STRANGE BEDFELLOWS?

Theo Hoffman, Christine Taylor Price, Steven Blier, and Bénédicte Jourdois

(Photo by Cherylynn Tsushima)

What do Francis Poulenc and Stephen Sondheim have in common?  That is the question that Steven Blier, Artistic Director of New York Festival of Song, proposed to answer in a rewarding program of art song presented at Merkin Hall Tuesday evening. The well thought out concept may have been more interesting to other members of the packed house; for us, it was more than enough to hear two superb singers bring to vivid life a lot of songs that were new to us.

A decade ago at Juilliard was a magical time, a time when the young singers of the Vocal Arts Department made a lasting impression on us. We have lost track of the number of times we wrote about the vocal and dramatic triumphs of soprano Christine Taylor Price and baritone Theo Hoffman. As the decade passed by, we were fortunate enough to update ourself on their growing artistry from time to time, but what remains predominantly in our memory are the earliest stages of their respective careers. We do love recognizing future stardom!

The program was an interesting one in that we heard some of Sondheim's less well-known works, works that predate our arrival in New York City and our interest in music theater.  We were quick to love Sondheim from our early experiences with Sunday in the Park with George, Into the Woods, A Little Night Music, Pacific Overtures, and Sweeney Todd. Among the lesser known works of his introduced to us by Mr. Blier were excerpts from Saturday Night, Anyone Can Whistle, Dick Tracy, The Frogs, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, and a song that was cut from A Little Night Music--"Silly People".

Poulenc, on the other hand, was not on our radar until we got interested in opera and art song. Unlike our immediate affection for Sondheim, our appreciation of Poulenc has grown slowly. Most of the works on this program were new to us. It seems that there are a few of his works that have become common in recital and only Mr. Blier has dug deeply enough to find some lesser known true gems.

What always strikes us about a NYFOS concert are the singers that Mr. Blier chooses.  Not only do they have great voices but they are also impressive interpreters. They give the same value to art songs, Broadway songs, cabaret songs, and popular songs. Such was the case at Poulenc/Sondheim. Each and every song was a miniature gem. We would have to name as our favorite the final number on the program featuring both singers-- "No One is Alone" from Sondheim's Into the Woods, a show we attend every chance we get, most recently at Manhattan School of Music when their Music Theater Department gave it an outstanding production. There wasn't a bit of "Sondheim snark"--just an inspiring wrap-up to a show that exploded all our fairytales.

The encore number "Old Friends" from Merrily We Roll Along was similarly delightful. "Finishing the Hat" from Sunday in the Park with George gave our two singers an opportunity to interact, bringing back memories of a long ago time when we saw the show on Broadway. Ms. Taylor Price's delivery of "Ladies Who Lunch" made us wish we had seen Sondheim's Company.  Mr. Hoffman's performance of  "Fear No More" from The Frogs had us experiencing the Shakespeare text in a new way. We were fortunate enough to have seen The Frogs recently, thanks to Master Voices.

As far as the Poulenc work on the program, the song we liked best was "Fancy" sung by Ms. Taylor Price, showing a great respect for the melodic line which seemed more melodic than Poulenc's usual songs. We enjoyed Mr. Hoffman's soulful delivery of "Montparnasse", with text by Apollinaire, and, almost as much, the bibulous delivery of "Chanson a boire". 

As is customary, Mr. Blier narrated the program with wit and humor, garnering giggles from the audience. He took turns with Bénédicte Jourdois accompanying the singers. It was a stellar evening start to finish and was no less than what we have come to expect from a NYFOS evening. This is their 38th season and are still going strong!

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TO THE SEA

 Nathan Romporti, Shiyu Zhuo, Anna Maria Vacca, Will Kim, and Luis Villarreal

We always look forward to the novel evenings of art song curated by Artistic Director of New York Festival of Song Steven Blier, who shares pianistic duties with Bénédicte Jourdois and Luis Villareal. Last night's theme was songs of the sea. We mention the pianists first because for the first half of last night's program at Merkin Hall, our attention was focused mainly on the accompaniment. This left us wondering. Did the Scandinavian composers write better for the piano than they did for the voice? Were the Scandinavian and Russian languages a bit of a stretch for the four singers?

In Rachmaninoff's "The Storm" we were captivated by Ms. Jourdois' passionate evocation of the turbulent storm, and in Tchaikovsky's "In the Garden" we were introduced to the fine musicianship of Mr. Villarreal who painted the verses in many colors.

Among the selection of songs in German, we greatly preferred the Brahms--"Die Meere", the melody and harmonies of which reminded us of Liebeslieder Walzer. Tenor Nathan Romporti and baritone Will Kim harmonized beautifully whilst Mr. Blier accompanied. Schubert has written so many songs about the sea and arguably "Auf dem See" may not be the best of them, but Mr. Blier is fond of introducing his audience to lesser known works.

Moving on to the Spanish language, Mr. Blier accompanied mezzo-soprano Anna Maria Vacca in the lovely "Mañanita de San Juan"  (from Jesus Guridi's Seis canciones castellanas)  with gentle dreamy figures in the piano. 

Mr. Romporti's tenor was particularly well suited to Reynaldo Hahn's "La barcheta" with its lovely melody and lulling barcarolle rhythm. And at this point in the concert, we realized what had been missing. We had been missing dramatic interpretation! Storytelling! Stock gestures bore us silly but when the body language interprets the text we feel involved. This Hahn song is very romantic and we felt it.

Pauline Viardot's "Havanaise" was given a winning performance by soprano Shiyu Zhuo, accompanied by Mr. Blier. This is a spirited strophic piece with increasing variety from one rendition of the simple folksy text to the next. The embellishments put Viardot firmly in the bel canto camp and Ms.Zuo rose to the occasion with stunning technique.

Adding to our delight was a performance of a duet from Pablo Sorozábal's zarzuela "La tabernera del Puerto"  by Ms. Zhuo and Mr. Romporti. The duet told a charming story of an importunate suitor and a rejecting woman. The two artists did a fine job of bringing the scene to life.

