PSU Opera lives up to its sterling reputation with Britten's Albert Herring

Portland State University Opera presented another professional-quality run with Benjamin Britten's only comic opera, Albert Herring. The performance on April 29 at the Lincoln Performance Hall was spectacular; yet another feather in the cap of this marvelous program.

Opening with a nice Victorian hubbub, Grace Skinner as the housekeeper and Jonathan Robert's Superintendent Budd (in a fine, pure baritone) demonstrated poise and nuance in their vocal performances. The overall production was redolent with Victorian stuffiness, and this group performed marvelously in their send-up of this 'morally righteous' time. Helen Soultanian's (Lady Billows) rich, full mezzo was well-suited for this role, and her ornamentation was impeccable.

There was true beauty in the ensemble about Albert's virtue, even if the sopranos tended to dominate to the detriment of other voices at times. The orchestra was up to the task in their difficult job--there was mischief and tomfoolery there as well, and a fine cacophony from the winds in the first act. The 'Peach' duet between Sid and Nancy (Erik Standifird and Celine Clark) was at turns humorous and slyly lustful.

Christian Sanders as Albert Herring was a real showstopper. His incredible tenor was matched by his acting--even in the midst of a high comedy such as this, his ability to portray the frustration and smothered angst that seems to define Herring's life was crucial.  His voice was up to this difficult task, expressive and seemingly effortless, and with impeccable diction to boot. Sanders took his time enunciating, acting--doing all the small things necessary to make comedy work. He was not content to lean to heavily on the situation itself (the drunken 'male ingenue') but worked tirelessly to make sure all the subtleties were there.

The dirge-like quartet wherein the group meditates on what they were sure was Herring's death was appropriately weighty, an emotional counterpoint to all the levity. The audience is posed with a difficult quandary: do we laugh, knowing as we do that Albert is perfectly fine, or grieve with those who are sure that he has died? As a whole, the singers demonstrated a real sensitivity, and a natural feeling for the odd, intoxicating textual underlay that singing Britten demands.

Portland State University Opera always delivers a high-quality product in which it seems everyone is giving every ounce to the performance, and the sum feels greater than the marvelous parts. Albert Herring was no exception.

Oregon Symphony Delivers Marine Sound Feast Centered around Debussy's La Mer

Fingal's Cave
Thomas Moran, 1884 oil on canvas

Saturday the 22nd at the Schnitz the Oregon Symphony played a concert that was largely marine in theme, with works by Mendelssohn, Debussy, and an American premier by Toshio Hosokawa. The lone exception was the Violin Concerto by Benjamin Britten, featuring soloist Simone Lamsma and directed by the excellent Jun Markl.

The opening work was Mendelssohn's The Hebrides (Fingal's Cave).The famous see-sawing, sighing opening theme immediately giving the evening a nautical footing, and the orchestra transitioned nicely to the stormy motive and back again, conveying a sense of disquiet, and a restless sea.

Simone Lamsma returned to the stage for OSO for the first time since her smashing performance of the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto last year. She plays strongly, insistent yet not without delicacy. She clearly has something to say, and makes that plain from the start. Her technique is spectacular and wide-ranging: a fierce chordal spiccato, intensive sawing in the low range yielding to nimble, dance-like moments further up. The many tragical moments of the work were not yet drowned in sorrow--her instrument sang with a voice that could not be repressed, nor yet weighted down by sadness. Other sections demanded a fierce, saucy pizzicato, reveling in two-note dissonances.

In the Vivace there were terrifying glissandi, and she handed off the haunting harmonic passages seamlessly to the piccoli, a difficult transition with a memorable effect. The cadenza was completely mesmerizing, including a difficult trick of bowing some strings while simultaneously plucking others with the left hand. The fantastically difficult chromatic runs of the finale she handled with ease, yielding to a meditative exhalation. Truly a spectacular performance.

