MARILYN HORNE SONG CELEBRATION

Marilyn Horne

Piotr Beczala

The week of song has drawn to a close and we are left with some pretty fabulous aural memories.  The final program, Marilyn Horne Song Celebration, gave us the opportunity to hear one wonderful singer from each fach, with the closing set provided by star tenor Piotr Beczala.

Tenor Timothy Fallon opened with Carol Wong as piano partner.  Mr. Fallon's sweet tenor opens up to passionate intensity at the drop of a crescendo.  We particularly enjoyed his ability to spin out some long phrases in the set of early songs by Richard Strauss. He certainly knows how to build a song as noted in his performance of Three Browning Songs by Amy Beach, a contemporary of Strauss.    Mr. Fallon has a relaxed and unfussy manner on stage and joked with the audience.   If only he could be persuaded to abandon his grip on the piano which limits his ability to relate to the audience.

Baritone Kelly Markgraf sang Five Songs for Voice, Viola and Piano by Charles Martin Loeffler, another contemporary of Strauss.  Mr. Markgraf's performance stood out because of his perfect French, to which his creamy tone lends itself well.  He was partnered by Keun-A Lee at the piano and Paul Neubauer on viola.  This unusual combination delighted the ear.  We loved the thirds on the viola in "Rêverie en sourdine" and the lovely triplets in the piano in "Harmonie du soir".

Mezzo-soprano Jennifer Johnson Cano, partnered by Christopher Cano, made an impression with her powerful voice and beautiful tone in Franz Liszt's deeply felt "Pace non trovo".  Mr. Cano held the final cord just long enough in an exquisite diminuendo.  We also enjoyed the gentle eroticism of "Oh! quand je dors".

Soprano Simone Osborne, resplendent in white satin, used her brilliant instrument and used it with great variety as she essayed three very different Verdi songs--the tragic "La seduzione", the humorous "Stornello" and the suffering "Deh, pietoso".  We are always thrilled to see Warren Jones at the piano; his accompaniment well illustrated the connection between Verdi's songs and those of Rossini, when Ms. Osborne sang the latter's "L'esule".  Like Mr. Fallon, Ms. Osborne spends too much time hanging onto the piano but when she lets go and steps forward, her connection with the audience expands.

Mr. Beczala dazzled the audience with Strauss' "Zueignung", followed by Carl Bohm's "Still wie di nacht" and a number of Polish songs.  We were astonished by how beautifully the language "sings" in spite of the plethora of consonants.  Mr. Beczala manages to articulate the consonants while never cheating a vowel, something we attribute to his amazing embouchure.  What a delight to listen to him!  His piano partner Carrie Ann Matheson is always a pleasure to hear.

It is with a feeling of gratitude to all the artists who contributed to this splendid week of recitals and master classes that we finish this final column.  We thank Marilyn Horne for initiating this special week of song and we thank Carnegie Hall for providing the right home.

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THIS OUTLAW IS "IN"

Warren Jones

Sidney Outlaw

Baritone Sidney Outlaw and his piano partner Warren Jones gave a most fulfilling recital as part of the Marilyn Horne event "The Song Continues".  Possessed of a superfine baritone instrument, Mr. Outlaw also impresses with his grounded stillness and economy of gesture, something Ms. DiDonato was teaching in yesterday's master class, as reported here at Voce di Meche.  He is in total control of his instrument as exemplified by his dynamics.  There were moments when his pianissimo elicited some breath-holding on our part.  Speaking of breath, Mr. Jones is remarkable by virtue of his profound connection to the singer; he was literally breathing right along with Mr. Outlaw.

The first set, Fünf Lieder, Op. 15, comprises songs on which Richard Strauss cut his compositional teeth.  They afforded Mr. Outlaw an opportunity to show off his fine German and his  deep connection with both poetry and music, whether gentle or impassioned.  And just listen to Mr. Jones go to town in "Aus den Liedern der Trauer"!

The second set comprised six songs by Ralph Vaughn Williams, composed in the first couple years of the 20th c. as House of Life, settings of sonnets by Dante Gabriel Rossetti.  We admired Mr. Outlaw's unaffected English diction which made the songs more than usually accessible.  Mr. Jones' piano might have been taken for a harp in "Love's Minstrels" and was exquisitely delicate in "Love-Sight".

