A TRIP DOWN THE RHINE

Guest Review by Ellen Godfrey:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

© meche kroop

OPERA INDEX 2018 AWARD WINNERS RECITAL

Shiyu Tan, Katelan Terrell, Dashuai Chen, and Jessica Fasselt

As you may already know, Opera Index has been supporting young singers for a very long time--both with generous financial awards and also with performance opportunities.

Sunday afternoon's Award Winners Recital was just one of many events offered by Opera Index; if you were there you enjoyed one of the best recitals of the season; if you were not, you missed a very special event and an introduction to two up-and-coming opera stars.

The recital was well balanced in terms of mixing up opera and lieder with some operetta thrown in, as well as a Chinese folk song that made us want to hear more. Regular readers know how much we appreciate music from around the world!

Both soprano Jessica Faselt (forget Fafner) and tenor Dashuai Chen are artists to watch. We foresee a brilliant future for both of them. Ms. Faselt was accompanied by one of our favorite collaborative pianists--Katelan Terrell who has the softest of hands and an uncanny ability to breathe with the singer and provide superb support. Shiyu Tan is new to us but we enjoyed her accompaniment a great deal and look forward to hearing more of her.

Ms. Faselt, about whom we have written a great deal, has a magnificent instrument that is consistent throughout the register and imbued with gorgeous color. She also knows just how to use her body and face to amplify the text; she is a born storyteller.

Just listen to her command of the Faust story in Schubert's "Gretchen am Spinnrade". She drew us in and allowed us to experience all of Gretchen's yearning for and idealization of Faust. Meanwhile, Ms. Terrell kept the spinning wheel spinning in the background with periodic underpinnings of Gretchen's anxiety. We have never heard a better performance of this incredible lied.

She has a wonderful feeling for Strauss as evidenced by her performance of two of his Four Last Songs. Both "Frühling" and "Beim Schlafengehen" were heartfelt; a dramatic arc leading up to an expansive soaring top gave us several thrills. We loved the melismatic passages and the manner in which the mood was sustained between verses.

Wagner's "Dich, teure Halle" was sung with impressive emotional range.

Her French in Duparc's "Chanson triste" was lovely and we admired her facility with pianissimo singing.

Mr. Chen also sang a Duparc song and manifested some fine French in the lovely "Phidylé"; if we wanted someone to sing us to sleep we would want to hear his dulcet tones. He has a lovely instrument that pleased us most in the middle register. We loved the colors with which he invested Schubert's ethereal "Nacht und Träume". His utilization of dynamic variety was exemplary. It was all in the voice; there was very little gesture.

Later in the program, he seemed to relax and to use his body more. Some music lovers prefer a singer to stand still but we prefer gesture!

Mr. Chen made an excellent Edgardo in "Tombe degli avi miei...Fra poco a me ricovero" from Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor, drawing us right into the hero's loss and pain. This dramatic intensity was not quite as present in Don Ottavio's "Il mio tesoro intanto" from Mozart's Don Giovanni. Perhaps loyalty is more difficult to demonstrate than sorrow! Perhaps the tempo was taken too fast, not leaving room for much emotion, but we didn't know who this Don Ottavio was. Nonetheless, the singing was gorgeous, with the excellent breath control needed to provide sustained tone during the long melismatic passages.

The audience's favorite seemed to be Leoncavallo's "Mattinata" in which he captured the Italianate spirit of the piece. Similarly "Dein ist mein ganzes herz" from Franz Lehar's Das Land des Lächelns was given an expansive delivery which drew us right in.

Our personal favorite was a Chinese song about lost love. We had "the feels".

There was only one issue that we think could be improved; like so many other tenors, Mr. Chen tends to push for a larger than necessary volume in the upper register. Scorca Hall is not a large room and we would have preferred his taking things down a notch.

The two artists created some romantic magic in "O soave fanciulla" from Puccini's La boheme. Both dramatically and vocally, it was flawless and involving. We never tire of scenes involving romantic chemistry!

Those of you unfamiliar with Opera Index are hereby encouraged to get familiar. Through Opera Index, we have been exposed to some great talents at early stages of their careers. Award winners have gone on to great success. There is a membership party on November 13th with more singing, and a potluck dinner with wine--surely an event worth attending. Bear in mind that the cost of membership is a paltry sum and includes the party!