Three late-life songs by Rossini brought the evening to a delightful close.  We felt a bit disoriented listening to "La regatta veneziana", a duet charmingly sung by Ms. Zhuo and Ms. Vacca. We are familiar with a three-song cycle by Rossini with the same title but the melody was different and the gondolier being cheered on was not Momolo but Tonio!  And it was sung in Italian, not Venetian dialect. It took some investigation but we got ourself straightened out. 

This song was a setting of text by Conte Carlo Pepoli and used a more bel canto style than the later folksy tripartite cycle. Conte Pepoli was a Bolognese aristocrat and poet who wrote the libretto for Bellini's I puritani. (If you have seen that opera, you may have decided that he was a better poet than librettist.) Like Verdi, Pepoli was active in the Italian nationalist movement. Rossini's cycle in Venetian dialect came later. We consider ourself enlightened and have decided that there is room in our heart for both!

As usual, the audience demanded an encore and our four excellent singers delivered with a fine arrangement of "Moon River", written in 1962 by Henry Mancini with lyrics by Johnny Mercer. Audrey Hepburn sang it in the film Breakfast at Tiffany's. Here's a fun fact Dear Reader. The studio wanted to cut the song but Ms. Hepburn fought to have it left in.  For complete transparency, although we write every phrase by ourself, we are not above consulting AI for fun facts like the aforementioned!

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SOUTH AMERICA, NORTH AMERICA: A LOVE STORY

Steven Blier at the piano with Joseph Parrish, Shelén. Hughes Camacho, and Amir Farid

We are willing to place money on this: Steven Blier is as much in love with love as we are. We could not have chosen a better title for last night's New York Festival of Song recital. We just had to correct our typing since our subconscious mind typed "New York Festival of Love"!  Indeed the entire program felt like a love fest. Not that all of the songs were love songs but the love between the two singers was manifested by adoring glances and worshipful attention toward the one singing from the other, who sat onstage in a chair stage left. And there was also a great deal of affection back and forth with Steven Blier, pianist/arranger/host/ raconteur. Audience members could just bask in the love glow.

We have seen many artistic/love partnerships, mostly comprising a pianist and a singer. Partnerships between two singers is more difficult to pull off due to a disparity in fame or talent. Soprano Shelén Hughes Camacho and baritone Joseph Parrish do not suffer from such disparity. They complement each other and share the stage generously. Both have won countless competitions--often the same competition on the same date. Spending an all too brief evening with the two of them could melt the hardest of hearts.

Sometime we attend a concert because of the program. Indeed, we jump at the chance to hear any of Schubert's song cycles (which we will do next month). At other times we attend a concert because we love the artists. This couple could sing the proverbial phone book (do phone books even exist anymore?) and we would be there. That is not to say that the material we heard last night was deficient or disappointing in any way; in fact we were introduced, as is usual at a NYFOS concert, to a number of songs we never heard by composers of whom we were ignorant. They were all of the 20th century but in no way suffering from a lack of melody.

The respective performances were marked by vocal perfection and dramatic artistry; we have not a single quibble. Ms. Camacho focused predominantly on songs from Latin America, most of which were folk song set to music by composers from all over Latin America. There was only one that we had heard before and that was probably at a prior NYFOS concert--a setting by Leonard Bernstein of an autobiographical verse by Julia de Burgos, given full dramatic treatment by Ms. Camacho-- all the way to a dramatic ending. 

From her home country of Bolivia, we heard "Cantarina" by Willy Claure and Milton Contez. The flirtatious lyrics were set to a charming melody and led to a folk dance with Ms. Camacho and Mr. Parrish making use of matching white handkerchiefs. An equally excellent Bolivian song was her solo "Flor de bronce", Eduardo Caba's setting of Pablo Iturri Jurado's text, which showed off her expansive upper register and delicate pianissimo.

Mr. Parrish's Afro-American background was honored by a selection of spirituals that were arranged in the 20th century by Hall Johnson (the exuberant and jazzy "Honor Honor" and the haunting meditative "Dusty Road" from the film Bagdad Cafe). For the latter selection, Mr. Parrish accompanied himself on the piano, an amazing feat which we have witnessed on a number of prior occasions. You see, Dear Reader that we are an ardent fan of both artists whom we wrote about individually several years ago, way before they became a couple.

It is this "bearing witness" that gives our writing and our life meaning. We love recalling the very first time we heard and reviewed a particular artist, often when they were students, and secretly congratulating ourself for recognizing someone marked for future success.

Let us mention just a few delightful dishes from last night's banquet. There was a lovely duet with exquisite harmonies by Heitor Villa-Lobos called "Viola quebrada". We liked the operatic "Caminito" by Julián Aguirre in which Ms. Camacho savored each word, and Ginastera's "Canción del beso robado". Our beautiful couple did a cute little dance together in Celius Dougherty's arrangement of "Uncle Joe's Reel", a North American folk song.

Let us not neglect to praise the superb pianism of Amir Farid who joined Mr. Blier for some duo piano arrangements--Moisés Molero's "Joropo" marked by rhythmic syncopation and George Gerhwin's "Promenade" from the Fred Astaire/Ginger Rogers film Shall We Dance. The accompanying skills were equally impressive.

It was a very special evening. You who may be wondering about this darling couple's next move; they will appear together in Puccini's La Bohême, unfortunately not in New York City. How many operatic couples get to be cast in the same opera??? What a fine future they have to look forward to! Although this has nothing to do with singing, we feel compelled to mention that they work together on a Bolivian non-profit started by Ms. Camacho. Voices for Bolivia brings classical music to Bolivians who would not usually have access to the arts. You may have seen that on Facebook. Doing good added on to doing well!

