Opera al Mare: The Don faces his Commendatore
Two weeks of intense work by the singers of Opera al Mare came to the exciting finale of Mozart’s “Don Giovanni,” when Giovanni faced his unhappy fate at the hands of the revenge-seeking Commendatore. Friday’s performance at Il Teatro Comunale de Cenesnatico, an historical three balcony opera house with orchestra pit, was well sung, energetic — and exciting.
Director Joshua Collier’s production takes Da Ponte’s dramatic story from among the 1788 upper classes to today’s underworld of crime, drugs and prostitution. And because Mozart’s operas — like Shakespeare’s plays — are universal, it worked!
Underscoring Mozart’s — and Collier’s — drama, Cailin Marcel Manson briskly but sensitively conducted the fine Opera al Mare instrumental ensemble which comprises the excellent pianist/harpsichordist Francesco Ricci with a string quartet, clarinet and flutist.
Don Giovanni is still the rake, sleazy as ever, that we love until we don’t, but this time he has a compulsion for cocaine as well as women. Rich-voiced baritone Michael Fazio had vocal strength as the Don, and plenty of swagger. But the show was nearly stolen by lighter-voiced baritone Tristan Pritham as Giovanni’s “valet” Leporello — he was priceless.
Kathleen Echols’ brilliant soprano and unrelenting passion are perfect for Elvira, Giovanni’s fiery ex (of many, many) who unhappily runs across the dynamic duo. Earlier, Anna, sensitive and expressive soprano Emily Evans screams as a masked Giovanni leaves their conjugal bed, awakening her father, the Commendatore, who fights with Giovanni and is killed.
Ottavio (lyrical tenor Brian Mengler), Anna’s husband (betrothed in the original), and she must explain. Meanwhile, Giovanni is looking to a fresh victim. The young and innocent Zerlina (the lyrical and sensitive soprano Alexandra Billhartz) is about to marry her love, Masetto (dark baritone and guest artist Alberto Gentili). Leporello keeps Masetto busy so Giovanni can begin his seduction. But will it work?
The beginning of the end comes with one of the most beautiful moments in all of opera, the trio “Protegga il guisto vielo (May the just heavens protect us)” with Ottavio, Anna and Elvira with Brian, Emily and Kathleen. It was very beautiful, and real virtuosity for the ladies.
As Collier says, time stands still.
There wasn’t much of a party, so soon Giovanni and Leporello find themselves in a graveyard (with some interesting gravestones including one for Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart). And then the fun begins!
The ghostlike statue of the Commendatore shows. Here’s where dark baritone Hadi Alibeigli gets his chance as he threatens Giovanni. Not seemingly impressed, Giovanni invites the Commendatore to dinner, to which he agrees.
Back at Giovanni’s tawdry digs, he feigns apathy while Leporello is truly scared. Elvira comes to try to convince Giovanni to repent.
“Never!”
“DON GIOVANNI” bellows the Commendatore.
And so begins the drug addled end of Don Giovanni — while his victims rejoice gently.
It was a spectacular evening at the theater.
(And it’s going to be recorded. More on that later.)
Jim Lowe
Opera al mare 2024: Sitzprobe!
It’s Sunday and, for the first time, the 11 solo singers and seven instrumentalists are wed. Everyone is excited. Some of the singers are dressed for the occasion — this is a contemporary dress production.
The excellent Opera al Mare staff pianist Francesco Ricci doubles as “pianist” and “harpsichordist” — pianist filling out the “orchestra,” and harpsichordist as continuo accompanying the recitatives. Playing continuo is extremely challenging as Ricci must essentially breathe with each singer.
Of course, Cailin is in his element creating the spirit of “Don Giovanni.” The singers are “on,” and the instrumentalists are “on.” The excitement is palpable — but excitement isn’t always good.
“You need to stay right with this,” Cailin says to the players, indicating his baton. “Don’t listen to them (the singers) or they’ll drag. You need to stick with this.”
Kathleen delivers one of Elvira’s arias with particular brilliance.
“Bravo!” exclaims Cailin.
Alexandra is exhibiting a particular sensitivity singing one of her arias as Zerlina. Guest artist Alberto Gentili adds his dark baritone as Masetto, Zerlina’s betrothed
Whenever things fall apart — which isn’t often — Cailin’s cacophonous laugh of glee lightens it up for everyone.
When it isn’t going smoothly between Emily’s Anna and the clarinetist, Cailin stops them: “There’s no such thing as counting,” meaning their interaction needed to feel more natural.
The end of the afternoon was interrupted by a truly startling denouement. As the Commendatore, bass Hadi Alibeigli (another McGill student, this one from Iran) who hadn’t been heard from much, suddenly bellows in his huge dark bass:
“DON GIAVONNI!”
Time stood still.
“I felt goosebumps!” Collier exclaims — and I guess everyone else did too!
Postlude
While the cast of “Don Giovanni” Sunday afternoon, Ambrose Cusack, Ella Freund and Sophie Gustafson began work on Haydn’s “La canterina” — first with Josh, then with Elaine — until the wee hours.
More to come. …
Opera al Mare 2024: A blog
By JIM LOWE
Critic-in-residence this year, Jim Lowe is music critic and arts editor of The Barre-Montpelier Times Argus and Rutland Herald in Vermont, home off Barn Opera.
Sunday, July 23, 2024 Introduction
Opera al Mare is just finishing its first week of nearly two in preparation of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s 1787 masterpiece “Don Giovanni.”
This unusual three-week summer opera workshop, June 16-July 6, has made its home for two years now on the northern Italian Adriatic coast in the resort town of Cesenatico. Eleven young singers, mostly college age, are preparing “Don Giovanni” for a June 28 performance in the historic Il Teatro di Cesenatico.
