Metropolitan Opera telecast fourth in series of six

By Burt Saidel

Saturday, Feb. 24 could be a record-book entry.  The Metropolitan Opera live telecasts are a rare opportunity.  While no substitute for a live performance, they are an intimate look at the opera, closer than from the audience.  The intermission features are another compelling reason not to miss these innovative telecasts.
The fourth opera in the series of six was Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin.  Both the opera and the novel by Alexander Pushkin were an immediate success. Much as Goethe’s novel Werter spawned lovers’ suicides, Pushkin’s nihilism set a fashion for the period.  

The tale of a bored and pampered Russian nobleman and his life of non-commitment has some roots in today’s society.  For the innocent Tatiana, a young and beautiful noblewoman, her passionate love at first sight of the handsome Onegin led to rejection.  The rejection was based on Onegin’s resolve that marriage and the genteel country life were too boring.

The convolutions of the story are love and rejection.  Onegin kills his best friend Lenski in an ill-conceived duel.  Finally, the reversal of the roles as Tatiana rejects him proves the futility of his philosophy of detachment.

The leading characters are beautifully etched in the music, the arias and in dramatic actions.  As Tatiana, Renee Fleming proved again why she is one of the great sopranos of our day.  Her well-remembered recital with the Philharmonic last season made that clear.  

Her Tatiana displayed vulnerability and strength of character magnificently.  As Onegin, Russian baritone Dimitri Hvorostovsky matched Fleming’s excellence.  He is as handsome as she is beautiful.  Together, they made a most convincing focus for this wonderful opera.  

The other characters, the chorus and orchestra were just right to convey the mood and message of this wry love story.  Ramon Vargas’ poet Lenski and Elana Zaremba’s flirty sister Olga added their gifts to the success of the opera.  

In theater jargon, there are no small parts.  In the role of Prince Gremin, Tatiana’s older husband, Russian bass Sergei Aleksashkin was superb.

Some of my readers have asked why the third of these telecast operas, Tan Dun’s The First Emperor, was not reviewed.  The busy schedule and my personal and shared lack of enthusiasm for the overindulged opera led me to give it short shrift.  When superstar Placido Domingo can’t save an opera, it isn’t worth saving.

There are still two of these historic broadcasts remaining . March 24 will bring the Barber of Seville and April 28 Puccini’s Il Trittico will be heard and seen..  For tickets go to Dayton Public Radio’s website: dpr.org.

Cincinnati Symphony

The next stop on our mini-marathon was Music Hall in Cincinnati.  It was “a dark and stormy night” as copious rain mixed with sleet pelted us the entire way from Dayton.
Once inside the confines of Music Hall, all was well.  The concert was under the baton of Assistant Conductor Tito Muñoz in his debut subscription appearance.  At age 23, he is certainly a decade ahead of the normal progression of young conductors.

The program opened with Mozart’s Don Giovanni Overture.  Much to our chagrin, it was played badly, poorly timed and without nuance.  Later we learned that this was a last minute substitution for a Penderecki work which was cancelled.

With trepidation, we awaited Chee Yun and her rendition of the magnificent Bruch Violin Concerto.  She is a truly beautiful young woman.  Her stage presence is electric.  From the first notes of the concerto, we knew that all was well.  

The Bruch concerto is nearly unique in the exchange between violin and orchestra.  The soloist leads the orchestra and the orchestra paraphrases the music.  It was a truly brilliant performance.  

Chee Yun’s mastery of tone and phrase, without bombast, keyed the orchestra perfectly.  The adagio movement, a melody of unsurpassed beauty, mesmerized the audience.  The bright energy of the final movement was a perfect blend of violin virtuosity and orchestral excellence.  The immediate standing ovation was a clear indication that the entire audience felt the same vibrations.

The rest of the concert made the memory of the Don Giovanni overture fade completely. Under Maestro Muñoz, the orchestra played Dukas The Sorcerer’s Apprentice and Stravinsky’s The Firebird Suite with freshness and élan.  The many solos from brass, bassoon, flute and oboe were masterfully done.  The entire woodwind section is first-rate.

