PIANO 10 VOICE 2

Sally Matthews and Simon Lepper

Nothing pleases us more than discovering a singer we haven't heard before and we approached last night's recital at Weill Recital Hall with high anticipation, especially because the program of Sibelius, Grieg, Strauss, and Wagner comprised songs we know and love. Sadly, the evening left us feeling empty and disappointed, reluctant to sit down at the computer to write about it.

Appreciation of the human voice is a very individual thing and what sounds pleasing to one pair of ears may be unpleasant to another. Although the customary standing ovation with hoots and hollers at the conclusion was absent, there was generous applause and our post-recital chat with friends and colleagues revealed a modest degree of appreciation of certain aspects of the recital, but no one seemed thrilled.

We will get to the voice anon but let us start by saying that a seasoned performer who presents an entire recital buried in the score is cheating the audience of the intimate experience for which one attends a lieder recital in a small house.  Dear Reader, bear in mind that soprano Sally Matthews has apparently presented the very same program at Wigmore Hall in London! This was not a recital of new music with weird entrances and strange sounds. No, it was a recital of standard repertory that had been performed before.

Nor did the loathed music stand get set aside for the two encores. If we have one positive thing to say about the singer, it is that the lower tessitura of Britten's "The Salley Gardens" was more agreeable than the hard edges displayed during the rest of the program, an unpleasant sound that was at its worst at the top of the vocal register and was made even worse when the volume was increased.

Admittedly, our friend in the balcony found it not as painful to the ear drums as we did, as did the friend who sat next to us. The lower tessitura of Wagner's Wesendonck Lieder was kinder to the ear. Pianissimo passages were less painful.

We have nothing to say about Ms. Matthews' Swedish. Her German was adequate and there were no omissions of the final "ch"; however at times, entire syllables were glossed over and we missed the crispness heard from German singers. Upward leaps in Wagner's "Schmerzen" were dynamically abrupt.

There was a sameness to the sound of every single song which added to the tedium. We don't believe that the singer lacked in connection to the material but she did lack in connection with the audience. She was either looking at the score or at some nonexistent family circle but never at the audience. We did not feel drawn into her world or the world of the song.

The best singing of the night came from the piano of Simon Lepper. When we feel alienated from a singer, we generally use the situation  as an opportunity to focus on the piano and Mr. Lepper did not disappoint. The variety we missed in the voice was amply revealed in the piano.

Fortunately, there were three instrumental selections from Edvard Grieg's Lyric Pieces: "Melodie" from  Op.38, No.3, "Melancholie" from Op.48, No.4, and "Arietta" from Op.12, No.1. All were lovely and evocative of different moods. We liked his soft hands as they caressed the keys.

We enjoyed the jaunty accompaniment to Grieg's "Lauf der Welt" which told the tale far better than the singer did.  In Strauss' Drei Lieder der Ophelia, Op.67, he captured the madness. Actually, the singer also captured the madness but was uncomfortably shrill.

Mr. Lepper's performance of Strauss' "Morgen!" was exquisite and we found ourselves wishing that he could continue without the voice. Similarly, for Wagner's "Im Treibhaus".

As impressed as we were with Mr. Lepper's piano, we wondered whether, in his role of coach, he had ever suggested to Ms. Matthews that she learn her program sufficiently to share it with the audience. It seems somewhat self-absorbed when a singer appears to be singing for herself and excludes the audience!

© meche kroop

LOVE/DEATH: RICHARD WAGNER’S TRISTAN UND ISOLDE, ACT 2

Maestro Gianandrea Noseda, National Symphony Orchestra, and cast of Wagner's Tristan und Isolde
(photo © Kevin Yatarola, courtesy of Lincoln Center)

Guest review by Ellen Godfrey:

On Sunday afternoon, at David Geffen Hall, the White Light Festival, now in its 10th year, presented a concert performance of the complete second act of Wolfgang Wagner’s great music drama Tristan und Isolde. English subtitles were supplied. The theatre was totally sold out for this very special occasion. The title roles were sung by the dramatic Wagnerian soprano Christine Goerke and the Wagnerian tenor Stephen Gould.

Earlier in the afternoon, before the opera began, a very engaging lecture was given by Cori Ellison, a well-known opera lecturer and dramaturg involved in many opera projects.  She gave a wonderful in-depth lecture about Richard Wagner and his opera Tristan und Isolde.

Richard Wagner is one of the greatest musical geniuses who ever lived.  He revolutionized opera and brought it into the 20th century.  After working on his epic Ring Cycle for four.years  (the first ever “Mini-series”), he took a break after completing the second act of Siegfried, the third opera of the cycle. He wanted  to move away from the romantic period of opera to try some new ideas. As usual, he was short of money. Otto Wesendonck, a silk merchant and patron offered Wagner and his wife a small house to live in on his property.  

During his long break, Wagner began studying the 13th century German legend, Tristan, and became very excited about using it for his next opera. In 1856, he began by first writing the music for the opera and then later the libretto, which he wrote, as he did for all his operas. During this period, Wagner set five poems written by Otto’s wife Mathilde to music.  

He used two of them as sketches for the opera Tristan: "Im Treibhaus" (in the greenhouse) appears in the beginning of the third act and "Traüme" (dreams),is heard during the second act love duet.  The five songs became known as the Wesendonck Lieder and are still sung in concerts today.  Wagner and Mathilde were infatuated with each other, but it was never confirmed whether or not they were lovers.

Wagner was very interested in the philosophy of Arthur Schopenhauer. The philosopher was very pessimistic about the human condition.  He felt that Death is a liberator.

In the first act of the opera, Tristan is on a ship to Cornwall bringing Isolde to marry King Marke. Isolde has cured Tristan from his wounds from a fight and Isolde secretly has fallen in love with him. She is furious that he is bringing her to Cornwall to marry another man, King Marke. She summons him to come to her and asks Brangane, her companion, to prepare a death potion for them. Brangane  realizes that they are both in love and prepares a love potion instead.  They both fall instantly in love as the ship reaches shore.

The second act of the opera begins with the famous “Tristan chord” and we are suddenly in a whole new world….a world of dissonance and unease.   Maestro Gianandrea Noseda conducted this chord and the subsequent music with great beauty of sound.  Each of the solo instruments and the off-stage French horns stood out for their clarity.  Maestro was able to bring out all the drama of the music when needed and easily toned down the orchestra for the more intimate moments. There were times when he took a more Italianate approach to the music but he excelled in the Wagnerian style as well. 

