THE ROSE ELF OF THE CATACOMBS

Samantha Hankey (photo by Matthew Placek)

Kyle Bielfield, Alisa Jordheim, and Andrew Bogard (photo by Matthew Placek)

When Andrew Ousley of Unison Media informed us that he was producing a series at Greenwood Cemetery, we opined that it would be a hard sell.  Mr. Ousley laughed and said the run was already sold out. Our curiosity was aroused. Was it the excellent cast of singers? Was it the highly unusual subject for an opera (an almost unknown Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale)? Was it the composer David Hertzberg? Was it the director R.B. Schlather who made quite a name for himself directing Händel operas? Was it the exotic site? Was it the preceding whisky tasting? 

We have come to trust Mr. Ousley's taste in entertainment after some rather stunning evenings spent in The Crypt of the Church of the Intercession.  On that basis we decided to make the long trip to Brooklyn.  It was an enchanting evening on the whole.

A vigorous uphill climb led to a verdant spot overlooking the city where excited members of the audience were treated to a whiskey tasting complemented by snacks. Just as our taste in music is somewhat limited, so is our taste in beverages and we were happy that beer was available.  And just as other folks might love music that leaves us cold, so do other folks enjoy the taste of bourbon, scotch, or rye.

The pleasures of the view and the socializing lasted an hour after which we climbed even farther uphill to the catacombs, built in the 1850's and usually closed to the public. We entered a space at least 50 yards long but only 10 feet wide, with seats in a single row along each side, placing the artists either right in your face or else very far away.

And what artists they are! Called upon to do far more than sing, we recalled how much training in movement that three of the four had received at Juilliard.  Mezzo-soprano Samantha Hankey, tenor Kyle Bielfield, and bass-baritone Andrew Bogard are well known to us as former Juilliard students (and Mr. Bogard from his stint with the Santa Fe Opera), and coloratura soprano Alisa Jordheim is well remembered as Serpetta in Mozart's La finta gardiniera, produced by On Site Opera.

The good news is that the barrel ceiling of the catacombs ensured impressive resonance to these gorgeous prize-winning voices. The bad news is that the sight-lines were poor. And R.B. Schlather's direction provided much to look at. But audience members all leaned forward in their seats trying to see what was happening on either end, making vision even more difficult in this very long and very narrow playing space.

This was a very physical production with poor Ms. Jordheim being dragged the entire length of the concrete floor on her back! Nonetheless, the singers have every reason to be proud of their excellent performances.

The chamber opera was The Rose Elf, adapted from a barely known fairy tale, and developed within the Opera Philadelphia Composer-in-Residence Program by David Hertzberg.  It is part of the third annual New York Opera Fest.

We were glad to have read the story in advance because it was difficult to understand without foreknowledge. An elf who lives cozily within a rose gets shut out of his home by an early closure. Searching for lodging for the night, he witnesses a foul deed by an evil man (Mr. Bogard) who sends his sister's beloved (Mr. Bielfield) away on a trip but then murders him most foully. In the fairytale, the sympathetic elf (Ms. Hankey) comforts the young woman (Miss Jordheim) and achieves revenge on the brother with the help of some bees.

Not everything came across as well as one would have wished but an interesting interpretation was that the brother, judging by body movement, was motivated by lust for his sister. 

We were not as moved by the libretto as we were by reading the fairy tale and the vocal lines were not melodic. Both the music and the libretto were written by prize-winning composer David Hertzberg who composed some lovely instrumental music for the chamber orchestra, which was placed at the far end of the "tunnel".  Maestro Teddy Poll effectively conducted the group which comprised a string quartet, augmented by a bass, a piano, a clarinet, a horn, and percussion. They made some gorgeous sound!

It is so often the case these days that we hear contemporary music that is interesting but lacking in a melodic line for the voice. We believe what is needed is music written by singers!

