AROUND THE WORLD IN SONG

Aza Sydykov, Alvar Mayilyan, Kofi Hayford, César Parreño, Maria Brea,
Pablo Zinger, Pallavi Seth, Claire de Monteil, and Dashuai Chen
(photo credit: Bruce-Michael Gelbert)

by Guest Reviewer Eli Jacobson

Meche Kroop introduced this recital program by saying that she started this series of recitals spotlighting young classical singers from around the world performing their native music in response to the xenophobia, prejudice and fear of the “other” being promoted by governments around the world including our own.  Meche feels that music is a healing and uniting force that counteracts hatred and prejudice.  The recital (which was performed on February 28th at St. John’s Church in the Village) had each singer performing the native music of their homeland.  Aza Sydykov was the musical director and pianist.

The recital began with soprano Maria Brea from Caracas, Venezuela singing six songs from her native country.  Brea’s soprano is luscious, rich in overtones with a shimmering fast vibrato.  The songs ranged widely in style from a simple folk lullaby sung a capella (“Duérmete mi niño”) to Latin American pop (“Arrunango”), zarzuela (“Alma llanera”), flamenco (“Quiero sembra”) and jazz cabaret (“La Negra Attilia”) styles.  

I heard music that reminded me of Antônio Jobim, Astor Piazzolla and Heitor Villa-Lobos.  Each song was strongly contrasted from the others.   Brea wasn’t afraid to dig into chest voice or darken or lower her voice to create a different sound.  Throughout this varied program, Brea displayed a distinctive beauty of timbre and projected her music with poise and command.  

The bolero torch song “Desesperanza” by 20th century female Venezuelan composer Maria Luisa Escobar is the favorite song of both Maria’s father and her sister who sings it herself but in a different, more pop-inflected style.  Maria brought a more classical timbre and a thrilling high note at the end that were very much her own.  Hispanic music expert and musicologist Pablo Zinger accompanied Maria on the piano with great insight and stylistic command.  

Delhi-born, New York trained mezzo-soprano Pallavi Seth sang two classical Indian songs – one semi-classical “Huri” and one classical bandish from “Raag Khamaj” both self-accompanied on Tanpura.  Seth began singing classical Indian religious songs under the guidance of her guru and later studied as a Hindustani classical vocalist under the legendary Benares gharana singer Girija Devi.  Vacations in the U.S. led to an interest in European classical music and study at Westminster Choir College and Mannes School of Music.  

Seth performed the two songs seated on the stage with great spiritual insight and self-communion.  The songs began with keening wordless vocalise and then the Hindi text was chanted.  Both songs involved melismatic writing and keening high notes where Seth’s opera background became evident – there was a flexibility of tone and purity of attack that showed her operatic training.  Seth believes in blending cultures and also performs songs by Adele and Amy Winehouse, sings with a progressive jazz rock band, has done American musical theater and loves Bollywood music.  At age 26, Pallavi Seth is open to the entire world of music and eager to explore everything.


Paris-born French soprano Claire de Monteil has studied at AVA where she performed operatic roles like Leonora in Il Trovatore and the title role in Ariadne auf Naxos.  This is a large, forward placed and deeply resonant soprano with a wide range of dynamics.  Monteil did not program French opera which I would like to hear her in (the great falcon roles are something she would excel in).  Nor did she explore the classical French song repertoire of Poulenc, Chausson or Massenet.  

Instead for this recital, de Monteil turned to the French cabaret songs of German-born Kurt Weill and Hungarian-born Joseph Kosma.  Operatically trained sopranos like Teresa Stratas have sung Weill’s German and French ballads with success as has rock singer Marianne Faithfull and the Italian pop singer Milva.  All these singers are very different from Lotte Lenya, Weill’s wife and muse and all have made this music their own.  

