Mirror Visions Ensemble’s performance on Monday, September 30 at Merkin Hall of Kaufman Music Center, “Silver Songs,” was a dazzling fusion of Hollywood glamor and classical artistry. This ambitious program went beyond celebrating the allure of the silver screen; it dissected our relationship with it, taking us on a journey through the cultural landscape shaped by movies.
The ensemble’s juxtaposition of contemporary perspectives with mid-20th century reflections created a fascinating dialogue across time. At the heart of this conversation was the world premiere of Griffin Candey’s Silver Songs cycle. By setting poems by living writers alongside Frank O’Hara’s work, Candey’s piece became a prism, refracting our evolving attitudes towards cinema. From the immutability of film to our parasocial relationships with stars, the show explored how flickering images on screen have seeped into every aspect of our lives.
Each performer brought their unique strength to the ensemble. Abi Levis’s mezzo-soprano demonstrated impressive range and versatility, effortlessly transitioning between rich, dark tones and clear, bell-like notes. Her fitted bodice and draped skirt, reminiscent of Hollywood’s golden-age chic, added visual authenticity to her performances. In “Humphrey Bogart,” Levis captured the intensity of a fan’s obsession. Who among us hasn’t felt that mix of intimacy and distance with our favorite actors, as if we know them personally through their roles?
Daniel McGrew’s lyric tenor soared throughout the evening, particularly shining in more playful passages. His exquisite diction and sustained notes were especially noteworthy in “The B Movie,” where his delivery of Jeanne Murray Walker’s poetry painted a vivid picture of cinematic loneliness and rejection. The comment on the desolate lover’s “[p]oor knuckles, which are a no-man’s land,” invited us to reconsider such tropes that we so unconsciously absorb.
Mischa Bouvier’s warm baritone was perfectly suited for the Chansons de Don Quichotte, capturing the endearing delusion of the character with tenderness and humor. These songs by Jacques Ibert demonstrated how cinematic adaptations can breathe new life into classics, while Erich Wolfgang Korngold’s songs, derived from his film scores, brought us back to an era where the emotional language and rich melodies of opera reigned over all cliché.
The ensemble not only entertained, but also provoked thought. The solemn, choral-like harmony of “The Film” elevated the everyday ritual of going to the movies into something sacred. It reminded me of my own cinematic pilgrimages, those times I’ve lined up for midnight premieres or rewatched beloved films with devotional fervor. In the last line of “Poem,” McGrew delivered “oh Lana Turner” with passion commonly found in an aria professing a tenor’s love for his lady, transitioned into a gentle falsetto for the reverential “we love you,” and finally settled into an anticlimactically curt command — “get up” — for the actor, a jarring depiction of the sense of ownership we feel over the personal lives of those we see on screen.
The program’s clever use of “mirror visions” — different musical settings of the same text — was particularly effective. The contrasting interpretations of Howard Moss’s poem “Horror Movie” by William Flanagan and Chris DeBlasio served as a masterclass in how musical context can dramatically alter our perception of words. Flanagan’s version, with its playful interaction between singers, captured the thrill of watching horror films with friends, each scream and laugh a shared experience. DeBlasio’s more ominous interpretation felt like a dim, fine mist of darkness, delving deeper into the psychological appeal of the genre, reminding us of those late nights alone, heart racing, unable to look away from the screen.
Exemplary accompanist for the evening was Grant Wenaus whose fine playing kept up with the superlative singing.
Guest review by Chloe Yang
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