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Tom Gold Dance @ Florence Gould Hall

Monday February 27, 2012 – Tom Gold (above in a Matt Murphys photo), formerly a brilliant and popular soloist at New York City Ballet, has been touring with his own chamber ensemble of dancers for the past four years, performing in Israel and Europe. Tonight he brought his stellar group of City Ballet colleagues (and a luscious ABT guest) to Florence Gould Hall in a full evening of his own choreography.

On the program were four works, three of which were danced to live music. This added to the immediacy of the evening, which was marked by top-notch dancing (a given, considering Tom’s roster) and genuine enthusiasm on the part of the audience. Tom’s choreography is rooted in the classical ballet vocabulary; even when the ballets take on aspects of Chinoiserie or of Argentine tango, the combinations stay true to the essence of classic technique. The dancing is non-stop – there’s no standing about or promenading in Tom’s ballets: if you are onstage, you are dancing…unless you are sitting out one of the tangos. To me it seemed the choreography was really demanding, calling for absolute technique which, of course, these dancers have.

The opening work, ELEMENTAL, immediately set the dance in motion. Alexandre Desplat’s Far Eastern-coloured score (the only recorded music of the evening) along with the delicate gestures of the girls in their silky, short tunics gave the feeling of Orientalia with a contemporary touch. While the dancers played with the subtle wit of their characterizations, there was no stinting on the steps. Duets for Abi Stafford and Robert Fairchild, and for Sara Mearns and Jared Angle, gave us a chance to savour the star quality of four of NYCB’s finest dancers. Meanwhile a sprightly trio for Amanda Hankes, Lauren King and Kristen Segin was particularly appealing. The stage at Florence Gould seemed barely able to contain the energy of these dancers, with Russell Janzen towering over his colleagues and dancing handsomely.

NYCB concertmaster Kurt Nikkanen and pianist Susan Walters gave luminous life to music of Satie, Poulenc and Faure for Tom’s SUITE FRANCAISE, an extended pas de deux in three movements, each with a different mood: lyric, dramatic, romantic. ABT soloist Simone Messmer was partnered by NYCB’s danseur noble de luxe Tyler Angle, a duo I’d love to see more of.

Simone Messmer was simply ravishing; only a handful of ballerinas in my experience have the perfumed radiance of this enigmatic and sublime dancer: total gorgeousness from the moment she stepped onstage. I was thoroughly bewitched.

Tom Gold’s MOZART VARIATIONS is an elegant tutu ballet, and a complete delight. This is the perfect point to commend Tom for his excellent musical choices, and send a signal to other choreographers that great music invariably makes your choreography all the finer. Here my lovely Abi Stafford reveled in her technical refinement with Jared Angle ever the prince of cavaliers. Russell Janzen again made his mark, as did one of NYCB‘s emerging bright lights: Kristen Segin – rather a late addition to Tom’s group – who danced charmingly. In recent seasons, my opera glasses have often been trained on Amanda Hankes, a particular favorite among my beloved NYCBers; she’s simply so fetching and I really enjoyed having the opportunity to see her dancing in this more intimate setting. Rounding out the cast of this Mozart jewel was Devin Alberda, a perfectly polished young dancer whose work always has a distinctive quality. Duo pianists Ms. Walters and Jeffery Moore gave the dancers perfect support.

I have a thing for tango ballets…yes, really. Tom Gold’s TANGO FANTASIE provided a flourishing finale for the evening, keeping things on the up-and-up musically (tango king Astor Piazzolla and other works in the genre) while allowing the dancers to let their hair down a bit, yet with no slouching in the choreographic demands. Hot red frocks for the girls and red billowy shirts for the boys gave everything a sultry feel; when not dancing, the dancers observed their colleagues from chairs placed along the sidelines. Abi Stafford and Jared Angle danced an enticing duet, and Sara Mearns and Tyler Angle crossed paths in this nightclub more than once. Outstanding dancing from Robert Fairchild, exuding star quality even when standing still. As the dancers dipped and swayed thru the dangerous rhythms of the tango, one moment captivated: swirling out of a sexy solo passage, Sara Mearns sank into a chair where she magically arranged herself with the provocative languor of a silver screen goddess. You couldn’t take your eyes off her.

