A GIFT FROM CHINA

Huayin Shadow Puppet Band from Shaanxi Province China

China's ancient musical traditions are in danger of being lost--but not if pipa virtuoso Wu Man has anything to say about it!

In our country there are musicians whose names are familiar to just about everyone and we'd like to think that this lovely and talented woman is similarly famous in China. Her participation in Yo-Yo Ma's Silk Road Ensemble and  the documentary film The Music of Strangers have made her famous. We were so happy to be exposed to her gifts Saturday night at the Society for Ethical Culture, as well as the unusual performance of the Huayin Shadow Puppet Band, presented by the World Music Institute (www.worldmusicinstitute.org).

The pipa is a lute like instrument which was customarily plucked with fingers when the strings were made of silk; but presently, in concert halls, the steel strings are plucked with plastic finger picks, one on each finger of the right hand whilst the fingers of the left hand depress the strings onto the sounding board.  Ms. Man's right hand moved so rapidly that we were reminded of nothing more than the wings of a hummingbird. At times we thought of the player of flamenco guitar creating rasgueados.

It is worthwhile to see her artistry up close on You Tube...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rg_iZhUlyRE

If the amplification of Ms. Man's voice had been better we would have loved to tell you the details she shared about the instrument, but only those in the center section of the hall seemed to hear and laugh along with her good humor. We only picked up a few words, so we can only tell you that the music, which there was no trouble hearing, was exciting at times and subtle at other times.

There was no subtlety in the performance of the  Huayin Shadow Puppet Band, which comprises farmers from Huayin County, a rural village in Shaanxi Province in northwest China. The musicians evinced a wild gusto that communicated with the audience. Onstage were four er-hu, an instrument with two strings that comes in various sizes to cover various portions of the register; a "bench" (looking like a sawhorse) which was brought over from China and played by striking with a blunt object; an hexagonal bowed instrument with three strings, a shawm, a heraldic looking trumpet several feet long that sounded like an angry duck, and all manner of percussion--clappers, gongs, and cymbals.

The sounds were raucous and probably told of ancient battles, mythical heroes, and gods of the oral folk culture of the region.  The shadow puppetry was created upon a backlit white screen and was not so different from that found in Indonesia. The tradition first appeared in this village during the Qing Dynasty in the mid-18th c. It once belonged exclusively to the Zhang family but has recently been passed down to outsiders.

We wish we had understood the narration because it was difficult to figure out what was happening. One scene was perfectly clear.  Two warriors mounted on very small horses threw spears at each other in a long pitched battle. The other scene was confusing but it seemed as if a group of people were scolding a person.

At the end we heard a piece in which the melody was passed around from one instrument to another which we found quite lovely. What a fascinating discovery!

(c) meche kroop

WINE WOMEN AND SONG

Tami Petty and Michael Sheetz

We know well that the talented Tami Petty won the Joy in Singing award in 2014; we were there and wrote enthusiastically about her gifts communicating the essence of song to the audience. Since that auspicious debut, we have seen, heard, and enjoyed Ms. Petty's gifts a number of times at the Brooklyn Art Song Society and once with The Bohemians. Yesterday we enjoyed her gifts even more at a salon graciously hosted by one of Joy in Singing's devoted members.

Perhaps it was the intimacy of the surroundings or perhaps Ms. Petty has been working on her English diction because we got every word of her English--the only quibble we had four years ago.

The theme for the afternoon put women composers front and center. We had just heard Clara Schumann's "Liebst du um Schonheit" Friday night and wrote how it shouldn't take second place to Mahler's setting. Ms. Petty's performance reinforced our belief. The luster of her instrument and attention to detail in the phrasing were amplified by gesture and facial expression. We want to hear this song again and again!

Ms. Petty's German ist perfekt and served her well in Alma Mahler's "Ich wandle unter Blumen", another lovely entry in the female composer sweepstakes.

We heard some lovely French as well and always admire a singer who can switch gears for each language. Regine Wieniawski (Poldowski) set Paul Verlaine's  "L'heure exquise" in 1917, a quarter century after Reynaldo Hahn did so --another tempting pair for Mirror Visions Ensemble. The two settings are different but equally lovely. The start is delicate but Ms. Petty opened up her sizable voice whilst collaborative pianist, known mainly through his work with Classic Lyric Arts, put forth some lovely arpeggi.

Cecile Chaminade's songs were popular in her time--all 125 of them!  There were clubs celebrating her oeuvre right here in the USA. Yesterday we heard the delightful "Ecrin" which was performed in a most flirtatious manner. The French was crystal clear but one got the message even if one didn't understand the language.

