MASTER(FUL) VOICES

Soprano Mikaela Bennett, Maestro Ted Sperling, and Baritone Justin Austin

The MasterVoices Chorus and the Orchestra of Saint Luke's

(Photo by Erin Baiano)

It was an unusual evening and one that was very well received by a huge crowd of fans filling up Alice Tully Hall.  Recent renovations put a pipe organ on display with Orchestra of St. Luke's organist Matthew Lewis having the time of his life.  Other members of OSL included a sole violin among a generous string section, and winds comprising a pair of bassoons, a pair of horns, a pair of percussionists and (our favorite) an angelic harp.

Our overall impression of Fauré's Requiem in D Minor is that it is a kinder gentler work than other requiems we have heard. The "wrath of God" and dire warnings are absent and it seems more a lullaby sending the departed off to a restful repose. It was indeed performed at Fauré's death and we hope he is enjoying a richly deserved peaceful sleep!

The composer began work on the piece in 1888 and revised it several times until 1900. We lack the knowledge to identify which version we heard but it was a satisfying one with the massive voices of MasterVoices singing the seven movements, ending with Fauré's unique "In Paradisum" sending the departed one off to paradise. The orchestration gave lots of attention to the horns which blared in as stentorian fashion as trumpets. However, we were most taken with the harp, played by the appropriately named Grace Paradise!

Strangely, Fauré gave the vocal soloists little to do and, since we are great fans of soprano Mikaela Bennett and baritone Justin Austin, we felt a bit disappointed to see them sitting there for a half hour with only small parts.

The second piece on the program made up for that, giving the two artists some interesting and challenging texts which were unfortunately amplified to the point of muddying the clever words. Far be it from us to sit and read from the program during a performance; we wished that titles had been projected. Upon returning home we read the libretto and realized what we had missed.

Maestro Ted Sperling came up with the incredibly clever idea for Seven: a Cycle of Sins,  putting the seven deadly sins up for grabs, so to speak, allowing a herd of contemporary composers to "choose their own sin". Each one contributed something in his own voice. Most notable (if only because we were very recently introduced to his music) was the "Envy" of Jason Robert Brown. Voices overlapped in a manner reminiscent of Stephen Sondheim. Mr. Brown's comments pointedly referred to his failure to achieve entrance into Juilliard and he did so in the wittiest fashion.

On the other hand Ted Hearne's gloss on "Greed" employed a boring political text relating to the Occupy Movement. This reminded us of the contemporary operas we dismiss as polemic.

Michael Abels illustrated "Lust" with a brief recreation of lovemaking sounds culminating in orgasm. This was so direct that it may well have achieved the status of audience favorite. "Love to Love You Baby", recorded by Donna Summer and released in 1975, accomplished great popularity but was banned by several radio stations. Apparently "classical music" performed in a concert hall can get away with things that popular recordings cannot.

The superb composer Gregory Spears took the easy way out and illustrated the sin of "Vanity" with a lengthy quote from Ecclesiastes. Heather Christian's take on "Wrath" used similarly wordy text.

Composer/lyricist team of William C. Banfield and Michael R. Jackson got philosophical about politics in "Sloth", perhaps a too heavy a burden with its wordy unsingable argument. The team of Will Aronson and Dolan Morgan undertook to illustrate "Gluttony" by an argument between "Everything in the World" and "People", another wordy discussion.

There is an eighth deadly sin folks, and no one ever speaks about it. That is the sin of "Acedia"--apathy and despondency--whih seems to be afflicting our culture today. Who wants to write a song about it?

You may have gathered by now, Dear Reader, that we vote for "Lust". It was short, sweet, and direct. Lyrics that are wordy and deep, in our opinion, belong on the printed page. 

That being said, Sperling's idea was an interesting one; giving composers carte blanche led to some curious offerings. When someone brings up The Seven Deadly Sins, we will no longer be thinking of the Kurt Weill opera/ballet but we will be thinking of Sterling's commission. Will it be performed again? Will it become part of the vocal canon? What do you think Dear Reader?

© meche kroop

 

WINTERGREEN FOR PRESIDENT

Bryce Pinkham and Mikaela Bennett in MasterVoices' Let 'Em Eat Cake
(photo credit- Erin Baiano)

Guest Review by Ellen Godfrey:

MasterVoices, under the artistic direction of Tony Award winner Ted Sperling, returned to Carnegie Hall on Friday night for its 78th concert performance. MasterVoices, formerly known as the Collegiate Chorale, was founded in 1941 by the legendary choral conductor Robert Shaw; its repertoire includes choral masterpieces, operas in concert, operettas, and musical theatre. 

Friday night’s production, Let 'Em Eat Cake, is little known today. It was created in 1933, with music by George Gershwin, lyrics by Ira Gershwin, and book by George S. Kaufman and Morris Ryskind.  The concert script was adapted by Laurence Mason. Ted Sperling conducted both the magnificent 150 MasteVoices singers and the Orchestra of St Luke’s; he also directed the production. The show satirizes the American political system, the Supreme Court, fascists, radicals, the League of Nations, fashion, and even baseball. Does all of this sound familiar?  No wonder Mr. Sperling chose this musical to be presented, as we are going into the 2020 election process. 

Let 'Em Eat Cake is a sequel to the Gershwins’ big hit musical of 1931, Of Thee I Sing, the first musical to have received a Pulitzer Prize; it ran for 441 performances on Broadway.  Of Thee I Sing lampooned the American system of government and its corruption. John P. Wintergreen is running for President of the United States and runs on the “Love” platform. He wins by a landslide and he and Mary are to be married. There is a resolution about impeachment of the president but all ends happily.

The Gershwin team decided two years later to follow the success of Of Thee I Sing with a sequel-- Let 'Em Eat Cake. It had a run of only 89 performances, perhaps because it was not as bright and comforting as its predecessor.  The country was facing a depression and there was rising fascism in Italy and Germany. Despite all the humor, the Country seemed to want something different.  

