Noah Stewart's ringing tenor highlights Portland Opera's "Tosca"

Alexandra LoBianco and Noah Stewart | Photo by Cory Weaver

Noah Stewart stole the show on opening night (October 29) of Portland Opera’s recent production of Puccini’s “Tosca.” His portrayal of Tosca’s lover Cavaradossi, replete with ringing top notes, was stunning. His “Vittoria! Vittoria!” practically blew the roof off of Keller Auditorium, which is hard to do, given the size of the place. But he wasn’t a tenor with only double-fortes in his holster. He captivated the audience with a soul-searching “E lucevan le stelle” and easily scaled his voice down to soft pianissimos that evoked passion and sensitivity.

Alexandra LoBianco, in the title role, displayed a gorgeous timbre from the tip-top notes to the depths of the soprano register. Her singing of “Vissi d’arte” was convincing, but she needed more volume to match up with Stewart. LoBianco’s portrayal of a jealous and somewhat shallow woman who turns into a heroine was spot on, and at one point in the second act, she became so deeply involved in her character that, when trying to evade the clutches of the chief of police, Scarpia, she forcefully banged into the stage scenery.

In creating a thoroughly despicable Scarpia, Gordon Hawkins exuded an unhurried, powerful, and menacing presence – all of which was lubricated by his polished baritone. Katherine Goforth’s Spoletta deftly showed fearlessness and fearfulness while helping to carry out Scarpia’s designs. This contrasted well with the Zachary Lenox’s Sciarrone, who aided and abetted Scarpia without hesitation. Deac Guidi fashioned a buffo Sacristan with a duo nature – pious on the outside yet not above taking money from the church’s coffers. As the escaped political prisoner, Angelotti, Damien Geter could have been more desperate, but his role as the bored jailer worked well.

Gordon Hawkins |  Photo by Cory Weaver

 Linda Brovsky, in her Portland Opera debut as stage director, paced the story crisply, providing a nuance here and there, such as Spoletta surreptitiously making the sign of the cross when he had to oversee one of Scarpia’s nasty requests. Traditional costumes by Christine A. Richardson were perfectly attuned to the scenery of the Stivanello Costume Company, which showed a tired and worn-out Rome. All was expertly presented by Connie Yun’s lighting.

Deac Guidi | Photo by Cory Weaver

Although they had not played in twenty months because of the pandemic, the orchestra was fully revved up and charged into the music with gusto. Conductor Tiffany Chang, making her company debut on the podium, elicited a robust sound from the musicians. Nicholas Fox prepared the chorus, which sang with gusto

The evening began with general director Sue Dixon and artistic director Priti Gandhi extending a warm welcome to the audience before the curtain went up. If you missed this production, I can heartily recommend that you view it via Portland Opera Onscreen, which will be available from November 16 to December 31st. You will catch Stewart in a stellar performance, and that may be the harbinger of a pretty fantastic future for him.

With the pandemic at bay, Portland Opera emerges with fiery Frida before a live audience - outdoors

Ballet Foklorica performs

A convivial evening outdoors Thursday night (June 24) witnessed the resurrection of live Portland Opera's production of Robert Xavier Rodríguez's “Frida.” The Portland metro area was on the verge of the big heat wave, and it was hot, but not hot enough to reduce patrons to a puddle of sweat. With an audience arranged in pods, the atmosphere was lively, expectant, and informal with coolers and an occasional glass of wine. Everyone had been starved and eagerly anticipating its first live performances since February of 2020.

This production, crisply directed by Andreas Mitisek (who had previously directed the company’s production of “As One”) took place at the Jordan Schnitzer CARE Summerstage between the company’s headquarters at the Hampton Opera Center and OMSI. The stage featured huge speakers, excellent lighting, and video screens to project the action to those furthest away.

The sound of an Amtrak train and an occasional MAX line didn’t disturb the performers in the slightest. The evening kicked off with a half-hour of dancing by Ballet Folklorica with colorful costumes, fancy footwork, and, colorful, swirling skirts. Their dances (to pre-taped music) gave a taste of traditional Mexican culture, which stood in contrast to untraditional life of the opera’s title character, Frida Kahlo.