Also planned are Joseph Haydn’s comic opera “La cantarina” by the younger participants, an “Opera Under the Stars” concert of opera arias from Baroque to contemporary July 3; and the “American Musical Theatre Spectacular” poolside July 4 at the workshop’s home, Hotel Miramare.
The brainchild of Joshua Collier, renowned tenor and founder and artistic director of Barn Opera in Brandon, Vermont, USA, the workshop reflects Collier’s unique personal style — informal, seemingly almost loose, belying an underlying precision that delivers the deep emotional power of opera.
Superficially opposite is Music Director Cailin Marcel Manson, chair of vocal studies at the Longy School of Music of Bard College and music director of Barn Opera, who is precise and demanding from day one. It is his deep understanding of the music and his ability to communicate what he wants that works so well.
Holding it all together is the ubiquitous Tricia Welch, Barn Opera’s long-suffering executive director.
A unique ‘Don Giovanni’
Josh has fashioned his own take on Lorenzo da Ponte’s familiar libretto, adding an earthy wit — and some 21stcentury attitude — without touching Mozart’s glorious score (save some cuts). Don Giovanni is still the disreputable rake, even more so. But the world he inhabits is hardly the aristocracy, more of the working class. And while the characters retain their depth, none of them have any claim on sainthood.
And yes, the drama moves to its inevitable dark end — at least Don Giovanni’s!
Summer Italian style
If you think the participants spend all of their days slaving away in rehearsals, think again! Appropriate to Opera al Mare’s residence in Italy, a substantial amount of time is devoted to eating. Breakfast is an expansive buffet — with abundant pastries — that’s open for two hours before the “workday” begins. Nearly an hour and a half are devoted to lunch and dinner each, and it’s just as well: Both meals are comprised of three courses each boasting three options. And the food — from salads to Italian pizza (yes, it’s much better!), from fish to meat to vegetarian selections and, of course, pasta and delicate desserts, are prepared by the excellent chefs of Hotel Miramare.
Speaking of which, the participants enjoy comfortable rooms in the intimate and inviting Hotel Miramare, sitting on a major canal just as it opens into the Adriatic. In addition to the hotel’s pool, there is plenty of coastal beach to enjoy. Not that they’ve had much time to enjoy it this week — but there is plenty of night life in this resort town.
And now to work
This week’s “Don Giovanni” preparations have been pretty much divided between staging rehearsals with Josh and music with Cailin, mixing and matching.
In between, the singers enjoy voice lessons with Josh, soprano Scilla Cristiano and Walnut School for the Arts (Natick, Massachusetts) vocal coach and collaborative pianist Elaine Smith-Purcell. Italian language classes and coaching are provided by Sandra Carletti, Middlebury College Italian professor.
Josh’s approach to rehearsing is informal to say the least, sometimes even frenzied, but he makes things happen. This week was devoted to parts of Act 1 and Act 2, and it seemed terribly disjointed — but that’s what happens when working out of chronological order.
Much attention was devoted to the relationship between the young Zerlina, the most innocent of the cast, with her suspicious betrothed Masetto, while she simultaneously flirts with and wards off Don Giovanni.
Josh stands in for the absent Masetto, as soprano Alexandra Billhartz’ Zerlina tangles with Michael Fazio’s Giovanni and Tristan Pritham’s Leporello (both McGill University voice students).
Josh has them in a sleazy bar, with the younger participants as the barflies (chorus). He milks the scene for all its humor — though never on the cheap.
“Does that make sense to you?” Josh always asks to keep his cast on the same page.
The music side
Meanwhile, Cailin is putting his stamp — a most lyrical one — on the production. His grand musical concept and rhythmic sensitivity are complemented by his detailed vocal coaching. (He is, after all, an opera baritone as well as conductor.) A wonderful example of Cailin at work was in an initial rehearsal with Kathleen Echols as Elvira. She was delivering her aria with the same agitation as the orchestra (piano in this case).
“No!” Caillin said. “You need to maintain your smooth legato over the agitation of the orchestra!”
Kathleen’s performance of the aria went from pretty to beautiful — and deeply so.
For one of Zerlina’s arias, Cailin tells Alexandra, “It’s grazioso, written in three, feel it in one.”
Josh adds, “You’re remembering your wedding!”
“Let the orchestra (piano) feel a little ahead,” Cailin tells tenor Brian Mengler playing Ottavio. “Flow right along. Go after the line, not every note. Mozart has some phrase markings there.”
Then then there is the famous trio with Anna (soprano Emily Evans), Elvira (Kathleen) and Ottavio (Brian).
Josh demands, “Time has to stand still!”
It was beautiful.
And so it goes. On Saturday morning, Sandra led a sit-down reading of the libretto to correct Italian pronunciation and expression. The afternoon and evening were spent fixing staging details.
It’s now Sunday, and it’s time for the the Sitzprobe — the first rehearsal when the singers play with the orchestra!
Il Giornale dell’Opera al Mare
It all begins with an idea.
Worlds colliding when Opera Vermont and the town of Cesenatico in Italy work together to provide the optimal environment for young artists to grow in their linguistic and musical abilities! We are so fortunate to have the Arts critic for the state of Vermont, Jim Lowe, with us this summer. He will be posting a daily - or near daily - account of what is happening in the beautiful town of Cesenatico! Please subscribe and check back frequently to follow us, and make your plans to join us as a singer or as a community member in 2025!
The daily updates will begin on the 18th of June and will continue until the 6th of July!