BWW Reviews: Millennials Approach and Amaze at Met Council Auditions Concert

In our age of 20-somethings with arrested development, they say "25 is the new 15." This certainly was not true at the Met auditions concert (formally, the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions Grand Finals Concert, a real mouthful!). At the opera house, Sunday afternoon, the concert showcased nine competitors, all between 24 and 29 but mature artists with poise, acting ability and, yes, voices definitely worth hearing again.

Even though only five received cash awards ($15,000) for their efforts, they were all winners, offering fully rounded performances.Each sang two arias that showed off different aspects of their art. Opera being opera, though, I did have some favorites.

At the top of my list was soprano Julie Adams, from Burbank, CA. Simply put, she sang exquisitely, beginning with Debussy's "L'annee en vain chasse" from L'ENFANT PRODIGUE. She bucked the general trend of choosing from warhorses by choosing this aria from a cantata that the composer wrote during his student years, based on the Biblical parable of the Prodigal Son. It showed off the remarkable colors and range of her voice, as well as her thoughtful phrasing. In the second half of the program, she chose Puccini's aria, "Donde lieta usci" from LA BOHEME. She was a Mimi to treasure.

Bass-baritone Ao Li, from Dezhou, China, was a fully formed Leporello in the Catalogue Aria ("Madamina, il catalogo e questo") from Mozart's DON GIOVANNI--for once out of the Don's grasp, this servant was ready to show off his grasp of the situation in which he serves. He put his vocal muscles to good use, with a lively and lyrically adept performance. He switched gears, later, to showcase the dramatic side of his instrument, with a moody performance of "Aleko's Cavatina" from the eponymous work by Rachmaninoff, which finished off the concert.

I must admit that I was caught off guard by the power of bass Patrick Guetti's voice because of his somewhat gangly appearance as he walked out on stage. As soon as he opened his mouth, I was hooked by this singer from Highland Park, NJ. His rendition of Fiesco's aria "Il lacerate spirit" from Verdi's SIMON BOCCANEGRA was full-bodied, effortless and haunting. Guetti then turned the tables by choosing Don Basilio's broadly comic--yet threatening--"La calunnia" from Rossini's IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA and tearing up the stage.

Another soprano prize-winner (there were no baritones or mezzos this time around) was Amanda Woodbury, from Crestwood, KY, who opened her part of the program with Donna Anna's "Non mi dir" from DON GIOVANNI. This character sometimes comes off as passive in the opera house, but there was nothing remote about Woodbury's performance, with brave coloratura and smart phrasing. Later in the afternoon, she returned with "A vos jeux, mes amis," the first part of Ophelie's mad scene from Thomas's HAMLET. While this doesn't quite call for the agility of "Pale et blonde," the second part of the scene, it is more thoughtful and expressive.

Rounding out the quintet of awardees was tenor Yi Li, from Jinan, China. He bravely stood where Jonas Kaufmann did earlier this month, singing WERTHER's "Pourquoi me reveiller" and acquitting himself honorably. In the first half of the program, he sang an ardent "De' miei bollenti spiriti" from Verdi's LA TRAVIATA.

The other singers in the program all deserve more-than-honorable mention. Soprano Nicole Haslett, from Mt. Laurel, NJ, was a delightful Zerbinetta from Strauss's ARIADNE AUF NAXOS as well as a bell-like Nanetta from Verdi's FALSTAFF. Countertenor Christopher Lowery, from Johnston, RI, presented two Handel arias that were everything you want from this type of voice and don't always get: dexterity and a penetrating sound. Tenor Rexford Tester, from Tazewell, VA, brought impressive diction and a refined sound to his aria, "Here I Stand," from Stravinsky's A RAKE'S PROGRESS. One last tenor, Rafael Moras from San Antonio, TX, impressed with his soaring Donizetti ("Una furtiva lagrima") and Gounod ("Ah, leve-toi, soleil").

The afternoon was hosted by tenor Lawrence Brownlee, a favorite of bel canto aficionados at the Met. It also featured a performance by Susanna Phillips, who was Rosalinda in the company's new production of DIE FLEDERMAUS and Fiordiligi in the current run of COSI FAN TUTTE. Both are past winners of the Met auditions and are only two of many--including Renee Fleming, Susan Graham and Thomas Hampson--who have gone on to major careers after being singled out in the competition. While opera is never a sure thing, I'd place my bets on the future of this year's group of fine artists right now.

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Photo (left to right): Yi Li, Julie Adams, Patrick Guetti, Amanda Woodbury, Ao Li

Photo by Rebecca Fay/Metropolitan Opera