Odyssey Opera Thrills with Tchaikovsky's "Maid"

Outside of the popular“Eugene Onegin” and to a lesser degree, “The Queen of Spades,” Tchaikovsky’s operas have never taken hold in the repertoire of the West’s opera houses. This is most certainly the case with “The Maid of Orleans,” which, apart from an aria lifted and performed frequently as a popular concert piece, rarely is staged anywhere. And that is, for anyone who’s seen or heard it, a crying shame. While critics often cite its libretto as unwieldy and overpopulated with unnecessary characters, the same accusations are frequently leveled at other operas, many of which have become beloved staples of the repertoire.

Presented in concert form, Boston’s intrepid Odyssey Opera, under the leadership of Musical and General Director, Gil Rose, made as strong a case for Tchaikovsky’s “Joan of Arc’ opera as one is likely to encounter. Over the course of its nearly four spread over four acts, Jordan Hall was filled with one of Tchaikovsky’s most inspired operatic scores, leaving an audience cheering at the end of each act – and sometimes in between.

“Maid of Orleans” rises or falls on its leading lady and here, Jordan's audience was lucky to witness mezzo Kate Aldrich scoring a triumph, adding the difficult role of Joan to an already formidable arsenal of characters. We went along with her on Joan's journey which began with a quiet, pensive defiance as she developed into the beloved, revered military prophet whose fate would so tragically turn.
Aldrich sang Joan's tender “farewell” to her homeland with moving, heart melding conviction. Following soon after comes the scene of her calling, as a chorus of angels informs her she shall never know human love and, instead of bridal vestments, to gird herself in armor and prepare to lead the French to victory. In an instant Ms. Aldrich transformed from shy teen, to inspired warrior, in both voice and visage, expressing a sense of baffled wonderment that made the seemingly impossible, wholly believable. Deploying her beautiful, medium-sized mezzo with intelligence and emotion, Aldrich skillfully scaled back her warm sound when necessary, though projecting it easily throughout the house. This technique meant there was plenty left in the tank for the singer to explode with sound at Joan's biggest moments, and here Aldrich soared, easily - even at the top of her range - over the massed forces, fearlessly, thrilling her audience. I can't imagine the role of Joan being better served.

Without benefit of staging and costumes, a savvy singer can, in their own clothing, make an even stronger impression than a “one-size-doesn’t-fit-all,” uninspired costume would otherwise allow. Let’s just say Kate Aldrich is the savviest of singers. While two striking gowns helped establish Joan’s character, Aldrich achieved a true coup de théâtre when, for her execution, she entered the stage slowly, barefoot, her previously upswept hair loosened, and clad only in a simple, gray shift, holding her score in front of her as though God’s holy writ. As the chorus sang of how young Joan appeared, and how every heart was breaking, so did ours.


A fleeting romantic alliance with her captured enemy, Lionel, changes the course of the story and seals Joan’s fate. With his rich, smooth baritone, Aleksy Bogdanov’s Lionel presented the perfect foil as he and Aldrich poured everything they had into the great love duet capturing the myriad of emotions assigned to their characters, in some of the most beautiful singing of the evening.

As Joan’s first caring then hectoring and accusatory father, Kevin Thompson displayed a big, booming sound that impressed, though a degree or two more of shading and subtlety would have been welcomed to create a character of a bit more depth. That being said, his scenes with the attractive ping of tenor Yeghishe Manucharyan’s Raymond, were exciting leaving one wishing both had a bit more to sing.

Kevin Ray – with his bright, stentorian tenor, made a strong impression as King Charles, from his despair over France’s military losses, to rapture at hearing the pronouncements of victory from the Maid of Orleans. David Kravitz, Erica Petrocelli, David Salsbery Fry, and Mikhail Svetlov filled out the character of Charles’ with lovely sound and as much depth as Tchaikovsky allowed.

Throughout the long evening, it was evident from the first to last notes, Maestro Rose is passionate about this score and, asking everything from his forces they responded as if there were no other choice. While I applaud the decision to restore cuts, in this instance the overly long ballet sequences, while showing off the orchestra's virtuosity, sounded little more than uninspired outtakes from the composer's Nutcracker and, at least for this listener, could have happily been excised and tightened the drama.

Jordan Hall’s acoustics are among the best anywhere and the “wall of sound” experience it presents listeners is one not frequently encountered and can leave jaws on the floor. Tchaikovsky’s score, with fanfares, massed ensembles and choruses, allows for plenty of that right through the raging fire music as Joan meets her grisly doom. When it all comes perfectly into play, it cannot help but leave an audience cheering. This was one of those nights.

Photographs courtesy of Kathy Boyce

Villazon ain't done yet: Not even close!