Her first song “Youkali” is a song about hope and a mythical place where all your dreams come true: “pays de nos désirs”.  The text was projected with both clarity and specificity and the melody was shaped persuasively.  The brilliant final climax was operatic.  Weill’s “Je ne t’aime pas” is a tormented ballad about a conflicted lover who, as much as they are trying to convince themselves that they don’t want or love the object of their affections – repeating the title phrase over and over – cannot emotionally tear themselves away from this person.  Monteil sang each repeat with a different expression and inflection as the protagonist wrestled with their feelings.  It had the rawness of Piaf with the grandeur of Crespin!  

The last song was the pop favorite “Les feuilles mortes” or “Autumn Leaves” by Kosma.  Here I felt that de Monteil’s vocal scale and brilliance detracted a bit from the sense of intimacy and nostalgic reflection in the song – a softer grain to the tone and a darker color would have brought out the melancholy in the piece.

The first half ended with two short pieces by the Ghana West Africa-born bass Kofi Hayford.   The two pieces were national anthems: the first the official one in English “God Bless Our Homeland Ghana” by Victor Gbeho and the second the unofficial folk anthem “Yen Ara Asaase Ni” by Ephraim Amu in the Akwapim Twi language (only one of eleven languages in Ghana!).  It turns out that Victor Gbeho was Kofi’s great uncle!  

The first was a grand scaled oration which got a new English sung text in the 1970’s.  The second folk anthem which translates as “This is our native land” is a declamatory warning instructing the Ghana people not to lose their native values in emulation of European wealth and power but to respect their own heritage and customs.  Hayford’s focused and resonant bass gave it the declamatory force of an operatic high priest or ruler!  I have admired Hayford’s silken black bass in several performances by local opera groups.  

The second half brought more Latin American music courtesy of Guayaquil, Ecuador-born tenor César Parreño who was also accompanied by Maestro Pablo Zinger (who Parreño confessed he had only met 30 minutes prior to performing! One never would have known!).  Parreño, a Juilliard student, sang five Ecuadorian pasillos which are folk ballads usually sung to guitar accompaniment at parties or fiestas.  The pieces had great variety ranging from “Despedida” a song of farewell by Gerardo Guevara (who studied in Paris with Nadia Boulanger) and the dashing “El Aguacate” a love ballad sung beneath the avocado tree of the title composed by César Guerro Tamayo.  Parreño has a plangent, sweet lyric tenor with a bright timbre that bears a distinct resemblance to the lovely voices of Mexican tenors Javier Camarena and Ramon Vargas.

Armenian mezzo-soprano Alvard Mayilyan performed four songs in colorful native costume.  Three of these songs were songs of love: “To Him” by Perperian – a passionate woman awaits her lover willing to give all of herself; “Hoy Nazan” by Komitas has two lovers meeting joyously and finally “Lullaby” by Kanachyan which is the love of mother and child where the two are one and the rest of the world does not exist.  (Mayilyan is the mother of two and sings this to her own children).  

The last song was the dance-like “Drinking Song” by the very famous composer Aram Khachaturian (best known for the ballet “Spartacus”).  Khachaturian also wrote many songs and this was a catchy and colorful piece.  Mayilyan’s voice has a warm vibrant color typical of Armenian voices resembling a rich sparkling red wine.  Occasionally around register breaks the tone would go out of focus briefly – with each song this became less evident.  Each song was vividly characterized and sung with passion.

Our final performer was tenor Dashuai Chen, a native of Shanghai China, with three Chinese songs in Mandarin.  Chen was a 2019 winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions.  I was surprised how lyrical and non-Eastern sounding these three songs were – they sounded more Western in style and weren’t reminiscent of Chinese opera or folk music.  “The Three Wishes of the Rose” by Zi Huang sounded more like a European art song in Mandarin.  “Teach me how to forget him” by Yuanren Zhao was lyrical and full of melancholy longing and regret.  The final piece “Love for the sea” by Guangnan Shi started as a reverie to nature but seemed to turn inward with sadness and then outward with an outpouring of passionate melody as if the protagonist’s love of the sea turned to thoughts of their beloved.  