© meche kroop

COME TO THE CABARET!

Katharine Mehrling

We keep trying to expand our musical taste beyond opera and lieder; we have been only minimally successful in our attempt to relate to contemporary opera and song. So we did not have great expectation prior to our Saturday night venture--a cabaret performance at Joe's Pub, a very comfortable venue at the Public Theater. We did not even glance at the publicity. We believe art should speak for itself.

Well, we have nothing but admiration for an artists who can entrance us for an hour and a half by virtue of vocal and linguistic ability as well as stage presence. Berlin artist Katharine Mehrling richly deserved the standing ovation she got from her fans, an ovation which produced a second encore--"La Vie en Rose".

Let us begin with her stage presence. Ms. Mehrling illustrated the metaphor of "holding someone in the palm of her hand", but in this case it was the entire audience. It seemed to be an act of magic to unite all those people into a single unit, even getting people to sing along with her. Whatever she did seemed right in the moment, whether it was offering her wine to a lone man sitting ringside, tousling the hair of her pianist, blowing through a kazoo shaped like a mini-saxophone, or dancing around the stage.

The voice has an incredibly appealing quality, in spite of being amplified. She exhibited all the qualities we admire in an operatic recitalist, using phrasing and dynamics as well as gesture to get the song across. Our favorite moment occurred toward the end of the show, right in the middle of "Je regrette rien", when she put down the microphone for one enormously touching verse. We couldn't help wondering why the rest of the show was amplified. Her natural voice filled the room with beauty.

It seems to us that nowadays people have become accustomed to amplified sound--the louder the better. We noticed that the applause was the loudest when she sang like a pop star. We felt like a dinosaur because we treasured the quietest most intimate moments.

As far as linguistic ability, Ms. Mehrling sang in perfect French, superb Spanish, and barely accented English, as well as her native German. Regular readers have probably already guessed our preferences. When verses were performed in English translation next to the original language, it was always the latter which we felt on a deeper level. Diction was so good in every language that there was no problem understanding every word.

The programming had enough variety to suit everyone. She opened with the Brecht/Weill "That Old Bilbao Moon" in German and, whether she actually forgot the English lyrics or pretended to, it seemed to bring the audience together.

There was a sprinkling of engaging anecdotes about her hometown Berlin, especially about the Kit Kat Club, and climate change demonstrations. She mentioned that it is the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, and that is surely something to celebrate.

She spoke about Marlena Dietrich and Edith Piaf, singing some of the songs they made famous like "I'm in Love Again...I Can't Help It".  Please forgive us if we are not as familiar with these songs as we probably should be, but we certainly did enjoy hearing them.

We are familiar with "Padam, padam, padam" through our friend Kim David Smith who introduced us to cabaret several years ago.

There was a cute story about her admission to the USA as a "German alien with extraordinary abilities", one of which was her ability to yodel; the anecdote was followed by a yodeling song that left us speechless. Now that's one technique that opera singers don't have.

Ms. Mehrling is not only a cabaret artist but an actress as well, and also a composer and recording artist. She told us how she grew up in a room over her parents' musical saloon where she was exposed to all kinds of music; indeed one could hear strains of jazz and bebop in her eclectic performance.

A great recital often results in our pursuing knowledge of something and one of the songs Ms. Mehrling performed in Spanish was "Gracias a la Vida"; how could we not know that this was one of the most recorded songs in Latin America? It was written by renowned Chilean singer/songwriter Violeta Parra in 1966 as a charity single, recorded by Voces Unidas por Chile; Ms. Parra committed suicide a year later. We dare you to read the lyrics online without being moved to tears.

Ms. Mehrling received superb support from her pianist and bassist who were not mentioned in the press release, nor on her website. It's a pity because they added greatly to the performance

© meche kroop

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ROMA

Kristin Gornstein, Michael Brofman, Stanichka Dimitrova, Nana Shi, Tami Petty, and Michael Kelly

Roma! Perhaps you thought the name of this review referred to the Italian 

Capitol.  It does not! It refers to a people without a homeland, a people both revered and despised, sometimes scorned--but in the 19th c. elevated to a position of artistic reverence by the quest for exoticism inherent in the Romantic tradition. (We felt like writing ROMAntic.)