The final set gave us three delightful songs by George Gershwin.  Mr. Outlaw's jacket was abandoned and he allowed the jazzy nature of the works to get under his skin and down into his toes as he relaxed and moved around the stage.  His performance of "Just Another Rhumba" was one of those unforgettable moments.

What a satisfying recital this was!  In the immortal words of Ira Gershwin, "Who could ask for anything more?".  But the audience did ask and Mr. Outlaw complied with some stirring gospel music sung largely a capella--"Fix Me Jesus".  This brought the audience to their collective feet. 

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A NIGHT AT THE OPERETTA

Steven Blier

When Steven Blier puts a program together, one is assured of an entertaining and artistically valid evening.  Such was the case last night when The New York Festival of Song joined with Juilliard for an evening of arias, duets and ensembles from the world of operetta.  One doesn't get to hear much operetta these days and we hope that the excitement generated by this sampler program will result in some productions of entire operettas.

Nine singers from Juilliard's Marcus Institute for Vocal Arts captured the light-hearted spirit of these tuneful numbers, written by Franz Lehar, Jacques Offenbach, Jerome Kern, Sigmund Romberg, Stephen Sondheim, Arthur Sullivan and others.  Sopranos Simone Easthope and Raquel Gonzales were joined by mezzo-sopranos Virginie Verrez and Rachael Wilson.  Tenors Kyle Bielfield, Nathan Haller and Miles Mykkanen along with baritone Philip Stoddard and bass-baritone Davone Tines completed the company.

Not only was the singing exemplary but we had an opportunity to witness other gifts possessed by these promising artists.  Davone Tines surprised us with some fine fiddling in Emmerich Kalman's "Mein alter Stradivari" from Der Ziguenerprimas.  Kyle Bielfield distinguished himself as a happy hoofer when he led the ensemble in "Je suis gai, soyez gai!" from Offenbach's La Belle Helene.

Our favorite romantic duet was "Schon wie die blaue Sommernacht" from Lehar's Giuditta.  Simone Easthope was compellingly Iberian in "Yo quiero a un hombre" from Caballero's El Cabo Primero.  Mr. Bielfield and Mr. Tines were hilarious in the slapstick "Quien es uste?" from Sorozabal's La del Manojo de Rosas.  We loved Rachael Wilson's performance of "Cancion de Paloma" from Barbieri's El Barberillo de Lavapies.  Her romantic duet with Mr. Haller, "April Snow" from Romberg's Up in Central Park was equally wonderful.  Ms. Easthope was winsome as "The Amorous Goldfish" from Sidney Jones' The Geisha.

The Gilbert and Sullivan entries from Princess Ida and Iolanthe (done as an encore) could have used some crisper diction, as well as Sondheim's "A weekend in the country" from A Little Night Music.  A pair of pianos were perfectly played by Mr. Blier and Michael Barrett.  Percussionist Andrew Stenvall contributed some fine sounds.  Mary Birnbaum served as Stage Director and the delightful choreography was attributed to Jeanne Slater.  The entire evening felt like a gift one didn't expect.  Like Oliver, we felt like asking for MORE!

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A MASTERFUL MASTER CLASS

Joyce DiDonato

A master class with Joyce DiDonato was presented by the Marcello Giordani Foundation and what a masterful hour and a half it was!  This superstar mezzo-soprano is as charming as she is modest, as gifted a teacher as she is an artist.  The audience, many of whom were singers,  seemed to get as much out of the experience as the students, three of our favorite young artists.  All of Ms. DiDonato's experience and wisdom were shared with consummate generosity.

The first participant, baritone Takaoki Onishi, sang "Ah per sempre" from Bellini's I Puritani.  It sounded just fine but after a half-hour of coaching on Bellini's particular style, Mr. Onishi sounded far more performance-ready.  Ms. DiDonato focused on grounding Mr. Onishi physically by teaching him to be more aware of his body, encouraging him to sing from his core.  She shared some tips on how to practice, breaking each phrase down, practicing it with different rhythms to gain flexibility.  She demonstrated connecting the notes from one phrase to the next to emphasize Bellini's long lines.  She offered suggestions on the mastery of triplets.  She discussed
how to get the brain to control the voice.  She advised knowing more about who the character is. 

