ESTER LIBERATRICE

Salvo Vitale and Jessica Gould

(photo by Harold Levine)

March 8, 2026 by Guest Reviewer Joan Greenberg

Ester Liberatrice Del Popolo Ebreo

An Oratorio composed  by Italian Composer Alessandro Stradella, with a libretto by Lelio Orsini (1673)

Let us not bury the lead.  Salon Sanctuary Concerts delivered!

Founded in 2009, its stated mission is to  “present special projects that view history through the prism of music which endeavor to encourage understanding among people of different faiths through the performance of sacred repertoire in houses of worship open to all.”

The world needs more Esters and more wonderful concerts like the one delivered last Sunday at the Museum at Eldridge Street located on the lower East Side of New York City. The audience included adults and children and the sanctuary level was filled to capacity.

The musicians and singers were all stellar…. Not only the principals, but the chorus as well with strong harmonies and effective presentation. We believed that they were all distraught townspeople terrified of looming genocide.

It was a lovely surprise that Stradella’s  treatment of an oft told Purim story felt new and inviting, even though the composition created and the libretto written in the 17th Century.

Presumably because the venue did not have the ability to project supertitles above or adjacent to the stage [or display  “Met Titles” on the back of audience seats]  English translation sheets of the lyrics were available to audience members who were not fluent in Italian. We indeed found the translations by Martin Morell and Jessica Gould extremely  helpful.

Even the building came through.  The acoustics were  music friendly with not a hint of synthetic reverberation or amplification in the air, and the human and non-human musical instruments blended and enhanced each other.  

It should be noted that the museum is housed in the historic Eldridge Street Synagogue, built circa 1887. The building is one of the oldest (if not the oldest) synagogues in the United States. After twenty years and approximately twenty million dollars, it was beautifully restored, to be a religious sanctuary (as opposed to a theatre or an opera house).   We mention this to point out two unique viewing factors:   (i) the musicians (and their beautiful Baroque instruments) were staged front and center at eye level with the audience and immediately below the pulpit; and (ii) except for the balcony and center aisle seats, there were some viewing challenges.  On the other hand, the limited performance space resulted in some creative staging in that heretofore mentioned center aisle, to which some had much better views than others. So, that could be something to try to improve on in the future.

It was a lovely surprise that Stradella treatment of an oft told Purim story felt new and inviting, even though composition created and the libretto written in the 17^th Century.

Whilst the concert clearly felt collaborative, some performers had more screen time, so to speak, which we would like to highlight.

Jessica Gould’s Ester,  through her intensity of voice and emotional actions, brought us along on Ester’s journey from fear, to responsibility, and most critical to her ultimate actions, bravery.  There was something electric watching and hearing her go from frightened to formidable.

We have been fortunate to have experienced the vocal clarity and range  of Mezzo-Soprano Kinneret Ely before. Consistent with her past performances Ms. Ely’s commitment to  character was front and center.  Therefore, we should not have been surprised  with her ability to make us believe, that she was Mardocheo, a prominent male figure in the biblical Book of Ester and capable of thwarting Haman’s evil plot. The character is pivotal in motivating Ester to take the action that makes the story of Ester inspiring….. and (coincidentally?) appropriate during International Women’s Month.

Sonia Tedla  as Speranza Celeste with her agile soprano did indeed give the townspeople heavenly hope.

Paul Max Tipton  as Haman had a thankless role. From the outset one wants to hate him despite his dignified bass-baritone. 

Salvo Vitale  as Assuero, with his deep bass and general appeal made the relationship with Ester somewhat exciting.

We looked forward to Mathew Curran’s  Testo,  perhaps because his beautiful bass nicely summed up the events which just transpired, particularly in Act I.

We will end as we began.   Salon Sanctuary Concerts’ presentation of  Ester Liberatrice Del Popolo Ebreo delivered!

Principals:

*Jessica Gould (Soprano)as Ester [Queen Esther]

Sonia Tedla (Soprano) as Speranza Celeste [Heavenly Hope]

Kinneret Ely (Mezzo-Soprano)as Mardocheo [ Modechai]

Paul Max Tipton (Bass-Baritone)  as Aman [Haman]

Salvo Vitale (Bass) as Assuero   [King Ahasuerus]

Mathew Curran (Bass) as Testo  [Narator]

Chorus:

Elisse Albian

Christina Kay

Dominic Inferrera

Musicians:

Members of the  Camerata Grimani

Ian Jones and Kiyoun Jang on Violin;

Andrea Damiani on Theorbo

Adam Young on Viola da Gamba

Cameron Khan on Harpsichord

© meche kroop

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IN THE BEGINNING

Kevin Nathaniel, Yacouba Sissoko, Dawn Padmore, Ayansola Adedeji, and Olusegun Ajayi

We know Jessica Gould as a singer, an expert in Pre-Romantic Music, and as the Founder and Artistic Director of Salon/Sanctuary Concerts. Her original programming and exemplary scholarship in support of these programs have instilled within us a willingness to follow her wherever she takes us. Last night at the Bernie Wohl Center, she joined with Afro Roots Tuesdays to take us to Western Africa with Ensemble Longbor Mor.

