







 
Teatro Grattacielo
2 Riverside Drive
2C
New York, NY
10023
212-595-7127
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Press

"Thank
Heaven for Teatro Grattacielo."
—Peter G. Davis, New York Magazine, December 10, 2001
"Teatro Grattacielo, devotedly caretaking a neglected corner of the Italian operatic repertory, once again put us in its debt."
—Peter Davis, MusicalAmerica.com, Nov. 20, 2007
David Wroe conducted the Teatro Grattacielo Orchestra and Cantori New York Chorus in a vivid reading of the sweeping Montemezzi score, which has orchestration reminiscent of Wagner and Italianate vocal lines...
—Vivien Schweitzer, The New York Times, Nov. 15, 2007
La Farsa Amorosa is
filled with crafty touches, like crystalline cuckoo clocks, distant
donkey brays
and bogus-pomp fanfares for Don Ferrante’s entrances. The score
unfurls in a ceaseless skein of supple melody and rich orchestration...
—Steve Smith, The New York Times, 2006.
David
Wroe's conducting proved delightful, not only to hear but to watch;
his alert involvement, clean, sharp movements and obvious emotional
connection to the score enhanced the feeling that La Farsa Amorosa had
lain undeservedly forgotten far too long.
—by
Eric Myers OperaNews
Online, 2006