Written in 1991 (and revised in 1993), “Frida” has enjoyed a number of productions both in the US and abroad. By weaving spoken text with singing and a pastiche of musical styles that never settles into place, “Frida” straddles the line between opera and musical, making it a hybrid that I would call an oprical. You can hear influences from Gershwin, Weill, Sondheim as well as Mariachi, and Mexican folk music plus dissonance and some atonality sprinkled in. Its complexity was expertly conveyed by a tight ensemble consisting of six singers and six musicians led by Uruguayan American conductor Andrés Cladera.

Through a series of vignettes, “Frida” depicts the turbulent life of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, whose paintings have acquired an international following in recent years. When she was 18, she became immersed in painting as a way to overcome a near fatal accident that involved a streetcar. Her independent spirit, determination, and resilience, embodied with a powerful performance by Catalina Cuervo, are a big part of her story. Cuervo’s impressive vocal power, in particular, extended into the basement of the mezzo-range, which she delivered with a sultry gusto.

Because of her serious injuries, Frida was constantly confronted with death, conveyed by three Calaveras (characters wearing masks that portray skulls) who swirl around her from time to time. Frida’s tempestuous marriage to the famous muralist Diego Rivera, sung with passion by Bernardo Bermudez, was a real roller-coaster with numerous infidelities on both sides, including lesbian lovers of Frida. So despite their unified political views with the Mexican Communist Party, Frida and Diego’s rocky relationship ended in divorce (1939), but their remarriage a year later came across as superficial.

Aline Bahamondez created a passionate Cristina Kahlo (Frida’s sister), who was riddled with anguish after her affair with Rivera. Bahamondez, along with Rachel Hauge, Joseph Michael Muir, and Adrian Rosales-Casillas expertly portrayed numerous roles that in included the Fords, the Rockefellers, and the Trotskys – all of whom added drama to Frida’s life.

Samples of Kahlo’s and Rivera’s paintings, projected on the large scrim that formed the huge back wall of the stage, reinforced the storyline. Frida aptly summed up her style of art versus Rivera’s when she said, “Rivera paints the big outside. I paint the inside.”

PS: Today is Frida Kahlo's birthday.

Kanyova, Troxell, and Zeller create genuine and heartfelt La Traviata

Sometimes you have to wait until the last act of a show to see if the singers can deliver a knockout punch and totally bring the audience into their story. Well, that’s exactly what happened at the Sunday matinee performance of Portland Opera’s production of “La Traviata.” Strong performances by the three stars of the opera, soprano Maria Kanyova, tenor Richard Troxell, and baritone Richard Zeller, caused sniffles to break out all over Keller Auditorium during Act III. That's when Kanyova, as the TB-stricken courtesan Violetta, crumpled to the floor just beyond arms of her lover Alfredo (Troxell) and the saddened gaze of Alfredo’s father (Zeller).

But hankies aside, much of the credit of this production goes to Kanyova, whose beautiful looks are enhanced by terrific acting skills and a wonderful voice. Whether flirting during the party scenes, agonizing over lover, or coming to grips with the fact that she is dying because of her illness, Kanyova embodied the tragic heroine in every sense.

Yet, she started out a little on the shaky side because she sometimes strayed just a little under pitch during Act I. This act is taxing for any soprano and Kanyova was singing with only one day’s rest. Yet somehow her voice improved as the opera progressed and she saved the best for the final act, when she had to alternate between fragility and strength as the illness takes its toll despite the surge of energy she experiences with Alfredo.

Troxell’s voice and acting matched up very well with Kanyova’s. His top notes rang out and he expressed a wide rang of emotions ranging from empathy to frustration and rage. Troxell did duck the high C at the end of the vigorous cavatina “O mio rimorso!” (“Oh my remorse!”), and that was the only glitch in his performance.

