AMIGOS DE LA ZARZUELA

Amaya Arberas, Alejandro Olmedo, Anna Tonna, Gabriela Granados, and Ricardo Rosa

Just as Spain is kind of a part of Europe but not exactly, so zarzuela is kind of an opera but not exactly.  Nor is zarzuela just one thing. This amalgam of operatic singing, popular song, spoken word, and dance can be thought of as Spain's response to the singspiel of Germany, the operetta of Austria, the opéra comique of France. Moreover, zarzuela in the baroque period was very different from zarzuela of the romantic period. Just as in European opera, the focus shifted from stories of mythic heroes and shepherdesses to stories about real people.

So, we are learning about an art form which evolved from the 17th c. to the 20th c.  To our knowledge no new zarzuelas have been written since WWII. Zarzuelas written in the New World began to show signs of revolutionary ideas, as opposed to the conservative maintenance of the status quo. We have much to learn and if this topic interests you, a good place to start is, of course, Wikipedia.

Yesterday afternoon we attended a festive gala produced by Amigos de la Zarzuela. What impressed us most about every singer was the quality missing from Friday night's recital at Carnegie Hall. The four singers employed body and soul to communicate with the audience. The involvement was fierce and we loved that quality. It felt so special to be drawn into their world.

Soprano Amaya Arberas, reviewed several times and very recently (reviews available through the search bar), sang 20th c. Cuban composer Rodrigo Prat's "Ana Maria Belén" from Maria Belén Chacón. One could believe her living the role, such was the level of intensity of involvement.

Her performance of the strophic "Carceleras" from Ruperto Chapí's 19th c. Las Hijas del Zebedeo was flirtatious and featured a marvelous vocalise, showing off Ms. Arberas' bel canto strengths.

But perhaps the selection we enjoyed the most was her duet with mezzo-soprano Anna Tonna.  Francisco Asenja Barbieri also composed during the 19th c. and "Niña que a vender flores" from Los Diamantes de la Corona was given a fine performance with the two voices joining in perfect harmony.

Ms. Tonna also had a fine solo in "De la Serrania: Loa al fandanguillo" a canción written by Modesto Romero in the early 20th c. The song is a passionate one and Ms. Tonna sang it with ample sazón, negotiating the turns without sacrificing the flamenco flavor.

Speaking of flamenco flavor, dancer Gabriela Granados contributed two lovely dances to the program. This was not the modernized overly-choreographed flamenco that has been boring us lately.  Nor was it the brooding authentic flamenco with its passionate heart-breaking singing.  Rather it was one classically trained dancer focused on communing with the music and with the audience.

The first number was the "Fandango" from Amadeo Vives' early 20th c. zarzuela Dona Francisquita. Ms. Granados employed no extravagant effects but danced with classical grace using castanets and footwork to fine advantage. Her second number was one she choreographed herself to Isaac Albeniz' "Tango". Gone were the castanets with a flirtatious fan taking its place.

Tenor Alejandro Olmedo has an expansive style and some wonderful training in the bel canto style which was revealed in the way he handled the beautiful pure vowels of the Spanish language. We enjoyed his "Te quiero morena" from Jose Serrano's El Trust de Los Tenorios.

The popular "No puede ser" from Pablo Sorozábal's La Tabernera del Puerto was sung with heart and soul and a wide range of feeling tone.

Ricardo Rosa has a sizable baritone with a pleasing vibrato. He sang "Mi aldea" from Jacinto Guerrero's early 20th c. zarzuela Los Gavilanes. Mr. Rosa must have a special affinity for the works of Guerrero; he joined voices with Ms. Tonna for a romantic duet from the composer's La Rosa del Azafrán.

His performance of the drinking song "Oh Licor que das la vida" from La Leyenda del Beso by Reveriano Soutullo y Juan Vert was performed with rhythm and panache.

One of our favorite zarzuela duets is that between the duchess and the dashing colonel from Federico Moreno Torroba's Luisa Fernanda which we just heard a few days earlier sung by singers from Argentina. We can well understand why it frequently winds up on recital programs because it is a charming flirtatious piece. Ms. Arberas and Mr. Olmedo brought the flirtation to vivid life.

The pianist for the evening was Maxim Anikushin. One would not expect so much Spanish sabor from a Russian soul but there it was! Mr. Anikushin seemed to be having as much fun as the dancer and singers. He opened the program with Antonio Soler's 18th c. piece, a relatively sedate Sonata.

