CONTACT INFORMATION
E-mail: bulent@bulentguneralp.com
PRESS PACKAGE
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NEWS HIGHLIGHTS
Jagan Nath Khalsa
Music and Song
May 17, 2010
Event
occurred Thursday, May 13th, 2010 at 7 PM, Brookline Public Library,
Brookline MA
Light
Opera and Broadway hits
50
people came out on an ordinary Thursday night in spring to watch
something extraordinary.Olga Lisovskaya soprano, Bulent Guneralp
baritone, and pianist Boris Fogel presented 20 gems from the classics,
Broadway and seldom-heard Russian film and opera music.
Lisovskaya
took her talent to the lighter side of the operatic spectrum and
started with three famous arias that showed her acting ability on top of
a lovely voice.J. Strauss’s “Adele’s Laughing Song”,
Offenbach’s “Doll Song” where she is a mechanical doll singing
thoughtlessly and with a slightly disconnected brain, and Offenbach’s “Périchole's aria” where she is tipsy
and sings about her own alcoholic haze (picture Virginia Woolf drunkenly
dominating the dinner party).She chose a very challenging collection of
songs and sang them effortlessly; you could relax in the artistry of her
other talents beyond the vocal.
In
the opening numbers, this reviewer laughed out loud (to the amazement of
his fourteen year old daughter) with every extreme of Lisovskaya’s
emotion --- from giddy laughter to her drunk abandon as she staggered
next to the piano..She was dressed beautifully in pink gown and
had a placid comportment …. but her hand gestures and facial expressions
were absolutely in service to whatever she sang, and she was comforting
and delightful to watch.She spoke a few words now and then to
introduce pieces.I felt a rich intelligence in what she does.She
knows she is a storyteller rather than a vocal gymnast, and brings
understanding beyond the words, in her voice and her actions.
She chose guest baritone Bulent Guneralp to do
some American standards from Broadway.He has a deep voice, and has a rakish and
debonair air about him well suited to a favorite number from Guys and
Dolls, “I’ll Know” and Loesser’s “Once in Love with Amy.” From
South Pacific, he sang “This Nearly Was Mine”.Guneralp,
too, goes beyond merely mastering the song; he moves, he chuckles, he
winks and instantly creates a vivid character to put across these songs.Together,
he and Lisovskaya are the perfect duo.Perfect
interpretation and emotional impact as if they ARE the characters they
sing.
Boris Fogel is a master accompanist whose forte
is Russian film and show music.He was constantly in control, but not
dominating, and had a wonderful smile for the artists as they finished
each piece.He took little acclaim for himself, but this
reviewer appreciates what an important role is the accompanist; he can
make or break the magic his solo partners weave.He did
one piano solo, a potpourri of Russian music by Kalman. Lisovskaya
remarked “nobody in the world can play these quite like him”.
The
last four pieces of the program were by a Russian film composer, I.
Dunaevsky. It was a heavily Russian-speaking audience. As I
looked around the room I saw several people with their hands clasped in
delight and deep smiles on their faces, like they were receiving rare
gifts.This is music-making --- it obviously
transported the listeners to happy realms.
Encore: Rossini’s
“Duet for Two Cats”.They fooled the audience by announcing they
were going to do a duet with very difficult lyrics to remember. It turned out the words were simply, “Meow Meow”.But oh
what fun with nuance, innuendo, and gesture.After an
entire evening of masterful emoting in every human situation portrayed,
this was a crowning piece of fun, and took us by surprise.
It was a very successful evening of artistry,
highlighting the smaller-scale song formats, as compared to grand opera
with all its high intrigue, murder, and mayhem.A
twenty-faceted dessert platter, as compared to a heavy, cloying brownie
in three acts.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~THE SOMERVILLE NEWS
|
| 7/5/2009 6:01:00 AM | Email this article • Print this article | Bringing opera into the new millennium
Chelsea Whyte
When
you think of opera, the word modern doesn't usually follow. Bülent
Güneralp, a Turkish singer living in Somerville, is changing the way we
think about this centuries-old art form. Güneralp is anything but a
stereotypical opera singer. Instead of the classic caricature of a
rotund performer draped in velvet, he's a soft-spoken man, small in
stature and simple in his habits. He admits to living a focused life,
almost monastic in nature, though it's easy to forget his quiet manner
when he opens his mouth to sing and his baritone voice fills the room.
His
foundation in music started with his mother, an opera singer in Turkey,
who first introduced him to singing. After studying opera at the
Istanbul Conservatory for 8 years, he met conductor William Thomas and
came to Boston in 1998 to study at the Longy School of Music in
Cambridge, and eventually at the Boston Conservatory where he graduated
in 2003. Since then he has lived in several Boston-area towns, but he
has been in Somerville for the last 4 years and says "Somerville's one
of the best places I've lived."