Troxell’s acting was convincing throughout, especially when he threw his winnings at Violetta at the end of the gambling scene and received the condemnation of his father and his peers. But he was even better as the grief-stricken lover in the final act. At one point, he picked up Violetta and carried her to her mattress. That was when Kanyova sang while being carried, and she sang beautifully! It was pretty incredible, and I’ve never seen that done before. Also, both Troxell and Kanyova sang from the floor, and Kanyova, all pale and willowy thin got up to sing one last time before expiring. If you don’t feel something at that point, you don’t have a heart.

As Germont, Zeller was superb. His golden-toned baritone supported a character that was filled with sympathy and understanding. It was simply gorgeous and certainly the best performance by Zeller that I have ever heard (and I’ve heard many).

Also, Zeller’s gestures and mannerisms created a Germont who had empathy for the lovers, and that worked well. However, it was odd to see Zeller without a beard or a moustache, and he might have looked a little older and more fatherly with some facial hair.

Hannah Penn created a foxy and slightly kinky Flora Bervoix and Jonathan Kimple was excellent as her counterpart, the Marquis d’Obigny. Brendan Tuohy’s Gastone stirred up the party scene like a swizzle stick. José Rubio made a mean Baron Douphol. Sharin Apostolou turned in a fine performance as Annina, Violetta’s maid.

The opera chorus (prepared by chorus master Robert Ainsley) gave a sterling performance, and conductor Stephen Lord paced the orchestra and singers very well.

Stage director Jennifer Nicoll provided clear movement for everyone, and I could easily follow the action and the story. The party scenes were outstanding -- with a little titillation thrown in for good measure. I liked how the revelers did a freeze-frame so that Violetta and Alfredo could interact intimately yet still be in context. The only nit I had was that Violetta had to sit and sing with her back to the audience during the letter writing scene, but I could hear her clearly, so it didn’t matter all that much.

The opera scenery, jointly owned by Opera Colorado and Boston Lyric Opera as part of an original production by James Robinson, nicely matched the transitions in the story. The opera opened with an opulent, decadent, velvetly red dining room in a Paris mansion. The French countryside in the second act was set in winter with frosted trees and a mottled blue sky in the background and white furniture in the foreground. The party and gambling scene at Flora’s house was mostly draped in black, and the final act depicted a desolate, barren garret. Set and costumes by Bruno Schwengl were very well matched throughout, but outstanding was how the gypsy singers flipped their black capes into red evening gown without missing a beat – all right in front of us. Finally, lighting designer Mimi Jordan Sherin deserves praise for framing the production with just the right amount of intensity.

If you haven’t seen this production of “La Traviata,” then I hope that you can get to one of the final performances on Thursday, October 2 or Saturday, October 4. You won’t regret it.

Portland Opera Studio’s Albert Herring a smashing success

Photo by Cory Weaver

If you have ever been beholden to a cadre of willful, narrow-minded people, then you will have an instinctual understanding of the situation at the outset of Benjamin Britten’s Albert Herring. This comedy, albeit a serious one, depicts the struggle of a young man as he finds his way out of the smothering grip of his widowed mother and the expectations of the uptight, upright community. With three acts that run about three hours (including two intermissions), a cast of 14 characters (including important roles for children), a 13-member chamber orchestra, and complex music, Albert Herring is the most challenging opera to have been undertaken at the Hampton Opera Center. No matter. On opening night (March 14th), Portland Opera Studio Theater held everyone spellbound with a smashing performance.

Impressive were the young artists in the Portland Opera Studio program and the handful of seasoned pros that augmented the cast. Topmost in the lineup of young artists was Brendan Tuohy in the title role. Tuohy’s voice has all of the qualities that other tenors would give their right lung for. He can sigh, groan, ring it out, do whatever he wants, make it look effortless, and maintain beautiful tone.

Terrific also was Thomas Prislac as Sid, the assistant at the butcher’s shop, showing a remarkably strong and flexible baritone. At one point he eased into a high falsetto seamlessly – like butter melting on toast. Christopher Clayton created a memorable Mr. Gedge, with a golden baritone that any vicar would display proudly.