Chen possesses a major instrument: the first two songs were written low in the middle voice which misled me into thinking that Chen was a lyric baritone.  However, the overwhelming climax of the third song had Chen pouring out high tessitura and a climactic high note that firmly announced his tenor status.  Chen seems to have lots of voice everywhere.  Initially in the first song, Chen seemed a little stiff and preoccupied but with each song he loosened up and revealed more of himself culminating in the overwhelming vocal and emotional outpouring of the final song.  The final phrases of “Love for the Sea” could have come from the passionate final scene of an Italian verismo opera sung in Chinese translation! 

I was impressed with how Maestro Aza Sydykov managed to learn all this unfamiliar music of widely disparate national styles and genres adapting so well to each singer’s different needs and methods.  

Meche asked each singer to sing something that meant something to them – music that they had a personal connection with.  Too often in recitals the encores outshine the main program.  Usually (and especially in student recitals), the recitalist performs European classical music from a distant culture and time period that is foreign to their culture that they have been carefully coached in.  So, the recital has the feeling of a lesson well learned and dutifully executed without personal engagement or identification.  

The encores include pieces that the singer chooses themselves, often popular songs in their own language.  Suddenly, the performer’s own personality and temperament shines through and they relax and connect with the piece and through the piece connect with the audience.  That was what we saw with this recital – each singer had probably heard or performed this music as a child or student in their home country.  Perhaps they first sang these songs with their families or at school concerts discovering music and their own joy of singing.  The words are in their language and reflect their sense of self.  Nothing here was dutiful or by rote and each singer projected a very distinctive and highly developed individuality of sound, interpretation and communication.  They connected with the music and through the music connected with us – and we connected to them and to cultures from around the world through a shared love of music.  

Mission accomplished.

©meche kroop\

A FULL BANQUET OF ART SONGS AND FOLK SONG FROM AROUND THE WORLD

Alfira Ahmatjan, Nina Mutalifu, Nikoleta Rallis, Eugenia Forteza, Idil Milliogullari, Hyungjoo Eom, Aza Sydykov, and Pavel Suliandziga (photo by meche kroop)

Guest review by Mario Arevalo:

“In a world outside where everyone is divided by our politicians trying to build walls and create hate, here we are in this sacred place to make music, to be together in a spirit of love, unity, and fellowship”.

These were the welcome words of Meche Kroop, a wonderful friend to all of us young artists in New York City and founder of Voce di Meche, an online blog where you can find reviews of almost every operatic and classical event in Manhattan.  A full house of friends, musicians, conductors, singers, and families came to support the singers and specially Meche Kroop since she is one of the biggest pioneers of supporting and reviewing many of these audiences events.

(Editor's comment--we are blushing at this extravagant praise but we promised to print review as written.)

Around the World in Song was a huge success, not only because of the meaning of the concert but because of the high quality of performance by all of the singers and piano collaborators. All of the singers interpreted songs from their countries, and it was like a food banquet of delicious plates starting with an amazing appetizer of songs from Russia, 1^st Course of European delights from Kyrgystan,Turkey, and Greece, a 2^nd Course of Latin American delights--spicy and tasty songs from Spain and Mexico accompanied by a wonderful glass of wine from Argentina, a 3^rd Course of, and finishing with, a melting dessert of beautiful songs from Korea and Xianjian Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People’s Republic of China that left us wanting more. 

It was a well balanced and wonderfully curated program. All the repertoire except Lenski’s Aria “Kuda Kuda" from Eugene Onegin was new to our ears and let me tell you that it was worth it, traveling from far Long Island to be there and experience this joyous evening of songs from around the world. 

Most of the songs described longing, love, beautiful sceneries of important places in the singers countries, and a farewell song. Then I asked myself this question. Is it because we immigrants have to leave our families, friends, culture, traditions and music that allows us to interpret repertoire from our countries with so much heart?

 All of the singers not only showcased beautiful singing, but they were so expressive to show the beauty of poetry and their countries' traditions-- by allowing us to hear different styles of compositional form. All them were able to make us feel like we understood every single word even though there were no translations in the program. 

All the singers spoke a few lines about what the song meant to them, or what the song was about. For some it was their first time performing these songs outside their native countries. But they did show us the most important thing, at least for me. Music does not a have a tongue, Music unites, Music is love, Music is all around the world and touches hearts when performed with affection.

