broad ripple gazette vol 7, no 9

first published in the Broad Ripple Gazette 

Previews:

Broad Ripple Farmer’s Market Music
Behind Broad Ripple High School
1115 Broad Ripple Avenue
Starting May 1, 8:00 – 12:30

Yay! It’s Farmer’s Market season! Be sure and stop by and enjoy the music.

May 1 – Chad Mills (read more about Chad below)
May 8 – Dave Duvall
May 15 – Caleb Hawkins


www.chadmillslive.com
http://www.reverbnation.com/lastdropjugband
www.deepriverrootsband.com
www.broadripplefarmersmarket.com 

Otis Gibbs
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Vogue Nightclub
6259 N. College Ave.
317.259.7029
21+, nonsmoking, seated show, doors 6:30, music 7:00, $10. 

Otis Gibbs is coming home for the release of his newest album, Joe Hill’s Ashes, and I couldn’t be more excited. The record has already spent time on the Euro Americana Chart -- it is currently at number two, right behind fellow Broad Ripple guy, John Hiatt.

Otis is a folk singer-songwriter in the Woody Guthrie, Billy Bragg and Pete Seeger sense. He writes heartbreakingly beautiful songs about tragic events and everyday observations. He is also a terrific storyteller – he is one of the few musicians that I’ve seen the whole room get quiet when he speaks.

The Vogue is opening early for this show and will kick us all out by 9:30 so they can get ready for their Saturday Dance Night. The show is early, nonsmoking and seated. I can’t imagine why anyone would not be there (unless they’re under 21).

I’ve helped work his merchandise table for the last two CD release shows and I wrote to him to ask if I could help with this one – it’s my not-so secret dream to be in charge of merch sales for a world touring musician. Come by and say hello and buy a CD or tee shirt while you’re there.

www.otisgibbs.com
http://thevogue.com 

Soul Bus
Every Monday
Daddy Jack’s (Après Jack’s)
9419 N. Meridian St.
317.843.1609
21+, nonsmoking, free, 8:00



Soul Bus is awesome – the band is made up of some of the most talented musicians in Indianapolis. Even though the band could technically be called a cover band, they are not your dad’s VFW band. Often they’re covering the songs of one of band members and they always keep it fresh.

You can’t go wrong with Jes Richmond, Tad Robinson, David Murray, Jeff Chapin and Gordon playing for you.

The vibe in Après Jack’s is grown-up without being stuffy. The food is good – I had a delightful grilled chicken and fresh fruit salad the last time I was there. You’ll feel comfortable alone or with a group. Insider tip – Dave Murray almost always has a stash of chocolates on him. Just ask.
There is music almost every night – you can check out the calendar on their Web site. See you there!

www.konajacksindy.com


Shelly Miller and LVNMUZIQ
Friday, May 7, 2010
Urban Element
901 N. Pennsylvania
317.423.2983
8:30, $7.00
all-ages, nonsmoking, reservations recommended

Urban Element is a great place for dinner and drinks and it will be even better on Friday, May 7. Chicago’s Shelley Miller has not played in Indianapolis for five years. In that time she’s recorded two critically acclaimed records and made a name for herself teaching guitar and songwriting lessons at the acclaimed Old Town School of Folk Music.

Shelley is a CATH coffeehouse alumnus and played the Midwest Music Summit in 2004, where she met fellow crashers-on my floor NYC musicians Dave Golden and Jeremiah Birnbaum. They did an impromptu Sunday morning show at CATH that was amazing and let to collaboration and friendship between the three of them – and goes down in CATH history as one of my favorite things.

Shelley also did something awesome when she heard that CATH was closing. She drove out of her way on tour to personally deliver a sweet note and made-me-giggle pink furry purse. Don’t you just love her from that story?

She is opening for Hoosier by birth, Liz Snavely. Liz is an urban folk, acoustic singer-songwriter (LVNMUZIQ) She has been playing out since 2006 and has logged over 300 shows in 25 states. Some of her influences include Tracy Chapman, Damien Rice, and David Gray. 


It promises to be a fun evening!

www.shelleymiller.net
www.segmentofsociety.com

Chad Mills CD Release Show
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Birdy’s
2131 E. 71st Street
317.254.8971
21+, doors 8:00, music 9:00, $10 (includes CD!)

