SEEN AND HEARD INTERNATIONAL

Singers

Rebecca Choate Beasley – Cloris
Lianne Coble – Diane
Ann Monoyios – Zéphyre

Dancers

Justin Coates
Junichi Fukuda
Joy Havens
Rachel List
Glenda Norcross
Alexis Silver
Valerie Sheldon Tabor
Gregory Youdan

Zephpyrs in Flight:Gregory Youdan and Justin Coates

Photo © Julie Lemberger, 2010

In the continuing musical debate as to how one should perform 18th century opera, music or ballet, it is a strange and ironic reversal when a traditional and conservative production seems more radical then current avant-garde productions. The norm today perhaps, in a desire to attract a larger audience to French Baroque opera, is a tendency to stage these productions with as great a disparity between the music and the stage production as possible. The conductors William Christie, Christophe Rousset and Marc Minkowski have all directed Rameau operas with original instruments in an historically informed manner, but with staging, costumes and dancing as if Rameau lived in the 21st century. William Christie and Jose Montalvo's production of Les Paladins has the singers interacting with a backdrop video screen showing animated cartoon animals that also interact with humans dressed and undressed. Christie and Andrei Serban's production (choreography by Bianca Li) of Les Indes Galantes ends with William Christie going on stage to join Patrice Petibon, dressed as an American Indian chief, and the rest of the troupe in a chicken dance to the famous rondeau interlude from Act 3. Christophe Rousset-Pierre Audi's production of Zoroastre has the villains dressed in Nazi style trench coats, while the good guys and gals are clad in what looks like white undergarments. Only the Marc Minkowsi-Laurent Pelly (choreography by Laura Scozzi) Paris staging of Rameau's wildly inventive Platée and the Harry Bickett-Laurence Pelly (choreography by Mark Morris) Edinburgh Festival production avoid this disparity: being the story of a frog who fancies herself Jupiter's wife only to find out in the finale that she has been the butt of the gods' joke.

What a refreshing experience then to see the NY Baroque Dance Company perform Rameau in the style of the time when the music was written.

I am not particularly knowledgeable about ballet, and can only say that the stylized dancing here was informed with an expressiveness that I've rarely seen elsewhere. With arms always gracefully raised and faces fixed, as if this were a silent movie, more meaning was conveyed than in a traditional ballet. Even the masquerade-party-style masks that were occasionally worn were capable of suggesting emotional states. Soprano Rebecca Choate Beasley as Cloris was the most expressive of all, her face at times showing fear, curiosity or happiness, with only the slightest change in countenance. The other two singers, Ann Monoyios as Zéphyre and Lianne Coble as Diane, sang with tremendous enthusiasm and a clear understanding of the vocal mannerisms of Rameau's time. The orchestra under the direction of James Richman never attempted to cover the singers or distract the audience from the dancers.

Alexis Silver as the dancer tempting the unicorn danced by Valerie Shelton Tabor
Photo © Julie Lemberger, 2010

In addition to the full length Zéphyre, the performance opened with a brief ballet made up of movements from two other Rameau Opéra Ballets: Le Temple de la Gloire and Les Fêtes d'Hébé. This newly choreographed suite was created by Ms. Turocy in celebration of the veteran dancer Rachel List's 20th anniversary as a member of the group. Ms. List performed her dedicatory dance with great aplomb as did the three other members of the troupe who joined her.

As a final note, it must be said that the presentation, although in period costumes, suffered from being staged in too small a space with barely enough room for the dancers to be at ease. I had to catch my breath for a moment when dancer Joy Havens put her foot down inches from the front stage only to catch herself, with an evident look of shock. Speeches by both Catherine Turocy and James Richman, although interesting, added an element of being in a school auditorium. My friend called it “The Glee of the 18th century.” I do appreciate the fact that the theater lights were turned up high enough to allow one to follow the libretto, something not considered in most venues.

Stan Metzger


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