{"id":2035,"date":"2008-11-23T22:52:05","date_gmt":"2008-11-24T03:52:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/?p=2035"},"modified":"2008-11-23T22:52:05","modified_gmt":"2008-11-24T03:52:05","slug":"edvard-tchivzhel-and-stephen-kechulius-as-close-as-youtube","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/2008\/11\/23\/edvard-tchivzhel-and-stephen-kechulius-as-close-as-youtube\/","title":{"rendered":"Edvard Tchivzhel and Stephen Kechulius – as close as YouTube"},"content":{"rendered":"

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I’ll admit something – this weekend, I ended up spending a lot of time on YouTube. \u00c2\u00a0I started looking for clips or moments from performances I’ve experienced over the years on television of favored opera performances. \u00c2\u00a0Yes, I love opera and am not afraid to mention it. \u00c2\u00a0Among the 100 or so clips I experienced over the weekend, was one by former Principal Conductor and Music Director of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic (1993-2008), Edvard Tchivzhel. \u00c2\u00a0He has been with the Greenville Symphony Orchestra<\/a> in South Carolina since 1999 as Music Director and Conductor. \u00c2\u00a0There are several YouTube clips available from the GSO featuring Maestro Tchivzhel<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The clips look to be something the Greenville Symphony Orchestra is now trying and feature Maestro talking about the various works to be performed. \u00c2\u00a0A quick look at their website reveals that they performed an Ultimate Opera Concert last weekend with Soprano Kallen Esperian and Baritone Sergei Leiferkus. \u00c2\u00a0Leiferkus, you may remember, was here May 12th 2008 to perform with Tchivzhel and the Fort Wayne Philharmonic. \u00c2\u00a0Esperian is an accomplished American Soprano. \u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n

They performed Dimitri Shostakovich’s “Kazn’ Stepana Razina”, op. 119 or The Execution of Stepan Razin. \u00c2\u00a0I was able to attend the dress rehearsal and sat four rows from the stage, directly in front of Mr. Leiferkus. \u00c2\u00a0I first heard Leiferkus live at the Metropolitan Opera House on February 25, 1998 as the High Priest in Samson et Dalila with Pl\u00c3\u00a1cido Domingo (my hero!) and Denyce Graves. Although I did go backstage after that performance to meet Domingo and Maestro Leonard Slatkin, I didn’t have an opportunity to meet Leiferkus. \u00c2\u00a0I did meet him after a later performance and had a photograph with him.<\/p>\n

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The lady in the above photo, behind my right shoulder, was a legend around the Met. \u00c2\u00a0I don’t remember her name, but she died a few years ago. \u00c2\u00a0She would be backstage after every single performance to get signatures on a program of all the cast members. She’d done this for many years, if not decades. \u00c2\u00a0To have had that collection!<\/p>\n

Anyway, hearing Leiferkus live this past May, reminded me of the power of his voice and how much it hadn’t changed since 1998. \u00c2\u00a0It was great to be so close to that voice again! \u00c2\u00a0It used to be that Metropolitan Opera stars passed through Fort Wayne frequently. \u00c2\u00a0In fact, there were a few performances of Verdi’s Aida complete with elephants and circus animals in the Act II procession at the Scottish Rite, in the 1940s, on Berry – which was also the scene of a John F. Kennedy stump speech during his 1960 campaign for President. \u00c2\u00a0I’ll have to pull my program collection and see if I can give you some names some time of the various opera stars that passed through.<\/p>\n

So anyway, it’s good to see Maestro Tchivzhel active and performing opera. \u00c2\u00a0He tried to bring some opera to each season, but wasn’t always successful. \u00c2\u00a0I remember an announced concert version of Aida that was later scrapped and also a disappointing cancellation by American Soprano Ruth Ann Swenson. \u00c2\u00a0Keep up the great work, Maestro!<\/p>\n

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Stephen Kechulius<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is a name you may not recognize. \u00c2\u00a0Stephen is another baritone who’s home base is Fort Wayne. \u00c2\u00a0He has performed in several opera houses the world over including the New York City Opera. \u00c2\u00a0Stephen has one of those huge, solid baritone voices with a solid technique. \u00c2\u00a0I had the opportunity to meet Stephen here in Fort Wayne several years ago through his brother. \u00c2\u00a0Today, I remembered a recording of two arias I’d been given. \u00c2\u00a0After listening to them, I happened to do a google search for him as I’d not been following his career closely in the past year and found his managment’s website.<\/p>\n

Lo and behold, as in the case of the GSO opera concert, I missed my opportunity to see Stephen in Toledo Ohio earlier this month where he stepped in at the last minute to cover the title role in Giuseppe Verdi’s “Rigoletto”. \u00c2\u00a0From an account in the Toledo Blade, Sally Vallongo wrote, “You would never have guessed that baritone Stephen Kechulius was a last-minute substitution in the title role. His was a masterful portrayal of the dark-hearted court clown, his rich and colorful voice soaring and growling with convincing passion.”<\/p>\n

Kudos, Stephen! or should I say, Bravo!?!<\/p>\n

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