Review by: Beatrice Williams-Rude

In keeping with the current trend of Broadway-Metropolitan Opera crossovers, it seemed a good time to revisit Bartlett Sher’s production of “Les Contes d’Hoffmann” (“The Tales of Hoffmann”), which was broadcast live from the Met on Saturday. Sher, a Tony-award winning theater director, also did Met productions of “The Barber of Seville” and “Le Comte Ory,” both of which were charming.

The opera is a recounting of the bizarre loves of the poet Hoffmann, a perennial adolescent whose addiction to alcohol exceeds all other feelings even when he lands in the gutter. This is the story of a man, not unlike Poe’s “William Wilson,” who is his own worst enemy. Hoffman hangs out in Luther’s Tavern, a students’ venue. His companion, Nicklausse, is actually his Muse disguised as a student, as she tries to save him from himself.

Hoffmann is killing time as he waits for his current love, the diva Stella, who is performing in an Mozart opera. The students press him to tell them about his romantic life.

The first is Olympia, a beautiful mechanical doll, delightfully performed by Erin Morley, who brought the house down. The production, however, was a problem. Everything in the text points to Olympia’s being unique, the invention of Spalanzani and Coppelius. However, the stage is littered with Olympia look-alikes which violates the story line and serves to confuse the audience. Sometimes it’s difficult to find the principal Olympia.

The Munich and Venice acts present a choice. Sometimes one is the second act sometimes the other. There is justification for both. Musically the Venice scene is much more grandiose, culminating in the magnificent septet, which would make it a logical third act. Dramatically it shows Hoffmann’s descent: he kills a man. However, the argument for the Munich scene providing the climax is that Antonia is real — an actual love. Giulietta, in the Venice scene, is a courtesan, whose love is for diamonds.

The production presents problems in both acts. The Munich scene is supposed to be intimate — Crespel and his daughter Antonio are hiding. It’s ridiculous when Crespel tells his servant to keep the door locked. What door? The setting is huge and barren without any of the properties of a home. Antonia was beautifully sung by Hibla Gerzmava, who also played Stella, a nice touch given both characters are singers.

Critical to the plot is Antonia’s dead mother whose portrait sings, urging Antonia to sing, which for health reasons she shouldn’t. There was no portrait. The mother, appealingly sung by Olesya Petrova but at too rapid a pace, was performing mostly hidden in the dark, then emerging into the light at the end.
The man sitting in front of me was so appalled he didn’t return for the third act. Two others in the same row were denouncing this production and comparing it to the abhorrent new Willy Decker production of “ La Traviata,” which replaced a beautiful and much loved Zeffirelli production, even as this “Hoffmann” replaced a nigh on perfect Otto Schenk production. The new “Traviata” managed to be as ugly as it was stupid, re-set in the 20th century.

As stark as the Hoffmann Munich scene was, the Venice scene matched it at the other extreme: it was so cluttered one couldn’t follow the principals. Traditionally the act opens with Nicklausse and Giulietta in a distant gondola singing “Belle Nuit” with increasing volume as gondola gets nearer. Not in this production. No gondola — not a hint of water –and the stage so crowded they had to step forward to be seen.

Vittorio Grigolo was an excellent Hoffmann, singing beautifully except on what should have been the boffo bring-the-house-down high notes on which his voice lost focus and became breathy. Breathiness was also an occasional problem of an otherwise lovely Nicklausse performed by Kate Lindsey.

Thomas Hampson was excellent as all four villains, Lindorf, Coppelius, Dr. Miracle and Dapertutto. Tony Stevenson was a standout in multiple roles: Frantz, Pitichinaccio, Andres and Cochenille. David Pittsinger was fine as Luther and Crespel. The conductor, Yves Abel, was mostly on target, although his tempi could be challenged. There was one devastating moment, during the septet, when there was a disconnect between the army of singers and the orchestra.

Applause was mostly tepid. “The Tales of Hoffman,” Jacques Offenbach’s masterpiece, is one of those glorious operas that stays with people. The music keeps replaying in one’s head long after one has left the opera house.

Thomas Hampson as Dapertutto and Christine Rice as Giuletta in Offenbach’s “Les Contes d’Hoffmann.” Photo credit: Marty Sohl/Metropolitan Opera

Vittorio Grigolo in the title role of Offenbach’s “Les Contes d’Hoffmann.” Photo credit: Marty Sohl/Metropolitan Opera

The post “Les Contes d’Hoffman”: Tales of a Production appeared first on Broadway After Dark.

