The Academy of Vocal Arts will close out its 90th anniversary season of fully staged operatic productions with Pietro Mascagni’s rarely performed romantic masterpiece, “L’amico Fritz,” April 26 through May 6. The production will be conducted by Joseph Colaneri in his AVA debut and stage directed by Jeffrey Buchman. Resident scenic designer Cameron Anderson will transport audiences to the opera’s world of natural beauty and rustic vistas.

 Mascagni (1863-1945) is best known for his “verismo” masterpiece, the one-act “Cavalleria rusticana,” which premiered in 1890 and catapulted the young composer to international fame. In subsequent years, it has most often been paired with another one-act masterpiece, “I Pagliacci” by Ruggero Leoncavallo (1857-1919). It premiered in 1892 with Arturo Toscanini conducting. Although both composers wrote numerous other operas, their fame continues to rest on these two works.

 “L’amico Fritz” weaves a tender tale of self-discovery and love, set against the scenic beauty of French vineyards. Mascagni’s lustrous orchestration was and continues to be considered among its strongest selling points.

 Director Buchman explained, “Mascagni’s ‘L’amico Fritz’ is a wonderfully moving love story about a man who has spent his entire life prioritizing the happiness of others over his own. He has saved lives, provided care for countless orphans, and has given many dowries so that those in love could marry. Mascagni’s rich score is full of beauty and melancholy, capturing both the pain and the beauty of Fritz’s complex journey as he struggles to allow himself to embrace his own happiness and his love for Suzel.”

 “There is something truly special about ‘L’amico Fritz,’  Colaneri said. “Firstly, it is not a piece that is often performed, which is an exciting prospect for a conductor. But, more so, Mascagni’s use of melodic tension and dynamics are exquisitely written to mirror the story. Fritz’s journey of love and discovery is driven by intense melodies that leave the audience feeling uplifted, but also with a profound sense of longing.”

 “L’amico Fritz” will be performed April 26 and 29 and May 1 at 7:30 p.m. in AVA’s Helen Corning Warden Theater, 1920, Spruce Street in Center City; May 3 at 5 p.m. at Delaware Valley University in Doylestown; and May 6 at 7:30 p.m. in The Haverford School’s Centennial Hall. For more information visit avaopera.org or call 215-735-1685.

 Tempesta ‘On the Hill’

 The Tempesta di Mare Chamber Players performed their internationally acclaimed transcriptions for baroque chamber ensembles of Johann Sebastian Bach’s Trio Sonatas for Solo Organ April 6 at the Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill. More than 200 people attended the Sunday afternoon concert. 

 Bach’s Trio Sonatas are often considered by organists, themselves, to be his most challenging solo works for their instrument. He requires almost superhuman independence and agility from the player’s two hands on the various manuals and their two feet at the pedals. The inevitable result of this level of difficulty is that few musicians take on the challenge of performing the sonatas. Lovers of Bach’s music such as myself rarely hear them performed at a time when there is already a dearth of fine organ-playing in most churches.

In overseeing arrangements of the First through Sixth Sonatas for various complements of baroque chamber music instruments, Tempesta’s Richard Stone has provided audiences throughout the world the chance to experience these marvelous works “live in concert.” And, with Tempesta’s plethora of individual instruments on hand, the result Sunday afternoon was a compelling journey through Bach’s imaginative genius for counterpoint.

 I was most taken by the interpretations given two of the six: that for Sonata No. III and Sonata No. IV. The former featured a beautifully balanced band of recorder, viola da gamba and harpsichord while the latter offered a surprise ingredient few could have expected.

 Recorder player Gwyn Roberts, viola da gamba player Lisa Terry and harpsichordist Dongsok Shin gave the Third Sonata an exquisite reading characterized by eloquent lyricism, immaculate tuning, flawless balance, vibrant rhythms and a shimmering expressivity that was captivating.

 For the Fourth Sonata, lutenist Stone was joined by Shin not on a two-manual harpsichord but on a single manual lautenwerck. Now, you say, “What is a lautenwerck?” It’s a baroque keyboard instrument that plucks its strings in the manner of a harpsichord but whose strings are made of gut rather than metal, as are those of a harpsichord. The result is an instrument that produces an ethereal, transparent tone that matches perfectly with the tones of the gut-strung lute.

 Shin and Stone gave the Fourth Sonata a heavenly interpretation that transported their audience to the intimate aristocratic world of 17th and 18th century European salons, where delicacy of musical gesture was the reigning mode of expression.

 You can contact NOTEWORTHY at Michael-caruso@comcast.net.