Christine Goerke has recently added the role of Isolde to her repertoire after having performed several Ring Cycles.  She conveyed the excitement and expectation of waiting for Tristan.  She has a wonderful lower register which was perfect for this scene.  She started off a little carefully but quickly warmed up to her big beautiful Wagnerian voice.  

The mezzo-soprano Ekaterina Gubanova, as Brangane, tries to warn Isolde that Melot (Neil Cooper), Tristan’s supposed friend, has been double dealing, but Isolde is too much in love to heed the warning. Ms. Gubanova has a big exciting dark voice.  In this scene she has to sing out many long beautiful lines and she handled them very well.  Her singing showed great empathy for Isolde.  When she went to the top of her register, her voice had perhaps an excess of vibrato but otherwise she was very comfortable in the role.

The Wagnerian tenor Stephen Gould is the leading Wagnerian tenor of today.  He has a big resonant voice that easily soars over the orchestra.  He sings the role of Tristan with great passion and has a big heldentenor sound.  When he sees Isolde, his singing becomes very passionate and they are both nearly breathless with the excitement of seeing each other.

As daylight disappears and night takes over, the music becomes quietly rapturous as Christine Goerke and Stephen Gould begin singing the love duet.  Their voices blended wonderfully for this long and difficult duet, effortlessly sung.  Their singing is interrupted by Brangane, who warns them of danger, but they are too much in love to care. They welcome the dark of night which banishes everyday reality from day; night is also the realm of death.

Tristan’s companion Kurwenal runs in warning that King Marke is arriving from the hunt. The King is angry and feels betrayed  and dishonored by Tristan who was suppose to be bringing Isolde to him to be his bride. King Marke was sung by Gunther Groissbock who has a velvety smooth dark bass-baritone voice.  His sadness at losing Isolde was well portrayed.  Kerwenal, sung by another bass-baritone Hunter Enoch, also had a compelling voice.

For me, the most beautiful scene in the opera, which is a turning point for the lovers, occurs at the end of the act, when Tristan asks Isolde gently if she will follow him to a land where the sun never shines.  The music for this scene is so simple and moving.  Isolde responds directly that she will follow him to his land.  Both Stephen Gould and Christine Goerke sang this scene calmly with great beauty, as the music called for.  The act ends with a fight between Melot and Tristan. Tristan is seriously wounded.

At the end of this 80 minute act, the whole audience rose to their feet to cheer the wonderful singers, conductor, and orchestra members.  The performers were called back three times for more applause. We were all grateful for this wondrous performance. It made us all long to hear the entire opera in the near future.

© meche kroop

  

A TRIP DOWN THE RHINE

Guest Review by Ellen Godfrey:

Last night at St. John’s Church in the Village, the genius of Richard Wagner’s music abounded in the pairing of the Wesendonck Lieder with two selections from his passionate opera, Tristan und Isolde. 

In 1849, Wagner had to escape from Dresden to Switzerland with his wife Minna, to avoid being arrested as a rebel. He was invited to live in a small cottage on the estate of one of his patrons, Otto Wesendonck, and his wife Mathilde. While the Wagner’s were there, Mathilde wrote a cycle of five poems for women which Wagner set to music.  The cycle became known as the Wesendonck Lieder.  The song cycle was composed between 1857 and 1858. There were unconfirmed rumors that Wagner and Mathilde were having a love affair. 

Wagner was two thirds of the way through composing his unmatched 4-opera Ring Cycle, when he took a 12 year break after almost completing Siegfried, the third opera of the cycle. Wagner was very interested in finding new expression in music and drama. He became very interested in the 19th century philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer, who wrote a book called The World as Will and Repression. He started to compose a new opera, Tristan und Isolde, which pointed to a new kind of music which eventually led composition into the 20th century.   

The highly gifted soprano Julianna Milin performed both the Wesendonck Lieder, and, after a brief intermission, two selections from Tristan und Isolde, no easy task.  In the first part of the program, Miss Millin used her  beautiful, big voice in a lighter vein, as is befitting a lieder singer.  In the second half of the program, she let her voice rip, with a much bigger sound and beautiful high notes and deep low notes. Her accompanist was the talented Juan Jose Lazaro, who has performed in many major symphonic halls. He has also accompanied many singers in masterclasses. He was a very supportive partner throughout the two part program.

Ms. Milin sang the first poem “Der Engel “(The Angel) very softly and ended it on a very quiet note. This song has several musical references to Das Rheingold, the first opera of Wagner’s Ring Cycle. In the second song "Stehe Still “(Be still), the pianist sailed easily through the difficult very fast moving music, like the rushing wheel of time, which is the first line of the song. Ms Milin was equally adept in her performance.

Wagner was using two of the Wesendonck songs as a draft for a new opera Tristan und Isolde which he had started working on.  In the third song “Im Treibhaus" (In the Green House) Wagner used the music as part of the prelude to Act 3 of Tristan und Isolde. It started off with a beautifully played piano introduction by Mr. Lazaro as Ms. Milin started slowly and softly along with him.  The ending of the song was quiet, with both the pianist and the singer feeling the music very deeply. In the fourth song “Schmerzen"( Sorrows)  Ms. Milin was able to show off her deep low notes, expressing the sorrow of the song.

The fifth and final song is the most beautiful of the cycle--“Traume” (Dreams,) and was used by Wagner in the Act 2 love duet of Tristan und Isolde.  Ms. Milin sang a beautiful introduction to the song with much feeling and a good. understanding of the music.  It was really her most beautiful singing of the cycle. Mr. Lazaro accompanied her with great understanding and feeling.

What was missing from Ms. Milin’s performance of these 5 wonderful songs, was communication with the audience.  She too often looked at the music on her nearby music stand rather than relating to the audience.  Hopefully, by the next time she performs this music, she will no longer need the score.

After the intermission Ms. Milin returned to the stage to sing Isolde’s curse from the first act of Tristan und Isolde.  Here she was a different singer  She used her big bright voice to great effect for this highly dramatic music, and sang with great feeling when called for.  In the long narrative, Isolde spews out her rage against Tristan, with whom she is secretly in love, but who is escorting her to marry King Mark. Her singing in this portion was very exciting and she poured out wonderful high notes as she curses Tristan. Juan Jose Lazaro played with anger when needed but never overshadowed her singing.