The musical team brought many of the same characters from Of Thee I Sing into this sequel, and even some of the music. Wintergreen and his Vice President Throttlebottom lose the election and Tweedledee becomes the next president. Wintergreen and his fellow politicians decide to overthrow the government by a march on Washington and he becomes a dictator. They get the Supreme Court involved in a baseball game between the United States and the League of Nations.  Throttlebottom is the umpire but there is a controversy and Throttlebottom is being sent to the guillotine along with several others. In the end, they are forgiven (they couldn’t get the guillotine to work) and Wintergreen decides not to run for president again.

The musical began with an exciting overture. There was a snare drum player in the center of the orchestra, a rather unusual location for percussion; piccolo, trumpets and other instruments joined in. The violins played counterpoint to the cellos on the other side of the conductor. Jazz music could be heard played by the trumpet.

The score includes snippets of familiar music such as the songs “Too Darn Hot,” "Hail Hail The Gang's All Here", "Of Thee I Sing", ”Yankee Doodle Dandy”, and other short pieces that sound familiar.  Maestro Sperling drew a wonderful sound from the orchestra and the chorus was magnificent.

The Gershwins used the same musical team from Of Thee I Sing. Most of the characters and many of the musical motifs appear in Let 'Em Eat Cake. The musical score is all Gershwin.  There are many songs in the show; some have a political side, some send up Gilbert and Sullivan, and others are just plain funny.  A line in the title song is “Let the proletariat eat cake..good times are coming.” 

"Mine", the well-known duet made popular by recordings of Judy Garland and Bing Crosby, was sung in this production by Bryce Pinkham as John P. Wintergreen, and Mikaela Bennett as his wife Mary, both of whom have beautiful well trained voices. The melody of "Mine" is especially lovely and the two artists harmonized beautifully.

Bryce Pinkham picked up on all the comedy of his character and exhibited a smooth manner.  Mikaela Bennett, a recent Juilliard graduate, has a silver-toned soprano voice and moved easily from musical comedy up into the operatic stratosphere. She played her character as very much in charge.

Actor, singer, and director David Pittu played the role of Kruger, an agitator. His pleasing voice was accompanied by a strong stage presence.  He played a rather sleazy character who became head of the army and agreed to a baseball game with the Supreme Court to get back his money.

Kevin Chamberlin played the role of the bungling Vice President Alexander Throttlebottom, whom no one in the White House ever seemed to recognize. He has a great presence on stage and every time he entered he drew laughs. He has diverse theatre credits to his name, including many musicals as well as film and tv.

Christopher Fitzgerald, nominated for several Tony and Drama desk awards, served as both the Narrator and Tweedledee, the new American president. However, later in the first act, Tweedledee is thrown out by Wintergreen.  

The artists portraying cabinet members have all performed in Broadway musicals, and television and/or films-- Francis X. Gilhooley, Secretary of the Navy, played by Fred Applegate; Louis Lippman, Secretary of Agriculture, played by Lewis J. Sadlen; General Adam Snookfield played by Bill Buell; and Matthew Arnold Fulton as a newspaper magnate. All of their characterizations were different and humorous.

The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court was played by Stephen Eisdorfer, Lieutenant by Edsel Romero, and Nursemaid by Madelyn Miyashita. Other groups of characters were the Supreme Court Justices, Diplomats, Interpreters, and fashion show models. All were totally wrapped up in their characters.

Congratulations to the great 150 members of the MasterVoices and to Ted Sperling and all the people who work with MasterVoices.  Their sound in Stern Auditorium was warm, wonderful, and astounding to listen to. They all seemed to be caught up in the wonderful Gershwin songs and gave their all. 

The audience had a good time and gave the group a long ovation.  I’m looking forward to the next Master Singers program. 

© meche kroop

NYFOS AFTER HOURS--PROTEST SONGS

Mikaela Bennett, Joshua Blue, Jacob Scharfman, Andrew Munn, Amanda Lynn Bottoms, Chelsea Shephard, and Dimitri Katotakis

Hosted by the gracious Henry of Henry's Restaurant, an Upper West Side institution, New York Festival of Song After Hours presented their final show of the season; it was a different sort of show, comprising songs of protest, but just right for the mood in NYC these days. We liberal arts loving folk feel like a persecuted minority with a great deal to worry about and against which to protest.

Our pianist/arranger/host Steven Blier picked up an idea by the highly esteemed young director Mary Birnbaum and immediately compiled a list of songs on the theme of protest. There was no trouble finding a cast of talented young singers from Juilliard's Department of Vocal Arts to perform the songs.

This was indeed a different kind of show. There was no "Sing for Your Supper" to get us all in a jolly mood and Mr. Blier eschewed his customary banter about each song. He told the audience that he wanted the songs to "speak for themselves". Many of the songs related to oppression in foreign countries, in which case the singer read the text in English.

The wildly talented Mikaela Bennett opened the program with Stevie Wonder's song "If It's Magic". We were not too sure about what was being protested, unless it is the carelessness of our culture in not taking care of the things that matter. Ms. Bennett is unceasingly eclectic and just when we were enjoying the soul and jazz inflected song, she burst forth with some operatic riffs that reminded us of her versatility.

Toward the end of the evening she sang Joni Mitchell's "Big Yellow Taxi" which clearly protested the despoiling of nature and the failure to appreciate our blessings until they are gone. Ms. Bennett's personality is larger than life and she put her own expressive stamp on this song which was written in the 60's, long before she was born.

Her duet with Amanda Lynn Bottoms was sung in Spanish and the two women harmonized beautifully in "Como la cigarra", a protest by lesbian poet/musician/writer Maria Elena Walsh against the military dictatorship in Argentina (1976-1983).

Ms. Bottoms had a couple fine solos as well. She sang "Song for Peace" from A Prayer to the New Year by the young Arabic/American composer Mohammed Fairouz, setting of text by Fadwa Tuqan. It was a prayer for peace in the Middle East and we were not sure whether Ms. Bottoms sang in Arabic or the original Aramaic.  In any event, it was lovely.