This ensemble comprises the engaging songbird Dawn Padmore, kora player Yacouba Sissoko, percussionist Olusegun Ajayi, mbira player Kevin Nathaniel Hylton, and Adedeji Ayansola who can make his drum talk. That's not a misprint!

The music we heard has been passed down for centuries among the various peoples of West Africa and showcases both their diversity and unity. The name Ensemble Longbor Mor takes its name from the Vai language which is spoken in Liberia and translates as "people singing". Ms. Padmore's maternal grandmother has Vai roots.

The evening felt more like a celebration than a concert, although we would be happy to sit still and listen to Ms. Padmore's gorgeous voice for several hours in a formal recital hall.  This astonishing artist comes across as gloriously spontaneous, both in her description of each song and in her vocalism.

There was no awareness of technique, although her voice teacher Ira Siff (present in the audience) is of great renown. Similarly, her vocal coach Brian Holman (also present) must have contributed a great deal. 

Any singer could learn a thing or two from her warm and welcoming stage presence. She made the audience feel like a collection of friends and family at a social gathering. At one point, to emphasize the spirit of the evening, she enlisted an audience member to dance with her. 

Her voice is luxurious in tone and able to negotiate whatever she asks of it, making it all look effortless. Spirited gestures accompanied the singing as she used her entire body. Her generosity of spirit illuminated every story she told, and indeed, most of the songs told stories--stories of birth, death, pregnancy, illness, gossip, and family issues.

We especially enjoyed the a capella singing in the first of six Yoruba Folk Songs and the high lying tessitura of the first of four Igbo Songs.

Ensemble Longbor Mor amazed us with their virtuosic playing. We were reminded in some ways of a jazz group improvising; the spirit of joy in making music was contagious. The rhythms were complex in nature and just as difficult to wrap one's ears around as the rhythms of flamenco music.

The Kora is the most famous of Africa's stringed instruments. It has no frets and no bow. Rather it is played by the simultaneous plucking of 21 strings by both hands. The strings, each of a different pitch, are affixed to a large calabash cut in half and covered with goatskin stretched and fixed with leather laces. There is a long wooden neck made of hardwood. Mr. Sissoko's virtuosity was impressive, revealing several interwoven melodies. The sound was, to our ears, something between that of a harp and that of a celeste.

The other instrument that grabbed our attention was the talking drum. We couldn't figure out how Mr. Ayansola could make the drum talk but we read the program later and learned its secrets. The pitch is regulated by the player squeezing the drum between his arm and his ribcage which moves the leather tension cords connecting the two heads of this hourglass shaped instrument. It is struck with a wooden stick that has a crook on the end. We refer you, dear reader, to the carousel of photos on our Facebook page--Voce di Meche.

Completing the ensemble is a pair of drums which look like what we call Congo Drums, some shaken gourds (likely ancestors to some present day percussion instruments) and the unique Mbira or thumb piano. This instrument was not so strange to us since we had one of our own some years ago. What was different about Mr. Hylton's Mbira was that it was set in a calabash which enhanced the sound.

Although this was just a taste of what West African music has to offer, our appetite was whetted. Next month's concert by Salon/Sanctuary will also be unusual; Carthage Conquer'd; Dreams of Tunis in the Baroque Imagination will pit a Baroque ensemble and a North African ensemble improvising in the Taksim manner.  Think Queen Dido!

© meche kroop

THE CAMERATA COMES TO NEW YORK

Francesco Tomasi, Giovanni Bellini, Riccardo Pisani, Serena Bellini, and Matteo Coticoni
(photo by Stephen de las Heras)

Giulio il Romano: A Concert for Caccini

Ensemble Ricercare Antico with tenor Riccardo Pisani

November 9-Salon Sanctuary Concerts

The House of the Redeemer--by Guest Reviewer Chris Petitt

New York City is full of unexpected surprises and it is always a pleasure when the surprises turn out to be delights. Few know about the splendid 1607 library which keeps a low profile on the Upper East Side, quietly built into the stately edifice of the House of the Redeemer. Constructed to house the library when it was brought back from Urbania, Italy by the early 20^th-century philanthropist Edith Fabbri in order to save it from the destruction that claimed its original containment, a della Rovere Palace, the House of the Redeemer is a dead ringer for a Florentine palazzo of sober Brunelleschian splendor.

