Oberon's Grove

Los Perros del Barrio Colosal

I first met choreographer Omar Román de Jesus when he was dancing with Parsons Dance. Having recently formed his own Company, Boca Tuya, Omar brought his dancers together during the pandemic to create a filmed dancework entitled Los Perros del Barrio Colosal ("The Wondrous Neighborhood Dogs"). He sent me a copy and asked for my thoughts on the piece; I loved it from start to finish, and decided to write about it.

First off, the setting is incredible: in a Civil War-era warehouse in Red Hook, Brooklyn, videographer Drew L. Brown has made wonderful use of the space and light. The dancers - Rachel Secrest, Rafael Cañals, Carlos A. Sánchez Falú, Ian Spring (also formerly of Parsons Dance), Christian Warner, and Spencer Weidie - are all casually dressed in trousers, tee-shirts, and sport-coats.

The work is in two parts, the first set to an infectious score (it made me want to dance!) by the Colombian composer Lucho Bermúdez, and the second set to Franz Liszt's immortal 'Liebestraume'. In the first, the mood-swings and emotional outbursts that are iconic elements in Spanish-language soap operas are woven into the physically demanding choreography. Brief solos are worked in amidst the group dances, and there's some growling and snarling from these dawgs when things get competitive. The pace becomes frenetic, and then silence falls.

The transition from Bermúdez to Liszt is perfectly managed; twilight seems to settle over the space. There is a really moving group adagio with the dancers huddled and entwined. A unexpected outburst of violence, people get machine-gunned. After clasping hands in a gentle tug of war, the dancers end up each alone in a state of pensiveness. Then as a collective they rush about the space as if pursued.

In the end, Carlos A. Sánchez Falú is left alone. He sinks to the floor and lowers his mask, emitting a forlorn howl.

~ Oberon

Ileana Cotrubas as Mimi

Romanian soprano Ileana Cotrubas sings Mimi's Act I narrative from Puccini's LA BOHEME in a performance from Covent Garden in 1982. Watch and listen here.

This is one of my all-time favorite BOHEMEs, wherein Ms. Cotrubas and tenor Neil Shicoff give compelling performances as the doomed lovers. Marilyn Zschau, Sir Thomas Allen, and Gwynne Howell are outstanding as Musetta, Marcello, and Colline respectively, and conductor Lamberto Gardelli has just the right feeling for this score.

Ileana Cotrubas, one of the most distinctive operatic artists of my experience, fascinated me with her performances of Mimi, Violetta, Micaela, and Mozart's Ilia at The Met; my dearest memories of her onstage are from her ideal portrayal of Tatyana in EUGEN ONEGIN. In 1983, for the Met's Centennial Gala, Ms. Cotrubas sang the touching Air de Lia from Debussy's L'ENFANT PRODIGUE.

The Met Presents: Wagnerians in Concert

Saturday May 8th, 2021 - As part of their Met Stars Live in Concert series, The Metropolitan Opera today presented a program entitled Wagnerians in Concert, streamed live from the magnificent Baroque lobby of the Hessiskches Staatstheater in Wiesbaden, Germany. Four prominent interpreters of Wagner's music-dramas - Christine Goerke, Elza van den Heever, Andreas Schager, and Michael Volle - joined forces, and the program branched out a bit to include songs by Richard Strauss as well as the finale of the composer's Die Frau ohne Schatten, in which the four voices were united.

Initially I was a bit skeptical of the idea of hearing these operatic selections without an orchestra, but I must say immediately that pianist Craig Terry soon swept any reservations aside: he played superbly, and in a way, he was the star of the concert.

Each singer's vibrato seemed rather prominent in their first selections, but as the program moved forward, this became less evident.

Strikingly gowned, Ms. van den Heever appeared on the balcony where the lobby's two sweeping staircases meet to sing "Dich, teure Halle” from Wagner's Tannhäuser. This aria is always a perfect start for any opera gala, especially when it is as finely sung as it was today. Ms. van den Heever's top range is especially appealing,

Christine Goerke then appeared, her hair now shot thru with silver, for two Strauss songs: “Allerseelen” and "Cäcilie”. She sang these with fine feeling, ideally supported by Mr. Terry's ravishing playing. A trace of pitchiness in "Allerseelen", and a slightly squally feeling at the end of "Cäcilie” did not detract from her interpretations; Ms. Goerke would soon after be providing genuine thrills as the concert continued.

Michael Volle, in recent Met seasons a magnificent Hans Sachs, Wanderer, and - especially - Scarpia, offered Wolfram's "O du, mein holder Abendstern” from Tannhäuser. Mr. Terry's playing of the introductory passage was so atmospheric, and Mr. Volle's well-modulated soft singing drew us in; the familiar melody of the poignant aria was most persuasively sung.