Good gravy some people really do enjoy nothing more than jumping to conclusions. Villazon returned to the opera stage a month or so ago singing magnificently two major roles: Lenski and Nemorino . . . and to outstanding reviews, sold out houses and enthusiastic audiences. I've been lucky to hear two of those performances, as well as some of the recent Handel outings which he's currently touring. I heard him as recently as last night and the voice is in fine shape, with a thrilling, pulse-pounding way with difficult florid passagework, his coloratura not always perfectly even, but measured and full of ping and yes, some hypermusical instincts.

He is not singing purely tenor arias, but a number of the most difficult mezzo/castrati arias which find him dipping down into notes more in the bass/baritone range, which he simply does not have. Blessedly, those notes are mostly short - quickly hit, let go and moved away from, but yes, if one is going to do this sort of thing one should also have those notes. Nevertheless, despite this shortcoming what is working are the middle and upper registers and they sound absolutely beautiful. I find it utterly remarkable that anyone would even be stupid enough to think this to be the end of someone's career
when there are plenty of working tenors who would love to have this facility and tone quality.

I simply don't get the twisted logic of the doomsayers who love to express "concern" that he's destroyed himself and believe they know the singer better than he knows himself. Remarkable.

The "Times" article was a hack job, as unrelievedly biased a piece of doomsday journalism, as any ten puff pieces I've read. Paragraph-upon-paragraph piling on as many negative aspersions as possible: the failed "pop star" reality TV show, that "mezzo soprano" pop singer, his resemblance to Mr. Bean, the bushy eyebrows, the crazy hair, the too wide mouth, the more-than-hinted at affair with Netrebko (which I still don't believe) the "Fourth Tenor" nonsense, his weekly psychiatric sessions. Several times, the article
references Hugh Canning's "review" which, like the article itself, spends most of its paragraphs setting up and tearing down its subject before ever critiquing a single note of music.

Canning makes the ridiculous charge that "the concert was clearly rescheduled to cash in" on his recent appearances in the failed (though oddly popular) reality show. Mr. C, seemed not to have noticed (or conveniently forgot) that the London concert was but a single one on the Handel tour with stops in Baden-Baden, Munich, Berlin, Hamburg, Paris, etc. Or perhaps merely by not mentioning the remainder of the tour he is able to make the tenor look greedy and desperate? Ah, yes, THAT's where he's going, as he ends that particular paragraph making the singer sound "broke" as he explains how "Villazon
cancelled many lucrative engagements. As Brecht wrote: 'First comes food, then morals.'" Yes, Rolando has been starving to death and just out to earn some scratch. Right.

He goes on to criticize the manner in which Villazon sings Handel "as if the past 50 years of scholarship and performing practice had never happened, transforming the music of the baroque era’s greatest opera composer into a sort of genteel, polite verismo." This is, of course, his prerogative, but "genteel" and "polite" do not show up in Villazon's Handel singing - it is wild, passionate (and mostly) accurate singing with an almost crazed,
unleashed energy that has most audiences exploding in cheers. Yes, yes, I know, people are idiots and don't know any better. Not in London, nor in Paris, Munich . . .

Of course Canning spends as much time talking about how he "feels" Villazon looks uncomfortable - but I find he's mistaken the tenor's naturally manic, hyper-animated stage manner for "discomfort" when it's simply not the case. No one (I believe) says the same about Ms. Bartoli and her similar frenetic stage energy, but with Villazon it's a different story.

Here's Rolando as Lenski, singing "Kuda, kuda" only a month ago. It took my breath away. If this is the end of a career than "oops, wrong planet" - black is white, up is down and wrong is right. You decide if, along with Mr. Canning, he is nothing more than a cash cow "alongside the Bocellis, Jenkinses and Pottses of this world," and if it's time to for those who "care passionately about opera will shed a few furtive tears over what might have been."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wn_ez9qQywk&feature=related

Like him or not I sense Rolando is on the right track and I, for one, couldn't be happier. Long may he sing!

In Memoriam: Philip Langridge

I heard this terrible news last night and my immediate reaction was one of horror and utter disbelief. I have always been a fan of this great man and artist and his amazing artistry - all the way down to his marrow. I join others in thoughts of sympathy and prayers for his beautiful wife and their family and friends at this time of great loss.

I had pretty much grown up with Vickers and Pears as "Peter Grimes" and was therefore unprepared for the almost entirely different perspectives - both musically and dramatically - that Mr. Langridge brought to the role. The characters he created onstage were always so actorly and believable in a way that is all too rare in the world ofoera. I'd always felt a sympathy for Grimes, but Langridge tore my heart out with his portrayal.

