Snejana Dramtcheva as Violetta laments the absence of her beloved Alfredo and expresses her fears that she will never see him again (Teatro Lyrico file photo)

Teatro Lirico d’Europa enhanced Boston’s touch of Spring over the weekend with its production of Giuseppe’s Verdi’s La Travaiata at the Emerson Majestic. Sadly, the single performance on Saturday (March 5) is the last scheduled appearance in Boston for this endearing company who have been coming here for the past ten years.

Producer Jenny Kelly Lalov says that Arts Emerson have notified Teatro Lirico that the Majestic will not be available to them in the future. The company cannot afford to perform in a union house, and is seeking another university-affiliated theatre in the area with good acoustics and a capacity of 700 to 800 seats. The quality of the singing alone at their “farewell performance” should send local impresarios scrambling to find them a new home.

Snejana Dramtcheva brought a big, warm, and wonderfully modulated soprano to her portrayal of Violetta, the fallen woman of the title of this most tuneful of operas. Her buoyant sensuality in her early duet with Orlin Goranov as Alfredo, Un di, felice, eterea, was made all the more memorable by the aching pathos of her Act III aria Addio del passato, as Violetta feels her life slip away.

She played Violetta as a strong woman who is determined to overcome her tuberculosis as resolutely as she has dealt with other unspecified crises in her past. Dramtcheva also happens to be an especially beautiful woman. It is easy to see why Alfredo would go crazy for the love of her sexy and determined Violetta. Dramtcheva gave real emotional heft to Franceso Piave’s fast-moving, frequently melodramatic 1853 libretto.

Like the other principals, Dramtcheva is a native of Bulgaria and has performed an impressive roster of roles across Europe. She has performed in Boston before with Teatro Lirico as Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro and as Valencienne in The Merry Widow. Let’s hope she comes back.

Goranov has an appealing tenor whose voice ascends with a seeming effortlessness. But the passion fills his singing is curiously absent from his acting. He presents himself as an Alfredo who is more amiable than love-struck. Yet, in his duets with Dramtcheva, like Ditte alla giovine, the two of them spark genuine emotion.

Plamen Dimitrov performed the thankless role of Alfredo’s father, Germont, with the fullness that has made the singing of the basses and baritones of his native Bulgaria a world treasure. The sweetness of his aria Pura siccome un angelo could melt any heart, even that of the headstrong Violetta. As with Orlin, his duets with Dramtcheva were moments of true operatic pleasure, to which the audience responded enthusiastically.

Dimitrov is a not a great actor: more “stand and deliver” than actually engaging in his character. He also appears much too young for Germont, despite the efforts to gray his hair. Indeed, he looked like he should be out carousing with Alfredo instead of giving him fatherly reprimands. But his singing is solid and a joy to hear.

Conductor Christian DeLiso, an Italian, led a small orchestra which, apart from a few wayward strings in the early moments, provided well balanced, well paced complement to the singers.

As always with Teatro Lirico, scenery and costumes look more Goodwill than La Scala. Lighting is barebones. Direction is minimal. Fan fluttering among the chorus ladies in this La Traviata was so fierce that a round of Cole Porter’s Too Damn Hot would not have been out of place. But it is easy to overlook the company’s shortcomings if for no other reason than the enthusiasm and good music-making that have always been at the core of its productions.

Orlin Goranov and Snejana Dramtcheva as the impassioned lovers Alfredo and Violetta (Teatro Lyrico file photo)

Teatro Lirico has filled a void in the Boston opera scene, as local companies commendably seek out works that are less frequently performed. By trooping the old warhorses through town and offering them at reasonable prices, they have provided a real service to opera lovers here who are more inclined to the familiar and beloved melodies of Puccini and Bizet than the undiscovered excitement Hindemith and Shostakovich.

The good news is that Teatro Lirico is thriving everywhere else. Indeed, another of its casts presenting Turandot wowed a sold-out Palace Theatre in Manchester, New Hampshire, the night after La Traviata played the Emerson.

Regrettably, ticket sales for La Traviata were well below what they might have been owing to a mix-up on season ticket sales, website addresses and box office locations as ArtsEmerson took over the management of The Majestic. But producer Jenny Kelly Lalov, the wife of the co-founder of Teatro Lirico Giorgio Lalov, noted in a telephone interview from the company’s base outside Baltimore that the biggest problem in Boston was the absence from the airwaves of classical music on WGBH radio. She stated that Teatro Lirico used to sell out based on the support from WGBH. Since the has relegated its classical music programming to the poor signal of its Lowell antennas, however, ticket sales have dropped dramatically.

