EXTEMPORE

Michael Gees and Anna Lucia Richter

We heard a very special recital last night at Weill Recital Hall. What made it special was not just the high quality of the performances but the fact that it was largely improvised! Jazz lovers are accustomed to improvisation but we lovers of classical music are not. The very idea of classically trained musicians making things up as they go along is novel. The successful execution of the concept left us stunned in amazement.

The extemporized duets were interlaced with previously composed songs, many of which were happily based on folk music, which always provides a lovely melody. Many of the songs on the program and all of the improvised ones utilized texts by Joseph Eichendorff. There were songs by Britten which we enjoyed more than most of his other vocal music, and several selections from Robert Schumann's Liederkreis, which we always love to hear. A few settings by Brahms also made it onto the program.

What was so amazing was that each half of the program was performed without a pause, one song melting into the next. There were no abrupt transitions to break the mood. The improvised songs were initiated by one member of the duo with the other joining in with relevant musical material. Each musical partner seemed to deeply feel the text and to listen intently to the other and to meld voices. Eichendorff's "Wunschelrute" appeared twice on the program, sounding different! The English translation is worth quoting.

"A song sleeps in all things

That dream on and on

And the world begins to sing

If only you strike upon the magic word."

Soprano Anna Lucia Richter has an unusual soprano--bright and focused, yet delicate. We imagined our ears were being penetrated by a feather. There were high notes, the overtones of which lingered like an echo, a phenomenon we never noticed before. Her immersion in the text was so complete she seemed lost in the music. We have heard teachers of master classes instruct students to never close their eyes; and yet, in this case, it did not seem to shut out the audience.

We have complained bitterly about the use of music stands but opined that it was probably necessary when Ms. Richter was improvising on one of the Eichendorff poems. She was composing in her head as she went along, inspired by Michael Gees' piano which sometimes led and sometimes followed.  It was haunting and evocative music they were creating right in front of us!

Aside from the improvised selections, there were a number of standouts on the program. Schumann's "Waldesgesprach" was given a very personal reading with all the colors of the arrogant suitor and the beautiful but vengeful hexe Loreley.  We also enjoyed Brahms' "Ich weiss mir'n Maidlein hubsch und fein" from Deutsche Volkslieder, No. 40.  The first encore "Och Mod'r, ich well en ding han!" was absolutely delightful and delivered in authentic Koln dialect. (Ms. Richter comes from Koln). A daughter is very irritated with her mother who is unable, at least until the last stanza, to divine just what it is that the girl wants.

Michael Gees is an unusual pianist with abundant subtlety and inventiveness. Just imagine recreating the world of 19th c. German Romantic nationalism in the 21st century without sounding derivative! Being able to utilize the expressive texts of Eichendorff and to convey such feeling was a remarkable achievement. Some improvisations should be committed to paper and published as part of the canon.

We would like to say something about the second encore which was improvised and purported to be from Des Knaben Wunderhorn. We have searched online for  a text about a "verschwunden Sternlein" without success.  If any readers know of it, please provide information in the comments below.

(c) meche kroop

SPOTLIGHT ON YOUNG SINGERS

Warren Jones, Beste Kalender, and Benjamin Dickerson

Warren Jones has unsurpassed eloquence at the keyboard, and last night at Carnegie Weill Recital Hall, he waxed eloquent in speech as well, when he paid well-deserved tribute to mezzo-soprano Marilyn Horne. This very week we are celebrating her 23rd annual glorification of the song recital in The Song Continues 2017.  As usual, there will be a recital, master classes, and a Saturday night all-out celebration in Zankel Hall. No one has done as much as our beloved Ms. Horne to ensure the survival of the art of the song.

Last night's Spotlight Recital shone the spotlight on two young artists whose participation in Stephanie Blythe's Master Class exactly one year ago is well remembered. Mezzo-soprano Beste Kalender continued to impress us with the same dedication to the text that she evinced last year, combined with the awareness of eroticism stressed by Ms. Blythe.

Baritone Benjamin Dickerson is also recalled for his fine performance in Das Land des Lachelns which we so enjoyed at the Manhattan School of Music when he was an undergraduate.  The review has been archived and is searchable.

The music on the program all came from the last half of the 19th c. and the early part of the 20th. It was an entirely satisfying choice of material that held our attention from beginning to end. Ms. Kalender opened the program with a quartet of songs by Francesco Santoliquido, a Neapolitan composer who wrote his own texts.  As an Italian, his focus on love is understandable!  The songs matched the romanticism of his text with a gorgeously melodic vocal line, a boon to the singer indeed.