Loge, Vere, Aschenbach, Idomeneo, Laca, Tito, Paris ("King Priam) and countless other roles became vivid theatrical creatures through his work - coming through powerfully even sometimes only through recorded sound (which was how I first encountered him). Concert and oratorio work, lieder, baroque, classical, contemporary - the man did it all - and did it all brilliantly. With his passing, a major light has gone out in the world of music. He will be missed.

Thank you Mr. Langridge for bringing so much of the joy of music to the world. May your loved ones be comforted in the knowledge of how well loved you were the world over, and may you, good sir, rest in peace.

Rolando Villazon Sings Handel

I've waited until I've had more than just a few opportunities to listen to this recital full through before writing a review. I know we had some discussion on this BEFORE the album's release, but I can't recall seeing a review here yet. So, let the fur fly!

The majority of reviews and comments I've read have not been at all favorable - some even a bit scathing. This is something I can't quite comprehend as the more I listen, the more I've grown to love what Villazon does here. Some have called it a "throwback" to the "bad old days" of full voiced singers singing Handel as though it were Mozart, or worse, Mahler. I disagree and rather strongly. While it certainly sounds as it could be a different approach to Handel singing, , I find it to be more of a a "modern romantic tenor" bringing his own style and deploying it in a decidedly bravura approach that makes most of h is choices in this repertoire exciting and true to the spirit of the baroque.

The strongest criticisms seem to take issue with Villazon's somewhat over-the-top manner in delivering this material. That may be what I enjoy the most. Listen to the second track, the recitative to Grimoaldo's aria "Pastorello dun povero armento" or Serse's aria "Crude furie degl' orridi abissi" When has a tenor gone "there" so willingly, performing baroque music with this kind of abandon, not to mention intensity? This type of excess is oft considered "thrilling" when done by a female performer - indeed, Joyce diDonato in the same aria ("Crude furie") was praised to the rafters (and justly so!) for not only her bravura way with the fiery coloratura, but for the thousand different hues she hurled into the music, sinking her teeth into the meat of the text and almost spitting it out. But a tenor heard primarily in Verdi, Tchaikovsky and Puccini seems not to be able to make those same choices.

What's particularly interesting to me is the way Villazon and McCreesh move through this material in ways that are almost unexpected, but which make perfect sense. After having heard some thrilling - near gasp-inducing leaps and flourishes, something like "Ombra mai fu" feels almost pure and cleansing and the simple addition of a well-executed trill makes the scene "pop"with life that is almost rare in a number like this.

This is not to say everything is perfect on this disc, and sometimes the low tessitura (e.g., the central portion of "Scherza infida") can find our tenor getting a tad growly in music sitting a bit lower (even if only a note or two) than he's usually addressing. Still, we seem to be more forgiving when a soprano (or lyric mezzo) gets a bit gravelly on a low note. But, as heard in Villazon's "Scherza infida" there is a melting musicality thatmakes up (to these ears at least) for any shortcoming in the inability to sound perfect in every range.

Another thing I love about this recital is the freedom of the ornamentation employed. Villazon's trills, runs, appogiatura, grupetti, etc., come off with a natural ease and authoritythat would be the envy of a number of singers who sing almost nothing BUT baroque music!

Above all there is a sense of love and admiration for this music that comes shining through from start to finish. The level of musicmaking between Villazon, Paul McCreesh and the early instruments of the Gabrieli Players is never less than top drawer and all wed to a sense of joyousness and meaning which infuses every bar. Regardless of what one might think of his choices, I dare anyone to listen to, say, "Dopo notte atra e funesta"and not feel the thrilling connection between the performers and the music they're sharing.

Then there is the "dark" theatricality that permeats some numbers - with the tenor taking choices that can understandably be seen as controversial. The strangled whispers with which he ends Bajazet's emotional scene has been much commented upon - but you know what? I like it. Look at the text:

"My sight is already fading . . . death, I feel you! This horror is your punishment."

While I can understand purists cringing here, we can't know for certain such a "device" was not employed in Handel's time and here and now, singer (and maestro) seem to find it a valid way of interpreting this dark moment and pull it off with complete conviction.

If I've any disappointment it is in the way the recital ends - with St. John's two numbers from "La Resurrezione." This is not to say that they are not sung beautifully, or that Villazon is found wanting in the emotional intensity heard throughout the rest of the recital, but for my money they simply don't have the"oomph" to draw a disc like this to its conclusion. This, however is purely grousing on my part.

This disc will ever find its way into a widely accepted Handelian catalog, but I think those willing to go along for a wild ride, fueled by fury, passion, joy and total admiration of one of the greatest composers of any era,will find something very, very special here.