In addition to singing,
Güneralp studied percussion and played in the Istanbul City Theater
Orchestra for 2 years, and with a rock band in Istanbul. He isn't
merely an opera singer, but a well-rounded musician. He has performed
Broadway pieces, jazz solos, spirituals, and even contemporary pop
songs, which he says inform his interpretation of even the most
classical roles in opera. This approach to opera may be what draws
crowds who aren't as familiar with the genre.
Alongside many
young opera singers in Somerville, Güneralp brings a new interpretation
to even the most classic repertoire. He says this has resulted in many
opera singers having bigger followings in the past few years. According
to Güneralp, "There is a growing young population who appreciate
opera." This may account for his recent success, including performances
with the Boston Opera Collaborative, Enterprise Opera in Rhode Island,
La Scena Concert Duo, and Musica Anatolia International Contemporary
Music Ensemble.
Güneralp has also performed contemporary opera,
most recently in The Prioress's Tale, a re-imagination of Chaucer's The
Canterbury Tales, with themes relevant to today's audiences. Güneralp
cites this opera's message of "peace and overcoming differences to find
mutual understanding" as his own political philosophy, and says
"organizations committed to promoting tolerance are drawn to this
opera." Opera in the new millennium, even opera based on a 14th century
tale, can be relevant to today's society and bring communities together
for a cause.
Güneralp loves the diversity in Somerville and sees
a trend toward people from many backgrounds coming to shows. "Opera is
appreciated more and more by people from so many different areas of
life," he says. Because of its comprehensive nature, opera can draw a
crowd with many interests, including singing, dancing, and acting.
Güneralp sees this as one of opera's main draws, saying that "in
certain periods in the past, people seemed to be losing interest in
opera, but I think the general situation is much better now, and there
is a growing interest in opera." This opera singer, who says his
favorite music ranges from that of the heavy metal 80s band Cacophony
to jazz pianist Chick Corea, shows that opera singers may not be what
you think, and his audiences are surprisingly diverse as well. Opera
has evolved, and Bülent Güneralp is evolving along with it to reach new
audiences.
His bass-baritone voice will next be showcased in
the Boston Opera Collaborative production of Georges Bizet's Carmen,
playing July 17-19 and 24-26 at the Bulger Performing Arts Center at
Boston College High School. For more details on Bülent and his upcoming
performances visit www.bulentguneralp.com.
|
| |
Marissa Acosta, producer & director
Matt Mitchell, host
Marcel Rizzo, Lauren Erwin, Jehanne Junguenet, Rock Louis, editorsTaped at the CCTV studio on February 6, 2009.
Premiers on CCTV on March 1, 2009 to be aired on several channels in Boston throughout March.
Cambridge Community Televisionhttp://cctvcambridge.org
Cambridge, MA
2009
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE SOMERVILLE NEWS
| 3/15/2009 5:44:00 PM | Email this article • Print this article |
Bülent Güneralp Recognized by Massachusetts State Senate with Citation
Upcoming concerts at the end of March
The
Massachusetts State Senate presented Somerville singer Bülent Güneralp
with a citation in recognition of a grant award he received from The
Natick Cultural Council for an Opera & Broadway concert he will
present at the Morse Institute Library in Natick. Mr. Güneralp, a
bass-baritone with international credits, received the citation
following his performance at The Natick Cultural Council's 6th Annual
Grant Reception on March 4, 2009, which airs on Natick's Pegasus TV.
Mr. Güneralp's concert at The Morse Institute Library is supported in
part by a grant from the Natick Cultural Council, a local agency which
is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.
In
March 2009, he will give a performance at the Mayor's Office in Boston
representing his native Turkey at an event organized by the Office's
Cultural Awareness Committee and the Turkish American Cultural Society
of New England.
In January 2009 Mr. Güneralp received the
Homage To Bel Canto Best Interpretation Award at a festival organized
for the members of the Boston Opera Collaborative by The Dante
Alighieri Society Italian Cultural Center of Massachusetts and the
Consulate General of Italy. The event was covered by Italy's RAI
International TV.
A Bandwidth TV program about Mr. Güneralp's
life and career premiered on Cambridge Community TV on March 1, 2009.
It airs on several channels in Boston throughout the month, including
Somerville Community Access TV. His Somerville Journal profile is
available on the web. His upcoming concerts are on Saturday, March 28,
2009 at 3pm at Quincy Point Congregational Church in Quincy (444
Washington St), and on Sunday, March 29, 2009 at 4pm at The Dante
Alighieri Society in Cambridge (41 Hampshire St). Admission is free.
