Review: Stephen De Maio hosts Opera Night at Columbus Citizen’s Foundation

December 2, 2014 By Nino Pantano Special to the Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Host Stephen De Maio, Cynthia Cook, Mia Pafumi, Riad Ymeri, Kidon Choi and Pianist Mary Pinto. Photos by Judy Pantano

Share this:

On the evening of Friday, Nov. 21, at the Columbus Citizens Foundation in Manhattan, Board of Governors member Anthony Carrera and his wife Maria greeted the guests to Opera Night, hosted by Stephen De Maio.

The Columbus Citizens Foundation sponsors the Columbus Day Parade and gives college scholarships to youngsters. The opera night combines young, talented opera singers with a special dinner prepared by General Manager John Boden. The interiors of this townhouse were beautifully decorated for Christmas with white Christmas trees and bows, making it a winter wonderland.

After hors d’oeuvres and drinks, the capacity crowd of 90 entered the concert room. De Maio introduced Mrs. Raquel Celenzia, whose late husband, Dr. Frank Celenzia, started and hosted the Opera Nights in past years.

Other guests mentioned included famed sopranos Barbara Ann Testa and Teresa Apolei, Opera Index President Murray Rosenthal and Vice Presidents Philip Hagemann and Janet Stovin, Gerda Lissner Foundation patron and presenter Karl Michaelis, Gloria Gari from the Giulio Gari Foundation, Cav. Uff. Aldo Mancusi from the Enrico Caruso Museum in Brooklyn and opera lecturer Lou Barrella.

The concert began with Mia Pafumi, who sang “Chi il bel sogno di Doretta” from Puccini’s “La Rondine.” Pafumi possesses a charming lyric soprano.

Cynthia Cook sang “Una voce poco fa” from Rossini’s “Il Barbiere di Siviglia” with dazzling cadenzas; her mellow mezzo captivated all.

Rising tenor Riad Ymeri, who hails from Italy via Kosovo, sang “Che gelida manina” from Puccini’s “La Boheme.” Ymeri possesses a tenor voice with a warm, gripping sound.

Kidon Choi used his baritone well in The Prologue to “Pagliacci” with some idiomatic phrasing and a resounding high note at the end.

Pafumi’s encore was “La spazzacamino,” a song about a chimney sweep written by Verdi. It was sung with verve, spirit and coloratura flights.

Cook returned to sing a cabaret song by Poulenc “Les chemins de l’amour” (“The Paths of Love”) that evoked love, perhaps lost, and the uncertainty that goes with it. Her luscious mezzo embraced the words and emotion.

Choi performed “Nicht mehr zu dir zu gehen” by Brahms with intensity and depth. His mellow baritone was a barometer for his emotions.

The vocal part of the program ended with tenor Riad Ymeri singing the eternally popular “Torna Surriento” by Ernesto De Curtis. Ymeri delivered a heartfelt account of this beloved song.

We then entered the dining room, where we had trofie alla genovese (pasta pesto), roasted rack of lamb with rosemary potatoes and vegetables (or filet of sole almondine) with superb red or white wines.

We then proceeded back for part two of the program. This time it was a special DVD tribute to the great soprano Licia Albanese, who passed away in August at age 105. We saw Mme. Albanese singing a spirited “Star Spangled Banner” from one of her galas and “O Mio Babbino Caro” from “Gianni Schicchi.”

A clip was shown from the Joe Franklin television show from 1978, depicting Albanese singing the “Otello” duet with tenor Mario Lanza from the 1956 film “Serenade.” I was present on that show and displayed a newspaper item of Lanza at his daughter’s baptism in 1951. It was given to me for the occasion by the Russo family of Carroll Gardens, saved and treasured by them for more than 25 years.

The opera night program ended with footage of Albanese singing “Parlami d’amore Mariu,” a popular Italian song, filmed at the Columbus Citizens Foundation in the very room we were in some 25 years ago when she was a sprightly 80!

De Maio, who co-founded the Licia Albanese-Puccini Foundation with Mme. Albanese forty years ago, spoke of Albanese’s spirit and her advice to “sing on the word, make every word count.”

We then all shared some delicious desserts, coffee and teas. Thanks to the Columbus Citizens Foundation, in collaboration with Steve De Maio, we shared a night of musical nostalgia. With the splendid young singers, there is hope for the future of the great art of opera as Albanese would have wanted.