AMIGOS DE LA ZARZUELA

Maxim Anikushin, Conchi Moyano, Anna Tonna, Alejandro Olmedo, and Ricardo Rosa

Everything we know about the art form known as zarzuela we learned from Maestro Jorge Parodi. Today we learned some more interesting facts, none of which were necessary to appreciate the gorgeous melodies. The word comes from the word "zarza" which means "blackberry bush". 

It was during the reign of King Felipe IV who ascended the Spanish throne in 1621 and was known as a patron of the arts, not to be confused with the miserable Felipe II of the Verdi opera Don Carlo. The King and his court frequented the Real Sitio del Pardo in Madrid which was surrounded by blackberry bushes. There they enjoyed musical and comedic entertainment.  Now you know!

As Spain is somewhat geographically removed from Europe, zarzuela evolved as Spain's very own musical entertainment. By the 18th c. Italian and French opera became all the rage and supplanted zarzuela, but there was a renaissance in the 19th c. when several excellent Spanish composers revived the artform. Indeed, zarzuela was carried to the New World where it flourished into the middle of the 20th c. It remains popular in Puerto Rico and we understand that Placido Domingo has done much to introduce zarzuela to our nation's capitol.

We have never seen a complete zarzuela but aim to do something about that! Every time we hear an aria or duet extracted from a zarzuela we long to see it in toto. The plots remind us of telenovelas and the melodies are memorable.

Yesterday Amigos de la Zarzuela presented one of their enjoyable afternoon concerts at Weill Recital Hall. It is satisfying to know that there is a sizable and enthusiastic audience for this analogue to German singspiel, French opéra comique, and Italian opera buffa.

The program was generous and included four experienced performers, one for each fach--soprano Conchi Moyano, mezzo-soprano Anna Tonna, tenor Alejandro Olmedo, and baritone Ricardo Rosa.

It would be difficult to single out any one number because they were all charming in their own way.  But since we love duets, let us note our admiration for "Porque de mis ojos los tuyos retiras" from Ruperto Chapi's La Revoltosa. It seemed to be an enactment of a lovers spat and reconciliation, performed by Ms. Tonna and Mr. Rosa. The singing was incomparable and the acting so effective that even a person ignorant of the Spanish language would have understood.

Ms. Tonna's instrument has a pleasing texture and plenty of strength in her lower register. We loved her melismatic singing in her solo "Loa al fandanguillo" by Romero.

Mr. Rosa's full throated baritone was just right for "Oh licor que das la vida" from Soutullo y Vert's La Leyenda del Beso.

"Caballero del alto plumero" is a marvelously flirtatious duet from Torroba's Luisa Fernanda, here given a marvelous performance by Ms. Moyano and Mr. Olmedo.

Ms. Moyano has an instrument of great power with an expansive top. She performed "La Petenera" from Torroba's La Marchenera with warm expansive tone and lovely phrasing.

Mr. Olmedo's best turn was in the romantic ballad "Flor roja" from Guerrero's Los Gavilanes in which he floated the high note with exceptional delicacy.

The pianist for the evening, Maxim Anikushin, certainly accompanied with sazon!  However, he also performed some solo works showing his pianistic skills without distraction. Our favorite without a doubt was the brief introspective "Intermezzo" by Manuel Ponce. We always prefer such pieces to the virtuoso ones but that is just our taste.

A special feature of the program was the dancing of Elizabeth Torras.

One rarely witnesses such versatility but we enjoyed Ms. Torras' dancing in three different styles. Dressed in flowing white and accompanying herself with castanets, she performed the graceful "La Boda de Luis Alonso" by Gimenez with all the grace of classical dance.

Dressed in masculine attire, she performed "Farruca del molinero" from Manuel de Falla's El Sombrero de Tres Picos (known on English programs as The Three-Cornered Hat. The simplicity of the piano rhythm gave her an opportunity to embellish the 4/4 rhythm with rapid and forceful Flamenco-inflected footwork.

In her final selection, she danced in a traditional Flamenco gown with a long train that she kicked around artistically and held up over her head at one point. Isaac Albeniz' Asturias was rhythmically and powerfully performed by both Ms. Torras and Mr. Anikushin. Her graceful arms suggested the arm movements of Indian dance which surely influenced Flamenco.

It certainly was a fine afternoon of music and dance, one we enjoyed immensely.

(c) meche kroop

AMIGOS DE LA ZARZUELA

Elizabeth Torras Aguilera, Rosa D'Imperio, Anna Tonna, Ricardo Rosa, Miguel Borrallo, and Francisco Roldan

Readers will recall that we are truly a fan of zarzuela. Listening to this afternoon's recital at Weill Recital Hall we felt as if we were offered a delicious and tempting succession of tapas. It was completely satisfying but we cannot stifle our desire for a full meal, i.e. a full-length production of a zarzuela, complete with scenery.

