The Catskill Chronicle

Live and Lovely and Lyrical in Loch Sheldrake

Review by Barry Plaxen

LOCH SHELDRAKE & SOUTH FALLSBURG, NY (May 6, 2014) – The Live from the Met in HD offering at SUNY Sullivan in the beautiful Seelig Auditorium on April 28, 2014 was Mozart’s musical masterpiece “Cosi Fan Tutte.”

Similarly to Puccini’s “La Boheme,” the previous opera presentation in the series a few weeks ago, Mozart’s ”Cosi” was also given a most effective ensemble performance, resulting in a magical afternoon.

The somewhat unbelievable plot shifts from farce to drama to farce and back to drama, a bit of a somewhat unsatisfying situation. But, in a way, the masterful music negates any negativity one might feel from the somewhat cruel foolishness happening on the stage that involves two sisters and their fiancées.

Stage Director Robin Guarino’s staging was the highlight of the production for me. The two sisters moved with similar hand and body motions, as if they were twins, while their suitors each moved differently, one who swaggered and one who strutted.

The first act reached its artistic peak when, after a full act of the farcical situation with the actors constantly in movement, running around all over the stage, pathos enters with librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte and Mozart offering up possibly the most sublime trio in the Opera repertoire. Guarino brought the three singers downstage center, had them extremely close to each other and do nothing but stand perfectly still and sing the glorious music. A magical moment.

The sets and costumes by Michale Yeargan were a joy to behold, colorful and utile, AND very 18th century. The entire “soft” and fluid visual production was the creation of Lesly Koenig.

And the lovers and were all wonderful. The two sisters, soprano Susanna Phillips (Fiordiligi), mezzo Isabel Leonard (Dorabella), and their suitors, tenor Matthew Polenzani (Ferrando) and baritone Rodion Pogossov (Guglielmo).

Maurizio Muraro was the culprit (Don Alfonso) who starts the farcical ball rolling was a bit subdued perhaps, but as the chambermaid Despina who abets Don Alfonso’s absurd machinations, the delightfully bubbly soprano Danielle de Niese stole the show, especially with her two farcical disguises, but also with her excellent vocal and acting prowess.

This was not superstar afternoon, i.e. a world-class Leontyne Price or Eleanor Steber or Renee Fleming as Fiordiligi shining over others with their highly dramatic dexterity. This was true ensemble work by leading Met performers.

As good as they all are as singing-actors, I suspect the “perfect” visible and aural cohesion was abetted by conductor James Levine’s insistence on the melding of music and drama as one, neither taking precedence over the other. I believe that is the definition of “opera.”

There was much applause in the Loch Sheldrake auditorium during the performance, indicating the audience members’ responses to being dramatically involved and emotionally moved. A credit to all who participated in the successful production.

Next comes the last in the season’s series, Rossini’s “La Cenerentola” on May 10 at 1:00 p.m. For information: 845-434-5750, ext. 4377.

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Superb Schubert at St. Andrew’s in South Fallsburg

Even more magnificent than the afternoon in Loch Sheldrake, a few hours later at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in South Fallsburg, the first of this year’s Chamber Music at St. Andrews concerts took place.

We heard my own choice of what is the greatest chamber music work ever created by a human being, Franz Schubert’s “Quintet for 2 violins, viola and 2 cellos.” From Wikipedia: “Schubert’s only full-fledged string quintet, it has been praised as “sublime” and as possessing “bottomless pathos,” and is generally regarded as Schubert’s finest chamber work as well as one of the greatest compositions in all chamber music. (See what I mean?) Unlike the lovely here-and-there moments in the afternoon opera, Schubert’s four movement work is one continuous, never-pausing, magical moment.

It was followed by, sadly, a not terribly-impressive, though interesting, “Homage to J.S. Bach for Clarinet Solo” by Bela Kovacs (b. 1937) (photo right), and then Mozart’s masterpiece, “Clarinet Quintet in A Major,” a work local audiences have been lucky enough to hear live a few times recently in both Sullivan and Orange Counties. Typical Mozart: beautiful, emotional, inspired, innovative, “geniously” crafted, and “perfect.” The audience was most enthusiastic to say the least.

The evening offered six individual world class musicians performing as one magnificent entity. (Left to right row 1) Richard Rood, violin; Claire Chan, violin; Jessica Troy, viola; (left to right row 2) Eugene Moye, cello; Elizabeth Anderson, cello and Steven D. Hartman, clarinet The five string players’ performance of the Schubert quintet was – here I go again, sorry – “perfect.” The effects of their phrasing, dynamics, subtleties, warmth and deeply felt and communicated feelings were magical. It was a joy to watch and sense their interplay with each other and their dedicated and loving attention to the  music. (Thank you Ms. Anderson for your delicate pizzicato in the 2nd movement of the Schubert quintet.)

  I and a few others would have preferred for Mozart’s quintet to open the concert. After hearing Schubert’s quintet, anything else seems anticlimactic, believe it or not – even a Mozart masterpiece.

Yes, it is that powerful. Once it has said what it says, there is nothing else left to say. Anything else dissipates the Schubert “high,” and it is time to go home and revel with the sensations it instilled in you.

My deepest appreciation and thanks go to Peggy and Robert Friedman, the producers of the series, for bringing us the magnificent musicians and music.