She was absolutely riveting in "Lamento esclavo" by the 20th c. Cuban composer Eliseo Grenet with text by Aurelio G. Riancho.

Also in Spanish was Leonard Bernstein's l977 setting of text by feminist Puerto Rico poet Julia de Burgos, from his work Songfest. Chelsea Shephard performed "A Julia de Burgos" with passion, revealing the strong core of a woman who has found it necessary to be outwardly conventional and compliant.  

Ms. Shephard had a good time in her duet with Dimitri Katotakis, performing Randy Newman's ironic song "Political Science"--at heart a protest against American aggression.

Mr. Katotakis did well with "Pampamapa", Carlos Guastavino's setting of Hamlet Lima Quintana's poetry--more resistance to Argentinean fascism, although the text is more allusive than descriptive. The complex folkloric rhythms were stirring.

What Joshua Blue did with Fats Waller's song "Black and Blue" was extremely powerful. The text by Andy Razaf speaks to the painful damage done to an individual's sense of self worth by prejudice. It felt very personal and filled with truth.  It hurt! Mr. Blue is appropriately named since he has a real feeling for the blues and knows just how to bend a pitch.

He was similarly superb in Stevie Wonder's "Big Brother" which deals with government surveillance.  It made us think of racial profiling; it made us uncomfortable, which is a good thing. We might add that Mr. Blue's instrument has a very special timbre.

Jacob Scharfman sang a wonderful song about Gay Pride called "The Lavender Song", written by Mischa Spoliansky in 1920 as "Das Lila Lied" and popular in German cabaret. The lyrics were written by Kurt Schwabach and translated by Jeremy Lawrence. It's a fine song but we wish we had heard it in the original German.

But we did hear Mr. Scharfman sing in Yiddish--the 1943 "Zog Nit Keynmol", by Vilna poet Hirsh Glik and also known as "The Partisan's Song". The pre-existing melody was written by Soviet-Jewish composer Dimitri Pokrass.  It's hopeful message was adopted by the Vilna Partisans who were inspired by the Warsaw ghetto uprising, and it spread from one concentration camp to another with its inspirational message.

Andrew Munn sang "Bella, Ciao", a traditional song of resistance to Mussolini and also Marc Blitzstein's "The Cradle Will Rock" from the 1937 show of the same name--a pro-Labor musical during the Great Depression which protested against wicked greedy capitalists.

The entire ensemble performed the encore--"Now is the Cool of the Day" an Appalachian folk hymn recorded by Jean Ritchie. With seven stunning voices raised in harmony, singing about taking care of Mother Earth, it was an inspiring way to end this special evening.

Additional musical support was provided by Chris Reynolds on piano and Jack Gulielmetti on guitar.

(c) meche kroop

COME TO THE CABARET

Brandon Bergeron, Mikaela Bennett, and Andrew O'Donnell (photo by Sharna Striar)

By what legerdemain can an artist on a concert stage get you to feel as if you are sitting in a dark nightclub with a cocktail in your hand? For the answer to that question you would have to ask the artist herself--soprano Mikaela Bennett who created just such magic in her graduation recital at Juilliard. She has stage presence to share and warmly introduced the program, making everyone in the audience feel like a special friend.

This will be the ninth time we have reviewed Ms. Bennett and have never heard a "false note". We have thrilled to her singing "N'est-ce plus ma main" from Massenet's Manon; we have been bowled over by her "O, mio babbino caro" from Puccini's Gianni Schicchi (both at Classic Lyric Arts galas); we have heard her sing Adam's "O Holy Night" at Steven Blier's Christmas show; we have heard her in countless cabarets and liederabend.  If there's anything Ms. Bennett cannot sing, we would be very surprised.

Last night's recital gave us a taste of everything. The first half of the program leaned toward the classical end of the spectrum. In 1893 Paris was treated to a not to terribly tragic operatic version of the story which, in Puccini's hands, became Madama Butterfly. The work by Andre Messager was called Madame Chrysantheme and we have never seen it or heard of it being produced. Ms. Bennett sang a gorgeous aria entitled "Le jour sous le soleil beni". She sang it with sensitive dynamics and a soaring upper register.

From Handel's Agrippina, we heard "Vaghe perle, eletti fiori",  Poppea's remarkable expression of remarkable vanity. There was an abundance of coloratura fireworks, a gorgeous trill, and some crisp triplets echoed by Chris Reynold's highly accomplished piano.

Next we heard "Do you know him?" from Andre Previn's cycle Honey and Rue, with text by Toni Morrison. It was a bluesy song and began and ended with humming. It was performed a capella and had a delicious portamento at the end.

But for us, the highlight of the evening was Schubert's  1828 "Der Hirt auf dem Felsen", for which Ms. Bennett and Mr. Reynolds were joined by clarinetist Andrew O'Donnell, who helped us to realize just how like the voice, how vocal is that instrument.

The work is in three sections, more a chamber music piece than a lied. The first part is strophic and cheerful, making demands on the singer to negotiate huge leaps, the better to imitate yodeling.  The role of the clarinet is to show the shepherd's voice echoing through the valley.

His loneliness is expressed in the sorrowful minor-key second section. He is suffering from sehnsucht for his beloved.  In the third section, the coming of Spring produces great joy in a major key. Ms. Bennett's coloratura skills came in handy for the jauntily rising scale passages and an ear-tickling trill.

The second half of the program leaned toward the popular-classic side of the spectrum. From Jerome Kern's Showboat, we heard "Bill", accompanied by pianist Jeb Patton and bassist David Wong. Ms. Bennett has certainly mastered the jazz idiom and knows how much to bend a note.  Just the word "thrill" was sung with so much feeling behind it--and not the same way twice!

From Jule Styne's Funny Girl, we heard "People" in a way that made us forget any other singer's rendition. Ms. Bennett made emotional sense of the lyrics and the instrumental solos were memorable.