To enter this astonishing piece of history on a dark and rainy night would be cause for wonder enough, particularly if you’ve never seen it before, but to also be treated there to a first-rate concert by a young Italian ensemble of Italian music from the same era as the library itself is cause for celebration of and gratitude for not only the artists, but the entity that makes it all possible.

This is the sort of coup in which Salon/Sanctuary Concerts excels – beautiful, intimate evenings of early music in spaces such as this, spaces you may never have known were right next door, and which are so perfect for the music that you are left wondering how you could ever hear this repertoire anywhere else. Under the direction of intrepid Artistic Director and soprano Jessica Gould, the series seems to go from strength to strength, and it is always a pleasure to let go of your preconceptions and see where Gould will lead you next with her venue choices and inventive programming.

Giulio il Romano: A Concert for Caccini was the program presented this stormy evening amidst the dark wood, satin damask, marble fireplace, charmingly threadbare tapestries and authentic coats of arms, performed by the gifted Italian group Ricercare Antico and the strikingly talented young tenor Riccardo Pisani, who, like the composer of the evening, is a native of Rome. Not an original program of Gould this time, but of the ensemble, the New York performance marked a final stop in a tour that took the group across Italy, Mexico, and elsewhere in celebration of the Caccini year.

We are in the closing weeks of the 400^th anniversary year of the death of Giulio Caccini, who moved to Florence from Rome and became a founding member of the Florentine Camerata, the group of luminaries who brought forth opera as we almost know it, the composer devoting two volumes, Le Nuove Musiche, to arie and canzone preceded by lengthy introductions on the art and technique of singing. These songs are often used as pedagogical pieces and recital warmups in our country, but they are actually quite challenging in every way, and it was a rare treat to hear them performed so masterfully with the loving attention they deserve. Also on the program were works of Caccini contemporaries Frescobaldi and Nicoletti.

Many of this year’s tributes have been to the composer himself, many to his gifted daughter Francesca, who wrote the first opera (as far as we know) by a woman. The results have been mixed, and as a listener and devotee of this period of music, until this evening I have often found myself feeling less than satisfied by the vocalism on display.

I had the pleasure of hearing Pisani earlier this season in Florence in the Maggio Musicale Festival, where he was one of the rewarding takeaways from a poorly conceived production and uneven cast. Hearing him in a full recital evening only proved why. Pisani’s baritonal tenor is refreshingly full, resounding, and well supported, with an easy command of rapid-fire coloratura that sometimes eludes larger voices. His flawless diction (I am speaking here as a non-Italian, mind you), is not merely one element of a technical checklist that he has mastered through study, but an actor’s tool that he wields deftly in order to extract maximum meaning from every word and create a dramatic world for each song. An impressively sustained messa di voce towards the end of the program was icing on the cake, a clever touch in the song "Odi Euterpe" (Hear, Euterpe), whose text implores the Muse of Music to listen in.

I have seen less aware singers perform this repertoire in a nondescript wash of restrained affect and monochromatic color, as if the very act of feeling and communicating anything would break some kind of precious glass vitrine. The reward of hearing and watching a singer like Riccardo Pisani is to feel that you understand the words yourself because of the color and contrast he deploys in the service of the text, and that you are being led into a new and gripping story with every song. I find his way of singing a refreshing rebuke to the English choirboy orthodoxy that has seemingly held a chokehold on baroque singing until very recently.

At 29, he is clearly a singer to watch and his colleagues were no less engaging. Ensemble Ricercare Antico, a small group of Florentine and Roman virtuosi, offered elegant and stylish support. Punctuating the tenor’s inflections was resonant and intentioned bass from Francesco Tomasi’s and Giovanni Bellini’s theorbo and archlute, while Serena Bellini’s recorder obbligato was a deft and charming complement is a few lighter pieces.  A baroque guitar, played fleetly by Tomasi, added a more percussive color contrast, and the tight ensemble, which includes Matteo Coticoni on violone, did as much painting as the soloist, responding spontaneously with his every shift of expression. A glimpse every now and then of the faces of the players showed them to be as dramatically tuned in as the singer.