Kurt Nikkanen and Susan Walters gave the tangos all the sinuous allure they deserve; Kurt’s silky style also stood out in an interlude before the final work began.

Maria Kowroski, Wendy Whelan, Stephen Hanna, Suki Schorer, and Anne Bass were among the crowd, along with Stacy Caddell and Willy Burmann, both of whom are working with Tom Gold and his dancers. This was a most enjoyable evening of dance and I hope it heralds more opportunites to see Tom’s work in the future.

February 27, 2012
Lydia Johnson Dance @ Peridance: Golijov

Sunday February 26, 2012 matinee – Lydia Johnson Dance presented two works at Peridance this afternoon. The performance marked the first full presentation of Lydia’s new, as-yet-untitled work to music of Osvaldo Golijov as well as a revival of her 2006 piece to music of Philip Glass: FALLING OUT.

Kokyat and I have been following the creation of the Golijov work from its earliest days, visiting the studio periodically to view the work’s progress. Lydia is so generous in sharing her creative process, giving us an extraordinary insight into how ideas become danceworks.

Click on each image to enlarge:

In the Golijov, a trio of women first appear in soft golden gowns; their black-lace bodices provide a Spanish feel. Remaining in place, they perform a gestural ritual implying both spirituality and cleansing.

Quietly they move in a circular pattern…

…which is expanded by the entry of two more women.

With an unexpected juxtaposition of calm and urgency, the women continue their mysterious rites as the music takes on a soulful expression.

Images of silent despair and of consolation are evoked…

…blended with uplifting gestures of unity and hope.

The final movement of the Golijov is marked by themes of rocking as each girl in turn swoons into the arms of her sisters to be gently lulled.

In this work, choreographer Lydia Johnson seems to be telling a story yet the mystique of the five women – who they are and what their rituals mean to them – is left to the imagination of each viewer. One of the things about Lydia’s work that I most appreciate is her unerring taste in music: she always seeks out the best, whatever genre she might decide to work in. Here, the religious themes of the Golijov pieces she uses offer a wide range of interpretative images, from the earthy to the sublime. Darkly handsome in atmosphere, this dancework resonates with the bonds of sisterly unity and affection; it steers clear of sentimentality, thus striking a deeper chord.

Always a choreographer’s greatest good fortune: to have dancers who understand and communicate the imagined nuances of a given work. The lyricism and grace of the five women dancing in the Golijov maintained the spirit of the music and movement from first note to last. They are (above): Sarah Pon, Lisa Iannacito McBride, Kaitlin Accetta, Laura DiOrio, and Jessica Sand.

Details of the afternoon’s second work, set to music of Philip Glass, will appear here shortly.

All photographs by Kokyat.

February 26, 2012
Lydia Johnson Dance @ Peridance: Glass

The second work on the program at Lydia Johnson Dance‘s February 26th, 2012 matinee at Peridance was FALLING OUT, a 2006 dancework set to the 3rd Symphony of Philip Glass. Above: dancer Jessica Sand photographed by Kokyat.

FALLING OUT is a dramatic dancework revolving around the tempestuous relationship of a man and a woman (Max van der Sterre and Kerry Shea); their moody encounters range from tender to combative over the course of the piece.

A second woman (Jessica Sand, seated right above) creates the third corner of a romantic triangle. She remains an alluring object of desire for the man, though they never touch.

Meanwhile, a chorus of women remain on the sidelines; their synchronized movements rarely infringe oin the central drama yet they appear as additional enticements for the man…or possibly as lovers from his past.

The tension rises as the women observe each other warily; at last the central couple actually come to blows.

Things seem to resolve, and harmony is restored.

Yet in the work’s final moment, Max’s gaze is again captured by an elusive vision.

Read about the other work on this program here.

All photography by Kokyat.

February 26, 2012
Lydia Johnson Dance @ Peridance: Gallery

A gallery of Kokyat’s images from the two works presented by Lydia Johnson Dance at Peridance on the afternoon of February 26th, 2012. Above: Lisa Iannacito McBride in the untitled Golijov.