The evening concluded with the  beautiful "Liebestod " (love/death).  The music began quietly with both pianist and singer. Ms. Millin sang with great feeling with perfect accompaniment by Mr. Lazaro. She had a beautiful pianissimo at the end and Mr. Lazaro finished on a quiet note. As the program ended, the audience cheered the performances of both artists.  It was a lovely evening of music and thoughtfully demonstrated the relationship between Wagner's song cycle and subsequent opera.

© meche kroop

LONDON'S LOVELY LADIES

Ken Noda, Julie Adams, and Emily D'Angelo

After two weeks of operas about women being suppressed and abused it came as quite a relief to enjoy a George London Foundation recital in which two women made a strong showing of artistry and presence. Soprano Julie Adams and mezzo-soprano Emily D'Angelo have no qualms about showing both beauty and strength. We couldn't have imagined a better recital, well worth the soaking we got from yet another rainy day.

The big surprise was how Ms. D'Angelo's artistry surpassed our inherent dislike of American 20th c. songs. We have suffered through Copland's settings of Emily Dickinson's poetry on a few occasions and we were not expecting to be so drawn in. But, there it is! True artistry can bring out hidden qualities in anything. (We are thinking of how Moroccan Cauliflower Soup changed our mind about that previously detested vegetable.)

We felt as if this gifted young singer were composing the poetry as she sang it but actually, she was "merely" channeling Ms. Dickinson. Words on a page became experienced reality. "Heart we will forget him" was particularly affecting. She is a true story-teller!

She performed two works about eerie myths in a single set. In "The Seal Man" by 20th c. composer Rebecca Clarke, she related the story of a woman so madly in love that she follows her beloved into the sea and drowns-- quite a metaphor! We preferred Clara Schumann's telling of the tale of "Die Lorelie", probably because we prefer German lieder of the 19th c. better than 20th c. songs in English. The former rhymes and scans; the latter is prosy.

Ms. D'Angelo's instrument has a wonderful texture and her artistry has earned awards and recognition including a 2018 George London award. All the ingredients for success are there; it is gratifying to read about the many roles for which she has been chosen.

It take courage to include Schoenberg and Berg on a recital program. The vocal lines are strange to the ear and the text even stranger. And yet she made sense of them with her precise German and apt phrasing.

Nonetheless, our favorite among Ms. D'Angelo's selections was "Sein wir wieder gut" from Strauss' comedy Ariadne auf Naxos. She captured all the enthusiasm of a young composer who recognizes the reconciliation required of this most sacred art.

Ms. Adams is likewise the recipient of many awards including a 2015 George London award; she too has earned recognition for her powerful dramatic soprano which lent itself so well to "Elsa's Dream" from Wagner's Lohengrin. She sang with ardent passion and ringing tone, bringing out the yearning in Elsa's character. We loved it!

Lovers of Strauss (and we count ourself in that group) could not help but thrill to her performance of two songs--"Morgen" and "Beim Schlafengehen". Both songs are of a peaceful nature, the first one a shared peacefulness, and the second one a solitary peace. In "Morgen" we realized we were holding our breath! At the word "stumm", her coloration and diction took us into a new place. The violin accompaniment by David Chan echoed the vocal line to great effect.

And look how she interpreted a pair of songs by Rachmaninoff! We generally expect "Ne poy, Krasavitsa" to be sung by a man so it was an interesting choice. It is so filled with Russian soul that we could feel the pain in our heart. We love the way the piano echoes the Oriental mode of the vocal line and vice versa. In "Son" we enjoyed the dreamlike rippling in the piano. This seems like a good place to tell how much we appreciate Ken Noda's playing, about which we will have more to say further along.

Grieg too wrote about a dream. In "Ein Traum" the dreamer's dream becomes reality and what passion we heard in Ms. Adams' coloration! This set of songs included some low lying passages but this did not daunt our singer, not even in the regret filled "Zur Rosenzeit".

We were thinking how perfect the recital would have been had there been a duet. Lo and behold, these two lovely ladies provided an encore that was the perfect cherry on the sundae--"Belle nuit" from Offenbach's Contes d'Hoffman. We had just heard it Friday night but would be happy to hear it again tomorrow. The harmony of the two contrasting voices was delicious and it didn't hurt that these two ladies looked the parts they played. There was shapely Ms. Adams with flowing blond locks, very believable as an enchanting courtesan; and next to her the stately Ms. D'Angelo with her short hair and androgynous attire, looking like a young student.

We could end here on a high note, so to speak, but we would be remiss not to say more about the superb violinist Mr. Chan who opened the program playing the "Allegro vivo" from Debussy's Sonata in G minor. We know very little about violin technique but we know artistry when we hear it and noticed how similar the violin is to the human voice in terms of dynamics and phrasing. Both Mr. Chan and Mr. Noda began with a delicate touch that quickly swelled into passion. Mr. Noda's piano produced purling figures to accompany and support the wordless voice of the violin.

The two instrumentalists were even more impressive in the "Méditation" from Massenet's Thaïs in which the violin sang its secrets supported by some gorgeous arpeggi in the piano. We love the way tenderness gave way to passion.

What an exceptional concert! We love the fact that the George London Foundation supports these young singers at the early stage of their careers and then invites them back a few years later so we can assess their growth. We love witnessing promise becoming perfection!

(c) meche kroop

FOUR LOONY DIVAS

Cáitlyn Burke, Alexis Cregger, Sarah Best, and Anne Slovin at The Players

This is the 13th year for Light Opera of New York, co-founded by Carol Davis. We have enjoyed their operettas, four of which have been recorded, as well as their more casual cabaret evenings at The Players on Gramercy Park South. Last night was special! It was special because we heard four lovely ladies of the opera world performing a great variety of songs from the world of opera, light opera, cabaret, American musical theater, and whatever. We love the fact that there were no dividing lines. Any song that is well written and well sung can stand along any other song with the same qualifications.

Director for the evening was the engaging Gary Slavin who introduced the program. Able accompaniment was provided by Music Director Seth Weinstein.

We love Gilbert and Sullivan and were delighted by the opening number "I have a song to sing, O" from Yeoman of the Guard sung by the entire ensemble. The patter song "I am the very model of a modern Major General" from their H.M.S. Pinafore provided no obstacle for these four songbirds!

