| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 WESTGATE CHAPEL |
5 | ||
| 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 Pops VI - Simply Sinatra with Steve Lippia |
| 13 Take Me Out To The Ballgame with The Toledo Mud Hens |
14 TSYO POPS |
15 | 16 | 17 | 18 Classics IX - New World Symphony |
19 Young Artists Competition Classics IX - New World Symphony |
| 20 ST. ANDREW'S EPISCOPAL - NEIGHBORHOOD CONCERT |
21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
| 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
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Toledo Opera presents salute to love at Peristyle
The Toledo Opera set sail on its 2012 Gala concert last night, a time-traveler's voyage charted by Toledo Symphony maestro Stefan Sanderling.
From Vienna to Paris to New York offered a well-balanced array of arias and ensembles from beloved operas by Mozart, Bizet, and Bernstein, sung by five young and promising singers, plus the Toledo Opera Chorus.
The real star of the show was the symphony.
It has never sounded better than last night in its longtime accompanying role, never more polished, crisp, or nuanced. Sanderling gunned the tempo of the opener, Mozart's Overture to The Marriage of Figaro, and the orchestra jumped aboard for a seamless, sassy performance.
With but a few awkward moments, the symphony maintained a fine balance, a challenge because the soloists' voices were young and still tentative, not miked (with a few brief exceptions), and the Peristyle acoustics in general are not kind to the voice.
Singers came and went from the side. Only the chorus was present from start to finish, seated behind the orchestra. Prepared by Kevin Bylsma, who also provided harpsichord continuo for several Mozart pieces, the chorus sounded great, rich and balanced, with fine diction.
Not all the numbers favored the voices of the soloists -- Laura Pedersen, Marcy Richardson, Nora Graham-Smith, Cody Austin, and Michael Krzankowski -- but each singer had a shining moment during the gala.
Pedersen, a soprano with dramatic tendencies and the most seasoned performer of the group, was the haughty Countess in The Marriage of Figaro, and a wistful ingenue in a Wonderful Town solo, "A Little Bit in Love."
Richardson's smooth high soprano wasn't given a number in which to shine -- "Glitter and Be Gay" from Bernstein's Candide would have been my choice instead of "I Feel Pretty" from West Side Story -- but she dug into every song with confidence and solid singing.
Graham-Smith, a mezzo with an appealing sound, showed excellent acting chops as well as vocal finesse playing the seductive Carmen from Bizet's classic. As Zerlina from Don Giovanni, she displayed great promise in a duet with Krzankowski, in the title role.
Austin, a tenor whose warm, Italianate voice is well suited to ardor, shone as Tamino in a first-act aria from Mozart's The Magic Flute, and as Tony in the ballad "Maria" from West Side Story.
Baritone Krzankowski was powerful and convincing as Escamillo from Carmen, holding his own with the opera chorus.
Executive Director Suzanne Rorick thanked the Opera Guild and announced that, unlike this time last year, the Toledo Opera has funding in hand for last night's Gala and for Turandot, the Puccini classic which will close the season May 11.
She also announced two dates for the 2012-2013 season: La Boheme in October and Don Giovanni in February. All in all, the evening was an auspicious Valentine from the Toledo Opera to Toledo.
Contact Sally Vallongo at: svallongo@theblade.com.
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