All of the singers enunciated English with clarity but the words failed to capture the magic of the story. Supertitles by Steven Jude Tietjen and Katie Lipow were projected for part of the performance but were not visible unless one were sitting directly across from them.

Costumes of flowery prints were worn by the two lovers and Ms. Hankey's elf wore a silver dress and boots.  Hairstyles and makeup did not impress us. JAX Messenger provided the lighting design for this eerie space.

The opera--a world premiere--was the initial offering in Mr. Ousley's new series called The Angel's Share. For those who are not whiskey drinkers, let us enlighten you. The Angel's Share is the distiller's term for the whiskey that evaporates during the distilling process--hence the whiskey tasting before the performances.

Other performances in this clement weather series will include some radical chamber music, which may be more to our taste. It is always interesting for us to see new works, even if we are not totally thrilled by them. It was a most arresting evening and we loved hearing such special singers, all four of whom threw themselves into the performance.

We are a fast walker and had the opportunity to pass by several groups of people descending the hill after the performance. We eavesdropped. Most of the comments were positive, praising the originality of the experience. Some were unhappy with the music or the sightlines.  But everyone loved the voices!

We saw several people trying to get last minute tickets at the gate but there were none available.  There will be two more performances on 6/8 and 6/10 but snagging tickets will be unlikely. We refer you to Unison's website for information on the remainder of the series. deathofclassical.com! Indeed!

(c) meche kroop

LOVE AND MARRIAGE, LOVE AND MARRIAGE...

Jeffrey Thompson and members of The New York Baroque Dance Company (photo by Louis Forget)

Thanks to Opera Lafayette, whose visits from Washington, D.C. are always welcome events, we were transported to  mid-18th c. France.  We were celebrating the marriage of the Dauphin with Maria-Josepha of Saxony; the culmination of a week of festivities was a piece d'occasion called Les Fetes de l'Hymen et de l'Amour, ou Les Dieux d'Egypte.  The marriage was a hasty one and Jean-Philippe Rameau had very little time to prepare so he pressed into service a heroic ballet in three parts he had just composed with libretto by Louis de Cahusac.  The work had been written for The Royal Academy of Music and all that needed to be added to suit the occasion was the prologue--a staging of the reconciliation of Amour (god of love) and Hymen (god of marriage).

Amour (adorable soprano Kelly Ballou, an audience favorite) pouts and sulks, fearful of Hymen's potential constraints.  Hymen (mezzo Laetitia de Beck Spitzer Grimaldi) reassures her and all ends happily under the watchful eye of Le Plaisir (tenor Aaron Sheehan).  The segment was directed and choreographed by Catherine Turocy whose excellent dancers from The New York Baroque Dance Company portrayed Les Grǎces in correct period style with joy and élan.

Act I comprised the story of  Orthésie, an Amazon Queen (soprano Claire Debono) who must overcome the objections of her aggressive confidant Mirrine (soprano Ingrid Perruche) in order to accept the offer of love from the god Osiris (tenor Jeffrey Thompson).  In this production (we have seen no other!) the Amazons have become South Asians, thrillingly danced by Kalanidhi Dance, whose director Aniradha Nehru choreographed and directed that segment with gorgeous exoticism.

For Act II, Sean Curran directed and choreographed the story of Canope, god of the Nile River (bass Francois Lis) who chastises his followers because they plan on a human sacrifice to appease him.  The proposed victim is the woman he loves and has courted under the guise of a mortal; her name is Memphis (Ms. Perruche) and she is ready to be sacrificed but Canope arrives at the last minute to save her.  Canope even gets in a line about gods wanting nothing to do with "odious priests".  Now there's a deus ex machina for you!  William Sharp lent his fine baritone to the role of the High Priest. The Sean Curran Company effectively portrayed the flowing river.

