21 August 2010 / Labels: News, Performances
Mozart until the End of Time
I have been very blessed to be able to participate in two very exciting Mozart projects that have resonated with me.... One is operamission's project, "COSI FAN TUTTE: some assembly required", and the Mostly Mozart festival's production of "DAVIDDE PENITENTE."
operamission is the brainchild of my friend and former schoolmate, Jennifer Peterson. We met at the Eastman School, where we both were in graduate school. I was pursuing my master's, while Jennifer was earning her doctorate. We re-connected in New York a few years ago, and recently I've had the privilege of working with her on some very cool stuff. My first collaboration with JP was a beautiful one-act opera by Clint Borzoni called "MARGOT ALONE IN THE LIGHT," based on a short story by Ray Bradbury. More recently, JP invited me to play Don Alfonso, one of my favorite and most successful roles, in "COSI FAN TUTTE." The conceit behind the project was that singers and instrumentalists would convene for a reading of this mature Mozart work, and would rehearse and perform on the spot in front of an audience. Simultaneously, the audience and participants would get a running commentary on the opera from stage director Ned Canty and City Opera dramaturg Cori Ellison. What a wonderful and eye-opening experience for me this project was! It is so energizing to work with intelligent and erudite people in the arts who truly love opera and singing. I have performed Don Alfonso several times, and participating in "some assembly required" gave me the opportunity to gain some valuable insight into this complex and sometimes complicated opera. Hearing Cori and Ned's guided tour through this piece has helped to reshape my vision of COSI. More on this later.
I have yet to work with a conductor and music director who is more beloved than Maestro Louis Langree, who has headed the Mostly Mozart festival for a few years now. What an incredible musician as well as a terrifically charismatic leader. The "DAVIDDE PENITENTE" is a parody of Mozart's Messe in c-moll, with the text of the ordinary sections of the mass replaced with Italian text. There is no principal bass in this cantata, unfortunately; the music for the soprano II aria, soprano I/II duo, and the terzetto from the originating mass is left intact. Mozart wrote a new aria for tenor and soprano II in the parody cantata. The music is highly virtuosic, particularly for the two women. Despite the late KV number (469), the writing hearkens back to Mozart's early efforts, which definitely have a structure and sound of late Baroque composers whom Mozart admired and tried to emulate. Check out our review here: http://www.nytimes.com/pages/arts/music/index.html.
The concert was an unqualified success, and it was a joy for me to work with this festival again.
23 September 2009 / Labels: Performances
Ex post-FIGARO
FIGARO was presented over Labor Day weekend by Light Opera Co. of Salisbury (www.locosct.org). Here's the "Readers' Digest" version, from my point of view. I have to be frank and say that this production was not what I was expecting, as I did not know this company's work. The show was accompanied by piano, and not with orchestra, as I had assumed. The auditorium, on the beautiful campus of the Hotchkiss School, was not as large as I'd expected. Nor did we have the turnout that I'd hoped for. During the run of the show, the hall did not reach even half its capacity. I thought that that was a shame, considering the hard work that so many of us put into this project. I am happy to report, though, that the feedback that I heard from audience members was uniformly positive. Our listeners generally enjoyed themselves and, in the final analysis, that's what it's all about. Serving the composer and giving a good product to your consumers.
I want to give special shout-outs to some extraordinary people who worked with me on this production. In addition to my buddy Toby Newman, who was a charming Cherubino, I have to give special attention to Charles Sanford, our terrific Count Almaviva, Candice Hoyes, who made a fetching and beautifully sung Barbarina, and Brooke Schooley, whose first crack at Susanna was a home run, in my humble opinion. I must thank Sandy Cuoco, who single-handedly built my costume for me at the last minute, and made me look and feel just right. I can't tell you how many shows I've been in where at least one piece of my costume didn't fit properly...that kind of thing can really hamper a performance, if you let it. I am so blessed that Sandy was on hand to lend her time and considerable talent to helping me look my best.
LOCOS, which has built a reputation on presenting Gilbert & Sullivan works and other operettas, took a chance by presenting its first treatment of grand opera. I am not sure why this production of FIGARO did not receive larger attendance than it did, but I do hope that this show generated enough buzz to keep people interested and excited to support whatever fare the company offers next year. I truly wish them well.
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13 August 2009 /
Auditioning: Show some respect!
Recently, there have been some online reactions to certain casting directors using technology during auditions (using Facebook, Twitter, etc.). Here's what I have to say about that.
I'm not opposed to casting people/adjudicators using technology per se during auditions...but there's a big difference between replacing pen and paper with your laptop to make notes about the artists auditioning for you, and engaging in activities that are intended to distract you from the job at hand (online shopping, cruising Facebook, sending tweets et al.). Things haven't changed much since I was in school and auditioning for the big apprentice programs...I used to encounter things like adjudicators/casting people eating/drinking ore even reading the newspaper during my auditions.