For further information, please see www.bulentguneralp.com. |
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FORUM
The Turkish - American Newspaper
April 9, 2009
GREAT HONOR FOR TURKISH MUSICIAN
Bülent
Güneralp, a Turkish artist who lives in Boston, received a grant from
the Natick Cultural Council for an opera and Broadway concert he will
present. The Massachusetts State Senate honored our artist with a
citation in recognition of his success. Bülent
Güneralp received the Senate Citation following his performance at the
Natick Cultural Council's 6th Annual Grant Reception this past March,
which was covered by local TV stations. The artist, who also
participates in activities presenting Turkey in the Greater Boston Area,
most recently gave a performancethis
past March at the Mayor's Office in Boston. The event was organized by
the Office's Cultural Awareness Committee and the Turkish American
Cultural Society of New England.In
January 2009, Bülent Güneralp received the “Omaggio al Bel Canto” Best
Interpretation Award at the Stelle dell'Anno Nuovo Festival organized
for the Boston Opera Collaborative members by the Dante Alighieri
Italian Cultural Center of Massachusetts and the Consulate General of
Italy. The event was aired by Italy's RAI International TV, and news
about the event appeared on different internet sites. A local station,
Cambridge TV, also aired a program during the month of March about the
life and career of Turkish artist Bülent Güneralp, who has a reputation
in the music scene of the Boston and Massachusetts region. The feature
program, which Güneralp opened with Yemen Türküsü (Lament of Yemen), was
aired on many TV channels and internet sites throughout the month.
Erkut Gömülü, the Honorary Consul General of Turkey in Boston and the
President of the Turkish American Cultural Society of New England was
among the guests in the program with his wife Ferhan Gömülü, the
Secretary General of the Society.Güneralp
comes from an artistic family. He was raised in Üsküdar, Istanbul, by
his grandmother Perihan Güneralp, who played the piano and first led him
to music at an early age. His uncle Hayrullah Tiner, who Güneralp says
is an inspiring example for him, graduated from the Painting Department
of the Istanbul State Fine Arts Academy in the 1950s as a student of
Bedri Rahmi Eyüboğlu. In the same years, he also sang as soloist in the
TRT (Turkish Radio and Television) Turkish Folk Music Chorus, which was
formed by Nedim Otyam. Güneralp began his vocal training with his mother
Aysel Tunalı, who graduated from the Painting Department of the
Istanbul State Fine Arts Academy first in her class, and is also an
opera artist, a dramatic coloratura soprano. Güneralp continued his
studies with soprano Suna Korat, a [Turkish] State Artist. Subsequently,
he studied at the Istanbul University State Conservatory as a student
of mezzo soprano Çiçek Kanter. In 1998, following his performance as
soloist in Beethoven's 9th Symphony under the direction of American
conductor William Thomas who was on a concert tour in Istanbul, he won a
full scholarship from Longy School of Music in Boston, and was invited
by Mr. Thomas to sing in Japan as soloist in Handel's Messiah Oratorio.
In the following years, he studied at and graduated from the Boston
Conservatory on a full scholarship.Güneralp
has been performing in such diverse genres as lied, opera, oratorio,
folk, spirituals, Broadway, and pop. In 2006, he performed songs by
Ferit Hilmi Atrek at Boston University with the Musica Anatolia
International Contemporary Music Ensemble formed in Boston by Turkish
composer Koray Sazlı. He sang as soloist in the world-première of Missa
Patri Pio by Leonardo Ciampa. In 2008, he created the role of Jewish Man
in the world-première of Delvyn Case's dramatic opera, The Prioress's
Tale, which has a deep message about understanding and peace. In the
same year, he gave a concert at the Boston Turkish Culture and Art
Festival. On October 29th, he sang Lament of Yemen to open the ceremony
held in front of the Boston City Hall to commemorate the Turkish
Republic Day, and sang our National Anthem as our flag was raised. He
sang our folk songs in the reception that followed.In
2006, Bülent Güneralp formed La Scena concert duo with pianist Eunyoung
Kim. Güneralp is also a member of Boston Opera Collaborative and
Enterprise Opera. The performance recordings and future performances of
our artist, and detailed information can be found at
www.bulentguneralp.com.Article by Cahit Oktay
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"In opera, a Cinderella story"
By Denise Taylor
Globe Correspondent
www.boston.com
August 7, 2008
In opera, a Cinderella story
Opera del West cast members performing a Rossini opera, ''La
Cenerentola,'' in two formats this weekend in Natick include
(clockwise, from left) Katherine Turner, Jason Wang, Christina
Calamaio, Bülent Güneralp, and Megan Roth.