Russian Tenor Pavel Sulyandziga gave us a fine interpretation of the familiar aria “Kuda Kuda" from Eugene Onegin. He stated that he chose this program because next year will be Tchaikovsky's 180^th Anniversary and also because Eugene Onegin was the first opera he sang. Words show intention, Words show purpose, Words show feelings and this young tenor had all of these three factors, which in these days are very important for any interpreter of opera. 

He added all the tensions and emphasis this aria needs while Lenski is in his time of despair and trying to accept his destiny.  

This wonderful fine light lyric tenor with a touch of dramatic sound was able to connect with us singing Tchaikovsky’s “To bylo ranneju vesnoj” --(in English  "It was in the early spring”) and “Den li tsarit” -- (“Whether  daylight reigns"). These two songs were able to give us a different side with more acting and interpretation from Mr. Sulyandziga. These two melodic songs allowed him to be more tender, sensitive and full of expressions. I would like to hear some Schubert songs from this young tenor.

Soprano Nikoleta Rallis also honored her husband's country and she impressed me with songs from Kyrgyzstan. To be honest I have never heard of this country, so I was blown away by the beautiful music. Very seductive, rare but very melodious. Ms. Rallis' husband told us that these two songs “Sen belesing" and "Issuk Koel Waltz”  were composed by Kaliy Moldabasanov a violinist, composer and conductor. And they chose this repertoire as an honor to the composer as his 90^th birthday was 3 days ago. 

The other country she represented was Greece, her ancestors' country. She told us that none of these songs are published and that they were given as a gift to a friend of a friend, so they meant so much for her to perform. In this set she didn’t use a music stand, so we were able to get the full force of her artistry. 

“S’agapo" (I love you ) was a very sweet and powerful song. But her aria “Sofias Aria" from Markos Botsaris by Pavlos Karrer gave a full impression of Ms. Rallis' considerable communicative powers. It also showed her to be an agreeably flexible interpreter singing the recitativo and aria of this woman dressed as soldier looking for the love of her life., then catching all of our attention in the cabaletta with an almost mezzo-like tone that would suit Strauss, quickly showing a bright, powerful top.

Then we traveled to Spain with the incredible voice of Soprano Eugenia Forteza. When I start talking and writing about this singer, I always get blown away by her artistry and her surprising choice of nontraditional repertoire; it is sublime. I am a native Spanish speaker and to hear another singer singing in my mother tongue, not only makes me proud, but it also shows me the hard work singers puts into their performance. 

Each song was sung with different accents according to where the songs were written. In the aria “Lagrimas mías" or "Tears" from Miguel Marques' zarzuela El Anillo de Hierro, Ms. Forteza sounded radiant throughout with wonderful legato lines and impressive breath control. I always have asked myself how such a tiny singer can produce such a big sound. Ms. Forteza is a total diva on stage; she devours the stage; she knows every single hand move, facial expression and body movement she wants in her interpretations.

 “Morenita me llaman" from Il Postino by Daniel Catan was also very impressive. Ms. Forteza showed us yet more colors in her voice. We were blown away by her vocal and theatrical abilities. I think it is very difficult singing in your own tongue but Ms. Forteza took this bull by its tail. Singing in her own mother tongue seems to be the easiest thing for her. Her showcasing of Carlos Guastavino songs “Bonita rama de sauce” (Pretty Willow Branch) and “Hermano” (Brother) from the song cycle Doce canciones populares were two songs that were dear to me. I am a huge fan of Guastavino and when I hear someone singing with such exquisite phrasing, great diction and musicality, it makes my heart pound. Ms. Forteza should give us a full concert of Guastavinos songs since she is a pure Argentinian interpreter.

With deep tone, warmth, and sensitivity, South Korean Baritone Hyungjoo Eom gave us some beautiful and romantic singing of Korean composer Hak Jun Yoon's  “Majoon" (Coming to meet you) and "Janhyang" ( Your scent)-- two beautiful art songs. They were absolutely gorgeous. To me they sounded like 21^st century wedding songs. Very intimate, sensual and romantic pieces. 