Then he moved on to Isaac Albeniz' far more exciting Asturias, which served to set the Spanish tone for the evening. The A-section gave the piano an opportunity to sound like the guitar while the B-section was more lyrical.

He also performed Joaquin Larregla's most famous work for piano "Viva Navarra" in which melodies tumble forth, awakening memories of oft heard Spanish music.

The fine program drew to a close with a spirited toe-tapping finale--the quartet from Agua, Azucarillos y Aguardiente. Water, sweetmeats and booze.  Sounds good to us!

(c) meche kroop

CARNEVALE DI VENEZIA

Jakub Jozef Orlinski, Amaya Arberas and Il Giardino d'Amore

Yesterday we were transported to 17th and 18th c. Venice when we trekked out to the farthest reaches of Brooklyn to hear our favorite Spanish soprano singing arias of Händel and Vivaldi.  Our pleasure was magnified by also hearing some exciting arias performed by countertenor Jakub Jozef Orlinski and by the marvelous accompaniment provided by a stellar baroque chamber orchestra playing on original instruments or copies thereof.  The founder and leader of Il Giardino d'Amore is one Stefan Plewniak who speaks eloquently through his violin.

The always fascinating theorbo was played by Etienne Galletier while the other string instruments were played by Monika Boroni, Katarzyna Kalinowska, Kinga Augustyn, Magdalena Chmielowiec, and Katarzyna Cichon. The group opened the concert with Vivaldi's Autumn and closed with Vivaldi's Summer, perhaps not a normal progression of seasons but beautifully played.

In between we thrilled to some very fine baroque singing in which both singers distinguished themselves with perfectly precise handling of the fioritura. Our favorite piece by Ms. Arberas was the well known aria "Lascia ch'io pianga" from Händel's Rinaldo, made even more famous from it's use in the film Farinelli. It's a real tear-jerker and Ms. Arberas brought out every subtle nuance. 

We also enjoyed "Ombre vane ingiusti orrori" from Vivaldi's Griselda in which the eponymous Griselda bewails her fate. We remember this opera well from Santa Fe when Meredith Arwady sang the role of the unjustly rejected Griselda.

Händel's "Agitato da fiere tempeste" from Riccardo Primo Re d'Inghilterra was given a fine performance by Mr. Orlinski and the orchestra created a fine storm of wind and water. We particularly enjoyed his interpretation of Handel's "A dispetto d'un volto ingrato" from Tamerlano which called for a variety of dynamics and tempi.

This superb group of young musicians is based in Vienna but is presently on tour and how fortunate for us New Yorkers that they made Brooklyn one of their stops.

(c) meche kroop

Amaya Arberas and Laurine Celeste Fox

We love Spanish music (y'all know that already) and we love soprano Amaya Arberas (past reviews archived and available through use of the Search Bar).  We had a transcendent moment yesterday during her performance of excerpts from Manuel de Falla's Siete Canciones Populares Españolas. Although originally composed for voice and piano in 1914, conductor Laurine Celeste Fox had orchestrated the work to be performed by the Symphony of the City of New York.

At this moment, Ms. Arberas was putting her entire heart and soul into "Asturianas", with support from double bassist Richard Ostrovsky.  Ms. Arberas and Ms. Fox made eye contact, apparently both feeling the depth of sorrow of this folk song and communicating it so intensely that we broke into tears.  Now THAT'S music-making!

Having changed the order of the songs, they followed with an equally intense "Polo" which sang of a different type of grief, one layered with anger toward the disappointing beloved.

The other selections were also excellently sung in true Castilian Spanish and the orchestration was nothing short of brilliant. The lullaby "Nana" was particularly lovely.

The remainder of the afternoon program held our interest and amounted to a most worthwhile way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Maestra Fox has a balletic conducting style which she uses to get the most out of the string orchestra. There was an appreciable clarity of line and differentiation of voicing.

The program opener was the "Preludio" from Heitor Villa-Lobos' Bachianas Brasileiras No. 4, played with mucho sabor. We have a preference for the early works of most composers, filled as they are with gusto. Edward Elgar's Serenade for Strings in E minor, Op. 20 falls into that category. We enjoyed the memorable theme of the first movement in 6/8 rhythm.

Joaquin Turina's  Rapsodia Sinfónica in E-flat Major, Op. 66 was performed by the excellent pianist Martin Söderberg whose crisp attack and lyrical arpeggios were equally impressive and were accompanied by descending sighing figures in the violins.

