worker Regina, whom I mentioned in one of my posts last year, attended a beautiful New York wedding. In fact, it was an opera New York wedding, considering that the groom (aka Regina’s beloved nephew, Benjamin Warschawski) is a tenor and his bride, Heather Johnson (who has recently made a couple of Met appearances) is a mezzo soprano.

Knowing that I would be interested to hear all about it, upon her return, Regina reported that it was a fancy opera wedding, with lots of opera singers in attendance, who actually sang opera at the wedding.

(A dream wedding, if you ask me.)

Anyway, about several weeks ago Regina shared with me that this month Benjamin and Heather would be singing in Bizet’s Carmen presented by the Baltimore Concert Opera in the Engineer’s Club and that she was going. Seeing newlyweds onstage as Carmen and Don Jose, the two lovers who are at each other’s throats most of the time, is quite rare.  Yet, the genuine chemistry onstage that the artists do not have to fake is even more rare. In short, that was the incentive that I could not resist, so I decided to go and review this Carmen for Bachtrack.

After a hectic day at work and a quick stop at home where I changed from my cool but blue-jeans-Friday outfit into a little black dress and a pair of my favorite Ralph Lauren heels, I headed to the Engineer’s Club. If you are surprised to see the description of my clothes here on the blog, I don’t blame you for that – while I sometimes describe the clothes that opera singers wear during their recitals, I never really dwell on my own wardrobe. We, press reps, don’t wear really fancy evening gowns to the opera – this is part of our job description if you will. However, this time everything was different. 

As soon as I crossed the threshold of the Engineer’s Club, I found myself in a different epoch. What looked like a regular early-20-century brown-stone townhouse from the outside, turned out to be a mansion going on a palace from within. Antique gold-framed paintings on the ceilings and walls, fancy old mirrors and fireplaces, gold plated crystal chandeliers, heavy burgundy portieres and shiny hardwood floors were just a few things that instantly captured my attention.

The Grand Ballroom (our opera house for the evening)

The usher scanned my ticket and showed me into the inner courtyard, where a small reception with ou d’oueveres, wines and cocktails was in full swing. Beautifully dressed guests were standing around on the steps of the marble staircases and under the illuminated trees of the courtyard, enjoying a pleasant pre-opera small talk. Now you get the idea. My little black dress and heels were a must and definitely part of the job description for the night, thus deserved mentioning.

The performance of Carmen that I saw that evening was so different and untraditional that it changed my whole vision of the opera and of the Carmen/Don Jose relationship in particular. My Bachtrack review tells you all about it – hope you take pleasure in reading it. Just click here and then click again on the first review from the top.
Finally, because this performance was so beautiful and different, I believe I have formed an attachment to the BCO and am now looking forward to their next season. After all, in my review I said what I meant: when there is no director in the picture, opera singers grow wings and fly!

Discovering Acteon

Last week I reviewed two events that (besides being both operatic and French) could not have possibly had less in common. One was Marc-Antointe Charpentier’s pastorale/tragedie en musique , Acteon, presented by Opera Lafayette at the Kennedy Center, and the other – Bizet’s Carmen presented by Baltimore Concert Opera at the Engineer’s Club in Baltimore.

When it comes to art and music, Baroque is my it. While an "opera Valmont" that I consider myself to be, I rarely get excited about popular operas that I've heard hundreds of times and quite often practically force myself to look for and see new things in them, the music of Baroque is my abyss of unknown and miraculous, and the deeper I go the more I discover.

This post is dedicated to my newest discovery - Charpentier's Acteon, that has completely captured  my heart and is currently holding the title of my most favorite operatic work.

Acteon is a very early piece, written by quite an unusual man. Even though he lived in the 17^th century, Marc-Antoine Charpentier was your typical Renaissance man, equally talented in multiple  things. Not only was he an artist and a composer, but also he had a beautiful operatic voice and often performed counter tenor ( haute contre) parts in his own works. Having started as a house composer of the Duchess de Guise’s, he quickly moved up the career ladder to the status of her courtier and favorite, which he maintained for 17 years. Early enough in his career, Charpentier (nicknamed Charp in the musical circles of Paris) got into a battle with the king, god and usurper of  the French spoken theater, Jean Baptiste Lully, for the right to compose for it and won it, thus establishing himself as the leading composer for spoken theater. (Apparently, he was his own agent  too!)

It thus comes as no surprise that it was this successful, energetic and always-in-demand 41-year-old composer who was commissioned to open the 1684 Spring Hunting Season with his new pastorale and premiere it in the salon of his patroness, Mlle De Guise.

Based on a Greek myth, the mystical and slightly disturbing plot of Acteon intrigues and mesmerizes me.
Take a look at what happens in it and judge for yourselves.
So there is this young hunter Acteon, who, like most people of his age, thinks that the world is there only to spin around his valuable persona. He is attractive, conceited and, no doubt, vain. One day, while hunting in the woods, he sees Diana, the Greek goddess of Hunt, bathing in the river. Instead of looking away and riding off, Acteon resolves to hide and take a peek. As soon as he gets discovered, Diana casts a punishment on the poor thing by turning him into a stag. The worst part of the punishment is yet to come when Acteon gets to watch his own transformation (with wrinkles gradually covering his face and his tongue no longer obeying him), and, once turned into a stag, gets torn to pieces by his own hounds.

