ART SONG WANTED! DEAD OR ALIVE?

Nils Neubert and Robert Brandt

 Art Song recitals are a tough sell these days and one wonders why this perfect marriage of poetry, piano, and voice has fallen out of favor with the musical audiences of today. It seems as if a celebrity singer can fill up Carnegie Hall; but the true artistry of this genre is best enjoyed in an intimate venue.

Frank Daykin and Thomas

New York City has a number of organizations devoted to the survival of the art song and chief among them is The Art Song Preservation Society which is in the middle of its annual festival.  We love their motto--"Where Music Speaks & Words Sing". Headed by singer/pianist/educator/arts administrator Blair Boone-Migura, ASPS provides opportunities for education and performance for both emerging and established composers, singers, and accompanists. They are also involved in community outreach, mentoring, and an internet-radio podcast.

This week there will be daily master classes at 2:00 PM held at Manhattan School of Music; the master teachers are some of the best in the field.  Although not available in the daytime, we are mostly excited about the Friday evening recital of Latin American Art Song.  And anyone free next Saturday at 1:00 can enjoy the finals of the Mary Trueman Art Song Vocal Competition; an added bonus is the opportunity to vote for your favorite competitor.

We have just returned from a delightful recital in which two seasoned recitalists presented both solos and duets of this genre, accompanied by two veteran and legendary collaborative pianists who are both "poets of the piano". This complement allowed for the hearing of rarely heard duets and four-handed piano pieces.

The program opened with tenor Nils Neubert joining forces with baritone Robert Brandt for three duets by Brahms, none of which we have heard before. The sound fell sweetly on the ear with great attention paid to crisp consonants, lovely phrasing, and a perfect balance between the two voices. We do love German lieder with the same affection which Italian holds for us in the area of opera. Furthermore, the composers of 19th c. Germany astutely chose fine poetry to set.

We are pleased to share with our readers that the early 20th c. English songs held no terrors for our 19th c. ears. We heard a selection of songs by Gerald Finzi, Herbert Howells, and John Ireland, all distinguished by their wise choices of text and their astute use of our mother tongue to amplify this text.  Of course, one can never go wrong with Shakespeare, whose iambic pentameter lends itself to musical setting. We wish contemporary composers would choose better text to set!

These songs were given a fine performance by the mellow voiced Mr. Brandt, accompanied by Frank Daykin, who brought out the subtleties of the piano score, especially the sound of the nightingale in Howells' "King David". In Finzi's flirtatious "O Mistress mine", we enjoyed Mr. Brandt's lovely pianissimo in the last verse.  The philosophical "Fear no more the heat o' the sun" from the Bard's Cymbeline, and Ireland's nostalgic "The Salley Gardens" were followed by the frisky "It was a lover and his lass" from As You Like It. Mr. Brandt colored each song according to its text and his English diction was particularly well defined.  Not a word was lost.

Mr. Neubert also had his turn as a soloist and we enjoyed his performance of Quatre Melodies de Claude Debussy, settings of text by Paul Verlaine. Thomas Grubb's piano was the ideal partner; Mr. Grubb is renowned for writing the popular Singing in French, a manual of French Diction and French Vocal Repertoire. "C'est l'extase langoureuse" was given an appropriately languid reading. In "Il pleure dans mon coeur", we enjoyed the rippling piano, quite different from the rolling waves of "La mer est plus belle".

The two singers joined forces for two duets by Gabriel Fauré that were new to us. The lovely French lines involved the two voices echoing one another, not only in the textual lines but on the pleasing sound of "ah". The audience favorite seems to have been the jolly "Tarantelle". Mr. Grubb was truly in his element.

Besides this banquet of vocal music, we were treated to some four-handed piano.  We heard a sonata for four hands by Francis Poulenc--lively and somewhat dissonant. The program closed with Ravel's Ma Mère l'Oye, written in 1908-1910. Mr. Daykin, known for his widely used Encyclopedia of French Art Song: Fauré, Debussy, Ravel, Poulenc, gave a droll introduction to this work by Ravel, here at his picturesque best in programmatic music written for the children of his friends, who were unable to learn the piece!

We particularly enjoyed "Les entretiens de la Belle et de la Bête" in which Mr. Daykin expressed Belle's beauty in the lyrical part played in the upper register, whilst the rumbling of the Beast was taken by Mr. Grubb at the lower end of the register. Both themes were transmogrified over the course of the movement.

The audience clamored for an encore but there was none.  Still, we left feeling completely fulfilled.

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BASS SEASON OPENER SCORES BIG

Charles Weaver, Nils Neubert, Yuri Kim, Kate Maroney, Dmitri Dover, Michael Brofman, Sarah Brailey, and Jesse Blumberg

"The stars at night are big and bright, deep in the heart of...." No, not Texas, but Brooklyn!  What a splendid season opener was presented by the Brooklyn Art Song Society, helmed by pianist Michael Brofman! It was definitely worth an hour on the subway and that's saying quite a lot.

The Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church has fine acoustics that provided an excellent venue for the soft sounds of Charles Weaver's lute as he accompanied a group of peerless singers, none of whom lapsed into the boring type of interpretations that often present themselves in the face of early music.

John Dowland's songs were composed four centuries ago yet manage to sound fresh today. The texts are in Elizabethan English; they scan and rhyme and match the lovely vocal lines in a way that is heard no more, sad to say, in contemporary song-makers. Mr. Weaver's playing is beyond wonderful.

The opening number "Unquiet Thoughts" was sung in the most handsome harmonies by soprano Sarah Brailey, mezzo-soprano Kate Maroney, tenor Nils Neubert, and baritone Jesse Blumberg. We thought of a tapestry with 5 threads woven together, appearing together, separating, overlapping.

The remaining songs held to that impossibly high standard. Like songs of every epoch, the inspiring texts have to do with love--love longed for, love achieved, love unrequited.  Mr. Neubert has the sweetest tenor and a fine vibrato that was perfect for "Come Again: Sweet Love Doth Now Invite". No less sweet was Mr. Blumberg's baritone in "Sweet Stay a While".

Several songs followed that were not about sweetness ; but perhaps the sweetness of longing is a different kind of sweet. In "Flow My Tears", Mr. Blumberg matched perfectly with Ms. Maroney. and the ensemble returned for "Would My Conceit".

The singing was just as fine in the second half of the program although it seemed to our ears that Benjamin Britten's arrangements of Henry Purcell's delicate songs was a bit heavy-handed and overwhelming. There is nothing new in a composer wanting to put his own stamp on other composers' works but our ears are better attuned to the delicacies of the 17th c.

Several of the songs had been heard mainly sung by counter-tenors and were, last night, strange to the ear.  Accompanied by the wonderful Yuri Kim on the piano, Mr. Neubert and Mr. Blumberg gave an exuberant account of "Sound the Trumpets".

"Music for Awhile" is one of our perennial favorites and Mr. Neubert sang it well over a piano arrangement that sounded strangely portentous.  But that's the way Britten heard it, we suppose.

Mr. Blumberg sang "Mad Bess" with his customary skill at storytelling. We have been enjoying his singing for over a decade and noticed new depth and breadth in the lower register that is most exciting.

Dmitri Dover, always excellent, took over the piano accompaniment for the next set of songs which was given to the lovely ladies to sing. The lyrical "Shepherd, Leave Decoying" united the golden tones of Ms. Brailey with the silvery sound of Ms. Maroney. (Interestingly, their stylish gowns were respectively golden and silver!)

We got to hear Ms. Brailey sing one of our favorite songs "Sweeter than Roses" with a rather romantic piano part and the lovely "Evening Hymn" sung by Ms. Maroney. Ms. Brailey returned for a stunning solo "The Blessed Virgin's Expostulation" in which Mary expresses doubts in her faith, accompanied by Mr. Brofman himself. Very moving.

The remainder of the season continues its focus on England. On October 6th one can hear more Britten and some settings of Shakespearean text, at Deutsches Haus at NYU.  And on Oct. 22nd there will be a celebration of Ned Rorem at Bargemusic.

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GERMAN FORUM

Babette Hierholzer, Elizabeth Wimmer and Nils Neubert

Kim Smith

Two major musical events on one snowy Wednesday night!  Only in New York.  Finding out that the two very different events were related tickled us no end.

We began the evening with a recital presented by the German Forum, a worthy foundation which had strangely escaped our attention.  Their goals are consonant with ours and we were delighted to have "discovered" them.  Their mission is to introduce emerging European artists--both vocal and instrumental--to the New York audience.  What is unique about the German Forum is that vocal and instrumental repertoire are presented on the same program and also that expert speakers are chosen to introduce the programs and to provide interesting insights into the compositions.

Among this group of speakers we recognized several of our favorite people:  Ira Siff, Margaret Juntwait, Ken Benson and August Ventura.  Among the artists presented over the last ten years were Nathalie Mittelbach, Michael Kelly, and (drum roll please) cabaret artist Kim Smith whom we had scheduled to review later that evening!  Only in New York!!!!

The German Forum recital, a musical tribute to Alma Mahler's famous composer friends, was introduced by Donna Drewes, Associate Professor of the Humanities at New York University.  She is an excellent speaker and spoke of Alma Mahler's role as muse.  Her life touched the lives of many composers of the early 20th c. and she herself, taught by Alexander von Zemlinsky, composed a wealth of lieder until husband number one, Gustav Mahler, insisted she stop.  Many fascinating details of her rather racy life were touched upon before the music began.