Catherine Turocy directed Act III, the story of Orie (Ms. Debono) who is in love with Aruéris, God of the Arts (Mr. Thompson) and wants to be loved for her beauty.  He must persuade her to express herself artistically which she does with some thrilling trills in her aria. Now he can love her for her art!  Ms. Grimaldi portrays a shepherdess and that shepherd whose tender tenor we would recognize anywhere was none other than recording artist Kyle Bielfield who contributes so much to the New York opera scene!

The voices were all topnotch but we must single out Mr. Thompson and Mr. Bielfield, not only for the purity of their voices but for their superlative French diction, for which no titles were necessary.  Ryan Brown conducted the lovely music with Andrew Appel providing the harpsichord continuo and Loretta O'Sullivan providing the cello continuo.  The music was sometimes restrained and at other times exploded into wild abandon--all of which was reflected in the choreography.

The success of the evening rested not only upon the musical and terpsichorean values but also on the visual.  The exotic costumes by Jennifer Tardiff Beall were nothing short of resplendent while The New York Baroque Dance Company provided their own costumes, equally gorgeous.  Masks and "Hymen's gift" were attributed to Jane Stein.  We believe that gift refers to the delightful scene-stealing ostrich prancing on human legs!  There was only one small false note in the entire three-hour evening.  In the last act Mr. Curran's choreography with its post-modern gestures seemed inapropos and intrusive.  Strangely, Ms. Nehru's choreography fit right in since it reflected the music.

We can scarcely wait for Opera Lafayette's return in May with Andre Grétry's "L'Épreuve villageoise".

© meche kroop

WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE....

Lachlan Glen and Kyle Bielfield (photo by Jordan Chaplecka}

What is the difference between a recital and a CD?  That's not a riddle but a question we have been asking ourselves during the fortnight since we came into possession of the chart-topping CD recorded by tenor Kyle Bielfield and collaborative pianist Lachlan Glen.

A number of answers come to mind but the most obvious one is that a recital is evanescent and very much "of the moment" whereas a CD is forever.  If you like it you can listen to it again.  And if you love it, as we do this recording, you can play it every day and find new delights each time you listen.

Another difference is the perfection that can be achieved in a recording studio that one cannot expect in a live recital. One other difference in this particular recording is that the songs have not been arranged in "sets" containing the works of one composer as they would be in a recital; rather they have been arranged to provide a balanced listening experience and to create a variety of moods by varying the tempi.

What is remarkable about "Stopping By" is the exquisite partnership between Mr. Bielfield's sweet tenor and Mr. Glen's fine collaborative piano.  All the songs are treated with equal respect.  The program notes distinguishe between "classically oriented" and "Americana".  We make no such distinctions.  Brahms set many folk songs which seem to our ears no less worthy than settings of renowned poets.

Our particular taste leans toward settings of text that rhymes and scans.  Thus it is that the songs of Stephen Foster, called "the father of American song" filled us with pleasure.  Made famous by Marilyn Horne in our own time, "Beautiful Dreamer" is here given an exquisite performance with a perfect ending in the upper register; in Foster's setting of the sad "Gentle Annie" Michael Samis' cello makes a lovely contribution.  Here is proof that a folk tune can be made into art.

Going from the earliest entry in this survey of American song to the most recent, Leonard Bernstein's "Dream with Me" tickled our ears with excellent phrasing on the part of all three artists, as did his "Spring Will Come Again" in which Mr. Bielfield seems to caress each word. Again, Mr. Samis' cello was a welcome addition to the music.

But our absolute favorite song in the album is Irving Berlin's "Change Partners"; anyone who has yearned for a person who was "taken" can relate to the futile hopefulness.  Mr. Bielfield's heart and soul was in this one!

A special treat is hearing three settings of Robert Frost's "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening".  The splendid poetry seems to have inspired three equally fine but different compositions.  Perhaps the most accessible is that of Samuel Barber and the most melancholy that of John Duke in which the piano is given a superb prelude and postlude.  But Ned Rorem's is no less terrific for its spareness.