Pauline Viardot's "Madrid" was written for the mezzo fach but that didn't stop Ms. Petty who conveyed the high spirited vocal line whilst Mr. Sheetz conveyed all the flamenco inflected accompaniment. We loved it!

The remainder of the songs were in English but that didn't stop us from enjoying them! Amy Beach's "The Year's at the Spring" was familiar to us but "Take, O Take Those Lips Away" was new to us.  Clara Edwards' "Into the Night" was filled with longing and quite lovely.

Liza Lehmann's  "Evensong" was seriously sentimental but her "There are fairies at the bottom of our garden" is filled with sly humor and Ms. Petty used just the right amount of camp, to the delight of the audience.

We even got to hear Mr. Sheetz perform Fanny Mendelssohn's "Pastorella" which reminded us of "Lieder ohne Worte" inasmuch as we were writing words in our head!  Indeed, Fanny probably wrote a lot of music that got passed off as her brother's because of restrictions enacted upon women by society and their families.

A fun aspect of yesterday's salon was that different guests were selected to read a brief bio about each composer. So many women composers were prevented from performing; others composed out of financial necessity.

As encore, we got "SHE'S got the whole world in HER hands". We couldn't keep from thinking that Ms. Petty has the world of art song in HER hands! That spiritual never made so much sense! And who can get a song across better than Ms. Petty!

Did you know that Joy in Singing is the oldest art song organization in the USA! Did you now that you too may be eligible to attend one of these intimate salons? We highly recommend the experience.

(c) meche kroop

PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS

Nathaniel LaNasa

It is the time of year when students at Juilliard are fulfilling the requirements for their degrees and collaborative pianist Nathaniel LaNasa surely deserves the Graduate Diploma Degree for which he has evidently worked so hard. So how did he make it look so easy????  That's artistry!

Mr. LaNasa graciously thanked all the faculty who had contributed to the various facets of his education and explained to the audience what a collaborative pianist is and does, which is a great deal more than just accompanying. One could observe the truth of this by watching and listening. Mr. LaNasa chose his partners carefully--four singers and a violinist.  The material was also varied, some to our taste and some, not so much.

The part of the program we enjoyed the most was his partnership with soprano Kathryn Henry, on the basis of their performance of five selections from Richard Strauss' Op.10--his first published songs, filled with youthful enthusiasm and compositional promise, much like the artists!

Ms. Henry offers a generous sound, a pleasing vibrato, and clear German.  More importantly, she colored each song differently, giving "Zueignung" a full measure of passion, matched by Mr. LaNasa's piano. "Nichts" was given a lot of personality and a touch of humor, while the gorgeous "Die Nacht" established a mood of vague anxiety and just the right emphasis on the shift to the minor key.  "Allerseelen" was filled with painful longing, achieving some peaceful resolution with the piano postlude.

Baritone Gregory Feldmann was given similar support by Mr. LaNasa in three songs by Gabriel Fauré. His fine round tone was well matched by arpeggi in the piano in "Dans le forêt de Septembre". The ripples in the piano matched the vocal color of "La fleur qui va sur l'eau".

We have never enjoyed Olivier Messiaen's music but the bitter pill went down easily with the lovely soprano Nicolette Mavroleon tackling the nonsense syllables. We could only make out a few words like "green dove", "love", "water", "sky", and "time". We preferred "L'amour de Piroutcha" which had a lyrical line and a gentle piano part.

Messiaen often kept Mr. LaNasa's hands at the farthest reaches of the keyboard and he really got a workout. He explained that we were hearing extracts from a doomed love story based on a Peruvian legend.  Well, there's that.  In any case, Ms. Mavroleon seemed very involved in the work and can be forgiven for being "on the book" in the case of such a bizarre vocal line and text.

Even more bizarre was a contemporary piece by Tonia Ko called "Smoke and Distance".  This short piece did not appeal on an emotional level and seemed to us to be written from an intellectual perspective.  The singer, Lucy Dhegrae, merits major props for memorizing the vocal part, which involved strange sounds and humming.

It was the piano part that amazed us. Mr. LaNasa was called upon to pluck and strum the strings of the piano. We know this is not the first time a composer has called upon a performer to attack the piano in such a fashion but we prefer our piano played in the customary fashion!

