YOUNGSTOWN Joint effort to offer classic Verdi opera

The concert format eliminates the need for sets and costumes.
By MOLLY SHERIDAN
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
There is a saying attributed to the great conductor Arturo Toscanini that to perform the Verdi opera "Il Trovatore" is easy; all you need are the five greatest singers in the world.
Allan Mosher is convinced that his company's upcoming production has what it takes.
The Youngstown Opera Guild, the Valley Lyric Opera, and the Seraphim Orchestra and Chorus have joined forces to present the Verdi classic in a concert format Sunday.
Mosher, president of the Youngstown Opera Guild and associate professor of voice/opera at Youngstown State University, has had a hand in a number of community opera projects in recent years. He said this collaboration, which will include an orchestra for the first time, will take the production to a new level.
"We're just pushing the envelope bit by bit every year to see how far we can take this thing," Mosher said. "To do something like Verdi's "Il Trovatore" is quite a reach, but we're doing it and having a good time in the process."
No sets, costumes
The concert format means no sets or costumes. Though the omission is admittedly a production decision based on limited finances, Mosher said it also allows the focus to remain on the music. He explained that "Verdi was a master at writing for voices, that's why his fame continues, and so the focus [in a Verdi opera] is really on what the singer can do."
The organizations involved have assembled an experienced cast to take on the challenging roles. Soprano Jennifer Davis Jones, who most recently performed the role of Marguerite in "Faust" with the Des Moines Metro Opera, will sing Leonora.
YSU senior vocal performance major Megan Morris will sing the gypsy woman, Azucena. Tenor Francisco Cano, who was seen last year in the company's production of "La Boheme," is Manrico.
Mosher, a baritone, will portray the evil Count di Luna, and renowned basso Damuel DePalma will sing Ferrando. Jon Simsic will conduct the orchestra, chorus and soloists.
"Il Trovatore," with its famous melodies and tragic plot, seemed to the collaborators to be a good choice for this year's production based on the available local talent.
"The chorus parts are tremendous and it just seemed to fit the people that we have in this area at the moment," said Mosher. "And even though it's a very standard work, it hasn't been heard in this community for decades."
What's gone
Large-scale vocal productions in general seem to be disappearing from Youngstown stages. The Youngstown Symphony has disbanded its volunteer chorus, and no choral works are part of their upcoming season.
A San Francisco-based touring company, which used to make regular stops at Powers Auditorium, has ceased operation due to financial issues.
Now smaller local companies are hoping to tap into a proven area audience and fill the void. The Youngstown Opera Guild will offer a fully staged production of "La Traviata" in November, with a dinner in Stambaugh Auditorium's Grand Ballroom. The Warren Philharmonic is scheduled to perform a concert version of Bizet's "Carmen" in the spring.
Admittedly a concert version can't quite take the place of going to an opera house for a fully staged production, "but when you can't have the moon, you have the stars," Mosher said. "I'm hoping that people will come away with a greater appreciation for the music."
Much to offer
For those who have never experienced it before, Mosher suggests that this opera has a lot to offer the uninitiated.
"When people hear 'Il Trovatore,' it's pretty hard to forget because there are just so many gorgeous melodies in it. I think this is an excellent opera to come to if you've never been to an opera before." Translation of the Italian libretto will be projected as the lines are sung.
Opera is a very demanding art form for the human voice, requiring years of training to perform well. Despite those demands, Mosher speaks confidently of opera's potential to continue to reach modern audiences.
"When you express what [the composer] wants you to express, it becomes a very powerful art form, because it's all about passion, it's full of drama, full of great tragedy," he said.
"It makes for quite an emotional impact when it all comes together. I think that's why opera has endured now for 400 years and shows no sign of slacking."