Sounds like a parable, if you ask me.
Mind your own business, you guys, and don’t cross the line, or you might as well get killed with your own weapon.
Had I been a movie director, make no mistake about it, I wouldn't pass up  the opportunity to shoot a movie with this story projected into the modern times. Any takers?

And now, the only thing left for me to do is to encourage you all to wait no longer before you take a listen. This is not your typical Baroque creation with lengthy arias. This music is a whirlwind that does not let you be for even one minute. It is dynamic, modern and alive! Besides, it only lasts 40 minutes.

Personally I find these highlights particularly fascinating:

• The Hunters’ Chorus "Allons, marchons, courons, hastons nos pas"( 5:00 in the You Tube clip below) (super-catchy and frightfully modern)
• Acteon’s Aria “Liberte, mon coeur, liberte" (21:10) (modern and catchy)                               
• Acteon's final aria “Mon coeur autre fois intrepide” (25:54)(very dramatic)
• Final Chorus (40:00 - 42:00)

Click here and enjoy (and if tomorrow morning you don't hum 'Liberte, mon coeur, liberte" on your way to work, I'll be most surprised!)

Finally, you can read my Acteon review for Bachtrack (which I am sort of proud of!) here. Just click on the link and go to my second review from the top. As for the first review from the top, you can read it too, or wait till I come back to this blog to discuss the second opera I reviewed last week, Bizet’s Carmen.

Miracles: Close to Music

Miracles may come in all colors, sizes and shapes. And sometimes they come in a great number of sounds.
Last Saturday, as Troy and I were on our way out of Peabody, we heard sounds of beautiful music and stopped by a rehearsal room to enjoy some live Bizet performed by the gorgeous Peabody Youth Orchestra.
But, of course, the biggest miracle of all was that this music was just a few steps away from us!

Indeed, there is hardly anything more magic for a music lover than being that close to music.

Happy 5th Birthday, Mandolin Vision!

Dear Friends!
Today, when this blog is turning 5 years old, we would like to extend our gratitude to all our readers who sent us their warm wishes, pictures, virtual cakes and, of course, virtual musical gifts. Just like they do at a regular birthday party, we would like to share our fantastic gifts with you all and let you enjoy them together with us.
So, we will start with the gift from the couple who actually met through this blog back in 2010. Jack and Beth - thank you for the most beautiful field of cosmos and

this wonderful Natalie Dessay's video of (you are right!) one of my best-loved arias,Tormami a vagheggiar! Click here to enjoy!

Thank you, Marie-Anne, for a great clip from Rossini's Le Comte Ory, from the recording made on the day I was there! You are right, Marie-Anne, that day will stay in my heart forever.
Click here to take a listen!

Thank you, Lanna, for a great virtual birthday cake and a hilarious opera sock video to go with it!

Thank you, Ellen B, for this incredible recording of Diana Damrau/Xavier de Maistre performing Schubert's Standchen (Serenade). Of all the German Lieder, this is my favorite one - hands down! Click here and listen together with us!

A very special gratitude goes to Stella and her 6-year-old daughter Laura for designing this card for us!

Thank you, ladies, it is precious and truly special!

 

And of course, thanks to David for a fab Wagner ride -Troy asked to watch it 3 times in a row already!(click here)

 

and to Jeff for Placido Domingo's eternal Lohengrin  - thank you!

 

Thank you so much, Harry, for the Kraus/McDaniel duet from the Pearl Fishers (and for remembering that Alfredo Kraus has always been one of my favorite opera artists).

 

Finally, thank you very much, Olivia, for the wonderful clip of Rolando Villazon singing my beloved Ombra mai fu by Handel

and to Katya for the amazing clip of Dmitri Hvorostovsky performing the same piece in Cardiff back in 1989 (love that clip - always makes me so very proud!)

 

From the bottom of our hearts

THANK YOU!

 

Getting Ready for the Big 5

One spring day a woman found herself standing in the middle of a sunlit forest opening, when she suddenly heard a sublime melody. First, she did not know where the music was coming from, but having looked around she realized that it had been coming from a big oak tree. As she approached the oak tree, she saw a beautiful mandolin made of richly carved antique silver laying among the branches. As if touched by someone's unseen hands, the strings of the mandolin were playing the music on their own.
Upon awakening (for by now you must have all figured out that this vision was nothing but a dream), the woman went up to her computer and wrote this, naming her blog Mandolin Vision in honor of the music that lives within us no matter whether we are asleep or awake, dreaming or living the dream.

This week, on April 24th, Mandolin Vision is celebrating its 5^th anniversary and is proud to say that these five years have been wonderful and most rewarding!
The most thrilling thing about blogging is that it’s a two-way street. It has been a thrill to share my insights with you all, yet it has been even more wonderful to hear back from you, and discover opinions that differed from my own as well as those similar to mine.

Mandolin Vision thanks its readers for their interest in our blog and for sharing our passion for music! We hope that the next 5 years will be even more exciting and will take us to new, still undiscovered heights.
That said, you are all invited to our Virtual 5^th Anniversary Party!
Here is what you have to do to participate in this 1st-time-ever fun:
1. Prepare a gift for Mandolin Vision. (The best gift is a link to your favorite music clip. The music certainly may, but does not have to be classical. Just remember, it has to be your favorite clip!)
2. Post this link in the comment section of this entry.
3. We'll be happy to receive other virtual gifts too! You can e-mail us festive images/pics at raisamassuda@yahoo.com
4. On April 24^th, we will celebrate our anniversary and "open" the gifts that we received (just like at a real birthday party) by sharing them with the world.