This delightful meeting of effortless sprezzatura and dramatic chiaroscuro should hold as a model for every ensemble engaged in the task of basso continuo support, as I hope more singers in this area of specialty will take Pisani’s lead in trusting the power and truth of what a fully expressive voice can say. 

If they were listening on Friday night, I have a feeling that both Euterpe and Caccini would be proud.

The next Salon/Sanctuary Concerts event is In the Wake of Marseillaise at Brotherhood Synagogue on December 13th, featuring Gould and early romantic guitarist Pascal Valois in works from the post-Napoleonic era. Tickets are available at www.salonsanctuary.org

(c) meche kroop

SALON SANCTUARY DAZZLES ONCE MORE

Jessica Gould and Diego Cantalupi in a Salon Sanctuary concert (photo by Stephen de las Heras)

Dear Reader,  allow us to introduce guest reviewer Chris Petitt.  Mr. Petitt is a communications professional living in New York. He is currently preparing a volume of eyewitness writing about Rome by the artists, adventurers and everybody else who has made the Eternal City a global city from antiquity to the present day.

A HEARTY EVENING FOR A HARDY AUDIENCE

Jessica Gould and Diego Cantalupi at the Fabbri Mansion Library

Wednesday night's weather was atrocious but that didn't stop fans of Salon Sanctuary Concerts from finding their way to the stunning but geographically inaccessible Fabbri Mansion to hear music of the early 17th c. As a matter of fact, the concert was sold out and a second performance had to be scheduled to accommodate everyone who wanted to share in the artistry of soprano Jessica Gould and theorbist Diego Cantalupi. We New Yorkers will go anywhere in any weather when we sniff out a good thing.

And a very good thing it was! In a velvet gown, Ms. Gould was the image of a diva (think Tosca) but sang in a manner that expressed the spiritual nature of the text. As Founder and Artistic Director of Salon Sanctuary Concerts, Ms. Gould is known for her diligent scholarship. Every program is a means of "viewing history through the prism of music".

The period represented in this program, entitled I Viaggi di Caravaggio is the early 17th c. and the place is Rome. The Catholic church was re-asserting its dominance in a movement known as the Counter-Reformation. Adherents to the faith were gained by utilizing the unparalleled power of the arts. Spirituality and sensuality were mingled in architecture, music, and the paintings of Caravaggio--and also in the licentious behavior of the clergy.

Listening to the music on the program, one could not help but observe the bones of rigid adherence to Catholic doctrine clothed in the sensuality of the human voice and the theorbo, so perfectly played by Mr. Cantalupi.  Those of you who were unable to snag tickets to this concert may be interested in the newly released CD also entitled I Viaggi di Caravaggio, the tracks of which are a close replica of the concert.

Ms. Gould does not adhere to the rigid customs of Baroque period singing.  Of course, we have no record of how these works sounded four centuries ago, but contemporary performances often seem sterile, whereas Ms. Gould's performance was luscious and involving. It was always obvious that she knew what she was singing about as she shared her passion with the audience.

The texts were often disturbing, dealing as they do with the crucifixion. But the music is always gorgeous and deeply affecting. If one did not understand Italian and Latin, one could be at an advantage! But if one does, one found the enunciation clear.

Melismatic singing appears in almost every song, or should we call them prayers! Sometimes they stretch into lengthy vocalises.  In Giovanni Antonio Rigatti's "Ave, Regina Caelorum" we enjoyed the joyful central section which Ms. Gould colored differently.

Contrasts abounded through this narrow slice of early 17^th-century repertoire. The tender sweet lullaby "Figlio Dormi" made the horror of Tarquinio Merula's "Canzonetta spirituale sopra alla 'Nanna' "  which offers Mary’s sorrow-filled premonition of her babe's tragic future, all the more stark and shocking.

Giovanni Felice Sances' "Stabat Mater dolorosa" ended with an exquisite "Amen" but not until Ms, Gould let loose on the word "paradisi". We heard the same florid singing in Benedetti Ferrari's "Queste pungenti spine" on the word "saette" (thunderbolts). This fioritura and changes of vocal colors keeps things interesting!

It was a great idea to alternate the vocal works with instrumental ones, performed solo by Mr. Cantalupi. All the selections were composed by the same composer Girolamo Kapsberger, who, if we are not mistaken, was the teacher of Girolamo Frescobaldi, whose aria "Se l'aura spira" so enthralled us last month when sung by Anna Caterina Antonacci.

"Toccata IV" had a meditative quality and made use of intervals of a second. "Toccata VII" was similarly meditative but made far more demands for virtuosity on the artist. There were exciting scale passages and descents into the lowest register of that most complicated instrument, the theorbo. "Canzon I" had a lot of contrast and some lovely arpeggiated chords and trills.

