The Dancing Maestro

The Maestro steps out onto the podium, looks at the audience and says “its top of the 3^rd inning, 3-0, Cards”, followed by the audience of the Saint Louis Symphony cheering.  This is of course in reference to the current Cardinals baseball team that very likely can go to the World Series this year.  Just one of the reasons I love going to the Saint Louis Symphony.  Maestro David Robertson is such a delight in many ways.  And this concert of the overture to Wagner’s DerFliegender Holländer, Sibelius’ 1^st  Symphony, and the US premiere of a new work by Phillipe Manoury called Synapse proved no different. 

I had no doubt the overture to Der Fliegender Holländer was going to be exciting.  Maestro Robertson, as always, lead the Symphony with enthusiasm and passion.  His movements on the podium were like watching a dance; you always wondered how his body would move to the music.  The Symphony did a marvelous job bringing out all the leitmotifs of the opera and with the exception of a few inconsistencies in the brass, the overall ensemble was a lush rich sounds.

Synapse was the second piece on the program (4-0, Cards, by the way).  I was very excited to here this piece for two reasons.  One, I love modern works, and two, the violinist, James Ehnes, was playing on an Ex Marsick Stradivarius of 1715.  As a violinist, I have never actually seen or heard a Stradivarius in person so this was going to be a new treat.  Maestro Robertson began by informing the audience about the compositional aspect of the piece.  He explains how Manoury uses certain elements to describe an action and how it moves to the next.  This was demonstrated by Ehnes playing the various motives of the piece (the Symphony applauded his virtuosity with certain motives).  The piece was about 31 minutes long.  Overall, I liked the piece.  I liked the use of aleatoric harmonics in the strings but the use of steel drums I found to be slightly distracting.  They just didn’t seem to fit in with the rest of the piece.  I listened to the description of synapse: the chemical process by which a nervous impulse passes from one neuron to another.  It made sense and I definitely heard what Manoury wanted to portray.  After 15 minutes of it though, I felt it began to lose direction.  The piece didn’t seem to have much of an arc to it other than passing from one motive to the next.  All things considered, James Ehnes’ performance of the piece was brilliant.  His virtuosity and attack of each moment was beautifully done.  I was especially impressed with how well he executed his double stops.  For those who don’t know what double stops are, it is the use of playing a chord on a string instrument, which is significantly more difficult to produce than it may sound. 

After an intermission, the Symphony closed the concert with Sibelius’ 1^st Symphony.  I remember playing the 2^nd Symphony in high school and was taken back to those fond memories of Sibelius’ music.  Sibelius was a master at incorporating the nationalistic sound of Finnish music as a way of expressing the Finnish people’s desire for independence from Russian oppression.  The 1^st Symphony is a shining example of this desire.  Again, watching Maestro Robertson at the podium was magical.  His actions conveyed every nuance to the orchestra and to the audience as well. 

Music you don’t get to hear every day can surely make you appreciate of the art we have in today’s world.  The Saint Louis Symphony is a wonderful place to find such art.  Oh, and bottom of the 8^th, 5-1, Card.

new posts up!

hey friends, so alittle late but I decided to post a couple reviews.  one is from Saint Louis City Opera's production of Gallantry, a Soap Opera by Douglas Moore from last week and one is from WAY back in August, Dead Man Walking at Union Avenue Opera.  enjoy!

"I love you!" "You're married!" ..blah blah blah, gotta love it!

Thanks to summers with Grandma, I can say I have had quite an education on soap operas.  There was probably a time when I could have named the entire cast of The Young and the Restless.  So being involved in opera was not too much of a stretch.  I mean, let's be honest, the plots and characters are very similar.  You could translate O mio babbino caro or Fra gli amplessi and probably find a script for As The World Turns or Bold and the Beautiful (hell, even Greys Anatomy) just like it.  But of course, the difference between soaps and opera is soaps are present day whereas opera takes us to another time: 18^th century Seville, Napoleonic Rome, Pioneering Colorado.  So what would you think about seeing an opera that IS a soap opera? *enter old 50's style organ interlude*

Saint Louis City Opera recently performed Gallantry, a Soap Opera by Douglas Moore, a fun little operatic parody of television soap operas.  Written in 1958, the opera is based on the old 50's style soap operas like Hawkins Falls and Young Doctor Malone.  The opera begins with an advertisement for Lochinvar Soap, the sponsor for Gallantry.  At the top of the “episode” Dr. Gregg is professing his love to the anesthetist, Lola as they are about to go into surgery.  Lola explains that though she admires Dr. Gregg, she is engaged to a man named Donald.  Despite this, Dr. Gregg tries to kiss Lola to which she responds with a slap.  This leads to a commercial for Billy Boy Wax, "the waxy wax that spells relax".  As it turns out, the patient they are about to operate on happens to be Donald who, unaware of Dr. Gregg's feelings for Lola, asks how Mrs. Gregg is.  After putting Donald under anesthesia, Lola threatens to expose Dr. Gregg to which Dr. Gregg responds by threatening to stab Donald with the scalpel to which  Lola dramatically saves Donald to which Dr. Gregg chases Lola out of the operating room to which Donald awakes from surgery alone (yeah, soap opera indeed!).  Donald is well, and he and Lola sing of their love followed by a stereotypical “tune in next week!” and one last plug for Lochinvar Soap and Billy Boy Wax.

