Opera Per Tutti: Romanza @ Stan Hywet 9/19/10
Opera Per Tutti has no formal residence. The founder, Andrea Anelli, firmly believes that opera—especially when well done—can be performed and enjoyed almost anywhere. The Music Room of Stan Hywet may have hosted world-renowned artists in its storied past, but none of those performances could possibly have surpassed Romanza‘ for artistic quality.
Ms. Anelli is possessed not only with a lustrous soprano voice of great sensitivity, but also excellent acting skills. When combined with tenor Timothy Culver, whose lyric tenor has power to spare (but he is also an excellent actor), the audience (wherever) is treated to an operatic extravaganza! Romanza was no exception, drawing more than a few tears in the process, entirely due to the emotion so beautifully expressed.
Pianist Jeannette Davis Ostrander was their musical equal at the keyboard of the Steinway concert grand, providing sensitive and intelligent collaboration, as well as thoughtful lyricism in her own solo turn—the Nocturne No. 4 in Eflat major of Gabriel Fauré. It was a restful interval, although no less difficult than the rest of the program.
In addition to solo arias and art songs about love—celebrating the beginning of or bemoaning the loss of it—the two vocalists lavished extra attention on two duets of utmost romanticism. Nuit d’hymenee, from Gounod’s Romeo and Juliet and Puccini’s Che gelida manina from La Boheme could have left no doubt in anyone’s mind that these two couples (Romeo and Juliet plus Rodolfo and Mimi) were intensely involved with each other. In fact, as in the latter opera when the two young lovers who have just discovered their love leave the stage together, so too, did the singers here repeat that action, walking off-stage, arm in arm.
Generally alternating appearances, with the occasional duet for variety, the program allowed Ms. Anelli to be provocative in the Seguidilla from Carmen, reminiscent in In quelle trine morbide from Manon Lescaut and luminous in Morgen by Richard Strauss. Mr. Culver was impressive in Bizet’s Flower Song (all those high notes!) and then displayed perfect diction in Romberg’s The Desert Song. (Indeed, it was in English, but that’s not always so manifestly clear as in this instance.)
The two combined for a greatly appreciated encore – If I Loved You from Carousel.
Stan Hywet’s Music Room has wonderful acoustics, especially for this type of intimate program.
For more information about Stan Hywet, the phone is: 1-330-836-5533 and the website is: http://www.StanHywet.org. Opera Per Tutti is found at http://www.OperaPerTutti.org or by calling 1-440-285-1874. They will be featured on Fri 9/24 at 7:30PM in the Ingenuity Fest program “Opera Goes Global” at the Detroit-Superior Bridge in downtown Cleveland.
From Cool Cleveland contributor Kelly Ferjutz, who writes: My most recently published book is Ardenwycke Unveiled (e-book and trade paper). Cerridwen has another contemporary romance from me, But Not For Love, currently available only as an e-book, but perhaps will be in print later this year. I hope to soon get around to completing some of the 30+ incomplete books in my computer!By the way, Cerridwen has also accepted two of my short stories in their Scintillating Samples (complimentary reads) area: Song of the Swan and Unexpected Comfort. I love photography as well, as you can see here. Occasionally I teach writing workshops and sometimes do editing or ghostwriting on a free-lance basis. But over and above everything else, there’s always been the writing. I can’t imagine my life without it.
And now, after more than a few requests, I’ve started a blog about writing. You can find it here.