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ALL ABOUT ADULTING

 Kate Morton, Jamal Al-Titi, Chea Kang, Reed Knepper and Zoë Zhou

Steven Blier's New York Festival of Song never fails to entertain and educate, but last night's iteration made a particularly strong impression on us due to the theme of the evening--"Beginner's Luck--the Artist's Journey". Mr. Blier and I share an interest in fostering the careers of young singers; the program not only involved four preternaturally gifted young singers but the structure of the program was the journey from adolescence to adulthood. In addition, we heard songs written by composers at the very earliest stages of their careers. We have a special affection for early works when young composers are experimenting with inherited forms and taking steps to put their own stamp on things.

There were sections on the program devoted to the stirrings of first love in young women and the youthful ambitions of young men, the yearning for a wider experience in the world, and finding one's way emotionally and professionally. Spending as much time with young artists as we do, we easily related to the experiences; we confess that the songs about women resonated more than those about men but we suppose that is understandable. We particularly related to songs about coming to New York City where everything happens!

Rather than tracing the development through the various stages, we would prefer to dwell on the young artists, Schwab Vocal Rising Stars all of them. We have not a single criticism of the voices; all four singers are accomplished artists. What we would like to focus on is the manner in which they engaged the audience with their storytelling gifts. Contemporary songs were treated with the same respect as 19th century lieder and mélodie.

Heard by us only once about five years ago was the memorable soprano Chea Young Kang who made a lasting impression singing a zarzuela number in which a mulatto woman has been abandoned by her lover. Last night she impressed us with her artistic growth, whilst maintaining (and enhancing) her emotional reach. We were enchanted with her communicative artistry in Grieg's "Die verschwiegene Nachtigal".  She seemed to taste the words of the text and her very specific gestures had us hearing the call of the nightingale. 

This was followed immediately by another song about this avian species--Alban Berg's "Die Nachtigal" in which the song of the nightingale causes the rosebuds to open, obviously a symbol of a young woman's erotic awakening. This is the only lied by Berg that we love and the more we hear it the more we love it.

A famous Korean song by Dong Jin Kim was new to us but was deeply felt. We love when singers use their entire body to communicate with the audience and we couldn't miss the graceful way Ms. Kang used her arms, leaving us wondering whether she has had ballet training.

Mezzo-soprano Kate Morton gave a delightful performance of Robert Schumann's gentle "Der Nussbaum", conveying all the hints of a young woman's dreaming of a romantic future. Ms. Morton is close enough in age to connect with this period of a woman's life and was somehow able to stir our own memories. Perhaps this was the most impactful performance ever of one of our favorite songs. How amazing that a male composer set text by a male poet (Julian Mosen) so sensitively that sense memories were evoked.

Ms. Morton captured an entirely different set of feelings in Hugo Wolf's "Begegnung", the tale of a rather circumspect meeting of a young couple the morning after a tumultuous encounter, so well captured by the piano.

Where Ms. Morton truly shone was a funny piece by Jason Robert Brown who wrote a most accurate piece describing the frustration of auditioning. We have heard from our singer friends of such disappointments as auditors who aren't paying attention, often fatigued from hearing too many singers. And the confusion of being given conflicting advice. All too true and an occasion for sympathy!

Understanding male bonding and reliance on achievement was a bit more of a stretch for us to identify with but tenor Reed Gnepper and baritone Jamal Al-Titi went a long way toward making it easy. Jeffrey Stock's "We Two Boys" made a fine case for the male bonding in Walt Whitman's text with the harmonizing vocal lines telling us everything we needed to know. 

Mr. Gnepper gave a fine reading of the sensual "I Knew a Woman" by William Bolcom, never hitting us over the head with the double entendres  of Theodore Roethke's suggestive text. 

Frank O'Hara's tribute to his mentor "I'm so much more me" set by Robert Beaser reminded us of a most important feature in the development of opera singers and their relationship to their teachers and coaches. This was well captured in a duet by Mr. Gnepper and Mr. Al-Titi utilizing the sweetest of harmonies to express mutual admiration and caring.

We do love duets and our favorite was "When the Children are Asleep" from Rodgers and Hammerstein's Carousel. Mr. Gnepper and Ms. Kang showed their acting chops, making the scene believable.

Mr. Al-Titi blew us away with "The Traveler's Song" by Mikhail Glinka, an energetic tongue twister involving a novel train ride and the anticipation of a new love affair. This was in stark contrast with the very tender "A Child is Born" by Thad Jones and Alec Wilder.

Th program ended with Bob Dylan's rousing "Forever Young" in which the four singers raised voices to celebrate good will toward the young. This summarized so well the feelings that we share with Mr. Blier for young artists. the final line is "And may your song always be sung". Yes indeed!

Collaborative piano wa provided by Mr. Blier himself as well as by the excellent Zoë Zhou and Associat Artistic Director Bénédicte Jourdois. 

As usual, we have a small quibble. If only there could be projected titles! Trying to read translations from a program book detracts from one's involvement in the performance, especially in a darkened theater. Singers took turns introducing the songs and saying a bit about them but a good singer does not always mean a good speaker. Just sayin'.

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LE TOUR DE FRANCE

Daniel McGrew, Theo Hoffman, Steve Blier, Bénédicte Jourdois, Nicoletta Berry, and Erin Wagner

We approach an evening with Steven Blier with high expectations and an open mind. We know we will hear a satisfying mixture of the familiar and the strange, the old and the new, the accessible and the puzzling, the serious and the frivolous. We know we will hear excellent young voices and charming narration by Mr. Blier himself. We know that the audience will exceed in numbers that of most vocal events and that individually there will be rapt attention.  This is why we strive to hear every well-curated performance by New York Festival of Song.

Accompaniment was provided by Mr. Blier alternating with Bénédicte Jourdois who also shared the narration. One bit we found particularly interesting was the story of singer-songwriter Barbara who performed her song "Göttingen"  in the eponymous German city. She had been a Jewish refugee hiding in France during WWII and sang to mark the passing of two decades during which time Germany and France had recovered from their previous enmity. The song was performed by the much celebrated mezzo-soprano Erin Wagner and tenor Daniel McGrew in perfect harmony which reflected the harmony between two nations. Both singers are much admired regulars at NYFOS concerts.

