LONDON FOUNDATION RECITAL

 Alex Munger and Lindsay Kate Brown

We recall hearing mezzo-soprano Lindsay Kate Brown over three years ago in the very same venue--The Morgan Library-- as one of the winners of the George and Nora London Foundation Competition. It was pre-Covid and there was a full house.  Yesterday Ms. Brown presented a beautifully planned recital in the same venue but the house was half empty. We realize that post-Covid, people are staying home more, so we are urging you, dear reader, to come out and support our vocal artists who work so diligently to bring artistry into our lives!

Ms. Brown entitled her program "Serenading the Hours: A Day to Night Recital" and it was evident that she put a great deal of thought into selecting a variety of composers; she sang in three languages--Russian, German, and English.  Having heard an entire concert of Rachmaninoff's music last night, our ears were particularly attuned to the Russian language and we were glad that political sentiment did not punish Tchaikovsky for Putin's transgressions. Art always trumps politics in our world!

The set of Tchaikovsky songs were well chosen, beginning with the haunting and melancholy "Autumn" and ending with the familiar "None But the Lonely Heart". Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's poignant text must have appealed to the composer who certainly had a lonely heart.  But it also appealed to Schubert who included "Nur ver die Sehnsucht kennt" in his Wilhelm Meister songs. But, on the other hand, it has also been set by Schumann and Beethoven. Someday we would love to hear all four settings on the same program!

Ms. Brown has an engaging onstage presence and chatted naturally with the audience, making us feel welcome. She has an ample instrument and one well suited to Wagner and Verdi but we found it most appealing in the rich lower register and especially in the pianissimo sections. At times when called upon to sing fortissimo in the upper register, we heard a sound that was harsh to our ears.

The "Day" section of the recital continued with songs in English by Jennifer Higdon who provided her own original texts; they were sung with clarity of diction. We particularly enjoyed the lyrical piano part performed by the excellent collaborative pianist Alex Munger. 

The section ended with songs by Alma Mahler who was sadly stifled by her husband, the famous composer Gustav Mahler. The composer's choice of text seems to indicate a woman of great passion. Our favorite was the gentle "Bei dir ist es traut" which showed off the part of Ms. Brown's voice that fell most pleasantly on our ear. The rippling piano in "Ansturm" was a further source of delight. "Erntelied" ended with a lovely vocalise.

The "Night" half of the program began with songs by Joseph Marx, a composer whose lieder should be more frequently heard.  His "Suss duftende Lindenblüthe" produced feelings of sweet nostalgia, underscored by gentle rippling in the piano. Mr. Munger also captured the rushing brook in "Erinnerung".

Ms. Brown is considerably fonder of Samuel Barber's songs than we are although "Sure on this Shining Night" has an affecting text by James Agee.

Closing the program were six songs from Alban Berg's Sieben frühe Lieder. Although Berg composed about the same time as Marx, his works are far less accessible. Even after multiple hearings we find them difficult to relate to. There is one, however, that enchants us and that is "Die Nachtigall". Theodor Storm's text is rather mystical but the melody lingers and leaves us satisfied. The nightingale sings and roses bloom. A young woman wanders deep in thought.

We don't think we have ever heard a nightingale sing, at least not the avian version, but we just did hear a human nightingale and that is enough for us.

© meche kroop

CLA OFFERS FRENCH OPERA AND MÉLODIE

 Donghoon Kang, Yohji Daquio, John Viscardi, Sara Stevens, and Glenn Morton

Not even the stunning view across the East River could distract us from the fabulous French program presented by Classic Lyric Arts. CLA has, at present, summer programs of incomparable value in France, Italy, and The Berkshires, the latter focusing on the operas of Mozart. Graduates of these programs are showing off their acquired skills in theaters all over the world. One thinks of these programs as polishing the gems.

Yesterday's concert shed luminous light on the success of CLA's French program which provides an immersive experience for young singers who wish to up their game in French opera and mélodie. If this concert is accepted as evidence, the summer program in France has accomplished its objective beyond what one might hope for. The French language is notoriously difficult to master, largely due to the vowels, especially the nasal ones, and the necessity for long lines, almost free of the stresses one finds in English.