Two folk songs arranged by Aaron Copland captured the ear with their directness and simplicity: "Long Time Ago" and the Shaker hymn "Simple Gifts".  Paul Bowles' "In the Woods" requires the singer to whistle in imitation of birdsong; to our ears it sounded exactly like a mating call; we loved it.  Ned Rorem's brief gem "Snake" had a slithery vocal line and a churning piano.

"From the Land of the Sky-Blue Waters" by Charles Wakefield Cadman is a lovely old-fashioned ballad with some nice figuration in the piano.  Charles Griffes "The Water Lily" has an impressionistic feel.  Songs by Amy Beach, Celius Dougherty and Mark Abel are also represented in this compendium of American song.

By now you will have realized that this banquet of song offers something for everyone to enjoy.  We have mentioned our favorites but with further listening we are sure to appreciate some of the less accessible songs.  Please feel free to comment below on your favorites!

© meche kroop

AUTUMN IN NEW YORK

Ms. Worsham, Mr. Brancy, Mr. Greenhalgh, Mr. Bielfield, Ms. Winters, and Mr. Bliss

The fall music season has gotten off to a dazzling start this past week with a major boost from Steven Blier whose New York Festival of Song always gives us something to celebrate.  Performing at Henry's, the consummately hospitable Upper West Side institution known for yummy food and professional service, Maestro Blier brought his crew of wildly talented young singers to entertain the overflowing crowd with a selection of songs suited to the season.

Mr. Blier wears many hats and wears all of the them well, with a jauntiness that makes everyone feel good and fall instantly in love with him.  He hosts the event, narrates with charming anecdotes, arranges the music and performs at the piano; but, most importantly perhaps, he seeks out just the right singers to suit his upbeat style.

The evening began with a big bonus--the inimitable Miles Mykkanen performing "Sing for your Supper" from The Boys from Syracuse by Rogers and Hart.  His charming persona was the perfect start for the evening and "Sing for your Supper" will now be he title for all the NYFOS evenings at Henry's.

Leading off the programmed part of the evening was tenor Kyle Bielfield whose seductive voice made "Dream with Me"...well...dreamy!  This lovely romantic song was composed by Leonard Bernstein with lyrics by Comden and Green.  (You will hear more from us in the near future about Mr. B's newly-released CD with Lachlan Glen which is already topping the charts.)  Mr. Bielfield was joined by barihunk (OH, NO, we didn't just say that!) Tobias Greenhalgh for the spirited "Rumba Blanca" by Armando Oréfiche.  The always wonderful baritone John Brancy, newly back in NY after some major successes abroad, sang Marc Blitzstein's "Stay in My Arms" and was just as wonderfully listenable later in the program in Cole Porter's "Night and Day".

The women on the program were no less delightful.  Corinne Winters sang Xavier Montsalvatge's "Paisatge del Montseny" and Jésus Guridi's folk poem "Cómo quieres que adivine" which suited her voice to a "T".  Lauren Worsham was absolutely adorable in two timely songs about auditions, as Mr. Blier pointed out that autumn in New York is all about auditions.  Ms. Worsham has a fine sense of theater and we in the audience were given a hefty dose of what it's like to go to open calls.

Mr. Greenhalgh made some really good music with Kurt Weill's setting of Maxwell Anderson's text in "September Song" which Mr. Blier said he had neglected for many years after a hefty overdose.  It was indeed time to revive this nostalgic number.

Tenor Ben Bliss played guitar and sang "Forever My Friend" by Ray LaMontagne, following which he sang "Au fond du temple saint" with Mr. Greenhalgh and we almost fell off our chair in amazement to hear this gorgeous operatic voice.  Regular readers will have no doubt which song we preferred.  Just sayin'.

The satisfying evening was brought to a close with the entire cast singing Vernon Duke's "Autumn in New York";  summer is over and we have ushered in the autumn in high style.  These delightful evenings of fine food, wonderful music and good fellowship fill up fast and we promise to let you know about the next "Sing for Your Supper" event in enough time to get your table at Henry's.