"Cheerily carols the lark" from Ruddigore was given a lovely interpretation by Sarah Best and Cáitlin Burke. "I cannot tell what this love may be" from Patience was sung by Anne Slovin and Alexis Cregger.

We never tire of Gilbert's clever wordplay or Sullivan's memorable tunes and we enjoyed this Savoy feast.

There were other lighthearted songs on the program. "Vodka" (makes me feel oddka) was given a delightful performance by Ms. Best. This song came from the 1926 musical by George Gershwin and Oscar Hammerstein II  called Song of the Flame. The lyrics are clever and Ms. Best's interpretation was, well, "the best".

We also enjoyed her subtle rendering of "Meadowlark" from Stephen Schwartz' The Baker's Wife as well as  "I hate men" from Cole Porter's Kiss Me Kate. "Always true to you in my fashion" from the same show was given a knowing delivery by Ms. Cregger.

Rodgers and Hammerstein's The King and I produced so many fine songs and "Something Wonderful" was beautifully performed by Ms. Burke, as was "Climb Every Mountain" from Rodgers and Hammerstein's The Sound of Music.

From a failed show entitled Rags by Charles Strouse we loved the song "Children of the Wind" sung by Ms. Slovin.

Since we did not grow up in the world of American musical theater, most of these songs were new to us and hearing them was a revelation. We are far more familiar with the world of opera and operetta.

From the world of operetta we heard the beautiful "Vilja" from Franz Lehar's Die Lustige Witwe sung by Ms. Cregger and Ms. Slovin's rendering in lovely French "J'en prendrai un deux, trois" from Jacques Offenbach's Pomme d'Api.

From the familiar world of opera, we found Ms. Slovin's performance of Norina's aria "So anch'io al virtù magica" from Donizetti's Don Pasquale to be absolutely enchanting and dramatically valid .

We have saved for last our thrill at hearing the versatile Ms. Cregger perform "Dich, teure Halle" from Wagner's Lohengrin with heroic sound and lots of impetus from Mr. Weinstein's equally heroic piano!

What a splendid night going from one gorgeous song to another with nary a longueur. The time just flew by! Everyone left smiling. Good music will do that for you!

(c) meche kroop

VIER LETZTE LIEDER AND MORE AT ST. JOHN'S IN THE VILLAGE

William Hicks and Juliana Milin  (photo by meche kroop)

Guest review by Cullen Gandy

The charming, insular neighborhood of the West Village, in New York City, set the scene for an entertaining recital program last night. Julianna Milin and William Hicks were featured as a part of a Vocal Productions NYC concert program, set in quaint St. John’s in the Village Episcopal Church. It’s a church at which I was once employed as a staff singer, so when I heard it was to be the setting, I knew that the acoustic of the space would accommodate a range of sensitive music making. It is live enough in the room to be able to hear the very softest of notes, yet (inexplicably) insulated well enough so that a powerful sound can shine through; without becoming overbearing. That was important tonight, because the soprano of the evening was able to draw out some full-bodied singing, in some of opera and art song’s most formidable repertory.

If I had to choose one thing that I appreciated most about soprano Julianna Milin, I think it would be the breath connection she maintained throughout her voice. She managed to make the lower and lower middle sections of her voice as resonant as they needed to be, so that the audience wouldn’t be surprised when the whole breadth of that sound bloomed out into the higher chambers of the voice. This is a complaint that I have had with past sopranos, but none of that applied to her voice.

There was also a timbre quality and a color in the voice that made Milin unique. Repertory like Turandot’s “In questa reggia”, the encore of the evening, and “Dich teure Halle” from Richard Wagner's Tannhäuser are often marked by voices with iconic steely or brassy qualities. They are roles that sound impressive, but perhaps not beautiful. Milin’s vocal quality incorporates a kind of well-projected reediness to it, that gives it a more pleasant bite. It felt like a deep woodwind, but with the projection of a trumpet. Her voice was able to turn me on to the musical beauty of the Strauss and the Wagnerian music, while maintaining the excitement of it.

It was a special treat to see pianist William Hicks as a part of the program. He has served as the vocal coach and repetiteur for some of opera’s most conspicuous voices, such as Pavarotti and Fleming, and has associate conducted at many of opera’s most prestigious houses. In a smaller space, such as this, it was nice to hear all of the things he was able to draw out of the music, especially in his solo piano sections.

The thing that I most enjoyed about Hicks’ playing wasn’t the precision of the notes, but the layers of phrasing he was able to draw out. In his solo pieces "Solace" (Scott Joplin) and "Variazioni dell’aria Nel cor più non mi sento” (Paisiello), the care with which he differentiated between phrases, different iterations of repeats, and between dynamics was a special experience. It was palpable, in the audience, how much his talent added to the enjoyment of the evening.

Periodically, the artists would address the audiences with little anecdotes and introductions to the piece, prior to performing them. Some critical purists don’t like this kind of set up, opting for the continuity of a through-performed recital; by putting all of the expository material in the program notes. I didn’t mind it so much. It brought a nice levity and familiarity with the audience, and the recital wasn’t so long that the speaking made the night drag on.

If I had to nit-pick about things that could have improved the evening, it would be certain parts of how the recital was set up; logistically.  From where I was sitting, there were as many as two or three items on four-foot camera stands between me and the stage. Because of my ADD, the sight of two screens pointing back at me really distracted me the whole time. That being said, I know it is an imperative for artists, as entrepreneurs, to document and market themselves in this way.

The second criticism is with the way the main-billing Strauss set was prepared for the stage. She had a music stand up to chest height, so that added another obstacle between her and the us. As an audience, we want to feel connected in an emotional sense to the artist, and not just a vocal sense. She seemed to be looking a little more into the score than is optimal for that setting. While it is not uncommon to have music onstage with this song set, because of the fact that the music was written to be performed with a large orchestra, the intimacy of the evening would have been much augmented if she perhaps had held or memorized the music.

Finally, I would have loved to have had the translations of the songs (especially) and arias furnished in the program notes. If nobody spoke German, then a lot of the specific dramatic intent of the words would have been lost.

Bottom line, her voice was well-suited to the, mostly German, repertory of the evening, and the pianist was as adept a collaborator as he was a soloist. It was an evening of music that altogether left us with an air of fulfillment; much akin to the way someone feels when they enjoy a satisfying meal.