His voice is very tenor like, even though he is a baritone. His upper range is open throated, but with the deep colors of a baritone. I think he is a tenor but time will tell. I loved his Folk Song interpretation of "Shingosan Taryoung" (A song of Shingo mountain) a very popular song according to the singer, and so ancestral that nobody knows who the composer is; there have been many arrangements. The song is about a mountain located in North Korea that everyone loves and praises and in this song the singer is saying “I believe I want to live in this mountain with you my love, but I am single so I will still go and visit and live there” --translation according to the singer.

Soprano Idil Milliogullari gave us two arias by contemporary Turkish Composer Selman Ada. The first aria “Gne kizlik aryasi” from Ask-I Memnu (Forbidden Love) is based on Halid Ziya’s romantic novel of the same name, published in 1900. As in the novel, our protagonist is Adnan Bey, but in addition to the extramarital love affair that leads to his young wife Bihter’s suicide, the story emphasized the dictatorship of Abdülhamid II, who was the Ottoman Sultan in the early 20th century. 

Ms. Milliogullari possesses a very expressive, light coloratura soprano. She looked wonderful onstage with that beautiful dress and made an impact in this concert. Her 2^nd Aria was from Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves. The singer sings a lullaby to put the bad guys to sleep. A humorous fantasy, it became the most popular opera in Turkey, and was initially directed by Murat Göksu in Ankara in 1991. Ms. Milliogullari has a lovely soprano voice that she uses well, and her performance was both vocally pleasing and dramatically convincing. The aria was very mysterious and enchanting. The language sounded very difficult to sing. So kudos to this performer for making me want to hear more.

Our last singer of the evening was Nina Mutalifu, who to me and to some of my friends that were present in the concert, stole the show. She is an angel, she is a superstar. Her dark chocolate voice was gorgeous. Her interpretations of Uyghur songs were out of this world. The 1^st song “Tarim” (Farewell) by Iskender Seypulla, according to the singer, is about the people of Tarim saying goodbye to their people by the river. This was her opening song and it impressed us so much that we couldn’t wait to hear the rest of them. The 2^nd Song “Bulbujan” (My nightingale)  is about singing to the love of her life, in sweet sounds like a nightingale. Ms. Mutalifu used her large and splendid soprano voice to great dramatic effect as she expressed the depth of her love. 

The 3^rd Song “Seni Esleymen” (Longing) really brought tears to my eyes--a song about longing for one's family. In this song Ms. Mutalifu got very emotional and showcased a range of emotions through  her singing. It was her low and middle range that truly held my attention. A gorgeous voice with warmth and charm, her facial expressions alone convey that pain of longing for her family. I truly felt it. 

Her last song was “Bir Piyale Mey” (Wine of Love) a song to the people that love her; she returns the love and thanks them with a glass of wine. She is a soprano that clearly adds passion and personality to every song she interprets. I am sure I will be hearing about this singer coming up soon. I truly enjoyed her speech about allowing her culture and traditions to be represented outside her country. Her grandpa told her to never forget where she came from.

The exquisite playing of both piano collaborators was sublime. Ms. Mutalifu was accompanied by Alfira Ahmatjan and all the others were accompanied by Aza Sydykov of the Kyrgyz American Foundation. Kudos to Meche Kroop for presenting this fascinating concert. 

I am thankful for being allowed to write this review. As an Ambassador of Fine Arts and Culture for The United Nations Association of El Salvador, I truly congratulate every single performer for showcasing their country's music, composers, and heritage. Being proud of where we come from is what distinguishes us. But when you truly do it because you love your country and all your heritage, it truly acknowledges that you might leave behind your family, friends and countries far away, but all of them never leave your heart and mind until you meet again.