The final work on the program comprised the world premiere performance of Anna Cazurra's Gran Tango, Op. 73.  The compelling rhythms of the introduction made us want to get up and dance but the Broadway Presbyterian Church seemed to be lacking a dance floor! The danceable theme yielded to a more abstract section and the remainder was enlivened by some pizzicato playing in the violins.  It was altogether enjoyable and thankfully not like most contemporary compositions.

We were most pleased to discover a new (new to us) conductor whose presence on the podium was as close to electrifying as one could imagine.  We hope to hear more from her and the Symphony of the City of New York, whose mission is to attract new audiences with unrepresented repertoire.

(c) meche kroop

CUBA LIBRE

César Delgado and Amaya Arberas

We spent many years in South Florida so WE KNOW ALL ABOUT CUBA!  Take THAT, Sarah Palin!  In honor of the current highly-hoped-for Cuban glasnost, we celebrated Cuban culture from two angles yesterday--first the classical unamplified voices of two splendid young singers at the upper end of Manhattan, and later at a wild and frenzied concert/dance in the farthest reaches of Brooklyn.

Our first event took us to the grand Hispanic Society of America where the Cuban Cultural Center of New York presented "En un salón de La Habana", a recital of Cuban lyric songs.  The recital took place in the Salón Sorolla, lavishly decorated with colorful paintings by Joaquin Sorolla which formed a perfect backdrop for the artists and would be worth a return trip just to see.

However the music and its performance were so compelling that we scarcely noticed the paintings until intermission.  We have written several times before about the engaging soprano Amaya Arberas who hails from San Sebastián in Spain and represented the Iberian member of the duo.  Her vocal partner was Mexican tenor César Delgado who represented Spain in the Nuevo Mundo.  Ever since our first hearing of Rolando Villazón we have been impressed by the quality of tenors turned out by our neighbor to the south.

Our readers know by now how fond we are of Spanish songs and how much we enjoy duets; so imagine how sobre la luna we were when Ms. Arberas and Mr. Delgado joined their voices in heavenly harmony several times in the course of the recital.  Arguably the best known of the composers represented on the program, Ernesto Lecuona was responsible for "Como arrullo de palmas" and, even better, "¡Ay, quién pudiera morirse!" from his zarzuela Rosa la China.

Two more duets enchanted us: "Duetino de Isabel y Leonardo" from Gonzalo Roigo's Cecilia Valdés and "Te odio/Me odias" by Félix B. Caignet and Ernestina Lecuona (Ernesto's older sister), the latter duet being notable for NOT being loving.

Notably, nearly every other song on the program involved love.  One had no trouble understanding the lyrics with a minimal knowledge of Spanish --los besos, la vida, mi amor, tu boca, mi corazon, l'alma, tus ojos.  Also notable is the alternation between a lyric section and a rhythmic section.

Accompaniment was provided by the Florida Chamber Orchestra Duo.  Musical Director Ana Ruth Bermúdez arranged the songs such that the lyrical sections were played by herself on the cello (and magnificently played!), echoing the vocal line.  The rhythm was mostly provided by the excellent piano of Ileana Cortizo Boza who also had the opportunity to perform several solos.

We have nothing but admiration for the two singers.  Not only did they sing duets with perfect harmony and connection but their solos were marked by expressive phrasing, passionate intensity and just the right amount of vibrato.  The audience particularly loved Ms. Arberas' performance of Lecuona's "Pregón de Flores" and Mr. Delgado's performance of José M. Varona's "Es el amor la mitad de la vida".

All of the music on the program was composed during the late 19th c. and early 20th c.

The latter part of the evening presented us with contemporary and highly amplified Cuban dance rhythms, performed by the famous Cuban vocalist José "Pepito" Gómez who has recently immigrated to the United States.  It was easy to see why he created such a sensation not only in his homeland but on world tours.  His highly energetic rhythms and effective brass section galvanized the crowd and the dance floor was rapidly filled.  You might possibly have glimpsed us trying to dance the timba in our clumsy snow boots!

The concert was part of a series called "World to Brooklyn" presented by the well known World Music Institute.  This series is designed to present music from other countries in a totally immersive fashion including dance lessons, socializing, imbibing and of course listening to music.  Upcoming concerts will feature Colombia and Haiti.