We were back on more familiar territory when Mr. LaNasa was joined by Hahnsol Kim for Beethoven's Violin Sonata No. 3 in E-flat, Op.12 No. 3, an early work very rooted in the classical style. We heard a traditional Allegro, an expressive Adagio, and a lively Rondo with an appealing theme.

We were impressed by how the two artists related to one another, with the piano picking up and reflecting on the violin.  Good job Nathaniel!

(c) meche kroop

ANOTHER LINDEMANN TRIUMPH

Petr Nekoranec, Valeria Polunina, and Hyesang in Lindemann Recital

Let's face it.  The Lindemann Young Artist Development Program gives matchless recitals.  Since 1980 they have discovered and developed the cream of the crop of young opera singers and collaborative pianists. Those fortunate enough to be chosen receive a bounty of instruction, coaching, and performance opportunities. The stages of opera houses worldwide clamor for their talent.

Yesterday's recital at the Bruno Walter Auditorium exceeded greatness. It lasted but 75 minutes but the after effects are still with us. A recital like this can leave you totally satisfied, yet wishing it had gone on and on.  Like champagne, even when you've had enough, you still want more!

What impressed us most about these young artists was how distinctive their voices are.  So many tenors and sopranos of today sound alike; it's a special pleasure to hear voices that have unique qualities.

The appropriately named soprano Hyesang Park opened the program with a pair of songs by Purcell--"Music for a While" from Oedipus and "Sweeter than Roses" from Pausanias. This 17th c. British titan knew how to pair text and music; Ms. Park's bright tone produces a visceral effect; we could feel the bones of our middle ear vibrating and tingling.  What an incredible sensation! It is particularly pronounced in the penetrating upper register.

Her English is so perfect that we missed nary a word. Perhaps some credit must go to Patricia Brandt's coaching in English. Not only was the enunciation clear but the meaning behind the words was emphasized by astute vocal coloration. The word "cool" indeed had a chilly sound and "trembling" literally trembled. Ms. Park's expressive face matched her expressive voice such that we really understood the songs. 

Purcell wrote some gorgeous melismas that took on the character of vocalises. The vocal fireworks of the fast section were exciting as could be.  It was great to hear this artist go from legato lyricism to rapid-fire embellishments.

Five songs by Clara Schumann followed, which involved some warm colors of regret and nostalgia. Rückert's romantic text "Liebst du um Schönheit" was set by her long before Mahler set it. We have always loved Mahler's setting but there is no reason to overlook Clara Schumann's version. Clara's style is not so different from her husband's and we hear the same attention to a singable vocal line and wonderful piano writing.

Collaborative pianist Valeria Polunina created quite a storm in "Er ist gekommen" and some delightful echoing effects in "Das ist ein Tag".

The program also included a charming pair of songs by Reynaldo Hahn who managed to keep melody alive into the 20th c.! "A Chloris" and "L'Enamourée" are graceful songs and Ms. Park sang them simply, creating a dreamlike mood. The effect was that of letting the songs speak for themselves.

Tenor Petr Nekoranec has an equally distinctive sound; we don't know how to describe it except "texture". It sounds rich and multidimensional. The last time we heard Mr. Nekoranec we loved his voice but not the material. Yesterday we were over the moon about his choice of material. Antonín Dvorák wrote his Gypsy Songs in German and that is how we have always heard them.

However, the composer reset them in Czech and we were amazed at the beautiful sound of the language and how well it integrated with the text. Singing in his native tongue permitted Mr. Nekoranec to immerse himself totally in the many moods of Roma life from wild abandon to deep sorrow. The work fits him like a suit of bespoke clothing. His colorful personality emerged as he gave his all.

We also enjoyed Six Romances, Op. 38 by Rachmaninoff. The partnership between him and Ms. Polunina was particularly striking.  "The Daisies" gives the piano score some lacy filigree whereas "The Pied Piper" has a frisky quality that Mr. Nekoranec augmented with his lively personality. The haunting piano line of "A-u!" brought this superb recital to a memorable close.

We longed for an encore but there was none. We kept wondering what these two unique voices would sound like in a duet. Well, now we have something to anticipate for the future.

(c) meche kroop

YOUNG CONCERT ARTISTS SCORES A HIT!

Renate Rohlfing and Samuel Hasselhorn at The Morgan Library

Every generation produces its own standout artists! It is clear to us, after hearing baritone Samuel Hasselhorn on two occasions, that he is the standout baritone of his generation. He won first prize in the Young Concert Artists Competition in 2015 (among a legion of other awards and prizes) and gave a groundbreaking recital at Merkin Hall last year which we reviewed. (http://www.vocedimeche.reviews/search?q=samuel+hasselhorn)

If anything, our excitement about his career has only grown, along with the growth of his artistry. Once again, we were impressed by the ease of his stage presence, the mature timbre of his voice, his crisp diction (even in English), his storytelling prowess, and his ability to color his voice with all the tones of the vocal palette.