The four songs composing I canti della sera were all about love and nature and Ms. Kalender impressed with her superb control of dynamics and her total immersion in the text. We were thrilled to be exposed to the work of a composer famous in his own country but heretofore unknown to us. We are looking forward to hearing more of his compositions.

Sieben fruhe Lieder by Alban Berg have been problematic for us in their compositional modernity. We have heard them performed at least a dozen times and always hope they will capture our ears. Actually, it is only "Die Nachtigall" that resonates with us and remains in our mind's ear. We did like the brief and heimlich "Im Zimmer" but it was over before we could sink into it. Mr. Dickerson sang them well in good clean German and appeared to know what he was singing about. But our attention was more taken with Mr. Jones'  ravishing playing of the evocative piano part which, in true modern fashion, was more interesting than the vocal line.

Brahms, on the other hand, made sure that the folk melodies of his vocal line would be circling the brain and providing continual delights. Readers may recall how fond we are of duets and we reveled in the glorious harmonies created by our two young artists. We loved the lively "Weg der Liebe" but we adored the barcarolle "Die Meere". How well balanced the two voices were!

The second half of the recital included a half dozen of Hugo Wolf's songs--Alte Weisen-- sung with great insight by Ms. Kalender. We were less familiar with some of these offerings than the Wolf songs that appear regularly on recital programs but Wolf's style is unmistakeable. And Ms. Kalender's style is one of generous dramatic interpretation. She portrayed six female characters-each one differently colored. We enjoyed the emasculating woman of "Tretet ein, hoher Krieger", and the teasing woman of "Du milchjunger Knabe". The singer was not afraid to make an ugly sound for the drunken "heroine" of "Das Kohlerweib ist trunken" and she allowed the old woman of "Wie glanzt der helle Mond" her dreams of paradise.

Mr. Dickerson gave us a highly rhythmic "Ouvre ton coeur" by Georges Bizet, evoking the Spain of one's fantasies. The legato lyricism of "Chanson d'avril" made a fine contrast. Reynaldo Hahn's "A Chloris" had some beautiful pianissimo moments, while Franz Liszt's "Oh! Quand je dors" seemed to include so many of the finer points that we have picked up from multiple master classes. His French was gorgeously Gallic throughout.

Closing the program were two duets (YES!) by Gabriel Faure.  The two artists took turns with lines from "Puisqu'ici-bas toute ame and then harmonized with passionate sentiment. The second duet was the frisky "Tarentelle" which brought us full circle back to Naples!

As encore, the pair gave us "Guten abend, gute nacht", Brahm's famous lullabye. We suspect the grateful audience might have demanded more but there is something so final about that song.

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WEST SIDE STORY COMES TO THE EAST SIDE

Christopher Cano, Dimitri Pittas, and Jennifer Johnson Cano

The final piece on the program of yesterday's George London recital was the duet from Leonard Bernstein's West Side Story with mezzo-soprano Jennifer Johnson Cano singing the role of Maria and tenor Dimitri Pittas singing the role of Tony in "Tonight". Stephen Sondheim's words perfectly expressed the rapture of new love and Bernstein's luscious melody felt just right played by the versatile pianist Christopher Cano.

There was no encore but this was the perfect number to send the audience out happily humming. Shall we sulk because this was the end of a season of glorious recitals presented at the Morgan Library by the George London Foundation? No! We prefer to exult over our memories of this terrific season and the exciting program already set for next season, which we will reveal at the end of our review.  Hang in there!

We have been writing about Ms. Cano for at least three years now. Her fame onstage is richly deserved and well-earned. She seems to have a splendid partnership with her husband Christopher; the two share an emotional connection with each other and with the music they choose. It is always a welcome event to hear them together in recital.

The roundness of tone and fine technique have been recognized and celebrated by the Metropolitan Opera National Council, the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program, and the Richard Tucker Foundation, as well as the George London Foundation. But what makes us want to stand up and sing (her praises) is her gift for storytelling. The drama is operatic in scope and makes each song a deep emotional experience for the listener.

One of our favorite Hugo Wolf songs is "Der Feuerreiter" and this is the first time there was no doubt about the malicious intention of the subject of the song and his horrific end. Mr. Cano's piano joined Ms. Cano's voice in horrifying reciprocity. We liked the change of color in the final verse.

Another of our favorite Wolf songs is the sorrowful "Das Verlassene Mägdlein" which we just heard two days ago. The artistic couple took it at a very slow tempo, suitable to the depressed state of the abandoned girl. The lighthearted "Begegnung" allowed Mr. Cano to create quite a storm in the piano.

His magic fingers were able to bring the nightingale right into the theater in "La maja y el ruiseñor", a very fine song by Enrique Granados. Ms. Cano's Spanish was just as excellent as her German.

Jonathan Dove did well in his choice of text for Three Tennyson Songs, the settings of which were far more musical than most contemporary compositions. Ms. Cano's English diction and fine phrasing made excellent sense of the text.  Our personal favorite was "The Sailor-Boy" with its A-B-A-B rhyme scheme--an exuberant tale of a young man's thirst for adventure on the high seas.

In an interesting and probably coincidental bit of programming, tenor Dimiti Pittas had as his collaborative pianist his very own wife. If the name Leah Edwards sounds familiar to you, you may have been acquainted with her through the world of gymnastics, dance, Broadway, or opera. Yesterday she wore her pianist hat and we were most pleased with her stylish performance.

We have enjoyed Mr. Pittas onstage at The Metropolitan Opera and The Santa Fe Opera. We still remember his moving performance as Macduff in an otherwise distasteful production of Verdi's Macbeth. We wish we could say that we enjoyed him as much as a lieder singer.

Not every opera singer has the requisite skills for the art song. Mr. Pittas' approach failed to take into account the size and dry acoustics of the theater at The Morgan Library. He seemed to be pushing his voice to reach a non-existent family circle! Furthermore, there was a lack of subtlety in the coloration.

The Quatre chansons of Henri Duparc are mainly fragile things requiring a lighter touch.  Perhaps the best of the four was "Le manoir de Rosamonde" in which Ms. Edwards set the frantic mood in the piano and maintained the feeling of suspense throughout.

We were unable to understand Mr. Pittas' French; our Francophone companion was able to pinpoint the deficiencies in his French pronunciation--both of which could easily be corrected.  Like many Americans he overemphasized the "r" and failed to distinguish between "a" and "o". This would not matter much on the opera stage but does matter in lieder singing where the text is crucial.

His German was better than his French but the simple songs by Brahms also demanded a lighter touch. The gossamer delicacy of "Die Mainacht" was completely overwhelmed.

We promised to give you advance notice of next year's recitals so save the dates! On October 9th, Isabel Leonard will be joined by Jared Bybee and that recital should be a major treat. The George London Competition Finals will be held February 17th of 2017 and that is an event no opera lover should miss.

Fans of Paul Appleby (of which we count ourselves one) must wait until March 5th when he will share his program with relative newcomer Sarah Mesko. April 9th will bring us Amber Wagner and Reginald Smith, Jr.

We can barely contain our excitement over getting up close and personal with these superb artists.
The dates are already on our calendar. The singers that give us so much pleasure have all been recipients of awards from The George London Foundation for Singers. The funds have been well spent!

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TARA ERRAUGHT

Tara Erraught (photo by Kristin Speed)

Some singers are equally adept at opera and art song recitals whereas others come off better in one or the other situation. We have no complaints whatsoever about the lovely recital given by Irish mezzo-soprano Tara Erraught in her New York debut at Weill Recital Hall; but we did, however, notice a greater sense of involvement during the encores when she sang two operatic arias, the kind of involvement that says "I'm having fun and I hope you are too".

The first encore was Annetta's aria from Michael Balfe's Falstaff. We were previously unacquainted with the works of this Irish composer but we hope to remedy this situation in the future. Mr. Balfe wrote this opera in 1838, long before Verdi took it on. It is replete with thrilling bel canto flourishes and we are highly grateful to Ms. Erraught for bringing it to our attention.

We wonder if Mr. Balfe's opera might have achieved greater popularity had it not been eclipsed by Verdi's late life masterpiece. We have learned that Ms. Erraught sang this role in a recording recently made of the opera. (It is interesting that Salieri also wrote a Falstaff which was produced by Dell'Arte Opera Company in the summer of 2014). Shakespeare's works are nothing if not inspiring!

In any case, Ms. Erraught sang it with abundant charm and impressed us with her accurate handling of the florid fioritura. Similarly, (after singing Danny Boy-- and how could she not?) her performance of "Non piu mesta" from Rossini's Cenerentola was riveting.

And what shall we say about the recital per se? There was plenty to enjoy but nothing reached the heights achieved during the two operatic encores. We thought Ms. Erraught's instrument is the most soprano-y mezzo we have heard recently; her performance of six early songs by Richard Strauss impressed us with her passion and purity of tone. There is plenty of drama in these songs and the varying moods were captured--the anxiety of "Die Nacht", the enticements of "Ständchen", the longing of "Allerseelen", the passion of "Zueignung".

She opened the program with a set of songs by Liszt, who was wise enough to choose poets like Victor Hugo, Friedrich von Schiller, and Heinrich Heine. The songs were quite well performed except when the enthusiastic piano of collaborative pianist Henning Ruhe overwhelmed Ms. Erraught's voice. When the piano became more ruhevoll, she sounded fine--but it is a slender instrument.

There were two songs by Frederick Delius that were marked by some splendid English diction. The texts, based on Norwegian tales, rhymed and scanned such that Ms. Erraught was able to make good sense of them with apt phrasing. We loved the horn call in Mr. Ruhe's piano in "Twilight Fancies".

There was also a set by Roger Quilter who likewise chose his texts well.  One cannot go wrong with Shakespeare, Tennyson, and Shelley!

Brahms' songs are always a pleasure to hear and lend themselves to simple unfussy delivery which Ms. Erraught gave them--with the exception of "Mädchenfluch" which rose to the heights of passion. Perhaps we could sum things up by saying that Ms. Erraught does best when she is less measured and enjoys her passion.

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JOY QUADRUPLED

Lachlan Glen, Dimitri Dover, Steven Eddy, and Lilla Heinrich Szász

Joy of Singing was born in 1958 as an award program to foster the performance of art songs with special attention paid to interpretation and communication.  It was begun by Winifred Cecil, a noted singer and teacher. The program continues and is flourishing under the musical direction of Paul Sperry . Every year the winner of the competition is given a recital. This year, the quality of the competitors was so high that the judges were obliged to share the prize.

Thus it was that we had the opportunity last night at Merkin Concert Hall to hear two gifted singers and two exemplary collaborative pianists perform a program of art songs in several languages and a variety of styles.

Soprano Lilla Heinrich Szász has impressed us since her days at Juilliard, eventually winning their 2013 Honor's Recital among many other honors, all richly deserved. She has a lively winning onstage personality and a glorious ringing instrument that she easily bends to her will.

Her collaborative pianist, Australian Lachlan Glen, is also well known to us for several years, having won us over by his producing all of Franz Schubert's songs over the period of a year--a delicious extravagance never to be forgotten.  If there is a better interpreter of Schubert alive today we would be surprised. Besides this, he has incredible sensitivity to the singer. We noticed him actually breathing with Ms. Szász in rhythm.

Naturally, Schubert songs were selected to open the program and we were glad for it. "Vedi quanto adoro ancora ingrato!" is a bit unusual for Schubert; it is sung in Italian, the setting of a text by Pietro Metastasio. It was the perfect vehicle to show off both passion and delicacy in both artists.

We also heard the sorrowful "Die Liebe hat gelogen", the gentle "Der Jüngling an der Quelle" in which Mr. Glen's piano became rather spry, and the intense "Die junge Nonne", the most familiar of the set. The two artists drew us in totally with Ms. Szász seemingly losing herself in the throes of religious ecstasy and Mr. Glen creating quite a storm in the piano.

From a century later came four folk songs set by Zoltán Kodály which Ms. Szász, whose roots are Transylvanian, sang in Hungarian.  Fortunately she translated them herself for the program. We heard cries of despair and poverty, not the cheerful folk songs of Brahms. Our favorite was the final song which bore a mournful melody. The final note hung suspended in mid air.

The final set comprised songs by Benjamin Britten, the first of which was a setting of a W.H. Auden poem "Fish in the Unruffled Lakes" which did not make much sense to us. We greatly preferred "The Salley Gardens" to a text by W. B. Yeats.  The final song "Calypso" from Cabaret Songs had an urgent rhythm, with Mr. Glen creating the sound of a railroad train in his piano.

The second half of the program was given over to the other prize winner--baritone Steven Eddy and collaborative pianist Dimitri Dover. The two seemed to enjoy a special partnership, opening with one of our favorite Brahms songs "Meine Liebe ist grün". Another Brahms song "Botschaft" was performed later and we would have preferred hearing them in the same set. They are both so melodic and romantic.

Instead, there were two songs by Clara Schumann interposed. The first, "O weh des Scheidens, das er tat" was a sad one and seemed unresolved at the end.  The second "Liebst du um Schönheit" was quite lovely but suffered a bit by comparison to the Richard Strauss setting with which all lied lovers are far more familiar. (We couldn't help thinking of the Löwe setting of Frauen Lieben und Leben which one rarely hears because of Schumann's arguably better setting.)

Mr. Eddy excelled in his interpretation of Barber's Mélodies passagères. We enjoyed Barber's music so much better in French and we think that Rilke's poetry inspired him to new heights. Mr. Eddy's French served the music well and the fact that he translated them himself likely increased his involvement.  Particularly suited to his voice was "Le clocher chante" and Mr. Dover's piano made sure we heard the carillon. We also liked "Départ" a great deal.

Mr. Eddy explained the Jake Heggie songs which followed.  They were written for baritone Nathan Gunn and were inspired by paintings in the Dallas Art Museum. We found the concept more interesting than the music. Mr. Eddy's English diction is better than most but we still missed a lot of the words and there was no text provided to read. Our English-speaking companion was of the same opinion.

Fortunately the remainder of Mr. Eddy's program was thrilling. We love Dvorák's Gypsy Songs and have mainly heard them in German. Mr. Eddy, to our delight, sang them in Czech. We do not understand the language but loved the way the melody and the rhythm of the words lined up It was a spirited song about a folk dance and we were ready to get up and dance!

Similarly, we loved Respighi's "Invito alla danza", a more sedate and romantic song and perhaps our favorite song by this early 20th c. composer. Following along with the dance theme was Camille Saint-Saëns' "Danse macabre" and that's one dance we'd like to pass up!

If all we had heard were the encore we would have considered it a successful evening. That's just how wonderful it was!  From a rare Donizetti opera entitled Il Campanello di Notte, we heard the Brindisi "Mesci, mesci". Mr. Glen joined Mr. Dover for a four-handed accompaniment while Ms. Szász and Mr. Eddy performed with gusto and glee. We considered ourselves well prepared for the champagne reception upstairs!

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VIRGINIE ON MY MIND

Thomas Muraco and Virginie Verrez

The Art Song Preservation Society of New York (ASPS) is dedicated to promoting the art song repertoire and those who sing it.  Opportunities for artistic development, education and performance are offered, as well as an annual competition and winner's recital in honor of Mary Trueman.  This year's winner is the dazzling mezzo-soprano Virginie Verrez who yesterday presented a most impressive recital with famed conductor, coach and collaborative pianist Thomas Muraco.

At the moment you are reading this it is likely that Ms. Verrez is onstage at The Metropolitan Opera as a finalist in the Met National Council Awards.  As we told her, it seemed gratuitous to wish her good luck because she can make it on artistry alone. Every time we hear her sing we are enthralled.

Mr. Muraco is also well known to us as a brilliant conductor but this is the first time we have heard and experienced his artistry at the piano and it is just as remarkable. The two artists appeared to breathe together throughout the afternoon with the voice seeming to float just above the piano line.

The program opened with Ottavia's fiery aria from Monteverdi's L'Incoronazione di Poppea in which the queen lets loose her anger at men (particularly her unfaithful husband Nerone) and her bitter anguish over the victimhood of women. Her delivery was riveting.  At a certain level of artistry we lose awareness of the technique (the tone, the phrasing, the diction); we become lost in the poetry and the way the music enhances and amplifies it.

We always enjoy Brahms' Zigeunerlieder, Op. 103 for its tunefulness, its variety of moods, and its romantic vision of gypsy life.  Our favorite of the cycle was the sweet and flirtatious "Wisst ihr, wann mein Kindchen am aller schönsten ist?"  Our pair of artists made the most of this work and extracted every ounce of color.

It was a special treat to hear chanson performed by a native French speaker.  We enjoyed the early 20th c. Banalités of Poulenc more than ever before, especially the languorous "Hôtel" and the frisky "Voyage à Paris". The mysterious piano prelude to "Sanglots" was particularly lovely.

Two gems by master songsmith Henri Duparc were performed.  "L'Invitation au voyage" was exactly what the text indicated--calm, luxurious and beautiful.

We have always enjoyed Joseph Canteloube's Songs of the Auvergne but this was our first exposure to the cycle Chants de France. The work has the charm of folksong but, as by the pen of Brahms, was given greater import by the intricacy of the piano writing.  We loved the tuneful "Auprès de ma blonde" and cannot get it out of our head.  The moving "Où irai-je me plaindre?" was heartbreaking.  Was it the way Canteloube wrote it or the way Maestro Muraco played it when we actually heard the rossignol singing?

The surprise of the afternoon was the cycle Paper Wings, composed by Jake Heggie to texts by....none other than Frederica von Stade!  Who knew!  "Mitten Smitten" was delightfully whimsical and "A Route to the Sky" given a bluesy mood.  We do not often favor contemporary song in English but the performance created the appreciation.

As if we were not sufficiently enchanted, we got an encore--Poulenc's "Les chemins de l'amour" with text by Jean Anouilh, written for Yvonne Printemps.  It sounded as if it had been written for Ms. Verrez!

We refer you to www.artsongpreservationsocietyny.org for information on their future recitals and upcoming master classes, of which there are many.  We like their motto..."Where music speaks and words sing". We couldn't agree more!

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CARISSIMA KARA

Peter Dugan and Kara Sainz

Lovely mezzo-soprano Kara Sainz gave an impressive graduation recital last night at Juilliard.  She impressed with her poise onstage, her musicality and her willingness to take risks.

She addressed the audience in a most engaging and sincere way and it was easy to see that her love for Brahms was genuine.  Her choices of "Wie melodien zieht es", "Meine liebe ist grün, and "Die Mainacht" suited her voice perfectly and charmed the ear with melody.  Ms. Sainz has an enviable upper register with a soprano-y sound.  We loved her joy in singing these old chestnuts with a fresh youthful sound and her collaborative pianist Peter Dugan went right along with her.

Ms. Sainz shared with the audience her pleasure in reprising her role as Cherubino in Mozart's "Nozze di Figaro".  We were there for her performance and were just as delighted to hear her sing it again as she was in performing it.  All that onstage joy was contagious!

Four charming little gems of Gabriel Fauré were performed; our favorites were the jolly "Mandoline" in which she painted a lovely picture of serenaders of bygone days and the more serious "Les berceaux" which was sung with great soul.  She told the audience that this was the first song she learned in French; this reinforced the observation that this recital was a most personal one for her.

And now we come to the risk-taking part.  Pianist Peter Dugan, whom we have commended for his musicianship, has a brother named Leonardo who is a composer.  Last night Ms. Sainz and Peter Dugan premiered a work of Leonardo Dugan's written especially for this recital entitled "The Life and Death of Joan of Arc".

Readers will recall how distasteful we find most contemporary music.  Let us reassure you straightaway that this work is not in that category.  Not at all.  Mr. Dugan (Leonardo) wrote his own text and happily it rhymes.  The piano part is jazz-inflected and relies on a repeated motif which helps the work achieve unity.  The vocal writing is melodic and accessible.

It is written in four parts.  From the outset, Saint Joan is depicted as ambivalent--torn between trying to rescue her homeland from English domination and her hatred of bloodshed.  At the end she is torn between faith and despair that her god has forsaken her.

In this work, the register is a lower one and Ms. Sainz gave a highly dramatic and moving delivery.  This was a risk that paid off in success for her and for The Brothers Dugan, not to mention the audience and for ourselves who now feel more inclined to give contemporary composers a chance.

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UN NUIT ARGENTE

Natalie Dessay (photo by Simon Fowler)

The glamorous coloratura soprano Natalie Dessay proved last night at Carnegie Hall that art and glamour can not only coexist but can add luster to one another.  Clad in a stunning silver gown of arresting proportion, this superstar with a silvery voice kept a capacity audience spellbound for two hours with a delicious menu of lieder and chansons.

The most impressive aspects of this New York debut recital were twofold.  Firstly, Ms. Dessay's partnership with pianist Philippe Cassard was extraordinarily impressive; the sensitivity of one to the other reminded us of a dance.  Secondly, Ms. Dessay yielded to the muse and submerged her outsized personality in service to the music.  We know of no better Marie (Donizetti's Fille du Regiment) than Ms. Dessay and we have seen her put her very personal stamp on other roles as well but last night was all about the music.  Not only was every word and phrase given its due but her musicality shone forth.

She opened with four songs by Clara Schumann that truly deserve a wider audience.  The two settings of texts by Friedrich Rückert were particularly memorable:  "Liebst du um Schönheit", famously set by Gustav Mahler, was no less lovely for being unfamiliar to our ears and "Er ist gekommen" swept us along with its intense passion.

Three lovely songs by Johannes Brahms followed and Mr. Cassard's piano made audible the sounds of birds and rustling trees.  In the set of Strauss songs, we were particularly take by Ms. Dessay's performance of "Die Nacht" with its mysterious nocturnal imagery and fear of loss.  The German was utterly intelligible in every case.

Four French composers were presented and we found Ms. Dessay's finely focused sound to be especially suited to these delicate gems.  Henri Duparc and Gabriel Fauré were contemporaries and their chansons are of an ethereal nature; Duparc composed only 16 of these precious pearls whereas Fauré contributed about one hundred to the canon.

We have always loved Duparc's setting of Baudelaire's "L'invitation au voyage" and Ms. Dessay certainly conveyed every nuance while Mr. Cassard's piano expressed the underlying elements of nature.  The phrase "luxe, calme, et volupté" still sticks in the mind.  In the Fauré group, we were delighted by the familiar "Mandoline". 

Debussy came along a bit later but was also entranced by Symbolist poetry.  We were introduced to "La romance d'Ariel", a setting of a text by Paul Bourget, as the last chanson on the program and we fell immediately in love with it; Ms. Dessay let loose with silver showers of coloratura that provoked goosebumps.

She did not ignore the 20th c.; Francis Poulenc composed Fiançailles pour rire  at the onset of World War II, settings of texts by Louise de Vilmorin.  The meanings are often elusive and the accompaniment a bit spare.  Although we enjoyed the piano imitating the violin in "Violon", our favorite was the clever play on words of "Il vole"; the reflection of the sun on the shiny surface symbolizes the cheese in the fable "Le corbeau et le renard" with the scissor standing in for the beak of the crow.  Ms. Dessay's rapid-fire and sassy delivery offered many delights.

As encores, Ms. Dessay performed Debussy's "Clair de Lune", Rachmaninoff's "How Fair This Spot" and "Tu m'as donné le plus doux rêve" from Leo Délibes' Lakmé.  One could not have asked for more!

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MOSTLY BRAHMS

Emanuel Ax and Anne Sofie von Otter onstage at Carnegie Hall

Last night at Carnegie Hall, two of the finest artists of their generation performed an evening of Brahms' music (interrupted by a lengthy work by Nico Muhly commissioned by Carnegie Hall).  It was not until the encores that we got to hear what we wanted to hear.  Highly esteemed mezzo-soprano Anne Sofie von Otter with acclaimed collaborative pianist Emanuel Ax made a fine team; what was missing was the feeling of intimacy that Brahms' songs require.  It is not their fault; it is just the size of Stern auditorium.  The number of fans and financial considerations likely dictate the size of the venue and this cannnot be helped.

Ms. Von Otter is on the contained side but during the first encore, "Sapphische Ode" her gestures grew in amplitude and somehow bridged the intimacy gap.  In the second encore she enacted, yes ENACTED! the dialogue between a young woman who has trouble expressing what she wants to her mother who feigns ignorance.  The girl gets increasingly exasperated until her mother realizes the girl wants a man.  So far we are unable to locate the name of this charming song but will supply it in the future.

Brahms oeuvre of lieder is vast and he had an affection for setting folk songs, many of which were heard last night.  We enjoyed "Sommerabend Op.85, No. 1" in which our two artists shared moments of exquisite control of dynamics.  In "Juchhe! Op. 6, No. 4" we heard a joyful side of Brahms that was pure delight.  The heartfelt "Von ewiger Liebe, Op. 43, No. 1" has won our admiration time and time again.  In "Ständchen, Op. 106, No. 1", another favorite of ours, the two artists painted a charming picture of three serenaders and their effect on a sleeping maiden.  We observed that when Ms. Von Otter uses her body her voice seems to open up and enfold the audience to a greater extent.

"Nachtwandler, Op. 86, No. 3" had a lovely delicacy; "Am Sonntag Morgen, Op. 49, No. 1" was marked by an impressive range of vocal color as the singer puts on a happy face for the world while suffering within.  There was a lovely rocking feeling in the piano in "Ruhe, Süssliebchen, Op. 33, No. 9".  We recently heard the entire cycle Magelone-Lieder performed by the Brooklyn Art Song Society and were pleased to hear the song again.

Also performed were the Zigeunerlieder, Op. 103 which have somewhat less of a gypsy flavor than those of Dvořak.  We most enjoyed "Wisst ihr, wann mein Kindchen" and the rhythmic "Brauner Bursche führt zum Tanze" which was performed with lavish rubato.

Mr. Ax had the opportunity to perform four of Brahm's late-life short pieces, three Intermezzi and a Romanze.  Our favorite was the "Intermezzo in A Major, Op. 118, No. 2" in which we are sure we heard echoes of Mendelssohn's "Ist es wahr".

About Mr. Muhly's "So Many Things", we have little to say.  Our 19th c. ears could not wrap themselves around the 21st c. music and, although certain words could be heard, entire phrases could not be understood and the text was not in the program.

We  felt privileged to be able to witness these artists onstage in spite of the drawback mentioned earlier.  It is unlikely that we would ever have the opportunity to experience them in a more intimate venue.

ⓒ meche kroop

TOO MUCH TAKA?

Ari Livne and Takaoki Onishi

No way!  We just cannot get enough of Takaoki Onishi's burnished baritone.  We have occasionally said of a singer that he/she could sing the phonebook but this pagan has NEVER admired anyone for singing the bible.   But there is Taka onstage at Juillliard making vocal sense of Brahms' Vier ernste Gesänge, Op. 121.  The texts are grim and moralistic (taken from Ecclesiastes and Corinthians) but Taka's gorgeous instrument, intense involvement with the text and clearly understandable German made the experience a highly worthwhile one.  In "Denn es gehet dem Menschen wie dem Vieh" we thrilled to the resonant sounds in his lower register.

The event was a recital of collaborative piano with Ari Livne at the piano, working sensitively with three different artists in an all Brahms program.  He was joined by the excellent Matthew Lipman on viola for the Sonata for Viola and Piano in E-flat Major, Op. 120 #2.  In the Allegro amabile, piano and violin were equally melodic.  But it was in the Allegro appassionato that we were swept away.  The familiar melody seems like a folk song begging for words and the rapid switches between major and minor played havoc with our emotions.  One wonders how Clara was able to resist!

Mr. Livne was joined by the fine clarinetist Jonathan Cohen for the Sonata for Clarinet and Piano in f minor, Op. 120, #1.  The first movement was tempestuous and the second melancholy.  It was a fine performance.

Mr. Livne also had the opportunity for some solo playing in Vier Klavierstücke, Op. 119, comprising three Intermezzi and one Rhapsody.  The variations in mood and color were, well, music to our ears.  Gentle dreamy melodies gave way to frisky rhythms.  The closing Rhapsody in E-flat Major was energentic and forceful.  It was a most satisfying evening of music.

© meche kroop

BRAHMS AND FRIENDS

Tomoko Kanamaru and Elmira Darvarova

"Brahms and Friends" caught our eye and the music captured our ears.   All of the composers on the program knew Brahms personally and were also engaged with him musically.  Three of them were previously unknown to us, a condition begging to be remedied.  In a swirl of black tulle and iridescent sparkles violinist Elmira Darvarova and pianist Tomoko Kanamaru swept onto the stage along with horn player Howard Wall who was dressed rather more conservatively.

Most impressive was an 1874 "Sonata for violin and piano" by Amanda Maier who died way too young of tuberculosis, the plague of that particular epoch.  The Allegro offered a lucid exposition of some delicate and memorable themes.  The Andantino was replete with singing vocal lines, while the final movement had an almost gypsy flavor, propulsive without sacrificing the composer's gift for melodic invention.  Ms. Darvarova's violin and Ms. Kanamaru's piano blended beautifully.  These are two supremely gifted artists.

Brahms' "Sonata for violin and piano in D minor, No.3 Op. 108" was likewise given a splendid reading.  We were particularly taken with the pensive Adagio which gave the violin an opportunity to sing and trill.  The poignant third movement was marked by heart-tugging minor thirds, at times legato and at other times staccato.  The passionate final movement left us weak in the knees.

We also loved the sweetly melodic program opener, the 1887 "Abendlied Op. 150" by Joseph Rheinberger, originally composed for organ and violin.  In this arrangement by Ralph Lockwood which saw its New York premiere last night, the horn and piano substituted for the organ.  The three instruments were quite well balanced, which was not to be the case in some later selections.  In Brahm's "Scherzo Sonatensatz" originally written for violin and piano, the horn completely overwhelmed the piano and the results sounded coarse.  Perhaps that was due to the horn facing the audience and the lid of the piano being nearly closed.  Moreover, the horn was misbehaving as horns sometimes do.  Similarly, "In Schumann's "Fantasiestücke Op.73," the clarinet part was taken by the horn to disappointing effect.

More successful was Robert Kahn's 1923 "Serenade Op.73", blissfully untouched by serialism and 12-tone nonsense; we were free to enjoy the soulful long-lined melodies which alternated with rapid passages that reminded us of rushing to get somewhere important.

We wondered about the scholarship involved in unearthing these relatively unknown pieces and wondered further how much glorious music of the 19th c. has yet to be unearthed and shared with the chamber music audience.  Many thanks to the New York Chamber Music Festival for this program.

(c) meche kroop