(OPERA DEL WEST)
By
Denise Taylor
Globe Correspondent
/
August 7, 2008
They sing in the aisles. They milk every humorous
line for laughs. And they perform where a suburban audience can easily
reach them. Since its founding in 2006, Opera del West performers have
done all they can to make the world's great operas fun and accessible
for area residents. But now this upstart troupe has a new trick for
luring both diehard opera fans and the opera-wary: the choose-your-size
performance.
For
those who want to savor every last note of Rossini's Cinderella opera,
"La Cenerentola," a cast of 14 will perform the full two-hour
production tomorrow at 8 p.m. For those who prefer a quicker-paced
show, the same cast will perform a one-hour version at a Sunday
matinee. Both will be fully staged, both will have projected
supertitles in English, and the Sunday show will add an English
narrator so those who don't read can keep up, too. And both will take
place at the Center for Arts in Natick, where free parking is ample.
"We're
always looking for ways to expand our audience, and the Sunday show
should be fun for people of all different ages, adults and kids, who
want to try out an opera but are nervous about sitting through one for
two hours," said Opera del West cofounder Eve Budnick.
"There's also an older population of opera fans that may not feel
comfortable driving at night, so the Sunday show makes attending easier
for them, too."
To make the effort work, Budnick, of Wayland, and cofounder Rebecca Grimes
of Northborough knew they needed a work with broad appeal. Rossini's
take on Cinderella seemed to fit like - well, like that glass slipper.
"What's
wonderful about this opera is that it's the combination of a fairy tale
that most people know with this incredible music by Rossini," said
Budnick. "It's also just such a fun and funny piece."
Opera del
West seems to have a knack for tailoring productions to varied
audiences. The troupe's Natick debut concert in August 2006 drew so
many local opera fans that the line for tickets snaked out the door.
And its original children's piece, "Once Upon an Opera," was so popular
last year that the troupe was prompted to deliver an encore performance
and is working on a sequel.
"People are often impressed with how
funny our shows are," said Budnick. "People have come up to me
afterward, who have never seen an opera before, and said they didn't
realize it would be this much fun."
Opera del West's success when
it comes to exciting kids about the likes of Mozart and Strauss can be
traced to a respectful approach. The music is never dumbed down;
rather, appropriate pieces are chosen, and no one is left confused. A
narrator always guides the youngest audience members gently through the
story lines, and much is sung in English.
"We didn't know what to expect, but the kids at our
first children's performance were amazing. We had children as young as
3 or 4, and they sat there so quietly and intently through 45 minutes
of music. Then at the end, they wanted autographs and had wonderful
questions for us," said Budnick. "Some were questions about the opera.
Some were about how the singers learned to sing. But they were kids. So
they also wanted to know whether the jewels were real."
Audience
members will likely recognize a few changes to the classic Cinderella
plot in "La Cenerentola," which was composed by Rossini in 1817. The
magical fairy godmother is replaced by the prince's sneaky tutor. The
evil stepmom is now a stepdad. And most interesting, there is no glass
slipper.
"They couldn't use the glass slipper when Rossini wrote
it, because it was kind of risqué to show a woman's ankle in a
production," Budnick said. "So they have matching bracelets instead."
However, fans of Rossini's most famous work, "The Barber of Seville," will recognize the composer's festive, flamboyant style.
"There's
a lot of showing off. There's a lot of ornamentation and a lot of fast
'patter' singing. It's a real workout for everyone involved," said
Budnick.
Grimes directs the mainly local cast, which includes mezzo soprano Megan Roth of Brookline (as Cinderella/Cenerentola), soprano Ruth Hart of Wayland (as Clorinda), and baritone Bülent Güneralp of Somerville (as Don Magnifico).
Opera
del West performs Rossini's "La Cenerentola" at 8 p.m. tomorrow (full
opera) and 2 p.m. Sunday (short version) at the Center for Arts in
Natick, 14 Summer St. Friday tickets: $25; seniors, students $24.
Sunday tickets: $10; children $7. 508-647-0097, natickarts.org.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
By Megan McKee
The Patriot Ledger, Boston, MA
www.patriotledger.com
January 14, 2008
OPERA PREVIEW - ‘THE PRIORESS’ TALE’: ENC composer aims for harmony, healing in opera
Bulent
Guneralp is a Jewish man wrongly accused of killing a boy and sentenced
to death in an opera composed by Eastern Nazarene College music
professor Delvyn Case. The opera is based on “The Prioress’ Tale,” one
of 26 stories in Chaucer’s classic “The Canterbury Tales.” (LISA
BUL/The Patriot Ledger) |
By MEGAN MCKEE
The Patriot Ledger
‘The Prioress’ Tale’’ is one of 26 stories in Chaucer’s classic
‘‘The Canterbury Tales,’’ a relic of 14th century Middle English
revered by linguistic and literary enthusiasts. But the tale has a
darker past rooted in attitudes of European anti-Semitism that
culminated
with the Holocaust.