The major work on this afternoon's program was Schumann's Dichterliebe. With collaborative pianist Renate Rohlfing matching his mood every step of the way, Mr. Hasselhorn led us through the many stages of recovery from a disappointing romance. Anyone with a minimal knowledge of German could easily follow the text with its multiple metaphors.

The feelings were so intense that it was difficult to believe that the dramatics were just dramatics. It seemed as if Mr. Hasselhorn were living through the many shades of grief in real time. We only hope he has never had such despair, nor ever will.

Heinrich Heine's text may seem excessive by today's standards but anyone who has lived through the loss of a love will understand that the loss of a fantasy of future happiness is excruciatingly painful.  Better to write or sing about it than to turn to alcohol and drugs!

The way Mr. Hasselhorn interpreted the song cycle is that the poet is reflecting upon the past--his initial joy and subsequent despair as he works through his loss-- until the final song of the cycle. He employed a sweet color for "Im wunderschönen Monat Mai"; the song doesn't exactly end but trails off in a whiff of nostalgia.

"Wenn ich in deine Augen seh'" shows the poet at his  most confused. Mr. Hasselhorn's coloration gave voice to the ambivalence.

"Im Rhein, im heiligen Strome" begins with some seriously ponderous chords in the piano echoed by the voice, depicting the great cathedral of Köln. The poet sees the face of his lost love everywhere, even in a painting of the Virgin Mary.

In "Ich grolle nicht" Mr. Hasselhorn began with a stalwart surface and a position of denial but his interpretation allowed the anger over the woman's betrayal to burst forth in an explosion of rage.

Ms. Rolfhing had her chance to shine in the hurdy-gurdy piano part of "Das ist ein Flöten und Geigen" but changed to a pensive mood in "Hör ich das Liedchen klingen" as Mr. Hasselhorn indulged in some 19th c. German Romantic grief. Today we would call it a "pity party".

"Ein Jüngling liebt ein Mädchen" begins with irony and ends, like the earlier "Ich grolle nicht" with an eruption of anger. The next song "Am leuchtenden Sommermorgen" is one of consolation and required an entirely different coloration. 

"Ich hab' im Traum geweinet" asks the singer to begin a capella; he is joined by rhythmic chords in the piano which punctuate his sad dreams like the beating of an aching heart. In this lied and the subsequent "Allnächtlich im Traume" he is working through the loss. Haven't we all had dreams in which a dream element that seemed important has vanished evanescently? Imagine the skill required for the singer to convey this puzzled quality!

He finds no escape into fantasy as shown in the longing "Aus alten Märchen winkt es" so the final resolution must be to bury the love and the angry songs in a hyperbolic coffin with a dozen giant pallbearers as described in "Die alten, bösen Lieder". The piano postlude achieves a kind of resolution with a nearly funereal peace.

The program also included some lighter material.  In a move worthy of Mirror Visions Ensemble, the same text, set by Schubert and Gerald Finzi, was performed.  Schubert's "An Silvia" was paired with Finzi's "Who is Sylvia" and we were surprised to learn that Shakespeare's words were as well set in English in the 20th c. as the German version was by Schubert in the 19th c. 

We generally don't care much for songs in English from the 20th c. but we were drawn to enjoy this music by Mr. Hasselhorn's and Ms. Rohlfing's fine performance of "O Mistress Mine". Possibly the elegant cadence of Shakespeare's text elicits good composition!

We were tickled by the singer's bird sounds in Hugo Wolf's "Lied des transferieten Zettel".  This is a setting of "Bottom's Song" from Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream, translated into German.

There was yet more Shakespeare to come. Erich Wolfgang Korngold set "Desdemona's Song" from Othello,  as well as "Under the Greenwood Tree",  "Blow, blow, Thou Winter Wind", and "When Birds Do Sing"-- all from As You Like It.

So, now we know. We like songs in English as long as Shakespeare contributed the text!

Still, returning to German for the encore left us smiling; it was the very sweet Schumann lied "Du bist wie eine Blume". Schumann must have been thinking of Clara when he wrote that gorgeous melody!

