HGO: Donizetti's Maria Stuarda (new) - first for company. Joyce di Donato. Katie Van Kooten. Patrick Summers. Kevin Newbury. 27.4.12.

Houston Grand Opera, in its fifty-seven year history has not until this time put on a production of the second opera in the Donizetti Tudor Queen trilogy, Maria Stuarda. Dame Joan Sutherland, during the sunset years of her career, had HGO provide her a staged revival of Anna Bolena. This event, HGO’s first Anna Bolena, automatically carried with it a sense of grandeur, just in anticipating Sutherland taking on this peak role for the first time, both in concert at Lincoln Center and on stage here. The Metropolitan Opera is amidst a Donizetti Tudor trilogy of its own that Peter Gelb had originally planned to have star Anna Netrebko throughout; Netrebko eventually reckoned it more prudent to commit only to Anna Bolena (seen on cinema screens last fall) thus far. Enduring operaphiles can still recall Beverly Sills taking on all three roles for major New York City Opera revival forty years ago.

Our new Maria Stuarda, originally to have been staged by Patrice Caurier and Moshe Leiser, proved only halfway convincing as new role for Houston favorite Joyce di Donato – anticipatory of her repeating the role for this opera’s first showing at the Met next season. Not terribly great theatrical excitement could necessarily have been expected from Caurier and Leiser, but at least probably a better sense of scale, and more elegant set design than we have had from who has come in instead.

Kevin Newbury’s production, with ponderous sets by Neil Patel, and mostly stylish costuming by Jessica Jahn, all making their HGO debuts, proved very ordinary.
While sticking to traditional blocking, and mostly reasonable interaction between cast members, Newbury remained on safe ground. His production also proved short on taking any risks. Statuesque childhood profiling of two queens involved at stage rear during Act One orchestral introduction proved inconclusive. Perhaps the audience needed visual stimulation until time for real action to begin. Such proved additionally insipid for pantomime of Elisabeth during an abridged and choppily performed Inno della morte – often instead haunting choral number three-fourths through Act Three.

Slow descending blocks of set design proved cumbersome - all eventually emulating some perverse obsessing over large objects. Regal emblem gift-wrapped looking block pillars took the cake. Both queens, while adopting a still posture on stage started to look statuesque themselves several times. Having the Elisabetta of Katie van Kooten perched, standing upon high pedestal for her first aria proved stilted, obnoxious. Joyce di Donato descending a plain metal rolled on staircase seemed hardly less clumsy.

Most routiniere however were the musical results for what some of us might have reckoned an important revival here. Maria Stuarda, from near the very beginning, has not had the happiest performance history on record, neither that nor quite a recorded legacy up to what this work deserves. For starters, the orchestral writing reveals Donizetti at his very best at it, composed for orchestra at Naples (though premiered at La Scala) that under Rossini’s eight years there had further established a fine reputation. Seeking out how to emulate the meditative tone of the Schiller tragedy, on which this opera is based, this is the most inward looking of actually Donizetti’s four Tudor queen operas (the other being Il castello di Kenilworth). What love interest gets explored in Maria Stuarda is of limited scope, and not very convincing.

The title role is written in a slightly but noticeably lower tessitura than other Donizetti heroines – as having been written for Giuseppina Ronzi de Begnis (though created by Maria Malibran), a famous Donna Anna, Norma and also Rosina (Barbiere) of her day. Imaginatively, the finale (Aria del Supplizio) for Maria, to the opera as well is comprised of two major slow sections, eschewing the brilliance of other aria finales of the era. It has only been fairly recently, outside Italy, that this work and its merits have become more deeply appreciated.

Most notably Janet Baker and now Joyce di Donato have further revealed how tempting the title role, with its slightly atypically low tessitura is for mezzos to sing. Interpolating high notes, even while transposing much material for Maria down alternatively a half and whole step, di Donato managed with ease. Di Donato indeed sounded compelling during her opening aria “O nube che lieve”, taken a half-step down, sung with a lightly inflected mezza voce, including good trills. Its melodic line anticipates “Des quells transports” from Don Carlos for Maria’s friend Elisabeth de Valois and Carlos; both are in D-Flat Major, each in context of prevailing C Major overall And this happens likely to similar psychological effect – of reliance upon some delusion to maintain good peace of mind.