The program opened with CLA Artistic Director Glenn Morton accompanying Executive Director John Vicardi (a graduate of the programs from some years ago) in a moving performance of Henri Duparc's "Chanson triste". As staged by renowned director Daniel Isengart, the mood was fragrant with tristesse. This was no ordinary concert since each piece was lent dramatic impact and intent which augmented the very fine voices.

The gifted young pianist Xu Cheng accompanied the other singers in a program that seemed all too short. Most memorable were the following:  soprano Yohji Daquio singing Juliette's sparkling aria "Je veux vivre"  (from Gounod's Romeo et Juliette) with every ounce of impassioned young womanhood; baritone Donghoon Kang's  strutting demeanor as he created a formidable Escamillo, from Bizet's Carmen, capturing the hearts of the imaginary Spanish ladies (and perhaps those of the women in the audience as well); soprano Sara Stevens' performance of "Robert, toi que j'aime" from the rarely seen Meyerbeer opera Robert le diable.

We are glad that the collapse of Thaïs (Ms. Daquio) into the arms of Athanaël (Mr. Kang) from Massenet's Thaïs  was followed by the frisky "C'est l'amour" from Louis Ganne's Les Saltimbanques. The first brought us to tears and the second left us grinning from ear to ear.  And who doesn't love a happy ending!

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GIULIO GARI FOUNDATION WINNERS CONCERT

Joseph Sacchi, Younggwang Park, Chelsea Lehnea, Amanda Batista, Le Bu, Chanae Curtis, Spencer Reichman, Key'mon Murrah, Mary Pinto, and Ken Benson 

For over two decades, Gloria Gari has honored the memory of her late husband Giulio Gari with a foundation that supports young singers--in much the same fashion as the late Nora London did for George London. What better way to honor the memory than by passing the torch.

The list of finalists for this year's competition reads like a roll call of the most promising young singers around and the winners have all been seen and heard at our major conservatories and young artist programs around the country. We were thrilled to witness Maestro Eve Queler, founder of Opera Orchestra of New York, receiving an award for her immeasurable contributions to the field of opera. 

After a warm welcome from Mrs. Gari herself, and some introductory comments by Linda Kundell, the charming Ken Benson took over the hosting duties and Mary Pinto took over as accompanist for the afternoon. The talented Ms. Pinto seems to be able to play just about anything and always went above and beyond to support the young singers on the program.

A couple of the winners on the program were more well known to us than the others so let us begin with them. Bass-Baritone Le Bu astonished us with a riveting performance of the hateful Philippe II of Spain in "Elle ne m'aime pas" from Verdi's Don Carlo. The King is hateful because he stole his son's intended bride and then consigned his son to death.  However in this aria, Mr. Bu showed us the lonely and disappointed old man and got us to feel sympathetic! And that's the artistry that astonished us. And he did so in perfect French.

When a singer's technique is this secure he can disappear into a character and take us to new places. He also sang the aria of a very different father. Senta's father Daland sings "Mogst du mein kind" with enthusiasm and it was great to hear Mr. Bu portray a very different character. Every facial expression and gesture had meaning; nothing was generic. The German was flawless and the characterization utterly compelling.

Chelsea Lehnea is known to us since winning the Premiere Opera Foundation Competition and through a starring role with Teatro Nuovo. She knows how to chew the scenery, so to speak, and, like Mr. Bu, creates characters from whom one cannot turn away. In Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor, the eponymous Lucia must, in her Act I aria, give a foreshadowing of her ultimate madness. She is clearly hallucinating and must get the audience to see visions through her eyes. This was thrillingly accomplished by Ms. Lehnea through vocal fireworks known as fioritura, so well composed by Donizetti.  All one needs is a stellar coloratura soprano to bring those notes to life and this we got in spades.