Laura DiOrio

Jessica Sand

Jessica Sand, Lisa Iannacito McBride, Kaitlin Accetta

Laura DiOrio

Ensemble

From Lydia Johnson’s untitled Golijov.

The second work on the program was FALLING OUT, set to the third symphony pf Philip Glass. Above, Kerry Shea.

Ensemble

Kerry Shea & Max van der Sterre

Max and Kerry

Kerry Shea

Max van der Sterre & Kerry Shea in Lydia Johnson’s FALLING OUT.

All photos by Kokyat.

February 26, 2012
Stravinsky & Desyatnikov @ New York City Ballet

February 23, 2012 – New York City Ballet has been my home away from home since I moved to New York City in 1998. In fact, NYCB was a major factor in my desire to move here in the first place. This season has seen the effects of changes in ticket pricing and seating availability, along with the marginalizing of the 4th Ring Society and the way long-time friends and supporters of the Company feel they have been treated by the powers that be. The official stance seems to be that the changes are working and that everything’s hunky-dory, but the gaping emptiness of the 4th Ring (ten people sitting up there tonight) is a sad commentary on the real situation.

Increases in ticket prices are a necessary evil from time to time, but it’s the way it was done and the lack of sync between the website and the box office in terms of availability and pricing that is off-putting to say the least. The level of dancing is very high and the lure of Balanchine is as strong as ever, but the sheer joy of attending often and feeling you are part of a happy family of ballet-goers is greatly diminished these days. In this Winter season where I’d ear-marked 14 performances on my calendar, I ended up only going six times.

At any rate, when the curtain rose on STRAVINSKY VIOLIN CONCERTO tonight and Janie Taylor was standing there with four handsome boys, I forgot my misgivings. On the podium, George Manahan brought out individual voices in the orchestra – as we might expect a seasoned opera conductor to do – and violinist Lydia Hong conveyed the angular beauty of the concerto in an overall very pleasing performance.

Janie and her partner Ask LaCour gave an especially fine rendering of their duet; in the course of it I noticed things in the choreography that I’d somehow never picked up on before. The allure of the two dancers, and the Taylor mystique, seemed in a way to create a narrative where there isn’t one. I really enjoyed watching them.

Maria Kowroski and Amar Ramasar are developing into a powerful and vastly appealing partnership. Their pas de deux was marvelous in its sense of nuanced dramatic detail and in the dancers’ technical strength and clarity which both underscored the complex choreography and made it seem inevitable.

The corps danced beautifully, and it is wonderful to see Faye Arthurs onstage again after a hiatus. It was a performance of this classic work that re-affirmed its iconic standing in the Balanchine pantheon.

Ratmansky’s RUSSIAN SEASONS is an unique ballet in many ways; drawing on aspects of Russian peasant life, the choreographer presents characters who are anonymous yet differentiated by finely detailed aspects of gesture and movement. The music, with it’s prominent violin (Arturo Delmoni) and soulful singing (Irina Rindzuner) all came back to me from the moment of Manahan’s downbeat. The score, and the rich colours of the dancers’ costumes, weaves a particular spell. I was very glad to see this piece again after a few seasons’ absence from the repertoire.

The Playbill now denotes role debuts at NYCB, and only Georgina Pazcoguin had previously appeared in her role as the Woman in Red. Abi Stafford danced in the premiere of RUSSIAN SEASONS but has now switched to the role originally created by Jenifer Ringer. Beyond that, the cast drew together some of the Company’s most attractive personalities.

Amanda Hankes, Marika Anderson and Lauren Lovette were each lovely and distinctive to watch, while the presence of Taylor Stanley, David Prottas, Andrew Veyette, Adrian Danchig-Waring and Christian Tworzyanski showed off the strengths of the Company’s male contingent.

Abi Stafford’s performance had a nice sense of freshness to compliment her clarity of movement. As the central couple, Rebecca Krohn and Robert Fairchild used their personal magnetism to full advantage. Rebecca’s dancing was serene – and poignant in the passage where she seems to have been abandoned. Rob Fairchild seized the opportunity to make yet another ballet ‘sing’ to his charismatic approach. His dancing was technically impressive and dramatically vivid.