In its tenth anniversary season, the Brooklyn Art Song Society, helmed by pianist Michael Brofman, chose a theme of national identity as expressed through music, encapsulated by the word "Home". What a splendid theme! Last night we heard the first concert of the season, one which focused on the Roma people. 

Although we came for the songs and enjoyed the program immensely, what lingers in our ears is Franz Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody #2 in C-sharp minor, one of our favorite keys. This was the first time we experienced the piano artistry of Nana Shi. One minute she was giving perfect pianistic support to the gifted soprano Tami Petty and the next, without pause for applause, she launched into this rhapsodic Rhapsody which likely symbolises best the feeling of gypsy music.

The trills made us think of the flutter of hummingbird's wings and the playing in the upper register suggested the sound of the cimbalom. Liszt's melodic invention is astounding and Ms. Shi's brilliant technique gave different colors to the mad succession of themes. We particularly enjoyed the wild abandon of the fast section which had us almost dancing in our chair.

We don't want to give short shrift to Ms. Petty's performance of Liszt's evocative "Die drei Zigeuner". Ms. Petty is a consummate storyteller, using a variety of dynamics and vocal coloration to tell the tale. The timbre of her voice is gorgeous and she knows how to spin a top note into a silken thread of sound. We had to stifle our applause until the end of the instrumental piece but we enjoyed the buildup of tension.

Mr. Brofman himself accompanied baritone Michael Kelly for Antonín Dvorák's Zigeunerlieder Op. 55. We have heard this cycle of seven songs sung in Czech (fantastic), in German (wunderbar), and in English (meh!)--but somehow we never heard it sung by a man and we don't know why. Mr. Kelly's delivery was meticulous and passionate at the same time. The text fulfills every fantasy anyone ever had about the free gypsy life and Mr. Kelly gave it full expression. We enjoyed the melismatic passages in "Mein Lied ertönt" but our favorite was "Als die alte Mutter". Each song is a painting and all together they formed a magnificent mosaic.

Ms. Shi is equally excellent as a soloist and as a collaborative pianist. The lush violin playing of the adorably named Stanichka Dmitrova reminded us of how like the human voice is the violin. The two artists seemed to breathe together whether in the long legato lines (like an operatic aria) or in the spirited and fiery plucked passages (like a cabaletta).

For our 19th c. ears, Pablo Sarasate's Zigeunerweisen Op. 20 held a bit more interest than the more modern Tzigane by Maurice Ravel which opened with a prolonged solo and kept Ms. Dimitrova in the lower register for quite some time whilst Ms. Shi's fleet fingers raced up and down the keyboard. It sounded to us like a deconstruction of gypsy melodies, as if the themes were cut in pieces and thrown into the air to land in a new arrangement.

We wish we could say something lovely about Brahms' Zigeunerlieder, Op. 103 but there is just something about the use of the music stand that distracts and distances us from the artist. We have heard and enjoyed Kristin Gornstein's pleasing mezzo-soprano on prior occasions but last night we were bored and our attention wandered. There was one lied in the cycle of eight that did pull us in. "Wißt ihr, wann mein Kindchen" is a song in which a boy and girl take turns expressing what they like about the other, offering the singer an opportunity to alter the coloration to suit.

Let us not fail to mention the encore--a tribute to the late Jesse Norman. Ms. Petty sang Strauss' Morgen, putting the audience in a pensive mood, quite a change from the high-spirited gypsy songs.

The theme of "Home" will continue on November 1st with Chants D'Auvergne by Joseph Canteloube; the complete cycle will be performed at the Brooklyn Historical Society.

© meche kroop

A DON GIOVANNI FOR OUR TIME

Pavel Suliandziga, Laura León, Sarah Hayashi, Yuri Napoli, and Liana Guberman

Last night we were at the glamorous Norwood Club which is filled with stunning works of art, none of which could compete with the artistry of the singers assembled for the 6th annual Bare Opera Gala.

This fundraising event was held to introduce those of us who love Bare Opera to the cast and director of the upcoming production of Don Giovanni. Kirsten Scott, Co-Founder and General Director of this boutique opera company, gives good speech just as she gives good singing. If you didn't leave excited about the production you need to be on life support!

With Co-Founder and Artistic Director Laetitia Ruccolo at the piano, we were given a few selections from the production which premieres October 18 at the Bellwether, one of the more interesting spaces chosen by Bare Opera for their productions.