From Harold Arlen's Cotton Club Parade--24th Edition, we heard "Ill Wind" which opened with a brilliant bass solo. It felt like an intimate conversation between Mr. Wong and Ms. Bennett.

Ray Noble's "The Very Thought of You" achieved a similar intimacy with a meditative feeling coming from Mr. Wong's bass and Mr. Patton's piano.

There were two pieces on the program that worked musically but disappointed because the sound of a five-piece band drowned out Ms. Bennett's words that we really wanted to hear. We don't believe it was her English diction because we had understood her just fine in the other pieces.

The band comprised Mr. Wong's bass, Bela Quines' viola, Meghan Todt's violin, Brandon Bergeron's  (muted) trumpet, and Mr. O'Donnell's clarinet. They sounded just fine in Michael John Lachiusa's "Way Back to Paradise" from Marie Christine. We understood little of the words but enough to arouse our curiosity. We looked it up online; it was a  1999 musical with a very compelling story.

"First You Dream" from John Kander's Steel Pier, which closed the program, was a little clearer but not clear enough. The arrangements of both pieces were by Jack Gulielmetti.

We have no idea which path Ms. Bennett will take in the future, but she is sure-footed and should achieve whatever goal she sets her heart upon. Such versatility is rare.

(c) meche kroop

LAST LIEDERABEND

Chris Reynolds and Christine Oh

Yesterday was the last Liederabend of the season at Juilliard.  This is a series that showcases several students of the Vocal Arts Department and the Collaborative Piano Department and we always look forward to seeing what the students will choose to perform. It is a golden opportunity to assess the breadth and depth of talent in both departments.

Yesterday's program opened on a cheerful and seasonal note with the lovely soprano Christine Oh, florally gowned and singing of Spring. She selected four of Wolf's sunnier songs, all from his Goethe-Lieder.  Who knew the Goethe of horror could also be the Goethe of joy! 

Ms. Oh has a light lyric instrument that falls so pleasantly on the ear that one could listen for hours on end; Mr. Reynolds' light touch on the keys made for a perfect partnership. Ms. Oh has the advantage of onstage charm. Moreover, having done the translations herself, she knew exactly what she was singing about and conveyed all the meaning of these delightful songs.

On the other hand, the next two singers chose material of a darker hue. Mezzo-soprano Natalia Kutateladze, sounding much healthier than she was supposed to, sang some Schonberg songs from Op.3 that were relentlessly troubling--a rather jaundiced view of nature and a display of nasty jealousy. Only "Geubtes Herz" held a note of hope for the experienced heart that has learned from suffering.  These are challenging songs for the singer but Ms. Kutateladze performed them well with sufficient dramatic realization, and collaborative pianist HoJae Lee matched the mood.

The choice made by bass-baritone Cody Quattlebaum was Vier Gesange, Op.2 by Alban Berg, another set of difficult material which Mr. Q. enjoyed performing. His deeply resonant voice and engaging stage presence served the material well but, like the Schonberg, these songs are not likely to wind up on our list of favorites. These are moody texts, with the first three connected by themes of sleep. The final song "Warm die Lufte" was a peculiar text (or perhaps we just don't appreciate Alfred Mombert's poetry) but Mr. Q's performance drew us in, especially when he stepped forward from the piano, which was so well played by Katelan Terrell.

The set by Poulenc seemed light-hearted by comparison. Soprano Anneliese Klenetsky performed some songs relating to the French Resistance and her Gallic subtlety was matched by Minjung Jung's light touch on the piano. The irony of the tragic lyrics of "Le disparu" was counterposed with the pleasant piano part. "C'e" treats the sorrow of loss with pleasing melodies. "Fetes galantes" is filled with surreal imagery.

Grace Canfield has a pleasing soprano and was accompanied by Rosa Li on the piano for some songs by Charles Ives. "Thoreau" begins with some spoken prose which Ms. Canfield recited beautifully to a spare piano accompaniment. When Ives tries to rhyme, it comes out like doggerel--even "Cradle Song", which achieves no conclusion. "At the River" involved overly elaborate piano writing for a simple folk tune. We love Ms. Canfield's voice but these songs will not join our "Hit Parade".

The program concluded with the divine Mikaela Bennett singing songs by Samuel Barber. This gal is one of those singers who, like Julia Bullock, can sing the phonebook and keep us interested. We scarcely noticed the music but focused on her performance, which made much out of the nonsense humor of "Monks and Raisins".  

Now the words of James Joyce are delicious to read on the page but his neologisms have to be seen to be appreciated. Setting a passage from Finnegan's Wake to music did not appear to us to be a good idea but Ms. Bennett performed "Nuvoletta" well with a soaring soprano. The humor occurred in the piano, so ably played by Yoon Lee. "Nocturne" seemed strange to our ears with the text speaking of calm but the piano anything but calm, rather agitated.

We would say that we were butting heads with the 20th c. for most of the recital but we are always happy to hear the superb young artists pushing themselves into challenging territory. It is only fair that we in the audience challenge our ears as well.

(c) meche kroop

A GOYISHE CHRISTMAS TO YOU!

Thomas West, Lauren Worsham, Amanda Lynn Bottoms, Joshua Jeremiah, Alex Mansoori, Mikaela Bennett, Donna Breitzer, Joshua Breitzer

Every year we initiate the holiday season with a trip uptown to Henry's Restaurant for NYFOS After Hours in a very special evening of "Yuletide Songs by Jewish Composers". The eponymous Henry has a warm welcome for the mostly Upper West Side audience who gather for some yuletide bonhomie. He spoke of inclusivity in this cross-cultural celebration of Christmas from the Jewish point of view.

The song that most exemplifies this aspect is "Candle in My Window" by Levitsky/Miller, hilariously performed by Joshua Jeremiah. Like most of the songs, it is tuneful and has highly clever lyrics that keep the audience in stitches with self-recognition.

Another very funny song was "My Simple Christmas Wish" by David Friedman, broadly performed by Alex Mansoori. "Don't Let Gramma Cook Christmas Dinner" by Roy Zimmerman was given an adorable performance by Joshua Breitzer and Lauren Worsham.