I’m not quite sure why I wandered into Chad Mills’ last CD release show at Birdy’s in 2006, but I sure was glad I did. He brilliantly included a CD with the price of admission (as he is this time). I’m sure I would have bought one anyway after hearing him that night. Two Places @ Once has found a permanent home in the player in my truck and at some point I bought a second copy for work. (I can’t seem to remember to move CDs back and forth and I might possibly be the last person in the city to have an iPod – even my mother has one!). The record is perfect for singing along driving with the windows down and for my nonprofit office – and trust me – that’s a fine line.

I have not heard the new record, Make the Door, yet but Chad is really proud of it so I’m sure it’s wonderful. Jenn Christy will open the show and Finest Grain will play after Chad. Do you think anyone would miss me if I snuck out of my Red Key shift for an hour or so?

As disappointed as I am that I have to miss the show I’ll get to hear a little snippet as I walk the Mini Marathon route that morning. Chad will be playing in his usual spot in front of the Hi Neighbor Tavern. It is always fun to see Chad play and see his beautiful family nestled on blankets and in strollers among the Harley’s parked in front of the bar.

This will be a great show – put it on your calendar. Seriously.
www.chadmillslive.com
www.birdyslive.com

I’ll review all four of my record store stops for Record Store Day in the next issue.

Review of Der Freischütz

My review of Weber's Der Freischütz performed by Midsummer Opera is here on Music and Vision (subscription site).

Recent CD Reviews

My review of the Naxos recording of Donizetti's Maria Stuarda is here.

Nowhere near a library recommendation. ...

A name new to me; a collection of Lita Grier's songs is reviewed here.

If the alternative, tonal pathways of late 20th century music interest you then do try this disc. ...

And a disc devoted to the music of Robert White is review here, performed by an excellent new group called Gallicantus.

Gallicantus make a strong case for performance by a vocal ensemble, with nice balance and well modulated tone. …

Finally, Messiah from New York, reviewed here. All the reviews are on MusicWeb International.
Charming, approachable and likeable …

London Festival of Contemporary Church Music

The London Festival of Contemporary Church Music opens in a couple of weeks time, on May 8th. Based, as usual, at St. Pancras Church, the festival has events in churches such as the Temple, St. Paul's Cathedral and Southward Cathedral. The music covers quite a wide range including Gabriel Jackson, Judith Bingham, Francis Grier, Anthony Pitts, Patric Standford, Simon Brown and many others, with premieres of pieces by Elizabeth Winters, Giles Swayne, Gregory Rose, Graham Ross, Tim Ambler, TAP Bennett and Robert Busiakiewicz But more importantly, much of it is performed in context in services with Choral Evensong and Choral Mattings; plus, a wide scattering of organ recitals and some concerts. Concerts include the choir of Royal Holloway College under Rupert Gough performing contemporary Baltic composers (Pa&aauml;rt, Miskinis, Dubra and Sisask).

Reading this month's Opera magazine, there's a review of Menotti's The Saint of Bleeker Street from Marseille. As usual with performances in English of operas without any native speakers, you are curious (well I am) about how successful the diction was. In this case the reviewer (Joel Kasow) commented favourably on the clarity of the enunciation; which is nice to know.

Also in the magazine, I spotted a comment about Rene Kollo (one of my all time favourite Siegfrieds) making his debut as Aegisth (in Strauss's Elektra). Nothing very startling in this, except that Kollo is over 70. Big dramatic voices are not always known for their longevity so it is heartening to learn that Kollo is still singing.

That said, I understand that Martha Mödl continued performing into old age, a friend was involved in one of her very late performances as Klytemnestra. Evidently the voice left something to be desired, but the dramatic instincts were still superbly in place.

Over in the Opera Magazine Festival's supplement there is an interview with Evans Mirageas, the artistic director of Cincinnati Opera. First of it is heartening to read that he is in a relationship with another man; this is information that people remain astonishingly coy about. Secondly, he tells a lovely anecdote about starting at Decca in 1994, being an American in an English company and starting off volunteering to make the tea.

Woo Hoo! Sanuk wins Record Store Day Battle of the Bands!

I'm so excited for this young band! You can listen to some of Sanuk's music here: http://www.myspace.com/sanukmusic

Here is the link for Scott Shoger's blog post for NUVO about the win. 

A link to the review I wrote about their CD release show. A link to a Broad Ripple Gazette review and  Broad Ripple Gazette preview.

I just realized that my first review that I wrote about them is not online. I'll work on that!

Review of Il Turco in Italia

Amazingly it is 5 years since the Royal Opera last performed Rossini's Il Turco in Italia and this was the first revival of Moshe Leiser and Patrice Caurier's 1950's inspired production. More particularly it is inspired by 1950's Italian films.