In a glorious performance, Georgina Pazcoguin’s Woman in Red was suffused with her highly individual beauty and intensity; as she swirled with a restless spirit through the many swift pirouettes and space-filling combinations of this demanding role, Gina seemed like a woman possessed. Truly breath-taking at every moment.

STRAVINSKY VIOLIN CONCERTO: Taylor, la Cour, Kowroski, Ramasar

RUSSIAN SEASONS: Pazcoguin, *Krohn, *A. Stafford, *Lovette, *Hankes, *Anderson, *R. Fairchild, *Prottas, *Stanley, *Tworzyanski, *Danchig-Waring, *Veyette

February 23, 2012
Labyrinth Within @ BAC

Tuesday February 21, 2012 – Swedish dancer/choreographer/film-maker Pontus Lidberg (above) created his half-hour film LABYRINTH WITHIN over a four year period; as he revealed at tonight’s showing at Baryshnikov Arts Center, Wendy Whelan was his muse from the start – even before she got involved in the project.

The movie is a fascinating experience on many levels: as a captivating visual work of art; as a choreographic melding of two contrasting pas de deux; as a poignant musical expression; and in its exploration of relationships where ideas about trust, jealousy, and passions real or imagined provide restless, suspenseful undercurrents right from the opening frame. The film also serves as a spine-tingling introduction of a great ballerina to a new medium: Wendy Whelan on-screen is as thoroughly riveting as Wendy Whelan onstage.

The dreamlike atmosphere of the film leaves us to ponder whether the romantic triangle we are watching is real or imagined. LABYRINTH WITHIN wraps themes of infidelity, the allure of sexual enticement, and of escape from the everyday into a passionate dreamworld in a veil of mystery. The realms of reality and fantasy overlap; the viewer can only savour the elements of the film and draw his own conclusions.

The three protagonists draw us into their respective worlds: Giovanni Bucchieri is the darkly handsome husband, Wendy Whelan the evasive and enigmatic wife, and Pontus Lidberg the blonde and beautiful lover. Giovanni seems like a pre-occupied workaholic who has neglected his marriage, yet his sensuous mouth indicates a voluptuous nature under the businessman facade. Wendy, the most intriguing person I have ever encountered, doesn’t need to act; by simply being on-screen her character lives and draws us deeply into the mysterious story and into the secret room where her fantasy becomes flesh. Pontus is the idealized lover, the embodiment of masculine grace and tenderness, his torso a landscape of muscle and fair skin.

In the film’s opening moments, the two men appear to be wrestling with one another in fragmented dream sequences. But once the tale is underway, they meet only fleetingly on a staircase. Wendy dances with both of the men in sharply contrasted styles: with her husband the movement is angluar, cool and detached. Her beautifully-filmed scenes with her beloved are sensuous without being sexual; their passion is urgent yet somehow languid at the same time. Pontus strips down to his black briefs but Wendy keeps her black dress on; the glimpses of thigh, neck, streaming hair and entwined limbs are more evocative than any more blatant sexual scene that might have been crafted.

At the end, Giovanni breaks into the forbidden room. What does he find there? Ah, you must see the film to find out!

Pontus spoke of creating the entire work with composer David Lang’s music in mind but without having the actual pieces from the composer (some already written, some specially created for the film) to work with. Amazing how organic the final fusion of film, dance and music turned out. Maya Beiser’s ravishing cello playing gives an added texture of romance, longing and suspicion to the film.

LABYRINTH WITHIN – both the film and the staged dancework inspired by it – may be seen this Summer at Jacob’s Pillow (details here), followed by a two-week, five-city tour of Sweden as part of Dancenet in October, and then at here in New York City in Autumn 2012.

Tonight’s showing at BAC drew a packed house and many luminaries: NYCB‘s Janie Taylor and Sebastien Marcovici, the radiant Pauline Golbin, ballerina de luxe Alessandra Ferri, photographer/film-maker David Michalek (husband of Ms. Whelan), MORPHOSES‘s lovely Frances Chaverini, choreographer Laura Ward, and my dear friend writer/artist Monica Wellington. NYC Ballet soloist Adrain Danchig-Waring makes a brief appearance in the film.

