Yura Jang, Alejandro De Los Santos, and Enes Pektas
The title we chose for this review is not a reference to the Schubert lied of the same name. No indeed. It refers to the powerful range of emotions we experienced listening to an all-too-short recital by baritone Enes Pektas. We review vocal recitals several times a week and we usually find them enjoyable and make note of the things we like about a singer's technique
However, there are times that the technique is so flawless that it recedes into the background and this permits us to focus on artistry. We were initially surprised to learn that singers cannot have the luxury of experiencing the feelings; rather they must act as a conduit or medium, conveying the feelings of the composer and poet to the members of the audience. At this, Mr. Pektas is, at this early stage of his career, already an expert.
The recital program was well designed to show off Mr. Pektas' facility with lieder as well as opera. The opening, not mentioned on the program, was especially effective due to the surprise. With superb Italianate style and appropriate gestures, he inhabited the role of Figaro in Rossini's Il barbiere di Siviglia, delivering the "Largo al Factotum" with engaging personality.
The formal program began with an incredibly powerful performance of Mahler's Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen. This is in our top three favorite song cycles and woe betide the singer who doesn't capture all the phases of emotion in the text. Coming across as totally immersed in the suffering of lost love, it is difficult to believe how an artist can convey all that without bursting into tears.
Well, Dear Reader, that is artistry. Our eyes filled with tears at the memory of lost love and we felt the burning knife in our very own breast! We were so lost in the emotion of the performance, that there was only one subtlety that stood out. On the word "leid", stretched out over a descending then ascending three-note scale passage, each syllable was delivered marcato, as if the poet (Mahler himself) were gasping for breath. We couldn't help thinking about how Alma made Gustav suffer. We hope Mr. Pektas never experiences such suffering. For us, a an audience member, it was cathartic.
There were three Russian songs on the program, two by Modest Mussorgsky, one of our favorite Russian composers. So successful was Mr. Pektas' performance that one didn't need to understand Russian. "Where are you, little star?" was filled with depth of feeling achieved by means of vocal coloration. "Song of the Flea", by contrast, was frisky and humorous. The third was a folk song that is filled with Russian passion, given its full measure by the artist. The translation is "Dark Eyes"; we know it as "Oci Ciornie". Unfortunately we don't have a Cyrillic keyboard so that is phonetic
As comfortable with opera as with lieder, Mr. Pektas gave us more of Figaro, in this case, the Act I duet "All'idea di quel metalllo" In which the rascal concocts a plan to help Count Almavivo (here played by the fine young tenor Louis Lee) to win the hand of Rosina. Mr. Pektas' eyes lit up greedily as he cajoled money from the Count. His facility with the rapid fire patter served him well.
Following, to close the program (all too soon), we had more bel canto singing. The third act duet from Donizetti's Don Pasquale between Dr. Malatesta (Mr. Pektas) and Don Pasquale (guest artist bass-baritone Alejandro de los Santos) was a fine way to end the program. "Cheti, cheti, immantinente" may not be the most famous baritone-bass baritone duet but it served to show off two fine singers who are also grand comic actors.
To the disappointment of the audience, the loudly demanded encore had not been prepared. Indeed, Mr. Pektas seemed surprised that we wanted more of him. It was decided among the two singers and the excellent pianist Yura Jung to give us a recap of the Donizetti which seemed to satisfy everyone
It was a rare experience to feel so satisfied by a recital and yet to be wanting even more. We felt guilty like Figaro wanting more from the Count! This recital was given to satisfy the requirements for the degree of Master of Music from Mannes School of Music. How appropriate is that title! Mr. Pektas is indeed a master of music with a fine career ahead of him. Here's a secret tip. Watch out for an upcoming performance of Puccini's Il Tabarro by Classic Lyric Arts Vocal Academy.
© meche kroop
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