Polish soprano Aleksandra Kurzak has stepped into the Sophia Loren-like role of Fiorilla. She has a very different voice than Cecilia Bartoli who sang the role when the production was new. Kurzak sang Rossini's elaborate lines more naturalistically, her performance didn't have the quotation marks around it that you felt with Bartolli. Kurzak's Fiorilla was pert and sunny, insoucicant and charming. At first I found her performance a little understated, but it grew on me and her final aria was a moving tour de force.

Colin Lee as Don Narciso was also new to the cast. Lee sang with a lightness and freedom in the top range which seemed new in his voice. He seemed relaxed in the role, despite suffering from the after effects of Gastric Flu, and this showed not only in his acting but in the warmth of his voice.

The 3rd new member of the cast was Leah-Marian Jones as Zaide, a relatively small but important role. Jones turned in a performance which was outstanding, both supportive and musical.

The remainder of the principals were returning to their roles. 5 years on Thomas Allen's voice is showing hints of age, but he is still a consumate artist and brought a charming world weariness to the poet Prosdocimo, who opens the show trying to find a subject for his opera libretto and spends the remainder of the opera trying to turn the opera's participants into an opera plot.

As Don Geronio, Fiorella's elderly husband, Alessandro Corbelli gave a masterclass in how to sing Rossini, have fun and be funny. And he formed a superb double act with Allen.

Ildebrando d'Arcangelo was suitably saturnine and dashingly attractive as the Turk Selim. But he didn't just look good, he sounded good as well. D'Arcangelo brought a beautifully focussed bass tone to the role. He displayed little buffo bluff and bluster, instead actually singing Rossini's notes. He seems to be taking care of his voice, his roles centring on Mozart and Italian bel canto and it shows.

Steven Ebel, one of the current Jette Parker young artists, sang Albazar, a small bu important role.

Maurizio Benini conducted. He had the measure of this score and conjured sparkling singing and playing from singers and orchestra. But I felt that he was a little too relaxed and indulgent, particularly in the long first act, and that a little more urgency was needed.

This was definitely a case of the revival being as good as the original. We got some superb music making and above all everyone on stage seemed to be having fun.

ENO New Season

So we have details of ENO's new season as well. As usual, the second half of the season is only sketched in, no fine detail provided. John Berry is pursuing his obsession with film directors and both Mike Figgis and Terry Gilliam are making their operatic debut. There is finally a feeling that ENO have got over their obsessive re-making of the core repertoire, this new season seems to include only 1 new production which replaces a viable existing one. In this case Rufus Norris is doing a new Don Giovanni and whilst I found the Calixto Bieto production unsatisfactory in some ways, it had its moments. The new production stars Ian Paterson, with Katherine Broderick, Rebecca Evans and Sarah Tynan as Giovanni's women. Worth a look.

First on my list is the new production of Handel's Radmisto, from Santa Fe. This is a gorgeous looking production, directed by David Alden, which was originally mounted for David Daniels. ENO are using Lawrence Zazzo, which is all to the good. Zazzo is joined by Christine Rice, Sophie Bevan and Ailish Tynan. Conducted by Lawrence Cummings. Running time is listed as 3 hours 10 minutes, so the opera is going to be quite heavily cut I suspect. Also, no word as to which version of the opera they are doing. When the piece was done by Opera North (with a cast including a young Emma Bell), they used a version which mixed things up.

Next on my list is Donizetti's Lucrezia Borgia, which will be conducted by Paul Daniel and directed by Mike Figgis. It is good to see Daniel making appearances at his old house and terrific ENO are doing another bel canto piece, FINALLY. Goodness knows that Figgis will make of the opera, it certainly isn't a naturalistic opera. No word as to who will be singing the title role, which will have a very big effect on the desirability of the performance. Lucrezia needs a diva.

A revival next, as Amanda Roocroft is taking the title role in The Makropoulos Case. Christopher Alden's production isn't my favourite, but I love the opera and am a great admirer of Roocroft. Richard Armstrong conducts, hurrah!

Terry Gilliam is directing Berlioz's Damnation of Faust in 2012 conducted by Edward Gardner, with Christine Rice and Christopher Purves. Whatever it looks like, it is good to have Berlioz back on the Coliseum stage with such a strong cast.

In another co-production with the Met in New York, American director Des McAnuff is in charge of a new production of Gounod's Faust with Toby Spence, Melody Moore and Iain Paterson. This goes onto my list mainly because I want to seen Spence in the title role.