Review by: Nitya Thomas

New Encompass Theatre’s production of ‘A Wake or a Wedding” is charming, entertaining and funny. What starts off a bit slowly turns steadily into an amusing comedy with several completely unexpected and mad plot turns – true to the style of comic opera. Under Nancy Rhodes direction, the cast had the audience well entertained throughout with splendid acting and strong singing despite a relatively dead space that did not do much for voices. The singers were accompanied by a chamber orchestra conducted by Mara Waldman, which unfortunately sometimes outplayed the voices in the small space.

New Encompass Theatre, founded by Nancy Rhodes in 1975, is dedicated to fostering American and international modernist opera. Their latest production by Richard Pearson Thomas (both composer and librettist) is a story set in Montana, of the family and household of a copper king who has just passed on, on the eve of his daughter’s wedding. This leaves his family and household in a state of turmoil and chaos, which only deepens with the arrival of an opera diva and her cohort, who have been hired to sing at the wedding. Despite being “modern” music, Pearson’ score is relatively accessible and lyrical. Most importantly for an English opera, the score allowed the singers to effectively communicate the story. To their credit, the singers did a fine job with the diction and communication through acting.

Joy Hermalyn was a treat to watch – her strong comedic acting as the aging and loud opera diva, took the performance to a whole new level. Alison Davy did a beautiful job playing the wistful wife Deirdre. The three young sopranos Lindsay Rider, Marie Anello and Caroline Miller all gave solid performances – Lindsay Rider as Miss O’Dell was particularly exciting to watch with strong acting and a beautifully warm and even tone through the different registers. Of the male voices, Jack Highstraw was particularly memorable.

All in all, an enjoyable experience and wonderful effort by a talented group of performers. Hats off to Nancy Rhodes for preserving and keeping the space of Chamber Opera alive in today’s world.

Nitya Thomas, an accomplished professional singer herself, is an occasional guest reviewer for Broadwayafterdark.org. She can be contacted at nitz00@gmail.com

The post A Charming evening of Chamber Opera appeared first on Broadway After Dark.

Review by: Nitya Thomas.

As New Yorkers, we are fortunate to witness the entire world’s art and culture literally at our doorstep. This past Monday I was reminded of this privilege, after hearing the Astana Opera Company from Kazakhstan at Carnegie Hall’s Stein Auditorium. This recently formed opera company (founded in 2013) made its Carnegie Hall debut as part of its first world tour, which will also include Opéra Bastille and De Doelen.

The program consisted of a nice mix of popular pieces from Western and Russian operas, as well as some traditional and contemporary Kazakh music. The Astana Opera Symphony Orchestra, consisting mostly of young people between the age of 25 and 30, set a high standard right from the beginning with a piece for orchestra by Kazakh composer Rakhmadiev – in my opinion, easily matching the standard of any world class orchestra. Young, virtuoso violinist Erzhan Kulibaev was superb in Tchaikosky’s violin concerto (D major, Op. 35), making the violin sound like it was literally crying in the very high registers. Of the singers, tenor Medet Chotabayev and Baritone Sundet Baygozhin stood out; Baygozhin’s rendering of the famous Largo al factotum aria from Rossini’s Barber of Seville was meticulously articulated and charmingly enacted with great personality and got a fantastic reception from the audience. The Kazakh folk medley performed acapella by the chorus was breath-taking, with a beautifully sweet tone which is a rare sound for choir of operatic singers, particularly from the women. An orchestral piece featuring two traditional Kazakh instruments (the dombyra – a sort of lute, and the kobyz – a soulful sounding violin) brought out more of a traditional East Asian sound and made me long to hear more of this beautiful, traditional music of the country.

The program ended on a high with the enchanting melodies of the popular Polovtsian dances from Borodin’s opera Price Igor – reminding us once again of the high standard of this newly formed opera company. For those of us who weren’t so aware of this before, it is clear that Kazakhstan has a solid infrastructure for nurturing young talent, given most of these young performers have trained in their home country, with some furthering their training at a higher level in Italy and eventually performing in Europe as well. Certainly an effort to be highly commended and respected. All in all another great and very “New York” evening, with the perfect blend of east and west.

Nitya Thomas, an accomplished professional singer herself, is an occasional guest reviewer for Broadwayafterdark.org. She can be contacted at nitz00@gmail.com

The post A Night at the Kazakh Opera appeared first on Broadway After Dark.