August 21, 2010
Merola Finale: 'Tonight We Sing'
San Francisco Classical Voice
Janos Greben
Instead of Merola's usual two staged operas during the 10-week program, there was only one this year, so even avid followers of the program had their first experience Saturday of some of the singers. Among those, for me, there was the "discovery" of Colleen Brooks, singing the Composer in "Sie hält ihn für den Todesgott" from Ariadne auf Naxos in an impossibly mature "true Straussian" manner, bringing an outstanding musical authenticity to the role. Add Hye Jung Lee's charming Zerbinetta, and there was one of the many high points of the evening: romantic, funny, the music going in right "here" (indicating one's chest).
View article.