Other interesting items:
Christopher Alden's production of Midsummer Night's Dream.
Edward Gardner conducts Simon Boccanegra in a production by Russian enfant terrible Dmitri Tcherniakov.
Parsifal is coming back with Sir John Tomlinson.

But this is a season where the really unusual items are the two new pieces, Alexander Raskatov's A Dog's Heart (directed by Simon McBurney in collaboration with Complicite) and Nico Muhly's new opera (another Met collaboration). Apart from these, there is no really unusual repertoire. Nothing English from the 19th or 20th Centuries, apart from Britten's Midsummer Night's Dream, which was in repertoire relatively recently in Robert Carsen's production. No Strauss. Little in repertoire terms that makes you go wow, instead we have a series of high profile (or high risk) directors taking on main-stream operas. Why not some Tippett. The problem is that directors new to opera are unlikely to be keen on directing pieces of out of the way repertoire. Under John Berry ENO are creating a distinctive personality for themselves, but it is still a long way from what our National opera ought to be doing

On Wednesday we heard a preview the programme for Charles Owen's Wigmore Hall recital which takes place on Wed 21st April. He opened with a strong account of Bach's 4th Partita, following it with three Faure Barcarolles (Nos. 1, 4 and 5) and Debussy's Images, series one (Reflets dans l'eau, Hommage a Rameau, Mouvement. An exuberant account of Brahms's Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel concluded a meaty and involving programme.

Broad Ripple Gazette vol 7 no 8

first published in the Broad Ripple Gazette

Record Store Day updates
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Broad Ripple CD and Vinyl
LUNA music
Underground Record Shop
Vibes

I profiled Record Store Day in the last issue but wanted to pass along this update. Underground Record Shop has been forced even further underground but you can find them on Saturday celebrating in the alley behind the Village Pantry (63rd Street and College Avenue) in Broad Ripple with live music and vinyl record sale.
1:00 PM - Rockabilly Hall Of Fame member Art Adams and his band.
2:30 ~ Country folk music with Mr. Terry Lee Hickman
3:00 ~ Bluegrassy sounds from The Blue Moon Express
4:30 ~ Bluesy acoustic duo Rich Hynes & Allen Stratyner
All of the record stores will have music and specials. It will be a fun day in Broad Ripple. Promise!

Rousseau McClellan (School 91) Silent Auction and Chili Dinner
Saturday, April 17, 2010
4:00pm - 8:00pm
5111 Evanston Ave.
Indianapolis, IN

The Montessori based school is an IPS magnet and was a National Blue Ribbon winner in 2008 (that’s a big deal!). The proceeds from the event are used to purchase Montessori materials that have not been provided by district in the past. Bidding opens at 4:00 and tables start to close at 5:30. A chili supper will follow. Everyone is welcome and there are some great items in the auction including baskets put together from each class, adult and children’s jewelry hand-crafted by Principal Margaret Higgs, a PEZ starting kit for a budding collector and party at Marigold Clothing store for spring clothes shopping.

www.391.ips.k12.in.us

Perspektive.Material by Orkestra Projekt
Saturday, April 17
Where: The Earth House
237 N. East St, Indianapolis, IN
7:30pm (doors7:00), all ages, nonsmoking, $9 - $19 (students/adults)

Orkestra Projekt closes its seventh season with an evening of music in by bringing a little SoHo vibe to Earth House with a casual atmosphere, free hors d'oeuvres and drinks.
The cornerstone of this concert will be Smoke, Steel, Stone, Cinder by native Indianapolis composer, Thomas Osborne. They will also perform The Geometry of Sound, a piece by Rodion Shchedrin, a Russian composer, that will split the ensemble into two separate sections that will completely surround the audience. It sounds like you’ll be wrapped in a warm hug of delightful orchestra music.

www.orkestraprojekt.com

Tad Robinson CD release show
Friday, April 23, 2010
The Jazz Kitchen
5377 N. College Ave
Indianapolis, IN 46220
317. 253. 4900
8:00 & 10:00, nonsmoking, 21 +, call for reservations

Acclaimed soul-blues vocalist Tad Robinson is celebrating the release of his newest record, Back in Style, with two shows at the Jazz Kitchen. If you’ve never heard Tad sing you’re missing out in hearing one of the greatest vocalists in the genre. Tad travels all over the world performing at festivals and with other soul legends but calls central Indiana home. And we’re damn happy to have him here!
He’ll be performing with equally as talented musicians, Kevin Anker (keyboards), Paul Holdman (guitar), Dave Murray (bass), Jeff Chapin (drums) and a horn section: Michael Stricklin (saxophone) and Marlin McKay (trumpet).