But our favorites were the gentle "Sarabanda" in 3/4 time and the lively "Bergamasca" in duple meter which made us want to get up and dance!

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CREPUSCOLO GOTTERDAMMERUNG

Erich Hoeprich, Cristoph Hammer. and Jessica Gould

The title of last night's Salon/Sanctuary Concert captivated us because of the apposition of Italian and German.  This resonated with us because of our own title.  As readers may have realized, "Meche" is not an Italian name but a Spanish one and is pronounced to rhyme with "leche".  Consequently "Voce di Meche" is half Spanish and half Italian.

Getting back to last night's concert, it was another triumph for Artistic Director/singer/impresario/scholar Jessica Gould to have assembled a superlative group of musicians to illustrate a fascinating period in European history. With her customary diligent scholarship she has peered at the twilight of the ancien regime through the lens of music. 

Napoleon's success led to a period of populism and accompanying unrest. In times of stress and social change, mankind often turns to the imagined delights of pastoral life for comfort.  Witness all the "farm to table" restaurants springing up lately in NYC!

Original instruments made their appearance (or replicas thereof) lending the sound of authenticity to the evening. Incredibly skillful musicians spoke briefly about their instruments and audience members expressed their interest in the beautiful wooden clarinet with its limited keys and string-bound reed, the wonderful fortepiano which was the link between the harpsichord and our modern piano, and the dulcet-toned "romantic guitar", smaller than the one seen today.

The program opened with Giacomo Meyerbeer's "Hirtenlied", performed by Ms. Gould herself with accompaniment by Erich Hoeprich's clarinet and Christoph Hammer's fortepiano. Our main interest is in vocal music and we were absolutely thrilled by Sei Ariette, composed by Domenico Maria Puccini, grandfather of Giacomo, who used the former's "Te Deum" in his famous opera Tosca. Puccini Grandpere's music was favored by Napoleon who preferred Italian music to French. Ms. Gould brought the songs to vivid life, accompanied by the guitar of master lutenist Diego Cantalupi, who discovered the songs himself in Italy.  They have never been performed in the USA and we felt privileged to hear them. The vocal line foreshadowed that of the Bel Canto period and the subject matter was pastoral in nature.

Further vocal delight was to be found in Ms. Gould's performance of Sechs deutsche Lieder, op 103 by Louis Spohr, once more accompanied by Mr. Hammer on the fortepiano and Mr. Hoeprich on the clarinet, pictured above. We particularly enjoyed the lullaby "Wiegenlied" and the rousing "Wach auf", glorifying the two opposite ends of the sleep cycle. We couldn't help thinking how suitable these gorgeous songs would be for performance at our local music conservatories. This instrumental combination was greatly enjoyed in the salons of Schubert.

The instrumental part of the evening was no less satisfying. Mr. Hammer gave a moving performance of Jan Ladislav Dussek's The Sufferings of the Queen of France, op. 23, a programmatic piece in which Marie Antoinette's anguish seemed most intense in the part where she is separated from her children. The part in which Mr. Hammer's expressive playing limned the "savage tumult of the rabble" was very effective, but the sound of the guillotine dropping was shocking.

We heard a lovely Serenade for clarinet and guitar, op.22 by the Viennese Benigne Henry in which the "Rondeau" had a lovely lilting and recurrent theme. Mr. Hoeprich and Mr. Cantalupi seemed destined to love making music together.

Similarly, Mr. Hammer and Mr. Catalupi didn't miss their chance to enjoy making music together with a delightful tidbit that was not on the program--two rondos by the Barese composer Mauro Giuliani, little known but much enjoyed.

Johann Nepomuk Hummel, a student of Mozart, is not much heard today but in his time he was considered the greatest pianist in Europe, a title later assumed by Franz Liszt. His Bagatelle op. 107, No 3 provided a golden opportunity for Mr. Hammer to have a solo.

Mr. Hammer was joined by Mr. Hoeprich for Carl Maria von Weber's Silvana Variations, op. 33, a highly melodic work that was filled with invention. We particularly enjoyed the Lento movement  in March tempo which made us think of a walk to the gallows, filled as it was with depth of feeling. It came to a gentle ending, making way for the duple metered Allegro which swung along until achieving a peaceful coda.

And finally, Johann Kaspar Mertz' Nocturne op. 4, no. 1 received a meditative and soulful performance from Mr. Cantalupi.

We very much enjoyed hearing music that was new to us and hearing such gifted artists in varying combinations.