"Winter Wonderland" by Felix Bernard/Richard B. Smith is not inherently funny, but when sung by two male lovebirds (Mr. Mansoori and Mr. Jeremiah, accompanied by clarinetist Alan Kay, it became campy and funny. (In ten years, it probably won't be funny as audiences get more accustomed to homosexual marriage.)

A lot of the humor was Yiddish and we got the drift, even if we didn't understand the words. "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" never struck us as hilarious but there is something about the language that made us laugh, especially as sung by Mr. Breitzer, accompanied by Mr. Kay on the clarinet--the minor key Klezmer style riffs counterposed against the funny tale made it even funnier.

"Baby It's Cold Outside" by Frank Loesser was translated into fractured Yiddish by one Binyumen Schachter and performed by Donna and Joshua Breitzer and we really wanted to understand how he was trying to get her to stay and what kind of excuses she was making. Those who understood the lyrics had a distinct advantage, but just looking at the facial expressions and body language was funny. Steven Blier at the piano filled us in on some very funny details about the composer and his wife whom he called "the evil of two Loessers". We do so enjoy a good pun!

Not all the songs were funny. We enjoyed a very special moment when Mikaela Bennett sang "O Holy Night" by Adolphe Adam--in English and in French. It is not a song that generally brings tears to our eyes but there was something about the timbre of her voice and the phrasing that affected us deeply.

This versatile artist can do a fine torch song, as evidenced by her delivery of Frank Loesser's "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve".

Amanda Lynn Bottoms was superb in "The Christmas Song" by Mel Tormé--also known as "Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire" and we also enjoyed her fine delivery of "Let it Snow" by Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn.

Thomas West excelled in "Silver Bells" from Jay Livingston/Ray Evans' The Lemon Drop Kid. Mr. Blier related that it is the song of an outsider, perhaps a Jew hearing the Salvation Army bells and thinking about all the poor people who couldn't afford to celebrate Christmas.

Composer Andrew Lippa, a neighbor of Mr. Blier's took the stage to sing his own composition "A Little Love" from You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown.

Finally, three cheers for Lauren Worsham's reincarnation of Eartha Kitt singing the delightful "Santa Baby" with the men popping up from behind the low wall at the bar to provide a back-up quartet. We wondered whose idea that was. It was memorable! 

 

The entire cast joined forces for Irving Berlin's "White Christmas" with a lovely humming chorus--and an encore of Johnny Marks' "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree".

We walked out into the chilly midnight air feeling warmed by the fellowship and the splendid entertainment. We will have to wait another year to hear these songs again but we won't have to wait more than a month for more NYFOS. There will be two concerts in January to warm our heart.

(c) meche kroop

HARRY, HOAGY, AND HAROLD UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL

Christine Price, Amanda Lynn Bottoms, Mikaela Bennett, Gerard Schneider, Dimitri Katotakis, and Kelsey Lauritano

It was the final "Sing for Your Supper" cabaret of the season presented by Steven Blier at Henry's Restaurant--and thus a bittersweet evening, as his singular students from Juilliard head off to fulfill their summer engagements and/or studies. They will be spreading their talents far and wide, leaving the Big Apple with a Big Bite taken out of it.

In January, on the stage at Juilliard, we enjoyed a program entitled "Harry, Hoagy, and Harold" (review archived) that was fully staged with plenty of room to show off Mary Birnbaum's directorial skills. Last night we heard some of the same songs and several new ones. Harry Warren (whom Maestro Blier considers to be quite overlooked), Hoagy Carmichael, and Harold Arlen wrote enough songs for dozens of evenings like this one. In many ways, we enjoyed last night's cabaret even more than the stage version. Cabaret as an art form works best up close and personal. 

We can't tell how many times tenor Miles Mykkanen has opened these programs with Richard Rodgers' "Sing For Your Supper" but the song belongs to him and he belongs to the song. He puts his own personal and slightly naughty stamp on the clever lyrics.  What a sensation! No less a sensation than his recent star turn as Tamino in Juilliard's Die Zauberflöte.

We know that at least two of the six performers last night started their singing lives as "Broadway babies" but what about the other four? They have credited Maestro Blier with giving them the jazz style and the jazz beat. To have heard these young artists on the opera stage and then to see them tackle cabaret, without any of the phony cross-over sound that we so dislike, never ceases to astonish us.

Mikaela Bennett performed Harold Arlen's "Sleepin' Bee" from the not very successful 1954 musical House of Flowers; we enjoyed it far more than Barbra Streisand's recording. The piano arrangement by Maestro Blier took our breath away.

Her duet with Amanda Lynn Bottoms "Two Ladies in the Shade of the Banana Tree", from the same musical, was terrific. We have heard them perform this before and would happily hear it again. Lyrics by Truman Capote.

Ms. Bottoms gave a beautiful solo of "That Old Black Magic" which is so familiar--but she made the Mercer/Arlen song sound completely new.  

Kelsey Lauritano, whose recent graduation recital was so impressive, revealed her cabaret background with "I Yi Yi Yi! I Like You Very Much" from the 1941 Gordon/Arlen musical That Night in Rio.  (This was what we referred to in our review as having seen her dance with fruit on her head.) All we can say is "I Yi Yi Yi! We like YOU very much". The entire cast joined for this Latin celebration.

Soprano Christine Price, having just starred as Pamina in Juilliard's production of Die Zauberflöte, showed another side of her talent in a moving performance of the Washington/Carmichael song "The Nearness of You". We loved the way she floated the final note.

She joined Gerard Schneider, who was on hand with his ukulele and his guitar, and entertained us royally with a scene from the 1943 Harburg/Arlen Bloomer Girl. In "Evelina", the hero serenades the eponymous Evelina, thinking she is a servant in the household.  It was cute and funny, thanks to the talents of Ms. Price and Mr. Schneider.