Mezzo-soprano Hannah Penn in the role of Nancy and soprano Sharin Apostolou as Miss Wordsworth sang outstandingly. Jeffrey Beruan’s forceful bass gave Superintendent Budd plenty of heft.

Brenda Harris sang the part of Lady Billows with an internalized sense of authority and up righteousness. Alexis Hamilton’s voice captured the forceful nature of Mrs. Herring with spot-on artistry. Jon Kolbet delightfully interpreted Mr. Upfold, the major of Loxford. Andrea Compton Sanchez, in the role housekeeper Florence Pike, echoed the pronouncements of Lady Billows in a forthright, decisive manner.

In the children’s roles, Amy Cole as Emmie, Colleen Heidebrecht as Maggie, Brice Todd as Harry, and Madison Wray as Cis were outstanding with their singing and acting. I loved they way that the girls boosted Harry over the shop door and prodded him to steal some apples. But there were numerous moments in which they shined.

All of the principals acted with panache as well. Tuohy created a despondent and frustrated Albert. Harris, as Lady Billows, dominated the town as an imposing autocrat. Apostolou, Clayton, Kolbet, and Beruan expertly portrayed townsfolk who followed in her wake. Hamilton, as Mrs. Herring, threatened her son with a firm hand or a paddle when needed. Prislac, as Sid, dared everyone with a cavalier attitude. Penn wonderfully revealed Nancy’s troubled conscience after she understood how Sid’s reckless action may have endangered Albert.

The highest vocal point of the opera came during the nine-part threnody in Act III. Harris, Apostolou, Clayton, Kolbet, Beruan, Prislac, Hamilton, Penn, and Compton Sanchez went full-tilt in a declamation of loss and suffering. In an intimate space like the Hampton Opera Center, everyone was absolutely drenched in the sound of the singers.

Robert Ainsley conducted with a graceful and skillful style that elicited an excellent sound from the orchestra and singers. Christopher Mattaliano provided clear and crisp stage directions that seemed very natural and kept the audience engaged. There were many, many small nuances that contributed to the actions of each character and are necessary for theater in which the audience sits only a few feet from the singers.

Susan Bonde designed well-crafted, traditional Victorian costumes for all of the characters, including the children. The sets, designed by Curt Enderle, displayed a large, opulent room in the home of Lady Billows, the Herring’s grocery, and the outdoor setting for the May Festival. The cast carried each piece on and off, and the grocery store setting was the most evocative of all – with fruits and vegetables piled high and beckoning to be sampled. Lighting designer Don Crossley accented each set expertly.

Extra credit note: According to The New Penguin Opera Guide, Britten wrote Albert Herring as “a companion piece to The Rape of Lucretia for performance by the same vocal and instrumental forces of the English Opera Group.” Since Portland Opera under Mattaliano opened the Hampton Opera Center with The Rape of Lucretia two years ago, he and the company have followed the same path.

Is there a countertenor in the house? A conversation with Gerald Thompson

Gerald Thompson is the 31 year old phenomenal countertenor who is singing the role of Unufo in Portland Opera’s production of “Rodelinda.” I talked with him over the phone yesterday afternoon to find out more about his voice and his career.

How do you become a countertenor?

Thompson: Well, I think that it’s a little different for everybody, but for me it happened while I was still in college – in Arkansas, which is where I’m from. A new voice teacher came to our school and I started studying with him. I was a tenor at the time, and he was also a tenor; so I thought that he could help me figure out the tenor stuff. So after a couple of lessons, he kept warming my voice up higher and higher. Then he said, “Well, you’re not a tenor.” So I asked, “Well, what am I?” He replied, “A countertenor.”

So, I just found the right teacher who recognized my voice for what it is.

What is the countertenor tone, isn’t it sort of a falsetto?

Thompson: Some people call it different things, like reinforced falsetto. When I was warming up at the top of the tenor range I would switch into this other voice. Then I could still go an octave and a half or two octaves higher.

So how high do you go?

Thompson: In Rodelinda, I go up to a G above a tenor’s high C.

Wow!

Thompson: Most countertenors go around an F or a G above the tenor’s high C. I can sing up to a soprano’s high C.

