dana school of music Ensemble to present ‘Too Many Sopranos’

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

The Dana School of Music will present a spirited recital titled “Too Many Sopranos” at 8 p.m. Monday in Bliss Hall recital hall.

The “Too Many Sopranos” ensemble includes Dana faculty Nancy Andersen Wolfgang, soprano; Jennifer Jones Mosher, soprano; Dr. Misook Yun, soprano; Rachael Pavloski, mezzo-soprano, and a guest appearance by Dr. Allan Mosher, baritone.

The recital came up for consideration because there are four females and one male in the vocal department at Dana.

It is based on the opera “Too Many Sopranos” by Edwin Penhorwood, which is a two-act opera in English with a pastiche of song from opera’s various periods.

In the opera, four sopranos die on the same day.

They are brought to Heaven’s gates, but are stopped by St. Peter because there is room in the heavenly choir for only one soprano.

Each auditions in her own way with an aria that exemplifies the traditions and excesses of its time.

The sopranos are told that if there were more tenors and basses in the heavenly choir, there would be no problem in letting them in.

So, the sopranos go to Hell to retrieve the men who have been condemned to eternal torment.

The program for this recital includes selections by classical and contemporary composers, including Mozart, Verdi, Offenbach, Puccini, Howland, Dickstein, Schwartz and Hayes, which the sopranos will perform both individually and in duo.

The recital will conclude with a diva aria sing-off from the opera that includes all four sopranos and a cameo appearance by the lone male, Mosher as St. Peter.

The recital is free and open to the public.

More information is available by calling the Dana School of Music at 330-941-3636.