Zazà,
Alice Tully Hall.
NEW YORK, Monday, November 24, 2005. "Zazà is a lesser known,
but not a lesser Leoncavallo opera. Toscanini conducted the premiere in
1900, but
the piece did not arrive in New York until 1920. ... Ms. Millio has the
poise and command of an experienced diva, and with her cries of renunciation
summoning the final curtain, she chewed the imaginary scenery to a vastly
satisfying consistency. I was taken by the strong, cultured baritone
of Stephen Gaertner as Cascart, Zazà's once and soon-to-be-restored
lover. ...Ms Milio did very well. Her teary laments may have approached
the
shameless, but I suspect they are what Leonvacallo had in mind.
—Bernard
Holland, The New York Times
"It
is clear even in concert that I cavalieri di Ekebù is
stageworthy, and Zandonai's densly orchestrated, atmospheric score and
forceful vocal
writing offer
countless opportunities for the opera's large forces. Teatro Grattacielo
assembled a first-rate group of solists..." —Donald Westwood, Opera
News, 2001
"...New
Yorkers should be tipping their opera hats to Teatro Grattacielo for
its noble
part in keeping tradition alive." —Patrick
Dillon, The American Record Guide, March/April 2002
"...the
company had assembled an admirable cast. In the vocally challenging
title role,
Manon Feubel, a strong dramatic soprano from
Quebec, burst
upon the scene in her U.S. debut to the acclaim of a large, enthusiastic
audience...expressed by Feubel's voice of dark resonance and seemingly
effortless power, with particularly stunning high notes." —Ruth
Berges, OperaCanada, Spring 2003
"...Teatro
Grattacielo found a cast worthy of the occasion. Manon Feubel's
vibrant soprano and expressive generosity made her a most appealing Wally,
Frank Porretta sang Hagenbach with welcome security, and Brian Davis's
strong baritone turned Gellner into a particularly dangerous rival."
—Peter G. Davis, New York Magazine, December 9, 2002
"...that
ever-laudable raider of the operatic attic, Teatro Grattacielo."
—Patrick Dillon, The American Record Guide, March/April 2003
"To
the rescue has come Teatro Grattacielo ... Singing the challenging
title role
was Manon Feubel ... her big, dusky voice has cutting power
in its
top range ... A standout was Monica Yunus, a bright-voiced coloratura,
in the role of Walter. Under Mr. Ajmone Marsan, the orchestra gave an
exuberant
and colorful, if not always tidy, account of this teeming and admirable
score."
—Anthony Tommasini, The New York Times, November
25, 2002
"Grattacielo's
annual excursion into veristic operatic byways is an ever-welcome adornment
of the autumn music calendar ... And this season's
group of solo singers ranked with the strongest Grattacielo has ever
had."
— Patrick Dillon, The American
Record Guide, March/April
2004
"These
troupers, like Silipigni, sensed from the solar plexus what Mascagni
was up to. Over
rough spots as well as high spots, they took the measure
of his risky score."
—John W. Freeman, Opera News Online, February 2004
"The
real astonishment was the magnificent performance by the orchestra,
led by Alfredo Silipigni...This
orchestra sounded like an opera orchestra
that had played together for years...Bravo to Teatro Grattacielo for
reviving this very deserving opera."
—Fred Plotkin, Das Opernglas, February 2004
"As
usual, Teatro Grattacielo's presentation was first-rate. The main hero
of
the evening was Alfredo Silipigni, still an underrated conductor
who is one of the true masters of this repertory." —Bill
Zakariasen, The
Westsider, December 25-31, 2003
"Shared
Voyage of Discovery During an Opera in Concert...Mascagni's Iris which
was presented in concert on Monday night at Alice Tully Hall by Teatro
Grattacielo has enough interesting dramatic points
to make
one dream about how it might look in the theater." ..."an exultant
orchestral performance with thrilling choral work."
—- Paul Griffiths, The New York Times, November 28, 1998
"100
Birthday Candles for Iris"..."a triumph for
the two prima donnas of the evening: the conductor Fiora Contino and
the soprano
Karen
Notare."..."a
shower of applause and flowers literally flooded the principals on
this splendid event." "Alice Tully Hall was jammed full with a knowledgeable
and enthusiastic audience." "Iris reached moments of great expressive
intensity." "A whole other story could be dedicated to the
costumes by Charles and Patricia Lester inspired by a refined Orient."
—Francesca Gentile, America Oggi, November 27, 1998
"This
loving performance made a strong case for the work...l'Arlesiana is
a lovely work and there are many other equally worthy operas from the
same period waiting to be reassessed, enough to keep Teatro Grattacielo
busy for years."
—Peter G. Davis, New York Magazine, December 6, 1999
"To judge by the crowd
at this art form called 'opera in concert,' one
must give credit to...Teatro Grattacielo for their fortuitous intuition
in producing these concerts." "Standing ovations, long, enthusiastic,
and joined in by all.'
—Gianna Venturini, America Oggi, November 21, 1999
"Teatro Grattacielo...presented
the North American première of a 1925
work by Riccardo Zandonai that has, at the least, shot to the top of
my list of favorite opera titles: I Cavalieri di Ekebù. "The
large and enthusiastic audience seemed genuinely surprised. Who would
have
thought that an unknown verismo opera...could be so interesting?"
—Anthony
Tommasini, The New York Times, November 23, 2000
"The
audience was clearly delighted to discover an important score from
a neglected age, and for
that Teatro Grattacielo deserves the credit
as well as encouragement to forge ahead."
—Peter
G. Davis, New York Magazine, December 18-25, 2000
"Last Monday Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center was packed full
of audience members with a fine ear who appreciated this unknown masterpiece
by the
Italian composer with perception and rapture." "...an event
to remember and perhaps a suggestion for future courageous productions
in
some opera
house."
— Gianna Venturini, America
Oggi, November 26, 2000
"...its sprawling, Nordic-picaresque source brought forth masterly
and meticulously crafted orchestration, with page upon page of cannily
evocative
tone painting that moves seamlessly from grotesquerie to gossamer grace.
Eerie and stirring, it compels attention and admiration from start to
finish, and its rip-roaring, clangorous anvil-chorus finale can rouse
an audience to cheering fervor—as indeed it did at Tully Hall."
—Patrick Dillon, American Record Guide, March/April 2001
"La sorpresa è non
poca ad ascoltare opere come 'Risurrezione' di Franco
Alfano: si resta colpiti non solo dalla forza espressiva, dalla carica
melodica e da quel saper sottolineare quasi alla perfezione stati d'animo
e situazioni, ma soprattutto dalla capacità di creare atmosfere
anche quando ci si affida ad un'edizione concertante come questa. Ci
riferiamo
a quanto messo in evidenza l'altra sera al Lincoln Center, all'Alice
Tully Hall, da un impeccabile complesso vocale e strumentale qual è quello
del Teatro Grattacielo di New York, diretto da Fiora Contino."
— Franco
Borelli, America Oggi, December 9, 2001
"There
is, though, more finesse in the scoring than the Turandot finale
would lead one to suppose, with some nice viola solos and passages for
divided cellos...Such moments were well served in this performance...There
was some fine singing, too...Michael Corvino used grave tone and urgent
yet supple phrasing to give a convincing charge to Simonson...Michele
Fiammardente brought an eager and stylish Italianate tenor sound to
the...role of Dimitri.
Virginia Dupuy was a firm and glowing mezzo...Allison Charney looked
wonderful and produced the right sort of fresh, vulnerable sound..."
—Paul Griffiths, The New York Times, December 6, 2001
"Grattacielo's
performance conducted with know-how by Fiora Contino, was almost without
exception very fine. The show-stealing baritone involved
was Michael Corvino whose sonorous voice strikingly recalls the late
Ettore Bastianini ... tenor Michele Fiammardente sang with assurance
and passion ... soprano Allison Charney was a virtual clone of a young
Licia Albanese ... Without exception, the large supporting cast was beyond
criticism, as was the Cantori New York Chorus..."
—Bill Zakariasen, The Westsider, December 13-19, 2001
"Italo
Montemezzi's opera L'Amore
dei Tre Re...was performed in concert
on March 26 and Tully Hall was quite full for the occasion, a welcome
evening all around." "Teatro Grattacielo cast their L'Amore with
love and care. "It was good to hear L'Amore again, and performed
so very well. Thank you."
— Bill Wechsler, The New
York Theatre Wire.Com,
April 1997
"Teatro
Grattacielo, New York City's newest opera-in-concert company, made
an auspicious
debut at Alice Tully Hall on March 26 with an impassioned
performance of Italo Montemezzi's sadly neglected L'Amore dei Tre
Re (1913)."
—Marylis Sevilla-Gonzaga, Opera News, August 1997
"A
new and important New York opera company made its debut in Alice Tully
Hall
the last week in March -- the Teatro Grattacielo, which gave
us a rare hearing of the once-popular musical stage-work by Italo Montemezzi, L'Amore
dei Tre Re."
—Bill Zakariasen, The Westsider, April 10-16, 1997
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