Mr. Schneider also performed a lovely solo of "At Last" from the Gordon/Warren 1941 musical Orchestra Wives, putting his own spin on it.

Baritone Dimitri Katotakis serenaded us with "Skylark", the well known song by Mercer and Carmichael. Mr. Blier told the audience that he only considers two songs to be "perfect". This was one and the other is by Gabriel Fauré!

The ensemble had a few numbers in which to show their ensemble spirit, beside the aforementioned "I Yi Yi Yi". They performed "Cheerful Little Earful", the Ira Gershwin & Billy Rose song with music by Harold Arlen.

They closed the evening with a Mercer/Carmichael tune "In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening" from the 1951 musical Here Comes the Groom.  

And there was an encore with some lovely harmonies to relish--the Mercer/Arlen tune "Bye Bye Baby" which left the wildly enthusiastic audience in a state of midnight bliss.

(c) meche kroop

HARRY, HOAGY, AND HAROLD

Christine Price, Mikaela Bennett, Samuel Levine, Kelsey Lauritano, Dimitri Katotakis, and Amanda Bottoms (photo by MIchael DiVito)

Thanks to Steven Blier, our "horizons of appreciation" have expanded beyond opera and lieder.  Similarly, the "horizons of performance" of members of the Ellen and James S. Marcus Institute for Vocal Arts at Juilliard have also been extended to include the classics from the Golden Age of American song.  Last night we experienced some of our favorite artists who became for the evening "hoofers, belters, and comedians". (Those are the words of Maestro Blier, but we wish they were ours).

The program comprised songs of three American greats--Harry Warren, Hoagy Carmichael, and Harold Arlen--three men from greatly different backgrounds but united by their compositional contributions to American musical style.

Tenor Gerard Schneider opened with an instrumental version of Arlen's "Over the Rainbow" played on the acoustic guitar. We never knew he played the guitar but we loved the way he began with a simple statement of the melody which grew in complexity, marked by some lovely arpeggios. Yip Harburg's lyrics were sung only in the mind's ear.

This doesn't mean that Mr. Schneider didn't sing; he sang the haunting lyrics (Mack Gordon) of "At Last" from Orchestra Wives, calling attention to Warren's melodic vocal line.  He also sang "Old Buttermilk Sky" (Jack Brooks) with fellow tenor Samuel Levine joining in with a ukulele (who knew!) and a spirited "Yee-Haw".  These are surely multi-talented artists.

As far as tenors go, Mr. Levine is no slouch! We liked him best in Arlen's "Buds Won't Bud" (lyrics again by the wonderful Mr. Harburg) which built to a passionate crescendo.  He charmed us with Arlen's "Evelina" (Harburg) from Bloomer Girl with ukulele and Southern accent as he wooed Ms. Price.  He assumed a rather world-weary mien for the chromatically complex "Last Night When We Were Young" another Harburg/Arlen pairing from Metropolitan.

Soprano Mikaela Bennett grabbed our attention with a passionately delivered eulogy to the evil lover she had just shot in "Sleep Peaceful, Mr. Used-to-Be" from the Johnny Mercer/Harold Arlen St. Louis Woman, a show which should have been more famous than it was. She also thrilled in a jazzy version of "A Sleepin' Bee" from the Truman Capote/Harold Arlen House of Flowers, which also deserved more fame.

Ms. Bennett paired with mezzo-soprano Amanda Lynn Bottoms for the delightful duet "Two Ladies in de Shade of de Banana Tree", also from House of Flowers. We believe some shows did not become the hits they deserved to be because of cultural issues, not musical flaws.  Ms. Bottoms gave us a very jazzy version of Carmichael's "Old Man Harlem" complete with "scat" singing.

But we enjoyed her most in the Mercer/Arlen "That Old Black Magic" from Star Spangled Rhythm. Mr. Schneider's guitar and Mr. Blier's piano went absolutely wild with abandon.

Soprano Christine Price delivered "It's a New World" with simplicity and sincerity. Arlen's vocal line here was exceptional and Ira Gershwin's lyrics moving. Similarly, Carmichael's "The Nearness of You" (Ned Washington) touched the heart with Ms. Price conveying every ounce of emotion, spinning out the final note like a silken strand.

Mezzo-soprano Kelsey Lauritano did a bang-up job as a Carmen Miranda type character in "I, Yi, Yi, Yi Yi (I Like You Very Much" (Mack Gordon/Harry Warren) from That Night in Rio and "When I Love, I Love"(same team) from Weekend in Havana. Apparently, these tropical musicals put Brazil and Cuba on the map, so to speak. The gentlemen of the cast doffed their shoes, rolled up their trousers, and did a fine send up of Latin caricatures. The ladies of the cast wiggled around with bananas and a pineapple while Ms. Lauritano sported a hatful of fruit.  Major fun!

Another humorous number was "I'm Going Shopping With You" by Harry Warren from Dames. Baritone Dimitri Katotakis put heart and soul into his comedy routine and Mr. Blier contributed a few extra lines giving the ending a gay twist, something Mr. Blier does so delightfully in almost every show.  The beautiful duet "Hard to Replace" from The Barkleys of Broadway (Ira Gershwin/Warren) was sung by Mr. Katotakis and Ms. Lauritano. The lyrics of Gershwin are intensely moving and the two artists filled them with meaning.

The company performed as an ensemble for "Cheerful Little Earful" from Warren's Sweet and Low and in "Jeepers Creepers" from Going Places by Warren. We got to hear Mr. Schneider's guitar again and saw some fun tap dancing.  (Oh, those Juilliard students can do anything!) Adam Cates was credited as choreographer.  They closed with "In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening" from Here Comes the Groom by Mercer/Carmichael. They sure can harmonize!

Mary Testa was the guest coach and Mary Birnbaum was Stage Director. Ms. Birnbaum always adds something original and clever.  In "The Old Music Master" from True to Life (Mercer/Carmichael), cast members were used as a hat rack and a writing desk while Mr. Katotakis performed the vocals.