Come on, opera lovers, let’s get together and find a way to make sure these folks come back for many years to come.

Stephen Landrigan is a former print journalist and concert presenter.

Abigail Kerr, Su Jeon, Sarah Darling, Kate Hayes, Jesse Irons (BMInt staff photo)

The Arcturus Chamber Ensemble gave a big-hearted performance of Webern, Beethoven and Schumann tonight as part of the JP Concerts, a series presented each Thursday at St. John’s Church in Jamaica Plain.

Opening with Webern’s Langsamer Satz for String Quartet, Arcturus produced room-filling sonority that wrapped around Webern’s elegiac sonorities. The warmth of their playing matched that of the music; it was in a romantic style with generous coloration and vibrato. Hearing them was like being invited to join a deeply personal conversation among old friends. Probably because Arcturus presents ad hoc assemblages of the friends of their leader, violist, Sarah Darling, there is an interpretive democracy that avoids personal domination. The playing of first violinist Jesse Irons lent a special sweetness for what is essentially a love song.

For those who know Webern only for his later twelve-tone work, Langsamer Satz is a profound revelation. He composed it at age twenty-one while experiencing the first stirrings of passion for the woman he would eventually marry. This is the work of the “Romantic” before the “post-.”

Beethoven’s String Quartet in E Flat Major, Op. 74 gave Arcturus a chance to release its youthful energies and invigorate a piece whose first two movements are rich with opportunities the players seized, to prolong the good feelings generated by the Webern. For this piece, with two changes in personnel and a change in seating and with the viola and cello reversed from the norm, Arcturus elected to play in a grittier classical style. The poco adagio-allegro first movement nevertheless had its gemuetlich warmth in the fine playing of cellist Josh Packard and violist Sarah Darling.

The adagio ma non troppo second movement did not reach the profundity one expects from that noble movement, perhaps because of the youth of the players, or more likely from the over-reverberant acoustic and insistent air-handler drone that robbed the pianissimos of tension and focus.

In the turbulent and highly dramatic the presto third movement, Arcturus hit its stride with driven yet elegant and insightful playing at a very high level. The romantic in Beethoven was on luxurious display. Violinists Annie Rabbat and Ethan Wood never faltered in keeping the excitement soaring. Any uncertainty evident up until then was banished.

With Schumann’s Piano Quintet in E Flat, Major, Op. 44, one was disappointed by a piano that had neither the size nor the brilliance to hold its own, despite the nuanced playing of Su Jeon. St. John’s well-maintained 1915 Mason Hamlin Model A has a singing tone in its midrange, but from a seat midway back in the nave it simply lacked what was needed — power and bass. It certainly was incapable of overbalancing the strings.

Returning to the standard seating, with viola on the right, the players evoked an altogether different style. On this outing they sounded like recordings of quartets in the 1920s, with delicious slides and a very light vibrato. The first movement, though, had the only really shaky moments of the evening. The pianist did not maintain even tempi and the cellist distorted several rhythms

That said, the energy generated by Arcturus – notably in the second and third movements – drew a sense of joy from the music that was contagious. Cellist Kate Haynes turned in an especially note-worthy performance, her rich tone providing emotional heft. Abigail Karr as first violinist provided a calm, focused direction that allowed Schumann’s repeats to add sheen with each subsequent playing.

Arcturus members perform together on an ad hoc basis. Most are young music professionals in the early stages of developing careers. They have yet to develop the level of precision that comes with playing together for years. Indeed, in this concert, three different violinists sat in the first chair, two cellists alternated, and the second violin for the first two pieces turned pages for the pianist in the third. From time to time, a lack of musical intimacy was apparent. But based on the high quality of their playing in this concert, it can only be hoped that they will find a way to spend more time together to refine their ensemble work. These are musicians with much to offer in years to come.

The real star of the evening was the JP Concerts series itself. It is a remarkable venue that deserves the full support of the Boston musical community. Since May 2007, it has been presenting concerts at St. John’s. Now they have settled on having a concert every Thursday evening from September through May. It starts with the coziness of the Victorian gothic architecture of St. John’s, which is tucked wait between Center and Washington Streets atop Sumner Hill. The musicians seem to know many people in the audience, generating a friendly buzz before the music starts and afterwards.