The official release date is not until May 18 but you can beat the rest of the world by putting your hands on a copy of the new CD early -- it will be available at the show.
www.thejazzkitchen.com

http://tadrobinson.com

Russel Settle Memorial Party
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Just Judy’s
2210 East 54th Street
Indianapolis, IN 46220
317.254.8796
starting at 4:00 pm, all ages

The delightfully curmudgeonly Russ Settle died on Easter Sunday, April 4. Russ celebrated 59 years of owning the Red Key on April 2. He is already missed – there is a Russ sized hole in our neighborhood. His family is throwing a memorial party on Saturday, April 24 at Just Judy’s. I’m not sure of all of the details but I can promise laughter and tears and most likely music. The Red Key will be closed that day.
I loved every second of working with him. I was lucky enough to walk him to his car on Saturday night and snap this beautiful photograph of him. The Gazette will be doing a feature on the life and times of Russel in the future. I’ll see you there, I’ll be the one laughing through my tears.

Reviews:
Final Four Friday
Friday, April 2, 2010
The Lawn at White River and the Wholesale District
Downtown Indianapolis

Let me start off with how damn proud I am of our city. They pulled out all stops and the perfect weather didn’t hurt anything. I crashed my brother and his coworker’s party at the Rathskeller and from there we headed to the Lawn. The walk along the canal was beautiful – each time I made it – I had to trek back to the car with my camera. No fancy cameras were allowed in the park and mine with its detachable lens was deemed “professional.”

Stone Temple Pilots played to an estimated crowd of 20,000. I was impressed with STP leader Scott Weiland’s energy and vocals. He’s had well-documented battles with drugs and law enforcement but he seems to be back on his game. I can’t remember the last time I saw Stone Temple Pilots but I can remember the first. Lollapalooza 1992, Montage Mountain, Scranton Pennsylvania. It was the second year for the festival and it was an awesome, although long rainy day. The bill that year was heavy on rock and rage – the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rage Against the Machine, Soundgarden, Cypress Hill and Ice Cube and I loved every second of it.

It was fun to be singing along with thousands of folks (mostly guys my age) to big rock songs. STP opened with hit, Vasoline and ripped though an hour and a half set of eighteen songs including, Sex Type Thing, Creep, Crackerman, Hollywood Bitch and Plush and songs from their new record, Stone Temple Pilots, that will be released next month. They had the whole crowd dancing to their encore song, Doors cover Roadhouse Blues. I loved every second of it although it was a little strange to be standing there in my work dress and sober vs. a beer-soaked music festival on a ski mountain.

After the show was over we ventured to the Wholesale District – when did South Meridian start getting called that anyway? There were thousands of people in the streets and clubs and cars and motorcycles cruising. We popped our heads into the Slippery Noodle tent and caught the end of Big James and the Chicago Playboys. They have a fun funk-y sound and where about as opposite as could be from the Stone Temple Pilots.
The city and venues did a great job entertaining our guests.

Bring it on Super Bowl 2012 – we’re ready!

New season at Covent Garden

The programme for the Royal Opera's 2010/11 season has been announced. The new productions certainly cover an interesting range. Agostino Steffani's Niobe makes its UK debut in a production from the 2008 Schwetzingen Festival. Steffani was an older contemporary of Handel's. Steffani was Kapellmeister at the Hanoverian court and may have been responsible for Handel getting his job there. Niobe was first produced, in Munich, in 1688. The Covent Garden production will include Veronique Gens as Niobe and a Polish high counter-tenor, Jacek Laszczkowski as Anfione.

Receiving its first production at Covent Garden since 1902 is Cilea's Adriana Lecouvreur. The title role requires a real diva and Covent Garden have engaged the services of the diva du jour, Angela Gheorghiu, with Jonas Kauffman as Maurizio. David McVicar produces and Mark Elder conducts. Certainly an unmissable evening.

Another rarity, Massenet's Cendrillon is receiving its first ever Covent Garden production, with a fabulously enticing cast. Alice Coote as the Prince, Joyce DiDonato as Cendrillon and Eglise Gutierrez as the Fairy Godmother. Betrand de Billy conducts and Laurent Pelly produces.

Just as rare, but in a rather different style is Rimsky-Korsakov's The Tsar's Bride. Mark Elder conducts again and Paul Curran makes his debut as director with the Royal Opera. The cast is mainly Russian and includes Marina Poplavskaya, who made an impression as Elisabeth in Don Carlo.