© meche kroop

SOMETHING TO CELEBRATE

Last night we celebrated the 25th Anniversary of NYFOS.  We celebrated the vast contributions made by Artistic Director Steven Blier and his Associate Michael Barrett.  We celebrated our broadening appreciation of different types of songs.  We celebrated the countless gifted singers and composers who contributed to the success of this venture over the past quarter of a century.

The woman sitting next to me had never heard of Mr. Blier until she read the touching tribute in the New York Times.  It was a "Where have I been all this time?" moment for her and we understood completely.  Mr. Blier's diligence, perseverance and fine ear for a fine song, combined with his delightful sense of humor have combined to create series of recitals (he doesn't like that word) or events that open our ears to the magnificence we may otherwise have overlooked.  His droll narration and his astute choice of artists continue to delight us.

From the rousing ragtime inflected opener "Play That Barbershop Chord" sung by James Martin to the beautifully sustained final note of "If It's Magic", sung by Darius De Haas, we heard a bountiful smorgasbord of songs in English, French, German, Portuguese and Spanish. 

We just about swooned over NYFOS' Comedian Harmonists, five of our favorite Juilliard guys (Kyle Bielfield, Miles Mykkanen, Nathan Haller, Philip Stoddard and Leo Radosavijevic) clearly inspired by the German Pre-WWII close harmony group, singing "Mein Onkel Bumba".  They not only sang but had the choreographic moves down pat.  Another favorite Juilliard singer, the divine Julia Bullock, began the stirring "I Wish I Knew How It Feels to Be Free" a capella .  Wow!

Not only were Mr. Blier's current students represented but dear friends and colleagues from the past joined in the fun, and fun it was!  Our favorite LMAO moment was Mary Testa singing "I'm Going to Make You Beautiful".  It was equally thrilling to hear William Bolcom play his own composition "Black Max" with Joan Morris singing; "The Bird on Nellie's Hat" from 1908 was another hoot, as was Andrew Garland's "He Never Did That Before".  Sari Gruber's humor was a bit more on the wry side in "Just Like a Man".

In a more serious vein, we enjoyed Joseph Kaiser in Kurt Weill's "Love Song" and even more in Korngold's "Sommer" with his impeccable German.  Amy Burton and John Musto were on hand and we liked the French riffs in "Le chaland qui passe" but especially Mr. Musto's own "Penelope's Song".  There was pathos to spare in a selection from the recently heard (Opera Hispanica) Maria de Buenos Aires sung with great depth of feeling by Jennifer Aylmer and Ricardo Herrera, whose final diminuendo was stunning.

Judy Kaye took a Gershwin tune "Nice Work If You Can Get It" for a nice spin and Mr. Martin used his powerful voice to read a poem by Langston Hughes "Harlem Sweeties" before singing W.C. Handy's "Harlem Blues".  Some Portuguese songs were performed by Ms. Aylmer, Mr. Herrera, Jeffrey Picón, and Jesse Blumberg (who was reviewed two days ago).  The tables were turned on Smokey Robinson's "My Guy", sung by a male quartet (Mr. Mykkanen, Scott Murphree , Mr. Blumberg and Adrian Rosas who had some low notes that would outdo the tuba).

At the conclusion, the audience jumped to its feet as one and expressed their enthusiasm.  Mr. Blier said he hopes to continue for another 25 years.  To this we say..."Cent'Anni!"

© meche kroop

DRAWING TO A CLOSE

Lachlan Glen, Kyle Bielfield, Andy McCullough, Kristin Gornstein

As the New York opera season draws to a close, so does Schubert&Co.'s perusal of Franz Schubert's output of over 600 songs.  What an opportunity we have had all year, hearing rising stars of the opera world up close and personal in the rather intimate venue of Central Presbyterian Church.  If you have attended regularly, as we have, you know whereof I speak.  If you have not, you have only a few more opportunities to appreciate this remarkable endeavor of collaborative pianists and Co-Artistic Directors Lachlan Glen and Jonathan Ware.  Today there is a 3PM recital that sounds enticing but the 8PM recital is an absolute necessity for lieder lovers when the incomparable baritone Ed Parks will sing Schwanengesang.

