Ooolie-Ooolie

And the celebration of Handel’s Birthday continued last night and resumed this morning.

Because my son is such a fan of Handel (Geeh, like he calls him), as soon as we got home, we read his Handel book together. Troy was very up to it – he LOVES books about composers and artists.
Every time I read to him about certain music, I try to sing that music to the best of my ability, to illustrate what I read about.
When reading about the premiere of Handel’s Rinaldo, I sing Lascia ch’io pianga.
When reading about Handel’s glorious “Thames” performance of Water Music, (with him and the orchestra being in one boat and King George II and his courtiers in the other), I sing Alla Hornpipe.
When I read about Handel composing Messiah, I sing Hallelujah.

All of a sudden Troy got really carried away by the wonderful music of this chorus and, calling it Ooolie-ooolie, asked to hear the CD. And again. And again. And again.
I was very touched to see my boy, who was literally standing on his ears just 5 minutes ago, quietly taking in every beautiful note. This morning he “conducted”. And again. And again.

I told him that it’s a privilege and a very special kind of happiness to be any part of it: whether you sing it, play it or conduct it, and that Mama was lucky to do it once in the Meyerhoff.
I also told him that no matter which part of it you do: you are part of a miracle because you are bringing this music to life, and this is wonderful.
This morning Troy asked to listen to Ooolie-ooolie again and “conducted”.

One day Handel's assistant walked into the composer’s room after shouting to him for several minutes with no response. He reportedly found Handel in tears, and asked what was wrong.
Handel held up the score of the Hallelujah chorus and said, "I thought I saw the face of God”.

Happy Birthday, Handel!

Happy Birthday, George Frideric Handel!

People around the globe touched by your consummate talent feel proud and happy to be able to listen, remember, play and sing your music to their children.

Talking about children, Troy has been favoring Suite in D Major Alla Hornpipe from Water Music for six months at least. Inspite of it being so vivacious, he has recently made it his favorite lullaby and sings it together with me many times in a row before he goes to bed, pretending to play the french horn and the violin.

Thank you, Handel for inspiring my kid!

A New Born Opera Critic

Dear Readers!
I feel extremely proud and honored to report that this week yours truly has officially become an opera critic with Bachtrack! You can read my mini bio here if you scroll up to the letter R.

Late Monday afternoon, I was contacted by the director of Bachtrack with overwhelmingly exciting news – I am in for the recital of… brace yourselves, my friends, none other than Joyce DiDonato and her favorite pianist David Zobel in Kennedy Center in DC!!!

Bachtrack had requested a prime seat for me, which, as a press rep, I was supposed to obtain at the press desk.
Even though I am telling you this, I guess the idea still needs some more time to sink in.

Getting free prime-seat opera tickets at the press desk, together with Tim Smith and Anne Midgette (whom I could swear I saw in the foyer that night)…

How exciting is that?
I can almost physically hear you all asking: What is the catch?

Because, seriously, it sounds way too good to be true.

Actually, there is no catch, except that I am only given 48 hours to write and submit my reviews.

A toughie, I know.

Even though I can write really fast if I have to, ideally I prefer not to. In the perfect world of my blog, I give myself the luxury of endless editting , cutting, pasting, and most importantly, “brewing”my posts before anyone sees them.

So yes, it’s a toughie, but also an opportunity to learn and grow as a writer and a critic – and I love to learn!
Anyway, back to my story.
I arrived in Kennedy Center much later than I usually do: on time for the recital but without a chance to have dinner and with zero cash to buy a snack in the foyer.
So, hungry but excited, I headed straight to the press desk, gave the WPAS rep my name and got my ticket.
My seat was fabulous. Just take a look:

Orchestra Center, Row D.

Honestly, I do not know if I ever saw an opera celebrity from a better seat.
Before you all read my official Bachtrack review of the recital, I would like to share some personal impressions that would be out of place in an official review. That’s why at times a blog is absolutely indispensable!
As many of you remember, I have previously attended Joyce DiDonato’s recital in NYC and was even lucky enough to meet her.