Those familiar with Salon/Sanctuary Concerts know that one can always expect to discover something new and fulfilling!

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IN THE BEGINNING--OUT OF AFRICA

Kevin Nathaniel Hylton, Dawn Padmore, and Yacouba Sissoko

Salon/ Sanctuary Concerts was founded by Jessica Gould seven years ago, during the depths of the economic downturn; they have not only survived but thrived by virtue of presenting music from the pre-Romantic period.  Her finely tuned taste has managed to expand the horizons of our 19th c. ears. Last night she presented a program of the very earliest music extant.

Anyone familiar with the National Geographic website knows that mankind originated in Africa. So it is not surprising that music originated there as well, making African music the very oldest music one can hear--older still than Greek music.

With the collaboration of The Goddard Riverside Community Center on the Upper West Side, and with special thanks to Susan Macaluso, Salon/Sanctuary Concerts presented an evening of music entitled "In The Beginning" that was compelling and satisfying both physically and emotionally.

We entered to find the stage littered with unusual instruments; we could barely wait to learn how they would sound. The musicians were of world renown--not only performers and recording artists but scholars of African music and providers of outreach to several populations.

The music came from Western Africa with Yoruba songs, Igbo Songs, and one Liberian song--Liberia being the birthplace of the singer Dawn Padmore who sings with a generosity of spirit and lovely tone. The traditional songs spoke of celebrations and grieving, birth, healing, and death. We loved the one sung for the birth of twins, and the one about a neighbor's dearth of hospitality.

Although the Igbo songs were purported to be westernized, to our ears they seemed as authentic as the Yoruba songs.  Our favorite was a love song in which the man is described as a man who doesn't beat his woman but brushes her with eagle feathers. Ms. Padmore's warm spirit informed her every gesture, making this simple song sensual and erotic.

Mr. Hylton accompanied with the melodic Kalimba which has different names in different parts of Africa.  Actually, he played an entire selection of them, often within the deep bowl of a gourd which we imagined would amplify the sound. This instrument was not unfamiliar to us since we once owned and played a very basic version.

Another familiar instrument was the Djembe, a skin covered drum played with the bare hands of Anicet Mundundu. Although we had never seen one before, the playing style reminded us of the playing of a conga drum, providing incredibly complex rhythmic accompaniment.

The other two instruments fascinated us by virtue of their complexity and uniqueness. The string instrument known as the Kora was expertly played by the smiling Yacouba Sissoko, a Malian musical storyteller by heredity. The Kora has 21 strings with a row of 10 strings on the right side to be  plucked by the right hand, and 11 on the left side to be plucked by the left hand.  Each of the 21 strings is separately bound to the neck with cowhide thongs and must be separately tuned. There are no frets. The closest sound we could think of was that of the small harp played by Mariachis. The neck runs through the hide covering the calabash.

The second astonishing instrument is the Talking Drum. We would have a hard time summarizing the various sounds as "talking"--we heard grumbling and shouting, whispering and wailing, and a few gurgles. The technique for producing these sounds is fascinating. Kofo "The Wonderman" Ayanfowora (and he is indeed a wonder!) tucked his drum under his left arm and, using a curved stick, proceeded to produce the most amazing sounds by altering the pressure of his arm and the technique of striking the head. The pitch and variety of timbre seemed limitless in their range.

Also on hand for the second half of the evening was Fatima Gozlan who improvised on a most unusual flute and provided additional percussion by tapping on gourds covered with beads.

Although we did not accept the invitation to get up and dance, we were surely dancing on the inside!

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FROM GHETTO TO CAPPELLA

Pedro d'Aquino, Jessica Gould, Noa Frenkel, James Waldo, and Diego Cantalupi
(photo credit--Stephen de las Heras)

A full house proved the magnificent Fabbri Library of the House of the Redeemer was the place to be on Sunday for Salon/Sanctuary Concert’s seventh season opener featuring music of baroque Italy. A reprise of last season’s compelling program of Jewish and Catholic cross-pollination through music, From Ghetto to Cappella was completely sold out. While we felt badly for the many concertgoers who were turned away for lack of space, we welcomed the chance to enjoy for the second time this eye-opening array of musical treasures and fascinating  concert, which showed more dialogue than segregation during one of the most oppressive periods in history. 

During the time of the Counter-Reformation, the world’s first ghetto was built in Venice, physically separating Jews from Christians and putting even further limits on their mobility in Christian society. The music from the time reveals more of an exchange than isolation, however, and in true Salon/Sanctuary fashion, the concert explored a theme overlooked by other presenters – in this case, the effect each religious musical culture had on the other.

