HYGGE

Cozy, comfortable, convivial, and contented are adjectives used to explain the Scandinavian concept of "hygge". We are not exactly sure how last night's concert at the Weill Recital Hall exemplifies those qualities, but we did hear some mighty fine piano playing from Irena Portenko and guest pianist Zachary Hoffman.

When we think of those adjectives, our mind may run to a 19th c. salon at the home of Franz Schubert with his friends gathered round to hear his latest songs, holding the scores in their hands, and singing his glorious melodies. Perhaps that what countertenor Jeffrey Palmer had in mind when he attempted to sing three of Schubert's best contributions to the lieder literature. Had Schubert been present, we do not believe he would have been content.

The concert stage is not the place to try out new material holding the score in one's hand. Nor is it the place to sing in a language which one has not mastered. Mr. Palmer's German is schlecht with frequent dropping of final consonants. His phrasing left much to be desired with breaths taken in awkward places, interrupting the vocal line.

We found ourself focusing on the superb playing of Dr. Portenko and realizing just how skillful Schubert was in supporting the vocal line, something which Mr. Palmer did not profit from. In "Ständchen" the piano's nightingale joins the lover in his serenade. In "Auf dem Wasser zu Singen", the ripples of the water are portrayed by parallel ripples in the piano. "An die Musik" pays tribute to the very artistry that Schubert accomplished in his sadly truncated life.

Lest you think we have something against the countertenor fach, rest assured we do not. As a matter of fact, we listen to Jakub Jozef Orlinski regularly, as well as Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen, two young masters of the fach. 

Mr. Palmer's singing was far better in two arias from Händel operas. "Ombra mai fu" from Serse was sung with pure Italian vowels and a pleasing legato. Mr. Palmer sings expressively and we could see the grand shady tree through his eyes and feel the cool shade. "Va tacito nascosto" from Giulio Cesare in Egitto sat particularly well in the best part of Mr. Palmer's register and the embellishments of the vocal line were exquisite. 

We would have been happy to have heard Mr. Palmer sing nothing else for the entire concert but that was not the case. He tackled "Che faro senza Euridice" from Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice and we'd call it a draw. We also heard some Debussy and Schumann, neither of which compared with the two traditional Irish songs with their haunting melodies. The singer has a pleasing vibrato in the lower end of his register but an unpleasant harshness at the top.

To round out the eclectic vocal part of the program was a song by Björk, one by Barber, and one of our favorite Sondheim songs--"Send in the Clowns" from A Little Night Music, a song which we would be happy to label as an aria. We were puzzled by the inclusion of an a capella aria from Huang Ro's Paradise Interrupted, which we reviewed in 2016 as part of the Lincoln Center Festival. We wanted to hold onto our memory of John Holiday's ethereal voice. Mr. Palmer's singing did not even approach the sound of Mandarin. Or was that an English translation? One could not tell.

If the vocal part of the program did not leave us with "contentment", we admit that it was convivial with the singer chatting amiably with the audience and, at one point, sitting at the edge of the stage. The audience loved it.

The piano part of the program, on the other hand, was always artistic and consequently pleasing. Dr. Portenko achieved a comfortable stage presence as she addressed the audience and enjoyed a fine collaboration with her fellow pianist Zachary Hoffman with whom she performed the third section of Rachmaninoff's Suite No. 1 in G Minor. The work comprises the substantial development of a simple theme, with Mr. Hoffman's piano providing some marching chords to accompany Dr. Portenko's lyricism. 

We don't often hear two pianos-four hands and were delighted by the stereophonic effect. We were even more delighted when two of Dr. Portenko's students joined the other two pianists and we heard Piazzolla's "Libertango" played by two pianos-eight hands!

Mr. Hoffman had a fine solo in Cécile Chaminade's "Arabesque No. 1, Op. 61" with it's 19th c. lyricism that we so enjoy. The frequent recurrence of the theme gave the work a satisfying unity.

Dr. Portenko's solo was Chopin's "Ballade No.1 in G minor, Op. 23". The lengthy work is full of invention and takes the listener on a profound emotional journey. A searching melody gives way to an intensely passionate section; tenderness alternates with high drama. Just when one thinks the work is drawing to a close, new themes are brought in. By the time it ends one feels emotionally drained but content.

We would be remiss not to mention the New York Premiere of Benjamin Araujo's piano cycle Nine Portraits for Piano Solo, in which this young composer limned the personalities of members of his family and also public figures. The work was assured and original with plenty of variety among the nine episodes. And what is your 15-year-old doing???