Good music, fine performances, charming locale…what’s not to like?

(c) meche kroop

TRISTAN UND ISOLDE--NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART

Cast of Tristan und Isolde at National Opera Center

By guest reviewer Ellen Godfrey

Producing, preparing, and performing Richard Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde is not for the faint of heart.  Wagner’s operas demand so much from the singers, musicians, designers, and directors…arguably more than any other composer.  Artistic consultant Peter Randsman started thinking about the possibility of a concert performance of the opera without orchestra, but with piano, to be performed in a small intimate performance space. His goal was two-fold; first to have the singers articulate the text…to be dramatic and to get the emotion out there without scenery or costumes and secondly to give singers a chance to perform this great and taxing opera and to give the audience the opportunity to hear it.

 Peter and his colleagues assembled a fearless cast of singers. Coordinating the performance was conductor and music director, Maestro David Gilbert, chief assistant to conductor Pierre Boulez at the 1976 Wagner Bayreuth Festival, and pianist William Hobbs, a soloist as well as featured pianist with orchestras, and ensembles. LeAnn Overton wrote the English subtitles. She is a vocal coach on the faculties of Manhattan School of Music and Montclair University. Peter Randsman has performed as an actor/singer in many musicals, has sung with the New York City Opera, and has his own artistic management company. He was very involved in working with the singers.

This Tristan was performed at the National Opera Center in New York City, to a sold out house on Friday evening, November 30. I am happy to report that it was a great success.  Maestro Gilbert’s conducting was firm and totally attuned to every nuance of the difficult score. William Hobbs was amazing at the piano; for over four demanding hours he played with passion, drama, sensitivity, and understanding.

The opera was sung in German, with English subtitles and, as is common in concert versions of operas, the singers had scores. However, they were still able to convey their emotions and interact with each other. The rehearsal period was only three weeks. The only singer in the cast who had ever sung Tristan was Adam C.J. Klein, who performed the role at the Seattle Opera. It truly is amazing that the performance came together so well.

Tristan und Isolde is based on a 12th century Germany legend. Tristan is bringing Isolde to Cornwall by ship for her marriage to King Marke. Isolde and Tristan have both fallen in love with the other, but both keep their feelings hidden. Brangane, her maid, can see that Isolde loves Tristan and substitutes a love potion for the poison Isolde and Tristan were preparing to take. Under the spell of the potion, Isolde and Tristan admit their love for each other. 

Later they have a passionate encounter at night, but are discovered by King Marke, who is furious. Tristan flees to France despite the wounds inflicted on him by his former friend and betrayer Melot. Isolde follows him to France,but by the time she gets there he is dying. She dies by his side, enraptured and transfigured by love.

The singers were all up to the task. After the first act prelude, the tenor, Jeremy Brauner, sang a lovely Irish song beautifully and clearly. He was equally at ease with three other roles; the betrayer Melot, a steersman, and a shepherd.

There are few opera soprano and tenor roles that have as much singing as  Isolde and Tristan do. Both Julia Rolwing, as Isolde, and Adam C. J. Klein as Tristan, proved to be wonderful in their parts.  In Act I, Isolde’s narrative and curse, Julia Rolwing displayed the anger boiling inside.  She has an even dramatic soprano range, from top to bottom and has no fear of the high notes. Her voice has a lovely dusky quality.  

Adam C. J. Klein was equally fearless in his singing. He has a bright tenor voice and uses it for dramatic purpose when called for. After drinking the love potion, they sang lovingly to each other.  The Act II duet, which runs about 30 minutes, was introduced very delicately by William Hobbs and was sung with great love, excitement, and intensity.

Act III belongs to Tristan; who sings for about 40 minutes, with a couple of interruptions by Kurwenal. While some tenors take some cuts in the third act, Adam insisted he would sing it uncut. The length of the scene did not prevent him from singing with passion and a strong, dramatic voice. 

The end of the opera belongs to Isolde. After all that singing, Julia Rolwing could still sing an unforgettable Liebestod…starting off slowly and gradually increasing in sound and going easily higher and higher until the music fades.

Brangane, Isolde’s maid, was performed by Alison Bolshoi. Although she was a soprano, she is now a contralto. She has an exciting and even big booming voice from top to bottom.  The lower notes of her contralto voice are absolutely gorgeous.  Her singing of Brangane’s watch in Act II, was outstanding.

Kurwenal, Tristan’s retainer, was sung by helden-baritone Bryan Glenndavis. His voice beautiful voice is very expressive and big. He is perfect for Wagnerian roles.

King Marke, who is to marry Isolde, was sung by bass Eric Lindsey. I was  extremely impressed with his distinctively beautiful bass voice. He sang without pushing his voice and was very dramatic in his castigation of Tristan.

Justin McBurney, the English horn player had a lovely tone. He comes in for the third act. He played with great joy ,when appropriate and also great feeling.

Thanks to all who participated in this wonderful performance.  I found it very interesting just hearing the piano, especially played by such an excellent  pianist as William Hobbs. Maestro David Gilbert led a brilliant performance. There is nothing better than hearing opera voices live. I hope that Peter Randsman and his group can perform other operas in a similar manner.

EROS AND THANATOS AT CARNEGIE HALL

Boston Symphony Orchestra in concert version of Tristan und Isolde (Act II) at Carnegie Hall

We went to hear tenor Jonas Kaufmann's Tristan but we left with so much more. Without the distractions of a meretricious concept production at the Metropolitan Opera last season (one which we fled during the first intermission), we were able to focus on Richard Wagner's transporting music. Under the precise and expressive baton of Maestro Andris Nelson, the enormous forces of the Boston Symphony Orchestra paid tribute to Wagner's music with its intense emotional impact.

We were perfectly content with Mr. Kaufmann's vocal artistry and dark coloration. As Isolde, Finnish soprano Camilla Nylund was right up there with him. The voice of Japanese mezzo-soprano Mihoko Fujimura as Brangäne sailed right through the dense orchestration as she begged Isolde to pay attention to the risk of discovery. As King Marke, German bass Georg Zeppenfeld broke our heart with his deeply felt aria, expressing the pain of betrayal he experienced.