5. Thus, without further delay, Mandolin Vision fans – it's your game now!

Cheers!

In Recital: Diana Damrau

This season has been the season of many things, but most importantly, for me as a reviewer, it’s been the season of solo recitals (out of the 8 recitals I have reviewed for Bachtrack since the end of 2010, 6 took place this season).

It has also been the season of art song. I believe singing non-catchy music with foreign lyrics is coming into fashion or something, since 4 of those 6 recitals featured European art songs.

And of course, most definitely, it’s been the season of stars, for just in 2012-13 I got to see Nathan Gunn, Angela Meade, Joyce DiDonato, Magdalena Kozena and Dmitri Hvorostovsky in concert. Jealous yet? Whether you answered yes or no, you haven't heard anything yet!

Because this constellation would have never been perfect had I not crowned it with an evening that I am not soon to forget– a solo recital by Diana Damrau, who, just like Angela Meade, Magdalena Kozena and Dmitri Hvorostovsky, presented a program of European art songs to her loving DC fans!

Of course, my Bachtrack review covered most of the things I wanted to say about this wonderful artist (you can read it here, just click on the top review). Yet, both during and after the concert I made some personal observations and saved them for you, my wonderful readers.

• I have no idea how opera singers get to sing with bad colds. (When I have a cold, I lose my voice completely and cancel all my classes). But, inspite of her bad cold, Diana sang in the most beautiful and sheer voice, and (even with a lozenge in her mouth) still made it sound quite effortless.

• Some opera fans tend to associate the artist with the character he/she sings. Never do this to Diana Damrau, dear readers! True, she has a sunny personality and a great sense of humor, but(!!!) - she is a lot more complex and solid than all her chirpy coloratura characters put together!

• In Diana's case, the word "recital" does not happen to be the synonym of the word "fashion parade". For her recital she only wore one dress; a sea green full length flowing gown and no fancy jewelry to show off!

  

  Curtain call with harpist Xavier de Maistre

• Having gone through both her recent Met gigs as brown-haired Gilda and Violetta, Diana is now back to her blond self.
• Even though the house was quite packed, I was surprised there were hardly any reviews of the event in the media. Nothing from Anne Midgette. Nothing from Tim Smith?! So if you want to hear all about that concert, do read the one by yours truly.

Sadly, this was the concluding concert of the WNO's Celebrity Series, with no celebrity recitals scheduled for the next season. There will be a Renee-Fleming-chaperoned project, but that is a different story. I just hope that this change is temporary and that after a year-long break, Celebrity Series will return to us in full bloom.

Julyo's April Serenade

On Mandolin Vision there are no two similar days. Sometimes I find fascinating musicians and bring them to this blog, and sometimes fascinating musicians find me.

Last week I received a letter from a terrific Italian composer and musician Julyo (Giulio D'Agostino), who sent me a beautiful clip with his composition, called April Serenade that masterfully performed on a McBride electric F mandolin, (these mandolins are made only in Dublin, Ireland, where Julyo currently lives).
This composition was played with a RC20 Roland loop station, Marshall stereo echo pedal and Fender twin reverb amps.

Thus, without further delay, here is Julyo with his fantastic composition April Serenade.

Enjoy and Happy April!

[Music by Giulio D'Agostino, (BMI)]

A Blogger Award

About a month ago (for that’s about how long it takes me these days to catch up on the musical happenings in my life), after almost 5 years of passionate music blogging, I became a proud recipient of this amazing Blogger Award

bestowed on me by my Bachtrack colleague, friend and teacher in many ways, brilliant writer Gale Martin.

As a new award recipient, proud and honored as I am, I am not expected to produce an acceptance speech [sad sigh].
However, I am expected to surprise my readers by telling them 7 non-operatic things that they do not know about me.

Thus, without further ado, off you go to getting to know me a tad better:

1. In my early 20s I won an award for the best poetic Russian translation of Edgar Alan Poe’s incredible poem,“The Raven”.
   
2. As a child, I dreamed of becoming a gemologist and am still quite passionate about gems and minerals.
3. I love Elvis! 
   
4. Back in Russia, I used to be an ardent mushroom hunter.
   
5. I am very passionate about everything-Ancient-Greek, including art, mythology and philosophy, distinguishing Plato among my special favorites.
6. My favorite flowers are gladioli.
   
7. I make the best home fries ever (according to my 4-year-old anyway).

And now, my friends, it is my honor to confer this award on these 6 fantastic bloggers, whose vision of music, literature and life in general truly makes a difference in my world.
 

Thus, the new recepients of the Blogger Award are:
 

1. Carlos with his wonderful and very informative blog Anna Netrebko

2. John with his incredible operaramblings

3. Christie with her smart and funny Tiny Doom's Opernpalais

4. Opera Teen with his fantastic blog Opera Teen

5. David with his insightful Taminophile

6. Jordan with her very inspiring Pamina's Opera House
 

Now, dear award recepients, upon receiving your award, here are the things that you have do:

• Display the award logo (see above) in your post.
• Link back to the blogger who nominated you.
• Share 7 exciting things that we, your readers, might not know about you (yet!)
• Pass the award along by nominating up to 15 bloggers and linking to one of their specific posts.
• Notify each of the awarded bloggers of the nomination by sending them an e-mail or a tweet, just like I notified you by sending you a notice on Twitter.
• Enjoy your award and congrats! You, guys, are terrific!