Fans of Jessica Gould’s roving concert series have come to expect visual splendor with intellectual stimulation from Salon/Sanctuary events, and Sunday’s program served an ample helping of both in the exquisite 1608 Library. Ms. Gould, not only a fervent scholar but a fine soprano, participated in a performance replete with both passion and precision. Five musicians – Ms. Gould, contralto Noa Frenkel, James Waldo on viola da gamba, lutenist Diego Cantalupi and Pedro d’Aquino on organ and harpsichord – did exquisite justice to a delectible variety of baroque treasures sung in Latin, Italian, and Hebrew.

Israeli contralto Noa Frenkel opened the program with a haunting ancient Hebrew chant from Yemen, D’ror Yikra, which segued into Durante’s Vergin tutto Amor, known as a pedagogical piece, here passionately sung by Ms. Gould with striking ornamentation that recalled the phrygian modes heard just moments ago in the preceding selection. The rich timbre and full-bodied sound of both soprano and contralto was a welcome contrast to a the vocal androgyny that has become commonplace and even (mystifyingly) celebrated in some early music circles.

We love duets, and it was lovely to hear the two women’s rich voices blending effortlessly in O immaculata, a sacred piece from Benedetto Marcello’s large volumeL’Estro Poetico Armonico, which integrated the melodies of chants he heard in the synagogue into cantatas and duets with Italian texts.

The Jewish-Italian composer Salomone Rossi has figured prominently in Salon/Sanctuary programming, with four previous seasons including a concert dedicated solely to his work. Rossi got into trouble with members of his own community for integrating the polyphony of the church into Hebrew sacred music that he wrote for synagogue services, because polyphony was considered too sensuous a form for people who considered themselves to be in exile. The two Rossi songs on the concert, Cor mio, sung by Ms Gould, and Ohime che tanto amate, sung by Ms. Frenkel, were performed with tasteful ornamentation and stylistic flair, accompanied with panache by the winning continuo team of gambist James Waldo and lutenist Diego Cantalupi.

Mr. Cantalupi, a visiting guest artist from Italy, shined in two works by Girolamo Kapsberger, a Venetian composer of noble German birth who wrote extravagant works for lute. With his impressive instrument, the long-necked theorbo, Mr. Cantalupi’s turn as a soloist in a Kapsberger Sarabanda and Toccata was marked by technical finesse and stylistic aplomb.

The innovative and trailblazing female composer Barbara Strozzi received a level of recognition in her lifetime that was simply unheard of for women composers of the 17^th century, and she received her due on Sunday in two selections, one sacred and one secular. Ranging from soprano heights to contralto depths, Ms. Gould performed a wildly inventive Salve Regina that was equal parts spiritual and earthly passion. Handling the byzantine melismatic passages and striking chromatic descents with ease, Ms. Gould’s dramatic commitment and vocal sheen kept the audience on the edge of their seats. Ms. Frenkel’s chocolate contralto showed an equally expansive range in the gorgeous cantata Lagrime Mie, in which cantorial hebraic chant-like fragments can be heard in the laments of an abandoned lover.

Two Handel selections capped off the program. In the chamber duet Langue, geme, the two dark-hued voices intertwined in langorous legato stretches and matched impressively in lines of virtuosic coloratura. Immediately after, a short but powerful dramtic duet from the oratorio Esther, sung here in Hebrew from the 1759 version commissioned by the Jewish community of Amsterdam brought the concert to an inspiring conclusion. The rollicking allegro from the Langue, gemeduet served as a playful encore.

While our tastes run to polyphony over chant, From Ghetto to Cappella is a beautifully performed, thought-provoking and musically splendid program that we hope to see reprised again on future seasons so that more people can hear it. Special thanks go out to NYU Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimò for their role as co-producers of the event.

(c) meche kroop

FROM GHETTO TO CAPELLA

St. Paul's Chapel at Columbia University

In the impressive St. Paul's Chapel, with it's mosaic marble floor, intricate brickwork and stained glass windows, it would be easy to pretend that you were in Venice during the seicento.  And if you had ever attended a Salon/Sanctuary Concert you would have known that you would be leaving at the end of the recital "From Ghetto to Capella" with an uplifted spirit and an expanded knowledge of the chosen theme--the musical exchanges between the Catholic Church and the Jewish ghetto.  We like our entertainment with edification!