In 2010 as the film was being completed, both Pontus and Wendy generously contibuted to an article about the project for my blog, and Wendy loaned me her evocative images. You will find the story here.

February 21, 2012
Master Class: Herman Cornejo @ MMAC

Monday February 20, 2012 – Herman Cornejo, one of the most dazzling dancers on the face of the Earth, gave a Master Class at Manhattan Movement and Arts Center today. The studio was packed with young dancers and Herman generously extended the normal 90-minute class time by adding an extra half-hour for the boys. And then he stayed on beyond that, working on specifics with the guys who were – of course – thrilled with this unexpected bonus. After about five minutes of impromptu coaching, Herman asked if the studio was needed for another class; since it wasn’t, he seemed to be settling in for some intensive work with the dancers. When I left, they were still at it – with Herman demonstrating some phenomenal combinations and sharing the secrets of the phenomenal technique.

Herman has a melodious speaking voice, sometimes slipping charmingly into Spanish. The Argentine premier danseur clearly loves his craft and is anxious to share his knowledge; he encourages the dancers to find the balance between lyricism and the dynamics of the movement. His own impeccable style is so fluid, graceful and yet thoroughly masculine, and he worked patiently with the boys to explore the mechanics of the basic steps on which they can build the expressive qualities of their dancing.

Watching Herman toss off his combinations was both a revelation and an inspiration. Seeing him perform with ABT at The Met is always thrilling – a GISELLE he danced with Xiomara Reyes remains in my mind as a highlight of the last three decades of ballet-going – and watching him at close range in the studio was an inspiring experience. I’d been having kind of a down day but observing this class really gave me a rush; imagine if I’d actually been able to take the class! I found myself envying the young dancers and again wishing to be 50 years younger and knowing that this was what I was meant to have done. Illusions are by their nature sweet, as the Marquise de Merteuil would say.

As I passed by the huge studio window while heading home, I saw that the boys were still dancing away, with Herman right in the thick of things. What a generous artist and person. I came home and grabbed my ABT schedule; I have to see Herman Cornejo onstage again at the earliest opportunity.

My gratitude to Herman, MMAC’s Erin Fogarty and publicist Michelle Brandon Tabnick for allowing me to watch this uplifting class. Erin and I had a great time comparing our (lack of) photographic skills. A few of my pictures are here.

February 20, 2012
In The Studio with Tom Gold

tomgolddance, founded by former New York City Ballet soloist Tom Gold, are preparing to offer their first New York City full-evening of ballets at Florence Gould Hall on Monday February 27th. Ticket information here. New York City Ballet principal dancers Jared Angle and Sara Mearns are among the stellar line-up of featured dancers. Photo by Matthew Murphy.

tomgolddance have been touring for the past four years; Tom now presents four of his ballets for the New York audience, with music by Mozart, Desplat, Satie, Poulenc and Piazzolla. Photographer Matt Murphy and I stopped by a rehearsal last week where we watched some of NYCB‘s finest dancers working with Tom.

Abi Stafford

Gretchen Smith

Russell Janzen

Amanda Hankes

Abi Stafford, Robert Fairchild

Kristen Segin

Jared & Sara

Abi Stafford

Tyler Angle, Sara Mearns

Tom Gold

ABT soloist Simone Messmer, such an entrancing dancer, arrived just as Matt and I were heading out. We stopped to catch up with her for a few moments before she started dancing; kind of sorry we didn’t get to see her in action in the studio, but that’s one more reason to look forward to February 27th.

All photos by Matt Murphy, with my thanks to him for taking time out of his already-busy day to meet me at Tom’s rehearsal.

February 19, 2012
TWO BALANCHINE MASTERWORKS

Above: Maria Kowroski photographed by Matt Furman. Maria danced AGON this evening at New York City Ballet, winning a spectacular ovation after her pas de deux with Amar Ramasar.

Saturday February 18, 2012 evening – I’ve been going to New York City Ballet less and less these days. The dancers and the ballets still excite and entice me but the way things are being run there is a real turn-off. I’ve had to pick and choose my programmes carefully, and I have missed some debuts that I’d love to have seen but simply couldn’t afford to attend. Meanwhile the presence of two recent disasters on the programming meant there were whole weeks when there was no cause to go.