However, I have to tell you this again: Joyce is amazing.
Even though Renee Fleming has been continuously called “People’s Diva”, I truly believe that this honorable title should belong to Joyce. It’s hard to imagine a more outreaching, open and sincere person, who also happens to be a consummate, most generous and incredibly talented artist.
Anyone who saw Joyce live at least once knows that whenever she comes on stage she brings Light with her. No matter what aria or song she performs, the light is always there, streaming right into people’s hearts. Believe me, for the lack of better expressive means, I do not even mind sounding corny.
Sometimes, it’s just important to say what one feels, corny or not.
And now, those of you, who don’t care about fashion, please feel free to skip this part and go straight to the next paragraph.
However, I just could not pass on the opportunity to come back to you, dear fashion lovers ,with a detailed desciption of Yankee Diva’s stunning outfits and more.
In the first part of the recital, Joyce looked absolutely stunning in a black corseted dress with a full rose-shaped layered skirt.
Sleek and natural in the front, her hair was pinned up in the back with a touch of elegant asymmetry. Her make-up was pastel with a touch of porcelain pink, which created an exceptional contrast with a very dark color of her manicure. ( there you go - one can even see the manicure color from Row D in the Orchestra).
After the intermission, Joyce changed into a lacy fitting coral and gold gown. Red lipstick and a pair of pointed red heels completed the ensemble.
For the post-recital signing of her newly released Diva/Divo CD, Joyce changed into a little black dress and looked comfortable and relaxed.
The disc signing took place in the foyer. There were about 250 people in the line. I happened to be among the first 30. People in the line were talking about how nice it was of Joyce to do the disc signing session and that Renee Fleming, who performed here last month, had "a special guest list" for disc signing.
Even though I did buy the new CD, I asked Joyce to sign this DVD for Troy, which I happened to have with me.

Troy was very happy to get this personal greeting from his favorite Cinderella and now proudly shows the booklet to everyone.

And now – the official review. I am pasting it here, in case you'd rather stay on the blog, or you can click here if you want to read it on Bachtrack.

Hope you enjoy it!

On February 15th, Kennedy Center for Performing Arts in Washington DC proudly hosted a recital of the internationally acclaimed mezzo soprano Joyce DiDonato and famous pianist David Zobel. Part of this season’s Star Series, the recital presented by Washington Performing Arts Society, was given in honor of Vocal Arts 20th Anniversary.

Along with works by such well-known composers as Joseph Haydn, Gioachino Rossini and Ruggero Leoncavallo, the program offered a charming selection of lighter songs by rarely performed composers of the 19th to the mid 20th centuries.

The songs included Italian and French salon pieces by Gioachino Rossini and Cecile Chaminade, fiery Venetian songs by Reynaldo Hahn and a Pastische of playful and passionate serenades by Arturo Peccia and Vincenzo Di Chiara.

The recital turned out to be a fusion of inspiring music making and superb drama.

The artist took the audience on a thrilling journey through a gallery of comic and tragic characters.

Whether she portrayed a seen-it-all Venetian man in Hahn’s Che Peca, a free-spirited gypsy in Rossini’s La Chanson de Zora or a lighthearted Spanish coquette in Di Chiara’s La Spagnola, Ms. DiDonato managed to turn every piece into a miniature one-actress play.

Her impeccable vocal technique, clarity of tone, superb coloratura, flawless trills, vocal flexibility and immense range along with deep and heartfelt acting, won the DC audience over right away.
Unlike many recitalists who delay performing the most exciting and challenging pieces until the end of the recital, thus keeping their listeners barely interested, Joyce DiDonato struck and stunned the audience from the very beginning.

In order to keep us as alert and involved as possible, for her opening piece Ms. DiDonato chose Haydn’s most insane and heartbreaking Scena di Berenice.

Swept by despair and grief, her character made the audience hold their breath, freeze in anticipation and finally, collapse into the chaotic abyss of her emotional world. Naturally, the piece left us shaken up, but far from being indifferent.

Ms. DiDonato’s Willow Song, from Rossini’s Otello was filled with deep spirituality. Unlike Scena di Berenice, the subtle Desdemona’s aria, touched the strings of our hearts with deep sorrow and grief for the vulnerable innocent woman.

As the last haunting notes of the aria faded away, one could not help but notice tears in the artist’s own eyes, and, deeply moved, the house exploded with an incredibly long ovation.

Just like in her newly released CD Diva/Divo devoted to singing both female and trouser roles, Joyce DiDonato took no time to make the transformation and came across with an outstanding performance of Reynaldo Hahn’s comic song Che peca.