Songs by conductor Bruno Walter (who knew!), Alban Berg, Gustav Mahler, Joseph Marx, Alexander von Zemlinsky, Leonard Bernstein, and Alma Mahler herself were sung by soprano Elizabeth Wimmer, whom we were delighted to hear for the first time, and tenor Nils Neubert whom we have reviewed at least thrice in the past two years. Hearing lieder sung by native German speakers was a special treat.

Ms. Wimmer has a lovely bright soprano with some beautifully floated top notes and a lot of skill as a storyteller. She can decrescendo to a delicate pianissimo and effectively handled the high tessitura in the Korngold.  But what we enjoyed the most was her storytelling in Gustav Mahler's songs from Des Knaben Wunderhorn. We are very fond of melody and have been humming the charming "Rheinlegendchen" all night.

Mr. Neubert has not lost the sweet freshness of his voice that we previously so admired.  His performance of Mahler's "Ich atmet einen Linden Duft" touched us deeply, especially when he floated the high note.  His voice has an expressive tenderness with which he conveys subtle nuances.  We loved the repetitive phrase "Irmelin Rose" in the Zemlinsky lied of the same name.

The collaborative pianist was Artistic Director of the German Forum Babette Hierholzer. We always appreciate a pianist who supports the singers without overwhelming them. The piano parts in the Post-Romantic period are quite different from those of the 19th c. and are often compelling in their own right.  We have remarked on this recently on the occasion of hearing lieder by Joseph Marx and noticed the same effect on all of the composers heard last night.

We would like to mention the fine work of the Lysander Piano Trio comprising Itamar Zorman violinist, Michael Katz cellist, and Liza Stepanova pianist.  We heard them in various combinations, as well as violist Edward Klorman who was so expressive in Marx's "Durch Einsamkeiten" along with Mr. Neubert.

Mr. Katz was eloquent in Zemlinsky's "Lied" and rhythmically on point in the rowdy "Tarantell".  Mr. Zorman impressed with his performance of Fritz Kreisler's "Liebesleid" accompanied by Ms. Stepanova; the waltz was performed with delicious rubato.  Ms. Hierholzer and Ms. Stepanova performed a few pieces from Arnold Schoenberg's youth--Six Pieces for piano 4 hand, of which our favorite was the third--quite melodic with an interesting texture.  Hearing it made us regret his so-called "advance" into atonality.

The Scherzo from Strauss' Piano Quartet in C minor op. 13 was given a spirited performance; the short motivic phrases bookended a lovely lyrical central section. Ms. Wimmer and Mr. Neubert closed the program with a duet from Bernstein's West Side Story.  Mr. Neubert bears no trace of accent in English but Ms. Wimmer sang with a very slight and very charming accent that served to affirm that Maria and Tony came from two different cultures.

As yet unaware that our favorite cabaret artist Kim Smith was one of the artists presented in the past by the German Forum, we hustled down to the far western reaches of Manhattan to the McKittrick Hotel for a late night set.  As an opera lover, we most enjoyed his very personal delivery of Kurt Weill's "Pirate Jenny" from the Three Penny Opera.  Marc Blitzstein penned the English lyrics.  Gershwin's "Summertime" from Porgy and Bess was given a unique performance as only Mr. Smith could devise.  He is always compelling to see and to hear.  We have enjoyed him more in a theatrical environment without all the rowdy drinkers one gets in a bar. He is an artist who deserves one's full attention.

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SCHUBERT AND SCHILLER AND MORE

Schubert

Schiller

Schubert&Co continued their exploration of Schubert's prodigious song output (over 600!) in an evening devoted to Schubert's settings of Schiller's poetry.  How the two giants of the 19th c. complemented one another!  Schiller's poetry is dramatic and given to frequent classical references; it rhymes and it scans. The works are lengthy and nearly operatic in scope; the frequent changes of moods make demands on the singer and the pianist alike to sustain the interest of the listener.  We can't help wondering whether the indifferent vocal music being written today would be improved if the poetry were more meaningful.

The five singers who took this on were more than equal to the task.  Mezzo Jazimina MacNeil deftly handled the lighthearted  "Die vier Weltalter" as well as the horror-filled "Gruppe aus dem Tartarus".  Soprano Sarah Shafer did justice to the joyful "Elysium" and sang the part of Hector's wife Andromache in the sorrowful "Hektors Abschied" with tenor Nils Neubert singing the part of Hector.  Mr. Neubert was outstanding in the sad story "Ritter Toggenburg".  Mezzo Nathalie Mittelbach was exceptional in "Klage der Ceres", a mother's woeful lament for her deceased daughter; she has a substantial voice and one could recognize the pleading on the part of the piano, performed so movingly by Lachlan Glen.  More lamenting was heard when Ms. Shafer sang the poignant "Des Mädchens Klage" in her ear-tingling bright soprano.  The program ended with the long story "Die Bürgschaft" which had an uncharacteristic happy ending.  Baritone Tyler Duncan used his vocal and dramatic gifts to tell the story in a meaningful and moving way whilst piano partner Erika Switzer tackled the difficult scale passages and vigorous chords with aplomb.  It was a long evening in which our interest never flagged owing to the fine interpretive singing and pianism.