In Recital: Dmitri Hvorostovsky. One of a Kind

This past week has seen me busy and running in multiple directions, but in spite of my schedule, I was still able to find time to attend a solo recital of Dmitri Hvorostovsky at the Kennedy Center. Until 3 years ago I used to be under the impression that due to a bunch of different coincidences, I was never able to attend his concerts. However, exactly 3 years ago, something must have changed in the course of my fate, and I went straight from never seeing Dmitri Hvorostovsky in concert to seeing him whenever a chance came up.

Last Wednesday was my second time to see him live and I found it almost more exciting than 3 years ago.

I have to say that at this point, at age 50, Dmitri is in perfect vocal shape, in fact, much better shape than he was 3 years ago, when he shared the Kennedy Center stage with Sondra Radvanovsky. Back then, as an inevitable consequence of dedicating too much of his time to the non-operatic (and probably vocally damaging) project with Igor Krutoj, his voice sounded rough and somewhat muted. The transitions to the high register were painful and the legendary breath control was at a risk of losing its legendary title. (Don't take me wrong - I loved that recital anyway, if for nothing else then for that precious inspiration that Dmitri has always filled his singing with. I mean it - always. No matter what.)
However, to my greatest joy, on Wednesday night Dmitri's voice sounded warm and fluid, especially rich in the low register, boasting a few notes that any bass could envy. His breath control was impeccable and his legato line was naturally smooth. It felt as if having tossed the Toi et Moi scales off, his voice was completely re-born and gleamed in every shade of its tonal spectrum.
And even though at his every attempt to sing in the high register, his voice did sound a little too strained and his tone - a little too dull, overall, Dmitri's performance was great.
His stage presence was great as well. Looking really skinny and fit in his black tux with sparkly lining and a diamond bling on his finger (those two being his major image spoilers, if you ask me), Dmitri exuberated charisma and confidence.
As for the "image spoilers", even though I am of a firm opinion that Hvorostovsky does not need sparkles and blings to shine, just like everybody else, he is entitled to wear them if he feels like it, and as long as he sings well, the rest is his personal business.

Marching off the stage after 3 encores

Hvorostovsky, my friends, is not just another baritone with a beautiful voice. When you listen to his voice, you realize that you are dealing with a lot more than well sung music. In a way, Hvorostovsky represents the rich intellectual heritage of the Russian nation and, if you will, the mysterious depth of the Russian Soul.

Accepting flowers from a fan. (Right: Ivari Ilja)

And personally, I am never more proud to be Russian than when I listen to this artist without translation, marveling at his special way to treat music, the way that truly makes him one of a kind!

(My official review of the recital can be found on www.bachtrack.com under Concerts in the Reviews section).

P.S. Don't forget - Hvorostovsky is performing the same program in Carnegie Hall tomorrow night! Cheers!

Miracles: Turn the World Around

A little musical miracle that you, my friends, will hopefully enjoy is Troy's favorite song of the moment. It is a song by the very insiring Harry Belafonte, Turn the World Around. Troy was introduced to it during his music class several weeks ago and has been a huge fan ever since, particularly favoring the "a ba tee wah ha" portion of it.
At home we sing it and play it on shakers and tam-tams, just like they do in this wonderful video, and if you all feel like having a good time tonight, join us!
Here are the lyrics for your convenience. Cheers and enjoy!

We come from the fire
Livin' in the fire
Go back to the fire
Turn the world around

We come from the water
Livin' in the water
Go back to the water
Turn the world around

We come from the mountain
Livin' on the mountain
Go back to the mountain
Turn the world around

Oh, oh so is life
Oh, oh so is life
Oh, oh so is life
Oh, oh so is life

Do you know who I am
Do I know who you are
See we one another clearly
Do we know who we are

Oh, oh so is life
A ba tee wah ha so is life
Oh, oh so is life
A ba tee wah ha so is life

Water make the river
River wash the mountain
Fire make the sunlight
Turn the world around

Heart is of the river
Body is the mountain
Spirit is the sunlight
Turn the world around

We are of the spirit
Truly of the spirit
Only can the spirit
Turn the world around

We are of the spirit
Truly of the spirit
Only can the spirit
Turn the world around

Do you know who I am
Do I know who you are
See we one another clearly
Do we know who we are

Oh, oh so is life
A ba tee wah ha so is life
Oh, oh so is life
A ba tee wah ha so is life

A Cello Class and the Ode to Joy

If you have been a regular reader of this blog, it shouldn’t come as any surprise to you that Troy has been the biggest fan of the cello for about 2 years at the very least and can’t wait to start his cello classes. Looking back at the past years, I believe it all started on this day, back in 2010,


BMA. December 2010. Troy "plays" the cello.

when Troy saw Gaugin's Cellist for the first time in his life and fell in love with the instrument.
So about two weeks ago, on a lovely Saturday morning, Troy and I attended a Cello Fun class in the Peabody Preparatory. Cello Fun is a competitive cello instruction program for 4-year-olds. Each semester only 4 students are admitted to the program, where they learn the basics of cello playing in a lovely non-threatening environment of the classroom..

