A Night at the Rochester Lyric Opera

The Rochester Lyric Opera, Rochester’s only professional opera company, was founded three years ago by Sue Cotroneo, with the goal “to bring opera to everyone in the community.”  This reminded me of a Mark Morris quote in the PBS documentary, Dancing at Jacob’s Pillow – Never Stand Still, in which he says, “I like to say that my work is not for everyone, it’s for anyone.”

Over the weekend, the group presented their third annual Chamber Opera Festival, which included a very enjoyable double bill of two one-act operas:  Douglas Moore’s Gallantry (an opera parody of a soap opera), and Haydn’s Lo Speziale, an opera buffa.  The Friday evening performance was extremely well attended, even though it was presented in an uncomfortable space at the Visual Studies Workshop.  My friend Linda and I arrived just in time to get two of the last plastic chairs on a riser, and who should be sitting at the end of our row, but Sofia Ponti (daughter of Maestro Raffaele Ponti, of the Genesee Valley Orchestra, and the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra in Florida).  Her mother, pianist Isabelle Aubin, acted as vocal coach and played with the chamber orchestra for the Haydn piece. They vaguely remembered having met me with my friend Nanette, in Florida.  I also ran into a fellow Concentus singer, Michelle, in the audience, and recognized one of the violists in the orchestra from accompanying Concentus last year.  Rochester is a small world...

Both operas were preceded by an introduction that could have been shortened, but the productions themselves were very professional.  Gallantry featured the talented Sue Cotroneo and Allyn Van Dusen, both of whom have gorgeous voices.  I could have done with a little less view up Grant Knox’ hospital gown when he sat on the operating table, but other than that, the staging was very well done.  Linda and I were a bit worried when the chamber orchestra took their places for Lo Speziale, because the acoustics in the hall weren’t ideal, but our fears were unfounded – we had no trouble hearing the singers.  While they were all quite good, I was especially taken with Eric Brenner’s countertenor, and jealous of his ability to sing higher than I ever could!

I’m not really an opera lover (although I’ve seen quite a few operas in my years in New York City, including a Metropolitan Opera production of Berg’s Wozzeck, for my husband’s and my second date, which we both hated, but that’s another story…). Still, I think it’s unfortunate that the Rochester Lyric Opera only performs one weekend a year, because they really are trying to appeal to a wide audience, and deserve every chance to succeed.