Not everyone appreciates the Countertenor fach as much as we do but there was no shortage of applause for Key'mon Murrah who performed "Ah quel giorno ognor rammento" from Rossini's Semiramide. He has a big bright top and was undaunted by the runs, jumps, and trills. The familiar "Parto, parto, ma tu ben mio" from Mozart's La Clemenza di Tito was similarly satisfying.

Bel canto was well represented on the program and Younggwang Park's booming bass was well suited to "Vi ravviso" from Bellini's I Puritani and "Song of the Viking Guest" from Rimsky-Korsakov's Sadko. The voice is substantial, especially in the lower register, and his embouchure permitted vowels that were clear and well matched ensuring a lovely legato in the Bellini. We hope to see him loosen up in his body to match the expressiveness in his voice.

In Mozart's Don Giovanni, Donna Anna must convince the importuning Don Ottavio that she really does love him in "Non mi dir". Chanae Curtis used her bright resonant soprano to convey emotion and let us realize from what source the bel canto composers drew their bags of tricks. This was Mozart laying the groundwork. Showing her versatility, she also performed the "Ave Maria" from Verdi's Otello, showing off the quiet legato of the lines, portraying an innocent woman facing death at the hands of an unreasonably jealous husband.

Speaking of jealous husbands, we enjoyed baritone Spencer Reichman's performance of "E sogno, o realta?" from Verdi's Falstaff. Mr. Reichman did a fine job of using the consonants effectively to convey Ford's jealous rage.

Joseph Saachi's powerful tenor was just right for "Durch die Walder" from Von 

Weber's Der Freischutz. We liked the texture of his voice and the way the aria grew in intensity. We got to hear him again in a duet with soprano Amanda Batista when they performed a happier scene from Otello--"Gia nella notte densa". We enjoyed this duet vocally but we wished for more interaction between Otello and Desdemona.

We enjoyed Ms. Batista singing "Donde estas Cristobal?" from Daniel Catán's Florencia en el Amazonas, one of the few contemporary operas that we enjoyed, having seen it some years ago during New York City Opera's heyday. Spanish sings so beautifully and Ms. Batista surely did it justice.

The concert was followed by a buffet dinner at which the singers and the guests mingled and each table had enthusiastic conversation about the performances. It is this interaction that keeps opera alive!

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SHORT, STARK, AND SILENT

 

Yorgos Lanthimos, Emma Stone, and Dennis Lim, Artistic Director of the NewYork Film Festival

We observe a rugged bleak landscape with goats clambering up and down the rocks. They stare impassively at the camera. Inside a simple dwelling, a black clad woman stares at the camera with similar impassivity. The room is filled with old women, expressionless. We guess that it is a wake. We are correct. The priest and the guests leave and finally the woman feels free to express her anguish. In the next room is a corpse.  His face is not hidden. We guess it is her dead husband. We are correct.

What happens after that in this chiaroscuro film, in the space of a half hour, is not so easy to guess. It appears that the woman satisfies her sexual urges with the corpse. It appears that the corpse comes back to life and dons the woman’s black garb. He drives off in a truck and thrusts a dagger into the ground and dances. By the end of the film we are mystified and shaken.

We are at the New York Film Festival watching Bleat, a black and white silent film directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, starring Emma Stone as the bereaved woman. We rarely review theater, ballet, and film, preferring to stay with opera, about which we know quite a bit; but something special drew us to this event. This silent film, never seen outside of Athens, can only be performed to live music. This was quite a novelty for the New York Film Festival audience. It made us wonder whether silent films a century ago were accompanied by live music. In this case there was an enormous chorus and a chamber group including a cimbalom, playing music by Bach, Knut Nystedt, and Toshio Hosokawa. The music amplified the unspoken feelings,  which, in our book, qualifies as "opera".

The film is a co-production between the Greek National Opera (GNO) and NEON, originally commissioned as part of the Artist on the Composer program curated by GNO’s artistic director Giorgos Koumendakis and NEON’s director Elina Kountouri.

The Q and A after the film involved Dennis Lim, Artistic Director of the New York Film Festival, interviewing Ms. Stone and Mr. Lanthimos. Probably related to the AGFA strike, the conversation skirted issues which were not able to be discussed but the director and actress were modest and engaging and the audience applauded wildly nonetheless.