As we were going up to the 4^th floor in the elevator , I told Troy that not everyone will get into the program to which Troy replied: “ Mama, but what do I need to do to get into the cello class?” “Well, sweetheart, I believe you have to do your best and show your love of music” I said.

Upon our arrival in the classroom, the cello teacher welcomed us and showed us our seats from which we would be comfortable to observe the class. The students seemed to be quite at ease with their tiny instruments that looked like slightly bigger violins and their bows that looked like slightly longer and thicker pencils. The students played both with their fingers and their bows and seemed very much into the whole process. They also sang, clapped, demonstrated some knowledge of the essential theory and even took real grown-up cellist bows. In short, this class was interactive and fun, but by no means it was a game.[ It was an impressively engaging and very age-appropriate instruction.

After the class we came up to the teacher to thank her for letting us observe the class. As she gave Troy a warm hug, she asked if he had any questions for her, to which, quite unexpectedly, Troy replied: “I have a very important question. Can I sing the Ode to Joy for you?” Both the teacher and I were very surprised. All right, I knew that Troy has been a big fan of this fantastic Beethoven's piece and asked me many times to take him to listen to it “in the theater”. But to sing it?!! Apparently, Troy decided to sing this piece to impress the teacher and look like the best student ever to her.

The teacher said that she would be very happy to hear it and Troy hummed the tune pretty well. After the teacher praised him, Troy replied with one of his “yeah, but’s”:. Yeah, but, I want to play “the Ode to Joy” on the cello!” he said, to which the teacher replied: “Good idea.  If you learn how to play the cello, you will!”

A couple of days later I received an e-mail from the cello teacher, in which she praised Troy and wrote that she couldn’t wait to have Troy among her students. And this was how Troy self-auditioned for the cello class. Now I guess it is the matter of being at the registration desk as soon as the Fall semester enrollment is open to register Troy for the class.

On this happy note the cello part of this post is over, but the Ode to Joy one isn’t because that afternoon Chizuk Amuno Congregation opened its doors for the public who had come to celebrate the 25^th anniversary of the Bach Concert Series, with a program of choral works that happened to feature Beethoven’s 9^th 
The concert was a sell-out and I couldn’t be happier to see quite a few kids in the audience, all waiting to hear the Ode to Joy and asking their parents when it will start. It was funny that when Troy heard the familiar melody played just by the orchestra in the Presto section directly preceding the choral one, he got all worried and asked: “ Mama, why are they not singing it? Why are they only playing it?”

And then it finally came! With the 3 choirs put together (one onstage and the other two on the balconies) and the full orchestra, it sounded grandiose and majestic. All through the piece Troy felt on top of the world, as he stood there next to his seat

Singing along the Ode to Joy

and quietly hummed along with the choristers, smiling from ear to ear.

As we were heading home, Troy asked: “Mama, can you please buy a CD with the Ode to Joy for me. I want to listen to it all the time!

Needless to say, I said yes and got him one of the best Ode to Joy CDs known to man, featuring Herbert Karajan on the podium and his dynamite team, including Agnes Baltsa and Jose van Dam.

Of course, Troy has been listening to it every time he has a chance to and asks to go see the Ode to Joy "in the theater" again.

Nordic Cool Meets Italian Steam

Last week I arrived at the Kennedy Center for the opening night of Manon Lescaut early enough to have my traditional pre-performance dinner and on my way to the KC Terrace Cafe found myself in the middle of Nordic Cool, a breathtaking exhibit of Scandinavian arts, crafts, furniture, toys, dishes, recipes and pretty much everything else stretching through the whole Terrace Level.

A bird made entirely out of shirts

But of course you know me.

As much as I liked birds made out of shirts, log cabins surrounded by birch trees and red chairs flying in the air, my heart sang at the sight of the Nordic Cool fashions (cool being the operative word here).

Here comes the bride, indeed.
Does not get more Wagner-like than this, does it?

As for Pucini's opera downstairs, things were steamy there with everyone but Patricia Racette, whose acting as Manon was cooler than the Nordic mannequins above.

Patricia Racette and Kamen Chanev ( photo coutesy of the WNO)

Since she only debuted in the role that night, it is likely that she is still trying to find herself in it, and hopefully, with a successful Puccinian background that she has, she will find the right amount of passion and despair to add to her acting as Manon. So far, however, her sufferings did not sound that convincing and left me with a "One gets what one deserves" feeling.
As for the rest of the gang, Giogrio Caoduro and Kamen Chanev made the show a real must-see. While Caoduro (Lescaut) had all the flair and cynicism you ever hope to see in a Puccinian baddie, Chanev ( Des Grieux) came up with so much beautiful vocalism and such genuine acting that it would be safe to say that he outsang and outacted everyone else onstage. I was on the verge of crying more than once, and that to me is a good sign, because, if sung right, that is what Puccini's music is supposed to do to you.
And the rest, my friends, can be found in my review on www.bachtrack.com under Opera in the Reviews Section.
So whether you are in the mood for some Puccinian steam or some Nordic cool, stop by at the Kennedy Center for one, or the other, or better yet, end up seeing both. You will not regret it! Nordic Cool is open through March 17th and Manon Lescaut through March 23rd.
Cheers!

