Faculty members joined up-and-coming soprano Melissa Joseph for the latest installation in the University Artist Series. PHOTO CREDIT: uri.edu
The University of Rhode Island’s own Rene de la Garza and David Gilliland united with up-and-coming soprano Melissa Joseph for an afternoon of vocal virtuosity last Sunday with the latest installation in the University Artist Series.
The concert marks a turning point for the department by bringing back live music where the audience is allowed in-house. Attendees aren’t the only ones who were anticipating this change, as performers are also excited to once again be present with the public.
As a professor of voice and a reputable performer himself, de la Garza has gotten all too familiar with a world where the audience is on mute, a significant stifling of the engagement the medium typically provides.
“It’s amazingly different,” de la Garza said regarding in-person events. “I think that the most exciting thing is that you can just look at the audience’s response to what you’re singing, and the cherry on the cake is the applause at the end of your song instead of that virtual stillness we’ve all experienced.”
For this concert in particular, de la Garza felt strongly about addressing the ongoing issue regarding the lack of diversity often seen in classical musical communities on both large and small scales. Hence the concert’s theme, “Make Them Hear You.”
“I felt very strongly that the department needs to be inclusive,” says de la Garza. “We have very few students of color in the department. I had heard Melissa sing two years ago. She sang this aria, ‘I am Moses, The Liberator’ by Okoye. It really resonated with me.”
Joseph is a Haitian-American soprano with an impressive resume, on the path to a very successful career whilst representing immigrant voices on and off the stage. She is currently under contract with Tri-Cities Opera Company in Binghamton, New York.
An integral part of any vocal performance is its accompaniment, which was provided by URI’s lecturer in collaborative piano, David Gilliland.
The concert opened on a merry note with de la Garza and Joseph performing a jubilant Baroque-era duet from George Frederic Handel’s “Giulio Cesare.” From the moment the singers opened their mouths, it was evident just how much one misses when listening through a screen. The operatic voice fills the room in a manner that is practically palpable when experienced live, and in a way that no YouTube video can truly capture.
The concert included a gamut of pieces that were diverse in their cultures, styles, periods and moods, including everything from French music of the Romantic era to settings of 20th century Afro-Cuban poetry to opera classics.
de la Garza took the stage using his robust baritone voice in order to bring many of these pieces to life, includi g selections from Cuban composers, American musical theatre and two pieces from Xavier Montsalvatge’s “Cinco Canciónes Negros.” This song cycle combines the poetry of several Afro-cuban authors with influence from the region’s music to create lively, rhythmic numbers that were contrastingly gentle and vivacious.
Not all selections were so serious, however, as de la Garza performed “Another Reason Why I Don’t Keep A Gun In The House,” a song where a man is driven so mad by a barking dog that he begins to hallucinate the dog playing a part in the Beethoven symphony he’s listening to. The piece comes to a climax with the singer imitating the aforementioned irritating culprit.
Other moments of note include Joseph’s chilling rendition of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s despondent aria “Ach, ich fühl’s.” Though the aria can be interpreted as a full-force, wailing cry, Joseph’s tempered misery demonstrated her character’s resignation to suicide. The sorrow didn’t last too long, as this aria was followed by a resplendent rendition of Puccini’s “Quando m’en vo.”
A definite highlight of the performance was the Rhode Island premiere of “I am Moses, The Liberator” from Nkeiru Okoye’s biographical opera about Harriet Tubman, “When I Crossed That Line To Freedom.” Not only was the aria an incredible technical feat, but Joseph’s conviction made it a truly powerful moment. The opera this aria comes from was composed in 2015, making it a refreshing deviation from the typical opera canon.
If anyone is disappointed they were unable to make it to this event, there is no need to despair. Not only is the concert up on URI Music’s Youtube channel, the department has more events coming up. The next installment of the University Artist Series takes place on Dec. 5 at 3 p.m., and features voice professor Caroline O’Dwyer performing a series of songs on love and loss. The performance will also feature original arrangements by Gilliland, who will once again be accompanying. All are welcome and encouraged to take part in the music department’s events by visiting their website and reserving a seat!