Monday, November 18, 2013

NY TIMES

On the Ark, Two by Two, Creatures (and Performers) Great and Small

Britten’s ‘Noye’s Fludde,’ With Young Performers


Ben Asen
Noye’s Fludde Samuel Wong, lower left, conducting a cast assembled by Lighthouse International and Park Avenue Christian Church, at Park Avenue United Methodist Church.
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Benjamin Britten loved composing pieces for children, not just for children to enjoy but also to perform. There is no better example that “Noye’s Fludde” (“Noah’s Flood”), a 60-minute opera based on a 15th-century mystery play, written for amateurs, especially children, with professionals mixed in. This telling of the biblical story was first performed in 1958 at Orford Church in Suffolk, England. It was presented as part of Britten’s Aldeburgh Festival with artists from the English Opera Group along with a large local cast, including a children’s choir.
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It was an inspired idea for Lighthouse International, an multifaceted organization serving people with vision loss, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of its Filomen M. D’Agostino Greenberg Music School by joining with Arts at the Park, an affiliate of Park Avenue Christian Church, for an enchanting production of “Noye’s Fludde” on Friday night. The performance occurred exactly a week before the 100th anniversary of Britten’s birth.
Here was a cast that included adult singers, church choristers and, most moving of all, a roster of vision-impaired performers from the Lighthouse music program, including many children. Even the location of the production was an expression of shared community: Because of construction at Park Avenue Christian Church, the performance took place around the corner on 86th Street at Park Avenue United Methodist Church.
There were musical moments and dramatic images in this “Noye’s Fludde” that I will never forget, especially the children’s chorus when Noah gathers into the ark the creatures of the earth in male and female pairs: camels, asses, horses, marmosets, birds and more. The children, drawn from the youth choirs of both Lighthouse and Park Avenue Christian Church (directed by Dalia Sakas and Nicole Becker), walked up the aisle singing the score’s lovely “Kyrie.” They marched two by two, arm in arm, all wearing costumes designed by Haley Lieberman, topped by playful hats suggesting their animal type. They sang the music beautifully.
And what music! Even when the choral writing is accessible to children, the voices are buttressed by pungent, intricate instrumental music for a chamber orchestra of strings, recorders, piano (four hands), organ, timpani and, in this staging, a brass ensemble in a loft at the back of the church. During the scene when the rains come, the first droplets are evoked by piano plunks and the clinking pitched sounds made by a percussionist rapping a row of coffee mugs hanging on a cord.
When the storm turns terrifying, the orchestra bursts into gnashing chords, darting riffs and harmonic chaos. Then, calmly, the inhabitants of the ark start to sing the hymn “Eternal Father, Strong to Save.”
The impressive conductor was Samuel Wong, an ophthalmologist with a dual career in music, who made his New York Philharmonic debut in 1990 when he was an assistant conductor with the orchestra. The production, with a simple, charming set by Vitek Kruta, was directed by Sarah Meyers, from the staff of the Metropolitan Opera.
As Noah, the strong bass-baritone Peter Stewart conveyed the character’s mix of confusion and devotion when a vengeful God, displeased by man “set full foul in sin,” warns him of the coming flood and directs him to build an ark. The Voice of God (an offstage speaking role) was performed by Elliott Forrest, whose disembodied voice is familiar to those who listen to him as an announcer for WQXR and WNYC radio. The plush mezzo-soprano Laurie Rubin was wonderful as Mrs. Noye, who is at first deeply skeptical of her husband’s mission, preferring to bury her fears chatting with a female chorus of gossips. Being blind has not prevented Ms. Rubin from gaining attention as a fine vocalist. Noah’s sons were portrayed by three endearing young singers: Francesco Magisano, Geanny Trinidad and Mateusz Rogowski.
The church was packed to overflowing for opening night. Sadly, there were only three performances. With additional financial support, this inspiring show could probably have run for two weeks.



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