Since this was a concert version of only Act II, we were deprived of the introduction to the story and also of any physical contact between the two ill fated lovers. There wasn't even any eye contact to rely upon so that the feelings had to come almost entirely through the music. And this led to our appreciation of the work in a new way.

Even the off-stage horns at the beginning of the act fostered our imagination, creating the nighttime hunt arranged by Melot to get King Marke out of the castle. We hear what the realist Brangäne hears and understand that Isolde is in the grip of delusion, based upon denial. Not only does Isolde not hear the horns but she denies Melot's jealousy and danger to her.

The two lovers are so infatuated that there is a reversal of the normal pattern of perceiving daylight as real and positive, with nighttime as dangerous. These lovers reject the reality of day and worship darkness where their illicit love becomes real.

There is also a reversal of what people normally experience; great happiness makes us cherish life and fight against death; these lovers are so ill-starred that they can only see happiness in death. All this Wagner created in his adventuresome unresolved harmonics and astute orchestration. We get caught up in their rapture.

When the lovers speak of death the orchestra becomes peaceful and we hear the apposite sound of the harp, beautifully played by Jessica Zhou. The bass clarinet is used effectively with its mournful tones.

The music has been called " emotionally manipulative" but isn't that what music is supposed to do? It was something happening in the orchestra and in Mr. Zeppenfeld's performance that shifted our sympathies from the deluded couple to that of the betrayed husband who is led to the scene of the assignation by the snitch Melot (Welsh tenor Andrew Rees).

Wagner was by all accounts a rascal. He seemed to enjoy seducing other men's wives. He abandoned his wife Minna and focused his romantic intentions upon Mathilde, the wife of his benefactor Otto Wesendonck. This would seem to parallel the triangle in Tristan und Isolde, in which Tristan pursues Isolde, the wife of his adoptive father King Marke. Is it only chance that he chose this medieval story to set to such erotic music?  Shortly thereafter he impregnated Cosima, the wife of Maestro Hans von Bülow. Perhaps rascal is too kind a term.

The love potion (liebestrank) is just an excuse.  "The devil made me do it!" Film, music, and literature are filled with similar stories.  Just think of "Love Potion Number 9", and L'Elisir d'Amore. We are flawed human beings and often out of control of our desires and eager to place the blame elsewhere.  But that ill wind has blown us some good in a work of incomparable beauty, cherished by music lovers worldwide. Last night's performance was definitely one to cherish.

(c) meche kroop

HONORED BY JUILLIARD

Chris Reynolds and Natalia Kutateladze

Chris Reynolds and Felicia Moore

Last night we attended the Juilliard Vocal Arts Honors Recital at Alice Tully Hall. Voice teachers nominate singers to audition for this honor and the competition is keen. One of the judges happened to be Jennifer Zetlan, a Juilliard alumna whom we just reviewed last night in On Site Opera's Morning Star.  

Each singer chose her own program and both were accompanied by the talented collaborative pianist Chris Reynolds.

The ravishing mezzo-soprano Natalia Kutateladze opened her half of the program with a chanson by Jules Massenet; The text by Louis Pierre Gabriel Bernard Morel-Retz, entitled "Amoureuses" was highly romantic and Ms. Kutateladze performed it in perfect French with spot-on phrasing.

A set of songs by Tchaikovsky showed how they sound at their very best, sung by someone so comfortable in the language that the songs are more inhabited than performed. Although we do not speak or understand Russian, we were able to appreciate the marvelous marriage of music and text.

"None but the Lonely Heart" is a setting of a Russian translation of Goethe's text "Nur wer die sehnsucht kennt" from Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre, a text so potent that it appealed to a list of composers longer than the text. We mostly know it as one of the Mignon songs.

"Was I Not a Blade of Grass in the Field?" struck us with the sadness of a young woman married off to a man she does not love. She compares herself to a blade of grass that was mowed down.

Tolstoy's text "Amidst the Din of the Ball" motivated Tchaikovsky to write a most marvelous and memorable melody. A man sees a woman at a ball and thinks he has fallen in love with her.

With all that gorgeous melody, we still think the Pushkin text "Don't Sing to Me, My Beauty" is our favorite Russian song. Rachmaninoff gave it a haunting melody that could make anyone homesick. Each and every one of these Russian songs was sung with artistry and deep emotional commitment.

The final set on the program comprised Manuel de Falla's Siete canciones populares españolas.  The advantage for us was that we understand Spanish and thus were able to appreciate Ms. Kutateladze's skill for word coloration and the creation of a mood. We adore this cycle, the first song of which gives us an ironic metaphor for men's negative attitude towards women's sexual expression. "El Paño Moruno" describes a cloth that has lost its value because of a stain.

The same judgmental attitude appears in "Seguidilla murciana", only this time the metaphor is a coin that has passed from hand to hand so much that it has become blurry and no one will accept it!

"Asturiana" is a song of deep sorrow and the search for consolation in nature, whereas "Nana" is a tender lullaby. "Canción" tells of lost love in a mournful way, whilst "Polo" tells of lost love in an angry bitter way.

It was a revelation to hear Ms. Kutateladze create the right mood for each song and to color each important word in a way that extracted every ounce of significance. With her gorgeous instrument, vital stage presence, intense involvement, and consummate musicianship, this is an artist to watch, one destined for stardom. Watch for her in the upcoming Juilliard Opera next month.

Soprano Felicia Moore walks onstage with such presence that one knows in advance that one is in for a treat.  Of course, having heard her many times before, we have advance knowledge. We can tell when a singer loves to sing!

One doesn't get enough Sibelius at song recitals so we were happy that Ms. Moore decided to invest so much energy into learning to sing in Swedish. From Five Songs, Op. 37, she sang one we'd never heard "Soluppgång", and two we know and love.

"Flickan kom ifrån sin älsklings mote" tells of a girl who hides the signs of a lovers' meeting from her mother until she suffers from her lover's abandonment.  "Var det en dröm" is a song of nostalgia in which the poet recalls his lost love as a dream. Ms. Moore invested each song with depth and meaning.

Her gleaming instrument was put to good use in songs from Wagner's Wesendonck Lieder. We particularly loved the way collaborative pianist Chris Reynolds created a meditative mood for "Im Treibhaus" in which Wesendonck uses the metaphor of plants in a hothouse to represent the feelings of someone who is far from their homeland. We speculated that she herself was away from home but we were wrong.  She was German through and through.