We wish we could have concluded our Cuban "day into night" with a "medianoche" but, sadly, our favorite Cuban restaurant on 8th Avenue was closed, destroyed by Chelsea's gentrification and the concomitant higher rents.  Still, we do think we had sufficient Cuban culture for one day.

© meche kroop

NAVIDAD ESPAÑOL

BRUNO PEÑA, AMAYA ARBERAS, ALBERT CARBONELL AND CORO CASA GALICIA

We spent a most satisfying evening yesterday at Casa Galicia in Astoria, Queens. Not only were we royally entertained and well fed but we managed to learn something new about Spain.  Galicia is in the northwest corner of the country, bordering Portugal, and retains its own identity.  Half of the inhabitants speak Galician which is close to Portuguese.  Casa Galicia is a home away from home for Galician folk in New York and provides a center for cultural identity, maintaining a music school for the youth.

Two stars of the musical firmament provided the excellent entertainment.  The excellent soprano Amaya Arberas opened the program with selections from Händel's Nine German Arias, HWV 202-210.  This work is said to be the inspiration for Haydn's Die Schöpfung, inasmuch as the text refers to the creation of the universe. We particularly enjoyed the aria about the creation of flowers and the one about the rolling of the waves. There were multiple melismatic passages of great beauty.

Ms. Arberas, whose Spanish singing we have reviewed several times, showed her facility in German; following this group of songs she sang in Italian--a lovely aria by Claudio Monteverdi "Quel sguardo sdegnosetto", offering the opportunity to show off her ease with fioritura. Accompaniment by Albert Carbonell was by electronic keyboard since a harpsichord was nowhere to be seen or heard.  It sufficed.

Bruno Peña was onstage to contribute some gorgeous pieces for violin.  He performed "Meditación" from Jules Massenet's Thaïs with great sensitivity and Pablo Sarasate's "Playera" with suitable Spanish passion.  Many phrases concluded with the rhythmic "fa-mi-do" we love so well, often heard in flamenco guitar.

Although our taste favors the Classical, we confess to enjoying the second half of the program in which our versatile Ms. Arberas gave the jazziest rendition of James Lord Pierpont's "Jingle Bells" we have ever heard, overcoming our fatigue with Christmas music.  The chorus of Casa Galicia entertained with a program of Christmas carols from many lands, sung mostly in Spanish.  The audience favorite was clearly José Feliciano's "Feliz Navidad"  the melody of which has been running through our head all night, as good melodies tend to do.

What a privilege to spend an evening exploring another culture!  If we were a food critic we would go on and on about the generous meal that followed but we will close here and wish our readers a very Happy Holiday season.  There will most likely be a break in reviewing until the new year.  We have enjoyed sharing our opinions with you during 2014 and look forward to the many fine musical events coming up in 2015.

ⓒ meche kroop

 

SOARING VOICES, SOARING VAULTS

David Galvez and Amaya Arberas

The Museum of the City of New York has mounted a superlative installation of the works of Rafael Guastavino, the Valencian architect responsible for so many of New York City's tiled arches.  The Consulate General of Spain in New York generously sponsored a musical evening highlighting musical works from the same period--late 19th c.

We could think of no finer artists to convey the parallels between music and architecture than soprano superstar Amaya Arberas (previously reviewed and found in our search bar) and guitar virtuoso David Galvez (also reviewed previously, also found by entering his name in the search bar).

We do not hear enough classical Spanish music here in New York which strikes us as a sad state of affairs. The melodic music bears both restraint and passion in delightful balance and the language itself is highly singable with vowels similar to those of the Italian language.  If we were given a single wish for the opera scene in NYC, it would be to have a company present zarzuelas and Spanish art songs.

Ms. Arberas has a brilliant soprano with a finely grained vibrato and a sparkling resonance.  One rarely gets to hear these art songs performed by a native Castilian and there were many moments that produced goosebumps and the teary eyes that come from witnessing beauty, be it musical, painterly or sculptural.

The two songs on the program that were familiar to us were Manuel de Falla's "El Paño Moruno" in which Ms. Arberas slyly conveyed the song's symbolic subtext and Fernando Obradors' "Del Cabello Mas Sutil" in which the tenderness brought tears to our eyes.  A very dramatic piece from Ruperto Chapi's zarzuela , Las Hijas del Zebedeo, absolutely blew us away.

Songs by Fernando Sor and Eduardo Toldrá rounded out the vocal part of the program and the beautiful "Cantares" by Joaquin Turina gave Ms. Arberas an opportunity to show another aspect of her artistry in the melismatic passages.