(c) meche kroop

ARTISTIK DEUTSCHER STIL

Barbara Heming, Babette Hierholzer, Christine Reber, and Jacob Cirkel

The last time we wrote about the German Forum, we were bidding a sad farewell to long-term President Henry Meyer-Oertel. This time we are offering a warm welcome to new President Barbara Heming who seems to have the future of this outstanding organization well in hand. They will continue to provide performance opportunities for young artists from the German speaking world and enticing entertainment for members and their guests.

Last night we were offered an interesting program on the basis of the presence of a brilliant young instrumentalist--Jacob Cirkel, who has mastered the French horn, an instrument the sound of which we adore, even when it cracks.  It is like a beloved friend that we cherish, even when this friend is cranky, which, we confess, we felt about this concert.

The soprano, Christine Reber, sang into the detested music stand for the entire evening, with the exception of a couple minutes when she entered from the wings singing "Meine Lippen, sie küssen so heiss" from Franz Lehár's Giuditta. We were ready to celebrate her liberation from the score but, once again she sidled up behind the stand.

We wish we were telling you about her sweet warm ingenue tone and the pleasures of hearing German sung the way it should be; but, no, here we are feeling cheated of the very pleasures for which we attend vocal recitals. Sometimes we grit our teeth and overlook this recital shortcoming when there is a premiere of difficult new music. But when a singer has chosen a program of standard works and cannot go to the trouble to memorize them, we do feel cheated of the connection that elevates a live recital above listening to a recording.  Frankly, we felt we were attending a music lesson.

The good side of this, and we always do look for the good side, is that we focused more on the collaborative piano of Babette Hierholzer who has terrific technique and matchless ability to support the other artists. In Beethoven's lovely "Ich liebe Dich, so wie Du mich", she gave every verse of this strophic song a different color.

Beethoven's Sonata for French horn and piano, op.17 was a revelation. She and Mr. Cirkel passed melodies back and forth and handled the major/minor shifts so stylishly! It was easy to see the influence of Mozart on the young Beethoven.

We are not familiar with Josef Rheinberger but the opening movement of his Sonata for French horn and piano in E flat Major from 1894 opened with a marvelous fanfare.

For the Act III prayer "Und ob die Wolke sich verhülle" from Carl Maria von Weber's Die Freischütz, the French horn replaced the cello part. This opera was presented by Utopia Opera three years ago and we enjoyed it so much in all its supernatural glory.

The German Forum loves to bring in an instrumentalist so that rarely heard vocal works can be performed. This was the first time we heard Richard Strauss' "Ein  Alphorn hör ich schallen" and, indeed, Mr. Cirkel provided the offstage horn call. If only Ms. Reber had directed her sound toward the audience, instead of down into the score!

There is plenty of room for the development of color in her voice. Three songs by Strauss required much more variety, which we did hear in the piano.  Ms. Hierholzer invested the opening bars of "Morgen" with an ethereal color, very different from that of "Die Nacht", which is quiet in a stealthy way.  The wild enthusiasm of "Zueignung" was expressed in a wild flight of arpeggi.

Schubert's "Auf dem Strom" is another piece we rarely hear and the horn melody is absolutely glorious and well supported by the piano.

Fred Raymond's Maske in Blau is unknown to us but hearing "Die Juliska aus Budapest" made us want to see the entire work. Ms. Reber made an attempt to act but it is truly impossible when one is looking at the score.  Gestures tend to appear superficially pasted on, rather than emerging organically from the text and the music.

The evening closed with the lovely Act I aria from Rossini's Semiramide --"Bel raggio lusinghier" which we just heard at the Metropolitan Opera with Angela Meade.  Ms. Reber's skill with bel canto was impressively accurate and we sat there hoping that the next time we hear her we will hear her from the heart and not from the page. There is ample talent there but communication with the audience surpasses technique.

Membership in the German Forum is so worthwhile! Junior memberships for those under 30 are extremely affordable. An added inducement is the generous buffet reception offered before and after the musical program, giving every audience member an opportunity to meet and greet the artists.

(c) meche kroop

BEASTS AND BRUTES

Margaret Kampmeier, Scott Murphree, Mischa Bouvier, and Vira Slywotzky

A recital of songs can be very serious and deeply moving, providing a catharsis for sorrow and the pain of human existence.  Other times, a recital can be just plain fun.  Last night's recital by Mirror Visions Ensemble at The Sheen Center had a theme that leaned toward fun. Most of the songs were about the animal kingdom but others were about humans who behave worse than animals.

