Mozart’s ‘Don Giovanni’: Barn Opera’s Opera al Mare prepares Mozart’s masterpiece

https://www.rutlandherald.com/features/vermont_arts/mozart-s-don-giovanni-barn-opera-s-opera-al-mare-prepares-mozart-s-masterpiece/article_c7644ec2-32d6-11ef-af25-5fd7225d004e.html

Opera al Mare is just beginning its second week of nearly two in preparation of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s 1787 masterpiece “Don Giovanni.”

This unusual three-week summer opera workshop, June 16-July 6, has made its home for two years now on the northern Italian Adriatic coast in the resort town of Cesenatico. Eleven young singers, mostly college age, are preparing “Don Giovanni” for a June 28 performance in the historic Il Teatro di Cesenatico.

Also planned are Joseph Haydn’s comic opera “La cantarina” by the younger singers July 2, an “Opera Under the Stars” concert of arias July 3; and the “American Musical Theatre Spectacular” poolside July 4 at the workshop’s home, Hotel Miramare.

The brainchild of Joshua Collier, renowned tenor and founder and artistic director of Barn Opera in Brandon, the workshop reflects his unique personal style — informal, seemingly almost loose, belying an underlying precision that delivers the deep emotional power of opera.

Superficially opposite is Music Director Cailin Marcel Manson, chair of vocal studies at the Longy School of Music of Bard College and music director of Barn Opera, who is precise and demanding from day one. It is his deep understanding of the music and his ability to communicate what he wants that works so well.

Holding it all together is the ubiquitous Tricia Welch, a former Vermont legislator and now Barn Opera’s long-suffering executive director.

A unique ‘Don Giovanni

Collier has fashioned his own take on Lorenzo da Ponte’s familiar libretto, adding an earthy wit — and some 21st-century attitude — without touching Mozart’s glorious score (save some cuts). Don Giovanni is still the disreputable rake, even more so. But the world he inhabits is hardly the aristocracy, more the working class. And while the characters retain their depth, none of them have any claim on sainthood.

And yes, the drama moves to its inevitable dark end — at least Don Giovanni’s!

And now to work“Don Giovanni” preparations have been pretty much divided between staging rehearsals with Collier and music with Manson, mixing and matching.

In between, the singers receive voice lessons with Collier, Italian soprano Scilla Cristiano and Walnut School for the Arts (Natick, Massachusetts) vocal coach and collaborative pianist Elaine Smith-Purcell. Italian language classes and coaching are provided by Sandra Carletti, Middlebury College Italian professor.

Collier’s approach to rehearsing is informal to say the least, sometimes even frenzied, but he makes things happen. Mostly it seems terribly disjointed — but that’s what happens when working out of chronological order.

Much attention was devoted to the relationship between the young Zerlina, the most innocent of the cast, with her suspicious betrothed Masetto, while she simultaneously flirts with and wards off Don Giovanni.

Collier stands in for the absent Masetto, as Zerlina (St. Louis soprano Alexandra Billhartz) tangles with Giovanni (baritone Michael Fazio, a student at Montreal’s McGill University) and Leporello (baritone Tristan Pritham, also at McGill).

Collier has them in a sleazy bar, with the younger participants as the barflies (chorus). He milks the scene for all its humor — though never on the cheap.

“Does that make sense to you?” Collier always asks to keep his cast on the same page.

The music sideMeanwhile, Manson is putting his stamp — a most lyrical one — on the production. His grand musical concept and rhythmic sensitivity are complemented by his detailed vocal coaching. (He is, after all, an opera baritone as well as conductor.) A wonderful example of Manson at work was in an initial rehearsal with Kathleen Echols (soprano from Denton, Texas) as Elvira. She was delivering her aria with the same agitation as the orchestra (piano in this case).

“No!” Manson says. “You need to maintain your smooth legato over the agitation of the orchestra!”

Echols’ performance of the aria went from pretty to beautiful — and deeply so.

For one of Billhartz’ arias as Zerlina, Manson tells her, “It’s grazioso, written in three; feel it in one.”

Collier adds, “You’re remembering your wedding!”

“Let the orchestra (piano) feel a little ahead,” Manson tells tenor Brian Mengler (of Denton, Texas) playing Ottavio. “Flow right along. Go after the line, not every note. Mozart has some phrase markings there.”

Then there is the famous trio with Anna (Atlanta soprano Emily Evans), Elvira (Echols) and Ottavio (Mengler).

Josh demands, “Time has to stand still!”

It was beautiful.

And so it goes. On Saturday morning, Carletti led a sit-down reading of the libretto to correct Italian pronunciation and expression. The afternoon and evening were spent fixing staging details.

It’s now Sunday, and it’s time for the Sitzprobe — the first rehearsal when the singers play with the orchestra!

Sitzprobe!For the first time, the 11 solo singers and seven instrumentalists are wed. Everyone is excited. Some of the singers are dressed for the occasion — this is a contemporary dress production.

The excellent Opera al Mare staff pianist Francesco Ricci doubles as “pianist” and “harpsichordist” — pianist filling out the “orchestra,” and harpsichordist as continuo accompanying the recitatives. Playing continuo is extremely challenging as Ricci must essentially breathe with each singer.

Of course, Manson is in his element creating the spirit of “Don Giovanni.” The singers are “on,” and the instrumentalists are “on.” The excitement is palpable — but excitement isn’t always good.

“You need to stay right with this,” Manson says to the players, indicating his baton. “Don’t listen to them (the singers) or they’ll drag. You need to stick with this.”

Echols as Elvira delivers one of her arias with particular brilliance.

“Bravo!” exclaims Manson.

Billhartz is exhibiting a particular sensitivity singing one of her arias as Zerlina. Guest artist Alberto Gentili adds his dark baritone as Masetto, Zerlina’s betrothed

Whenever things fall apart — which isn’t often — Manson’s cacophonous laugh of glee lightens it up for everyone.

When it isn’t going smoothly between Evans’ Anna and the clarinetist, Manson stops them: “There’s no such thing as counting,” meaning their interaction needed to feel more natural.

The end of the afternoon was interrupted by a truly startling denouement. As the Commendatore, bass Hadi Alibeigli (another McGill student, this one from Iran) who hadn’t been heard from much, suddenly bellows with his huge dark bass:

“DON GIAVONNI!”

Time stood still.

“I felt goosebumps!” Collier exclaims — and I guess everyone else did, too!