In "I'm Going Shopping With You", cast members became clothing racks. And in "Two Ladies in de Shade of de Banana Tree" Ms. Bennett and Ms. Bottoms fought over a fan, to comical effect.

Chris Reynolds was assistant pianist.

This yearly collaboration between Juilliard and New York Festival of Song always produces surprises and delights. Beneath the surface of fun was a lot of hard work but the artistry lies in showing the fun and hiding the labor.

(c) meche kroop

EIN LIEDERABEND

Jacob Ingbar, Christine Oh, María Fernanda Brea, Mikaela Bennett

A liederabend at Juilliard is always an event. We often feel as if we are discovering the stars of tomorrow at the early stages of their careers and that is exciting. Yesterday we heard four undergraduates, each one a promising artist. We also heard a counter-tenor who is a post-graduate; but Jakub Jósef Orliński is already famous and missed the photo-op in order to make a plane to Europe where he is performing.

It was just a month ago that we heard and enjoyed his performance of some Italian baroque arias. Yesterday we heard him sing in French with a lovely tone that is youthful but never thin. He sang five songs by Reynaldo Hahn; we loved the way his floated top notes lingered in the air. Although the French line was perfectly legato, our favorite chanson was the lively "Fêtes Galantes".

Soprano María Fernanda Brea is well remembered from last summer's Fille du Regiment , in which she performed a charming Marie for Prelude to Performance (review archived). Yesterday she sang once again in French--Alfred Bachelet's "Chère nuit" in which she perfectly negotiated the dramatic upward leaps. There were also three fine songs by Massenet. We loved "Le printemps visite la terre". In the serenade "Nuit d'Espagne" collaborative pianist Valeriya Polunina varied her technique to provide suggestions of a guitar, sometimes strummed and sometimes plucked.

Baritone Jacob Ingbar not only has a pleasantly mellow sound but the gift of storytelling. He wisely chose Robert Schumann's Romanzen und Balladen Op. 53, comprising three stories requiring a hefty dose of dramatic interpretation which Mr. Ingbar handled expressively.  Kathryn Felt's piano was particularly lovely in "Loreley".

Soprano Christine Oh, accompanied by Jinhee Park, who has a soft touch on the keys, sang selections from Hugo Wolf's Italienisches Liederbuch. Ms. Oh has a fine vibrato and a voice that opens up on top like an umbrella. We wanted just a bit more expression in "Wie lange schon war immer mein Verlangen".  When the poet finally gets a musician boyfriend she might show a bit of dismay when he scrapes away at the violin.  Alternatively, she might blissfully ignore his ineptitude.  In either case, we want the singer to have a reaction. In  "Mein Liebster singt am Haus" the poet is given to adolescent hyperbole and we'd like to see more of the histrionics as she weeps a river of blood. Happily, Ms. Oh captured the humor of "Ich hab' in Penna einen Liebsten wohnen", the feminine equivalent of Leporello's "Catalogue aria".

Soprano Mikaela Bennett closed the program with four songs by André Previn. We have heard Ms. Bennett sing with NYFOS and were dazzled by her voice and stage presence as she sang American cabaret classics.  Yesterday she put heart and soul into Previn's songs but we could not say we liked the songs or wanted to hear them again. She sang "Do You Know Him?" a capella and once again impressed us with her tone and her phrasing as well as her commitment to the text. We were also impressed with her diction; every word was clear. Emil Duncumb was her collaborative pianist.

We applaud these young singers for their talent, for their hard work, and for the effort put into memorizing the material so that they could make excellent contact with the audience. There were some minor flaws in the nasal vowels of French and an occasional inconsistency with the final "ch" in German but the diction was always clear and the text well communicated.  Bravissimi!

IT'S CLASSIC, IT'S LYRIC, IT'S ARTISTIC--IT'S CLASSIC LYRIC ARTS!

Artistic Director of Classic Lyric Arts Glenn Morton and his talented group of young artists

A gala is defined as a social occasion with special entertainments or performances, a festive celebration-- and that is exactly what transpired last night when Classic Lyric Arts celebrated its young artists and entertained those denizens of Planet Opera fortunate enough to be at the annual Fall Benefit Gala.

For those of you who don't already know, CLA runs two highly esteemed programs which aim to advance the careers of young singers by on-site immersion in the cultures of France (L'Art du Chant Français) and Italy (La Lingua della Lirica). Everything is covered--diction, style, repertoire, stagecraft, and career development. The students are also given international performing opportunities.

Filmmaker August Ventura has documented these programs for anyone to witness the magic that takes place, and we have attended some of the master classes taught by some truly brilliant teachers who brought out the best in their students.

We will come to the entertainment part of the evening shortly but first we wanted to comment on the tribute given to the program by former student Dorothy Gal who shared with the audience some charming stories about the training she received. She was not the only alumna present. These young artists develop a strong loyalty to the programs and a deep attachment to Artistic Director Glenn Morton.

As far as the singing goes, we were royally entertained as the students showed off their newly acquired artistry.  Beautiful soprano Mikaela Bennett, fresh out of the Italian program, provided a splendid performance of "O, mio babbino caro" from Puccini's Gianni Schicchi.

There was a sparkle in her top notes and plenty of pleading, enough to convince her poppa to give her anything she wanted. We just recently heard her for the first time with Steven Blier's "Sing for your Supper", singing cabaret in English. It was quite a treat to learn of her skills in Italian.

We adored mezzo-soprano Kady Evanyshyn's lovely performance of "Connais-tu le pays" from Ambroise Thomas' Mignon  for its long lyrical phrases and fine French style. This gave firm evidence of her hard work in both programs.

Does anyone not love "Ah! mes amis" from Donizetti's La fille du régiment? One tends to hold one's breath waiting for the tenor to nail those high C's and Vincent Festa tossed them off without a sign of strain. High notes aside, the aria was delivered with beautiful tone and apt sincerity.