Not only does Bare Opera take opera out of the concert hall and into interesting venues, but they bring in directors with vision who can strip operas of their accumulated clichés, kinda like stripping barnacles off the hull of a boat.

Director Malena Dayen has interpreted Mozart's tragi-comedy in the light of the #metoo movement. It is difficult for us to perceive the gentle and handsome baritone Suchan Kim as a vile seducer but we suppose that's what acting instruction accomplishes.

We have no such trouble seeing tenor Pavel Suliandziga as a devoted Don Ottavio who, we understand, will not be the customary wimp. Having dazzled us with his Tchaikovsky at Around the World in Song, we are ready to be redazzled or bedazzled, if you will.  He is definitely the anti-Don.

The women will not be portrayed as victims and, we can tell you, soprano Liana Guberman makes a fiery but sympathetic Donna Elvira, not the comic figure to which we are accustomed. She was in superb voice last night and knocked our socks off.

The other two female roles were played by singers relatively new to us. Cuban soprano Laura León has the role of Donna Anna and connected well with Mr. Suliandziga.

Zerlina was sung by Sarah Hayashi who connected well with Mr. Kim, the smarmy seducer.

Each singer was interviewed by Yuri Napoli who asked all the right questions, encouraging each singer to reveal something about the character he/she would play.

Director Malena Dayen was present to tell us just enough about how she interprets the story to ensure our attendance at the performance. She will utilize the services of video artist Sangmin Chae to bring 21st century technology to this 18th century opera. We will not say too much about this innovation until we have the opportunity to see it in action.

Consider yourself encouraged to take a walk on the wild side with Bare Opera, Mozart, and Da Ponte. We've got our walkin' shoes on!

© meche kroop

SPANISH INSPIRATION

Gustavo Ahualli, Anna Tonna, Luiz Ottavio Faria, Lucy Arner, and Miguel Borrallo

At this point, dear reader, we have realized just how difficult it is to pull off a successful recital; furthermore we have learned how valuable it is to have a good theme. It was a brilliant idea to present arias from operas that were inspired by Spain, or located in Spain. Quick....how many can YOU name?

Last night, with the stunning Church of the Transfiguration providing an appropriate backdrop, we were treated to a satisfying survey of arias and ensembles drawn from some of these operas, sung by an experienced cast. At this level of singing our attention is drawn to interpretation and emotional content. If we see in our mind's eye an imaginary setting, or perhaps a remembered one, we know the singer is giving her/his all. Last night we heard just such a cast, accompanied by the excellent pianist Lucy Arner.

Ladies first! We have heard mezzo-soprano Anna Tonna many times and feel that this was the best we have ever heard. Perhaps there was something in the music that inspired her, just as the country of Spain inspired the composers.

She opened with what must be every mezzo's favorite aria, "Una voce poco fa" from Rossini's comic masterpiece Il barbiere di Siviglia. With a beautifully textured tone, Ms. Tonna used a variety of vocal colors to capture the nuances of a basically good young woman who is capable of all kinds of devious behavior to get her way. Ms. Tonna's embellishments to the vocal line were often incredibly inventive and illustrated Rosina's fiery temper. The gestures and facial expressions sprang directly from the text. Altogether a fine performance!

From Donizetti's La favorita, "Fia dunque e vero...Oh mio Fernando" was performed with dramatic recitativo and a lovely legato aria with a fiery cabaletta. We couldn't help but admire the secure placement of the voice. The purity of the vowels was ensured by an accurate embouchure. The sound of "maledetta, disperata" still rings in our ears. Povera donna!

If we had to name our top five favorite operas by Verdi, Don Carlo would surely be among them. We were fortunate to hear several selections which brought to mind the first time we saw the opera at the Metropolitan Opera with Dmitri Hvorostovsky in the role of Rodrigo, the Marquis de Posa. 

Ms. Tonna sang Princess Eboli's Act II aria in the original French with a fine brightness of tone in the upper register and flights of fioritura. We detected a strong whiff of saffron in the melody.

The other selections from Don Carlo took up a major portion of the program. The male members of the cast were similarly excellent. It isn't often that we hear Verdian voices since we write mainly about singers at the beginning of their careers. 