The three singers of Mirror Visions Ensemble are all gifted with the ability to bring a song to vivid life. Of course, the standard requirements for vocal music are necessary but once once knows a singer well (and we know these three very well), one takes for granted their vocal skills--tonality, phrasing, linguistic ability, etc.--and focuses on their ability to get a song across.  And that is why MVE  always draws a substantial audience. We know a good thing when we hear it!

After an instrumental introduction in which pianist Margaret Kampmeier treated us to "The Cricket Marries" by Béla Bartók (the cricket is definitely NOT Bluebeard!) all three singers joined forces for Josquin des Prez' "El grillo" in high Renaissance polyphony. We have no idea why this Belgian composer set a Spanish text but it was definitely one of the highlights of the evening. We don't get to hear much music like this and probably wouldn't want to hear an entire evening of it! It did make a great hors d'oeuvre for the rest of the evening.

Tenor Scott Murphree gave a deliciously ironic slant to Camille Saint-Saëns who wrote "La cigale et la fourmi" four centuries later.  True to the mission of MVE--that of offering different settings of the same text--baritone Mischa Bouvier performed the same text, which was given a dramatically different slant by André Caplet.

Maurice Ravel's delicate "Le martin-pêcheur" was sung by Mr. Murphree in true Gallic style, hushed as if not to disturb the Kingfisher perched on the poet's fishing rod. Ravel's "La pintade" is a musical portrait of a very disagreeable female (perhaps a critic, LOL) and all three singers participated in bringing her to annoying life.

We don't get to hear much Hungarian but Kodály's songs "Youth is Like a Falcon" and "My Geese, My Geese" fell pleasantly on the ear since the text married well with the music. In the former, Ms. Slywotzky's voice was accompanied by some lovely rippling piano figures. In the second, Mr. Murphree sang of a woman who wants her geese to return, perhaps without her husband. We liked the way the singer showed her change of heart at the end.

Joaquin Rodrigo's "Canción del cucú" was beautifully arranged for three voices by Richard Lalli, Guest Artistic Director. The text appears to have been written by Rodrigo's wife.

"Son nata a lagrimar", the duet between Sesto and Cornelia from Händel's Giulio Cesare was performed by Mr. Murphree and Mr. Bouvier; it was so gorgeous that we have been listening to recordings of it all night. The "beast" in this case was Cleopatra's brother Ptolemy (Tolomeo) who beheaded Pompey -- Sesto's father and Cornelia's husband.  The two join in heartfelt grief.

Mr. Bouvier gave a dramatic reading of excerpts from "Ode to Napoleon Buonaparte" which was accompanied by Schoenberg's piano, a piece with which we are unfamiliar. Ms. Slyvotzky gave a highly dramatic and effective reading of Pompey's speech from Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra which was followed by Edith Sitwell's strange text set by William Walton.  

The set ended with a premiere of Scott Wheeler's "Et tu Brute Fanfare" in which all three singers took part, an MVE commission.

We have less to say about the second half of the program.  We adore Ogden Nash's text for its wit but Richard Pearson Thomas' music detracted from the pleasure one gets from reading or reciting these little gems, which never ever asked to be set to music! This too was commissioned by MVE.

Francine Trester was inspired by Sheridan Oman's animal engravings to write a commissioned work which premiered last night but did not affect us one way or another.

The next section was meant to say something about 20th c. tyrants Stalin, Franco, and Hitler. We did enjoy Shostakovich's "Fussy Mummy and Auntie" although we didn't grasp the connection with Stalin. Christopher Berg set Garcia Lorca's "Casida de las palomas oscuras" but we didn't understand what the text had to do with Franco.  

Similarly for Garcia Lorca's own compositions which were strangely sung with alternating verses. From Canciones Populares, we are familiar with "Las morillas de Jaén" and "Anda, Jaleo", but we failed to understand the connection. If you, dear reader, have insight into this connection, feel free to share in the comments section.

We also puzzled over Hanns Eisler's selections from Hollywooder Liederbuch. Interesting but in what manner were they commenting on Hitler?  We cannot say.

What we can say is that Tchaikovsky wrote some lovely songs! Ms. Slyvotzky sang of "The Nightingale", with avian support from Ms. Kampmeier and the trio sang of "The Cuckoo". Mikhail Glinka was sneaked in between with "The Skylark", sung by Mr. Murphree.

As encore we heard  Jean Wiéner's "Le Léopard", a setting of text by Robert Desnos, translated by Mr. Lalli, and performed by all three artists.  What fun!

(c) meche kroop