We always love a good duet and the lovely Larisa Martinez paired with baritone Suchan Kim for "Tutte le feste al tempio" from Verdi's Rigoletto. The pair sounded excellent together and succeeded in conveying all the pathos required. Ms. Martinez' voice opens up beautifully on top and Mr. Kim has a full tone with a great deal of depth.

Vera Kremers sang "Youkali" by Kurt Weill and made every word count.  Even at the top of her register, we understood every word. This was perhaps the best French diction we have ever heard from someone not born in France. Her bright voice was firmly grounded. We would have liked a bit more emphasis of the tango rhythm but we got plenty of that from Laetitia Ruccolo's piano.

The quartet from Puccini's La Bohème is a wonderful showpiece. Rodolfo and Mimi have a tender moment while Marcello and Musetta are having a knock-down drag-out fight. Soprano Nadia Petrella gave us a tender well-modulated Mimi with tenor Matt Greenblatt a fine Rodolfo. Ms. Bennett returned as Musetta with baritone Bret Thom as Marcello. These four graduates of the Italian program perfumed the air with virtual garlic. Michael Sheetz was the excellent accompanist.

Händel's opera Serse is one of the composer's best. In "Va godendo/Io le dirò", the role of Serse, usually sung by a mezzo-soprano, was sung by Gon Halevi while Jordan Rutter sang the part of Arsemene, which is also generally sung by a mezzo-soprano. In a kind of reverse gender-bending, these two countertenors made a special kind of music. It's a fach of which we are very fond and we enjoyed the change.

Soprano Tamara Rusque gave a moving performance of Cio-Cio San's big aria of self-delusion--"Un bel di vedremo" from Puccini's Madama Butterfly. Her big rich sound has an impressive resonance and her acting skills were convincing.

Dongling Gao left the European world behind and graced us with a lovely Mandarin love song accompanied by Jia-Jun Hong. And finally, three handsome dudes performed the trio from On the Town by Leonard Bernstein.  Michael Stewart accompanied while Mr. Greenblatt, Mr. Thom, and Jon Thierer had a marvelous time with it; the joy was reflected on the faces of the audience.

We want to give three cheers to the programs, the artists, and to Glenn Morton.  So....hip, hip, hooray.  Or as we say nowadays, WOOT!

(c) meche kroop

FALL COLORS AT HENRY'S

Mikaela Bennett, Amanda Lynn Bottoms, Thomas West, Gerard Schneider, and Theo Hoffman

Appearing at Henry's Restaurant several times a year are special cabaret evenings hosted by pianist/arranger/teacher/raconteur and all-around wonderful person Steven Blier.  Such is the fame of these evenings that the house is invariably packed with music lovers of every stripe.

Last night was the opening of the season and seasonal it was. Entitled "Fall Colors" the program allowed five wonderful operatic voices the opportunity to expand their presentation into the world of cabaret. Songs are generally chosen by Mr. Blier and the singers themselves; Mr. Blier introduces each song with interesting tidbits of information and accompanies the singers.

Baritone Theo Hoffman was there, fresh off a plane from Atlanta where he performed the role of Schaunard in Puccini's La Bohême (wish we'd been there)--to critical acclaim. How astonishing and delightful to hear him cover Paul McCartney's romantic ballad "Here, There, and Everywhere", putting his own spin on the beautiful song, floating the final note in a gorgeous pianissimo.

Even better was his delivery of Steven Sondheim's "Talent", sung with warmth and humor-- in memory of James Marcus. We also enjoyed the sad "Lonely Town" with music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Comden and Green. We've been following Mr. Hoffman's career for a few years and he just keeps getting better and better.

Another voice known to us from Juilliard is that of Amanda Lynn Bottoms.  She too was asked to stretch her artistry in new directions. Accompanied by the talented percussionist Josh Vonderheide on bongo drums, she sang a Cuban song from the 1930's--"Lamento esclavo" by Eliseo Grenet/Aurelio Riancho. The pathos of this song found a counterpart in her performance of the spirited and sexy "Palmira" by Moises Simóns. We always love Spanish songs and were delighted to hear different sides of her artistry.

Equally versatile in her performance was a young lady new to us. Mikaela Bennett is but a sophomore at Juilliard and already a poised and accomplished performer with a stunning voice and the ability to form a deep connection with the material. She was equally proficient with the jazzy style of Harold Arlen/Johnny Mercer's "Any Place I Hang My Hat Is Home" and their bluesy ballad "I Had Myself a True Love" from St. Louis Woman.

But we were most moved by Adam Guettel's "The Light in the Piazza" (from the show of the same name) in which she totally stepped into the role of the young woman dazzled by Italy and the romantic awakening she lacked words to describe.

No evening is complete without a duet and we just loved hearing Ms. Bennett and Ms. Bottoms singing the suggestive "Two Ladies in the Shade of the Banana Tree" from House of Flowers. It is hard to believe that a show by Harold Arlen and Truman Capote did not have a huge success.

There was another newcomer on the program, recently arrived from Down Under and making his New York debut; he is already on his way to becoming an audience favorite. Gerard Schneider sang "I've Got a Right to Sing the Blues" by Harold Arlen/Ted Koehler.

His next song was a challenging one, having been written  originally for clarinet, by Ralph Burns and adapted for voice and piano by Woody Herman/Johnny Mercer.The 1949 "Early Autumn" is a wistful ballad and Mr. Blier's piano deftly added the image of falling leaves.

For the finale, Mr. Blier abandoned the piano and turned the entire performance over to Mr. Schneider who accompanied himself on the ukulele for "I'll See You in My Dreams" by Isham Jones/Gus Kahn. The audience loved it!

Another newcomer, Thomas West, introduced the program with the song we never tire of --"Sing for Your Supper" by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart.

The encore came as a total surprise, an arrangement by Mr. Blier of Smoky Robinson's "You Really Got a Hold on Me", sung as a barbershop quartet by the ensemble. Oh, what fun!!!!

Not to worry if you missed this extraordinary evening.  There will be several more, as well as New York Festival of Song's regular season at Merkin Hall.  Stay tuned!

(c) meche kroop