The second participant, soprano Courtney Johnson, sang "Signore ascolta" from Puccini's Turandot.  Ms. D. taught her how to be even more expressive with her magnificent instrument by coloring every word with its underlying emotion.  She coached Ms. J. on how best to articulate the "EE" sound so that "Liu" and "piu" sounded better.  We were surprised to learn that that vowel, when correctly placed (narrow and deep) offers the most room in the throat.

The final participant, tenor Adam Bonanni, sang "Una furtiva lagrima" from Donizetti's L'elisir d'Amore.  Ms. D. advised going back to the score instead of imitating famous tenors;  we were surprised to learn that those famous tenors often departed from what the composer wrote!  She told Mr. B. that he could "make it new" and by the end of the coaching, indeed he did.  He created a Nemorino that was not like any other.  We look forward to hearing him sing a role that seems tailor-made for him.

We could have listened to Ms. D's advice all night long.  It is always so rewarding when a master class makes a real difference to the participants.

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THE SONG CONTINUES

Karen Vuong

Marilyn Horne

Ken Noda

                     
The Song Continues and Marilyn Horne will make sure of it!  Working tirelessly to pass along her knowledge to the younger generation, our beloved mezzo-soprano celebrates her birthday every year by hosting a festive week of recitals and master classes.  Last night, lieder lovers were gifted with a double-header--first a recital by soprano Karen Vuong and piano partner Ken Noda, then a master class taught by Ms. Horne herself.

Ms. Vuong is an engaging performer capable of involving the audience, no matter what she sings and Mr. Noda is the most modest of piano partners, always supportive of the singer.  Together they wowed the audience with a trio of chansons in French by Reynaldo Hahn, a quartet of lieder in German by Hugo Wolf, three songs in English by Samuel Barber, three in Russian by Rachmaninoff, and to close the program, four in German by Richard Strauss.  For the encore, Ms. Vuong repeated Hahn's "Sous l'oranger" as if written by a woman.  The tango rhythm and Ms. Vuong's flirtatious manner made for a compelling contrast.  Hahn's light-hearted delicate songs contrasted well with the serious and anxious nature of Wolf's Mignon songs. 

The passionate romanticism of the Rachmaninoff songs came through beautifully, but it was in the Strauss songs that Ms. Vuong's bright, clear and focused soprano was able to soar.  She was completely believable as the proud mother in "Muttertänderlei" and quite amusing in "Hat gesagt--bleibt's nicht dabei".  One tiny flaw needs to be addressed.  Ms. Vuong seems to hang onto the piano and to do most of the acting with her arms and face.  Should she let go and allow herself to use her entire body, the performance would be improved.

After an hour break, the master class began with some very kind and loving words by Ms. Horne.  Four young singers were coached in one song apiece, which made a lot more sense than skimming over two selections.  Mezzo-soprano Naomi O'Connell  did some fine work on Schumann's amusing "Die Kartenlegerin"; tenor J. Warren Mitchell opened up his huge voice with Liszt's "Pace non trovo"; Mezzo-soprano Jazimina MacNeil tackled Mahler's folksy "Rheinlegendchen"; soprano Lisa Williamson sang Joseph Haydn's "She never told her love".  It was thrilling to observe how Ms. Horne's coaching added a new dimension to each artist's performance.

More recitals and master classes await, with a gala concert Saturday night.  More we could not ask!

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THE ARIANNA PROJECT

We have left the recital hall and are sitting in an underground nightclub on Bleeker St. listening to Mozart's Fantasia in D minor, K. 397, stirringly played by Sylvia Berry on a beautiful old fortepiano.  What are we doing here, surrounded by people eating and drinking?  Three lovely women enter single file in gowns and jewelry inspired by Ancient Greece, looking very much like a frieze in bas-relief.  A conch shell is blown and the three women hold seashells up to their ears to listen to...the sea? the weeping of a broken heart?  the panic of abandonment?

Thus begins Musica Nuova's presentation of The Arianna Project, a most original musical exploration of the plight of Ariadne, abandoned on the isle of Naxos by Theseus who promised to wed her in exchange for her help in outwitting the Minotaur.  The three lovely women all play the part of Arianna, each one in turn giving voice to the hapless woman, as written by three different composers.