Centuries later, the tale has
been commandeered, reworked and turned into
an opera about religious
understanding by Delvyn Case, a 33-year-old composer and Eastern
Nazarene College music professor who hopes his transformation will
create dialogue among faiths and provide healing through music.
‘‘It’s
the most important thing I’ve ever done professionally,’’ said Case,
who talks rapidly with the enthusiasm that comes from spending two
years and thousands of unpaid hours pouring his soul into the opera,
which features professional performers and runs Thursday and Saturday
at Eastern Nazarene.
In its original Chaucer form, ‘‘The
Prioress’ Tale’’ is of the blood libel literary genre. These
sensationalized stories tell of nefarious individuals who perpetuate
horrific acts on people. In many stories, the nefarious are Jews, the
victims are children, and the acts involve cannibalism.
Specifically,
‘‘The Prioress’ Tale’’ tells of a young boy who incessantly sings a
hymn to the Virgin Mary and is killed by a Jewish man who becomes
enraged because of the singing. The man slits the boy’s throat and
throws his body in the sewer, ultimately bringing death to all the Jews
and earning the boy status as a martyr.
When Chaucer wrote ‘‘The
Canterbury Tales,’’ Jews has been expelled from England for 100 years.
Debates about whether it was Chaucer or his characters who were
anti-Semitic are ongoing but one thing is certain: it was a popular
story in its time.
Case, who has devoted his music career and
teaching to social justice, immediately saw the story’s potential after
reading it in college. He was struck by how one piece of music- the
song for the Virgin Mary- could have such different interpretations and
effects on cultures. In Chaucer’s tale, the difference results in
tragedy. But Case saw how the plot could be changed to show that music
can provide a path to forgiveness and healing.
‘‘I felt I needed
to make a statement about contemporary society,’’ said Case. ‘‘I wanted
(the opera) to have some life beyond just art.’’
In Case’s reworking, the Jewish man is wrongly accused of killing
the boy and sentenced to death. Through a series of exchanges, he and
the boy’s Christian mother come to a place of humility, understanding,
and acknowledgment of each other’s humanity.
‘‘The story ends up
being how culture and music can be used for good or evil; it can be
divisive or bring people together,’’ Case said.
When Case decided to put Chaucer to opera, he knew one of his first steps was to consult a rabbi.
He
realized that being a Christian and working with such a controversial
story, even if he intended to turn it on its head and completely change
the meaning, was fraught with the potential for misunderstanding.
Rabbi David Paskin of Temple Beth Abraham in Canton became one of
his collaborators, and the two exchanged e-mails, phone calls, and
visits as Case hammered out the opera with his librettist, Christopher
Hood.
‘‘(Case) is not only a really talented composer, but also
a deeply moral person. He is very passionate about social justice,’’
said Hood, a poet, writer, and teacher who has been friends with Case
since the two attended a Maine high school together. ‘‘(Writing the
opera) was really meaningful for both of us.’’
The road from
concept to reality was long for Case. He had to literally knock on the
doors of local churches and synagogues for money. He secured grant
money from nonprofit organizations and cultural funds.
Now, with
the opera’s premiere days away, Case said he’s hoping his audience will
take away themes from the opera and apply them to their own lives.
There
will be a panel discussion following Thursday’s performance with
different religious faculty and leaders including a rabbi and a
Methodist minister who, coincidentally, is also a Medieval specialist.‘‘There’s
going to be Jews and Christians sitting together in a conservative
Christian college brought together by music,’’ Case said, relishing the
real-life effect his opera will have before the first performance is
even complete.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
By
David Weininger,
Globe Correspondent
Boston Globe, Boston, MA
www.boston.com
January 11, 2008
Every opera composer tailors a
story to fit his or her needs. Rarely, though, do the adjustments
involve a wholesale reformulation of the narrative, or a 180-degree
turn in its message.
Yet
that's exactly what Delvyn Case has done in composing his chamber opera
"The Prioress's Tale." The Chaucer story on which the piece is loosely
based is, among other things, violently anti-Semitic, an example of the
notorious blood libel myths about Jews that flourished during the
Middle Ages. That made using it as operatic fodder a dicey proposition,
to say the least.