Opening the Treasure Chest

In the life of every American opera lover (who lives within a sensible distance from New York) there is a day that brings almost as much thrill and excitement as Christmas Day. It is the day when the Metropolitan Opera announces its new season.
Imagine that on Christmas morning you are running up to the tree to find a large treasure chest filled with all sorts of gifts. You are welcome to as many of them as you want and don't have to feel bad about leaving someone without a gift because you've picked up too much. Everyone gets what they want!

Every time the Met announces its new season I feel like that little girl opening the treasure chest. Of course, sadly, I have to make some extra money to pay for those great gifts, but hey - the opportunity to see your favorite opera with your favorite artists is a gift on its own. As for covering the ticket cost, what can I say - you gotta do what you gotta do.
Great holidays with their gifts and excitement come and go quite quickly, but the celebration of the Met's new season lingers for quite some time.
First, there is a long and exciting wait for the day that I call Black Sunday (when anyone who does not have the privilege of being a Met subscriber can get the tickets of his/her dreams). Then there is another long wait for your Met day, the anticipation of which is almost as huge and thrilling as the enjoyment of the performance itself.
Those long waits are anything but boring, because once the decision of what you want /can afford to see is made, the real fun begins. It is during those months that you get to plan your New York visit up to the tiniest detail, buy that incredible one and only outfit that makes you look particularly irresistible, match it with bold accessories that you've been always dreaming to wear but never dared to, lose those five pounds that stand between you and your-picture-perfect-Met-trip-self, tweet and blog about all of the above, buy yet another "Plan B" outfit and the accessories to match it, feel bad to have spent so much money on clothes, return it and contemplate on what other opera you are going to see (now that you have gotten some "spare" bucks in your pocket!)
So, three nights ago, after months of waiting, dreaming and hoping, the Metropolitan Opera's treasure chest was finally opened. And it did not disappoint!
Some of the 2013-14 season's finest offerings include Prince Igor


Couldn't find a "word-less" image - sorry, all...

with Ildar Abdrazakov in the title role,
Eugene Onegin

with Anna Netrebko and Piotr Beczala/Rolando Vilazon, Rusalka with Renee Fleming and Piotr Beczala, Die Fledermaus with Susanna Phillips, Werther with Jonas Kaufmann and Elina Garanca, Die Zauberflote with Nathan Gunn and Eric Owens, Der Rosenkavalier with Elina Garanca, Tosca with Sandra Radvanovsky, Rigoletto with Dmitri Hvorostovsky and La Sonnambula with Diana Damrau.

But of course, no opera production in the coming season has more significance for Troy and I than Rossini's La Cenerentola that will star our dream team: Juan Diego Florez, Joyce DiDonato, Luca Pisaroni and Alessandro Corbelli. Not only does Troy know and love almost every number from this wonderful opera fairy-tale, not only do we play the Cinderella paper theater at home,
not only does Troy cherish this booklet personalized for him by Joyce a couple of years ago,

 but also almost since the very day when Troy discovered this DVD

 (at 1 year and 10 months old) he has been saying that he wants to see Mr. Juan Diego and Ms. Joyce in Cinderella in the "Metropolitan" and asking me when we could go. And so, (how much luckier can we get?), Troy's prayers have been heard!
No idea yet, what day we will pick - but then again we got the luxury of all the time in the world to figure out what will work best.

On another note, I am dying to see Prince Igor! Not only would it be my first time to see this opera in its entirety, but also one can only imagine how beautifully Ildar will sing this aria.
He is such a good fit for the role both musically and dramatically,  just like Joyce is for Angelina and Juan Diego is for Prince Ramiro.

No idea yet how I will be able to afford to go to both performances, unless I get myself a well-paid translation job, like I did in the past years, or save on Prince Igor and get the cheapest seat there is unless things change (this certainly gives hope that they might).

As for La Cenerentola, brace yourself, Metropolitan Opera, and get ready - we are on our way!
On this bravura note, Happy New Met Season to all!

And, as always, do not forget to share what your Met plans look like!

Magdalena Kozena: the Anti-Diva Winner

Why are you watching The Academy Awards tonight?
How about you, yes, YOU, the one sitting on the couch?
As for myself, in the case of the Academy Awards, I am not original. Just like many others, I watch it not only for the movies but also - for the dresses!
Just like at an opera gala (or opera recital), it is exciting to take guesses about what dress this diva is going to wear or what color that diva will pick this time. As for shoes and hair styles... let's not even go there - I could dwell about those anytime, except tonight.
Because tonight I am dedicating this post to the nemesis of opera fashionistas, an artist with a bold and different image ideology who, due to her little attention to glamour in general, has by right earned the reputation of "the anti-diva". I am not going to keep you wondering much longer, my friends. The artist this post is about is Magdalena Kozena.

My musical acquaintance with this consummate artist began back in 2009, when I unexpectedly discovered the beauty and power of her voice through my very first ever video recording of Orphee et Eurydice.
If you click on the link above, you will read all about how impressed I was with this artist back then, so it should come as no surprise that it had been my goal to see Kozena live ever since, and last Sunday it finally happened. As always, you can find my review in the Review Section under "Concerts" on www.bachtrack.com, and as always, it pretty much says it all. Yet, in addition to what has been written, I do want to say that Kozena's voice sounded quite as haunting and outwordly as in her portrayal of the grief-stricken Orphee,  and looks-wise she was just as pretty and casual as rumor has it. Her long auburn hair (a little image change that she seems to have settled for after her recent Carmen in Berlin that she sang opposite Jonas Kaufmann) was pinned up on the back with just one simple barrette and her long black dress with a huge purple flower on it looked tasteful, pretty and not unaffordable.
I was happy and proud to watch this artist win her audience over sans glitter, sans the glamour we are all used to - just with her incredible voice and acting, and to see yet again that appealing as beautiful gowns may be, it is still always the talent that counts first.

