MISSION

We are here to encourage the development of gifted young singers and to stimulate the growth of New York City's invaluable chamber opera companies. But we will not neglect the Metropolitan Opera either. Get ready for bouquets and brickbats.

Monday, October 7, 2024

YOUNG CHINESE MUSICIANS SHOW THEIR STUFF

 


2024 Inaugural Chinese Young Artists Showcase

In what we hope will become an annual event, the Key Foundation presented an exciting evening of music performed by young Chinese artists. For two and a half hours without intermission we were enraptured by a wealth of musical talent--without a single moment of boredom.  Sixteen singers and instrumentalists graced the stage of Zankel Hall in rapid succession, each one contributing to our awareness of the wealth of talent in the Chinese community.

We have no idea how Artistic Director Mo Li assembled such a group of young artists of prodigious talent, but there they were! Some are enrolled in our local conservatories, some were from other American conservatories, and some seemed to have come from Chinese musical institutions.

Let us focus for the moment on the singers, as we usually do. We were completely delighted by the bel canto artistry of soprano Xiaoya Jiang whose highly focused instrument was just perfect for "O! Quante volte" from Bellini's I Capuleti e I Montecchi. The recititavo involved very exposed a cappella sections alternating with the piano and then, during the aria we heard Bellini's long luxurious vocal lines spun out with beautiful phrasing and clean coloratura embellishments.

Shakespeare's tale of star-crossed lovers was given its due when tenor Hongrui Ren performed "Ah! Leve-toi, Soleil!" from Gounod's Roméo et Juliette. The excellent performance was marked by the sweetness of his vocal coloration and we couldn't help but notice the embouchure contributing to the warm romantic vowels.

Soprano Siyu Zhao used her expressive instrument in a contemporary piece by Tinghang Hu entitled "Mayila Variations", augmenting her vocal agility with generous gestural elements which added greatly to the effect. It was the only vocal piece on the program that was unknown to us but we enjoyed it nonetheless.

Mezzo-soprano Qirong Liang enchanted us with her performance of "O ma lyre immortelle" from Gounod's Sapho. The French was fine and we heard a great deal of depth in the chocolatey richness of her instrument. We were impressed by her French diction that permitted us to understand the lyrics and also by the emotional intensity which was sustained throughout.

Baritone Lewei Wang was obliged to abandon a difficult Mozart aria due to illness, but, not wanting to disappoint the audience, graciously offered a less demanding piece, Schubert's "An den Mond". We have heard him in the past when he performed the Notary in Puccini's Gianni Schicchi and we will count on hearing him again.

Tenor Jin Yu offered Don Jose's desperate plea to the fickle Carmen in "La fleur que tu m'avais jetée" from Bizet's opera of the same name. We liked his voice the best in the pianissimi passages which surely would have moved a woman less obstinate than Carmen.

Tenor Zhongjiancheng Deng closed the program with the passionate "Dein ist mein ganzes Herz" from the 1929 Lehar operetta Das Land des Lächelns. This aria was made famous by Richard Tauber singing the role of Prince Sou-Chong. But, Dear Reader, we are most familiar with it since watching a student production at Manhattan School of Music, brilliantly directed by Dona Vaughn, a performance that left us smiling. As legend has it, Chinese are wont to smile in spite of disappointment. We do not know if that is true or not  Our smile was not one of disappointment!

Having "closed the program", let us now back up and give some well-earned credit to a few of the instrumentalists who added so much value to the evening. We loved the joyful performance of pianist Jingyi Zou who clearly loved the variations on Johann Strauss' "Blue Danube Waltz" written by Adolf Schulz-Evler, a piece we had never heard before.

Also unknown to us was Alejandro Viñao's "Burritt Variations" performed by Ye Tian on an instrument we believe to be a marimba. Not only did we love the sound but also Mr. Tian's "dancing hands".

We also enjoyed the dramatic suspense in the opening of Chopin's "Scherzo#2 in B-flat Minor", marked by the composer's typical abrupt changes of mood. Pianist Fengming  Zhang got it just right. 

For lovers of guitar music, there was Mathias Duplessy's "Oulan Bator" played by Qiancheng Gong who limned the various colors between soulful and spirited; he paid attention to the complex rhythms and added a technique we had never before witnessed. Dear Reader, please pardon us if words fail us here but we confess ignorance of guitar technique.  Suffice it to say that the sound came across as some kind of wizardry.

We have run out of space and beg forgiveness of the artists we neglected. It was a most special evening and it certainly thrilled us to see Chinese artists getting the attention they deserve. We can scarcely wait for next year. 

We might add that our companion, new to classical music, was similarly taken with the evening. It was wise of the organizers to include such variety.

© meche kroop









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