Auditioning is a stressful enough process without adding disrespectful behavior into the mix. For some years now, I've been toying with the idea of going into my next audition with a note to the casting people from my mom. Instead of singing, I just hand the note to the brass, which reads, "My son has such a lovely voice, it really would be worth your while to give him a nice part in your little show."
It'll save me the trouble of getting dressed up, warming up my voice, fighting my nerves and potential memory slips, and having to smile and be gracious to people who have probably already hired someone else for the role I want! One of these days, I just might do it. I'll let you know what happens! ;-)
Seriously, though, may I add my voice to those of my colleagues in the industry who ask for just a modicum of respect for those performers who take the time to put themselves out there and recite monologues, sing songs, tell jokes, and dance in the hopes of getting a contract? We professional artists choose to pursue this line of work, knowing all the while that the competition is high, the percentage of landing a coveted job is low, and this industry can be pretty unfair and unforgiving. Anyone who has the nerve to study and prepare to the best artist they can be deserves the complete and full attention of those ladies and gentlemen seated at that long table of judgment.
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24 July 2009 / Labels: News
Mozart and my personality disorder
I am engaged to play the title role in Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro this summer. It's a joy AND a challenge. This is my third go-around of this opera, and my first essaying of Figaro in English. My first experience of this opera was in graduate school as Dr. Bartolo. What a mistake. This role is traditionally cast as a basso buffo, and at the time I just didn't have the low notes. My sound is slightly darker and much fuller now thanks to wonderful teachers like Seth McCoy and Steven Tharp, but I am still a lyric baritone and proud of it. I played Count Almaviva in my second production of Nozze years later. That role was a perfect fit for me, musically and dramatically.
I am thankful to have been invited to join this production, but I have to admit that I have to be vigilant in my concentration while I'm onstage with the baritone and basso who sing Count Almaviva and Dr. Bartolo, so I don't sing their lines!
Figaro is a challenge, as his arias are high, but his ensemble parts are quite low. In every ensemble, Figaro sings the lowest line. In the Act IV finale, Mozart groups together Figaro with Antonio and Bartolo; in the Act III sextet, Figaro's line is a third below Bartolo's. This is an especial challenge for me, as our Bartolo for this production is young basso cantante with solid, resonant low notes. Well, I'm not worried about it....I researched some recordings and DVDs to see how other lyric baritones have fared as Figaro. As I suspected, sometimes you can hear the singer in question, sometimes you can't. There are so many elements that come into play here: where the singer playing Figaro has been blocked onstage, how many other singers are onstage singing simultaneously, the dynamics written for the orchestra and the voices, on and on. So I'm not going to worry if you can't hear a low-lying phrase here or there. It's happened to plenty of very fine (and more famous) singers before me!
In this production (Light Opera Co of Salisbury -- see my "Upcoming Performances" news block on this page), I'm very lucky to work with my friend and colleague, mezzo-soprano Toby Newman. Toby is gifted singer, and she makes a dynamite Cherubino. The role is a perfect fit for her, both musically and dramatically. She and I met and worked together on another Mozart piece, La finta giardiniera, produced by Little Opera Theatre of New York. I played Nardo, while Toby was the chambermaid Serpetta. The libretto for La finta giardiniera is not as sophisticated as Da Ponte's Le nozze di Figaro, so its depiction of romantic intrigue can come off as convoluted instead of complex. Nardo and Serpetta spend most of the opera embroiled in a farce that is brimming with sexual tension. After clawing and scratching at each other, Serpetta finally resigns herself to the obligatory happy ending, and agrees to marry Nardo in the opera's finale. Toby was a consummate professional and lots of fun. Working with her again is one of the highlights of my summer.
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/ Labels: News, Performances
Cronkite Funeral, NYC July 2009
I was honored to be invited to sing at the funeral service for news icon Walter Cronkite at St. Bartholomew's Church in New York. As you may imagine, the sanctuary was packed with family, friends, colleagues, and other well-wishers of the late Mr. Cronkite. The choir sang a beautiful and eclectic program -- the "Lacrymosa" movement from the Mozart "Requiem", an arrangement of "Precious Lord" written by Tommy Dorsey, and an arrangement of "When the Saints Go Marching In" by John Rutter. Maestro Bill Trafka, director of music at St. Bart's, asked me to improvise the first verse of the song as a call & response with alto sax, expertly played by Javier Arau. Javier also led a small group of jazzers who accompanied the choir and piano on this song. Check out the video from the Associated Press to the right, which has snippets of the service. Read more!
/ Labels: News
Welcome
Hello, everyone, and thanks for visiting my new site. This is the new format for following my professional engagements, as well as reading my new blog! I hope you enjoy it, and I look forward to sharing news and updates with you all. Meanwhile, please take a look around -- you can listen to MP3 clips, look at headshots and production photos, and read my bio, resume, and reviews.
In the coming weeks, we'll have links to sites of friends, colleagues, and companies that are important to me.
I am so thankful to Gabriel Shanks for helping me get this blog off the ground. We hope you enjoy it!
Dennis
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