In "Stehe still!",  Mr. Reynolds hands created the pianistic equivalent of a perpetual motion machine, indicating the rushing of time. Ms. Moore responded in beautiful partnership. By the fourth verse, things have calmed down and both artists responded with lyricism to the concept of souls sinking into each other.

"Traume" recreates the evanescent world of dreams in a highly poetic way and gave Ms. Moore another opportunity to create a sound world of delicacy.

Her program ended with selections from Aaron Copland's Twelve Poems of Emily Dickinson. We confess to no great love for poet or composer, which didn't stop us from appreciating Ms. Moore's superb performance. There were little touches that lent a high degree of artistry such as the enhanced vibrato on the final word of "Nature, the Gentlest Mother" and the way she left the final note of "The Chariot" hanging in the air.

The cutest song was the most timely--"Dear March, Come In!" a cute sentiment that made us want to like Dickinson more than we do.  It is just a fact that each of us has his/her taste and ours leans toward any language but English and any period prior to (but including) Richard Strauss!

That being said, Copland wrote some very interesting figures for the piano part of "Nature, the Gentlest Mother", and Mr. Reynolds' smashing piano technique and interpretive artistry brought them out.

Like nearly all the singers coming out of Juilliard Vocal Arts Department, Ms. Moore evinces those Juilliard qualities--presence, dramatic skills, expressive vocal technique, fine phrasing, and linguistic skills.  There must be something in the water!

(c) meche kroop

RETURN OF TWO WINNERS

Craig Rutenberg, Kyle van Schoonhoven, and Heidi Melton

Among many other reasons, we love the George London Foundation because we get to hear competition winners a few years after they win; we love witnessing artistic growth. We first became aware of tenor Kyle van Schoonhoven in 2014 when Daniel Cardona put him onstage as Lt. Pinkerton in a recital of Puccini arias by the Martha Cardona Opera Theater. His sizable instrument made a sizable impression on us.  We were thinking "Wagner". He has proven us right.

Several times we heard him sing the mad scene from Britten's Peter Grimes and grew to enjoy that disturbing aria more and more. It was that performance that led to a breakout 2017 with awards not only from the George London Foundation but also the Metropolitan Opera National Council. We were overjoyed to learn that he would be singing Wagner at the recital yesterday at the Morgan Library.

Dramatic soprano Heidi Melton won her London award in 2009, before we began writing. But we did review her superb performance 3 years ago at the Schimmel Center when she dazzled us with her huge resonant sound, highly dramatic interpretations, and crisp English diction. Apparently Planet Opera has recognized her Wagnerian gifts and is keeping her busy.

That 2015 recital included Debussy's Trois Chansons de Bilitis which Ms. Melton reprised yesterday. She employed a fine vibrato that added shimmer to the sound and gave us some fine French, every word of which was comprehensible. This work requires the singer to provide three different colorations to the three songs. Ms. Melton nailed them all--the adolescent innocence and sexual awakening in "La flûte de Pan", the ripe sensuality of "La Chevelure", and the sad disillusionment of love grown cold in "Le tombeau des Naïades". She even captured the negativity and indifference of the male voice.  The contributions of collaborative pianist Craig Rutenberg added to the classical imagery.

"Isolde's Narrative and Curse" from Wagner's Tristan und Isolde was so exceptional that we reached a new level of understanding of this opera, an understanding that we did not achieve in the latest iteration at the Metropolitan Opera. First of all, there was an acoustic and linguistic clarity that was abetted by completely convincing dramatic intent and liberal employment of gesture and facial expression.

This lengthy scene requires Isolde to go through a wide range of emotions from the tender memories of nursing Tristan to rage at the injustice she is suffering, compounded by the shame of falling prey to her enemy. The performance was nothing short of riveting.

Mr. van Schoonhoven's performance was no less satisfying. He opened the afternoon with some 20th c. songs in English; that we actually enjoyed them says a lot since that is not our favorite language nor our favorite period. Ralph Vaughan Williams' "Silent Noon" was delivered with ringing tones, excellent diction, and a centered stage presence. We liked the delicacy of Mr. Rutenberg's accompaniment and Mr. Schoonhoven's equally delicate messa di voce.

That Britten set the folk song "O Waly Waly" with the same reverence he applied to W.B. Yeat's text "The Salley Gardens" reminded us of Brahms. The melodies are simple but the piano score interesting. The brief "Love Went a-Riding" by Frank Bridges benefitted from Mary Coleridge's verse which rhymed and scanned.

We never much cared for the text Wagner wrote for "Rienzi's Prayer" but the music is gorgeous and Mr. Schoonhoven applied his huge sound and a variety of dynamics to lend interest to the work. We far preferred "Mein lieber Schwan!" from Lohengrin, as the knight makes his farewell.  There we have a fortunate marriage of text and music; Mr. Schoonhoven made the most of it.

By the time these three outsized artists completed the "Bridal Chamber Scene" from Lohengrin, we had decided that this opera goes on our wish list. We have never seen it but we believe we have heard the best of it in this performance! The scene begins with warm and tender feelings on both sides until Elsa tries to get Lohengrin to identify himself.  Her suspicions have been aroused by the evil and manipulative Ortrud. The knight tries to evade her importuning but fails. We believed every dramatic moment.

After such a recital, an encore would not have been necessary but the audience demanded one and the artists generously complied with a romantic duet from Franz Lehar's operetta Der Zarewitsch in which the voices rose in sweet harmony.

It was quite an afternoon and we believe the air in the theater is still vibrating from those astonishing overtones. Mr. Rutenberg paid a well deserved tribute to our dear Nora London whose foundation has launched so many operatic careers. How happy we are that the recipients of awards return to perform. That is also a tribute!

(c) meche kroop

SOME BIG BIG VOICES

Alan Darling, Amber Wagner, and Reginald Smith, Jr.

Another excellent George London Foundation recital was heard yesterday at The Morgan Library; it is customary to bring together two award winners, one more senior than the other. Soprano Amber Wagner won a major award in 2010 and baritone Reginald Smith, Jr. did so in 2015, and also in 2014, if we are not mistaken (not 2016 as in the program notes). When such talented artists win awards from multiple foundations, it is easy to get confused!

In any event, Ms. Wagner's artistry has won her a major singing career and the contributions made by the George London Foundation have been instrumental.  Similarly, Mr. Smith's star is on the rise and we will hear much more of him in the future.