(c) meche kroop

SONGS AND SPIRITUALS UNDERGROUND

 Francesco Barfoed and Joseph Parrish

(photo by Daniel Rosenberg)

There are a few people whose artistic instincts we trust completely and Andrew Ousley of Unison Media is one of them. He has introduced us to some major talents and inspired us to travel to distant venues, like Greenwood Cemetery, for his Death of Classical series. However, last night, the artist he presented in the Crypt of the Church of the Intercession is well known to us, often reviewed by us, and greatly appreciated for his unique gifts.

In what fashion is Joseph Parrish gifted?  Let us count the ways. On the most basic level, his bass-baritone is mellow and falls graciously on the ear. To continue, his technique is flawless with apt phrasing and superb control of dynamics. His messa di voce can have listeners holding their breath. His German is sung without the flaws which plague so many young singers. 

Moreover, his presentation is such that one never notices a particular gesture or expression but rather feels his connection with the material on a far deeper level. We thought of a cello in which the subtle and invisible contributions of the wooden body add so much to the visible fingering and bowing.  That is how Mr. Parrish uses his body, in a most organic fashion, amplifying the text and the subtext.

The atmosphere for his concert was unusual. The underground Crypt is lit only by candles, lots of candles. There are no titles or programs to distract  audience members nor were cell phones permitted. All this served to focus attention on the performance. The audience was completely immersed in the music.

The program began and ended with Mr. Parrish accompanying himself on the piano, evidence that this is an artist who will do things his own way to achieve his own goals, a quality we admire and prize. Apparently, the theme for this recital was a demonstration of the similarity between German lieder and American spirituals, inasmuch as both deal with love, loss, pain, elation,and spirituality. There was a seamlessness to the recital which interspersed works by Liszt, Brahms, and Mahler (our favorite being "Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen") with works by Burleigh, Hogan, and Johnson and spirituals that we have heard before but which, in this context, felt entirely new. "Deep River" was sung with art but no artifice.

Except for the opening and the enthusiastically "demanded" encores, piano accompaniment was finely rendered by Francesco Barfoed whose sensitive playing served to underscore the idea that there should be no artificial categories like "art song", "popular song", or "folk song". We first became aware of this concept at Steven Blier's New York Festival of Song; Mr. Blier also mixes things up, so to speak, finding similarities more important than differences.

We find Mr. Parrish to be a major talent and are delighted that so many institutions have picked up on it--Santa Fe Opera, the Gerda Lissner Foundation, and Young Concert Artists among them. It will be exciting to see where his gifts take him in the future. Having heard his Aleko on other occasions, we have a hunch that Russian opera will be one of his strong suits.

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DISCOVERIES OF THE SEASONS

 Wm. Clay Thompson, Samuel Kidd, Raquel Gonzalez, Lucia Bradford, and Peter Dugan

We do believe it was Steven Blier himself who said that "No song is safe from New York Festival of Song". Aside from Mr. Blieer's pianistic gifts and engaging personality, one of the reasons that NYFOS has thrived for 36 years is the creative curating of songs and the astute organization of these songs to form satisfying evenings for his worshipful audience. The gloomy rainy autumnal evening could not keep us away.

Last night's theme was a seasonal one, with each season being given its due, each in a different language. We are not ashamed to admit that most of the program was new to us because Mr. Blier and his piano partner Peter Dugan spared no effort in their curating. One is never bored at a NYFOS concert!

Autumn was introduced by a two-piano four-hand performance (a format sustained for the entire evening) of Gabriel Fauré's "Berceuse" from the Dolly Suite, a work from the turn of the 20th c. The work makes use of the minor mode to express tenderness and melancholy. The remainder of the Autumn section was performed by  bass Wm. Clay Thompson whose dark resonant instrument did justice to "Dans la forêt de septembre" with its imagery drawn from nature. There was a welcome contrast with "Moisson", a rhythmic and festive piece in which the high spirits were underscored by the piano. 