The vocal selections were stunningly accompanied by Mr. Galvez, a special treat to our ears, especially Miguel Llobet's "El Testament d'Amelia", a barcarolle like song in 3/4 time.  Mr. Galvez had several opportunities to play solos as well.  We have mainly been exposed to the guitar in works of the Baroque period and we realize how greatly we prefer works of the Late Romantic period. 

In Isaac Albeniz' "Asturias" we admired the deft rasqueados of the right hand.  In Sor's "Variaciones de Mozart" we appreciated the subtle dynamic and rhythmic variety and the insistent phrase which we cannot get out of our ears, nor would we wish to do so.  The moving "Recuerdos de la Alhambra" was yet another favorite.

As encores, Ms. Arberas switched to the Italian language, performing two lovely songs by Vicente Martin y Soler--"La Costanza" and "Volubile".  They were as lovely as the Spanish songs and brought the audience to their collective feet.

Sadly, the recital is over but the Guastavino exhibit can be seen until September 7.  There is a video installation on display in "Palaces for the People".  Or you could visit all the places in NYC to which the famous architect contributed his arched tile ceilings.  Or you could do both!

© meche kroop

LA DOLOROSA

Anton Amendariz

Amaya Arberas

Ashley Bell

Eliam Ramos

José Daniel Mojica

We always jump at the chance to hear zarzuela; when we were alerted to a production of José Serrano's La Dolorosa we knew there was no place we would rather be on Saturday night.  That it was being produced by a small company heretofore unknown to us--Divaria Productions--was an added inducement.  That one of the four leading roles was being performed by Amaya Arberas whom we reviewed twice before (see archive) sealed the deal.

The somewhat abridged production was mounted in collaboration with the Spanish company La Rioja Lirica and was charmingly introduced by Mr. Angel Capellán from the Spanish consulate who discussed this uniquely Spanish art form, filled with vitality and passion.  For those readers unfamiliar with zarzuela, it is the Spanish counterpart to operetta and was very popular in Latin American countries from about the mid 19th c. to the mid 20th c.  The plots can be funny or tragic but the music is always glorious.

La Dolorosa is a love story--young innocent love between Perico (tenor Anton Armendariz Diaz) and Nicasia (soprano Amaya Arberas) and ambivalent mature love between Dolores (soprano Ashley Bell) and Rafael (José Daniel Mojica).  Dolores and Rafael were sweethearts from the same village where she was seduced and abandoned by someone else.  The broken-hearted Rafael had come to a monastery where he is painting a portrait of the Virgin who has Dolores' face.

Fate has arranged that Dolores has wandered far from home with her newborn and has collapsed on the road where she is rescued by a local couple, José and Juana.  Perico, Rafael's apprentice, recognizes her resemblance to the portrait. The remainder of the story is how Rafael comes to realize that his motivation to protect this woman and her baby is greater than his devotion to spiritual pursuits.  The Prior (Eliam Fuentes) is a humanist and accepts Rafael's departure. We cannot help wondering how the Spain of 1930 reacted to such a rejection of religion and embracing of humanism.

The performances were, in every case, first-rate.  Soprano Ashley Bell has a fine full voice that is strong in the lower register and brilliant in the upper register.  She was convincing as the dishonored woman and sang especially well in a glorious duet with Rafael in Act II.  She is also the President of Divaria Productions.

Soprano Amaya Arberas has a bright resonant instrument which she uses well.  She was particularly charming in a duet with Perico in which they plan their wedding.

Tenor José Daniel Mojica has a sweet generous voice that is filled with sazón, the Spanish equivalent of the garlic in the voice of an Italian tenor.  He created a sympathetic portrait of a man unable to forget his lost love and struggling with his own ambivalence --religious obligation versus a secular and humanistic life.  He was particularly moving in his confessional aria towards the end; this would make a wonderful stand-alone concert aria.

Tenor Anton Armendariz Diaz made a fine Perico, the none-too-bright assistant to the painter Rafael.  Not only does he have a pleasing voice but he also served as director.

The only low voice in this zarzuela was that of El Prior, played by Eliam Fuentes whose bass-baritone filled the bill nicely.  His compassionate demeanor was in counterpoint to that of the rigid close-minded Lucas (non-singer Ngo Okafor) who thought Rafael was under the influence of Satan.