The final new production is Wagner's Tannhauser with Johan Botha and Eva-Maria Westbroek. Semyon Bychkov conducts with Tim Albery directing. This is the first time the opera has been given at Covent Garden since 1987, when Gwynneth Jones sang Elisabeth. Its not my favourite Wagner opera, but its rarity makes it unmissable.

There is actually one other new production, this time of a new opera. Mark Anthony Turnage's Anna Nicole. The libretto is by Richard Thomas, one of the creators of Jerry Springer the Opera. Richard Jones directs, with Eva Maria Westbroek as Anna Nicole, Antonio Pappano conducts. Promises to be an interesting evening.

Over in the Linbury there are two further premieres. ETO bring Alexander Goehr's new opera Promised End, based on King Lear. Another unmissable evening. And James MacMillan is developing a new opera for the Linbury in May 2011.

As regards revivals, we have Charles Mackerras conducting Don Pasquale and Hansel and Gretel, with Christine Rice and Ailish Tynan in the title roles. Simon Keenlyside makes his debut as Macbeth, certainly an interesting piece of casting. McVicar's Aida returns with Roberto Alagna as Radames (memories of his Milan walk-out well behind him I hope). Ben Heppner is heading a revival of Peter Grimes (perhaps I'll like the production a little more this time). And Rolando Villazon and Sophie Koch appear in Werther, at least we hope that Villazon will appear. And it will be lovely to hear a native French speaker as Charlotte.

Recent CD Reviews

Two re-issues today.

My review of a disc of Cistercian plainchant from the Heinrich Isaac ensemble is here.
Striking and very attractive ...

And my review of a recital of arias by Donizetti and Bellini from Raul Gimenez is here. Both reviews on MusicWeb International.
Gimenez brings considerable vocal ability, variety and intelligence to these arias ...

Russel Settle 1918 - 2010

I had the great honor of working with Russ at the Red Key Tavern. Here is the piece I wrote for NUVO.

Review of the Chapelle du Roi

My review of the Chapelle du Roi's Tenebrae concert from St. John's Smith Square last week is now here, on Music and Vision.

Review of Les Troyen in Amsterdam

To Amsterdam for a rather wet weekend which culminated in the first night of Berlioz's Les Troyens performed by the Netherlands Opera at het muziektheater in Amsterdam on 4th April 2010. We missed Pierre Audi's production when it was new in 2003 and so welcomed the opportunity to see the revival.

The production had sets designed by George Tsypin (with costumes by Andrea Schmidt-Futterer). For the first two acts (the Troy acts) Tsypin's set was based around three horizontal bars across the stage, each made from a different colour of moulded, scupted translucent glass like substance. These formed both backdrops to the action as well as being substantial enough to form platforms for the action. The three platforms moved up and down as well as tilting, moving back and forth. The back drop was an abstract projection. Initially the colour scheme was relatively pale colours, which were off-set by the black worn by the Trojans. The only strong colour was the red on Cassandra's cloak. Eventually the colour red starts to see in, as it became identified with the Greeks. The Trojan horse when it appeared (as a head which descended down from above) was suffused with red and this colour took over the the whole production by the time the Trojan women committed suicide in Act 2.

For the remaining 3 acts the horizontal glass bars became vertical items which punctuated the set. The base colours remained pale, particularly because the Carthiginians wore pale cream/beige outfits.

The opera opened with the chorus of Trojans arrayed on the platforms, providing not a dynamic, vigorous stage image, but a rather stylised static one. The use of the chorus remained very static, providing stylised images which were emphasised by the use of co-ordinated movement and hand gestures.

The first two acts were very much Cassandre's story and she was on-stage for virtually all the time (except for the opening scene of Act 2 when the ghost of Hector appears to Enee). Cassandre was played by the Dutch dramatic soprano Eva Maria Westbroek, making her role debut. Westbroek's Cassandre was a tortured, rather witch doctor-like figure, sung with a beautiful flexible tone. Westbroek wasn't a huge voiced, dominating singer, instead she was more subtle and sympathetic. Though I must admit that there were moments when I would have liked more edge to the tone. She was beautifully partnered by the Chorebe of Jean-Francois Lapointe. Not only was Lapointe a native French speaker, but he sang Chorebe with nicely focussed tone, without the over emphasis on dramatic vibrato which I have found in other recent performances.

This wasn't a performance which was about big dramatic voices. In the pit conductor John Nelson kept things under control and emphasised subtlety rather than bombast. This was particularly noticeable in the casting of Enee, sung by the American lyric tenor Bryan Hymel. Frankly, Hymel seemed to find Enee's opening scenes no easier than other bigger voiced tenors. His lyric flexibility was welcome, but his upper notes rather lacked freedom.