The lengthy program even offered an encore, "This Woman's Work" by Kate Bush in which a woman dies in childbirth, or so we think, because the words were not clearly enunciated. We would have preferred a more joyful conclusion to the evening.

© meche kroop

CHOPIN AND SZYMANOWSKI

Amy Owens, Michael Brofman, Spencer Myer, Sarah Nelson Craft, and Miori Sugiyama

Michael Brofman,  pianist par excellence and Founder and Artistic Director of the Brooklyn Art Song Society, has a knack for devising seasons of song with interesting themes. For this season, their tenth, the theme is HOME with a focus on national identity. Friday night's concert explored Polish identity with works by Chopin and Szymanowski, an admirer of Chopin.

Not only does Mr. Brofman create interesting seasons which draw an ever-growing audience, but he has a knack for finding gifted young artists to interpret the works. This concert was a case in point. Sharing their vocal artistry were soprano Amy Owens and mezzo-soprano Sarah Nelson Craft, both of whom we have reviewed and enjoyed on prior occasions.

Collaborating on the keyboard were Mr. Brofman himself, as well as Miori Sugiyama and Spencer Myer, both B.A.S.S. regulars. The first half of the program comprised five of Chopin's seventeen songs, songs that he never made much of and which were not played until after his death. Interspersed were several of his brilliant mazurkas played by Ms. Sugiyama.

The mazurkas touched us deeply, both the famous ones like Op.7 #1 in B-Flat Major, the central minor section of which is heartbreaking, and the ones with which we are unfamiliar. They all share the typical rhythmicity of his unfortunate motherland and depth of feeling-- an intimacy which was brought out by Ms. Sugiyama. Although we have played some of Chopin's easy pieces, it was a real treat to hear Ms. Sugiyama make these challenging mazurkas sound easy. Watching her hands let us know that the sound gave only the illusion of ease.

The songs were charming, strophic, and melodic with a heavy emphasis on folk tunes. Just reading the lyrics in Polish made us wonder how a singer could possibly make the words musical and pleasing to the ear; Ms. Craft, although not Polish-speaking, made considerable effort to study the pronunciation of the difficult consonants and sounded fine to our ear. That she was on the book was forgivable in light of this challenge but we would love to hear the songs sung by a native Pole because we personally lose connection when a singer glances down at the score.

Nonetheless, her voice was warm and expressive with attention paid to phrasing and plenty of variety from one verse to the next. We particularly enjoyed "A Handsome Lad" in which the final couplet was repeated in each verse. It was an altogether appealing performance.

The second half of the program allowed Mr. Myer to shine in Karol Szymanowski's Métopes, Op. 29. The work was inspired by Homer's Odyssey and involved fancy fingerwork, trills, and some liquid arpeggi.

The songs by Szymanowski, a cycle entitled Songs of the Fairy Tale Princess, were sung by Ms. Owens in a bright clear soprano. "The Lonely Moon" seemed to capture the essence of moonlight and involved staccato passages. The punishing high tessitura never daunted Ms. Owens who provided interest by means of ample dynamic variety.

Although she only glanced at the score periodically, we had the same problem as we did with the Chopin. We actually are acquainted with a few Polish singers and hope to hear more Polish music in the future. We recall an absorbing production of Szymanowski's King Roger at Santa Fe Opera some years ago.

B.A.S.S.' s next entry this season will be on February 7th with works by Bartók, Kodaly, and Janáček with their own versions of national identity.

(c) meche kroop

INNOCENT MERRIMENT

Rebecca Hargrove, David Wannen, John Charles McLaughlin, Sarah Caldwell Smith, David Auxier, David Macaluso, Cáitlin Burke, Matthew Wages, and Amy Maude Helfer

Delighting audiences since 1885, W.S.Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan's comic operetta The Mikado has been brought up to speed by an inventive framing device. Possibly borrowing a page from Mike Leigh's 1999 film Topsy Turvy, the New York Gilbert and Sullivan Players' Director and Choreographer David Auxier-Loyola has written a prologue hinting at how G&S came up with the idea for The Mikado. In this prologue, he himself portrayed the dour Gilbert with David Macaluso taking the role of the genial Sullivan. 

At an impasse, their producer Richard D'Oyly Carte opens a trunk of mementos redolent of the Victorian obsession with japonaiserie. Meanwhile, members of the D'Oyly Carte Company invade the space with their varied complaints. Making a big splash was the powerfully voiced Cáitlin Burke who would play Katisha, the "daughter-in-law elect" of the Mikado. We had the same thrill of recognition that we experienced seeing the film, as words were tossed about that would make their way into the operetta.

