United Kingdom Jette Parker Artists Summer season Efficiency: Artists of the Jette Parker Programme, Orchestra of the Royal Opera Home. Royal Opera Home, London, 20.7.2024. (MM-B)

Conductors – André Callegaro, Edward Reeve, José Salazar
Administrators – Eleanor Burke, Harriet Taylor
Sopranos – Isabela Díaz, Sarah Dufresne, Valentina Puskás
Mezzo-sopranos – Veena Akama-Makia, Gabrielė Kupšytė
Tenors – Ryan Vaughan Davies, Michael Gibson
Baritones – Josef Jeongmeen Ahn, Grisha Martirosyan
Bass – Jamie Woollard

Manufacturing:
Tosca Set design – Paul Brown
Lighting designer – Jamie Vella
Assistant director – Rosie Kat

It’s a custom that the present artists of the Royal Opera’s Jette Parker Programme finish the season with a Summer season Efficiency. It is a chance for the outgoing artists to rejoice their two years with the programme, carry out alongside one another and the artists that also have another 12 months, and altogether rejoice a season of laborious work, studying and camaraderie.

This 12 months’s Summer season Efficiency featured staged scenes from numerous operas thus giving the artists a beautiful likelihood to showcase their totally different accomplishments.

This 12 months the theme of the doomed lovers prevailed with three moments from very totally different music to Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. The night started with Prokofiev’s attractive ballet rating of Romeo and Juliet, that includes the well-known Dance of the Knights. This was orchestra solely, giving Venezuelan ballet conductor, José Salazar, the chance to display his talent. He led the orchestra with assurance in a robust, exact efficiency of the Dance of the Knights even when the brass have been a tad too loud on a few events—however not likely a problem. Salazar’s and the orchestra’s interpretation was partaking, stuffed with sparkle and color. A smashing begin. Personally, I assumed it was a missed alternative to not have a few of the youngest joiners to the Royal Ballet or finalists of the Royal Ballet Faculty executing the dance. Salazar’s work with the orchestra was glorious and the music is eloquent in its personal proper however in my view, the efficiency would have shone brighter nonetheless with the dancing on the stage.

The opposite two musical interpretations of Romeo and Juliet have been excerpts from Bellini’s I Capuleti e I Montecchi and Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette, respectively carried out by conductor, pianist, répétiteur, organist Edward Reeve and German-Brazilian conductor, répétiteur André Callegaro. Bellini’s piece was fantastically sung by Gabrielė Kupšytė (Romeo), Sarah Dufresne (Juliet) and Jamie Woollard (Lorenzo). Actually from all of the Jette Parker Artists performing, it was mezzo-soprano Kupšytė and soprano Dufresne who impressed me probably the most. Kupšytė specifically has a robust, heat tone, with a superb coloratura, simple and unfading excessive notes. She will be able to mission her voice to the very best, most distant corners of the auditorium like there isn’t any tomorrow and was convincing as Romeo; her damage and anguish very actual. Dufresne made for a compelling Juliet, displaying splendid coloratura and glorious appearing abilities. The orchestra, beneath the efficient baton of Edward Reeve carried out Bellini’s lovely music exceptionally properly. This scene was directed by Harriet Taylor with a strong hand. I simply didn’t perceive why Romeo was in a skirt and shirt, trying extra like a schoolgirl in uniform than a younger man in love. Maybe he was in disguise to make his escape simpler? Or have been the 2 leads presupposed to be rehearsing a college play?

Bellini was adopted by Bizet’s well-known duet from Les pêcheurs de perles between Nadir, sung by Welsh tenor Ryan Vaughan Davies, and Zurga, carried out by Korean baritone Josef Jeongmeen Ahn. As all of the items within the first half of the present, this extract was carried out by Edward Reeve. The earlier scene from I Capuleti e I Montecchi was directed by Harriet Taylor however Bizet and the next two excerpts from Donizetti and Strauss, in addition to Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette, partially two, have been directed by Eleanor Burke whereas Taylor directed two extra items within the second half. Bizet’s duet was movingly sung by Ahn and Davies; their voices harmonising exquisitely and their show of a honest friendship reasonably plausible. Once more Reeve confirmed a assured hand with the orchestra and the rating. The stage path was efficient with the transition from Bellini to Bizet nearly seamlessly each on stage and by the orchestra.

Third got here Donizetti’s La fille du régiment with the singing lesson in Act II. Of all of the scenes introduced, this was to me the weakest hyperlink in a fashion of talking. It’s a very humorous, concurrently touching scene when correctly carried out. Marie, sung by Chilean soprano Isabela Díaz, appeared in a ridiculously ornamented, fiddly costume that made her really feel uncomfortable – or so it appeared to me. Her singing and appearing right here have been positive however not convincing and he or she proved later, throughout Gounod’s piece that she will be able to do significantly higher. Then again, Armenian baritone Grisha Martirosyan was an exceptionally efficient Sulpice. His voice is reasonably heat. He initiatives extraordinarily properly and demonstrated good comedian timing. Cameroonian/Uganda-American mezzo Veena Akama-Makia acquitted herself properly as La Marquise de Berkenfeld, utilizing the prop canine successfully even when the reasonably lifelike trying puppet squeaked as a manner of barking.

