The Opera Tattler

* Program *
"Caro nome" from Rigoletto
Hye Jung Lee, soprano and Jenna Douglas, piano

"Куда, куда вы удалились, весны моей златые дни" from Eugene Onegin
Alexander Lewis, tenor and Natalia Katyukova, piano

"Ach, ich fühl's" from Die Zauberflöte
Janai Brugger-Orman, soprano and Michael Spassov, piano

"Aprite un po' quegli occhi" from Le Nozze di Figaro
Thomas Florio, bass-baritone and Jenna Douglas, piano

"Je veux vivre" from Roméo et Juliette
Nadine Sierra, soprano and Jenna Douglas, piano

* Notes *
William Vendice gave a master class for the Merola Opera Program last night at Herbst Theatre. The first of three sopranos this evening, Hye Jung Lee sang "Caro nome" with ease and precise intonation. Vendice noted that the tempo was marked either 76 or 80 in the score, and that Lee was going a bit slower than that. She sounded immediately more sprightly when she tried it again, and was able to react quickly to all of the suggestions made. Alexander Lewis sang Lensky's aria next, and Vendice had him slow it down and worked on diction. The playing was expressive here, and the aria is, of course, lovely. Janai Brugger-Orman sang Pamina's Act II Scene 4 aria, and Vendice noticed that she had trouble keeping her voice anchored down, making her pitch suffer. He hushed the audience when they clapped whilst the accompanist was still playing.

Thomas Florio sang Figaro's last aria in Le Nozze, as he did at the Auditions for the General Director, and it was clear he knew what every word meant. Vendice told him it was obvious Florio had performed the role before. There was enough time to hear the alternate, Nadine Sierra singing the Act I waltz. She started off a bit breathy, but Vendice got her to sing with more of a swinging, dancing quality.

* Tattling *
Before the performance began, I stragetically place myself near the back of the hall, but a bit to the left side to see the piano keyboard. The aisle seats filled up on either side of me rather quickly, as they always do. Just before things were to get started a young lady and a certain Merola participant climbed over the chairs to take seats adjacent to mine. Naturally, the director of the San Francisco Opera Center had all the Merolini move forward to sit together, causing a mild ruckus before we heard Vendice's introduction.

Bill Vendice's most hilarious comment was when he told Hye Jung Lee that Verdi's markings show up in odd places, but she should give them a try, they usually work. Afterward there was a small, elegant reception in the Wattis Room over in Davies that involved beautiful tartlets, as pictured above.