The format of the concert was a tour of France introduced by the most appropriate  "Nous avons fait un beau voyage" from Reynaldo Hahn's cheery operetta Ciboulette. By a strange and lovely coincidence, joining baritone Theo Hoffman was the adorable soprano Nicolette Berry whom we first heard six years ago at Manhattan School of Music, singing the title role of the opera in a scenes class taught by Catherine Malfitano!

Onto the sturdy shoulders of Ms. Wagner fell the task of representing the West of France with some Poulenc settings of text by Max Jacob. Ms. Wagner's artistry made dramatic sense of poetry we found rather obscure. The finely wrought vibrato and centeredness of Mr. McGrew made his performance of  the mournful "C" particularly affecting. We were to hear more of Poulenc later on in the program. 

We were delighted to move to the North of France because we got to hear a charming duet by Michel Legrand entitled "Chanson des jumelles" in which Ms. Berry and Ms. Wagner portrayed twin sisters, doubling each other's gestures. The lyrics were sung in French and in English and seemed altogether delightful except for one brief phrase that probably lost something in translation and sounded a bit disturbing. We will have to consult an expert on that issue!

Poulenc's complex pianistic ripples, played by Ms. Jourdois, made a fine support for Mr. Hoffman's immersion in the desolation of "Fagnes de Wallonie", also by Poulenc. Apollinaire's text came across most vividly.

The Eastern part of France (bordering Germany, of course) included the aforementioned "Göttingen" and a tragic song from Mahler's Des Knaben Wunderhorn entitled "Zu Strassburg auf Der Schanz". The story was convincingly told by Mr. Hoffman; a soldier taken prisoner hears the sound of an Alphorn, feels homesick, and tries to escape, only to be captured and turned over to a firing squad. (Now part of France, this area employs a strange dialect comprising some French and some German, which we could just about understand when we visited some years ago.) Mahler's score is written in 4/4 march time and one could hear drum rolls which were well executed by Ms. Jourdois. 

It was time to move on to the South of France! Here was yet another strange dialect. Joseph Canteloube arranged some traditional folk poems and called the work Chants d'Auvergne. Ms. Berry performed two of them and we wanted to hear more. Apparently we prefer real stories about real people to abstract poetry! In "Lo fiolaire" a young girl who spins wool bribes a young shepherd to tend the sheep in exchange for a kiss or two. In "Brezairola" a woman tries to lull a baby to sleep. The dialect contained some strange sounds and we were thoroughly charmed by the performance.

Our tour wound up in Paris and our favorite songs were those with humor. It was good to know that Poulenc could write something cheerful (pre-war apparently) and Ms. Wagner brought lightness to Apollinaire's text about visiting the City of Light-- "Voyage à Paris". 

Mr. McGrew let loose with a humorous performance of Serge Gainsbourg's "Le poinçonneur des Lilas", the lament of a very bored ticket taker at the railroad. Ending with a similar theme of the tedium of the workingman, Joseph Kosma's setting of a Jacques Prévert poem tells the tale of a taxi driver who dreams of all his many stops--"La cauchemar du chauffeur de taxi". Our multi-talented cast of four had a great time with this concluding number, ending the program on a high note. We are still smiling!

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THREE CHEERS FOR EROS

 Shan Hai, Sophia Baete, Steven Blier, Bénédicte Jourdois, Scott Rubén LaMarca, and Michael J. Hawk

(photo lifted from FB feed LOL)

What a special evening! Every concert presented by Steven Blier's New York Festival of Song is special but last night at Merkin Hall the concert was even more special than usual and turned us into a musical detective.  Let us explain. 

The encore piece, an a cappella one, enthralled us and we have spent the rest of the night trying to find a poem by Garcia Lorca that was set by 20th c. Spanish composer Manuel Oltra. Our internet sleuthing arrived at a dead end but we did find a madrigal that might have been the one, and if it's not it was close enough. For your listening delight, here is the link ...https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8434650--madrigal  (We were unable to find the text in a listing of Garcia Lorca's poems.) 

The effect on us was an enchantment so profound that we failed to photograph the curtain call, as we usually do. Hence the forgivable (we hope) purloining of an uncredited photo on Facebook.  For this we apologize.

And now, Dear Reader, just know that in spite of some superb piano  accompaniment by the "tag team" of Mr. Blier, Bénédicte  Jourdois, and Amber Scherer for the "meat" of the concert, it is the encore piece that impressed us the most--like the sweetest dessert. The four voices blended so beautifully and expressed such delicious harmonies that no accompaniment could have added anything more.

The four exceptional vocalists comprised soprano Shan Hai, mezzo-soprano Sophia Baete, tenor Scott Rubén La Marca, and baritone Michael Hawk. The voices were all on point but what made the evening  more than usually successful was the artistic direction contributed by Ms. Jourdois. Instead of discrete numbers, the singers often introduced the following number by reciting the poetry or elucidating the meaning. This gave the evening a flow that made it seem much shorter than 90 minutes. It left us satisfied and yet yearning for more.

Whatever dramatic guidance the singers received, they picked it up and ran with it. Songs were brought to vivid life that drew the audience in. Let us share with you some of our favorites. We just couldn't keep from imagining how much fun Schubert may have had writing. "Die Liebesgötter" with text by Johann Peter Ute, who died before Schubert was born. In any case, Ms. Hai and Mr. La Marca had great fun bringing it to life.  How very expressive they were, capturing Schubert in a light-hearted mood!

Ms. Baete gave a beautiful performance of Eduardo Toldrà's "Madre uno ajuelitos vi" that touched the heart and Mr. Hawk achieved his finest moments in Cole Porter's "They Couldn't Compare to You" from the mid 20th c. Out of This World, also making good use of the talents of the other three artists.

This is just a taste of the glorious banquet spread before us last night. If you have never been to  NYFOS concert, Dear Reader, we hope our words have whetted your appetite. You can always count on discovering new songs, great voices, and also a bit of gender bending.