The device added a great deal to our appreciation although it did make for a long evening. Yet we were never bored and the three hours sped by. We have nothing but good things to say about the cast, the orchestra conducted by Joseph Rubin, and the production values.

Why has this operetta endured since Victorian days? One had only to look around the Kaye Playhouse to see heads wagging in time with the music and arms subtly waving back and forth; one had only to listen to the crowd emerging at the end humming the tunes. Good music will do that! Furthermore, Gilbert's lyrics are not only hilarious and clever but responsive to the rhythms of the English language in a way that very few lyricists have managed to achieve.

The more you hear Sullivan's music the more you appreciate it. Last night we were particularly taken with his complex writing for ensembles, particularly in the madrigal "Brightly Dawns Our Wedding Day".

We also enjoyed the contemporary updating of "I've Got a Little List", sung by Ko-Ko, the tailor who has been given the role of Lord High Executioner. Similarly we got a big kick out of "Let the Punishment Fit the Crime" sung by the Mikado himself. These are not the actual titles of the songs but rather how they are commonly known.

Nanki-Poo, son of the Mikado in the disguise of "A Wand'ring Minstrel" was sung by the sweet voiced tenor John Charles McLaughlin who gave a sympathetic and engaging performance.

His self-absorbed beloved Yum-Yum was adorably realized by the superb soprano Sarah Caldwell Smith who is well known to us from the Victor Herbert Renaissance Project Live. "The Sun, Whose Rays are All Ablaze" was beautifully rendered.

Impressing us with his comic chops was David Macaluso who kept the audience in stitches with his physical humor, accompanied by generous facial expressiveness. In the prologue, he portrayed Arthur Sullivan.

Matthew Wages, who is well known to us from several performances with Victor Herbert Renaissance Project Live, made a very humorous Pooh-Bah adopting different expressions, different vocal colors, and different gestures for each of his many occupations, from solicitor to Chancellor of the Exchequer to Bishop of Titipu.

David Wannen made a regal Mikado and clearly enunciated all of the miscreants of society on his list--and the appropriate punishments for each. We wondered whether the updatings were written by Mr. Auxier who portrayed Mr. Gilbert in the Prologue and Pish-Tush in the operetta itself.

We enjoyed Amy Maude Helfer as Pitti-Sing as much as we enjoyed her recent performance as Ruth in Utopia Opera's Pirates of Penzance. She has a great flair for G&S. 

Almost stealing the show as the vengeful Katisha was the sonorous voice of Cáitlin Burke. Her final scene with Ko-Ko was a marvel of actors working off one another. He cannot stand her but must marry her so that Nanki-Poo can wed Yum-Yum. He serenades her with "Willow, Tit-Willow" so successfully that her rage melts and she becomes an almost-nice person.

Adding to the success of this production is a wonderful set by Anshuman Bhatia. A railway station stage left bearing the sign"Town of Titipu" and a tailor shop stage right appear before a painted backdrop looking a bit like a Japanese woodcut of mountains. A few branches of flowering trees and a bench provide a place for wooing.

Benjamin Weill's lighting was exemplary. When Yum-Yum sings about the sun's glory, the stage is warmly lit with golden tones. When she comes to the verse about the moon, the lighting becomes dark and tinged with cool blues.

Quinto Ott's costumes were colorful and playful. The women's Victorian gowns revealed the armature underneath that served to create the shape that was popular in that era. Those of the Mikado and Pooh-Bah were appropriately over embellished.

Much work had been done to appease the Asian community's objections and the production managed to be politically correct whilst holding to the intent of the piece. We have no idea what the cast wore in 1865 but this reminder that the work is about Victorian England and not about Japan made it seem just right.

Victorians needed to see their hypocrisies, bureaucracies, sexual repression, and political chicaneries exposed and ridiculed. Perhaps today we need a work that ridicules political correctness! But where could we find another Gilbert and Sullivan?

© meche kroop

TALENTS OF THE WORLD CHRISTMAS BALL

Talents of the World at Zankel Hall of Carnegie Hall

Talents of the World has been promoting the classical vocal repertoire since 2002 but only began their Annual International Voice Competition recently with three successful competitions so far. Their World Festival at Carnegie Hall began last year, a festival we enjoyed so much that we put this year's festival on our calendar the day it was announced. Perhaps you have read our review of their "Three Tenors" recital a few days ago.

