[We are pleased to present a guest reviewer for this concert, Nancy Trethaway-Bennett. Ms Trethaway-Bennett, a soprano with a master's degree in vocal performance, was formerly on the faculties of California State University Los Angeles and Chaffey College. She maintains a busy vocal studio in Carmel where she currently resides.]
On Friday evening at Sunset Center in Carmel, the Mozart Society of California presented an exceptionally well-paced, crowd-pleasing evening of operatic selections featuring the San Francisco Opera Center Singers.
Soprano Suzanne Ramo, mezzos Elena Bocharova and Katia Escalera, tenor Brian Anderson and baritone Kwang Shik Pang, presented areas duets, quartets and ensemble pieces from Mozart to Blitzstein. These five aspiring young opera stars are part of the San Francisco Opera development program for young artists.
It is a pleasure to see and hear young singers trained primarily in the United States sing with marvelous technique, understanding and with the assurance and poise of older artists. Each singer sang arias well suited to their voice now, but with hints of coming “vocal events.” All showed well-trained voices of great carrying power necessary for opera, the technical ability and finesse that make singing truly outstanding.
Notable on the program was mezzo Katia Escalera’s Come Scoglio from Mozart’s Cosi fan Tutti. This singer, billed as a mezzo, has quality and range foreshadowing a spinto soprano. The brilliant coloratura passages and demanding range of this aria were wonderfully and confidently executed.
The tenor voice of Brian Anderson was lyrical and at the same time capable of dramatic vitality. His rendering of Vainement, na bien aimée from Le Roi d’Y's by Lalo was controlled, youthful and done with a minimum of gestures, and only those that would enhance the aria. The same could be said of the Il mio tesoro which was sung in a clean unaffected style, devoid of distracting mannerisms.
Suzanne Ramo outdid herself in the Je suis Titiania, demonstrating her flair for coloratura and charming interpretation. She has obviously mastered this aria so suited to her lyric coloratura voice – perhaps well honed through many auditions and competitions.
The richness of Elena Bocharova’s voice was most evident in Fenena’s “Prayer” from Verdi’s Nabucco. She also can manage the challenging coloratura passages and dramatic register changes in Rossini’s Una voce poco fá.
Kwang Shik Pang exhibits a rich, dramatic baritone with evenness throughout his range. Perhaps more demonstrative in presenting his areas, his voice remained superior to any distracting gestures. There is at times an uneasy paring of opera in recital context, and there is always the question as to how much staging is too much At times Pang’s acting was distracting, but the quality of his voice was undisturbed.
The ensemble blend of these voices was perhaps due in part to the efforts of Mark Morash, accompanist and director of musical studies at the San Francisco Opera Center. His wonderful, sensitive and supportive accompaniment is a rare gift and highly appreciated by both artists and audience.
All these young artists will be appearing in the upcoming 2001 Showcase production of Cavalli’s La Calisto.
The program was concluded by an encore of Libiamo, libiamo, ne lieti calici from Verdi’s La Traviata.
