Review: ARIZONA ARIAS EPISODE 1 at Home Computer Screens

On MArch 19, 2021, Joseph Spector, General Director of Arizona Opera, opened the stream of Arizona Arias Episode One with a short address to the viewing public describing the making of opera in a time of pandemic. Participating artists in this concert were internationally known Brazilian baritone Paulo Szot, members of the Arizona Opera Orchestra led by Maestro Cal Stewart Kellogg, Head of Music, Director of the Marion Roose Pullin Arizona Opera Studio, and pianist Christopher Cano, as well as studio members: sopranos Cheyanne Coss and Caitlin Gotimer, mezzo-soprano Mack Wolz, tenor Terrence Chin-Loy, and baritone Rob McGinness.

In Act II of Verdi's Rigoletto, the title character denounces the courtiers for abducting his daughter whom they had thought was the his mistress. Internationally known Brazilian baritone Paulo Szot sang Rigoletto's aria "Cortigianni, vil razza dannata" ("Courtiers, vile, damned bunch") with a great deal of energy and spirit that showed first his anger at the abduction of his daughter and then his willingness as a father to do anything necessary to get his daughter back. Szot gave some truly fine operatic singing and acting in this aria.

Although more from Rigoletto would follow, we next heard Cheyanne Coss sing Lauretta's aria "O mio babbino caro" ("Oh my dear daddy") from Puccini's Gianni Schicchi. She sings this lovely melody to her father when he threatens to forbid her from seeing her lover. Wearing a soft berry-colored gown, Coss was a girl in love who would get permission to marry by singing this aria to her doting daddy.

Rob McGinness chose an aria from Puccini's rarely performed second opera, Edgar. The baritone character, Frank, has fallen love with the gypsy temptress Tigrana who loves his brother. McGinness sang of his dilemma in the aria "Questo amor, vergogna mia" ("This love, my shame") with musical colors of loss and longing in his voice. Edgar shows hints and promises of this composer's later operas, but its libretto is somewhat less than stage-worthy.

Soprano Caitlin Gotimer in a flowered gown as Madama Butterfly and mezzo soprano Mack Wolz as her faithful servant, Suzuki, sang the Act II "Flower Duet" from Puccini's Madama Butterfly. In it, Butterfly tells the maid to cut all the flowers in the garden and decorate the house because her American husband is coming to see her and their son. The voices of Gotimer and Wolz blended marvelously as they performed one of the happier moments in this tragic opera.

Returning to Verdi's Rigoletto, tenor Terrence Chin-Loy offered the recitative and aria sung by the Duke when he realizes that Gilda has disappeared. "Ella mi fu rapita!" ("She has been stolen from me!") and "Parmi veder le lagrime" ("I seem to see the tears"). At first the Duke is angered by the abduction and later he weeps over her loss.

The rest of the program was devoted to Szot and collaborative pianist Cano who perfomed songs from musical theater. From Rodgers and Hammerstein's South Pacific Szot showed his famous charm singing Emile de Becque's famous song, "Some Enchanted Evening" with a great deal of passion and verve. He followed it with "This Nearly Was Mine," a song that tells how close he came to losing the love of his life, Nellie. These two pieces allowed Szot to demonstrate his ability to portray both sides of love's coin.

From Boublil and Schoenberg's Les Miserables, Szot sang "Stars," a song in which Javert, a man who believes in law and order untempered by mercy, swears by the stars to catch escapee Jean Valjean. Singing the part of a villain was a change of pace for Szot and it showed his versatility.

Returning from villainy and turning to romance, Szot sang "If Ever I Would Leave You" from Lerner and Loewe's Camelot. Guinevere wants to stay true to King Arthur, so she tells Lancelot, whom she loves, to leave her. His song explains why he isn't leaving. This was a most enjoyable program, especially since much of it was accompanied by Maestro Kellogg and an excellent orchestral ensemble, and I hope it foretells more good online performances to come from Arizona Opera. Episode One can be seen on the Arizona Opera website.

Photo of Paulo Szot courtesy of Arizona Opera.

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