"The last thing I want is for anyone to
misinterpret my actions," the 33-year-old composer says by phone from
his home in Quincy, "If you know [the story], you can't believe someone
is making an opera out of 'The Prioress's Tale.' "
Instead, Case
and his librettist, Christopher Hood, have turned "The Prioress's Tale"
into a story of religious tolerance, of the reconciliation of cultures
deeply divided by mistrust. The opera - composed for piano and six
singers - will have its first performances next Thursday and Saturday
at Eastern Nazarene College, where Case teaches music.
Chaucer's
story is about a young Christian boy who teaches himself to sing "Alma
redemptoris mater," a hymn to the Virgin Mary. At the behest of Satan,
Jews slit his throat while he is walking through the Jewish quarter of
the city singing. (They are drawn and quartered for the crime.) At the
boy's funeral his body miraculously begins to sing the "Alma
redemptoris" again. When the abbot performing the funeral asks him why
he can still sing, the boy says that Mary placed a grain on his tongue,
and he will continue to sing until it is removed. When the abbot
removes the grain, his voice is finally stilled.
What initially
grabbed Case's interest was the crucial role that music plays in the
tale. The boy's chant would run almost through the entire piece, which
he says he found to be "a really interesting compositional challenge."
He also saw a message about how the force of individual piety is
stronger than a religious institution. "The boy continues to sing even
after his throat has been slit and nobody, including the
institutionalized church, can shut him up," he says. "On the one hand
they have this boy who's praying to the Virgin Mary - that's all good -
but on the other side it's too powerful. It's like a direct
manifestation of a miracle."
These were all ideas Case wanted to
explore, but he knew that, were he to set Chaucer's story
straightforwardly, the anti-Semitic content would all but drown them
out. So he and Hood rewrote the plot substantially. In their version, a
Jewish man is falsely accused of murdering the boy after hearing him
sing, and the boy's mother, convinced he is guilty, nevertheless pleads
with the church to spare his life. "We wanted it to be about these two
individuals who, rather than come to each other as a Christian and a
Jew, do so as a father and a mother," says Case.
The church still executes the Jewish man, and at that point the
boy's voice, which has been singing throughout the opera, falls silent.
In a politically charged final scene, the Jewish man's body begins to
sing the music of the "Alma redemptoris," this time with a Hebrew text.
"The idea is that now this same music is going to be wafting through
the town as a constant reminder of the injustice that has been
perpetrated," Case says. "It's my way of saying [that] music is a
political football, if you will."
Just
as the sound of the boy's voice weaves its way through the entire
opera, all the music was derived from the 12th-century chant melody for
the "Alma redemptoris" that Case decided to use. The chant's melody is
based on the note D; unusually, it also contains a G-sharp, which
together create the dissonant interval of a tritone.
"This
wonderful little wrinkle has actually been the genesis for the harmony
of the entire piece," Case explains. The music is divided between two
poles, a "Christian" one centered on the key of D major and a "Jewish"
one centered on G-sharp minor. "The whole opera is about reconciling
two keys which are fundamentally suggested by this theme that you hear
all the time. In a very real way, the music is working out a
reconciliation between things that initially seemed very different."
Though
he and Hood changed the story considerably, Case still felt it
necessary to reach out to Jewish groups and individuals to ensure he
was honoring their tradition. He found widespread support and mentions
in particular Rabbi David Jacobs of Quincy, who, he says, was
enthusiastic from the start. "There's a community engagement that has
to happen," says Case. "I would do the same thing if I were writing
about a lynching in 1948 in Birmingham."
Case describes himself
as a Christian with a strong commitment to social justice, and one of
the things that he finds most satisfying about the project is the
diversity of the support it has received. "The message of the story is
to bring people together, and the actual event is modeling that. I'm
extremely proud of that. It wouldn't have happened if there hadn't been
Catholics, Protestants, Jews who wrote checks and promoted it through
their places of worship. So in a very real way, there are people who
are not only thinking about religious tolerance, but they're also
modeling it."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~New Opera Premieres Tonight At ENCThe Quincy Sun
January 17, 2008When
Quincy composer Delvyn Case decided to write an opera about religious
tolerance, he chose a rather unlikely source of inspiration: The
Prioress's Tale, one of Chaucer's famed Canterbury Tales that features
decidedly anti-Semitic overtones.
An assistant professor of music
at Eastern Nazarene College, Case was only too aware of the sensitivity
involved in a Christian liberal arts college presenting an opera based
on an anti-Semitic story. He reached out, therefore, to local rabbis and
members of the South Shore's Jewish community to gain their input as to
the best way to transform Chaucer's tale into a moving musical plea for
religious tolerance and cultural understanding.