After the warm joys of the concert, we had to face the icy trip home sustained and soothed by Chee Yun’s magnificent appearance with a wonderful orchestra.

Dayton Opera’s Samson & Delilah

Dayton Opera’s Samson and Delilah is a musical treat.  A ski trip forces me to make this short note about a wonderful opera.  A full review will follow.  

The cast is superb, led by tenor Dongwon Shin and mezzo soprano Elena Bocharova.  Both have big, melodic voices with dramatic color.  

The opera is played on a spectacular set with brilliant costumes.  The last act ballet, by dancers of DCDC II, is sensuous and beautiful.  

The opera will have two more performances at the Schuster – March 9th and 11th. For tickets call 937 228 3630; you will be glad that you did!

Rhythm in Shoes celebrates 20th anniversary 

The Board of Directors of Rhythm in Shoes has hired a new Executive Director and elected new officers and four new members to the board of the nonprofit music and dance ensemble.

Noreen Willhelm, a resident of Jefferson Township and long-time nonprofit manager, has been appointed Executive Director.  She will be responsible for fundraising and board relations for the company, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this season.  

The new Board leadership includes: Patrick Palermo, of Oakwood, University of Dayton Professor of History, President Thomas Green, of Springboro, attorney with Green and Green, Lawyers, Vice President, Dona Niswonger, of Oakwood, loan officer with National City Mortgage, Treasurer, Sharon Leahy, of Dayton, Rhythm in Shoes Artistic Director, Secretary.

New Board members are: Steve Brown, of Washington Township, co-owner of Irongate Realty, Inc., Rick Flaute, of Bellbrook, President, Supply One,
Peter Horan, of Kettering, community volunteer, Jane Katsuyama, of Kettering, cellist, Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, Carol Siyahi-Hicks, of Xenia, Vice President for Marketing and Public Relations, The Dayton Foundation.

Other current Board members are: David Dirksen, of Beavercreek, Partner, Flagel, Huber, Flagel and Co., David Steve Dunn, Vice President, Huntington Bank , Rick Good, of Spring Valley, Artistic Director, Rhythm in Shoes, Ron Lee, of Dayton, Chair, Downtown Priority Board, Rhine McLin, of Dayton, Mayor, City of Dayton, Kathy Mecoli, of Union, Assistant Superintendent, Mad River Schools, M. Patricia Rosely, of Cincinnati, Director of Development, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Dona Vella, of Centerville, Development Director, Cox Arboretum

Zehenny named Dayton Art Institute board chairman

The Dayton Art Institute’s Board of Trustees has appointed Joseph A. Zehenny, Senior Vice President of Commercial Lending at KeyBank, to Chairman of the Board.  Zehenny succeeds former chairman Bradley H. Tidwell, who is relocating from Dayton to Texas.  Zehenny will also assume Tidwell’s duties as chairman of the search committee for a new museum director.

“Joe has been a key member of the board since 2002 and has served as board treasurer and chairman of the finance committee since 2003,” said Brad Tillson, interim director of The Dayton Art Institute.  “He has also been a member of the search committee for a new museum director.  Joe will provide strong leadership for the Board of Trustees and will guide us in the right direction as we appoint a new director.”

Tillson said Zehenny and his wife, Kathleen, also served on The Dayton Art Institute’s Associate Board from 2000 to 2003. The Associate Board plans the museum’s two largest fundraisers, Art Ball and Oktoberfest.

“I am honored to be selected as chairman of The Dayton Art Institute’s Board of Trustees,” said Zehenny. “The Dayton Art Institute is a community treasure that enriches the lives of people throughout the Miami Valley. This is an exciting time in the museum’s history as we search for a new director to lead us into the future.”
Zehenny is a Dayton native and has been working with Dayton area business owners and Not-for-Profit Executives for more than 25 years.

Along with The Dayton Art Institute, Zehenny is currently active in other community organizations such as the Dayton Development Coalition, Parents Advancing Choice in Education, K12 Gallery for Young People, Huesman Heart Foundation, and his family’s church and school.  Joe has also served as president of the Dayton
Philharmonic Orchestra Association and as the treasurer for the Area Agency on Aging board.

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March 13, 2007
Volume 16, No. 11

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