Last night's recital offered mezzo-soprano Kristin Gornstein and two very different but equally impressive tenors, both known from former years when getting their Master's Degree from Juilliard.  The texts were by Mayrhofer whom, as Mr. Lachlan suggested in his introductory remarks, was likely a devoted partner to Schubert since they slept in the same bed for years.  Furthermore, poor Mr. Mayrhofer defenestrated himself shortly after poor Schubert met an untimely end.  Would that they both had lived longer and created more songs!

Andy McCullough has a powerful tenor and shone especially in "Schlaflied" and "Rückweg" in which he demonstrated low notes a baritone would envy.  Perfectly partnered by Mr. Glen, the pair demonstrated perfect control of dynamics.  We were rather taken by the poignant melody of "Rückweg".

Kyle Bielfield is a tenor of a different sort--gentle, sweet and endearing.  The two songs he performed with intense involvement were said to be representative of Schubert and Mayrhofer's awareness of their "outsider" status and perhaps a reflection of their putative secret relationship.  The loneliness of being different is expressed in "Abendstern, D.806" while "Nachtviolen, D.752" references a sacred union.  Mr. Bielfield lovingly caressed each vowel in a moving display of erotic love.

To Kristin Gornstein was given a quartet of songs, the most delightful of which was the drinking song "Zum Punsche".  How we love a good drinking song!  She has a true mezzo quality in her voice and Mr. Glen's piano brought out the thunder referenced in "Abendlied der Furstin" and some very gentle harp-like sounds in "Liedesend".  And just listen to the postlude of "Atys"!  Absolutely transporting!

We urge you to attend this weekend; you will not be disappointed.  Au contraire, you will be thrilled.

© meche kroop

A NIGHT AT THE OPERETTA

Steven Blier and Friends

Steven Blier's artistic generosity and modest demeanor hide the fact that he is a most successful impressario; indeed his many NYFOS evenings have broadened our own appreciation for works at the fringes of the opera world.  Last night at Henry's on the Upper West Side,  he put together a delightful program of songs from operettas both native and foreign, using the wealth of talent available at The Juilliard School.  One would never suspect that the singers are students; we have seen and heard professionals whose talents fall way short of what we heard last night.  The good news is that next season Henry's will play host to an entire NYFOS series!

Raquel González portrayed the femme fatale in "Ich schenk' mein Herz" from Carl Millöcker's Die Dubarry, captivating the audience as well as the five gentlemen of the cast.  Next she sang a duet with Nathan Haller from Lehár's "Die lustige Witwe".  Miles Mykkanen sang "There Isn't One Girl in the World for Me" from Jerome Kern's Sitting Pretty, subtly coloring his timbre and varying his vibrato to sound like a recording of that period.

"Je suis Lazuli" from Chabrier's L'Etoile was sung in the best of French from the very French Virginie Verrez.  Philip Stoddard donned a silly rajah's turban for the amusing "Chant birman" from Messager's  L'Amour masqué; what was most remarkable was that he gave the rajah's nonsense language a French accent.  Absolutely hilarious.

Rachel Wilson infused her zarzuela number with a pinch of sazón; Barbieri's El barberillo de Lavapiés is a zarzuela we long to hear in its entirety.  A splendid duet with some lightning fast patter was performed by Kyle Bielfield and Davone Tines from another zarzuela entitled La del manojo de rosas by Sorozábal; it involved a humorous dispute between two men courting the same woman.

