Glimmerglass Festival

Cooperstown, NY 
www.glimmerglass.org 
July 10- August 23, 201
by Michael J. Moran

Alice Busch Opera Theater

Glimmerglass celebrates its 40th anniversary season in 2015 with four productions, all of which can be seen in one weekend during August in the 900-seat Alice Busch Opera Theater. All casts include professional singers and “young artists” in the Festival’s summer training program.

Madeline Sayet’s charming production of Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” was sung in a colloquial English translation by Kelley Rourke. Dressed in a modern business suit, Tamino leaves the chaos of city life for a forest journey toward self-discovery, finding love with Pamina, companionship with Papageno, and a series of trials from various other characters. Tenor Sean Panikkar and soprano Jacqueline Echols sang radiantly as the lovers, and young artist baritone Ben Edquist brought a sonorous voice and clever physical comedy to Papageno.   

Other vocal standouts were bass Solomon Howard as Sarastro and young artist soprano So Young Park, who nailed the Queen of the Night’s demanding Act II aria. Hartford Symphony Music Director Carolyn Kuan led a shimmering rendition of the magical score.

In Francesca Zambello’s lively production of Leonard Bernstein’s “Candide,” based on Voltaire’s satirical novel, we follow the title character from innocent youth through worldly disillusionment to hard-earned wisdom, always testing the relentless optimism of his teacher, Professor Pangloss. Tenor Andrew Stenson was a transparent Candide, and soprano Kathryn Lewek, a ravishing Cunegonde, his love interest. Baritone David Garrison was entertaining as Pangloss, and mezzo-soprano Marietta Simpson, a hoot as the Old Lady. Glimmerglass Music Director Joseph Colaneri highlighted all the shifting musical styles with mastery.

The three witches who open Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” were replaced in Anne Bogart’s production of Verdi’s operatic setting by a dozen women dressed in early 20th-century attire. Though initially disconcerting, her updated setting and minimal staging effectively illustrate the devastating impact of Macbeth’s ambition on his community and its timeless relevance. With fine performances by soprano Melody Moore as a haunted Lady Macbeth and Howard as a dignified Banquo and solid leadership from Colaneri, the wrenching account of the tortured Macbeth by bass-baritone Eric Owens was the biggest star turn of this year’s Festival.    

A stark production by Tazewell Thompson of Vivaldi’s “Cato in Utica” dramatized Roman senator Cato’s opposition to Caesar’s growingly imperial rule. Tenor Thomas Michael Allen was commanding as Cato, and countertenor John Holiday compelling as Caesar, but the finest vocal performance was young artist mezzo-soprano Megan Samarin’s anguished Marzia, Cato’s daughter and Caesar’s lover. Ryan Brown led the baroque orchestra with tenderness and fire.  

Special Glimmerglass events this weekend included a master class with soprano Deborah Voigt and four young artists, and a “Candide” Symposium featuring the composer’s daughter Jamie Bernstein and a panel discussion.

Glimmerglass Festival

Glimmerglass Festival, Cooperstown, NY

www.glimmerglass.org

July 11- August 24, 2014

by Michael J. Moran

Alice Busch Opera Theater

Glimmerglass’ 2014 season presents three “beloved audience favorites after each underwent several revisions” and a revised version of a recent premier. All four productions can be seen in one weekend during August in the ideal acoustics of the 900-seat Alice Busch Opera Theater.

The newest piece is Tobias Picker’s opera “An American Tragedy,” based on Theodore Dreiser’s 1925 novel, commissioned and first presented by the Metropolitan Opera in 2005. Dreiser added a wealthy love interest (Sondra Finchley) to the real-life story of Chester Gillette (Clyde Griffiths in the novel and opera), a poor factory worker in upstate New York with no assets but his good looks, who was convicted of murdering his pregnant lover Grace Brown (Roberta Alden) in 1906 and executed in 1908.

The shorter revision heightens the personal drama of the three principals but loses some of Dreiser’s broader focus on class. Most of the cast are current or past members of Glimmerglass’s impressive young artists program. Baritone Christian Bowers was a suave and callous heartthrob as Clyde, while soprano Vanessa Isiguen was a poignant Roberta and mezzo-soprano Cynthia Cook an aristocratic Sondra. Veteran opera conductor George Manahan led an incisive account.

Like “Tragedy,” Francesca Zambello’s delightful production of Strauss’s “Ariadne in Naxos” was reset from central Europe to a barn in upstate New York, where a burlesque troop and an opera company must provide simultaneous dinner entertainment. Featuring local children and farm animals, the cast was headlined by soprano and 2014 artist in residence Christine Goerke, who was a hilarious Prima Donna and a ravishing Ariadne. Soprano Rachele Gilmore was lively and moving as burlesque queen Zerbinetta, and Kathleen Kelly conducted a vibrant rendition.

But Puccini’s “Madame Butterfly” offered the breakout performance of the season in soprano Yunah Lee’s elegant, heartrending portrayal of Cio-Cio-San. Young artist mezzo-soprano Kristen Choi was a compelling Suzuki, and tenor Dinyar Vania as Pinkerton and baritone Aleksey Bogdanov were other cast standouts. The leadership of Festival music director Joseph Colaneri and the stark sets by Michael Yeargan were cathartically effective.

A dark and dramatic production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Carousel” (which conductor Doug Peck notes that Rodgers instructed his orchestrators to “treat as his own Puccini opera”) completed the Festival line-up. Bass-baritone Ryan McKinny, last year’s riveting Flying Dutchman, was an equally riveting Billy Bigelow, with a strong Julie Jordan from soprano Andrea Carroll and a brilliant Carrie Pipperidge from young artist soprano Sharin Apostolou.

Such nearby attractions as the Baseball Hall of Fame, scenic Otsego Lake, and the Fenimore Art Museum, this summer featuring tie-in exhibitions on Madame Butterfly’s Japan and the Gillette/Brown case, offer worthwhile diversions from the ample Glimmerglass schedule.