The work was performed in the magnificent basilica of the original St. Patrick's Cathedral in Soho, dating to the early 19th c.  This historic landmark has a major asset--the only large 19th c. pipe organ left in the U.S. in its original space.  Its 2500 pipes, expertly  played by Jared Lamenzo, provided much of the accompaniment with pianist Marnie Laird supplying the remainder.

The acoustics of the basilica were kinder to the singers than to the actors, although Rafael Abolafia came across well as José.  As Juana his wife, Nana Gouvea was excessively histrionic and her words were swallowed up in the vast space.

Special mention must be made of the  Basilica Schola which served as the chorus under the direction of Joshua South.

OPERA HISPANICA FESTIVAL

 

Amaya Arberas

What a stellar kickoff to the Opera Hispanica Festival!  The two stellar sopranos pictured here would have offered sufficient entertainment value but there was so much more that it is difficult to know where to begin.  Wednesday evening's event, the Festival Opening Concert and Reception, in cooperation with the Consulate General of Argentina, was a celebration of the arts and culture of Argentina and the tango was very much present.  We have room to describe only the highlights.

The violin of Sami Merdinian and the cello of Yves Dharamraj were joined by the piano of Artistic Director Jorge Parodi and the exciting bandoneón of JP Jofre for Mr. Jofre's

"Tango Movements" which he composed originally for symphony orchestra.  The spirited first movement gave way to a soulful center section and the contrast of Mr. Jofre's playing was fascinating to see and hear.

Fleet-fingered guitarist Tali Roth played her own devilishly difficult arrangement of Libertango, heard earlier in the program on violin and cello.  World-reknowned soprano Isabel Leonard thrilled with her performance of Xavier Monsalvatge's Cinco Canciones Negras, accompanied by Mr. Parodi.  The program closed with selections from Maria de Buenos Aires, a tango opera by Astor Piazzolla which will be the capstone of the festival.  Maria was sung by mezzo Malena Dayen and the baritone role by Marcelo Guzzo, with a small orchestra conducted by Mr. Parodi.  Mr. Jofre again dazzled with his bandoneón, played with artistry and passion.

The following evening at the Queen Sofia Spanish Institute was no less exciting as Daniel Hernandez, Founder and Executive Director of Opera Hispanica, assembled an illustrious group of experts for a panel discussion of zarzuela. Playwright/diplomat Íñigo Ramírez de Haro served as moderator while composer Ricardo Llorca discussed the musical origins of zarzuela in 18th c. Spain.  There was an interesting cultural phenomenon which finds parallels in today's world; as the aristocracy went into decline, there evolved an imitation of the lower classes in musical taste as well as dance.  Having originated in France with aristocrats dressing as peasants and frolicking in the countryside, the trend spread throughout Europe.  The zarzuela used traditional Spanish music melded with European forms and became a popular tradition, carried over to the New World, evolving still further in Cuba, Mexico and S. America.

Dr. Janet Sturman, an ethnomusicologist from the University of Arizona and author of Zarzuela: Spanish Operetta described how classical-historical tales gave way to populist tales, in much the same way as opera seria eventually gave way to realismo.  The art form requires superb singers who can also act and dance since this is a story-driven form with few arias that can be excerpted for concert performance.

Maestro Parodi filled us in on the art form from the Argentinian perspective.  In his country, the upper classes were Spanish but the immigrants who arrived came from Italy and brought along their operatic heritage which competed with the Spanish tradition.  It was interesting to learn that in the early 20th c. there were five major opera theatres in Buenos Aires.  With Piazzola's Maria de Buenos Aires, it is evident that Argenina has made zarzuela its very own.

There was a lot of information to digest and like a tonic for weary minds, the superb soprano Amaya Arberas demonstrated for the audience "Carceleras" from Las hijas del Zebedeo by Ruperto Chapi and baritone Yunpeng Wang, winner of the Zarzuela Award in Placido Domingo's international opera competition Operalia performed "Amor vida de mi vida" from Maravilla by Federico Moreno Torroba.  Guitar accompaniment was by the excellent David Galvez.

The festival will continue with tonight's recital by Eglise Gutiérrez and Maestro Parodi at the Americas Society with next week's offering being the tango opera at Le Poisson Rouge.  It is worth noting and celebrating the fact that Mr. Hernandez has established the one and only opera company in the United States devoted exclusively to Spanish and Latin American music and music dealing with that culture.  He has surely filled a gap in the world of music.

(c) meche kroop