Although similarly floated phrases occurred elsewhere, some awkwardness of approaching Maria as a mezzo became unavoidable – but hardly so for an aging Janet Baker thirty years ago – as emulated by di Donato early on and employing all the very same transpositions down Baker had. Affectation of humility at start of ‘Dialogue’ with Elisabetta Di Donato handled well, as also her rage spilling over during same developing confrontation. Di Donato’s agility for this music is mostly secure; her mastery of other facets of her vocalism though is subject to doubt.

One expects more suppleness for role of Maria Stuarda than for Elisabetta. Di Donato sang Elisabetta in Geneva five years ago - very successfully. Lately though, even with valiant effort to achieve a free and light soprano top, some tonal hardness, stiffness has developed around the break – evident here, plus curiously bland middle register. Pitch accuracy intermittently also became problematic. More audible from di Donato today too are shifts between registers, tendency almost to aspirate phrase openings. With partial attempt to rein in and relax the chest voice, legato also gets compromised.

Vulnerability of this beleaguered queen of did not fully register. Light red dress attire further underlined some lack of nobility during final scene(s). Such qualities seemed more run aground by leaving exposed technical hurdles, encompassing Maria’s florid lines, moreover by a generic countenance and approach to this character together with her music. Ultimately, pathos regarding Maria’s plight did not quite seize the day, perhaps for di Donato being of customary (post-)modern mindset of needing to fit in.

Matching cardboard quality of the sets was the unstable Elisabetta of Katie van Kooten, quite effective an Ellen Orford in recent Peter Grimes here. Van Kooten here however sounded out of her element. For starters, while being incisive with certainly well understood text, her vocal production seldom came across Italianate. Considerable push and strain at achieving spinto tone - agility only mildly compromised - damaged tone quality, from weak low notes, through vinegary tone in-between to shrill top - some squall right beneath. Van Kooten especially sounded heavily miked at the Wortham; the resulting harshly bright metallic effect downstairs verged on ear-splitting. Her highly questionable intonation then seemed irrelevant.

This Elisabetta, all very two-dimensional, came up then very short on noble bearing – hardly then seeming of any real power with which to reckon. Van Kooten managed to restore Elisabetta some composure, warmer legato for several lines starting Act Three – hardly sufficient to make up for much else.

Leicester, musically written well, seldom becomes dramatically effective. In Geneva, opposite a cold, but fully rounded Elisabetta of di Donato, Eric Cutler stood his ground as a musically even, gracious, deferential Leicester - of naturally drier resources than several other tenors. This go-around he opted to wear his heart on his sleeve. Like Stephen Costello (Dallas’s Leicester in 2007) as Percy in the Met’s Anna Bolena recently, Cutler made the very epitome, with much bleating, of a kicked puppy as Leicester. Pleading Third Act duet with Elisabetta became most embarrassing. There were still lines remindful of Geneva, his fine Tamino here four years ago too, but not supplying the prevailing impression this time.

Catherine Martin somewjhat too briefly supplied a warm, steadying presence as Anna. Oren Gradus contrasted well his dark-toned, slightly worn sounding Lord Cecil, while demonstrating fine bearing, with Talbot of Robert Gleadow. Gleadow appeared sympathetic, ingratiating, musically conscientious, with lower register dry, then reticent for filling out some of Talbot’s lines.

For his fourth Donizetti piece here, Patrick Summers conducted. From an authentic practice perspective, also of what bel canto conventions establish, Summers demonstrated some understanding here. However, sense of real aesthetic encompassing such a work, also of especially how Maria Stuarda breaks free of convention, came across only tepid, and therein exists the challenge. Inhibitions his singers encountered were likely partly due to a frequently stiff, unyielding beat. Places to make various forms of accelerando, piu mosso, frequently came across jerky, choppy - not inculcated well into overall flowing line. Fawning over particular lines from di Donato eventually sounded contrived. Grandeur, solemnity implicit to two important Third Act choruses (the Preghiera included) sounded short-changed

Extensive numerous cuts, many of them to repeats, became customary. Clipping of phrasing, rhythms undercut, in addition to extensive cut therein, dramatic stretta finale to Act Two to point of sounding frivolous. Clpping also occurring during highly theatrical dialogue between two queens central to three-part demarcated finale to Act Two made the dramatic apex of Maria Stuarda merely virtual diminution thereof. Similarity to Lucia arises in that similar sextets open both Act Two finales. What desperation and nastiness di Donato and Van Kooten could muster - also generating annoying audience laughter downstairs due to weak buildup to such a big moment – helped rescue this episode.