We always wonder how Verdi's music could make us feel pity for King Filippo who is a thoroughly reprehensible character. The performance of "Ella giammai m'amó" by bass Luiz Ottavio Faria accomplished just that as he realizes the wife he stole from his son (!) has never loved him. Faria's voice is authoritative and his delivery revealed a deep understanding of the text. To the credit of the accompanying pianist Lucy Arner, the theme was beautifully highlighted.

Argentinian baritone Gustavo Ahualli showed depth of tone and depth of feeling in his delivery of "Per me giunto", Rodrigo's aria of self-sacrifice. There was a great beauty of harmony in Mr. Ahualli's duet with tenor Miguel Borrallo "Dio che nell'alma infondere" in which they establish their loyalty and brotherhood. We'd call it perfect casting! Mr. Borrallo has a ringing tenor with lovely overtones.

Mr. Borrallo also had his special moments with other composers: from Mozart's Don Giovanni, we heard Don Ottavio's aria of devotion "Dalla sua pace" sung with tenderness. This artist utilizes dynamics to expressive ends; the messa di voce was more than admirable.

He also had a chance to exhibit his bel canto chops with one of the best arias in the tenor fach--Nemorino's showstopper "Una furtiva lagrima" from Donizetti's L'Elisir d'amore. There were a couple times we wished he would back off a bit at the upper register; we notice this a lot when tenors go for volume. Just in case you were wondering about the inclusion of this opera on the program, Mr. Borrallo assured us that the setting is the Basque part of Spain. We believe him!

"Lo vedremo, veglio audace" from Verdi's Ernani was introduced by a propulsive piano, after which baritone and tenor joined once more in gorgeous harmony. The entire company sang the ensemble from the finale of Act I and we wished that we knew the opera better. Mr. Faria's booming bass filled the sanctuary of the church with overtones in "Infelice tu credevi" and dug deeply into the sound at the lowest end of his register.

We enjoyed the trio from Donizetti's Don Sebastiano, although we know nothing about the opera. Ms. Tonna sang a phrase and then Mr. Borrallo and Mr. Ahualli joined in with harmony. We realize that our high estimation of Donizetti's artistry has been "kicked up a notch".

Finally, let us mention something about the Brazilian composer Antônio Carlos Gomes. We have heard excerpts from his opera Salvator Rosa but never heard the entire opera. The libretto is in Italian and the music is definitely worth a hearing. Thanks to Mr Faria we heard "Disposo di Padre", a gem indeed.

The program was presented by Centaurus Artes which showcases artists from Spain and Latin America.

© meche kroop

A FULL BANQUET OF ART SONGS AND FOLK SONG FROM AROUND THE WORLD

Alfira Ahmatjan, Nina Mutalifu, Nikoleta Rallis, Eugenia Forteza, Idil Milliogullari, Hyungjoo Eom, Aza Sydykov, and Pavel Suliandziga (photo by meche kroop)

Guest review by Mario Arevalo:

“In a world outside where everyone is divided by our politicians trying to build walls and create hate, here we are in this sacred place to make music, to be together in a spirit of love, unity, and fellowship”.

These were the welcome words of Meche Kroop, a wonderful friend to all of us young artists in New York City and founder of Voce di Meche, an online blog where you can find reviews of almost every operatic and classical event in Manhattan.  A full house of friends, musicians, conductors, singers, and families came to support the singers and specially Meche Kroop since she is one of the biggest pioneers of supporting and reviewing many of these audiences events.

(Editor's comment--we are blushing at this extravagant praise but we promised to print review as written.)

Around the World in Song was a huge success, not only because of the meaning of the concert but because of the high quality of performance by all of the singers and piano collaborators. All of the singers interpreted songs from their countries, and it was like a food banquet of delicious plates starting with an amazing appetizer of songs from Russia, 1^st Course of European delights from Kyrgystan,Turkey, and Greece, a 2^nd Course of Latin American delights--spicy and tasty songs from Spain and Mexico accompanied by a wonderful glass of wine from Argentina, a 3^rd Course of, and finishing with, a melting dessert of beautiful songs from Korea and Xianjian Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People’s Republic of China that left us wanting more. 

It was a well balanced and wonderfully curated program. All the repertoire except Lenski’s Aria “Kuda Kuda" from Eugene Onegin was new to our ears and let me tell you that it was worth it, traveling from far Long Island to be there and experience this joyous evening of songs from around the world. 