In this song the artist portrayed a slightly worn out, seen-it-all Venetian man, who takes every aspect of life with humor, including – himself!

Lightweight at first glance, the piece was extremely challenging both vocally and dramatically. However, thanks to the numerous trouser roles in her artistic biography, Ms. DiDonato handled the challenge brilliantly and portrayed her character with guts and confidence, as well as humor and personal charm.

Joyce DiDonato ended her recital with two encores.

First, she offered a flawless performance of Tanti Affetti, the aria of one of her signature Rossini’s characters, Elena from La Donna del Lago.

The second encore, Somewhere over the Rainbow, was dedicated to the founder of Vocal Arts Society, Gerald Perman. The first notes of this song, known and loved by so many, were taken with a round of applause.

Being a popular show-off piece for many artists, this song has been getting a variety of vocal and dramatic interpretations. Ms. DiDonato used this piece to shine her own personality of a true artist, selflessly and endlessly dedicated to Music. Her performance filled with inner light and beauty, was undoubtedly, a truly triumphant apotheosis of the glorious evening.

Up next – Bachtrack sends me to the WNO in March to review Madama Butterfly with Ana Maria Martinez in the title role.

Stay tuned!

My You

For a while I have been thinking about my Valentine’s post.
What opera character should I devote it to? Which of the oepra characters was the most loving, the most selfless, the most deserving of love? Could it be Violetta? Eurydice? Angelina? Gilda? Antonia? Or maybe the ever-mesmerizing Morgana?
And you know what I thought?
No opera characters today!

This post will be a poem, a Valentine, if you will, that I wrote for my son Troy, the kindest, most deserving and most selfless boy I know.

My You

We used to be one whole One
And now we are Two.
I’ll never be alone again
Because I have my You.
And even when you are away
And cry – I will feel blue,
But if you laugh – I’ll crack a joke
And end up laughing too.
If you should call for me at night
I’ll wake up and I’ll come.
For in the dark and in the light
Somehow we are still One.

Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone!
God bless the unbreakable, solid and monolith Love for our children!

Post-Lucia Acknowledgement

This morning I received an e-mail from the BOT Director Jenny Kelly, whom I previously e-mailed a couple of pictures of my seniors at the opera.

Here is what she wrote:
I loved the faces in the photos. What HUGE souls they have.They do not look like women who are financially challenged at all.your work is blessed. You look beautiful. You are doing work that God has blessed.
Jenny Kelly, Director
I have to admit I was deeply touched by this high praise.
Teaching people about classical music and bringing music into their lives is truly my favorite thing to do. And I am a firm believer in the importance of music in everyone's life, no matter what age, physical state or background. Music works miracles, making people kinder, younger and even healthier.
On Thursday night, one of my students, a walker user, decided not to bring her walker to the theater, but was apparently nervous about this decision, especially in the beginning. However, she did just great and after the curtain call walked up to me, straight and glowing and said: " Raisa, you made me feel young with your opera! I feel like I don't even need a walker!"
I guess Mr. Donizetti would be more entitled for the compliment, however, due to the absence of the latter, I felt honored to accept it.
Me and my opera... We make people younger, don't we?

Lucia: Live! Magic! Triumphant!

From the very beginning I have to say, and mind you, dear readers – no bragging is being involved - yesterday was the most successful of all my Opera Appreciation Seminars!
At exactly 6:00 p.m. my 15 students, all dressed up and looking gorgeous, got on the bus, and accompanied by yours truly, headed to Gordon Center to see BOT’s production of Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor.
As we drove off, I started my Donizetti-on-the-bus crash course. I have to say, I did very good, spoke well and timed it just right. My students were very impressed with Donizetti’s life, full of tragedies and struggle, and were shocked when I told them that I consider Lucia Donizetti’s self-portrait!
Having talked about Donizetti’s life and works, I moved on to my favorite part: the music. I emphasized the natural similarities with Rossini and Verdi, the role of the choir in the opera and finally, gave my students an assignment: to watch for the 1st signs of Lucia’s madness and share later when, in their opinion, Lucia would start going mad.
Like I said, there is no assigned time for it to happen, thus, there is no right or wrong answer. We have to make that discovery together.

They were really intrigued. After the crash-course was over, my students gave me a round of applause and thanked me “for the wonderful presentation”.
Having arrived at the theater, we found our seats, which were great and took some pictures.
And then the performance began.