Imagine filling up Zankel Hall during your second year! The word had gotten out and the hall was filled with those who love serious vocal music. Of course, it being Christmas season, there were plenty of Christmas songs on the generous program, which kept us entertained for nearly three hours. Songs are good if they are tuneful and well sung, no matter the genre.

Because we are so eager to support young talent, let us begin with the young artists to whom we were introduced at the competition earlier this month. We were overjoyed to get another chance to hear soprano Alina Tamborini perform "Adele's Audition Aria" from Johann Strauss' light-hearted operetta Die Fledermaus. We have attended coachings of this aria and we can tell you that Ms. Tamborini needs no coaching. 

Everything was perfect from her sparkly stage presence, to her vocal technique, to her humorous acting. Every gesture and facial expression seemed spontaneous, belying the hard work that must have gone into it. It is truly her "signature piece", offering opportunities for impressive handling of the fioritura--leaps and trills aplenty! It was sung in English with successful enunciation; none of the clever lines were blurred.

Another upcoming superstar is soprano Sooyeon Kang, whose performance of "Meine Lippen sie küssen so heiss" was a perfect choice, highlighting her expressive phrasing, pure tone, and fine German diction. We could understand the words, even in the upper register where her voice blooms with beauty.

Baritone Bryan Murray has been winning competitions as if he were gathering flowers; we were there for most of them. He pleases the judges as successfully as he pleases the audience. His Figaro is a knockout! Just when we thought we'd seen the ultimate "Largo al factotum" from Rossini's Il barbiere di Siviglia, along came Mr. Murray with a few interesting gestures and sensational aptitude for the patter section.

Mr. Murray has remarkable stage presence as well as a full Italianate tone. As he strode the stage with the confidence of a, well, a Figaro, he was completely convincing.

Last night was our introduction to a terrific tenor, Joel Ricci. It is rare to find a young tenor who is confident enough not to push his voice. Mr. Ricci sings with ease, allowing us to relax into his warm sound without protecting our sympathetic throat from aching. With no setting or costumes, his voice created the garrett scene in which he meets Mimi in "Che gelida manina" from Puccini's La Bohême. 

The dynamic variety and Italianate phrasing were lovely and served him in good stead when Mimi, portrayed by soprano Maria Vetere, joined her Rodolfo in a very convincing flirtation. "O Soave Fanciulla" was so romantic and tender we could fall in love ourself! Mr. Ricci was on the make and Ms. Vetere was rather resistant. From where did she get her willpower!

Another highlight of the evening was getting to hear President and Founder of Talents of the World David Gvinianidze singing the Russian romance "Chrysanthemums" by N.Harito. He has a lovely rounded baritone sound and a soulful interpretation that entranced us, although we have no idea what the text was about. What impressed us the most was the way he spun out a pianissimo like a silken thread.

Our host for the evening and Director of Talents of the World, Olga Lisovskaya, had us on the edge of our seat with "O Luce di Quest'Anima" from Donizetti's Linda di Chamounix. She possesses a formidable instrument of great beauty and impressive coloratura technique, including a trill to kill.

Bass Zachary James, on loan from The Metropolitan Opera has a kingly sound that was just right for King Arthur's aria "If Ever I Would Leave You" from Lerner and Loewe's Camelot.

Baritone Gocha Abuladze has a substantial instrument with an appealing texture. We would have enjoyed his performance more if he had inflected his various arias with some variety. There was not much difference between his Don Giovanni and his Escamillo.

There were several glamorous sopranos on the program beside Ms. Lisovskaya. If no one sang we might have considered the evening a fashion show. Maria Maksakova sang the aria Lady Macbeth sings at the banquet; it was not listed on the program but her voice was just right for Verdi as it was for Dvorak's "Song to the Moon" from Rusalka. The audience loved her spirited "Russian Gypsy Romances". 

Petite Lyudmila Fesenko produced a sizeable sound in Dunayevsky's "Zazdravnaya". The aforementioned Ms. Vetere conveyed all of Aida's grief in "O Cieli Azzurri" with a particularly heart-rending "Mai piu". Anni Kolkhida sang Lara's "Granada" in superb Spanish with generous sound. 

We would like to point out here that the female singers utilizing the "tag team" approach that we heard at the Three Tenors concert a couple days ago were far more successful than the men. Several sopranos who "could have danced all night" in  Lerner and Loewe's My Fair Lady enhanced each other with cooperation instead of competition.