Much want of grandeur, of rich color and intricacy Donizetti made substantiate such remained to the end, seldom got satiated. Here we had Maria Stuarda made diminutive, auspiciously minimized – upon special occasion of its HGO debut.

BBC Proms 2009 - Proms 51 and 53 - Vanska/BBC SO and Norrington/OAE

Prom 51. BBC Symphony Orchestra and Chorus. Osmo Vanska. Helena Juntunen, Monica Groop, Scott Hendricks. Joshua Bell. Royal Albert Hall, London. August 23, 2009.

Given how few Haydn symphonies there are at the Proms during a Haydn year, one certainly wants all three to each have been successful. With it especially being a ‘period’ approach taken to Haydn here, but with the BBC SO still using modern instruments, things got off here to a stodgy beginning with unclear or wayward phrasing during the introduction to first movement of Haydn’s ‘Clock’ – Symphony No. 101 in D Major.

Once onto the Presto of the first movement, pace was near sufficiently vigorous, but accenting flaccid, toward defining opening lines, while paradoxically even showing inflexibility with the same. Vanska proved good at shaping the second theme and allowing some real rubato, nuance with interaction early during the Development section. Again returned dry, strict, even at times ham-fisted accenting – that can also be flaccid – for the retransition. Such became rule of the day overall for much of the rest of the way.

The Andante Vanska turned into something galante - with apparently more important line here the tic-toc beneath the tune instead of at least equally the charming tune itself. That the melodic line should strictly conform to such regularity underneath, for one, just almost makes tune obbligato to such strict accompaniment, or hints toward option to do so. It was almost comically not less the case with near closing robust variation on triplets. Restart to simple main theme in minor mode sub-mediant (E-flat Major) replying to false close to the Andante seemed to miss the irony of this moment entirely. A wink and nudge, i.e. brief intimation of clock being rewound, might have worked.

Vanska gave the Minuet proper accenting and its lines halfway decent breathing room to be elegant; something to it however was still slightly too unvarying, that it still missed achieving the height of elegance or near it as should be. Off the beat accents in stretto at end of the Minuet turned out strict; they did not quite register properly; irony of melody that includes changing harmony in it over unchanging chord in the Trio was also missed.

Lack of contrast between variations in development of its material and animation applied from without instead of within made things somewhat ungainly of the finale. Loss of internal accents alternated with punching out others hard did not assist matters toward at all overcoming occasionally sloppy ensemble and flaccid grasp of rhythm.

Austerity and simplicity with what is seen as universal or ecumenical application of penitential text adopted by Roman Catholic rite seems to have been the modus operandi with, sung in Polish, the Stabat Mater of Karol Szymanowski. There is no denying that such qualities are welcome, however some of the color, even the exotic or archaic at times in use of modal scales and bitonality therein got somewhat understated, even at times eviscerated away here. One could for instance ask for more than so literal a reading of the opening wind solos to the introductory movement to this setting. Helena Juntunen, in her opening soprano solo, somewhat thickly scooped her part, finding before long only just adequate placement, control of pitch, as all part of placing her voice a little too far back. Broken octaves in the cellos over moderate paced eighth notes were played dry - not having good reverb to be any under-girding current beneath things. Subtle rhythmic impetus here became lost.

Pulsation on alternations between winds, and lower strings was denied here by again excessive literalism, such as would only slightly better fit the second movement of Symphony of Psalms. Women of the BBC chorus achieved Slavic color and warmth for one interlude in the second movement, but baritone Scott Hendricks found his tessitura slightly precarious and got covered up by orchestra and chorus on closing phrases.

A beat crept into Monica Groop’s voice, as got mixed in with slowly building counterpoint between solo lines in the winds to start the third movement – all played with fine simplicity but dry tone and downbeats clearly marked. Dry rhetoric from the strings, with anticipation of much pomp, eventually turned muddy. Marked dolce about the sound was mostly lost - Lento dolcissimo – more dolce unmarked achieved from chorus of women a cappella that opened the fourth movement. By contrast, the Mussorgskian pointing in cellos and basses that opened the fifth movement was apt, and some good acrid descant from the winds got through too therein. Scott Hendricks, in validly trying to be incisive and forceful with his lines, still found himself under considerable strain. Grandiose climax, though muddy, even cheesy in effect, was achieved from all forces involved, nevertheless. Both Juntunen and Groop, though occasionally unsteady, contributed good line and expression to the finale. Vanska found some measure of tranquility here, even if often self-conscious in anticipating the downbeat too much.