Mario Arévalo
Founder & Artistic Director
Una Voz, Un Mundo

Goodwill Ambassador for Fine Arts & Culture
United Nations Association of El Salvador, UNA-SV


© meche kroop

EURASIA FESTIVAL GALA

Eurasia Festival Opening Night Gala at Merkin Hall

They came from Kyrgyzstan. They came from The Republic of Georgia. They came from the Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Russia, China, South Korea, and the United States of America. In the words of Aza Sydykov, it was "a triumph of art over politics". As described by pianist Jonathan Levin, it was "the most beautiful music that you've never heard". All true! The two pianists are co-founders of the Kyrgyz American Foundation, whose mission it is to preserve and promote the multicultural heritage of Eurasia with the United States.

Let us begin by honoring the contributions of Kyrgyzstan. We must start at the end of the concert because we witnessed the most remarkable performance by Omurgazy Uulu Zhyrgalbek performing with flying fingers and fluttering wrists on the Komuz and the Dombra. The former has three strings and no frets; it is made from a single piece of wood. The Dombra is a long-necked lute with two strings. The artist appeared in native dress and we urge you, dear reader, to take a look at the carousel of photos on our Facebook page (Voce di Meche). We are rarely in such awe. There were times when the melody came from the left hand and not the right one which was strumming as fast as a hummingbird's wing.

Another performance which dazzled us was that of the Ukrainian flutist Denis Savelyev, accompanied by Mr. Sydykov, performing "Nocturne" by Zhanna Kolodub. We had an epiphany when we realized how much the flute resembles the human voice. With impressive breath control Mr. Savelyev negotiated the ascending and descending scale passages. After a lovely legato central section marked by graceful phrasing, the first part returned with high drama. 

He also performed Daniel Wood's "Valse Caprice" which had a graceful pastoral mood and reminded us of singers being "on the breath". He produces a lovely tone and can decrescendo to a delicate pianissimo. Not only were we impressed but our flutist companion also sat up and took notice.

Mr. Savelyev's younger sister Maria is a cellist who delighted us with "Melody" by Myroslav Skoryk, accompanied also by Mr. Sydykov. The piece was marked by a haunting and lyrical melody. Both of the aforementioned composers belong to the 20th c. but managed to avoid the deplorable trend of assassinating melody! She also performed in a trio, with Uzbekistan violinist Vartan Mayilyantz and Mr. Levin, selections from Kyrgyzstan's first ballet Cholpon, dating from 1944. The flavor of Mikhail Raukhverger's music was distinctively Eastern and we had a fine time imagining the choreography.

We also heard three singers. Chinese soprano Nilara Mutalifu, an ethnic Uighur, let her generous soprano soar in three lovely songs by three different composers. The Uighur language was totally strange to our ears but the sound was sizable and the emotions deeply felt. Accompanying her on the piano was Mr. Levin who also performed his own composition --an original piano arrangement on a Kyrgyz theme based on the sounds of the Dombra. It was a world premiere. He also played another world premiere--a virtuosic arrangement by Eric Thompson of a Milos Rosza composition. Mr. Rosza is famous for writing film scores.

South Korean tenor Choong Lee performed a pair of songs by Rachmaninoff--"Dream" and "Do not sing, my beauty". He was accompanied by Russian pianist Vera Danchenko-Stern and in the second piece was joined by Mr. Mayilyantz who played an arrangement by Fritz Kreisler in which the violin took over some of that haunting melody. Mr. Lee has an easy full-throated voice production and came across much better when he relaxed and became freer with his gestures. He has a beautiful pianissimo.

Also from South Korea, baritone Hyungjoo Eom performed two Korean songs. At last month's concert Around the World in Song, soprano Sulgi Cho explained that the "art song" did not exist in Korea until rather recently but Hak Jun Yoon wrote one called "Majoong" on the cusp of the 21st c. and Mr. Eom gave it a lovely performance, along with a charming and spirited folk song.

We were quite impressed with Kyrgyzstan clarinetist Bakhtiyar Dooranov who gave an expressive performance of two 20th c. pieces which gave a colorful line to the clarinet with some staccato in the upper register and some well executed runs. Mr. Levin had some rumbling figures on the piano.

Another clarinetist, the Georgian Marita Pataraia was accompanied by Georgian pianist Merab Ebralidze for a piece by Irakli Gejadze. The clarinet enjoyed some rapid scale passages whilst the piano got involved in some interesting figures.