Tonight was my only chance to see AGON and Tchaikovsky SUITE #3 this season; it was unfortunate that the other work on the programme was INTERPLAY, one of my least-favorite ballets. Compounding the tedium of the Robbins work, we had to sit thru an ‘introduction’ to Morton Gould’s third-rate music before the ballet started. To say that it was well-danced is an under-statement but in a way the better it’s danced the sorrier I feel for the dancers strapped with this juvenile, gee-whiz drivel.

INTERPLAY put me in a pissy mood. But the moment the curtain rose on the four men – Adrian Danchig-Waring, Amar Ramasar, Craig Hall and Sean Suozzi – at the start of AGON, the stars fell into perfect alignment and all seemed right with the world. This euphoric feeling continued through the evening’s concluding Tchaikovsky SUITE #3 as well. On the podium Clotilde Otranto (Stravinsky) and guest conductor Daniel Capps (Tchaikovsky) illuminated the music of these two geniuses, properly eradicating the insipidity of the opening Gould.

In AGON Maria Kowroski had one of those nights that great ballerinas sometimes have when their technique and artistry transcend the music and the steps and transport the audience to an exalted state. Magnificently partnered by Amar Ramasar, Maria was on fire from her first entrance. Moving through the sculptural poses of the pas de deux, her sensational legs and line were molded by the magnetic Amar into improbable designs that only a genius like Balanchine could have conceived. As the duet progressed the two dancers went beyond the physical into some cosmic otherworld. They slumped into their final pose and were engulfed in a tidal wave of applause and cheers; they had to step forward and bow three times and even then the audience were reluctant to let the ballet proceed. At the end of AGON, Maria and Amar were called out for an extra bow as the crowd went wild. So wonderful to hear this kind of enthusiasm. And they deserved every bit of it.

But it was that kind of AGON…right from the start, actually. Sean Suozzi’s dynamic solo set the ballet on its marvelous trajectory; my hat is ever off to Sean for the edgy brilliance and unstinting personal commitment of his dancing. He was spectacular tonight. Amanda Hankes and Ashley Laracey remind us of how rich in ballerina treasures our corps de ballet is.

In a striking tour de force role debut, Megan LeCrone yet again served notice that she is one of New York City Ballet‘s most fascinating dancers. Her strength and clarity of movement underscore her distinctive look, giving her performances a compelling quality; I always feel an extra twinge of anticipation when I see her name on the casting list. Tonight she was especially impressive. Her two charismatic cavaliers were Adrian Danchig-Waring and Craig Hall; they danced their duet vividly, like young gods cavorting on Olympus. We are so lucky to have them.

AGON always seems like a big ballet but really there are only a dozen dancers involved; tonight’s quartet of supporting ballerinas was particularly attractive: Marika Anderson, Dana Jacobson, Gretchen Smith, and Lydia Wellington. These girls appeared again in various capacities in the concluding Tchaikovsky SUITE #3 where – in fact – the entire corps shone with individual and collective dazzle.

In the haunted ballroom, the pale dreamer (Ask LaCour) conjures up a luminous vision of feminine perfection (Sara Mearns). Backed by a sextette of long-haired beauties, the couple dance a hypnotic, dreamlike duet of pursuit and evasion. Sara Mearns was radiantly voluptuous and Ask LaCour questingly poetic as they moved to the heart-stopping theme of the Elegie; Ask can only fleetingly hold onto his ideal as she eludes him time and again. At the end, Sara sweeps into an iconically deep backbend as a farewell gesture before vanishing altogether from this vision of romantic rapture, leaving Ask alone in his reverie. The moment stabs me in the heart every time.

Janie Taylor has only to step onto the stage to make my heart race; her captivating allure and mystery enslaved me yet again in the Valse Melancolique where her sylphlike figure and glorious hair were set afloat on Balanchine’s ethereal waltz. Jared Angle, ever the ideal cavalier, treated his ballerina like the treasure she is. This brief film, which I have watched a hundred times and will watch hundreds more, captures a bit of Janie Taylor’s unique magic.