In the Sword Monologue from Die Walküre, tenor Andreas Schager showed his skill at bringing drama to the narrative. His cries of "Wälse! Wälse!" were well-sustained, and in the reflective passages that followed, he fleshed out the character's mingled feelings of desperation and hope. Yet again, the pianist was fascinating to hear.

Mr. Terry's playing of the Wesendonck Lieder was a masterpiece in its own right. By this point, the lack of an orchestra has ceased to concern me in the least. I was expecting either Ms. Goerke or Ms. van den Heever to sing all five songs, but instead Mr. Volle sang the opening "Der Engel” with expressive dynamics, followed by Mr. Schager's urgent "Stehe still!”; in the calming section of this song, the tenor brought forth a lyrical quality.

Ms. van den Heever looked fetching as she sang the evocative "Im Treibhaus” with its haunting evocation of Tristan's Castle Kareol. Mr. Terry's playing here was hypnotic, giving the soprano's thoughtful interpretation of the song a silken aural cushion.

In “Schmerzen”, Christine Goerke made a splendid impression, pouring out the passionate song with epic grandeur.

By the time Mr. Terry commenced his playing of the introductory measures of "Träume”, we were completely immersed in the dreamworld of Wagner and his fabled Mathilde. Ms. van den Heever, standing on the staircase, looked down on the pianist and sang to him with a sense of quiet rapture.

The final section of the great Senta/Dutchman duet from Der Fliegende Holländer, one truly had a sense of being at the opera. This scene was perfectly staged, with Ms. van den Heever as Senta assuring the anxious Durtchman (Mr. Volle) that she will be faithful onto death. "What a sweet sound in my night of grief!", he sings. The drama was palpable; Mr. Volle's entire being seemed to tremble at the first touch of the woman's hand. Both singers sounded spectacular here, with the soprano's blooming top notes a joy. Yet again, Mr. Terry was a great force in the duet's vibrant unfolding.

As the long-sundered twins Siegmund and Sieglinde, Mr. Schrager and Ms. Goerke gave us "Winterstürme" and "Du bist der Lenz” from Act I of Die Walküre, singing with unbridled passion. The tenor was now singing at full-tilt, whilst the sound of Ms. Goerke pouring out the opening passage of her response to the tenor's ardent courting was simply thrilling. 

Michael Volle gave us“Abendlich strahlt der Sonne Auge” from Das Rheingold, with Mr. Terry again glorious. The baritone's splendid voicing of the  climactic phrase, and his subsequent invitation to Fricka to join him in Valhalla, were outstanding moments.

Mr. Schrager's singing of “Nur eine Waffe taugt” from Act III of Parsifal was strong and committed, with a very fine finish; Mr. Terry's playing was incandescent.

 

In a scene from Act II of Lohengrin, commencing with “Euch Lüften" and ending with Ortrud's venomous "Enweihte Götter!”, the two sopranos played well off one another. Ms. van den Heever sang a poetic 'Song to the Breezes' from the balcony; twice on sustained notes her voice had a split-second blip, but mostly she sounded just lovely. Ms. Goerke as Ortrud then emerged from the darkness, staring up at Elsa. Christine's invocation of the pagan gods was spectacular.

The concert ended with the great celebration of conjugal love: the final quartet “Nun will ich jubeln” from Strauss’s Die Frau ohne Schatten. Here the singers pulled out all the stops, the two sopranos polishing off the performance with smashing top-Cs. If we were deprived of Strauss's dazzling orchestration, this arrangement allowed us to hear some of the inner workings of the vocal lines that can get lost with an orchestra thundering away.

Without an audience, there were no waves of applause; Mr. Terry joined the four singers, all exchanging friendly hugs and mutual admiration.

~ Oberon

Three Sentas

 

Above: Earline Ballard as Brunnhilde with tenor Adam Petroski as Siegfried; Seattle 1974

Over the years, I have witnessed many fine performances by singers who did not achieve widespread fame during their careers, but who made a distinctive impression on me in a particular role. Three such singers were Earline Ballard, Klara Barlow, and Elisabeth Payer: I saw each of them as Senta in Wagner's FLIEGENDE HOLLANDER.

Earline (Fogelman) Ballard, a native of Houston, sang Senta in concert performance of FLIEGENDE HOLLANDER there in 1973, while I was living in that Texas city. Guillermo Sarabia sang the title-role, with Richard Cassilly (no less!) as Erik and Jon Enloe as Daland.

Of Ms. Ballard's performance I wrote in my diary: "Earline Ballard looks very young, and she seemed somewhat nervous at first. Only near the end of the opera did she become dramatically involved in what she was singing. But it's a voice of great promise: she has steely tops, a good lower range, ample volume, and fine pianissimi; at the moment she cannot quite knit all these elements into a persuasive whole. Yet she provided many fine passages, and her voice put me in mind at times of Niska, of Lorengar, or of Gré Brouwenstijn; Ms.Ballard is a singer to watch."