Mon Dieu!

Your voice is so rich and full. How do you get this wonderful sound?

Thompson: None of my teachers taught a countertenor before they met me. So they just taught me as if I were a mezzo-soprano. They used the same technique for them but applied it to my voice.

Every countertenor that I have heard has a different quality to their voice than any other countertenor I’ve heard.

So how to you transition into the lower tenor range?

Thompson: What I try to do is very similar to mezzo with her chest voice. I try to mix the tenor and the head-voice so that I’m never singing with the full tenor sound. So it should sound like an even mix. It’s the same concept when I go into the extreme upper range, I try to keep a some of the middle in the higher area. So there’s an even transition throughout the voice.

You are from Arkansas?

Thompson: Yes, I was born and raised in Pocahontas, Arkansas, and went to college to Arkansas Tech University, and that’s where I met the teacher who discovered my countertenor voice. He had a career in Europe as a tenor and knew about countertenors. David Daniels had just released his first CD as a countertenor at this same time. So the idea of becoming a countertenor was more acceptable here in the States, but they have been using countertenors for a long, long time in Europe.

Tell us more about your career path.

Thompson: I was in the Merola Opera program for young artists then I got the Adler Fellowship with San Francisco Opera. I graduated from that program last year and have been working full-time for a full year now. I’ve been real busy. I’m preparing for a big European audition tour so that I can get work over in Europe. My agent is based in London, and she’s setting things up for me. I’ll be based in Paris, but I’ll go all over Europe for the auditions. There are just more opportunities in Europe.

When I first got into this the upper range was just a freak kind of thing. My voice teacher brought in some CDs of countertenors from Europe, and I asked, “You can make a living from doing this?!”

Before the getting into the Merola program I sang two and a half years with Opera Theatre at Wildwood Park in Arkansas doing their opera season and also as a young artist in their opera in the schools program. So I sang as a countertenor in a children’s opera tour.

The kids’ jaws must have dropped!

Thompson: The first question that the kids always asked is, “Why do you sing like a girl?” Since the first role I had in that program was Hansel in “Hansel and Gretel,” I’d tell them that I was playing a young boy and boys still had high voices.

With a countertenor there is still some masculinity in the voice despite that fact that it’s really high. It’s difficult to find your way into this profession. You just have to see what doors open. My biggest break really came when I did Merola – 12 weeks in the summer – then I got a call to be in the Adler Fellowship, and they had a countertenor who had to drop out of a show, so they needed someone as a last minute replacement. So I immediately flew back to San Francisco and started rehearsal. So I was singing a nice-sized supporting role on San Francisco Opera’s stage. Then they put me in two more shows. So I sang the role that I’m singing here with Portland Opera while still in the young artists program. And later I sang Prince Orlofsky in “Die Fledermaus” there as well. So they’ve been very good to me.

I feel so lucky to be the first countertenor to have performed with Portland Opera. I love the company and the city here. I’d love to come back here and sing again.

That would be terrific! Good luck with everything.

Thompson: Thanks!

Sharing artists and audiences

This weekend Ralph Kirshbaum will be performing for the first time with the Oregon Symphony. Kirshbaum has been a regular at Chamber Music Northwest for a number of years, and I would think that a number of Chamber Music Northwest subscribers might want to hear the Oregon Symphony this weekend because of Kirshbaum.

It's terrific to see major-league artists appearing in concerts that are sponsored by different organizations. Once in a while I've seen this happen with pianists who play on the series with Portland Piano International and also with the Oregon Symphony. Usually, this doesn't happen during the same season.

Of course, I don't want the same people to circulate among these organizations all the time, but some crossover or sharing among the groups is a good way to get stimulate audiences.

I have also enjoyed how Portland Opera has promoted hometown talents. Christine Meadows, who graduated from Portland State University was a regular at NY City opera and at Portland Opera for many years. We've also seen PSU grads like Kelly Nassief and Angela Niederloh star in recent productions. I just took a look at Clayton Brainerd's web site (he also graduated from PSU) and noticed that he will be appearing next year in Portland Opera's production of Fidelio. A great move by Portland Opera.