Founder and Artistic Director Jessica Gould is as impeccable in her scholarship as she is generous with her artistry.  Last night's program explored the theme and illustrated it with over an hour of carefully curated selections, sung by Ms. Gould, a soprano, and contralto Noa Frenkel.  The fine musicians comprised Grant Herreid who alternated between lute and theorbo, Pedro d'Aquino, equally skilled at the organ and the harpsichord, and James Waldo who played the viola da gamba.

We happily recall a program previously seen entitled "From Ghetto to Palazzo" which focused on the music of Salamone Rossi, a groundbreaking Jewish composer of the period who dared to set sacred Hebrew texts to polyphony.  Like most geniuses,  he was criticized for this advance; perhaps the rabbis found the music to sensual.  

But last night we heard some of Rossi's secular music created for the Gonzaga court in Mantua--a madrigal entitled "Cor mio" passionately sung by Ms. Gould and involving some gorgeous melismatic singing--and a second entitled "Ohime, che tanto amate", sung by Ms. Frenkel and ending on the third note of the scale. Both were accompanied by Mr. Herreid's theorbo.

The influence of the ghetto on music by Venetian composers was even more notable.  In 17th c. Venice, there existed a melting pot of cultures with Jewish, Turkish and Armenian ghettos coexisting in a relatively liberal environment.  Just listen to the Middle-Eastern melodies in the music of Francesco Durante, particularly "Vergin tutto amor"--the phrygian mode seemingly snatched right out of a Hebrew prayer. Ms. Gould sang this with great depth of feeling and a wonderful trill at the end.

We are big fans of Barbara Strozzi, a singularly successful female composer of the time.  She was represented in yesterday's program by the sacred "Salve Regina" and the secular "Lagrime mie", a lover's lament.  Ms. Gould mastered the heavily decorated vocal line in the motet and brought out the Byzantine melody of the opening.  In the lengthy lament of a lover for his immured ladylove, Ms. Frenkel used a variety of dynamics and pacing to provide variety.

This seems to be our week to enjoy duets and we loved hearing Ms. Gould's and Ms. Frenkel's voices joined in harmony in Benedetto Marcello's "O immaculata" accompanied by all three instrumentalists. They also joined forces for the beautiful "Langue, geme" by Handel in which the sad opening stanza yields to a lively and joyful second one--a highlight of the recital.

The instrumentalists also had a chance to shine on their own with a Sonata di Basso by Grigorio Strozzi. We can find no evidence that he and Barbara were related by blood or marriage although their birthdates are rather close.

(c) meche kroop

MUSIC FOR AWHILE

Jared Angle

Bradley Brookshire

Anthony Roth Costanzo

One can always count on Salon/Sanctuary Concerts, helmed by Jessica Gould, to provide unusual and innovative programming.  The 2013-2013 season got off to a dazzling start last night featuring our favorite American counter-tenor Anthony Roth Costanzo, New York City ballet danceur noble Jared Angle and fleet-fingered harpsichordist Bradley Brookshire.

Recently transformed from "rising star" to full-blown stardom on the stage of The Metropolitan Opera, Mr. Costanzo exhibited all the qualities we want to hear when we listen to the Baroque repertory--tonal beauty, precision of fioritura, daring embellishments, and intense involvement with the music.  We also got a heaping portion of stage presence that tended to close the distance between us and the 17th and 18th centuries.  In the fast sections we were dazzled by the fireworks; in the slow sections we were deeply moved, as in "Aure deh per pietà" from Giulio Cesare.  The resonance of Mr. Costanzo's voice lingers in the spaces of our heads; even the eustachian tubes are atingle.

We especially enjoyed the Handel arias but when we heard him sing "Music for a while" from Purcell's Oedipus we realized that indeed all our cares had been beguiled.  Mr. Brookshire's accompaniment was flawless.

Mr. Brookshire was given the opportunity for several solos.  We heard J.S. Bach's "Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue" and three sonatas by Domenico Scarlatti.  In several places we could imagine the buzzing of bees and the flapping of hummingbird wings as Mr. Brookshire's fingers danced over the keys.

The most unusual part of the evening's programming was a duet performed by Mr. Angle and Mr. Costanzo, choreographed by Troy Schumacher and set to Vivaldi's "Qual per ignoto calle".  Mr. Angle danced in ballet slippers and Mr. Costanzo sang barefoot while being embraced and lifted by Mr. Angle.  It was a beautiful piece but we felt our attention divided.

This satisfying evening drew a standing-room-only crowd to the handsome theater of The Players Club.  No doubt the enthusiastic audience will be fighting over tickets for the remaining concerts of the season which promise to be equally innovative.

(c) meche kroop