They also joined Ms. Lisovskaya for the sweet "Ding Dong Merrily on High" by Tabourot. Everyone joined in for "Libiamo" from Verdi's La Traviata and also for our favorite Christmas piece--Leontovych's "Carol of the Bells, much enhanced by the piano.

There were three excellent pianists for the evening--Stanislav Serebriannikov, Vera Danchenko-Stern, and Victoria Ulanovskaya--and a lovely violinist Sofia Khurtsilava. There was also a quartet of male dancers, one of whom dropped to a split in front of a glass of wine, proceeded to lift it in his teeth, and then drink it. Now that's something one doesn't see every day!

Aprile Millo was the special guest and sang two Georgian songs--"Do Not Sing to Me" which she dedicated to the late and much missed Dmitri Hvorostovsky, and Rachmaninov's "Spring Waters". Our guest for the evening had heard Ms. Millo in her prime and found her voice to still be beautiful. But we cannot tell a lie. A singer who buries her nose in the score does not touch us at all. There was absolutely no connection and we found ourself focusing on the piano, which is what we usually do when the singer doesn't connect.

Nonetheless, by all accounts, it was a splendid evening! 

© meche kroop

GENEROSITY IS CONTAGIOUS

Lauren Flanigan, Amanda Villegas, Elizabeth Blancke-Biggs, Daniel Sumegi, Mark Delavan, Stephen Gaertner,
and David Adam Moore performing in Comfort Ye

Comfort Ye marks a quarter century of superfine singing to support feeding the homeless. This is Lauren Flanigan's baby. The marvelous Ms. Flanigan has given to New York City in at least three ways: first with her triumphant operatic performances, secondly with her Music Mentoring House which houses and fosters young musicians, and finally with her community activism. Those looking for an icon of social justice need look no further.

Comfort Ye is a musical event we look forward to every year, an event at which Ms. Flanigan's numerous opera friends share their talent for a worthy cause--the West Side Campaign Against Hunger, helmed by Greg Silverman. The focus of feeding the homeless has evolved this year into a concept that is more dignified and healthier than giving out canned goods. The food pantry at St. Paul and St. Andrew's is set up like a market with fresh food for clients to select as needed. Audience members were encouraged to pay cash so that the food pantry could purchase what they need wholesale and stretch the food dollars. Audience members opened their hearts and their wallets; many brought blankets, coats, and toys as well.

The entertainment was priceless, including both the already famous and the going-to-be-famous. Musical Director Kamal Khan provided most of the accompaniment. Stars of the world stage dropped in unannounced to add to the already generous program. To list every vocal contribution would take more time and space than we have so let us try to hit the highlights.

Ms. Flanigan herself performed Lady Macbeth's Act I aria and we are pleased to report that her voice has lost none of its luster and her interpretation has only gained in dramatic effect--powerful and seductive, well suited to this power hungry character. The mood was so sustained and so gripping that an errant cell phone could not break it. She was accompanied by the supremely gifted young collaborative pianist Nicole Cloutier.

Soprano Sharleen Joynt is new to us but we became an ardent fan within the first minute of her performance of the showpiece "The Bell Song" from Delibes' Lakmé. With clarion tone and impeccable technique, she had us entranced. The lengthy melismatic passages, the fine trill,  the well-negotiated leaps, and a stunning downward portamento conspired to emphasize the exotic nature of Delibes' melodies. She was similarly dazzling in "Der Hölle Rache" from Mozart's Die Zauberflöte.  It was truly unforgettable.

Tenor Thomas Massey made some beautiful music in "De' miei bollenti spiriti" from Verdi's La Traviata. We just wrote about tenors who push their high notes and expressed a wish to hear some floated notes; we were overjoyed by Mr. Massey's easeful tenor tone that sounded natural and unforced with masterfully musical phrasing. Alfredo is the perfect role for this engaging young tenor.

He is also well suited to the role of Rodolfo as evidenced by his duet with the excellent baritone Stephen Gaertner as Marcello. The two "Bohemians" joined voices in mourning their lost loves in Puccini's moving tragedy La Bohême. The expression on their faces at the end of the duet was priceless.

Mr. Gaertner further distinguished himself in the Prologo to Leoncavallo's Pagliacci; it was so convincing an invitation to the commedia dell'arte that we wanted to stay for the show!

There was plenty of baritone talent on hand. Mark Delavan performed "Nemico della patria" from Giordano's Andrea Chénier, using his powerful vocal resources and legato phrasing to create a believable character, a victim of politics who is filled with bitterness.

