ELENA VILLALÓN

Craig Terry and Elena Villalón

 It hasn't even been two years since we heard a lovely soprano at the George and Nora London Foundation Competition Awards Recital. Her name is Elena Villalón and we were very impressed with her Sophie (from Strauss' Der Rosenkavalier) and longed to hear more of her. Last night our wish was granted at the Weill Recital Hall of Carnegie Hall (an intimate theater just right for an intimate vocal recital) when this charmer sang her heart out for a most appreciative audience.

It has been fourteen years since we first heard baritone Will Liverman at an Opera Index Award Recital Concert. We weren't even writing reviews then and we cannot remember what he sang but we were thrilled to our toes to present him with an award. We have reviewed him a dozen times since, both here in New York City and also at the Santa Fe Opera. What we didn't know is that he has been composing (who better to write for the voice than a singer?) and offered a most interesting work to be performed by our lovely Ms. Villalón! 

The first half of the program was just fine, centering on the European tradition of the aubade (early morning love song) as conceived by composers from the second half of the 19th century to the first half of the 20th. Songs were chosen carefully, featuring those with Spanish inflected melodies, giving the program a sunny romantic feel. 

Bizet's "Ouvre ton coeur" from his Vasco de Gama made for a strong opening with its expansive melodic line and rhythmic thrust. We may as well point out right from the start the close and effective partnership between the singer and collaborative pianist Craig Terry who never sacrificed his own personal style but managed to be constantly in tune (so to speak) with Ms. Villalón. There were some lovely contributions from Ravel and Rachmaninoff and we even managed to enjoy Olivier Messiaen's. "Le collier", such were the interpretive gifts of our soprano, undaunted by some high tessitura and Russian consonants. 

She possesses a lovely instrument which we enjoyed even more during the second half of the program which was sung in Spanish. Regular readers will recall how fond we are of the singability of Spanish and of the tendency of Hispanic composers to eschew academic movements and retain the gorgeous melodies that tickle the ear and linger in one's memory.

Represented were the Argentinian composer Carlos Guastavino, two Catalan composers (Fernando Obradors and Xavier Montsalvatge), Mexican composer Maria Grever, and, honoring our soprano's Cuban heritage, Ernesto Lecuona.

Although we loved every selection, a few are dear to our heart. We never let a Latin American singer depart from our salons without singing Grever's "Te quiero, dijiste", a very personal and tender song in which Grever's artistry both incorporates and transcends her grief at losing a child.

Another favorite of ours is Obradors' "Del cabello mas sutil" from his Canciones classicas Españolas. It is here that we must mention that, in agreement with Steven Blier, we draw no lines between the art song, the folk song, and the popular song. There are only good songs and bad ones.  Last night we heard only good ones with each and every one given the same artistic respect. 

Montsalvatge's "Canción de cuña para dormir a un negrito" from Cinco canciones negras manages to be not only a gentle lullaby but a subtle commentary on colonialism.

To ice this Spanish cake, we had two encores: Grever's "Jurame" and "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" by Harold Arlen with lyrics by Yip Harburg. This hopeful closing went a long way toward relieving the anxiety and despair over the current political climate.

And now, Dear Reader. let us tell you about the impressive creation of Mr. Liverman. Having avoided contemporary music, we have been completely unaware that a beloved singer has been creating some superb vocal music! Last night was a premiere of his recent settings of poetry by Pablo Neruda and a brief but pungent verse by Costa Rican poet Jorge Debravo (misspelled in the program as Debrayo) whose life was tragically cut short before he reached the age of thirty. If this verse "Eternidad" were all he left behind (it wasn't), his brief life mattered. He conveyed so much feeling in five lines; Mr. Liverman evoked it in his vocal line and Ms. Villalón and Mr. Terry brought the page to vivid life.

It appears that Ms. Villalón's star is on the rise with many awards and worldwide engagements. We felt grateful for another opportunity to hear her and also grateful to catch up with Mr. Liverman's multipotentiality.

This excellent concert was part of Carnegie Hall's celebration of the influence of Latin Music and poetry in the USA--Nuestros sonidos.

© meche kroop