Mr. Mayilyantz played a cheerful "Waltz-Scherzo" by Tchaikovsky which we'd never heard. We liked the pensive central section and the highly embellished return, much like a bel canto aria.

Georgian violinist Gvantsa Butskhiridze was joined by Georgian pianist Marina Ghurchumelia for a frisky "Scherzo" by Vaja Azarashvili which featured a lot of pizzicato.

Kyrgyzstan flutist Eliza Salibaeva was accompanied by Mr. Levin for yet another U.S. premiere of Kalyi Moldobasanov's expressive "Rondo-Scherzo" and Muratbek Begaliev's Asian flavored "Elegy".

We cannot recall another concert with so much variety and so much international cultural sharing. Mr. Sydakov was right. Art definitely trumps politics.  Oh dear!  Was that a slip?  Well, we'll let it stand! Maybe art trumps Trump.

(c) meche kroop

EURASIA FESTIVAL RUSSIAN OPERA GALA

Aza Sydykov, Vera Danchenko-Stern, Clara Lisle, Alvard Mayilyan, Kathleen Norchi, Caleb Eick, and Matthew Tartza

We first became acquainted with pianist/accompanist/coach Aza Sydykov through his work with the Kyrgyz American Foundation which presented a concert of Kyrgyz music nearly two years ago--a concert we will never forget (the review of which is archived and available through the search bar). We didn't get to hear nearly enough of his pianistic artistry at that time but we made up for it last night when his brilliance at the keyboard dazzled our ears.

Alternating with the extraordinarily gifted pianist/accompanist/coach Vera Danchenko-Stern, the accompaniment to the singers impressed us with its brilliance. The two pianists knew just when to hold back to support each singer, and when to let out all the stops during the interludes.

We were attending a recital at the National Opera Center designed to showcase the achievements of the five young artists who had attended the week-long institute focusing on Russian singing. We wished that we had been available to monitor their progress through the coachings, from start to finish; however there was one instance in which we are able to report on artistic development.

Not long ago we attended a rather disappointing production of Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin in which we were impressed by the Tatiana of soprano Carla Lisle. Last night she performed the heroine's "Letter Scene" in full and we were happily able to see a great leap forward in phrasing, diction, and interpretation. When we hear an aria extracted from an opera and performed in concert, we measure success partly by the singer's ability to take us into the opera in our mind's eye.

Last night we were not transported to the unfortunate Mannes production but rather to a more traditional one at the Metropolitan Opera that moved us deeply.  This is a good thing! Ms. Lisle's diction and phrasing were enhanced by the astute employment of dynamic variety and dramatic coloration. Poor Tatiana is in the throes of adolescent turmoil and every nuance was well portrayed.

Listening to the other four singers on the program did not offer the same opportunity for comparison between "before" and "after", but we enjoyed hearing songs both familiar and unfamiliar. The Russian canon of songs is vast and our exposure has been somewhat limited. Perhaps it is understandable that we get more enjoyment from songs we have heard before.

For example, Rachmaninoff's "Spring Waters" always fills us with joy and we liked the performance by soprano Kathleen Norchi who also introduced us to "Uzh ty, niva moya, nivushka" with its captivating analogy, comparing scattered thoughts with grains of wheat.

Mezzo-soprano Alvard Mayilyan evinced very different personalities in Polina's romance from Tchaikovsky's Pique Dame and Olga's aria from his Eugene Onegin. The former was haunting and the latter was light-hearted and teasing.

We liked baritone Caleb Eick best in Aleko's Cavatina from the Rachmaninoff opera, in which he portrayed the pain of romantic betrayal by varying vocal colors and dynamics to suit the character's complex feelings.

Tenor Matthew Tartza introduced us to a charming songs by Rimsky-Korsakov, the gentle Levko's aria from May Night and  Tchaikovsky's "Vesna: Travka Zeleneyer" from Songs for Children.  Perhaps it was ill advised to put Mario's pre-death aria "E lucevan le stelle" from Puccini's Tosca on the program. We have heard it so often sung by famous tenors that the risk of comparison worked against the singer.