Angela Niederloh talks about her upcoming Cinderella

Angela Niederloh, one of Portland's own divas, is featured in the title role in the Portland Opera's production of Rossini's La Cenerentola, which opens this weekend. Niederloh emerged from the opera program at Portland State University to become a terrific mezzo-soprano who has recently sung principal roles with Houston Grand Opera and with Portland Opera. I exchanged email with her to ask her a few questions about her upcoming performance.

How are rehearsals going?

Niederloh: Rehearsals are going very well. It always makes for a smooth, yet fun production process when there is a good repartee among the cast members. Not only is everyone incredibly talented, but also they are good people to boot.

Oddly enough, this is the first La Cenerentola for most of the cast; including myself. I think this makes for an interesting experience for all of us. Potentially when you have a cast that has performed in several of the same production, it can be hindering to the creative process. Meaning, it is difficult to look at something with fresh eyes and ears when you have performed it for the umpteenth time. With that said, for those that have had the pleasure of being involved with La Cenerentola before, they too bring a unique insight into the show -- (that is) traditions that have been handed down from generation to generation, potential pitfalls, helpful hints and creative cuts (to the music).

Have you done this opera before? If so, where and when?

Niederloh: I have not performed Angelina (Cinderella) in her entirety. However, I have done many scenes from the show for concerts and recitals. It is interesting to me having had the pleasure now of being acquainted with this character’s journey. Before I would have snap shot views into her as a character, but now diving into the whole role, it makes such a difference. For instance, I have sung Angelina’s final aria, Non piu mesta for many years now. In the aria she sings about being born into sadness, singing to herself by the fireside. But like a lightning bolt, her life changed. I feel like I sing it completely differently now. Having the advantage of experiencing the role in it’s entirely gives you the big picture experience, the whole journey , not just the cliff notes.

How do you learn a foreign language like Italian?

Niederloh: Probably the best way to learn a language is to completely immerse yourself into it, try to assimilate and absorb all that the culture has to offer. I, on the other hand, did not completely go this route. I studied languages in college and later in my young artist programs. Both experiences put a lot of emphasis on conversing. Instructors would tweak our sentence structure, but for the most part, they wanted us to be uninhibited in the act of communicating. Were all of my conjugations completely up to par? No, but I was communicating and that is ultimately what we as performers are trained to do from the stage; communicate.

What is one of the trickiest things you have to do for this opera (for example, sing while lying flat on your back or while dancing, or…)?

Niederloh: Well, I don’t have to participate in a lot of tricky stage shenanigans, thank goodness. The obstacle for me is to spit all of the words. Rossini is known for his lightening speed, coloratura musical lines and rapid fire, albeit, clever word patter. I guess I owe a hardy “Thanks” to Chris Mattaliano, the stage director, for taking pity on me and not having me participate in an elaborate gymnast routine, when I have enough trouble as it is to stick the landing!

How long have you been working on this opera?

Niederloh: I have been working on Cinderella for about a year now. Not all of that time was spent strictly on music. A lot of time is devoted to, what I refer to as, “kitchen table” work. This is were you spend a lot of time translating the piece and speaking through it so that it sounds natural, not robotic. Another part of the process is spent doing more “left brained” activities, like learning the notes and rhythms of the work. Memorizing the piece is another aspect to one’s opera prep. The expectation in the opera world is to show up with your part learned and memorized so that we can start staging the piece right away.

I think you mentioned that you were teaching somewhere like Pacific University. Are you teaching at PSU, too?

Niederloh: Yes and yes! I have been teaching private voice and directing the annual music production at Pacific since the fall of 2005. I just started teaching private voice instruction at PSU. I love having the balance of teaching voice and performing. I think my students benefit too from having a teacher who is trying to practice what she preaches.

What other gigs do you have lined up for the near future?

Niederloh: I have mostly concert work coming up because of my busy teaching schedule. I am performing the grand Beethoven 9th and Missa Solemnis and Mozart’s Requiem.

Thanks Angela and best wishes for Friday night!