Our favorite, however, was Felix Mendelsson's "Herbstlied", a duet sung with baritone Samuel Kidd forming a bridge to the Winter section in which Mr. Kidd would take over, singing in German. The harmonies were so affecting that we found ourself wishing that Mendelsson had written another verse. The vocal lines wove around each other reminding us a bit of Brahms. This was the most familiar work of the evening (for our ears anyway) but we had heretofore only heard it sung by two female voices. We are sure Mr. Blier chose that lied because it expresses his dismay over the end of summer. It served well to segue into the next season, sung in German.

We, however, are great fans of Winter and had the opportunity to hear Mr. Kidd perform a pair of songs by Richard Strauss that we had never heard, and which we prefered to the contemporaneous songs by Hugo Wolf. We found ourselves wishing the program had included something from Schubert's Die Winterreise.

Spring was given over to the Spanish language (and some Catalan dialect) for which soprano Raquel Gonazález seemed to have a particular affinity. It was a particular delight for us to hear her and witness the enormous personal growth achieved since her student days at Juilliard which we remember well. 

The set began, however, with an instrumental work by Astor Piazzolla arranged for two pianos-four hands by Pablo Ziegler. It is a colorful work and one could almost hear the bandoneón in the piano. The rhythmic introduction had Mr. Dugan drumming on the wooden part of the piano.  A lovely lyrical section yielded to a jazzy conclusion.

To Ms. González was given the charming romantic song "Larirà-Abril" in which a book of poetry brought to a forest tryst went unread. The Basque composer Juan Lamote de Grignon is rather unknown but, leave it to Mr. Blier to discover such treasures! Another song in the Catalan dialect, composed by Eduardo Toldra, was marvelously interpreted by the artist who allowed us to see, through her eyes and voice, the imagery of elements of nature. 

The biggest surprise to us was "Remancillo" composed by Joaquin Rodrigo. We have long loved his Concierto de Aranjuez but never knew he composed song(s) as well. The text, by an anonymous poet refers to a man in a dark prison who listens for birdsong. We couldn't help speculating that the blind composer may have written the text himself. The minor mode in the piano and the guitar-like elements were very sad and very Iberian.

Th Spanish section was brought to a close with a sweetly nostalgic duet "Mares y arenas" by Rosendo Ruiz, for which our lovely soprano was joined by a similarly lovely mezzo-soprano by the name of Lucia Bradford. The emotional content came through clearly and we enjoyed the piano interlude as well.

Closing the evening was the Summer set, sung in English. We confess we are completely ignorant of popular music and the selections by James Taylor, Carole King, and Stevie Wonder were new to us. We were familiar with the names but not the music. We enjoyed the way in which Ms. Bradford could bend a note and move us into jazzy territory in fine style.

The one piece in this set that resonated the most with us was written by Stephen Sondheim (whose music IS familiar to us) and was written early in his career as incidental music for a play of the same name Girls of Summer. We always appreciate Sondheim's irony.

We were gifted an encore from another favorite composer--the quartet from Gilbert and Sullivan's Ruddigore, a piece in madrigal form expressing the unique joys of each season.  What a treat!

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AND A NIGHTINGALE SANG... IN MANHATTAN WEST

 

Chrystal E. Williams and Bernard Holcomb

(Photo by Fadi Kheir, courtesy of Brookfield Properties)

Something special happens when an artistic creation hits all the right notes. At its conclusion we feel satisfied; we may be smiling or we may be tearful, but we have been moved as well as entertained. We want to share the experience with our friends. Sometimes we may be stimulated to learn more about a subject or a time period. Sometimes we go back to the source, be it a play, a novel, or an epic poem.

Such is the case with the charming one-act opera we saw Thursday night, Song of the Nightingale presented by the always wonderful On Site Opera in partnership with Brookfield Properties Arts and Culture. We hope you will read this review and reserve a place  next weekend downtown at Brookfield Place. Tickets are free and we consider this a generous and priceless gift to the people of New York City.