Again, we wish to emphasize how superlative was the pianism. Russian vocal music captivated us a bit later than Italian and German and isn't always performed with such subtlety. We appreciate being introduced to the musical heritage of Russia and are glad that the Kyrgyz American Foundation has sponsored the Eurasia Festival, thereby promoting Eurasian culture.

There will be one more concert in the Festival, Sunday evening at 7:30, also at the National Opera Center.

(c) meche kroop

SOUNDS OF KYRGYZSTAN

The colorful musicians of the Kyrgyz Republic

One of the chief advantages of living in NYC is the opportunity to experience many cultures. Until last night we knew nothing about the Kyrgyz Republic, only that it was somewhere in Central Asia. The colorful program presented last night at Merkin Concert Hall got us curious about this landlocked country with a population smaller than that of NYC. Now we know that it was on the Silk Road and that waves of immigration and invasions have resulted in a varied culture. We learned that many of their musicians were trained under the Soviet system but that independence was achieved in 1991.

Last night was a love-fest between this small nation and our own.  The Kyrgyz American Foundation has a mission-- to strengthen civil, humanitarian and cultural ties between the two nations, and one important way to accomplish this is through the arts. The love fest was not just on the stage. Kyrgyz pianist Aza Sydykov and American soprano Nikoleta Rallis are not just performing partners but romantic partners as well.

The program opened with a warm welcome from leaders of the Kyrgyz American Foundation: Mr. Sydykov and Jonathan Levin, another fine pianist.  In an interesting twist, Mr. Sydykov accompanied Ms. Rallis for our own national anthem whilst Mr. Levin played that of the Kyrgyz Republic. We heard some folks singing along so now we know that there were Kryzyk people in the audience!

We came expecting a folkloric show but that angle presented itself only for a portion of the evening and that is the portion upon which we would like to focus.  We are entirely unfamiliar with the stringed instrument known as the komuz but the virtuosity displayed by its players took our breath away. We would have liked to tell which of the two beautiful performers listed in the program  played in the video we took just before intermission but we cannot. (The program failed us on other counts as well).

However, both of them played together in the second half and both Perizat Kopobaeva and Elvira Abdilova turned in exceptional performances.  They played this instrument over each shoulder, upside down, and sideways, never missing a beat.  Arms beat like the wings of a bird and chiffon sleeves floated like curtains in a breeze. An interesting feature of the komuz is the creation of harmonics which reminds us of our "dan bao" from Vietnam.

The rest of the program was also entertaining. Apparently The Kyrgyz Republic has produced some fine composers with names both difficult to spell and impossible to pronounce. Nowhere to be heard was a composition that was hard on the ears. The music was lovely and accessible to Western ears.

There was a third fine pianist on the program, the beautiful Kairy Koshoeva, seen above in a glamorous red gown. We enjoyed a composition entitled "Mash Botoi" or "Horse Race" which we were pleased to hear as the closing number of the evening--this time played by Mr. Levin with both komuz players adding to the fun. 

One of the highlights of the evening was Ms. Rallis' singing of Stephen Foster's "Beautiful Dreamer" and Ernest Charles' "When I Have Sung My Songs To You". Strangely, these American art songs were introduced as "folk songs". Of course, we could not tell the difference among the Kryzyk compositions, which ones were traditional and which ones not.  We are all for eliminating categories and just appreciating the music!

And that we did!  Some pieces were lyrical and melodic, others were staccato and propulsive, still others languorous. The variety of moods and colors were enjoyable, even when we could not understand the program (i.e. "Mash Botoi" was given the date of 1982 but the composer Atai Ogonbaev died in 1949. That is why we abandoned the program and just enjoyed the music.)

We will not close before crediting the lovely cellist Nurmira Greenberg who played a beautiful set accompanied by Mr. Levin on the piano. The set was all mid 20th c. but without any of the flaws we find in 20th c. music. There were also some improvisations by yet another pianist Joel Martin, an American with strong ties to The Kyrgyz Republic.

(c) meche kroop