June 30, 2009

Brooklyn's New Opera Theatre Presents World Premiere of Louis Gioia's I Tre Compagni

By Nino Pantano
Special to
Brooklyn Daily Eagle

BROOKLYN -- The Brooklyn-based Encompass New Opera Theatare (138 South Oxford St.) is dedicated to creating, developing and producing adventurous productions of new music and contemporary opera. Their newest operatic venture was I Tre Compagni.

It isn't very often that one gets to attend a world premiere of an opera with the composer present. The venue for this unique event on the evening of Friday, June 19 and repeated on Saturday was the Gerald W. Lynch Theatre at John Jay College in Manhattan.
I am happy to report that I Tre Compagni is a wonderful opera filled with melody. The composer, Louis Gioia, gave us all great joy in this beautifully crafted and colorful melodic masterpiece.

I Tre Compagni is an opera in two acts sung in Italian with English subtitles. It is based on "The Pardoner's Tale" from Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales.Father Louis Gioia's first opera, Un Racconto Fiorentico, received rave reviews at the premiere at Alice Tully Hall in 2000 and has been performed with other opera companies since then.

The opera takes place after the Moorish expulsion from Spain at the town square in Granada during a Shrove Tuesday Carnival celebration. It includes a colorful and flamboyant mock bullfight, a juggler and a pinata for the children and dancing. As part of these festivities, the three companions, Tonio, a Christian who fought in the war; Maddalena, an orphan of Gypsy background; and Moro, a Moor, who was forced to convert, relate three tales. A funeral procession interrupts the merriment, and the three companions follow the death figure.

At the cemetery he shows his (Bishop) brother's buried treasure, and Tonio and Moro bicker over what and how to handle their new fortune. Maddalena is upset and leaves. Tonio stabs Moro only to find that Moro has already poisoned him. Maddalena returns with some wine to find them both dead and then she goes away seeking true love. The death figure then returns to claim the bishop's treasure.

Noah Stewart was superb as Tonio and sings the drinking song praising wine, ending with the phrase "Col Vin Tuto Posso" (With Wine I Can Do All things!) and "Lodi a Bacco" (with praise to Bacchus who changed this sheep into a lion!) Stewart possesses a brilliant tenor voice, and much of the music allowed him to sing out in glory.

Swedish soprano Ulla Westlund was a wonderful Maddalena, her vibrant soprano excelling in both lyric and dramatic passages. There were many compelling and golden moments with declamatory passages, high floating pianissimos and swelling of the tone in melodic passion.
Moro was in the hands of Shannon De Vine, whose robust baritone truly made the skeptical Moor a lovable and tragic figure. His climactic passages were ringing and this part is perfect for his tessitura that boasts a thrilling B flat.

Raemond Martin used his dark beautiful bass-baritone and prominent persona in the dual roles of the priest and the death figure. He continues to impress with his powerful and penetrating presence in these pivotal parts. The striking sets, consisting of statues, gods, pillars and celestial and pastoral heights and Act Two gloom of the cemetery, were by Damon Pelletier. The vibrant eye-catching colorful costumes were by A Christina Giannini.

Kudos to artistic director Nancy Rhodes, conductor-orchestrator Glen Cortese and the excellent 15-piece orchestra, and to Mara Waldman, associate conductor music and chorus director, Ed Herman's wonderful sculptures added much to the visual aspect of the performance where his Bacchus reigned with the revelers.

Last, we owe tremendous thanks to composer-librettist Louis Gioa who, during his long lifeitme, has enriched the music scene. Father Gioia describes his work as American opera written in the Italian tradition." For info, log on to www.encompassopera.org or cal (718)398-4675.