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ALL TOGETHER NOW

 Daniel McGrew, Erin Wagner, Chelsea Guo, Megan Moore, Joseph Parrish, and Francesco Barfoed

What a fortuitous collaboration it was at Merkin Hall last night when New York Festival of Song joined forces with Young Concert Artists for an evening of ensemble singing. Five fantastic singers gifted a most delighted audience songs from five hundred years of music history. It would have been a great thrill to spend an evening with any one of those gifted artists, but five at once? It was like winning a trifecta, or to coin a phrase, a "pentecta". Both NYFOS and YCA share the same mission which just so happens to coincide with ours--fostering gifted young singers. It is no coincidence that there is overlap between NYFOS performers and YCA winners.

Regular readers know how fond we are of duets but we rarely get to write about ensembles with the exception of a few reviews of Brahms' Liebeslieder, which would have been right at home on last night's program; however our dear Steven Blier loves to introduce his NYFOS audience to works they likely have not heard before.

Although we loved the accompanying piano of Mr. Blier and Francesco Barfoed, we must say that there is something even more special when voices are heard a cappella. Take for example the opening number which just happens to be the oldest and also our favorite of the night. The song by Clément Janequin, a famous French composer of the 16th c., entitled "Les cris de Paris," was thrilling in its harmonies and surprisingly contemporary in its text. One could imagine it describing a marketplace in any populous town.

From Mozart we heard two of his Sei Notturni, one of which might have been a sketch for his soon-to-be-penned Cosi fan Tutte.  Schubert has written more than one serenade but the "Ständchen" we heard was a group effort which, we imagine, occurred when a man gathered his friends together to bolster his self-confidence as he went to woo his beloved.

We never thought of Beethoven as a composer of songs but he did set 12 Irish Songs--folk songs by nature. We were completely distracted by the density of the piano accompaniment, so well played by Francesco Barfoed that our ears were teased by a recurrent phrase that must have inspired Mendelssohn. Discussing it afterward with a couple singer friends, no one was able to identify it but it did make us think of the music for Midsummer Night's Dream and a fairyland scene. Or could it have been a Schubert lied about a supernatural creature? Dear Reader, if you heard it too and could possibly set our mind to rest, please write your thoughts in the comment section below. Otherwise, your reviewer will lose a lot of sleep!

Brahms' lovely "Die Meere" was written in 3/4 time signature and, like any barcarolle, had us swaying in our seats. The French also had their voices heard, namely Camille Saint-Saëns' "Pastorale" and Gabriel Fauré's "Pleurs d'or", the text of which was so lovely that we want to read Albert Samain's text aloud.

We never knew that Shostakovich set Jewish Folk Poetry, and in Yiddish no less. His mid 20th c. compositions have never tickled our ear  but we appreciated his evocative setting of "Winter" which actually gave us a chill.

Not all music of the last hundred years is distasteful to us. We actually enjoyed Libby Larsen's very funny "Jack's Valentine" in which each singer's lines overlapped another's with the repetition of "I love you. A whole lot. Very very much. A whole bunch. Forever." No piano accompaniment was needed. One could enjoy the vocal lines weaving together in a humorous tapestry.

A special treat was the New York premiere of Matt Boehler's setting of Robert Louis Stevenson' "Let Beauty Awake". We knew of Mr. Boehler as a singer and we have always said that vocal music should be written by singers and this proved our point. Mr. McGrew and Mr. Parrish did it justice.

Was there anyone in the audience who remembers The Beach Boys? Leave it to Mr. Blier to arrange Owen Wilson's "In My Room", a popular song from the 1960's, for the five voices. We looked it up online and, well, it was as different as day is from night. We loved the harmonies although the text sounded like teenage angst.

But wait! The closing number was even more radical. We admit that we had never heard of The Bobs, an 80's pop band, let alone the song "Trash" written by Gunnar Madsen and Richard Greene. We couldn't wait to get home to look for it online. Well, Mr. Blier always says "No song is safe from us" and in this case, his arrangement made a proverbial silk purse out of a sow's ear. The five singers grabbed microphones and had the audience in stitches, singing about a slovenly man whose presumably female companion couldn't deal with his trash.

We have avoided listing who sang what (with one exception) because this was truly an ensemble effort by soprano Chelsea Guo, mezzo-soprano Megan Moore, mezzo-soprano Erin Wagner, tenor Daniel McGrew, and bass-baritone Joseph Parrish. We have reviewed all of them except for Ms. Guo who is still an undergraduate and plays piano as brilliantly as she sings. In the final number, the group used microphones and she appeared to have just the right style and flair.  What a fine group of singers!  All seem well on their way to stardom and we feel privileged to have heard them as they launch.

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GRACIAS A LA VIDA

 César Andrés Parreño, Steven Blier, and Shelén Hughes

The only song on the New York Festival of Song's satisfying program last night that was familiar to us was Chilean composer Violeta Parra's "Gracias a la Vida". We never knew that it was a farewell to life, written before her lamentable suicide. We must admit that this wonderful piece of music that always had filled us with joy filled us with sadness upon learning of its origins. Nonetheless, we felt "gracias a la musica", which we always feel after having spent an evening with Steven Blier and his well chosen artists and carefully curated program.

There is definitely a degree of magic in these evenings and we are not alone in feeling that. In a city in which there is such strenuous competition for an audience, Mr. Blier's concerts always fill the house, the house being the gracious Merkin Hall at the Kaufman Music Center. We come to be introduced to new songs (not newly composed, but newly "discovered" by Mr. Blier); we come to hear  the cream of the crop of young singers chosen by Mr. Blier; we come for Mr. Blier's charming anecdotes and fascinating tidbits about the composers.

Last night offered the additional benefit of focusing on Latin American music, music which is dear to our heart. Standing against the academic leanings of the early and mid 20th c., Latin American composers appear to have stood their ground in writing music with lyrical vocal lines and underlying rhythm that is so prevalent in the Southern Hemisphere. Folk music has been given a European classical treatment, elevating music of the people into an art form for the ages. If texts that rhymed and scanned were not found they were written by the composers themselves. There is no boring prose  to weigh down the music.