David Adam Moore may have a darker colored baritone or perhaps it was the material he chose but his selections touched us deeply. "Der Leiermann" is the final lied of Schubert's tragic song cycle Die Winterreise. The tragic romantic hero comes to the end of a journey both geographic and spiritual. The song is mysterious and open to interpretation. Mr. Moore's delivery was so intense that we felt the same grief that we feel upon hearing the entire cycle.

His performance of "Urlicht" from Mahler's Second Symphony was likewise deeply felt.  In both cases, we found Mr. Kahn's accompaniment to be a great contribution. Probably it's because lieder highlight the piano-voice partnership, whereas a piano reduction for an opera aria thrusts the focus onto the voice.

A stunning performance of "Es gibt ein Reich" from Richard Strauss' Ariadne auf Naxos was given by dramatic soprano Elizabeth Blancke-Biggs. We were swept away by the power of her instrument which filled out each phrase; nonetheless, there was no sacrifice of subtleties of color and dynamics.

Another large voice did total justice to "Acerba voluttà" from Cilea's Adriana Lecouvreur. Mezzo-soprano Eve Gigliotti conveyed all the mixed feeling of the Princesse de Bouillion, even getting us to feel sorry for her. There was some impressive strength in the lower register, making this a perfect role for Ms. Gigliotti.

Rebecca Ringle, another mezzo-soprano, used the fioritura of "É sgombro il loco" in the service of the character Smeton in Donizetti's Anna Bolena. We liked the precision and accuracy.

Amanda Villegas Beck used her powerful soprano to create an entire scene for us in "Dich teure Halle" from Wagner's Tannhäuser by utilizing the entire width of the performing area so that we seemed to be in the very hall Elisabeth was greeting. 

Baritone Stefanos Koroneos departed from the printed program and gave us the marvelous character Dulcamara peddling his wares to the credulous crowd in Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore. Mr. Koroneos sure knows how to create a character and was just as entertaining as Gianni Schicchi in the eponymous Puccini opera. He has a real flair for humor and the staccato passages were particularly well executed.

Bass-baritone Daniel Sumegi has an instrument the tone of which makes us think of the bass clarinet, one of our favorite instruments. The way he varied his coloration and dynamics in Prince Gremin's aria from Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin was nothing short of five stars.

We will skip over the popular music and Christmas songs, although we did appreciate the selections from Händel's Messiah rather more with just the piano reduction than we have with full orchestra. It seems strange but the work seemed to have more intimacy.

We will not close before mentioning the spirited performance of the Ebony Ecumenical Ensemble. Of the three selections we greatly preferred the Nigerian Christmas carol "BeTeLeHeMu". If you guessed that stood for Bethlehem, you were correct. The audience participated under the direction of the Rev. Eugene Palmour.

Lest we forget, a strange medley on paper--Irving Berlin's "White Christmas" and Richard Strauss' "Allerseelen"-- worked beautifully in the hands of Mr. Kahn and the voice of Ms. Flanigan.

Before adjourning, the cast that remained on site joined forces for Adam's "O Holy Night". This yearly event makes its mark on all who attend. It's not just the feast of music but the spirit of generosity that marks us!

© meche kroop

THREE TENORS...WAIT FOR IT...FOUR TENORS

David Gvinianidze, Johnathan McCullough, Zoya Gramagin,  Olga Lisovskaya, Nina Mutalifu, Yulan Piao, Giovanni Formisano, John William Gomez, WooYoung Yoon, and Tianchi Zhang

You will never hear us complain when we get more than we bargain for. We came to hear "Three Tenors" and we heard four, the fourth being Tianchi Zhang, a welcome last minute addition to the program. We were impressed by the sweetness of his sound at last year's Talents of the World concert and he lived up to his promise. We also got to hear some splendid sopranos and two baritones. L'abbondanza!

Let us address the tenors first. We loved the variety of the selections (opera, operetta, canzone Napolitane, and English Christmas songs). We enjoyed the opportunity to hear four tenors side by side, the better to appreciate their diverse colors. We became aware of the two very different aspects of the tenor voice that appeal to different people.

Many people in the sizable audience at Weill Recital Hall seemed enamored with high volume "money notes" which, to our ears, sounded pushed-- to the point that our own throat felt constricted in sympathy. What we personally appreciate is a floated high note for which we generally hold our breath lest we interfere with the delicate tickling of our ears.