Saint Louis City Opera director, Allyson Ditchey organized a fun evening of performance and refreshment.  STLCO is a small company operated by, and comprised entirely of local artists.  An organization dedicated to fostering and cultivating artistic growth, STLCO has been very fortunate to receive various donations including libations from Schlafley Beer and Urban Chestnut Brewing Company.

The evening was quite fun. It was not like going to the opera but more like going to a vaudeville or variety show.  The Chapel provided a very relaxed and lighthearted environment; it was a refreshing change from the normal suit and gown evening at the opera house.  Debra Hillabrand was the Announcer and set the scene perfectly.  Her mannerisms and facial expressions were perfect in the old 50's commercials.  Greg Storkan as Dr. Gregg (ironic naming, right?) was perfect as a soap operatic singing actor.  His physical drama and overly done facial expressions were dead on.  Megan Higgins and Clark Sturdevant as Lola and Donald  sang their second half love duet beautifully.  The real charm of the show came from “Poof” Girls - Stephanie Ball and Elise LaBargethe - the Announcer's backup dancers who so comedically described the power of Billy Boy Wax. 

I very much look forward to seeing more performances with Saint Louis City Opera.  This was surely a fun night.  For further information about the company feel free to contact Allyson Ditchey at stlcityopera@gmail.com

Execution of Powerful Art

What makes art powerful is having an element that can grab your attention and keep you engaged.  In Puccini’s Tosca, the first 5 chords of the Scarpia motif grab your attention.  Verdi sets up Rigoletto with a brooding prelude, creating a real sense of curiosity.  In the case of American composer Jake Heggie’s opera Dead Man Walking, the first scene will either make you want to watch the whole thing or feel so terribly uncomfortable you will not want to stay for the rest.  In a nutshell, it’s a scene of rape and murder. 

I am a major fan of Jake Heggie’s works and especially love Dead Man Walking.  I have seen the movie, listened to the opera, and have been fortunate enough to perform a scene from it.  But nothing, NOTHING, prepared me for seeing it live.

Union Avenue Opera put on the Missouri premiere of Dead Man Walking this past August.   It is always a risky endeavor for a small company to put on a modern work, even one as frequently produced as Dead Man Walking.  Fortunately, St. Louis has a very appreciative audience for opera.  I saw the show three times and every night was almost a full house. 

Dead Man Walking is based on the book of the same title by Sister Helen Prejean.  She was the spiritual advisor to Patrick Sonnier, an inmate on death row for the murder and rape of a young girl and boy in late seventies Louisianna.  After his final appeal was denied, Sister Helen worked to help him admit to his participation in the murders and finally accompanied him to his execution. 

Dead Man Walking is Jake Heggie’s first opera, commissioned by the San Francisco Opera in 2000.  Listening to the music, it’s safe to say Jake Heggie hit it out of the ball park.  Every compositional aspect of the music was descriptive of the situations of the story and emotions of the characters.  The orchestra, lead by Artistic Director Scott Schoonover, handled the tough composition with precision and artistry. 

The stage was lined with chain link fence with several moveable platforms of fencing.  The balconies just above the stage were set up as prison cells.  It was a very minimal set with a few simple props that helped describe the starkness of the story.  Lead by stage director Tim Ocel, each scene in the show was properly executed and segued to the next, allowing the actors to help build the drama.  A stand out scene was the opening depicting the rape and murder of the young kids.  Watching a young girl being raped, it was definitely unsettling.

Union Avenue brought in mezzo soprano Elise Quagliata for the role of Sister Helen and Jordan Shanahan for the role of condemned inmate Joseph deRocher.  Elise Quagliata was on stage for almost the entire show except two scenes.  Her vocal and dramatic stamina to carry the role from start to finish was nothing short of miraculous.  She played the role with such character, bringing the lighthearted and quirky nature of Sister Helen out in a truthful and understanding way.  Jordan Shanahan’s rich voice was a perfect match for the convicted criminal.  Even in deRocher's angriest and hatefilled moments, Shanahan was able to touch the audience and give them hope that he just may find the redemption Sister Helen was working so hard to help him find.

Union Avenue is a company that likes to use its local and regional talent.  Debra Hillabrand as Mrs. deRocher, Joseph's mother, and Clark Sturdevant as Father Grenville, the prison chaplain, were stand out examples of St. Louis’ local talent.  As the chaplain, Sturdevant provided a lovely and rich tenor quality in an otherwise non lyric role.  Debra Hillabrand was easily the heartbreaker of the show.  It was impossible to not cry as she sat in front of the pardon board crying and pleading for her son's life.  It was truly a performance beyond measure.  Other stand out performances were Cecilia Stearman as the teenage boy's mother Jade Boucher, Thomas Sitzler as a prison guard, Marlissa Hudson as Sister Rose, and Phil Touchette as the state trooper. 

The Union Avenue Opera Chorus added much to the drama of the story.  While the women of the chorus were only on at the very beginning and in the finales, the men were on stage in the prison cells for most of the opera.  The men of the chorus sang an unnerving sequence as Sister Helen walked through Death Row to visit deRocher for the first time.  In the final scene as deRocher was marched to the execution room, the voices of the chorus sang the most harrowing Our Father I have ever heard in my life.  It was truly the most terrifying thing I have seen or heard on the stage.

I can safely say I walked away from this production quite a changed person.  On a personal level, the show makes you think about capital punishment and the treatment of convicts and those suffering from the crimes.  On an artistic level, it is so wonderful to see a modern work of a large scale like this one.  Union Avenue Opera should be very proud of its work and artists.  I hope to see more work of this caliber from them.