Anti-diva taking bows

In a better world, for an Opera Annual Awards Night, I would specially create the Anti-Diva category, and give the award to Magdalena Kozena every single year for her bold stage image vision. But until that happens (what are the chances of that?), I'll just say it: she is my winner!

Pick an Opera Date!

In the spirit of Valentine's Day, Mandolin Vision is inviting you all to paticipate in our Opera Date survey!
 If you could take any opera character out on a date tonight, who would you pick?

The survey is located on the margin to your right and offers the names of 12 opera guys and 12 opera gals to choose from. And - if you are not sure, you can pick several names too!
The survey will be open until Saturday.
Let's see together who the most popular opera date is!
Happy Valentine's Day!

Opera Trips: Discovering Maria Stuarda

“Raisa, you changed my life!" was the first thing my student Ms. Bea, 88, told me when she saw me the morning after our Maria Stuarda in HD trip. "I've lived 88 years and haven’t realized until last night how much I love opera!”

 

Only the night before, still on high from the fusion of emotion and adrenaline of the show, I was contemplating on the effective opening line for this post. And just like it oftentimes happens, before I could find that one and only line, it found me.

So now that Ms. Bea's high praise of my teaching efforts, hopefully, bribed at least some of you into bearing with me until the end of this post, please follow me to the very beginning of our 2-day Maria Stuarda journey!

The journey began last Tuesday afternoon, when I walked into a packed room to find 53 senior students waiting for my Donizetti/Maria Stuarda seminar. Even though I have reasons to believe that at this point of my career I can be called an experienced teacher, I confess it was the first time I had to stand in front of (and teach!) an audience of that size!
Luckily, I got inspired by the fact that even though, unfortunately, many students in that room missed the registration deadline hence weren’t coming to the show with us, they were still there to listen to what I had to say about Donizetti and his Maria Stuarda!  They were there to learn from me!That was a good kick for my confidence - just what the doctor ordered.

Fortunately, we, teachers, get easily inspired. A spark of interest in a student’s eyes, a sharp question, a smart comment, and we are ready to roll. And once we utter the first word, the size of the audience no longer matters. If we can get one student interested, how far off can we be from one hundred?

And so, after a quick Mary Stuart’s“In manus tuas, Domine, commendo spiritum meum” that I silently pronounced, I soldiered right on through my seminar.

One of the biggest challenges of presenting to a senior audience is that due to their older age, (the average age range of my students is 75-96) senior students get tired quickly. Thus, you have to make smart choices of what to focus on vs what to skip or leave for self-study.

With that in mind, having touched upon the milestones of Donizetti’s biography, we moved to a brief overlook of Elizabeth I and Mary Stuart's personalities, and of course, the nature of their “long-distance relationship”. Briefly, in just a few sentences, I explained the plot of the opera, addressing the final minutes of Mary’s life in more detail through a description that I had compiled using various historical sources.
That was when and why one of my students suggested that we should all wear red to the show to honor Mary Stuart, as well as the misery of her life and death. Needless to say, this suggestion was taken with a lot of excitement! After all, red is an opera color, is it not?

After a short break, during which we looked at the production images, Elizabeth and Mary’s portraits, photos of costume sketches and set models, it was time for a very special part of the seminar, Joyce DiDonato’s deep and beautiful article about her role, called Realizing Mary. With Joyce’s permission (thank you again, Joyce, just in case you are reading this), I was able to print out the article and give a copy of it to each of my students.
Then the unusual happened. Trying not to exhaust my students with too much information, I suggested that I read a few excerpts out loud and that they finish the article at home, at their convenience. However, against all laws of nature, with 45 minutes of the seminar already behind them, my students weren't tired at all and claimed they were ready for the whole article right there and then. The law of music has to be stronger than the law of nature, since the latter backs off in front of the former!

If you are familiar with Joyce’s blog, you know how well and deeply she writes. However, for the majority of my students it was a true revelation.  After I finished reading the article, many students said that they felt as if they had personally met Joyce, as if they had known her for a long time, and that reading her article was more helpful than studying the synopsis of the opera.

Indeed they were right. Nothing could come close to this artist's beautiful insights on her role.
 

And then came the time that I always enjoy most at my seminars: the Q&A time, a spontaneous intellectual roller coaster! My students wanted to know everything about the opera’s creation and every historical detail of and reason for the two queens’ confrontation.
I loved it! The adrenaline level of that hour was unbelievable!
 

Sleepy yet? If you are, make yourselves a good espresso, my friends, because the best part of this post starts right here.
 

Next day, thanks to the unmatched punctuality of our beloved bus driver Jerry, we arrived at the theater at exactly 6:00 p.m., all dressed up and looking like a bunch of divas on the red carpet! (In fact, the carpet wasn't that red - but our outfits certainly were!)
 

And so, with the exception of a little sound problem at the very beginning of the show (John, now I know exactly what you meant) the show went without a hitch.