We assume that singers in recital choose works that they love and/or works that bring out the best of their particular talents. Ms. Wagner chose wisely in opening the program with four songs by Richard Strauss. Her rich creamy sound is just right for Strauss and the entire hall was vibrating with her abundant overtones. It is a thrilling sound and she poured plenty of passion into the expansive "Zueignung", bringing things down a notch for the gentle and expressive  "Morgen!" At "stumm", we realized we were having a breath-holding moment. "Beim Schlafengehen" brought out her artistry in the vocalise passages, and "Cacile" took us back to a place of passionate devotion.

So why did we feel so uninvolved in "Du bist der Lenz" from Richard Wagner's Die Walkure? This is our favorite scene in the entire Ring Cycle and we wanted so much to feel the thrill of recognition and the wonder of connection with a soulmate. We thought perhaps there was insufficient forward momentum. Undeniably the instrument is a thrilling one and plenty large enough to sail over an orchestra. We will hope that her characterization of Sieglinde will develop over time.

Mr. Smith has a powerful baritone that we have written about several times. We loved his Verdi and his interpretation of The Emperor Jones overcame our disinterest in American music. We were hoping he would sing that yesterday but he did not. As a matter of fact, we did not think his programming was the most successful at showing his artistry.

Yes, it is Sunday, but if we were interested in a sermon we would have gone to church. Carlisle Floyd's settings of grim verses from the bible seemed ponderous. Four of them were four too many. Taking into account the spirituals offered as encores, it was just too much religion for our taste, although we are sure there were many in the audience who found the works moving.

Tackling a quartet of chansons by Ernest Chausson was a brave move for an artist with such a powerful instrument and we found his voice colored with surprising tenderness. He produced some sensitive dynamics and fine French diction. Still, should an artist attempt what lighter voices can achieve so well, when few have the powerful voice necessary for Verdi and Wagner? 

In "Nemico della Patria" from Umberto Giordano's Andrea Chenier, he applied his powerful instrument to great effect, limning a world gone mad, a situation which seems particularly relevant today.  He varied the colors along with the dynamics to express incredulity and disillusionment. "A old fable that gladly the public still swallows". Indeed!  We loved his Italianate phrasing and wanted to hear more of his operatic side. And we did!

In a scene from Verdi's Aida, he and Ms. Wagner excelled. He knew the role well and conveyed all of the paternal manipulation that Amonasro needs to convince the ambivalent Aida to betray Radames and save her people. In spite of the use of the loathed music stand, Ms. Wagner filled her role with drama and used her voice to its best advantage.

Her program also included a trio of Barber songs marked by excellent English diction. "Nocturne" was quite expressive and permitted some mystery from Alan Darling's piano. He has been Ms. Wagner's coach for the past ten years.

As encores we heard Ms. Wagner sing "His Eye is on the Sparrow", sung with great feeling. Mr. Smith sang "He'll Bring it to Pass" and the pair joined forces for some lovely harmony in an unusual arrangement of "This Little Light of Mine".

(c) meche kroop

UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH YING AND NODA

Ying Fang and Ken Noda

Newly landmarked St. Michael's Church played host for yesterday's Carnegie Hall Neighborhood Concert presented by the Weill Music Institute, as part of the Marilyn Horne Legacy. The gorgeous sunshine outside was no match for the gorgeous sunshine experienced within as the radiant soprano Ying Fang joined her vocal artistry with that of the renowned collaborative pianist, coach, and educator Ken Noda.

We get a special thrill from witnessing the development of young artists over the years and we have been writing about Ying Fang since 2012. She made a grand impression on us from the very start and we can only say that she keeps getting better and better, garnering prizes and roles at The Metropolitan Opera.

What great fortune for us to hear her up close and personal. This young lady has all the ingredients necessary for a major career. Her bright instrument is pure and clear and highly focused.  Her phrasing is gorgeous; her coloratura outstanding; her language skills prodigious.  But all this pales when one considers her ability to share her textual understanding with her audience. Every song becomes a mini-drama.

Three Handelian moods were conveyed in the opening set--the sensuality of "Endless Pleasure, Endless Love" from Semele contrasted well with the desperate supplication of "Angels Ever Bright and Fair" from Theodoro and the pure joy of "Oh, had I Jubal's Lyre" from Joshua. Her English diction was so clear that we forgot that we never enjoy singing in English.  This time we did!

Ken Noda's playing was crisp and precise and well suited to the material.  In the next set of Wolf songs, his playing became more lyrical and legato while Ying's singing brought apt story-telling to the selections from Wolf's Italienisches Liederbuch. We had just heard the sorrowful "Mir war gesagt" the night before but Ying put her own stamp on it.

The final two songs "Du denkst mit einem Fädchen" and "Mein Liebster hat zu Tische" provided opportunities for Ying to demonstrate her delightful sense of humor.

A trio of Bizet songs brought the first half of the program to a stunning conclusion with the seasonal "Chanson d'avril" followed by the charming "La coccinelle", a delightful ditty that gave her three voices to play with--that of the peevish girl, her shy lover, and the wise ladybug. Facial expression and gesture accompanied and amplified the changes in vocal color.

We loved what Maestro Noda and Ms. Ying did with "Ouvre ton coeur"; the piano marched forcefully but shifted continually from major to minor while the voice conveyed a Spanish influence.

The second half of the program opened with a trio of traditional Chinese folk songs by 20th c. composers.  "A little path" and "Spring Yearning" reminded us that all cultures, no matter what their politics are, deal with love, both anticipated and disappointed. The final song "Night Mooring at Maple Bridge", was replete with moody piano writing and evocative images. Ying sustained the image by painting pictures that we could see. It was as if her voice created a hologram of a painting. Moreover, the sound of Mandarin was particularly lovely.

The recital closed with six romantic songs by Sergei Rachmaninoff, all of them gorgeously sung. We enjoyed the contrast between the ethereal "Son" accompanied by Maestro Noda's dreamlike piano, and the passionate "A-u!"

We were completely satisfied by the program and yet we would never have missed the encore--the "Shepherd's Song" from Wagner's Tannhäuser, much of it sung in breath-holding (ours, not hers) a capella. This is a role she has performed at The Met. It was a special thrill!

(c) meche kroop