Most of the songs described longing, love, beautiful sceneries of important places in the singers countries, and a farewell song. Then I asked myself this question. Is it because we immigrants have to leave our families, friends, culture, traditions and music that allows us to interpret repertoire from our countries with so much heart?

 All of the singers not only showcased beautiful singing, but they were so expressive to show the beauty of poetry and their countries' traditions-- by allowing us to hear different styles of compositional form. All them were able to make us feel like we understood every single word even though there were no translations in the program. 

All the singers spoke a few lines about what the song meant to them, or what the song was about. For some it was their first time performing these songs outside their native countries. But they did show us the most important thing, at least for me. Music does not a have a tongue, Music unites, Music is love, Music is all around the world and touches hearts when performed with affection.

Russian Tenor Pavel Sulyandziga gave us a fine interpretation of the familiar aria “Kuda Kuda" from Eugene Onegin. He stated that he chose this program because next year will be Tchaikovsky's 180^th Anniversary and also because Eugene Onegin was the first opera he sang. Words show intention, Words show purpose, Words show feelings and this young tenor had all of these three factors, which in these days are very important for any interpreter of opera. 

He added all the tensions and emphasis this aria needs while Lenski is in his time of despair and trying to accept his destiny.  

This wonderful fine light lyric tenor with a touch of dramatic sound was able to connect with us singing Tchaikovsky’s “To bylo ranneju vesnoj” --(in English  "It was in the early spring”) and “Den li tsarit” -- (“Whether  daylight reigns"). These two songs were able to give us a different side with more acting and interpretation from Mr. Sulyandziga. These two melodic songs allowed him to be more tender, sensitive and full of expressions. I would like to hear some Schubert songs from this young tenor.

Soprano Nikoleta Rallis also honored her husband's country and she impressed me with songs from Kyrgyzstan. To be honest I have never heard of this country, so I was blown away by the beautiful music. Very seductive, rare but very melodious. Ms. Rallis' husband told us that these two songs “Sen belesing" and "Issuk Koel Waltz”  were composed by Kaliy Moldabasanov a violinist, composer and conductor. And they chose this repertoire as an honor to the composer as his 90^th birthday was 3 days ago. 

The other country she represented was Greece, her ancestors' country. She told us that none of these songs are published and that they were given as a gift to a friend of a friend, so they meant so much for her to perform. In this set she didn’t use a music stand, so we were able to get the full force of her artistry. 

“S’agapo" (I love you ) was a very sweet and powerful song. But her aria “Sofias Aria" from Markos Botsaris by Pavlos Karrer gave a full impression of Ms. Rallis' considerable communicative powers. It also showed her to be an agreeably flexible interpreter singing the recitativo and aria of this woman dressed as soldier looking for the love of her life., then catching all of our attention in the cabaletta with an almost mezzo-like tone that would suit Strauss, quickly showing a bright, powerful top.

Then we traveled to Spain with the incredible voice of Soprano Eugenia Forteza. When I start talking and writing about this singer, I always get blown away by her artistry and her surprising choice of nontraditional repertoire; it is sublime. I am a native Spanish speaker and to hear another singer singing in my mother tongue, not only makes me proud, but it also shows me the hard work singers puts into their performance. 

Each song was sung with different accents according to where the songs were written. In the aria “Lagrimas mías" or "Tears" from Miguel Marques' zarzuela El Anillo de Hierro, Ms. Forteza sounded radiant throughout with wonderful legato lines and impressive breath control. I always have asked myself how such a tiny singer can produce such a big sound. Ms. Forteza is a total diva on stage; she devours the stage; she knows every single hand move, facial expression and body movement she wants in her interpretations.

 “Morenita me llaman" from Il Postino by Daniel Catan was also very impressive. Ms. Forteza showed us yet more colors in her voice. We were blown away by her vocal and theatrical abilities. I think it is very difficult singing in your own tongue but Ms. Forteza took this bull by its tail. Singing in her own mother tongue seems to be the easiest thing for her. Her showcasing of Carlos Guastavino songs “Bonita rama de sauce” (Pretty Willow Branch) and “Hermano” (Brother) from the song cycle Doce canciones populares were two songs that were dear to me. I am a huge fan of Guastavino and when I hear someone singing with such exquisite phrasing, great diction and musicality, it makes my heart pound. Ms. Forteza should give us a full concert of Guastavinos songs since she is a pure Argentinian interpreter.