The "tag team" presentation of famous arias on the program, with each tenor singing a different verse, seemed to yield a feeling of competition between the tenors resulting in a great deal more pushing than we would care to hear. The occasional pianissimi seemed like gems among boulders. We felt puzzled that the audience seemed to be more impressed by volume, even at the expense of beauty of tone; but then, they also applauded between the cantabile and the cabaletta. Has our own taste become too epicurean? We think not. We hold to our position.

We are always learning and our "take home" from last year was that singers should play to their strengths. Our "take home" this year is that putting tenors in a competitive situation, no matter how friendly, brings out the worst in them. We admit that the gestures and facial expressions, as each tenor yielded to the next, were entertaining but it was at the expense of the music.

Solos were more to our liking. Mr. Zhang overcame our indifference to song in English with a beautifully enunciated performance of d'Hardelot's "Because" and overcame our loathing for the music stand with a performance of "Silent Night" in Mandarin. This was a new experience for us and showed the beauty of the language itself and the simplicity of the melody without all the accrued baggage. Still, our vote goes to "De' bollenti spiriti" from Verdi's La Traviata for Mr. Zhang's Italianate legato phrasing and sweet resonant tone.

WooYoung Yoon's facility with language served him well in "Dein ist mein ganzes Herz" from Lehár's Das Land des Lächelns and in "Ah, lève-toi soleil" from Gounod's Roméo et Juliette. We enjoyed his ringing tone and expressive gestures as well as his ardent delivery. There were times when we thought that more variety of dynamics and color would have taken the performance from a 9 to a 10.

Giovanni Formisano had his best moment in, of all things, "Maria" from Bernstein's West Side Story. The lower tessitura and pianissimo passages gave us a better appreciation of his strengths and we wondered whether he was meant to be a baritone. One would have expected him to be at his best in his native tongue but, well, there it was--perfect English, ardent delivery, and lovely sound.

John W. Gomez' high point was "No puede ser" from Sorozábal's La tabernera del puerto, a favorite zarzuela of ours. He performed it with the requisite passion. We enjoyed the variety of colors and dynamics.

We weren't expecting sopranos but were thrilled to hear them. Zoya Gramagin made a spectacular Carmen, singing Bizet's seductive "Habanera" with conviction as well as interestingly textured tone. We thought of her as a falcon, which is what the French call a darkly colored dramatic soprano. Whatever you call her voice, it was a pleasure to hear, well-centered and even from the lower register to the top.

We first heard Nina Mitalifu singing in Italian with Martina Arroyo's Prelude to Performance. Then we heard her sing in Uighur for the Eurasia Festival and were so impressed that we asked her to sing her Uighur songs at one of our Around the World in Song concerts. Since then, we have heard and admired her singing in Russian and French. 

Last night we loved her waltzy "O Paris gai séjour" from Lecocq's Les Cents Vierges, an opera completely unknown to us. There was ample variety in the central section to show off what she can do with her magnificent instrument. (What can't she do!) The sinuous melismatic passages included a fine trill and the return included some graceful coloratura.

She performed quite charmingly as Zerlina with baritone Johnathan McCullough as the lustful Don Giovanni. Mr. McCullough came to vivid life in this scene; he was a lot more involved than he was in Hamlet's aria from the Thomas opera. We like more drama in our drinking songs!

We only got a tiny taste of the artistry of soprano Yulan Piao but enough to admire her sparkling well-focused instrument. Her perfect blending with Mr. Yoon's tenor in "Tanzen möchte ich" from Kalman's The Csárdás Princess has a reason; Mr. Yoon and Ms. Piao are indeed newlyweds. Ms. Piao did look and sound every inch a princess.

Baritone David Gvinianidze, Founder and President of Talents of the World, was joined by soprano Olga Lisovskaya, Director of Talents of the World, for the festive and rhythic "Spagnola" by Di Chiara. They are obviously far more experienced artists and were uniquely able to modulate their voices to the size of the room. It was a spirited and winning performance.

Accompanists for the evening were Stanislav Serebriannikov and Bradley Pennington, both of whom rose to the challenge of accommodating many different styles of music and many different voices.

Talents of the World will have a Christmas Ball on Sunday night and we hope you will join us for a night of revelry, singing, and dancing. There will be some vocal superstars on board and special guest Aprile Millo.