It was a fully-staged and costumed production, set in the 1600s, just like the original novel by Sir Walter Scott, the Bride of Lammermoor.
Olga Orlovskaya, the gorgeous Russian soprano, with a mane of dark red hair going down to her waist, gave a very elegant and exquisite interpretation of Lucia.

Every once in a while she sounded a bit too “nasal”, especially in Act 1. However, her overall portrayal of Lucia was beautiful. Her Mad Scene was rich in vocal ornamentations, which sounded quite flawless.
Plamen Dimitrov created the most persuasive Enrico, Lucia’s villainous brother. His rich baritone boasted fluidity, excellent diction and beauty of tone.
Personally I was most impressed with the choir. Counting only 17 members, it came across as probably, the most powerful of all the characters.
In Acts 2 and 3, when the role of the choir becomes so important, the unity, or should I rather say, the unison of the orchestra and the choir was absolutely breathtaking. It seemed like the music was raising and carrying those voices on its wings, or waves, creating an impression of thousands, not seventeen voices, singing together. Forgive me for sounding corny, but that was the feeling that we all got. That's what music does to people. It makes them live through and experience incredible, out-of this world sensations.
During the intermission, my students started telling me when they thought they noticed the first signs of Lucia’s madness.
Remember when her brother told her she is marrying Arturo? Remember what kind of look she gave him then – an insane look! That’s when it all happened!

No – she is still all right. I don’t think she is mad yet!

Well, I think she was mad from the very beginning!
And they went on and on about it.
As the performance ended, my students all rose to their feet to give the artists a standing ovation and, loyal to my opera-going habits, I took these gorgeous curtain call pictures!
As soon as the lights went on, all my students surrounded me and, with glowing faces, looking at least 30 years younger, gave me a standing ovation and screamed Brava, Raisa! Brava, Raisa! My dear wonderful students – they always make me feel like a star!
The bus was waiting for us as we walked out of Gordon Center and the heated discussion about Lucia’s madness continued on the way home.
They are still glowing today. And calling to say “thank you” and share their thoughts of the performance.

All my bosses ( and I have four at this point) are very impressed and quite proud of me.

Up next – La Traviata in March in the Hippodrome Theater. Looks like transportation to the city is not going to be that much of a problem!
Happy Friday, everyone!

Lucia Final Countdown

Believe it or not, Lucia is tomorrow! Everything has been thoroughly planned and arranged for it to go as smoothly as possible.
I am being a bit overwhelmed here with my Donizetti brochure printing, bus times confirmation, arranging the Meet& Greet session with the GM of the theater through the Artistic Director of BOT and finally, answering a hail of phone calls from my senior students trying to see if there are any more openings on the bus, verifying the departure/arrival times, asking questions and just calling to express their excitement.
Having studied a lot of materials on Donizetti, I have come up with quite a good sum-up of his works, life, all the tragedies he was destined to experience, and finally, (just like in his Lucia’s case) death in a grip of insanity!
The other day I watched my recording of the Met’s Lucia with Anna Netrebko in the title role, to both revive the opera in my memory and relive its magical moments. The music gave me so much thought… about the first signs of Lucia’s madness and when they actually appear, the powerful role of the choir in this opera, the compositional similarities with Rossini, Donizetti’s motifs in Verdi’s operas…
However, most importantly, I was thinking of the fact that Lucia can be actually considered Donizetti’s self-portrait!
Even though written about a Victorian era woman, tightly corseted in the restrictions of her time, this opera goes so much beyond Lucia’s story. To me, it’s more about a fragile human mind, vulnerable before the terrors of Destiny.
This is definitely the opera that does not need subtitles. The music speaks louder than words.
On the funny side, this afternoon I had an updo for the occasion – and I am not loving it!!!(to the extent that I have to do a wash off tonight and do my hair myself tomorrow!) Oh well…things do happen.
Well, my dear friends –wish me luck for tomorrow night and stay tuned for my Lucia update!
Cheers!
P.S. As I was typing this, I got an e-mail from Ms. Kelly inviting us to see BOT's La Traviata for free in March at the Hippodrome Theater in Baltimore City!!! If only I could get the bus to go to the city.... But - I'll worry about it later. And now - off to my Lucia Final Countdown!