For the processing of the Trojan treasures, we were introduced to the besuited, bald rather odd looking dancers and actors who popped up rather too much in the opera. But it must be admitted that for the dance movements in Act 1, Amir Hosseinpour and Jonathan Lunn's choreography fitter rather well.

By the first interval (end of the Trojan acts) the production had made a strong impression, and we looked forward to how the remaining acts would play out.

For Act 3, Didon (Yvonne Naef) was rather formally dressed with a huge fur coat (strange for North-African Carthage) and her hair up, the chorus seated all expecting to watch to dancing. Unfortunately, the danced parts of the Carthage acts rather let the production down. In Act 3, truncated parts of the horizontal glass bars became bases on which the dancers appeared, their dancing seeming not related to Berlioz's scenario and frankly rather risible.

Things improved with the appearance of the Trojans, which upped the dramatic impetus. One of the big positive things about Audi's production was that he dramatised what Berlioz gave him rather than inventing extra details. This gave the production rather a fine clarity, singers appeared and disappeared according to the requirements of the music rather than Audi inventing extra details. Another big advantage was the way that Audi and Tsypin use the various platforms and the stage's lift, to keep the action moving. Scenes flowed naturally into each other without long waits.

Things went a bit awry again at the opening of Act 4 in the Royal Hunt and Storm. The scenario was not quite that which Berlioz intended, but might have worked had not Audi and Tsypin decided to turn the more dramatic sections into a son et lumiere involving the whole scenery (certainly striking, but lacking dramatic clarity). For the duet between Anna (Charlotte Hellekant) and Narbal (Alistair Miles), we were again back on track.

But then. Audi's intention was obviously to focus attention on Didon, just the way attention focussed on Cassandre in Acts 1 and 2. For the remaining dance movements of Act 4, the drama was refocussed as a dream of Didon's. This might have worked but I found the choreography rather less than enlightening and at times risible. Then with the conclusion of the danced portions, Audi's dramaturgical clarity returned.

In some productions I have found that the directors need to invent extra action rather ruins these closing moments of Act 4. Instead, Audi brought on singers when needed by Berlioz and the results were musically and dramaturgically convincing.

At first Yvonne Naef had seemed a rather stiff Didon, with some problems in her upper voice. But by the end of Act 4 both she and Hymel had warmed up. Audi's staging of the concluding duet wasn't quite magical, but it worked. And allowed Hymel and Naef to give of their musical best.

The dramaturgical strength of the production continued into Act 5 and Audi seemed to completely re-gain the momentum from Acts 1 and 2, with Tsypin's scenery becoming a series of broken spaces in which the action takes place. Hymel seemed to draw strength as the drama progressed and his Enee was ultimately everything you might desire. The lyric nature of Hymel's voice, which had proved limiting at first, was musically a strong feature of the final act.

Similarly Naef's Didon seemed to relax as the acts progressed. Her upper register became more flexible, less stressed and she became a noble and moving Didon. Perhaps not the finest Didon that I have seen, but a very notably one; noble of bearing, and all the more heart-breaking when she collapses at the end.

Charlotte Hellekant was a flirtatious, suitably contrasting Anna. Alistair Miles did not seem entirely comfortable as Narbal, it didn't seem to suit that cut of his voice the way the role works for a bass like Robert Lloyd. Greg Warren, as Iopas, had a rather too high-tension voice for the role, which needs a greater degree of lyric beauty than he could provide. But Sebastien Droy as Hylas provided all the lyric beauty required in his solo.

Conductor John Nelson included the Sinon episode in Act 1, but made no significant changes to Act 5 as John Eliot Gardiner did at the Chatelet in 2003. Nelson's conducting was exemplary, he and the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra gave a fine performance and provided strong support to the singers.

This wasn't the best Les Troyens that I've ever seen. But it was certainly the most dramatic and the most brilliantly designed. For most of the production, Audi's personen-regie brought a clarity to the piece which was enviable. Though it has to be admitted that there were moments, especially towards the end, when it was a production about (rather than of) Les Troyens, there were just too many moment which lacked dramaturgical clarity and you wondered what on earth was going on, this applied not so much to the singers as to the actors and dancers. It worked best if you knew the opera well. This wasn't a production for the faint hearted, but it was certainly stunning to look at and highly intelligent.

Broad Ripple Gazette vol 7 no 7

first published in the Broad Ripple Gazette

Record Store Day
April 17, 2010

This is the third annual Record Store Day and I’m so proud of how our local record stores have pulled out the stops. In fact I think it’s remarkable how many record stores we have in town. Thanks for supporting them!