In an evening of ballerina splendors, Ana Sophia Scheller once again made me long for her Nikiya, Giselle and Aurora as she swirled thru the restless pirouettes and fouettes of the Scherzo. In a floaty, gauzy gown the Argentine beauty sailed on the music with a glamorous air: simply intoxicating. Antonio Carmena was her high-leaping cavalier; it is always a great pleasure to see Antonio onstage. Among the corps, Callie Bachman was particularly luscious.

After all this, something truly grand was needed to cap the evening and as the lights went up on Theme and Variations, the youthful royal couple Megan Fairchild and Joaquin de Luz stood ready. They danced superbly: who needs champagne when you have Megan and Joaquin to get you high?! Megan’s elegant pirouettes and her Aurora-like charm seemed absolutely perfect this evening while Joaquin gave a performance remarkable both in its execution and in his handsome, princely appearance. Such a pleasure to watch this celebrated partnership tonight.

Outstanding THEME demi-solistes this evening: Gwyneth Muller, Amanda Hankes, Lauren King and Brittany Pollack – each a ballerina of unique qualities. Their cavaliers were Andrew Scordato, Christian Tworzyanski, Devin Alberda and Austin Laurent; Austin has been looking especially good ths season. The full bevy of corps beauties and handsome young danseurs filled the stage for the finale, moving in Mr. B’s gloriously structured patterns to bring the evening to a fantastic finish.

My special thanks to photographer Matt Furman for allowing me to use his portrait of Maria Kowroski.

February 18, 2012
Unenchanted Evening

Monday January 30, 2012 – The Met’s Baroque pastiche ENCHANTED ISLAND made for a dismal night at the opera. Placido Domingo as Neptune, in a Ken Howard production photo above, gave the performance one of its few perk-up moments. His voice, though aged, remains a distinctive instrument and he brought a real personality to his relatively brief appearance, something no other singer in the cast was able to do.

The Playbill featured a two-page synopsis. Drawing on two complex and brilliant Shakespeare masterpieces, THE TEMPEST and MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM, the plot is a mishmash of characters and situations that do not engage us emotionally, and rarely even theatrically. The libretto is cheesy and stilted; avoiding Shakesperian style, it has a contemporary feel at odds with the setting and the music. Forced humour abounds, and the characters are made to sing uncomfortably-structured sentences. Unable to understand much of the diction, I flipped on my Met Titles and regretted it because reading the script added to a sense of deflation as the first act progressed.

The opera is much too long. The 90-minute first act seemed to have reached a pleasant climax with the Neptune scene, but then there was another prolonged slow aria for Prospero. Oddly, the house lights suddenly came on at full brightness during the postlude of this aria, then were dimmed and turned off again.

Slow arias in fact abound; but that proved as well since none of the singers had the needed vocal facility to astonish us with their coloratura. The annoying voice of Danielle DeNiese as Ariel went in one ear and out the other; she made no vocal impression at all. Anthony Roth Costanzo, replacing David Daniels as Prospero, seemed over-parted in the big house; pushing for volume, his sustained notes sometimes took on a steady beat. At other times the voice vanished behind the orchestra. Joyce Di Donato was announced as indisposed but she had “graciously consented…blah, blah, blah.” Please singers: if you are unwell enough to need an announcement, don’t sing. We don’t pay Met prices to hear sick singers. At any rate, Di Donato only had one bad low note, but her voice – even in full health – lacks a distinctive colour, the sort of personal timbre that made singers like Teresa Berganza, Dame Janet Baker and Frederica von Stade so instantly identifiable. Luca Pisaroni tended to be over-emphatic in his fiorature which verged on barking at times. Lisette Oropesa sang attractively as Miranda as did Paul Appleby as as Demetrius. The libretto did them no favors, but they – and in fact everyone onstage – went at the words gamely enough, even if they felt foolish doing so.

The idea of doing a Baroque pastische is not a bad one but it seemed to me that between the tedious libretto, too many ‘laments’, and the too-busy plot, ENCHANTED ISLAND was going nowhere. Two 45-minute acts with a 20-minute intermission should have sufficed; instead there were expendable arias, unnecessary da capos, and overdrawn recits as the first act stretched onward. We left at half-time and so, it seems, did lots of other people.

January 30, 2012