HOLLANDER - final scene - Earline Ballard - Richard Cassilly - Guillermo Sarabia - Houston 1973

Ms. Ballard had been in the San Francisco Opera's Merola Program in 1964-1965, and was also a George London Award-winner. In the seasons following the Houston HOLLANDER, she sang Brunnhilde at Seattle (1974), and she made her New York City Opera debut as Turandot (1975).

Beyond that, I cannot find more information about Earline Ballard.

Klara Barlow (above) is probably best-remembered for singing Isolde at The Met in 1974; she was replacing Caterina Ligendza, who had withdrawn on rather short notice. Jess Thomas and Jon Vickers were her Tristans, and Erich Leinsdorf conducted. Ms Barlow had a success with the audience, and got good reviews, including one that likened her Isolde to that of Frida Leider.

Ms. Barlow had made her Met debut as Leonore in FIDELIO in 1971, and had sung two performances as Donna Anna that same year, one of which I attended. Following her success as Isolde, she sang Marina in BORIS GODUNOV, Amelia in BALLO IN MASCHERA, and a single Elektra at The Met.

In 1978, my friend Andrew and I attended a concert performance of FLIEGENDE HOLLANDER given by the Springfield Symphony. Ms. Barlow sang Senta, and Guillermo Sarabia (who had sung opposite Ms. Ballard in the Houston performance) was again the Dutchman; William Neill was Erik, and Mark Munkittrick sang Daland. 

This is what I wrote in my diary about Ms. Barlow's Senta: "Klara Barlow was a stunning Senta, able to convey - even in a concert setting - the great obsession of this character. She looked the buxom, blonde hausfrau to a T, and her vocalism was superb, with a wonderfully clear quality and an alluring warmth to the middle range...and she is able to plunge into an effective chest voice. Her top, which has sometimes been problematic, was in fine shape tonight, with exciting A's and B's along the way, and very brilliant in the role's final phrases. The ballad was really good, as was the scene with Erik which follows. In the great duet with the Dutchman, she sculpted the lines beautifully and the tone was quite radiant. A cut was opened as the trio moved to its end, keeping the soprano in the range around G and A: arduous work, and very well done by Ms. Barlow. All her singing had the hallmarks of a top-tier Wagnerian soprano. I'd love to hear her as Elisabeth, Ortrud, Kundry...or maybe as the Composer in ARIADNE. Really enjoyed her Senta thoroughly...brava! She and Sarabia were very intense, which is of course the essence of this spectacular opera. There was much applause."

Here's a sampling of Ms. Barlow's Brunnhilde:

Klara Barlow & Jerome Hines - WALKURE scene - Canadian TV

Klara Barlow passed away in 2008. 

Elisabeth Payer (above) sometimes appeared under the name Elisabeth Payer-Tucci. The Czech soprano first made her mark at Bern, Switzerland, later joining the opera companies at Cologne and Nuremburg in succession. Her career took her to Verona, Rome, Barcelona, Lisbon, Geneva, Genoa, and Rio di Janiero singing such roles as Abigaille, Beethoven's Leonore, Ariadne, Brunnhilde, Isolde, Ariadne, Turandot, Amelia in BALLO IN MASCHERA, Leonora in FORZA DEL DESTINO, and Santuzza. In 1981, Elisabeth Payer sang four performances of the SIEGFRIED Brunnhilde at The Met, drawing favorable reviews.

In 1980, Ms. Payer sang Senta with Sarah Caldwell's Opera Company of Boston; Simon Estes sang the title-role. William Wildermann sang Daland, Edward Sooter sang Erik, and Vinson Cole (no less!) sang the Steersman.

In my diary, I wrote: "Elisabeth Payer, who recently sang in Wagner's RIENZI at Carnegie Hall to critical comparisons (in terms of volume) to Nilsson and Farrell. A plumpish but not dowdy figure, she played the role of Senta straight, with no hint of obsession or dementia.

She sang well all afternoon, sometimes unleashing the voice in huge, warm floods of sound - which created a thrilling effect and carried emotional conviction - but mostly using a volume-level that carried perfectly in the hall and which seemed effortless. Much of the ballad was lyrically sung, and quite beautiful. She uses chest voice a lot, and was totally unfazed by the roles high Bs and B-flats. There were brief strayings from pitch along the way, but nothing that detracted from my enjoyment of her singing."

Listen to Ms. Payer in a performance of TURANDOT from Santiago, Chile, 1983, here.

~ Oberon

Daniele Gatti Conducts OEDIPUS REX

Daniele Gatti conducts a 2014 performance of Igor Stravinsky's OEDIPUS REX at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées with the Orchestre National de France and the chorus of Radio France. Pierre Arditi is the Narrator, with soloists Sonia Ganassi (Jocasta), Nikolai Schukoff (Oedipus), Georg Zeppenfeld (Tresias), John Relyea (Créon/Messenger), and Benjamin Bernheim (Shepherd).

Watch and listen here.