The program comprised songs from Argentina which went way beyond the tango, a song from Ecuador, from whence hails the compelling tenor César Andrés Parreño, a song from Bolivia, the native country of the adorable soprano Shelén Hughes, and more songs from Venezuela, Chile, Brazil, and Peru. It was a veritable banqueteado!

Ms. Hughes and Mr. Parreño are both in the Artist Diploma Vocal Studies Program at Juilliard but we have been enjoying their performances from earlier in their careers and have a secret sense of satisfaction from knowing that we spotted their gifts early on. Both of them share a common facility for expressiveness that makes each song come alive. Gestures are broad and illustrative whilst facial expressions reveal exactly what the composer/libretticist intended. It is more than acting. It is a form of channeling that we always appreciate. It is a quality one must admire in some popular singers, even when one doesn't care for their music.

We wondered what it must be like for Ms. Hughes to have shared the cuenca of her compatrioto Willy Claure who wrote the charming courtship song "Cantarina". We almost fell out of our chair when the brilliant bass-baritone Joseph Parrish, about whose recital we just wrote, joined her onstage for the dance! Guitar accompaniment was provided by the renowned Oren Fader.

Similarly, for Mr. Parreño to have shared "Despedida", the sad pasillo of his compatrioto Gerardo Guevara must have been a special experience.

There were so many other delights on the program that we scarcely know where to begin. It is no secret that we favor duets and the opening duet by Guastavino "Las puertas de la mañana" was particularly lovely as was the lyrical "Anhelo". The closing duet "Odeon" by Brazilian Ernesto Nazareth offered the pair an opportunity for storytelling, painting a picture of some old time movie going. 

Rivaling Gilbert and Sullivan's patter songs was "El Currucha" by Venezuelan Juan Bautista Plaza. It seemed more of a challenge for our ears to grasp  than it was for Mr. Parreño to sing. We admired how he made it look so easy.

Ms. Hughes shone brightly in two Brazilian songs. Heitor Villa-Lobos' "Evocaçao" composed in a minor mode and given a soulful and intense performance. Ernesto Nazareth's "Você nao me da!" offered her an opportunity to show her charming personality.

Of course there had to be an encore. which was yet more charming, a flirtatious duet from the zarzuela Luisa Fernanda --"Caballero del alto plumero". What more could a lover of Lain American music wish for!

© meche kroop

 

DISCOVERIES OF THE SEASONS

 Wm. Clay Thompson, Samuel Kidd, Raquel Gonzalez, Lucia Bradford, and Peter Dugan

We do believe it was Steven Blier himself who said that "No song is safe from New York Festival of Song". Aside from Mr. Blieer's pianistic gifts and engaging personality, one of the reasons that NYFOS has thrived for 36 years is the creative curating of songs and the astute organization of these songs to form satisfying evenings for his worshipful audience. The gloomy rainy autumnal evening could not keep us away.

Last night's theme was a seasonal one, with each season being given its due, each in a different language. We are not ashamed to admit that most of the program was new to us because Mr. Blier and his piano partner Peter Dugan spared no effort in their curating. One is never bored at a NYFOS concert!

Autumn was introduced by a two-piano four-hand performance (a format sustained for the entire evening) of Gabriel Fauré's "Berceuse" from the Dolly Suite, a work from the turn of the 20th c. The work makes use of the minor mode to express tenderness and melancholy. The remainder of the Autumn section was performed by  bass Wm. Clay Thompson whose dark resonant instrument did justice to "Dans la forêt de septembre" with its imagery drawn from nature. There was a welcome contrast with "Moisson", a rhythmic and festive piece in which the high spirits were underscored by the piano. 

Our favorite, however, was Felix Mendelsson's "Herbstlied", a duet sung with baritone Samuel Kidd forming a bridge to the Winter section in which Mr. Kidd would take over, singing in German. The harmonies were so affecting that we found ourself wishing that Mendelsson had written another verse. The vocal lines wove around each other reminding us a bit of Brahms. This was the most familiar work of the evening (for our ears anyway) but we had heretofore only heard it sung by two female voices. We are sure Mr. Blier chose that lied because it expresses his dismay over the end of summer. It served well to segue into the next season, sung in German.

We, however, are great fans of Winter and had the opportunity to hear Mr. Kidd perform a pair of songs by Richard Strauss that we had never heard, and which we prefered to the contemporaneous songs by Hugo Wolf. We found ourselves wishing the program had included something from Schubert's Die Winterreise.

Spring was given over to the Spanish language (and some Catalan dialect) for which soprano Raquel Gonazález seemed to have a particular affinity. It was a particular delight for us to hear her and witness the enormous personal growth achieved since her student days at Juilliard which we remember well. 

The set began, however, with an instrumental work by Astor Piazzolla arranged for two pianos-four hands by Pablo Ziegler. It is a colorful work and one could almost hear the bandoneón in the piano. The rhythmic introduction had Mr. Dugan drumming on the wooden part of the piano.  A lovely lyrical section yielded to a jazzy conclusion.

To Ms. González was given the charming romantic song "Larirà-Abril" in which a book of poetry brought to a forest tryst went unread. The Basque composer Juan Lamote de Grignon is rather unknown but, leave it to Mr. Blier to discover such treasures! Another song in the Catalan dialect, composed by Eduardo Toldra, was marvelously interpreted by the artist who allowed us to see, through her eyes and voice, the imagery of elements of nature. 

The biggest surprise to us was "Remancillo" composed by Joaquin Rodrigo. We have long loved his Concierto de Aranjuez but never knew he composed song(s) as well. The text, by an anonymous poet refers to a man in a dark prison who listens for birdsong. We couldn't help speculating that the blind composer may have written the text himself. The minor mode in the piano and the guitar-like elements were very sad and very Iberian.