The following night of this Festival Weekend continued with three more talented singers undertaking the poetry of Karl Gottfried Ritter von Leitner, Pietro Antonio Domenico Trapassi (a.k.a. Metastasio) and James MacPherson (a.k.a. Ossian) as set by Schubert.  Soprano Pureum Jo was the perfect choice for the Metastasio and hearing Italian was an agreeable change.  We especially enjoyed "Didone abbandonata" in which one could appreciate the pingy resonance of her voice throughout a wide tonal range.  Mr. Glen's roiling piano was notable in "Son fra l'onde".

Baritone John Brancy has long impressed us with his warm and sizable voice and interpretive skills.  Last night he sang two songs by von Leitner, "Drang in die Ferne" and "Der Kreuzzug", which demonstrated his strength in the lower register; the German friend who accompanied us confirmed our confidence in Mr. Brancy's perfect German in which every word can be clearly understood.

Tenor Cullen Gandy invested von Leitner's "Der Wallensteiner Lanzknecht beim Trunk" with all the power required in a drinking song.  We were also able to enjoy him in Italian as he sang Metastasio's "Non t'accostar all'urna" to which we were delighted to be introduced, having only been familiar with the setting by Verdi.

If you have not yet attended one of Schubert&Co's recitals, you will have several more opportunities.  This is an amazing opportunity to discover works that have not yet been given their due.  We will be eternally grateful to Jonathan Ware and Lachlan Glen, Co-Artistic Directors, for this opportunity.

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SCHUBERT UND DIE NATUR

Franz Schubert in Youth

Born 3 years before the advent of the 19th c. the young Schubert, here depicted, wrote 140 songs in 1815 alone!  It seems the music just poured out of him; in similar fashion the music seemed to pour out of the young artists onstage last night as Schubert&Co. continued their year-long exploration of his entire vocal oeuvre.  The series is not only entertaining but also educational as Lachlan Glen, one of the series' two Artistic Directors, generously shared his love and appreciation for the music.  Focusing on settings of poetry by Ludwig Gotthard Kosegarten, Friedrich Leopold, Alexander Pope, Colley Cibber and Abraham Cowley, the final three having been translated into German, many of the lieder are on the theme of nature.  Although Schubert had requested the German translations to follow the syllabification of the original English, it is clear, as Mr. Glen pointed out, that the accents fall in different places.  We were happy to hear them sung in German which suits the music better.

The program began and ended with the lovely Australian soprano Simone Easthope who delighted us with her shimmery voice that created a perfect picture in the mind's eye.  We especially enjoyed "Daphne am Bach, D.411" which had a familiar sound, reminding us of "Die Forelle" and "Auf dem Wasser zu singen, D.774" a strophic lied with many shifts between major and minor, and the only song of the evening that we had previously heard.

Being introduced to tenor Nils Neubert was an unexpected treat.  Mr. Neubert has an incredibly sweet voice and the choice of songs with sweet melodies was a wise one.  We particularly enjoyed "Alles um Liebe, D.241" and observed that he had no trouble with the low notes at the ends of some of the other songs.  We also enjoyed the optimism of "Der Blinde Knabe, D.833" and enjoyed his appealing vibrato.

Bass-baaritone Andrew Bogard has a sturdy voice and we loved the way he evinced some unexpected tenderness without sacrificing the tone, especially in the joyful song of love fulfilled "Das Finden D.219"; we also noted his way with humor in "Der Weiberfreund, D.271".

Soprano Julia Bullock sounded best in the relatively more cheerful songs "Morgenlied, D.266" and "Abendlied, D.276".

Mr. Glen was the piano partner for all four singers, playing with his customary sensitivity and terrific technique.  His playing was most powerful in "Verklärung D.59" and most notable in the final piece "Auf dem Wasser zu singen, D.774" in which one could hear the waves and almost feel the water.

This was the only performance of the series to take place in the new Opera Center on Seventh Avenue.  The room was perfectly intimate with superlative acoustics and a fine piano.  We noticed several studios and performance spaces and would like to learn more about the space.  Next Sunday's 6PM recital will return to  Central Presbyterian Church at 64th and Park Avenue.  Another winner, for sure!

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