The church itself is welcoming. Executive Director Ken Brooks, who led its music ministry for four years, says that St, John’s is making a conscious effort to reach out to its community and to make its resources available. A Hook organ that was originally installed in the church’s previous location a few blocks away is a concert-quality instrument used by performers. Brooks says that the success of the series to date – performances by A Far Cry and some other groups have been filled to capacity – comes from the consistency of having something every week.

“People show up,” Brooks says, “knowing they are going to hear good music, even if they have not checked to see who is going to be performing.” The early start of at 7:00 PM allows for a second performance on full-house nights. Or, as happened tonight, a second ensemble showed up wanting to play. Called K2, its two musicians perform their original music on double bass and violin. Many of those who had come for the Arcturus Chamber Ensemble stayed on and enjoyed the pair’s innovative duets.

“Jamaica Plan is full of musicians,” says JP Concerts artistic director, Peter Terry. “What we have here is a place with great acoustics where people want to perform, to be heard, to hear their friends.” There is a genuine sense of conviviality that permeates the evening. Terry points out that the artists appearing at St. John’s come from all over. “We had a guitar and piano duo from Holland last year,” he reports. “They came to do a tour of the US, and started it here with JP Concerts. They had heard about us on line. We were thrilled to have them.”

As word of the concerts spread and audiences grow, the series may want consider installing a riser for the performers to provide an increased sense of contact with the audience, especially those at the back. A bit of theatrical lighting would provide more visual focus on the players. But those are small quibbles. The good feeling arising from time spent with JP Concerts in that place with those artists is to be cherished.

Concerts cost $10. Information on upcoming programs can be had from the JP Concerts’ website, or by calling 617-874-4009

Stephen Landrigan is a former journalist and concert presenter.

In the weeks since then, many listeners have complained that they cannot receive the WCRB signal clearly, or at all. Chronic static is a common complaint. Others have decried what they describe as a “dumbing down” of the programming on the new classical station. Of specific concern is the decision by the WGBH management to end the decades-long practice of broadcasting the Friday afternoon Boston Symphony concerts. (WCRB will continue expanded live broadcasts of Boston Symphony concerts on Saturday evenings.)

A number of people feel defrauded that they were invited to become “founders” of the new station format, only to discover after contributing that they were disenfranchised.

The Boston Musical Intelligencer gathered a panel of public figures involved in broadcasting and the Boston classical music scene to lead a discussion of what might be done to remedy the situation. Led by former Massachusetts State Senate President William Bulger, the panel included WCRB’s former general manager Dave MacNeill, journalist and broadcaster Christopher Lydon, former Boston Globe music critic Richard Dyer and WGBH’s general manger John Voci.

Respondents were BMInt reviewers Mark DeVoto, John Ehrlich, Brian Jones, Rebecca Marchand, David Patterson, and Tom Schnauber and Peter Van Zandt Lane.

Chris Lydon, Dave MacNeil, William Bulger, Richard Dyer, John Voci

Marchand asked Voci what the percentage of favorable to unfavorable comments were in  the stations’s rumored in-house 75-page document. Voci responded that he have not seen it.

Not surprisingly, many of the comments from both the panel and the audience who were invited to ask questions were directed to Voci. He argued that if WGBH had not purchased WCRB when it recently had come up for sale, then Boston would have been left with no full-time classical music broadcasting. He challenged the suggestion that the quality of classical music had declined in the move from WGBH to WCRB, pointing to the “In Performance” slot at 1:00 p.m. weekdays, as well as special broadcasting of locally-recorded events on Sunday afternoons and Thursday at 7:00 p.m. He also noted that WCRB’s programming will include 61  broadcasts of Boston Symphony concerts, as contrasted to 28 available separately on WGBH and WCRB heretofore. [Except for the 22 live BSO concets from Symphony hall and the weekend Tanglewood concerts, the balance will be from recordings] Voci said that WGBH does not have the funds to broadcast additional concerts, such as the BSO on Friday afternoon, which cost between $20,000 and $30,000 per season. [see note below] WGBH, he said, in the past year has had to lay off about 50 staff in an effort to reduce its operating budget by $10 million.

Despite Voci’s explanations, most of those present appeared to share a sentiment expressed by a Roslindale woman that as a result of the changes at WGBH/WCRB: “I feel forgotten.” Panelists and audience members strongly disputed Voci’s contention that that broadcasting the same BSO concerts was redundant. Several speakers pointed out how performances can change between Friday and Saturday, and both are worth hearing, especially for those interested in new compositions. Others noted that with the concerts being carried via the internet to world-wide audiences, different audiences tune in at different times.