The second half opened with the American premier of Japanese composer Toshio Hosokawa's Circulating Ocean, a programmatic piece also meant to suggest the cycle of human life from nothingess, to existence, then a return to non-existence. De niente, winds began to sound from an aspirated alto flute and other winds as gentle tinkling from tiny Japanese wind bells broke through the breathy atmosphere. A very evocative feeling of crawling mist grew, with the brass gurgling up, muffled as if from a great depth. Surrounding all was a ceaseless susurration from the strings.

This was a fantastically imaginative work early on for percussion: tam tams and bowed celesta, Japanese temple bowls and the wind bells and an antique cymbal featured among the instruments.  There was next to nothing by way of true melody early on: snatches here and there from celesta but later there were bits of half-themes and short motives from flute, bassoon and strings. It was really more of a great sound-picture, a reflection on impermanence. This was a work of stunning imagination, and this surely will not be the last time it is heard in the U.S.

Debussy's great symphonic work La Mer closed out the evening. The intro and moments later in the third felt almost rusty--what should at times have been mellifluous instead came off as stilted. All the pieces were there, just not perfectly fit together.  The second movement, the Jeu de vagues, really pulled together well. Much more effortless; the stunning, giant crescendo and fortissimo arrival was incredibly evocative and breathtaking.   The movement continued frenetic and moody, with wonderful work from strings--violins appropriately sentimental at times, and with grandiose yet subdued work from the cellos.

The entire evening was really incredible stuff--there was some fantastic noise being made that night, in the best sense of the term. This concert repeats tonight and tomorrow night at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall.

Portland State Opera Dreams Big

Alan Smith and Whitney Steele as Lysander and Hermia

Portland State University's award-winning opera program continued its string of successes with Benjamin Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Lincoln Performance Hall on Sunday, April 27. Directed by David Edwards and produced by the PSU Opera Department under Douglas Schneider and Christine Meadows, with the orchestra conducted by Ken Selden, the project was a musically ambitious undertaking, and this production showcased the high level of talent that is possible in a student opera.

The opening fairy chorus wanted for more dynamic contrasts to offset the monochromatic melodic lines, but the blocking was fine...slowly acrobatic and appropriately hypnotic. Their later choruses were more nuanced. When Tytania (Hannah Consenz) took the stage, her presence and vocal ability were immediately obvious. When she sang 'Come, now a roundel' later in the performance, it was haunting, and mysterious--completely engaging.

The vocal requirements for the role of Oberon presented an extreme challenge, and it was nice to hear that Loren Masanque was up to the task. The agility necessary for the rapid and difficult switching between loft and modal voices was certainly within Masanque's capability; to hear him do this while maintaining crisp and near-perfect diction was a real pleasure.

When the merry group of players took the stage, they were shepherded by local favorite Andre Flynn as Quince. His fine, robust baritone and comedic timing were crucial to the success of this element.  While Nickolas Hoback's Puck was appropriately...well, puckish...and acrobatic as well as charming, none stole the show so much as Bottom, played by Benjamin Espana.

Many things contributed to his success: a ceaseless roguish smile and unflappable air were but the starting point. He showed a flair for difficult physical comedy, as well as nuanced timing, and a wonderful voice with great potential. Many of the laugh-out-loud funny moments were thanks to Espana and those interacting with him.

Another performance of note came from Maria Piro as Helena. She displayed perhaps the most polished and mature singing technique of the afternoon, and certainly did not sound like someone singing only her first lead role in an opera. Not only was her voice marvelous but her acting chops were sound as well; convincing and engaging.

Carey Wong's set was muted and understated, but somehow this worked, imparting an appropriately somnolent air to this fairy dreamland. There was a moment where Oberon's costume combined with the lighting and orchestra to unveil a fantastic interplay as Oberon receded into the background, presenting a truly ghostly scene that was a bit eerie...

All in all this was a wonderful production; Benjamin Britten is definitely not beginner's music, and both singers and instrumentalists were up for it and performed admirably. This is a good work to allow many performers a shot at the spotlight, and there were far more wonderful performances than are mentioned here, and a number of the roles are sung by alternate cast members in other performances. Once again, PSU has shown its ability to put on a big-time show, and to do it very well indeed.  There are two more performances; this Friday and Saturday, May 2nd and 3rd at 7pm. Tickets are available online or through the box office.