First we would like to tell you about the performance and, if you stay with us, we will share with you a bit about the consequences of our attendance. The work is a rather loose adaptation of a Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale in which a Chinese emperor hears of a nightingale with a remarkable voice which he manages to get installed in his porcelain palace. The nightingale is displeased with the confinement and escapes. The Japanese emperor sends a mechanical bird which eventually wears out. The emperor is dying and the nightingale returns and sings Death away and sings the emperor back to health. She agrees to keep him informed of what is going on as long as she has her freedom.

Having read the "Spark Notes" and also the original story, we conclude that the moral of the tale is that one cannot confine what is beautiful and meaningful; grasping is destructive and freedom is best. There are other themes, of course, and most notable is the healing property of good music. Another is that true inner beauty may hide beneath external drabness.

In this case, the "good music' was provided by composer Lisa Despain who has dispelled my grumblings about contemporary music with a lively score notable for being melodic and accessible.  Melisa Tien's clever libretto has taken Anderson's folk tale and adapted it to suit modern times. (Unlike current "adaptations" of classic works that make no logical sense, her libretto makes perfect sense).  A wealthy collector, sung by Chrystal E. Williams, substitutes for the Chinese emperor, and, as effectively directed by Katherine M. Carter, demonstrates the obsessive qualities of a person who must possess what she craves.

Substituting for the Emperor's minion we have The Curator, sung by Bernard Holcomb, who is responsible for The Collector's acquisitions.

As The Nightingale, we heard the gorgeous coloratura of Hannah Cho whose fabulous fioritura could bring tears to anyone's eyes, just like in the Anderson fairy tale.

As the mechanical nightingale we heard the lovely voice of Nicole Haslett who furthered the subsidiary theme that what is fancy and artificial can never replace what is natural and pure. Ms. Haslett also portrayed the part of the Frog who interacts with Nightingale, along with Cow, portrayed with good humor by Jonathan R. Green.  

All of the performances were exceptional and were well supported by the chamber orchestra, comprising flute, clarinet, violin and cello, conducted by Cris Frisco. Orchestration was accomplished by Scott Ethier.  The inventive costumes were designed by Kara Harmon. Although we are no fan of amplification we admit that Beth Lake's sound design was effective and did not distort the sound of the voices. 

Although everything worked just fine in the public space of Manhattan West, we would love to see it again in a proscenium situation with subtitles. Performances  in the round carry their own drawbacks with performers often facing away from you. And looking at one's phone to read titles takes attention away from the stage. In spite of these minor inconveniences, the performance amounted to a most well spent hour that flew by. We were particularly delighted to witness such enthusiasm from the audience and by the feel-good conclusion of the work in which all the characters unite in celebration of freedom and nature.

We were inspired to come home and read the original story, the language of which is a bit archaic but possesses a wealth of captivating detail about the life of the emperor and also about his near-death experience. None of the summaries achieved the same satisfaction.

Next we recalled an operatic experience at the Santa Fe Opera in 2014 in which Stravinsky's take on the tale, Le Rossignol, was paired with Mozart's one-act opera The Impressario. The concept was a clever one in which the singers from the Mozart opera performed the Stravinsky piece after an intermission. Our review (still available, if you are interested, by typing the name in the search bar) indicates a not totally successful pairing but some dazzling singing by Erin Morley in the title role. Stravinsky's opera hewed rather closely to the Anderson fairly tale.

 Next we started thinking about the word itself and how often it comes up in lieder; we now know the word for nightingale in many languages and it is always a beautiful word. It is used to symbolize the beauty and power of music.

Then we began to think about the role of birds in music. We will never forget the voice of Dawn Upshaw as the Forest Bird in Wagner's Siegfried. And how about Rimsky-Korsakov's The Golden Cockerel, which we heard at Santa Fe Opera in 2017. The bird warns the Czar of upcoming dangers.

By now, Dear Reader, you may have realized that we are just as obsessive as The Collector in Song of the Nightingale. We love to collect ideas, not things. We hope that you will snag a seat for this lovely work and that it leads to some searching on your part as well.

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