“Boston is a wildly interesting city,” Lydon stated. “We should be telling the world about what is going on here.” Internet broadcasting of programs such as the live BSO concerts is one important way of doing that, he contended.

Several stated that if redundancy were really an issue, then why is WGBH broadcasting NPR’s Morning Edition and All things Considered, as well as Fresh Air and the Diane Rheem Show which are already being carried by WBUR?

Dyer told of growing up in small towns in Texas and Oklahoma where culture was limited. But, he noted, “no child in Boston today has [the exposure to classical music] that I had in Oklahoma a half-century ago.” Dyer won sustained applause when he stated “We have been told that the public is not interested in listening to classical music. That is just not true.”

Several participants expressed concern that WGBH had lost sight of its mission as an educational institution and is now being driven by Arbitron ratings which measure audience size. Others complained that classical music listeners were underrepresented in Arbitron research.

Leslie Warshaw, a WGBH producer for over 30 years and now retired, noted that the station constantly spoke in her day of  “mission.” Gradually it changed from “mission”  to “service” and then, she noted wistfully, became “business.”

The weak WCRB signal probably cannot be improved, as the 99.5 frequency on which the station broadcasts is shared by other broadcasters in the region. The location of the transmitter in Lowell is not going to change either.

Voci suggested that listeners outside the prime broadcasting area should invest in a HD radio and listened to a streamed version of WCRB via frequency 89.7. Audience members from Back Bay, Beacon Hill, Jamaica Plain, Roslindale, Middleboro and several other communities stated at the meeting that they have limited or no reception from WCRB.

One woman described a shut-in sister in Attleboro who is “bereft without classical music” available from WGBH because she cannot receive the WCRB signal.

One speaker said the solution was simple, His suggestion that the classical music programming that was recently shifted to WCRB be returned to the WGBH frequency with its 100,000 watt transmitter on Great Blue Hill, and that the news programming on WGBH be moved to WCRB was greeted with warm, sustained applause.

Voci acknowledged that this had been considered at one point, but not implemented.

MacNeill, who spent more than 50 years at WCRB, provided an overview of classical music broadcasting in Boston and nationally, offering details on how technologies, audiences and managements have brought change to the amount and quality of what has been broadcast. He repeated several times that at drive-time people wanted “relaxing” music, and that it was not the time for complete broadcast of symphonies.

He explained that in recent years WCRB did have a music programmer who had little knowledge of classical music, hence a small number of familiar pieces were played frequently. That programmer is no longer part of WCRB.

Nonetheless, the quality of current programming was repeatedly skewered by many audience members who complained bitterly about WCRB’s practice of playing a single movement of a longer piece, or limiting the playlist to established favorites. “How many times can we hear Vivaldi’s Four Seasons,” one questioner asked to loud applause. “In the past three days,” he claimed, “the programming has not included a minor key.” Others rued the fact that a Minneapolis syndicate is creating the playlist for a sophisticated Boston audience.

Several audience members spoke emotionally about the recent departure of announcer Richard Kniseley from WGBH, praising his skills at introducing listeners to unfamiliar music. He was described as “my teacher” by one speaker, and as offering “intelligent, informed commentary” now missing from the WCRB broadcasts by another. Knisely attended the event but did not speak publicly.

In a dramatic move at one point in the proceedings, Mr. Bulger asked the audience how many received good reception from WCRB. There was a scattering of hands raised. But when he asked how many had poor reception, about three-quarters of the members of the audience raised their hands.

Note: The Boston Musical Intelligencer was delighted with the attendance at the panel and the amount of information that was able to be imparted. But many questions were not fully investigated and there were numerous statements that need correction or clarification An additional article will be published by the end of the week to deal with such issues as determining the true marginal cost of the BSO broadcasts, and determining the continuing validity of the FCC determination that WGBH’s mission warrants a 100,000 watt clear channel. Also we will look at the story of KUSC in Los Angles. That public station went to all-talk and hemorrhaged listeners. They subsequently adopted a classical music format and are now the #1 public station regardless of format. Yes, WGBH was losing audience, but the solution was just the opposite of what they needed to do

Emily Rooney featured the panel in her news segment on Jan. 6. Guests were WGBH general manager John Voci, Boston Musical Intelligencer executive editor Bettina A. Norton, and panelist Richard Dyer, former classical music critic for the Boston Globe. BMInt is very grateful for the coverage . But again, there was insufficient time to discuss key issues.

Stephen Landrigan is a former editor for the Washington Post’s London bureau and a lifelong classical music lover.