Joyce DiDonato as Maria Stuarda

Would I surprise anyone by saying that Joyce’s singing  was sublime from the first note to the last and that her acting was emotionally complex and disarmingly genuine? Hardly.
I know you all expected to read something like that.  I don't think that it will come as a surprise that I found Elza van der Heever to be absolutely fantastic as Maria’s nemesis, Elizabeth I. However, it might surprise you (just a little) that I didn't care much for Mr. Polenzani's performance. Indeed, his singing was fine, but sadly, it lacked the weight and texture that could have made it truly attractive.


Elza van den Heever as Elisabetta

Listening to his voice resembled eating sugar powder - all sweetness with no particular flavor. But, considering the dubious nature of his character, he wasn’t a bad fit for the role at all!
 

I will not dwell much further on my own impressions of the production for the only reason that this opera trip was not about me! It was about my wonderful students, what they saw in the show, what they paid attention to and what they learned from it. So, I’ll let them speak instead by posting a colorful kaleidoscope of thought and feeling  that they kindly shared with me during the intermission and after the show.
 

“Joyce has so much light in her. She wears a black dress, but she sure does shine! (Ms. Lucy, 79)

“Joyce sings with a heart and her voice pierces your heart! I started crying when she was saying good-bye to her servants!” (Ms. Sonia, 84)

“I liked Elza’s voice so much. It’s beautiful and very strong. And that layered pearl necklace… I’ll take it!” (Ms. Virginia, 86)

“I can’t believe that Elza shaved her head for this production. That is some commitment to the role!” (Ms. Ethel, 70)

“I knew that tenor wasn’t into either of the gals the moment I saw him. He just wanted money and power. When he said that in the intermission, I said Bingo!” (Ms. Norma, 78)

“ I never saw anything like that in my whole life – I felt like I was sitting in the middle of the opera!(Ms. Betty, 82)

“Beautiful costumes – ah, I wish we could wear dresses like that now!”( Ms. Mary, 73)

“Raisa, you got me interested in opera! I want to go to all the opera transmissions now!” (Ms. Beatrice, 85)

“Remember how that choir was singing at the end? I was so moved by it. I’ll buy the CD of this opera just for the sake of that choir!”( Ms. Catherine, 82)

“This was such a treat! Such beautiful voices! Such music! I'll never forget it!” (Ms. Mitsy, 94)

“When I was young and lived in New York, my husband and I used to go to the Metropolitan Opera every once in a while. This show made me feel young again!” ( Ms. Bea, 88)
 

 (all to the driver) “Jerry, you should have come with us – you missed so much. Next time we are not letting you  pass on the show - you are coming with us, Jerry!”
 

I have to admit that Ms. Bea's words have been the best reward I have so far gotten in my teaching career. A contribution of a teacher is relatively small: we don't save lives or cure diseases. Yet, there is hardly anything more rewarding for a teacher than knowing that we are making a difference and that small as it is, our contribution is appreciated.
During the show I suddenly thought about how confident and relaxed I was among these wonderful people, who over the years of learning and exploring music in my class, have become not only my friends, but also my accomplices. In class we may pay attention to different things and may have different opinions on almost everything. During our seminars we disagree and even argue (in a good , respectful way, of course)! Yet, no matter how different our viewpoints may be, in the big sense of the word, we are one. We are the people who discovered the beauty of opera, people who understand one another without words when it comes to music!

And that, my friends, is a pretty incredible feeling!

Say "red" for Maria Stuarda

(All the photos are courtesy of yours truly. The first two were taken during the show with a cell phone, sans flash.)

Miracles: Bravi Ravens!

With all due respect to Baltimore Ravens and their fans, being a relatively new American justifies the fact that American football is still an acquired taste for me. However, after the Ravens' glorious Super Bowl  victory last night, it is my honor to fulfill my readers' wishes and post the pictures of

Torrey Smith

and 


Courtney Upshaw

as today's miracles.
Both pictures were taken on December 3rd, 2012, when I ran into these guys in a shopping mall.
Seeing them so close was a true miracle for most people around me. People just stood there, smiling from ear to ear, admiring their heroes. The bravest ones would step forward and shake hands with them. And even though I couldn't quite share in their joy, I took pictures of the two Ravens anyway, just in case.
Yet, today it is my pleasure to say that I am proud to live in Baltimore, the city of Edgar Alan Poe and the best football team named after his great poem, the Raven.

Miracles: Snow

About a month ago I mentioned that Mandolin Vision was about to launch a new blog project called Miracles, a project solely based on this blogger's desire to share more things with her wonderful readers on the one hand, and the lack of time to do more full-fledged posts than she already does on the other.
Miracles is based on the belief that life is full of miracles that may come and go unnoticed just because oftentimes we are way too busy to stop and look around. On this blog we will try to capture beautiful things that fascinate us and share them with you all. And of course, if any of you would like to become our guest blogger and share your miracles with us, we will be delighted to post your images on this blog. (Just shoot us an e-mail!)
Thus, without further ado, our first Miracles post is called "Snow". All the shots were taken in a park, minutes away from our home earlier this afternoon.


Just like cotton

Simple beauty

In the spirit of Claude Monet

Serene beauty



Majestic solitude



Stopping by woods on a snowy... day

 

Enjoy and let us know what you think!