Super-exciting news is that Sanuk is going to be included in a limited edition vinyl record that will be sold on Record Store Day. Which is huge! They were one of nine bands chosen from submissions from all over the country for the Record Store Day High School Battle of the Bands. Thanks to Indy CD and Vinyl for championing them. I can’t wait to get my hands on a copy.

One of the great features of Record Store Day is, you guessed it – records! Several recording artists put out limited releases just for the event. And some are crazy-limited, only 500 copies. Each store handles it differently and not each store will bring in the same titles. Both LUNA music and Indy CD and Vinyl have lists on their Web sites and offers to hold records.

I’m writing this before the Broad Ripple area record stores have posted their set times and final plans. If something is different that what I’m telling you, blame me. I probably made it up.

www.recordstoreday.com


Indy CD and Vinyl
806 Broad Ripple Avenue
Indianapolis, IN 46220
free, all-ages

Indy CD and Vinyl is tucked in the heart of Broad Ripple. Last year they threw an all-day party and I assume that it will be just as fabulous this year. The store is chock-full of records, CDs, music DVDs and assorted pop culture goodness.

The confirmed bands are: *Slothpop *Crescent Ulmer *Burnt Ones *Sanuk – winners of the national Record Store Day Battle of the Bands *Mandy Marie and the Cool Hand Lukes – I say if you don’t like Mandy Marie, you’re not going to like heaven. *Thunders – power pop goodness, *Bears of Blue River.

I’m sorry I don’t have more details, but I promise fabulousness. Check their Web site for up to date information.

http://indycdandvinyl.com

LUNA records
5202 North College Avenue
Indianapolis, IN 46220
free, all-ages

LUNA founder and cool guy personified, Todd Robinson said he is “throwing a block party that coincides with Record Store Day.” The famous annual sidewalk sale will feature $1 CD and loads of cheap vinyl and other goodies. Upland Brewery will be pouring their hoppy-goodness in a glass and the Standard Recording guys will be grilling free hot dogs and veggie burgers while they last (the hot dogs and the Standard guys).
I’m really excited about the Handmade Promenade shop that will be taking place outside featuring handmade indie crafts.

LUNA will have live music inside – Amo Joy, Beta Male, Burnt Ones, Grey Granite, John Rambo and the Vietnam Wars, Oreo Jones, Thunderhawk and Jookabox – not necessary in that order and the times are to be determined. And DJs outside between sets – Action Jackson, DJ Jessica, Liz Foster, Mrlunatrontoyou, Rusty Redenbacher, Slater Hogan (aka Kid Delicious aka Ian Tate) will be keeping the music going.

Other activities planned: Indie Volumes photo booth, Big Car Gallery doing illustrations behind the bands as they play and My Old Kentucky Blog will be shooting video.

I work next door at the Red Key at 5:00 that day. How many times do you think I’ll sneak out the door to pop over to Luna?

www.lunamusic.net

Vibes Music
1051 East 54th Street,
Indianapolis, IN 46220

I’m writing this column three weeks before Record Store Day, so I was not able to get Vibes Music schedule. But anything John Zeps does is fabulous so I’m sure great things are on tap. Vibes is right where 54th Street meets the Monon Trail.

http://www.myspace.com/vibesrecords

Reviews:


Highland Bagpipers
March 17, 2010
Just Judy’s
2210 East 54th Street
Indianapolis, IN

I snuck out of work for forty-five minutes to see my sweet niece walk in the Saint Patrick’s Day parade and thought that was the end of my celebrating – I was helping a friend pack for a move. By a quirky set of circumstances I wound up at Just Judy’s while the bagpipers were there. They were goose-bumpy good. Owner Judy Guerra has hosted the bagpipers for years. She told me that it is one of her favorite days of the year.

Not only does Judy’s have great food but the atmosphere is like a family reunion. I don’t hang out there as often as I should, but I’m always glad I’m there when I walk though the door. You will be too.

And for the record, I drank a Guinness – it wouldn’t be Saint Patrick’s Day without one.

Recent CD Review

A pair of rather different CD's reviewed. First off contemporary music, by Christopher Roberts, for the ancient Chinese instrument, the Qin. The review is here.

For those inclined to explore - do try this evocative disc …

Then a re-issue of Jordi Savall's 2001 recording of Vivaldi's Farnace; review is here. Both reviews on MusicWeb International.

Three hours of top quality Vivaldi ...