© meche kroop 

PHIRO DOES PIAF

Myriam Phiro onstage at Birdland

Guest review by Ellen Godfrey:

THE LITTLE SPARROW - MYRIAM PHIRO’S TRIBUTE TO EDITH PIAF

French-Canadian jazz and cabaret singer Myriam Phiro brought her cabaret tribute to Birdland, the popular New York City jazz club, to honor the legendary Edith Piaf. This year marks 103 years since her death. Ms. Phiro has given sold out concerts in many cabaret and jazz clubs including Joe’s Pub, the Rainbow Room, and 54 Below, just to to name a few. She has performed her Piaf tribute in many of these and in other venues. The great chanteuse, Edith Piaf, was an idol of Ms. Phiro, who was inspired to share her love of Piaf with her audience.  Her “Piaf” cabaret included many of her songs as well as information about Piaf’s life.

Despite her fame and her musical accomplishments, Piaf had a hard and sad life.  Edith Piaf, whose nickname was “the little sparrow,", was born on December 19, 1915 in Belleville, a suburb of Paris.  Her father was a street singer.  Her mother abandoned her to a bordello, where she lived for several years. When she was 14, she joined her father as a street performer.  A night club owner, Louis Leplee, discovered her in Pigalle in 1935 and was so impressed with her voice that he hired her immediately.  She became not only a singer, but also a songwriter and cabaret star. 

She was the most famous singer in France and sang often at the Olympia Music Hall there.  After the end of World War II, her fame continued to grow and she started touring the world.  She was popular in the United States and performed many times on the Ed Sullivan show and in several theaters in New York City.  She also composed many of her own songs such as “La Vie in Rose” and “Milord.” She had a huge following wherever she went.  

Unfortunately, like  Judy Garland, another great singing star of the time, she began drinking and taking drugs.  She died in 1963 at the age of 47, leaving behind a legacy of recordings, books, and films.

Myriam Phiro received huge applause as she entered the stage on Thursday night, dressed in a simple long black dress, the only color that Piaf ever wore for her concerts.  Ms. Phiro has a warm personality and immediately made the audience feel at home.  On-stage, she was accompanied by a three piece orchestra: pianist and accordionist Hyuna Park, double bass player Yoshi Waki, and percussionist Alex Raderman.  

All three of them blended together in the jazz format and kept the show moving with some improvisation and lots of enthusiasm. Later in the program, two more talented musicians were added, each one playing along with Ms. Phiro: Adrien Chevalier, a jazz violinist from Provence, whose family are violinists, and Linus Wyrsch, a well known jazz clarinet player.  Each of them accompanied Ms. Phiro with great style. 

She opened with her jazz trio accompanying her in the Rod Stewart song “I Wish You Love,” which was performed with a jazz beat.  Ms. Phiro has a charming warm soprano voice that filled the space beautifully.  She started singing in French, then switched to English, and then returned to French. She did this language switching in several of her songs.

For her second song, “C’est magnifique”,  written by the great Cole Porter, she told the audience that they would be singing along with her when she gave them the signal to join in with “ou la la la.” The audience had great fun singing together.

After these two songs, Ms. Phiro began the celebration of what would have been Edith Piaf’s 103rd birthday.  She interspersed information about Piaf’s life between some of her songs.  Her wonderful pianist, who supported the singer so well, picked up an accordion and showed her great musicianship in this instrument as well. She played the Piaf song “L’Accordeoniste”, in true cabaret style.  Ms. Phiro sang it of course, in beautiful French with a smoky quality to her voice. Although she sings in the “Piaf” style she does not try to imitate Piaf’s voice. The song starts slowly, then gets more and more frantic as she realizes her boyfriend will probably not be returning from war.

Other well-known Piaf songs were “La Vie En Rose”, seeing the world through rose colored glasses; “La foule” in which the crowd carries a woman in love through the crowd and loses a man she finds; and “Sous le ciel de Paris” describing the life under Paris skies. While all of Piaf songs were about love or loss, they all have a different sound and a different rhythm-- some slow, some soulful, some happy, and some sad. Ms. Phiro always found the right atmosphere for each song

Ms. Phiro surprised us by telling us that she was in love, not just with the songs, but with the double bass!! The double bass player gave her his instrument and she sang two songs while accompanying herself on the bass. A multi-talented lady!

The cabaret that Ms. Phiro put together was delightful and she and her musicians received great applause when the show ended.  I hope that Ms. Phiro will continue to present these wonderful cabaret performances.

Piaf’s blue house still stands in Belleville and has been turned into a small museum, whose hours are very irregular.  I was lucky enough to have seen it and just standing in front of it brought back many memories of her wonderful career.

© meche kroop