Summer Music Series Underway at Sands Point Preserve

Saturday, July 11, marked the beginning of the Summer Music Series at Sands Point Preserve’s Castle Gould. The series kicked off with with a sold-out performance of Pietra Mascagni’s “Cavalleria Rusticana.”

The opera, directed by Anne Shikany, was one of two this year presented by North Shore Music Festival.

This year’s series also includes Broadway Showstoppers II, including a performance on Saturday, July 18, and an evening of Shakespeare.

Saturday’s notable performers featured Adam Klein, as Turiddu, delivering the splendid quality you’d expect from someone who has graced the Metropolitan Opera stage as a member of its children’s choir. Jessica Schneiderman, as Santuzza, hit all the right notes with crisp diction and a very warm and powerful timbre.
Just what goes into preparing for an operatic role? Schneiderman shared her process.

“I stared working towards this a few months ago getting into the voice, lessons, coaching, the whole 9 yards,” she said. “Doing something in Italian, you have to get everything right – the language, the diction. And with verismo style – it’s very, very particular too: it’s big, it’s not just loud, there’s some finesse to it.”

All of the singers demonstrated remarkable control and dexterity throughout the night. Laura Flaxman as Lola and Lorraine Helvick as Mamma Lucia both evoked strong emotions, ranging from lust to woe with vibrant and colorful voices that kept the audience on edge. Ricardo Rosa carried his voice just as confidently even though he was called in on short notice to cover for Daniel Klein in the role of Alfio.

“The rehearsal period we had was just two weeks.” Schneiderman said. “Most opera is not done that quickly. But you just focus, nose to the grindstone. And it was so much fun – that’s what is so great about doing a show like this: it didn’t feel like work.”

The orchestra under the baton of Maestro Anthony LaGruth performed with virtuosic intensity and passionate phrasing, delivering a lush and rich canvas for the singers to express their masterful musicality. And the chorus skillfully handled the many intricate harmonies that Mascagni wrote in the score.

The opera tells a tale of religion shadowed by unrequited love, revenge and ultimately, murder.

The night was a treat for audiences of all ages, whether they were new to opera or seasoned aficionados. In the mix were young families, college students enjoying a night of culture, and couples out for a Saturday evening.

The community can look forward to Aug. 15, when the North Shore Music Festival returns with Giacomo Puccini’s “Gianni Schicchi” and “Il Tabarro” as a double bill. These operas are from Puccini’s Il Trittico, a collection of three one-act operas. In the comedic “Schicchi” rich old Buoso Donati dies, upsetting his family terribly when they discover he left his wealth to the church. In steps Gianni Schicchi to their apparent rescue. “Il Tabarro” is another ‘squarcio di vita’ slice of life, in the verismo style, complete with an unhappy marriage, a cheating wife and a suspecting and rather violent husband.

This year’s music series also includes “Broadway Showstoppers II,” a revue that salutes the most popular hits from the Great White Way on July 18, with a return engagement on Aug. 8. Produced by Joanne Fried and Helene Tiger, the performances feature top-flight talent, backed by an orchestra. And be sure to return to Castle Gould on Aug. 1 for an evening of Shakespeare, with a production of “Twelfth Night” by Arena Players, a well-established Shakespeare company, at the Sands Point Preserve.

Each all-inclusive evening features signature cocktails and open bar, dinner, performance and dessert with the stars.
Friends of the Sands Point Preserve is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization with the mission to protect and preserve the 216-acre waterfront grounds and historic mansions and to provide a range of cultural arts events and educational programs for families and schools in the Phil Dejana Learning Center and Outdoor Classroom.

For information about the Sands Point Preserve and to purchase a 2015 Annual Pass, see TheSandsPointPreserve.com, call 516-571-7901 or visit the Gate House at 127 Middle Neck Road, Sands Point, NY 11050, open daily in summer from 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM.