NYFOS does BERNSTEIN

Justin Austin, Miles Mykkanen, Annie Rosen, Steven Blier, Michael Barrett, Chelsea Shepherd, Lucia Bradford, and Adrian Rosas

A fortuitous confluence of anniversaries led to a special evening with New York Festival of Song. Of course, every evening with Steve Blier and friends is special, but the fact that NYFOS is celebrating their 30th anniversary and it is also the centenary of Leonard Bernstein's birth, ensured an evening that was even more special.

We took advantage of the opportunity to assess Bernstein's contributions to the vocal canon, unenlightened as we are, and unburdened by Mr. Blier's worshipful adoration or Mr. Barrett's close association as assistant conductor to the maestro. Our opinions are our own and completely based on our own personal taste.

The first half of the program delighted us no end. It comprised mainly Broadway type material which seems to us a truly American art form and a far worthier contributor to song literature than the so-called art songs that we heard in the second half of the program.

It occurs to us that the contributions of a good lyricist who knows how to manipulate the English language is a better stimulation to a composer than poetry which doesn't ask to be set to music. Take for example Bernstein's West Side Story, for which Stephen Sondheim wrote the lyrics. We have no idea which came first, the lyrics or the music, but the pairing is perfect.

We were fortunate to have heard three exceptional excerpts from the score. Tenor Miles Mykkanen, whose star is on the rise, gave a dramatically expressive and vocally stunning performance of "Something's Coming". We just heard him sing the role of Tony a week ago with Heartbeat Opera (review archived) and we would say he owns the role and puts his unique stamp on it.

Soprano Chelsea Shephard was joined by mezzo-soprano Annie Rosen for "A Boy Like That/ I Have a Love" and the two female voices sounded terrific.  All that was needed was a little sazon to take it to the next level.

The quintet was powerful and was amplified by the two percussionists on hand for the evening--Barry Centanni and Taylor Goodson.

In a very close tie with West Side Story for our favorite Bernstein musical is Candide.  Truth to tell, we always think of these two as operas but the designation could be debated. We are inclined to call something an opera if we love it! We have seen Candide on Broadway and in opera houses and we don't care where we see it or what it is called.  We just love everything about it--the characters, the humor, the music, the witty lyrics (many lyricists were involved) and Bernstein's gorgeous music.

"You Were Dead, You Know" is a character-revealing duet and the performances by Ms. Shephard as the worldly wise Cunegonde and Mr. Mykkanen as the eponymous innocent Candide were nothing short of spectacular.

We would have been happy to spend the rest of the evening with more songs from those two works but we also heard "The Story of My Life" from the 1953  Wonderful Town for which Comden and Green wrote the lyrics. Poor intellectual and unloved Ruth was portrayed by the artistic and lovable Ms. Rosen as a character study of a disappointed woman.

From On the Town, a musical derived from a Jerome Robbins ballet, we heard a song that was cut from the show--"Ain't Got No Tears Left" performed with deep feeling for the blues by mezzo-soprano Lucia Bradford (in her NYFOS debut) who knows how to bend a note. There was a major assist from the percussionists.

In his later years, Bernstein wrote a show that failed, in spite of a libretto by Alan J. Lerner. Several worthy songs from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue survived, of which our favorite was "We Must Have a Ball" in which President James Buchanan aims to distract the populace from the truly awful condition of our nation by throwing a ball.  (Plus ca change, etc.).  Bass-baritone Adrian Rosas was perfectly cast as POTUS and effectively employed his generous instrument and astute dramatic sense.

From the same show, silky-voiced baritone Justin Austin sang "Seena", the tale of a childhood friendship becoming an adult romance. We enjoyed his delicate messa di voce.

Mr. Mykkanen turned grave for "Take Care of This House" and his voice soared like an eagle in the upper register.

"Prelude/Love Duet" from Arias and Barcarolles was sung by Mr. Austin and Ms. Rosen.  We found the overlapping dialogue just plain confusing and impossible to follow.

The second half of the program was devoted to Bernstein's 1977 Songfest, which was originally commissioned by the Philadelphia Orchestra for the bicentennial celebration in 1976.  It was not completed in time but had a successful premiere a year later at the Kennedy Center.

We can admire the project to include a dozen American voices and to express each in a different musical style, but the work was, with a couple exceptions,  not to our taste, although we did appreciate some fine performances. John Musto reduced the score for two pianos and two percussionists.

Mr. Austin's relaxed manner was perfect for "The Pennycandystore Beyond the El" with text by Lawrence Ferlinghetti. It was just another case of a text we might enjoy reading but to which the music added nothing.

There were two songs that we did enjoy and would want to hear again--both with texts by women. In "A Julia de Burgos" there was a great advantage by way of the Spanish text which falls far more gently on the ear than English. Ms. Shephard sang it beautifully, contrasting two manifestations of womanhood.

The second one we related to was a real discovery for us. Anne Bradstreet was the first published female American composer--even before there was a USA!  Dating back to 17th c. colonial America, she wrote a text in praise of her husband and set it to lovely tuneful music. Perhaps we enjoyed it so much because the text rhymes and scans. All three women sang together in overlapping voices and we found the aural overtones just thrilling.

The overlapping voices in "I Too Sing America/Okay Negroes" did not thrill because two different texts were being sung at once. We liked Langston Hughes text which was finely sung by Mr. Austin with a depth of feeling. But the angry text by June Jordan from a later period of the 20th c. did not appeal, although Ms. Bradford sang it well.

Mr. Mykkanen can make anything sound meaningful, even Gregory Corso's "Zizi's Lament" for which the setting was pleasingly exotic.

There was an encore which we could not identify which involved the entire wonderful cast humming.  Hmmmmmmm!

(c) meche kroop

STEPHANIE BLYTHE MASTER CLASS at JUILLIARD

Stephanie Blythe

Stephanie Blythe is our hero, or heroine, if you will. You may know her as the highly acclaimed mezzo-soprano, but she is also an acclaimed master teacher.  Her direct "no nonsense" approach to teaching never fails to offer the student useful pointers. The proof of the pudding is the change one hears in the half-hour allotted to each student.

What is remarkable about the audience is how supportive they are, partly mirroring her supportive attitude and partly reflective of the overall mood we have noticed within Juilliard's Vocal Arts Department.

Each of yesterday's participants has a special vocal quality that Ms. Blythe never failed to praise.  But she made the point that a beautiful sound is not enough; she points the student toward maximum artistry and connection with the audience.  This artistry does not come from histrionics but from simplicity and understanding of the text.

Two of the composers represented in the program were present in the audience.  We wondered what the young singers felt.  Probably a lot of excitement and some additional pressure.  They didn't seem to show any anxiety however. The singers were apparently encouraged to choose their own songs. Each one had prepared by intensely studying the text--extremely important in art song performance.

First on the program was bass-baritone Cody Quattlebaum who performed John Musto's setting of James Loughlin's "Rome: In the Café" from the cycle Viva Sweet Love. Mr. Quattlebaum clearly had spent time with the text and we particularly enjoyed his reading of it. There is a haunting mystery about the subject observing a woman in a café and the drama of her daily appearance to meet a man who attempts to console her as she weeps.

Mr. Quattlebaum was rather eloquent as he described his learning the text and his thoughts about it.  Ms. Blythe coached him on spinning the tone, even on the shortest notes, advice we would hear again and again. As we keep hearing, it is the BREATH that connects the notes.  Ms. Blythe spoke about string instruments and bowing, a useful metaphor indeed; phrases must have direction.

As the possessor of a low voice, Ms. Blythe had some special tips for Mr. Quattlebaum and also for mezzo-soprano Kelsey Lauritano who followed with Ricky Ian Gordon's  "X" from the cycle Late Afternoon.  There was no doubt that Ms. Lauritano has a deep feeling for Jean Valentine's text about a brother who died of AIDS and parents who didn't want his name on the AIDS quilt; she had found the cycle herself and chose to learn the song.

Her coaching involved allowing a bit more head voice in the mix to carry the sound. She was asked to sing the song with intimacy and simplicity. We have never heard it put this way before but we loved the concept that eye contact creates an active audience.

Tenor Matthew Swensen performed "The Lake Isle of Innisfree",  Ben Moore's setting of a text by William Butler Yeats.  He sang it with the most beautiful sound which Ms. Blythe praised--but she wanted him to look at the audience more and connect. She initiated a valuable discussion of rubato and the "give and take" which that score marking indicates; the singer must take time here to take us to the place of tranquility of which Yeats wrote.

She further advised more attention to the dynamic markings of the song.  Other points included smiling with the heart instead of the mouth and not furrowing the brow. There was a valuable trick offered--running a piece of Scotch tape across the brow so that one can be made aware of this bad habit and correct it.  Now that's something everyone can try!

The final entry on the program was soprano Julia Wolcott's performance of "Orinda Upon Little Hector Philips" from Ben Moore's cycle So Free Am I. The sad text by 17th c. poet Katherine Philips is a eulogy to her babe who died. The text is difficult to speak, let alone to sing--especially at the upper register of the soprano range. 

We loved the sound of Ms. Wolcott's voice but had to look up the text online. Ms. Blythe's coaching was, of course, to pay more attention to enunciating the text! There was also the suggestion to use less histrionics. 

There was more discussion of vibration and taking time to spin the tone, especially on the short notes--and where did we hear that advice before! When taking a breath, the singer should maintain the space of the prior phrase--all great advice.

Pianists for the master class were excellent: Michal Biel, Katelan Terrell, and Adam Rothenberg.

Ms. Blythe is a champion of contemporary music, of which we are not.  When she summed up the afternoon she expressed her belief that music recently written speaks to us today. It has not so far spoken to us, however!  Yet we acknowledge that what we heard today was more successful at reaching us.  We think of it as perhaps a whisper that may grow in volume as in Rossini's "La calunnia" sung by Don Basilio in Il barbiere di Siviglia.

It was a truly valuable experience, for the audience as well as for the singers. Ms. Blythe stressed the fact that singers could try out what she offered and "take it or leave it".  We hope they will take it!

(c) meche kroop

ALREADY EMERGED

Rachel Sterrenberg and Jarrett Ott--Opera Philadelphia Emerging Artists

 

 

Once opera stars are "playing in the major leagues" we can no longer call them "emerging artists". What a pleasure it was to spend an hour listening to two artists already assuming major roles with Opera Philadelphia whose Emerging Artists Program is only in its second year and already a success.

Soprano Rachel Sterrenberg and baritone Jarrett Ott are both graduates of Curtis Institute. Mr. Ott is well known to us but Ms. Sterrenberg is new to us. We foresee a glorious future for both of them.

Since we love opera and we love duets, it comes as no surprise that our favorite part of the program was the father-daughter duet from Francis Poulenc's Dialogues des Carmélites--"Je vois qu'il n'y a heureusement". Mr. Ott's rich baritone and paternal concern coupled with Ms. Sterrenberg's purely voiced religious convictions had us believing the scene even taken out of context.

Their closing duet "We'll Go Away Together" from Kurt Weill's Street Scene was a more joyful one and no less enthralling.

Happily, there was more Poulenc on the program.  Happily, because both artists showed a facility with French and also because we are coming to appreciate his music more and more these days. Mr. Ott sang "Fameux représentant de toute autorité" from Les Mamelles de Tirésias. His interpretation was considerably different from the one heard at Juilliard last week. It's always interesting to hear what different artists do with the same material.

Ms. Sterrenberg performed his La Courte Paille and performed it with grace, charm and humor. We loved the lullabye "Le sommeil", the waltzy "La reine de coeur" and the adorable "Le carafon".

The remainder of the program was in English and the very first thing we observed was that EVERY WORD WAS CLEAR! Both of these artists must have had superior training in English diction. Of the Ned Rorem songs, our favorite was the evocative "Early in the Morning" from Evidence of Things Not Seen. It was beautifully sung by Ms. Sterrenberg and reminded us of being very young in Paris.

The romantic "A Glimpse" was given a special thrill by Mr. Ott's perfect vibrato.  Collaborative pianist Grant Loehnig was most impressive in "The More Loving One".  "For Poulenc" is a setting of text by Frank O'Hara and came from the 1968 cycle Four Songs.  Ms. Sterrenberg conveyed all the loneliness and disappointment in a way that touched our own feelings.  And isn't that what a song recital is all about?

Also included was John Musto's Shadow of the Blues, the four songs of which Mr. Ott delivered in an admirably non-fussy way, letting the irony, sadness, and bitterness speak for themselves.

Should you be inclined to give Jennifer Higdon's Cold Mountain another shot, you will hear Ms. Sterrenberg as Sara and you might hear Mr. Ott as Inman since he is covering the role. Worth a trip to Philadelphia?  We think so!

The program was part of a series--Opera America's Emerging Artist Recital Series. It is worth joining this valuable institution if only for the tickets to this series!

(c) meche kroop

Joe Eletto and Bretton Brown

With a stunning synergy between singer and collaborative pianist, fast-rising baritone Joe Eletto and piano wizard Bretton Brown presented a ravishing recital last night at Juilliard. Mr. Eletto is getting his Masters of Music degree and the recital was evidence of hard work layered onto innate talent.

The quality that struck us most about Mr. Eletto is his ability to mine each song for the gold of personal and idiosyncratic interpretation. Sometimes we hear a song so many times that our ears get fatigued and we don't really hear it.  A fresh interpretation that gets us to hear the song anew is always welcome.

Let us take, for example, our favorite song of Robert Schumann's Liededrkreis, composed ten years after his famous year of prodigious songwriting. "Waldesgespräch" tells the story of a man riding through the woods late at night and encountering a witch--the "hexe Loreley". We have always heard it sung as if the man were a lecher and Loreley getting her revenge.  Mr. Eletto portrayed the man as an innocent and Loreley as a very nasty witch preying on men.  A fresh approach!

Mr. Eletto doesn't just sing a song.  He appears to live it. From the same cycle he actually appeared to be keeping a secret in "Die Stille". The entire cycle was filled with meaning and drama, just what we wanted from an 18th c. Romantic composer who availed himself of the best poetry around--in this case by Joseph Eichendorff. To add to the pleasure, Mr. Brown brought out the sound of the wind in the treetops in  "Schöne Fremde".

We could spill a lot of ink on each of these marvelous songs but there were other delights on the program which had a theme--an exploration of the manifestations of love. Mr. Eletto generously provided program notes comprising biographies of the composers and the poets as well as information on the particular cycles on the program.

He opened the program with a trio of selections from Mendelssohn's Sechs Gesänge. In the rather cheerful "Es lauschte das Laub so dunkelgrün" he brought out the sadness of the third stanza and similarly revealed all the moods of the letter-writer in "Die Liebende schreibt".

In Maurice Ravel's Don Quichotte à Dulcinée, he acted up a storm although it never felt like acting; it felt as if he were spontaneously living it, and living it in consistently fine French, for which he has great facility. The devotion of "Chanson Romanesque" was followed by the prayerful "Chanson épique" and the rowdy "Chanson á boire" in which Mr. Brown's piano played a most important part.

Obsessive love was represented by Liszt's Tre Sonetti del Petrarca in which the 14th c. poet expresses undying and unrequited love for the mysterious Laura. In "Pace non trovo" Mr. Eletto seemed to experience more fire and ice than Cherubino does in "Non so più".

The celebrated contemporary composer John Musto wrote a cycle of songs entitled Viva Sweet Love in which he set two songs by e.e.cummings and three by James Laughlin.  We liked all five poems but did not think the music, while interesting, did much to add to the poetry which, to our way of thinking, did not require music. But he wrote them and Mr. Eletto sang them well. Perhaps our favorite was "As is the Sea Marvelous" written by Cummings, as was "Sweet Spring".

By the lesser known Laughlin, we preferred  "You came as a thought" which, while brief, seemed meaningful. "Rome: In the Café" told an interesting story whereas the lengthier "Sweet Spring" didn't have much to say.

With all of the intense drama onstage and all the profound emotions experienced, we did not fail to notice Mr. Eletto's vocal gifts.  His resonant baritone never called attention to itself but was always used to serve the music.  His phrasing was so natural that it seemed just part of his breathing. This gifted artist should go far!

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STRAIGHT FROM THE HEART

Ken Noda, Brian Zeger, Paul Appleby

There are singers who are sensational on the opera stage and can create wonderful characters but who just do not come across well on the recital stage.  Tenor Paul Appleby manages to excel in both places.  What seems obvious to us is that he is totally enamored of the songs he sings and selflessly submerges his own identity so that the soul of the poet shines forth. 

When he steps out on the recital stage, as he did Sunday afternoon as part of a new series at Pace University, he addresses the audience in a way that makes one feel as if a dear friend were sharing his loving feelings with you.  His sweet voice caresses your ear in a way that is almost tactile.  His enthusiasm is conveyed as he tells you about the songs he will sing and you feel as if he is singing them just for YOU.  And that, reader, is a major gift.  His artistry is such that the supporting technique becomes invisible.

The first half of the recital was sung in impeccable German; accompanied by the wonderfully supportive Ken Noda, Mr. Appleby did complete justice to Beethoven's lovely "Adelaide" and sang five songs by Schubert.  Our personal favorite was "Im Abendrot"; according to Mr. Appleby, Schubert was not a particularly religious man, but his setting of Karl Gottlieb Lappe's text as sung by Mr. A. would move anyone into a spiritual state of mind.

We next enjoyed seven songs selected from Schumann's Myrten Op.25; as Mr. A. shared with the audience, this cycle was part of the composer's outpouring of song during the year 1840 when Herr Wieck's opposition to his daughter Clara's marriage to poor young Robert was trumped by the court.  One can hear his love for his bride reflected in the music.  "Widmung", a setting of a text by Rückert, is bursting with all-consuming passion.  Julius Mosen's text "Der Nussbaum" is a gentle lyrical account of a young woman dreaming of her coming marriage.

The set also included a couple drinking songs which allowed Mr. A. an opportunity to appear rather bibulous.  Following were two songs about Venice and gondoliers to texts by Thomas Moore which were translated into German by Ferdinand Freiligrath.

In the second half of the program, the acclaimed Brian Zeger took over the role of collaborative pianist, one at which he excels.  The songs were in English and although Mr. Appleby clearly threw himself into them with the same enthusiasm, we personally do not relate as much to 20th c. works as much as we do to works of the 19th c.  We miss the scanning and the rhyming which elicits a vocal line more agreeable to our ears.

We did enjoy the tinkling piano in Britten's "Fish in the Unruffled Lakes", a setting of text by Auden, and the quiet sombre chords of "Nocturne" in which the text rhymed and scanned in trochaic meter as did "Underneath the abject willow" which was of a friskier vein.

Two songs by Leonard Bernstein followed. "To what you said" is a dissonant setting of text by Walt Whitman.  Cellist Dane Johansen joined Mr. Appleby and Mr. Zeger and made some lovely music.  But we far preferred the accessible "Dream with Me" written for Peter Pan but bumped off the show.

Three songs by Harbison from Simple Daylight with texts by Michael Fried struck us as unlovely.  The very angry "Someday a Seed" could not measure up to Schumann's "Ich grolle nicht" on the same topic.

Two Langston Hughes poems set by John Musto left us similarly cold in spite of Mr. A.'s deeply committed performance.  Just call us a fugitive from the 19th c. wandering lost in the 20th!

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COMFORT YE

For 18 years now soprano Lauren Flanigan has produced an annual Christmas concert to benefit the homeless.  Recipients of the benefits are three worthy organizations: The Interfaith Assembly on Homeless and Housing, The West Side Campaign Against Hunger and New York Cares.  Admission to the concert is achieved by donation of a warm coat, a warm blanket, a shopping bag filled with groceries, or $40 cash.

Entertainment is provided by stars of The Metropolitan Opera and New York City Opera--all friends of Ms. Flanigan whose performances we have always loved.  A typical opera star would be satisfied with a successful career, but not Ms. Flanigan!  This utterly selfless and modest wonderwoman goes to great lengths to help others.  She has established Music and Mentoring House in Harlem where she offers lodging, great cooking (another one of her oversize talents) and support to young artists, some of whom are visiting New York for auditions or competitions, others of whom live there for a time.

Accompanied on the piano by Kamal Khan, major artists provided nearly three hours of entertainment for the grateful audience.  From Handel to Wagner, Bizet to Bernstein, all the bases were covered.  Oh, did we forget to mention a surprise appearance by the New York Gilbert and Sullivan Players in a scene from Pirates of Penzance?  And brief arias by some of the young singers Ms. Flanigan is mentoring?  And some lively gospel music by the Ebony Ecumenical Ensemble who appear every year?  And a powerful performance in Spanish by Ms. Flanigan-- the late Julia de Burgos, another humanitarian and poet.

The varied program was always enjoyable but allow us to mention a few personal favorites.  Mezzo Eve Gigliotti sang "Cruda Sorte!" from L'Italiana in Algeri with smashing technique and an admirable evenness of tone throughout the registers.  Soprano Amy Burton sang some fine French cabaret songs accompanied by her husband John Musto.  Soprano Jennifer Rowley hammed it up admirably as Musetta in Puccini's La Boheme.  Mezzo Vanessa Cariddi took us on a wild ride with her embellishments in "Una voce poco fa" from Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia.  Baritone Luthando Qave showed some fine Russian in Rachmaninoff's "Spring Waters".  Tenor Brian Anderson introduced us to "Deserto in terra", an aria from Donizetti's Don Sebastian, an opera with which we were unfamiliar.

We could go on and on but hereby apologize to all the wonderful artists we must leave out for consideration of time and space.  If you were fortunate enough to have attended, you probably had your favorite moments as well.  And if you missed it, make sure you put it on your calendar for next year.

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