The result is
The Prioress's Tale, Case's original one-act chamber opera which will
make its premiere at Eastern Nazarene's Cove Fine Arts Center tonight
(Thursday).
Directed by Andrew Ryker, the performance will
feature three of Boston's best young opera singers in the principal
roles. A panel discussion involving both Christian and Jewish clergy
will follow the 7 p.m. performance.
The Prioress's Tale
premieres tonight (Thursday) at 7 p.m. at Eastern Nazarene College's
Cove Fine Arts Center, 23 East Elm Ave., Quincy. An encore performance
will be held Saturday January 19 at 7 p.m.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Opera review: 'La Bohème'
Opera review: 'La Boheme'
October 23, 2007
Newburgh
— "La Boheme" by Giacomo Puccini is set in 1830s Bohemian Paris, but
the Opera Company of the Highlands has transported its imaginative
production to Newburgh on Christmas Eve 1900. It's still in Italian,
with supertitles in English, and it stirs the heart as always with its
passionate arias no matter what the setting as we follow the lovers,
Mimi and Rodolfo, to their inevitable tragedy. What the Newburgh scenes
add is an immediacy and nostalgia that brings the tragedy closer to
home. The set for Act 3 overlooking the Hudson with the Dutch Reform
Church in the foreground is a stroke of visual artistry.
As
the impoverished Mimi, Mi Yong Park beautifully expresses the depth of
emotion of her character with her rich soprano and acting range. As the
poet Rodolfo, tenor Adam Russell portrays a conflicted young man whose
impulse to love takes full possession, leading him to fits of jealousy
and guilt. "Your little hand is so cold," he declares when they meet,
introducing a melody that lifts and sears the listener as Puccini fits
the music to the dramatic moment. "My soul trembles," Mimi responds,
and the lover's duet is a high point of opera. Park and Russell on
opening night mesmerized the South Junior High audience with their
genuine warmth of feeling. Their later duet, "We'll stay together until
the flowers bloom," also captured the ardor of youthful love.
The
other pair of star-crossed lovers, Musetta the coquette and Marcello
the painter, follow an opposite tact in love, unserious and
lighthearted, but ending in similar conflict. Rebecca Gordon makes
Musetta a colorful femme fatale with her articulate soprano and sense
of theater. While she sings "When I stroll along all alone," we believe
that she does stop men in their tracks. Chad Karl's Marcello finds her
irresistible, but his vigorous baritone and assertive style make him
her match in the course of their courtship.
Jeremy
Moore as the musician Schaunard combines an appealing baritone with his
acting, and Elex Lee Van brings a strongly attractive bass to his role
of the philosopher Colline. Bulent Guneralp takes on several parts with
a firm bass-baritone and comedic panache.
Dale
Morehouse directs this first-class production, and Marcus J. Parris
expertly conducts the 18-piece orchestra. For a street fair and
intermission, Howard Garrett is an organ grinder who roles out hefty
tunes. Elaine Simpson has well prepared the 17-person chorus, which
includes four children. Natalie Zdanovskaia deserves praise for her
creative sets and costume designs.
Thanks
above all are due to artistic director Claudia Cummings, who envisioned
the whole show and brought it to fruition. You need to see this
production for yourself to appreciate the professional talent in
Newburgh.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
By Ashley Hinson
Revised by Auditi Guha
GateHouse News Service
Somerville Journal, Boston, MA
www.somervillejournal.com
July 30, 2007
Somerville - Bulent Guneralp sings in Somerville as a very different performer than in his native Istanbul.
In fact, it’s like he’s playing a different instrument.
Guneralp
began his voice training in Istanbul, Turkey, as a baritone, where he
was born, raised and encouraged to pursue his talent by his mother
Aysel Tunalı, a dramatic coloratura soprano, his “first teacher.”
In
1990, he began studying at the Istanbul University State Conservatory,
where he switched from baritone to tenor in his first year. After eight
years of music study he came to the United States on a full scholarship
and joined Longy School of Music in 1999.
In 2000, he continued his music studies at the Boston Conservatory, once again on a full scholarship.
During his travels and music experiences, Guneralp had to find his own voice.
“It
was wrong and damaging to the system,” he said after realizing his
voice was better suited as a baritone, the central range, and finally
bass-baritone, a combination of the lower ranges. Singing tenor, he
said, was similar to “playing violin repertoire on a cello or
double-bass.”
This discovery and transformation happened after he graduated from the Boston Conservatory in 2003.
“I
went through this vocal transformation mainly on my own,” he said. “It
was mainly a self-discovery, self-training, self-transformation.”
At Longy, Guneralp studied voice with the help of conductor William Thomas.
