Merola Grand Finale

The Merola Grand Finale last night was excellent. They just seem to be getting a better group of singers each year. One highpoint from last night was the duet "Si, fuggire: a noi non resta" from Bellini's I Capuletti e i Montecchi which featured soprano Allyn Perez as Giuletta and mezzo-soprano Michele Losier as Romeo. When the scene started Allyn sounded like a mezzo so we were not sure who was playing which role. Ha! Anyway, she hit the most powerful high notes I have heard in a long time. Delora Zaijeck was ready for the big time when she came through the program but few are. These two can be added to that list. Mezzo Losier is tall and slender and was reminding me a bit of Tatiana Troyanos along the way. Allyn appears to be of average height and she has a powerful and well focused voice. Another high point which followed an exuberant duet from The Elixir of Love was bass David Crawford's rendition of "Over the water, over the ocean...O Beauty, O handsomeness", Claggart's scene and aria from Billy Budd. It started on the lowest note possible so was in stark contract to the preceding Donizetti but it built in power, intensity and vocal range as it went along and gave me goose bumps. I think he got the loudest applause of the evening also. Another beautiful moment featured Andriana Chuchman as Zdenka and Melody Moore as Arabella in the duet "Er ist der Richtige nicht für mich!" from Strauss' Arabella. They were exquisite. I would like to hear them in Der Rosenkavalier sometime. Ronnita Miller sang "Oh, don't say that...I shall find for you shells and stars" from Menotti's The Consul. It was not a spectacular piece of music but seemed to prove that she is very versatile and has a large rich voice. At Yerba Buena Garden recently I hear her in a scene from La Cenerentola (as Tisbe) and from Dialogues of the Carmelites (as the old Prioress). It was a very enjoyable evening and there were very few clunkers so we felt like we got our money's worth and now can look forward to some of these people developing into the stars of the future. I will place Allyn Pérez, Michèle Losier, and David Crawford at the head of that list. Even though the regular opera season does not begin until Sept. 17th for me, I have always considered this concert to be the beginning of the season and last night it did not disappoint at all.