With deep tone, warmth, and sensitivity, South Korean Baritone Hyungjoo Eom gave us some beautiful and romantic singing of Korean composer Hak Jun Yoon's  “Majoon" (Coming to meet you) and "Janhyang" ( Your scent)-- two beautiful art songs. They were absolutely gorgeous. To me they sounded like 21^st century wedding songs. Very intimate, sensual and romantic pieces. 

His voice is very tenor like, even though he is a baritone. His upper range is open throated, but with the deep colors of a baritone. I think he is a tenor but time will tell. I loved his Folk Song interpretation of "Shingosan Taryoung" (A song of Shingo mountain) a very popular song according to the singer, and so ancestral that nobody knows who the composer is; there have been many arrangements. The song is about a mountain located in North Korea that everyone loves and praises and in this song the singer is saying “I believe I want to live in this mountain with you my love, but I am single so I will still go and visit and live there” --translation according to the singer.

Soprano Idil Milliogullari gave us two arias by contemporary Turkish Composer Selman Ada. The first aria “Gne kizlik aryasi” from Ask-I Memnu (Forbidden Love) is based on Halid Ziya’s romantic novel of the same name, published in 1900. As in the novel, our protagonist is Adnan Bey, but in addition to the extramarital love affair that leads to his young wife Bihter’s suicide, the story emphasized the dictatorship of Abdülhamid II, who was the Ottoman Sultan in the early 20th century. 

Ms. Milliogullari possesses a very expressive, light coloratura soprano. She looked wonderful onstage with that beautiful dress and made an impact in this concert. Her 2^nd Aria was from Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves. The singer sings a lullaby to put the bad guys to sleep. A humorous fantasy, it became the most popular opera in Turkey, and was initially directed by Murat Göksu in Ankara in 1991. Ms. Milliogullari has a lovely soprano voice that she uses well, and her performance was both vocally pleasing and dramatically convincing. The aria was very mysterious and enchanting. The language sounded very difficult to sing. So kudos to this performer for making me want to hear more.

Our last singer of the evening was Nina Mutalifu, who to me and to some of my friends that were present in the concert, stole the show. She is an angel, she is a superstar. Her dark chocolate voice was gorgeous. Her interpretations of Uyghur songs were out of this world. The 1^st song “Tarim” (Farewell) by Iskender Seypulla, according to the singer, is about the people of Tarim saying goodbye to their people by the river. This was her opening song and it impressed us so much that we couldn’t wait to hear the rest of them. The 2^nd Song “Bulbujan” (My nightingale)  is about singing to the love of her life, in sweet sounds like a nightingale. Ms. Mutalifu used her large and splendid soprano voice to great dramatic effect as she expressed the depth of her love. 

The 3^rd Song “Seni Esleymen” (Longing) really brought tears to my eyes--a song about longing for one's family. In this song Ms. Mutalifu got very emotional and showcased a range of emotions through  her singing. It was her low and middle range that truly held my attention. A gorgeous voice with warmth and charm, her facial expressions alone convey that pain of longing for her family. I truly felt it. 

Her last song was “Bir Piyale Mey” (Wine of Love) a song to the people that love her; she returns the love and thanks them with a glass of wine. She is a soprano that clearly adds passion and personality to every song she interprets. I am sure I will be hearing about this singer coming up soon. I truly enjoyed her speech about allowing her culture and traditions to be represented outside her country. Her grandpa told her to never forget where she came from.

The exquisite playing of both piano collaborators was sublime. Ms. Mutalifu was accompanied by Alfira Ahmatjan and all the others were accompanied by Aza Sydykov of the Kyrgyz American Foundation. Kudos to Meche Kroop for presenting this fascinating concert. 

I am thankful for being allowed to write this review. As an Ambassador of Fine Arts and Culture for The United Nations Association of El Salvador, I truly congratulate every single performer for showcasing their country's music, composers, and heritage. Being proud of where we come from is what distinguishes us. But when you truly do it because you love your country and all your heritage, it truly acknowledges that you might leave behind your family, friends and countries far away, but all of them never leave your heart and mind until you meet again.

Mario Arévalo
Founder & Artistic Director
Una Voz, Un Mundo

Goodwill Ambassador for Fine Arts & Culture
United Nations Association of El Salvador, UNA-SV


© meche kroop