Hudson Valley Singers Perform Georg Friedrich Handel's SUSANNA, 1/16

A courtroom drama set to glorious music, Georg Friedrich Handel's oratorio Susanna tells "a gripping tale of blackmail and lies that threaten to send an innocent young woman to her death," said Eugene Sirotkine, Conductor and Music Director of the Hudson Valley Singers who will perform the piece twice this season both in White Plains and in Manhattan. Last night, the chorus and their guest soloists, rising stars in the opera world, received a standing ovation.

Accompanied by the New York Metamorphoses Orchestra and world-class soloists, the final performance is on Saturday, January 16 at 7:30 pm at the Church of St. Ignatius of Antioch, 552 West End Ave. at 87th St., New York City.

Sirotkine says he and the chorus are "fired up by this piece" and anticipates that the audience will be too. Based on the apocryphal story from the Book of Daniel, this English-language oratorio tells the story of the beautiful young Susanna who, after being falsely accused of adultery by two lecherous old men and forced to stand trial, is saved from death by the young hero, Daniel.

"It's a very good introduction to Handel's work since the music is very pretty-very approachable. The other day I had a tune in my head; it sounded so upbeat and modern that I thought it must be a pop song, then I realized that the tune was from this oratorio. Something in the beauty of this music appeals to people. It is a piece that will delight those unfamiliar with Handel as well as connoisseurs of Handel's work. Everyone will enjoy it," Sirotkine said.

Rebecca Ringle, an award-winning young mezzo-soprano whose performances with New York City Opera, Washington National Opera, Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano, and many others have garnered rave reviews, sings the lead role of Susanna. "This role explores the widest range of emotions-tragic and sad, loving, denying, rejoicing-and has a truly dramatic feel. It requires a strong voice with flexibility, vitality and coloratura," says Sirotkine. Sirotkine is one of many to laud the richness and range of her voice. Operacast.com praised her "commanding stage presence" and noted that her voice has "an unusual claret timbre that retains its erotic resin from bottom to top."

Sirotkine, a Russian-born freelance conductor who debuted with the Latvian Philharmonic in St. Petersburg in 1989 and was an assistant conductor with the New York Metropolitan Opera from 1999 through 2008, is the founder and director of the New York Metamorphoses Orchestra. Over the past two decades he has conducted orchestras and choruses across the globe, including the Hong Kong Philharmonic and Olga Borodina; the Orquesta Sinfónica UNCuyo in Argentina; Conductor and Vocal Coach at Israeli Vocal Arts Institute; Assistant Conductor, Glyndebourne Opera Festival, England; the Orquestra Sinfônica Nacional in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; and the Cape Philharmonic and the Cape Town Opera in South Africa.

The other soloists include bass Matthew Curran (the Second Elder) who has performed with Seattle Opera, Zürich Opera, and the American Symphony Orchestra, among others. His performance as Edwin Cheney in Shining Brow with the Buffalo Philharmonic was recently released on the Naxos label. Singing the role of the prophet Daniel is Elizabeth De Trejo, who, in addition to her operatic repertoire, is a recitalist and concert performer. She made her Carnegie Hall debut as a soloist this season with John Rutter conducting the Rutter Requiem. She has performed throughout the United States and Europe and joins the roster of the Metropolitan Opera in their production of Lulu for the 2009-2010 season. Countertenor Ian Howell (Joacim), hailed by The New York Times for his "clear voice and attractive timbre," recently released his solo CD with the American Bach Soloists. Tenor Kannan Vasudevan, another award-winning young singer who has performed with Bronx Opera, the Cantata Singers, and Chœur Régional Provence, lends his voice as the First Elder.

Praised by The New York Times as one of Westchester's "most ambitious" choruses, the Hudson Valley Singers, an amateur ensemble under the professional direction of Eugene Sirotkine, has been enriching the cultural life of Westchester and Manhattan since 1951. The 80-member chorus has performed in Budapest and Costa Rica during the last few seasons.

Tickets are $30 at the door. Senior, student or advance purchase tickets are $25 and may be purchased by calling (914) 674-2865 or online at www.HudsonValleySingers.org

 

 

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