Th Spanish section was brought to a close with a sweetly nostalgic duet "Mares y arenas" by Rosendo Ruiz, for which our lovely soprano was joined by a similarly lovely mezzo-soprano by the name of Lucia Bradford. The emotional content came through clearly and we enjoyed the piano interlude as well.

Closing the evening was the Summer set, sung in English. We confess we are completely ignorant of popular music and the selections by James Taylor, Carole King, and Stevie Wonder were new to us. We were familiar with the names but not the music. We enjoyed the way in which Ms. Bradford could bend a note and move us into jazzy territory in fine style.

The one piece in this set that resonated the most with us was written by Stephen Sondheim (whose music IS familiar to us) and was written early in his career as incidental music for a play of the same name Girls of Summer. We always appreciate Sondheim's irony.

We were gifted an encore from another favorite composer--the quartet from Gilbert and Sullivan's Ruddigore, a piece in madrigal form expressing the unique joys of each season.  What a treat!

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KOME TO THE KABARETT

Sari Gruber, Naomi Louisa O'Connell, and Justin Michael Austin

We have missed the many pleasures of Steven Blier's New York Festival of Song but now that masking requirements have been lifted, it is just like the good old days B.C. (before Covid)...or almost. Loyal audience members have returned to Kaufman Recital Hall and Maestro Blier is back at the piano with his carefully curated program of songs, astutely chosen singers, and witty commentary.

Last night's concert was devoted exclusively to German cabaret of the 1930's, known as the Weimar Era, and the three singers lit into the material with gusto and wit. When we opened the program, our heart sank when we saw the English text. To our ears, the sound of German matches so perfectly with the music that we were sure we wouldn't like the English translations. However, once the program began, we started to feel appreciation for the skill of Jeremy Lawrence, the translator. The verses rhymed!  They scanned!

We very much enjoyed it none the less when some verses were sung in German, or spoken in one language and sung in the other. We still maintain that there is more of a bite to the German language but the trade off is that more members of the audience could understand the meaning. There was bitterness and irony and political criticism. There were amusing sexual innuendoes. There was plenty of gender bending.

Soprano Sari Gruber was joined by Irish mezzo-soprano Naomi Louisa O'Connell and baritone Justin Michael Austin, all of them known from the world of opera and art song, and all with the dramatic ability to convey the emotions of the song, be they anger, irony, or wistfulness. Solos alternated with duets and trios, in which the harmonies delighted the ear and the back and forth dialogue engendered knowing smiles.

The ensemble was particularly strong in the opening number, Mischa Spoliansky's "It's all a swindle" with lyrics by Marcellus Schiffer (English translation by Jeremy Lawrence); it could have been written this year. Schiffer also wrote the lyrics to "Sex Appeal" which was given a very entertaining performance by Ms. OConnell. Ms. Gruber charmingly delivered Mischa Spoliansky's "Maskulinum-Femininum" with Schiffer's gender bending lyrics . 

Speaking of gender bending, Mr. Austin sang "Ich bin von Kopf bis Fuss", Friedrich Holländer's famous song, sung by Marlena Dietrich in the film The Blue Angel--a song we recognized as "Falling in Love Again". Mr. Austin sang it straight which made it all the more powerful. Very different was his delivery of Hanns Eisler's "Rosen auf den Weg gestreut" in which. Kurt Tucholsky's ironic text was performed with intense passion.

What struck us was the similarity to our own epoch. Ninety years ago, Europe was gripped by difficult economic circumstances, fascism was encroaching, and sexual freedoms were being explored. Songs by Friedrich Hollaender, Mischa Spoliansky, Olaf Bienert, and Kurt Tucholsky could have been written today.  Most affecting were the anti-war pieces. We were deeply stirred as we considered the dire condition of the world at this very moment in time and how important it is for us to avoid another cataclysmic outcome.

Watch for more to come from NYFOS--of course the theme for the February 15th concert will be.,.."Amor"!

© meche kroop

CUBANS IN PARIS

New York Festival of Song at Juilliard with Cubans in Paris

 We were raised a stone's throw from Cuba and we counted among our friends a number of people who had fled Castro's regime. What no one ever told us was that there had been another mass exodus in the 1920's. The violent and repressive regime of Machado led to economic decline and was a hostile environment for musicians, especially if they wrote in the Afro-Cubanismo style. According to Steven Blier's excellent essay, Paris welcomed them with open arms.

Last night's concert was the annual event we always look forward to when Mr. Blier brings his brand of magic to Juilliard where his students always bring even more magic to the stage. Cubans in Paris was filled with terpsichorean energy, luscious melodies, and captivating rhythms. 

Although the students got to do a lot of dancing and acting, we were sadly confined to our seat. The fast-rising director Mary Birnbaum created a little drama out of each song and Adam Cates created the compelling choreography. Shawn Chang provided able assistance to Mr. Blier at the second piano and we must say we have never seen a pianist with such erect posture. Leonardo Granados was responsible for the percussion on conga drums, supplying the rhythmic impulse.

Those who know our taste in music will not be surprised to learn that the first piece on the program--"La bella cubana"-- was our favorite song of the evening, remaining in first place no matter how many others appealed to our eyes and ears. Indeed it was one of two songs from an earlier period, just after the turn of the 20th century; it was composed by José White, a child prodigy whose music was admired by none other than Rossini. This paean to a beautiful Cuban woman was sung in splendid harmony by tenor César Andrés Parreño and baritone Kyle Miller.

Mr. Parreño has quite a feel for Cuban music and delighted us further in a duet with the lovely mezzo-soprano Olivia Cosío. "Si llego a besarte!" was a ballad of yearning, and who would not yearn for the love of the lovely Ms. Cosío. We enjoyed his solo "Tú no sabe inglé", a very funny popular song by Emilio Grenet, whose music was far more accessible than Alejandro Garcí Caturla's "Bito Manué" an earlier setting of the same humorous text by Nicolas Guillén, here performed in fine funny fashion by tenor Santiago Pizarro and Mr. Miller. This poor guy can't connect with all the available American women tourists because he is linguistically handicapped.