First we were transported back to the early 17th c. by Il Lamento d'Arianna, the sole remaining fragment of Claudio Monteverdi's second opera, sung by soprano Maeve Högland.  Next we heard mezzo-soprano Amanda Keil, Artistic Director of Musica Nuova, who brought us forward to the late 18th c. in Franz Joseph Haydn's cantata Arianna à Naxos.  

Emotionally wrung out by then, we were pleased to recover by listening to Arcangelo Corelli's Sonata da camera in c minor, op.4 no. 11 before  soprano Marcy Richardson tore into Alessandro Scarlatti's L'Arianna which featured an aria of impressive rage.  All three singers were dramatically and vocally fine but we were most impressed by Ms. Richardson's immersion in the material.

Stage Director Beth Greenberg managed to make this tired old story of betrayal and abandonment come to life in a way relevant to present times--all, thankfully, without leather trench coats and cell phones.  We doubt there was a woman in the room who did not measure some of her disappointing romantic experiences against the plight of Arianna's.  Instead of surtitles, there was a large book on stage with very concise modernized translations of the story.  As the pages were turned, one heard titters in the audience.  We call them pangs of recognition.

Sylvia Berry performed on the harpsichord as effectively as on the fortepiano.  Grant Herreid played the theorbo; Motomi Igarashi made some interesting sounds on the viola da gamba and lirone; Vita Wallace and Abigail Karr were the violinists.

Musica Nuova has a mission of providing a new look at early music and they succeeded admirably in both style and substance.  The performance ended in less than 90 minutes and we played in our head an aria from Ariadne auf Naxos.  But that wouldn't have fit in with early music!

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GEORGE LONDON FOUNDATION FOR SINGERS

Emalie Savoy

Anthony Dean Griffey

The Morgan Library has a comfortable recital hall that lends itself beautifully to the vocal arts--just the right size to insure intimacy and blessed with fine acoustics.  Yesterday's recital, in collaboration with The George London Foundation for Singers, featured the esteemed tenor Anthony Dean Griffey, rising star soprano Emalie Savoy and beloved piano partner Ken Noda.

It isn't every day that one gets to hear such a wide variety of early 20th c. music on a recital program and the contrast was rather amazing. The Banalités of Francis Poulenc are settings of poetry by Apollinaire and seem influenced by dadaism.  Ms. Savoy captured the varying moods with presence and charm, but not always the clearest diction.  We especially enjoyed her dancing around the stage in "Voyage à Paris".  This is an artist who has learned to relax over the past couple years to the delight of her audience.

The silly nature of these songs contrasted sharply with the serious nature of Samuel Barber's settings of texts by James Joyce.  As is common in 20th c. music, the most interesting writing takes place in the piano part, rather than the vocal part.  Nonetheless, Mr. Griffey with his beautifully colored voice made excellent sense of the text.  "I hear an army charging upon the land" opens with some stentorian verses and ends in agony and despair.  Mr. Griffey aims for a Mid-Atlantic accent, neither British nor American.  This is most pronounced in the "a" sound.

"Jimmy's aria" from The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny by Kurt Weill allowed Mr. Griffey to show another side of his interpretive chops.  This jazzy score, attacked with relish by the versatile Mr. Noda, is meant to satirize opera and reveals yet another aspect of early 20th c. music.  The aria, libretto by Berthold Brecht, is an intense display of bitterness and despair.  We wondered how it might sound in German.  We had ample opportunity to admire Mr. Griffey's German in two of our favorite Schubert lieder from Schwanengesang, D. 957--"Liebesbotschaft" and "Ständchen".

Ms. Savoy contributed "Bella mia Fiamma, addio!" by Mozart and "Le perfide Renaud me fuit" from Gluck's Armide.  At times Ms. Savoy pushes her high notes giving them a strained sound.  We trust that she is working on this detail and look forward to hearing her float them.

Mr. Griffey opened the program with three songs by John Dowland from the late 16th or early 17th c., settings of anonymous texts.  What is remarkable about these songs is that what Dowland wrote follows the rhythm of the English language while engaging the ear with melody, something rarely seen in 20th c. vocal writing, except on Broadway.  A closing duet by both artists gave a fine illustration of that point with George Gershwin's "Let's call the whole thing off" from Shall We Dance;  we were so charmed that we did not protest the absence of an encore.

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