Artists of the COC Ensemble Studio: Highlights from The Marriage of Figaro; COC Free Noon Hour Vocal Series, Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre; Feb 10
The second noon hour vocal concert at the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre this week was a preview of the upcoming Ensemble Studio performance of The Marriage of Figaro. Years ago, a typical Ensemble showcase was a short, non-standard repertoire work, presented in smaller venues like the performing space at the Tanenbaum Centre on Front Street. I do recall an exception: two wonderful performances of the full-length Die Zauberflöte at the MacMillan Theatre on the campus of University of Toronto.
In recent seasons, the format was changed to a single performance of one opera in the current season on the Four Seasons Centre mainstage, La clemenza di Tito, Cosi fan tutte and Il barbiere di Siviglia come immediately to mind. This season it’s The Marriage of Figaro. Sadly, there won’t be an Ensemble performance in this format next season. So the Feb. 22 show is not to be missed. Based on the preview yesterday, it will be a terrific show.
It’s amazing how much music can be crammed into a one-hour time slot. Eight singers (seven current and former Ensemble artists and one guest) sang over half the opera! No Bartolo, Barbarina, Antonio, and of course no chorus but everyone else. Ensemble pianists Hyejin Kwon took firm charge, with no pauses between numbers given the very tight time frame. It was semi-staged, brilliantly I might add. I am told by the singers themselves.
It opened with the Act 1 duet between the downstairs couple, Figaro (Iain MacNeil) and Susanna (Karin Boucher), both very impressive with their sparkling tone and effervescent stage presence. Then it was the funny bits between Susanna and Marcellina, here taken by guest mezzo Megan Latham, who’s the perfect comprimaria. Cherubino was former Ensemble soprano Jacqueline Woodley, in town for the Forest Bird in Siegfried. I think of her as more of a Susanna, but she turns out to be a fabulous Cherubino. The role sits well in her voice, and she sang a lovely Non so piu. This was followed by more funny business in the trio of Marcellina, Basilio (Jean-Philippe Fortier-Lazure) and the Conte (Gordon Bintner).
Iain MacNeil sang Non piu andrai with virile tone and did all the stage business very well with Cherubino. He even threw in an optional high note – not having perfect pitch I am not sure what it was, but at least a G. I have to say this is the best I’ve heard MacNeil sing in his time in the Ensemble. To my ears, his voice is moving higher, the top has acquired more brilliance and solidity. Whatever the COC coaches are doing, they’ve really helped the many baritones to unlock the secret of their top registers, from Joseph Kaiser and Adrian Kramer all the way to the current crop!
Soprano Aviva Fortunata made her first appearance in Porgi amor. This is a short but difficult aria, without the benefit of an introductory recitative and requiring perfect pitch and legato. I have heard sopranos defeated by this piece over the years. Fortunata sang it with rich, opulent tone and excellent sense of pitch, just missing the ideally dolcissimo top at the end of this piece but otherwise well done!
Then a delicious trio with Susanna, Conte and Contessa, one of my favourite part of the opera. Fortunata has two high C’s which she sang beautifully. Sometimes her line is sung by Susanna, which I think is in the original score, but the modern convention is assigned this run to the Contessa. The voices of all three blended marvellously, no doubt the result of lots of rehearsals! Loved Susanna and the Conte here, with Boucher showing a lot of temperament in her interaction with the macho Conte of Bintner.
I saw the dress rehearsal where Gordon Bintner deputized for an indisposed Russell Braun, and he simply stole the show with “Hai gia vinta la causa.” He sang it with the Angel, Uli Kirch, on his shoulder, and received the biggest ovation of the evening. Here he repeated his excellent singing minus the staging. As I’ve said before, this baritone has everything – voice, drama, musicality, stage presence. He will go far. Boucher and Fortunata teamed up for the Letter Duet, sung with ethereal beauty by both, their voices blending perfectly.
Susanna is on stage for most of the opera but has to wait until Act 4 for her only aria, Deh vieni. It’s a quietly exquisite piece, not showy like Dove sono, but beautiful in its own way. Boucher did full justice to it. The concert concluded with the whole cast present for the Finale, including the underutilised Don Curzio (Aaron Sheppard). All in all, a wonderful way to spend one’s lunch hour! I have to say his year’s Ensemble is one of the strongest in memory. Some of them will graduate after this and I’m sure destined for fine careers. Their performance on Feb. 22 is not to be missed.
#LUDWIGVAN
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