Simone Easthope sang "The Amorous Goldfish" from Sidney Jones' The Geisha and Kyle Bielfield sang "Je suis gai" from Offenbach's La Belle Hélène, perhaps the most famous of the operettas on the program.  The seasonal duet "April Snow" from Romberg's Up in Central Park was sung by Rachel Wilson and Nathan Haller.  The program ended with John Philip Sousa's humorous "Against the Spanish Army" from El Capitan.  Somehow we never knew that the famous composer of marches wrote an operetta!

Throughout this generous evening, Mr. Blier narrated from the piano, letting the audience in on the plot and characters.  It was just one of those evenings that you wish would never end.  Sadly, it is over and these talented performers are leaving for summer programs elsewhere.  But Mr. Blier is not going anywhere and we will be enjoying his exploration into unusual vocal music tonight and on May 13th.  You should as well!

© meche kroop

LIEDER ARE FOR LOVERS

Our favorite hang

It is impossible to sit in Paul Hall at Juilliard during one of the liederabend without feeling grateful for the opportunity to hear the stars of tomorrow and being impressed by the quality of the talent.  These young artists are already performing professionally around the USA and abroad and/or recording.  We have them right here to enjoy and the recitals are free.  Take that, Cleveland!

Last night's program was bookended by barihunks.  Philip Stoddard, partnered by pianist Jung A. Bang opened with four selections from Mahler's Rückert-Lieder, performed with consummate sensitivity and musicality.  In "Ich atmet' einen linden Duft" one could sense the aroma in the air.  And just listen to what Mr. Stoddard did with the word "frühling"!  This delicacy was followed by the wry mood of "Blicke mir nicht in die Lieder" and the solitude of "Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen".  We were totally transported by the variety of moods.  The lovely Ms. Bang has an equally sensitive light touch on the keys.

Partnered by Kyung Hee Kim, soprano Lindsey Nakatani used her bright soprano to perform Walzer Gesänge by Alexander Zemlinsky, settings of poetry by Ferdinand Gregorovius which Ms. Nakatani translated herself.  These are songs with which we wish to become better acquainted.

We have heard Mr. Bielfield and his superb tenor several times before and it was exciting to see him grow in a new direction, performing two selections from Liszt's Tre Sonetti di Petrarca.  With excellent support from pianist Ari Livne he conveyed the anxiety and the passion of the poet in "Pace non trovo". 

Soprano Lilla Heinrich-Szász sang Sechs Lieder, Op. 48 of Edvard Grieg accompanied by Dan K. Kurland, a fine partnership if we ever heard one.  Many moods were expressed and we especially enjoyed the lighthearted "Lauf der Welt" and "Die verschwiegene Nachtigall" and the always lovely "Ein Traum".  Ms. Heinrich-Szász will have the stage to herself Saturday night at 8:30 and we will be there.

Soprano Lara Secord-Haid and pianist Art Williford sang four selections from Enrique Granados' Canciones Amatorias.  We always welcome the opportunity to hear Spanish songs and these were lovely.

Baritone Emmett O'Hanlon closed the program with some American songs, stepping out of the late 19th c. from whence came the other songs on the program.  Piano partner Lachlan Glen, well known from Schubert&Co's year long perusal of all of Schubert's 600+ songs, showed us a different aspect of his pianistic skills in the songs by Charles Ives which Mr. O'Hanlon sang with fine technique and depth of feeling.  The optimistic "He is there!" contrasted with the sad "In Flanders Fields".  In the former, flutist Daniel James added his silvery voice.  But it was in the final song that Mr. O'Hanlon was the most moving,  Lee Hoiby's setting of "Last Letter Home", an actual letter by Pfc. Jesse Givens who apparently lost his life in service to our country.  It was difficult to hold back the tears.

Let it be noted that the singers were all involved with their material and connected with the audience; they stepped forward away from the piano and used their entire bodies to convey the meaning of the song.  We have complained often about famous singers who hang onto the piano or who have not memorized the music and are so pleased to know that these young singers are not falling into those dreaded habits.