Pastoral idyll, by lean or quite strict means of achieving it, informed the opening of the Brahms Violin Concerto; one still sought a little more definition or profile to the orchestral exposition. ‘Minore’ entrance of Joshua Bell proved, in double and triple stops, little better, in terms of intonation; once achieving right thereafter soaring line, matters improved. What became most worrisome, even in the context of affecting ‘period’ Brahms, were flaccid, too retiring accents from Osmo Vanska and his forces, to be able to support the tough obbligato of Bell’s part. This became true especially during the Development section of the first movement, but also even during passages of the Exposition. After trouble with double stops beforehand, one oddly found a few added on during an otherwise (than having written extra double stops for himself) very well written cadenza Bell wrote himself and played here. In eschewing vibrato on lyrical pages, Bell tended to lose body to his tone on the Strad he was using, and thus the ability to sustain good legato beyond what one might call anemic.

One could find Vanska circumspect at attempting to preserve chamber like textures orchestrally - but effortfully so. What sense of rhythm that also infuses this music’s sonorities got denied, retaining for numerous passages a textural density that Vanska attempted very much to eschew. It was all, including both sagging oboe line and plodding through middle section of the second movement (with shaky intonation from Bell both here and in finale as well), such to have come off awkwardly. Rigid coordination, manipulation of jaunty rhythms in the finale appeared both due to linsufficient technique and to appear distinctive, the vanity of having to so inflexibly stick to one’s guns –in way practically construed as ‘fundamentalist.’ The whole point, in being able to say or communicate much – in terms of sufficient follow-through – got lost.

Those just more than intermittently occurring moments that Bell and Vanska coincided well lyrically came as antidote to drudgery getting through listening to this Brahms - at what resembled more draggy tempos than they actually were - especially for the first two movements. All in all, there was hardly much memorable to preserve from this for future reference.


Prom 53. Orchestra of the Age of Englightenment, Roger Norrington. Joyce di Donato. Royal Albert Hall, London. August 25, 2009.

Roger Norrington began his composer-anniversary-salute prom with the Abdelazer Suite by Henry Purcell, with slender grace - deft reply back and forth and lift between phrases in more animated steps and stately poise for opening French overture to it. A fine cross between both qualities for the iconically famous Rondeau, with incisively pointed French rhythms, was equally effective. It is this Rondeau that closes the suite and inspired Britten for Young Person’s Guide - Norrington closing it with arm flourish as if to say, as related by BBC emcee, ‘well, there you are.’

Joyce di Donato started off well with one trouser-role aria out of three she picked to sing here - one that clearly fits a mezzo. She started the first line of “Ombra mai fu”, effective this time if not for this device in one or two later pieces, with straight tone, gradually adding vibrato into it over a long sustained note. This was followed here by spinning forth the noble line of this aria with fine poise and refinement.

Alcina’s “Ah! mio cor” however started the same way, past good intro and recitative. Notes around the staff though got often approached with somewhat aspirated light, straight tone, for expressive effect. However, the acting was very fine, in catching for this sorceress during first section, a very palpable mix of incomprehension of entirely new-found as to be entirely novel feelings for a man and outrage that such could have arisen. Brief agitato, more confident B section revealed well the sorceress shoring up the steely resolve for things to return to just how they were before she ever met Ruggero – those happy days before there being a man in her life now long gone. Heavily aspirated, back phrased segue back to A section led to better but less than entirely poised vocalism.

Di Donato then became hooty, even slipping out of tune at top of the staff a few times – in expressing Alcina’s resignation. Her despairing descent to give into what new feelings have developed – moment of profound tragedy for anyone of feminist or even just postmodern day socially correct tendencies - was poignant. Roger Norrington slipped from giving di Donato and Handel the fully balanced, framed ritornello at the beginning of the aria it needs here, with excessive reliance on lift to start each (sub)-phrase.