Contrasting with the above items, the ultimate extract of the primary half was Richard Strauss’s elegant Capriccio. Composer Flamand competes with poet Olivier for the love of the Countess and that is the scene the place Flamand calls for to know from the Countess what has received her coronary heart—music or phrases? Capriccio is a conversational opera and to my thoughts very troublesome to carry out. Reeve confirmed that he was equally at dwelling with Strauss as with Bizet or the bel canto repertoire. The orchestra soared, flowing in sinewy waves of lovely music involving singers and viewers in a magical second. There have been one or two situations the place Reeve threatened to overwhelm Flamand’s singing however Michael Gibson’s pretty tenor voice managed to carry it until the tip. Transylvanian soprano Valentina Puskás, along with her wealthy, barely husky tone was very convincing because the Countess, actually trying the half with a charismatic stage presence and glorious appearing abilities.

After the interval the Jette Parker Artists returned first with a duet from Bellini’s La straniera. It was sung by mezzo-soprano Veena Akama-Makia as Isoletta and baritone Martirosyan as Valdeburgo. Reeve was changed on the rostrum by German-Brazilian André Callegaro. Akama-Makia sang Isoletta with feeling, clearly depicting her heartbreak on the discovery that her fiancé Arturo is having an affair. Her mezzo is barely darkish and her singing is achieved within the decrease and medium registers however I assumed she light somewhat within the excessive notes and sometimes struggled to carry them above the sound of the orchestra. Martirosyan proved that he’s each at dwelling with comedy and drama. His battle, loyalties and love exceptionally properly depicted on this duet, his voice expressive and nearly sensual at instances. Callegaro is an impressive opera conductor. He appears to have a superb rapport with the orchestra and is sympathetic to the singers, maybe extra so than his colleague Reeve.

The second piece partially two was the third musical interpretation of the star-crossed lovers with a scene from Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette with Welsh tenor Ryan Vaughan Davies as Roméo and Chilean soprano Díaz as Juliette. As I discussed above, Díaz did a a lot better job as Juliette than as Marie within the singing lesson scene of La fille du régiment, seeming extra at dwelling with a tragic position than with a comic book one. Her voice was extra assured, her efficiency strong. Her Juliette was shifting, sung with extra substance and conviction than her Marie. Davies was a reputable Roméo and once more in positive voice, showing as snug in Bizet as in Gounod.

The ultimate piece of the night was the Act I finale of Mozart’s Così fan tutte. Musically a elegant opera, it’s a bit foolish by way of plot however efficient as a comedy and the tip of Act I is an effective scene for an ensemble solid. It is usually appropriate and a sensible choice to complete a Summer season Efficiency of the Jette Parker Artists although I’m sorry to say it wasn’t as spectacular because it may have been. The sense of comedy was current however general the appearing and staging have been a bit patchy as if at instances the singers weren’t fairly certain what they have been presupposed to do. Having mentioned that, the singing itself was nonetheless glorious, notably Sarah Dufresne as Despina who stood out from the remainder of the solid. Jamie Woollard’s sonorous bass made for a superb Don Alfonso. Gibson and Ahn have been putting as Ferrando and Guglielmo respectively, displaying an impeccable sense of comedy in addition to partaking performances. Kupšytė as Dorabella was not as spectacular as she was as Romeo in Bellini’s I Capuleti e I Montecchi however nonetheless demonstrated her significantly compelling and potent mezzo. Puskás was maybe rather less magnetic than because the Countess in Capriccio however she made for a persuasive Fiordiligi, proving she is equally at dwelling in a comic book position.

Summarising, all three conductors have been glorious and warranted. I loved their readings of the scores and interpretations very a lot, maybe with a slight desire to José Salazar who to my thoughts had probably the most troublesome job of the night by being the primary and conducting a scene from a ballet with out dancers. The singers have been all extremely good; some particularly so — notably sopranos Sarah Dufresne and Valentina Puskás, mezzo Gabrielė Kupšytė and, among the many males tenor Michael Gibson and baritone Grisha Martirosyan. The 2 administrators demonstrated strong stage information, competent directing abilities and a first-rate use of the settings — the identical staircase getting into two instructions from Tosca Act I – all through the totally different scenes however at all times exceptionally efficient with solely the extra assist of a handful of props.

General, this Summer season Efficiency was a rewarding, nice musical night and the Royal Opera Home must be happy with its present Jette Parker Artists. There have been some first-class artists on this efficiency who will undoubtedly make a stellar profession. I feel we are going to see and listen to a lot of them sooner or later. Good luck to all is my honest want.

Margarida Mota-Bull