The pair also worked brilliantly together in excerpts from the operetta Toi c'est moi by Moisés Simons. The work had a charming music hall feel and told of the adventures of a pair of buddies under both warm fraternal circumstances and also during a fight--"Entre copains".  What a bromance! The choreography was outstanding.

Sindo Garay was a self-taught musician who knew how to write beautiful harmonies. His "Guarina" (another song from the turn of the 20th c.) was superbly realized by tenor Ian Matthew Castro and baritone Aaron Keeney. It had the flavor of a serenade and had much in common with "La bella cubana". It seems our ears just respond better to music closest to the Bel Canto period.

Let us move on to the lovely ladies! We were rather dazzled by the singular soprano of Chea Young Kang who moved us with an aria from José Mauri's zarzuela-- La esclava. In "Perdida para siempre la esperanza", the heroine Matilde laments her tragic life; her beloved deserts her when he learns that she is a mulatta. Such themes were common in racially mixed Cuba, one of the few places were zarzuela survived and was repurposed to suit themes of the time and place.

She was similarly heartbreaking in Ernesto Lecuono's "Maria la O" from the zarzuela of the same name and with a similar theme.

Soprano Jaylyn Simmons had all the right moves as well as a soaring soprano. Eliseo Grenet's sorrowful "Lamento esclavo" found contrast in Simons' "Palmira", portraying a woman who enjoys her sexuality and attracts all the available men. Of course the men of the cast did well as her multiplicity of admirers!

We were not the only member of the audience to enjoy Ms. Casío's performance of Simons' "C'est ça la vie". In this song, Carmen gets to do the stabbing and her faithless lover got just what he deserved.

The lively encore came, not from Cuba, but from Puerto Rico. The entire ensemble joined in the raucous "Cachita" by Rafael Hernandez. The infectious mood of the artists spilled over into the audience and we virtually danced our way home.

© meche kroop

20th CENTURY POLITICAL OPERA

Michael Barrett, Steven Blier, Rebecca Jo Loeb, Sari Gruber, Alex Mansoori, and John Brancy

Last night at Merkin Hall, Steven Blier's New York Festival of Song scored another hit with songs excerpted from two political operas of the early 20th c.; the songs were joined together by narration from Mr. Blier and his co-collaborative pianist Michael Barrett. We are not sure whether we would have wanted to see either opera in full production but we valued the opportunity to have an exposure to two rarities that we may never hear of again.

Of the two works, we preferred the 1933 singspiel Der Silbersee, the run of which was truncated by the rising forces of Nazism, causing the composer Kurt Weill to flee Germany. Of course we can see parallels with our own situation here in 21st c. USA; nonetheless, this odd work seemed strangely dated.

The translation of Georg Kaiser's pungent lyrics was performed by Jonathan Eaton who did a fine job of creating punchy lines that scanned well and rhymed; still, we think it would have come across with greater power in the original German. The story is an odd one in which a starving man steals a pineapple and gets shot by a policeman who then feels guilty. With money won by lottery, the policeman buys a castle in which he cares for the thief. When the thief learns who his caretaker is he must lock himself in the basement lest he take revenge for his wounding.

Meanwhile, the policeman hides away in the tower out of fear for his life. It is only when they get thrown out of the castle by the devious "rich bitch" Frau Luben that they achieve forgiveness and reconciliation. With the company of Frau Luben's poor relation Fennimore, the pair make their way back to Silbersee where they experience hope and salvation. This story wended its way from realismo to some version of German magic realism.

In spite of the peculiar nature of the story, we heard some performances that knocked our hosen off. Tenor Alex Mansoori and baritone John Brancy (both well known to us for some time and worthy of our consistent admiration) delivered "Gravediggers' Duet" in close harmony with an abrasive edge.

The smashing soprano Sari Gruber (well remembered from long ago Marilyn Horne recitals) and adorable mezzo-soprano Rebecca Jo Loeb (whom we last heard singing in Czech in a rarely heard Martinu opera) performed the cute "Shopgirls' Duet". We recognized strains that came right from Brahms' Liebeslieder Walzer and could barely believe our ears.

In tango rhythm, Mr. Masoori delivered the ironic "Lottery Agent's Song" which was the most typically Weill-like number in the work, along with "Caesar's Death", sung by Ms. Loeb--a number that surely riled the Brown Shirts.

"You Take the Highway", sung by Ms. Loeb and Mr. Mansoori, had a haunting melody, ending with some hurdy-gurdy music in the dual pianos. 

Ms. Gruber's acting as the unpleasant Frau Luber was sensational, giving us a few good laughs as she and Baron Laur exemplified greed in "A Rich Man's Land", contrasting with the poverty of the other characters.

Mr. Blitzstein's 1941 No For an Answer seemed particularly dated and the need for a librettist seemed acute. The composer did seem to try to write short punchy phrases but reading them on the page seemed to add to the impression that a good librettist could have done a better job.

But no singers could have done a better job than the foursome and much of Blitzstein's music is appealing. Our hands down favorite was John Brancy's delivery of "Purest Kind of Guy", a tribute to a character who was gunned down; this is a great stand alone piece and one we hope Mr. Brancy will add to his repertoire.

The very funny Mr. Mansoori was hilarious with "Penny Candy", a song in which the character describes how he works on a wealthy woman's sympathy to extract some charity and then humiliates her by revealing his ruse. This was performed with a heavy accent which added to the fun.

Mr. Brancy had a beautiful love duet with Ms. Loeb entitled "Francie" in which Ms. Loeb prattles on and Mr. Brancy, portraying her husband Joe, recently released from prison, sings nothing but her name Francie over and over again.

It was an altogether interesting evening, although we would not be in a rush to hear either work in toto. But we will always be eager to hear more of those four splendid singers. Mr. Brancy has a real gift for sincerity and getting to the heart of a song whilst the other three have extraordinary comedic gifts. And today, we need all the humor we can get!

© meche kroop