Mr. Stoddard's graduation recital will be April 8th at 8PM so if you missed his superb performance last night you will get another opportunity.

© meche kroop

JUILLIARD'S BLACK BOX

There are a number of small opera companies in New York that would do well to consider producing chamber opera but Juilliard Opera actually presents them in the small Rosemary and Meredith Willson Theater.  Artists from Juilliard Opera, mostly graduate students with ample performing experience and enough talent to have won multiple awards and grants, have the gifts and the enthusiasm to bring to light some works that are rarely seen and heard.

Last night two very unusual works were presented--Benjamin Britten's 1964 work Curlew River and Ralph Vaughn Williams' 1927 work Riders to the Sea.  Britten wrote Curlew River as one of three church parables; it is a story of healing and redemption.  The libretto by William Plomer is based upon a Noh play written by Sumidagawa in the 15th c. about a Ferryman who transports a group of pilgrims, a traveler and a madwoman across the river to the grave of a child who died there; the grave has become a sacred spot and famous for healing.  Britten's music is highly original and influenced by Japanese instruments. 

The Madwoman, a "skirt" role created for Peter Pears, was sung by tenor Kyle Bielfield; his sweet voice and dramatic skills emphasized the woman's pain, sorrow, bizarreness and outsider status, a favorite theme of Britten's.  The composer's use of the flute (here played by Daniel James) to represent her character reminded us of Lucia di Lammermoor's mad scene.

The role of the Ferryman was taken by baritone Tobias Greenhalgh whose rich baritone and ease in acting were more than adequate to create a believable character.  The instrument who represented him was the French Horn, played by Jordan James.  The Traveler was sung by another excellent baritone Emmett O'Hanlon, of whom we hope to hear more.  Bass-baritone Davone Tines used the depth of his voice to fine advantage as the Narrator.

As is traditional in Noh theater, all the major roles were taken by men with the exception of the spirit of the dead boy which was movingly sung by soprano Ying Fang.  The chorus of male pilgrims had such fine diction that one couldn't complain of missing a single word.

Aside from the flute and horn, the work was scored for viola (Sara Ordonez),  double bass (Zachary Green), percussion (Jeremy Smith), organ (Julius Abrahams) and harp (Margaret Davis)--all member of the outstanding Juilliard Orchestra.

Alexis Distler's simple setting, which served for both operas, was spare and effective.  Performed in the round, there were two low platforms; one served as the ferry, the other as a gravesite.  Costumes by Sydney Maresca were simple casual street attire with bare feet.  Only the spirit of the boy had a strongly Japanese look with long pants legs that trailed off behind Ms. Fang as she walked.

The second opera, Riders to the Sea, made use of a libretto based on J.M. Synge's play of the same title.  It was clear that Mr. Williams' attempted to create a vocal line that reflected the peculiar sentence structure and lilt of the Irish dialect but this was not entirely successful.  Mark Shapiro conducted the work and the lone piano was played by Adam Nielsen.  We wondered whether the music might have sounded better with the orchestral colors intact.  As performed, it felt more like a play with music than an opera.

The powerful singing compensated for the lack of interest in the music.  Mezzo Lacey Jo Benter has a wonderful chocolatey sound and sufficient acting chops to involve us in the unremitting grief of a mother who has already lost husband, father-in-law and four sons to the sea--and in the course of the work is to lose her last two boys.  Her wordless lament and the ending dirge, in which she is joined by a female chorus, left us close to tears.  Her two daughters were portrayed by sopranos Simone Easthope and Laura Mixter and they too sang superbly and conveyed the tragedy that left us feeling devastated by the end of the work.  The last son was finely sung by the aforementioned Mr. O'Hanlon.

The evening was directed by John Giampietro whose blocking was always effective and never obvious.  These were risky works to put on stage and could not have been done better.  Although done in the round, there was never a time when we felt behind the action.  Rather we felt a part of it.  Perhaps that's why we left with tears in our eyes.

(c) meche kroop