Opera Night Long Island

June 3, 2011 St. Paul's Opera Night
"Caro mio ben"
Giuseppe Giordano
Cheryl Savitt Spielmann, soprano

"Seguidilla"
Carmen
Georges Bizet
Melissa Block, mezzo soprano

"Recondita armonia"
Tosca
Giacomo Puccini
Maurizio Casa, tenor

"Al dolce guidami"
Anna Bolena
Gaetano Donizetti
Lauren Haber, soprano

"Apres un reve"
Gabriel Faure
Jeanny Schwartz, mezzo soprano

"Io son l'umille ancella"
Adriana Lecouvreur
Francesco Cilea
Barbara Divis, soprano

"Nessun dorma"
Turandot
Giacomo Puccini
Young Ha Kim, tenor

intermission

"Sola, perduta, abbandonata"
Manon Lescaut
Giacomo Puccini
Maria Ciccaglione, soprano

"Vissi d'arte"
Tosca
Giacomo Puccini
Lauren Haber, soprano

"My man's gone now"
Porgy and Bess
George Gershwin
Barbara Divis, soprano

"Trees on the Mountain"
Susannah
Carlisle Floyd
Gina Haver, soprano

"Son pochi fiori"
"L"Amico Fritz"
Pietro Mascagni
Cheryl Savitt Spielmann, soprano

Tosca Duet
Tosca
Giacomo Puccini
Maria Ciccaglione and Maurizio Casa


7:30: Pre-Concert

Villa-Lobos: Choros No. 2, for flute and clarinet

Villa-Lobos: Bachianas Brasileiras No. 6, for flute and

bassoon: Aria (Choros)

Ibert: Cinq Pièces en trio, for oboe, clarinet and bassoon

Allegro vivo, Andantino, Allegro assai,

Allegro quasi marziale

Villa-Lobos: Trio for oboe, clarinet and bassoon

Animé--Molto allegro



Cindy Lauda, bassoon

Sue Ann Stein, oboe

Sally Shorrock, flute

Jerry Vabulas, clarinet


A roster of fine singers rose to the occasion, as Opera Night approaches its seventh glorious anniversary in Northport. Patrons were riveted to their seats as new repertoire was presented, and the "tour de force" opera gems were revisited. Melissa Block's selection "Seguidilla" from Carmen was both a sublime and sultry offering. We were transported to the cotton fields where Barbara Divis soulfully and believably pined that her man was gone (from Porgy and Bess). An Americana work of art, such as that can not be trusted to just any soprano. Our Barbara did much more than justice to an aria that deserves the singers best! The best is what we heard.

American treasures continued when Gina Haver sang "Trees on the Mountains." The plaintiff wails of an abandoned woman, stirred the pot of our emotions. Does Lauren Haber ever not astound us with the far reaches of her powerful instrument? The aria, "Al dolce guidiami," was a new one for Opera Night and if the audience feels as I do, the next time Lauren sings it, the more we will embrace it.

There were many moist eyes as Lauren's mother was introduced and proudly stood up to the applause of our appreciative audience.

Young Ha Kim commanded center stage. Isabella decided not to introduce his next aria because the first few chords said it all. The audience was enveloped in a rapture that Puccini must have intended us to be absorbed in while listening to "Nessun dorma." Young Ha, you are the best!

Leave it to Jeanny Schwartz, to caress all of us with the sweetness of Faure's "Apres un reve." Cheryl Spielmann sang "Caro mio ben, " an absolute joy for all of us to receive. And finally our newcomers Maurizio and Maria acted out the great duet from Tosca, where religion, art, politics, lust, revenge all melded together!
Oh Opera, you never cease to fail us!

The finale of the evening brought nothing less that a wild standing ovation as the director gifted roses to our wonderful singers.