Most effectively – with more filled out OAE strings than for Purcell - Norrington led Handel’s Water Music Suite #2 with fine pointing of rhythms and stylistic aplomb – especially true on Minuet and siciliana to follow it and also trio to Hornpipe. Lumpy first chord opening the Allegro and understatement of regal splendor cut a little short the real character of Overture and Hornpipe. Long gone however, rightly so, are the days of Rule Britannia Handel. Concertato of winds for trio to the minuet conveyed the right dignity and confidence to the writing, as did the feminine grace of OAE strings replying to winds for the siciliana. The Bourree brought things to a quite healthily vigorous close, but as might have some thinking of production earlier this year of Partenope at the Queen Elisabeth (conducted by Rousset there - under review in these pages).

Feminine statement of opening to Scena da Berenice form Norrington and his forces could be found slightly insipid - as imposed rethinking replacing a real understanding of what is at stake here. Di Donato however, though almost ironically tossing off noble Metastasian line of “Berenice, che fai?” - not Cosi Fan Tutte yet – got off to a fine start here. Di Donato excellently pointed contrast within same line of confused emotion on ‘Dove son” and dread in deep contralto of “tutto funeste” right before pushing at the break to verge on hooty again. Let's keep in mind however that di Donato depicted here a woman at end of her tether; she also found gentle vulnerability for last two lines of recitative before equally refined first part of double aria got under way with indeed seemingly Mozartean grace.

Support from Norrington here provided fine profile and adequate stirring up of the tempestuous cabaletta to this, not to overwhelm his singer through such despondent emotions – Berenice calling on the gods to increase her pains to point of death so she can join her just departed beloved Demetrius. Some flutter, made things still slightly little iffy here, but Di Donato confidently achieved fine passionate line, wide across range from low A on ‘dolor” to top of staff.

Securely formal, noble cortege got under way for brooding opening to Mendelssohn’s ‘Scottish’ Symphony. The gentle sway to line following opening statement animated things slightly more from without than from within. Same held true for similarly limned reprise thereof at close to prelude to the first movement. The wistfully sighed first subject of the Exposition was fully in character as was stirring up of the two agitated ritornelli that followed. Full second closing theme in sinuous line received all weight, lift it needed, to lovely effect – with tighter agitation stirred up and slightly fuller expression to close the Exposition, eventually followed by burnished color for modulating to major key submediant (C-sharp minor) to open the incisively stirring Development.

Norrington then seamlessly with deft touch introspectively carried along lean cello line and other activity calmly into the recap. Fine shudder informed very atmospherically ascending, descending string tremolo central to the coda before its weighty close. By way of contrast confident rustling of scherzo naturally burst forth (without gaggle of valveless horns becoming ‘period’ ear-sore). Tonguing flutes for second subject provided elfin touch; introspection was clearly felt for fleeting moment of brooding, before issuing forth intermezzo its joyously rowdy climax toward deftly rounding all things off.

Brooding intro and firmly weighted ritornelli framed lightly limned and beautifully supported bel canto line for the slow movement, that for such fine sense of proportions informing this music, hardly seemed too long as it can sometimes. With such also came fine voice leading to spin through reprise of ritornelli - for storm clouds that quickly roll through an altogether brief Development section to precede cellos taking up main subject with fine masculine ardor and refinement.

Final reprise of stormy ritornello occurred as organically inevitable; duet of clarinets warmly, resonantly almost got final say before strings swooped in with fine jig. Tremolo spun off main subject with free release and secure ensemble - to unhesitatingly open the finale. Firm, incisive rustle from lower strings, perhaps outré for a few ears taken to this extent, right before second subject was completely in character and so over the brim joyous to disarm all other than the sternest critics. Second subject had almost practically the elfin touch that informed the same with scherzo earlier. Norrington risked a few fractious moments in the Development but fully got away with it this time - with Recapitulation incisively coming in without insipid anticipation of downbeat.

Tremolo accompanying second theme amidst such festive air colorfully reminded of how heavy air and accompanying sharp breeze depicted cuts into lives of those who live on such an often bleak, brooding terrain. Duet of clarinets, then bassoon darkly gave second subject its final say. Cellos, horns shamelessly with great richness lustily ushered in chutzpah that ensues almost to point of irony – perfect! Even with the irony infusing this, this was meant unbuttoned with absolutely no remorse. As for this taken back critic, especially recent phase Norrington is perhaps worthy of re-evaluation.