Thomas
directed Guneralp in Beethoven’s 9th Symphony during a 1998 tour of
Greece and Turkey. He returned to the United States with a recording of
Guneralp and a personal recommendation for him to attend Longy.
“William
Thomas has been a very special mentor to me since I first met him in
Turkey,” said Guneralp. “I had not always planned coming to the United
States; the idea had gotten more serious by the time I met and sang
with [him],” he said.
Months later, Guneralp had
arrived in Nashville, his arrival point because of family and because
he needed to learn English, though language has not deterred Guneralp
from singing. He can sing in 12 languages, though he speaks in only two.
“I
sing classical music, I sing opera, but I am not just an opera singer.
I am a singer,” he said, “I sing Broadway, spirituals, pop, jazz, folk
— I love all music.”
Now a full-time singer and
private teacher, Guneralp is on an Artist visa that allows him to sing
and teach in this country. He has recently reapplied for the visa and
hopes that it will remain valid for the next three years, the longest
period allowable at one time.
Like his mentor Thomas, Guneralp looks towards educating youth about music.
The Hamilton-Garrett Music and Arts Academy in Roxbury
recently hosted a musical workshop where Guneralp sang and reinforced
the view of Charles Street AME Church pastor Rev. Dr. Gregory G.
Groover, Sr.
According to Guneralp, Groover said, “We want our
children to be exposed to the classical and traditional styles of music
even in 2007. Hip-hop and rap are not the only avenues.”
“Young artists are trying to find a way to just emerge
and be known,” Guneralp added. “I want to do something for them,
teaching, maybe singing — I have great respect for black culture — it’s
so rich and so deep.”
For him, black history and culture represent the roots of humanity.
The success of the program led to an offer by Elta Garrett for Guneralp to teach at the academy next year.
Recently, Guneralp performed “Deep River,” a classic spiritual at the historic Powder House in Somerville.
“All spirituals mean so much to me,” he said. “The
message they give of love, peace and unity, I believe they have a very
special message for all of us.”
He dedicated his performace at the Powder House to Paul
Robeson, the all-American football player, internationally acclaimed
singer, stage actor, film star, scholar and political activist who
dedicated his art and life to the worldwide cause of humanity for
freedom, peace, justice and brotherhood.
Guneralp said that the study of Robeson’s music led to
a very important discovery – that all people are connected through
music. Guneralp felt that he shared what Robeson stood and fought for.
Guneralp moved to Somerville two years ago.
About his first impression of the city, Guneralp said,
“I liked how it sounded, maybe because I love summer,” he said. “It
gave me the impression that this is a place where the sun never goes
down.”
Upcoming performances can be found at www.bulentguneralp.com.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Guneralp & Ciampa Concert
By Jane Whitehead, freelance journalistArts Somerville, Boston, MAwww.artsomerville.orgMay 2007
|
PRESS RELEASE:
MAY 2007
TURKISH-BORN SINGER SHOWCASES “NEW” VOICE IN BELMONT PROGRAM MIXING CONTEMPORARY WORK WITH FAVORITE BARITONE ARIAS
By Jane Whitehead
“Audiences love tenors”, says Bülent Güneralp, a Somerville resident.
He should know: for ten years, in his native Turkey, and then in the
United States, he studied, performed, and won prizes as a tenor.
Güneralp came to the US in 1998, having performed as soloist in
Beethoven’s 9th Symphony with conductor William Thomas in Istanbul.
Through him he won a full scholarship to Longy School of Music,
Cambridge, studied with veteran local teachers like Donna Roll and
Robert Honeysucker, then won a rare full singer-scholarship to Boston
Conservatory. After graduating he went through a dramatic vocal
transformation, started to sing baritone, then to land bass roles, most
recently with Boston Opera Collaborative, Riverside Theatre Works, and
Opera Company of the Highlands in New York.
On Sunday, June 3, he will appear as soloist in a program that brings
together a new work by Boston-born composer and pianist Leonardo Ciampa
with highlights of the bass-baritone repertoire from Mozart to Rodgers
and Hammerstein.
Ciampa’s Missa Patri Pio (Opus 200, No.3) was premiered by Güneralp and
Ciampa on April 13, 2007, at the First Church in Cambridge, Mass. The
seven short movements intersperse settings of the Latin Mass for
baritone and organ, with two organ interludes. The Mass was written in
honor of the Italian saint, Padre Pio of Pietralcina (1887-1968), and
each movement includes musical ideas derived from medieval Gregorian
chant setting of Ave Maria. |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Two other singers, Özgül Ayazlar and Bülent Güneralp, show great talent and brio."
Peter Goers / Istanbul, Turkish Daily News / 1998