Zarzuela is the Spanish counterpart of German singspiel, French opera comique, Italian opera buffa, and American musical theater. They involve highly dramatic stories and magnificent music--tuneful and memorable. The Spanish language is splendidly singable with its open vowels.

The four singers we heard are well known in operatic circles, especially abroad. Soprano Rosa D'Imperio has a compelling presence onstage and a bright flexible soprano well suited to the material.  Mezzo-soprano Anna Tonna delights with the warmth of her tone and ability to relate to the audience.

Tenor Miguel Borrallo has a sweetness of timbre that makes him the perfect romantic hero and baritone Ricardo Rosa has a sizable size that fills the hall with sound.

As if this were not enough, dancer Elizabeth Torras Aguilera treated us to dances in several different style with appropriate costuming to match.  In "Fandango" by Luigi Boccherini, an 18th c. Italian composer, she danced in an early style that we have witnessed in dance companies specializing in the Baroque. The steps are graceful and courtly. We enjoyed the guitar accompaniment of Francisco Roldan.

For the flamenco-inflected "Asturias" by Isaac Albeniz, she rocked a red gown with a long train manipulated by kicking, accompanying herself with castanets. The softness of her wrists was impressive, as was the percussive footwork. 

For Enrique Granados' "Doce Danzas Espanolas" Ms. Tonna sang "Danza V", a text written by Luis Munoz Lorente while Ms. Torras danced. It was a perfect pairing of talents. This is the centennial of Torroba's visit to the USA. Sadly, he died on his way back to Spain

In the final number on the program "Mazurka de las sombrillas" from F. Moreno Torroba's Luisa Fernandez, she carried a beautiful lace parasol giving herself a lighter than air impression. .

Accompanist for the program was Maxim Anikushin. He opened the program with solos by Ravel and Shostakovich ("Aborada del Gracioso" and "Spanish Dance". It is no secret that Spanish culture has inspired French and Russian composers, among others. His playing is forceful but the strength of the singers vocalism never allowed him to overpower them.

Among so many splendid selections, it is difficult to choose our favorites! In Ruperto Chapi's "Porque de mis ojos los tuyos retiras?" from La Revoltosa, the tension between the characters resolves into harmony.  Ms. Tonna and Mr. Rosa were outstanding.Ms. Tonna was equally impressive singing an aria of gratitude "Dejame besar tus manos generosas" from Jose Serrano's La Dolorosa, with Mr. Borrallo. 

This tenor was exquisite in "Por el humo se sabe donde esta el fuego" from Amadeo Vives' Dona Francisquita. No matter how rhythmic the accompaniment is, he maintains a fine legato and noticeable artistry in the melismatic passages. His tender timbre was just right for "Bella enamorada" from Soutullo y Vert's El Ultimo Romantico.

Ms. D'Imperio gave a stunning performance of "La maja y el ruisenor" from Enrique Granados' Goyescas. Mr. Anikushin's piano made the sound of the nightingale as beautiful as birdsong. Her performance captivated the audience.

Mr. Rosa's generous baritone was just right for "Diga usted Senor platero" from Francisco Alonso's La Parranda. He knows just when and how long to hold the "money note" and how to make a graceful portamento.  We liked the way he changed vocal colors for the central section and the final crescendo.

It was truly an incredible afternoon! Audience members were so enthusiastic that several numbers got standing ovations. One rarely witnesses such excitement and appreciation at a vocal recital.

(c) meche kroop

ZARZUELA!

Amaia Arberas, Hamid Rodriguez, Pilar Belaval, Rafael Lebron and Ilya Martinez

Thanks to Amigos de la Zarzuela we had the opportunity to hear selections from several zarzuelas written by a number of different composers.  The program defined zarzuela as Spanish musical theater but if you enter zarzuela in the search bar on this website you will be able to read a far more complete description.

We are huge fans of zarzuela for a number of reasons: first of all the Spanish language is enormously singable with pure open vowels that rival those of Italian; secondly,the melodies are memorable; thirdly, one hears interesting major/minor shifts, Middle-eastern turns and much melismatic singing; finally, the predominant subject is love--love yearned for, love achieved, love lost, love renewed, love requited and unrequited. Who doesn't care about love!

The program opened with the ensemble of five singing "Vamos andando por la calle de la fe" by Chueca y Valverde's Agua, Azucarillos y Aguardiente.  It closed with the ensemble performing "Mazurka de la Sombrilla" from the well known Luisa Fernanda by Moreno Torroba.

While all the singers were excellent, we were most impressed by soprano Amaia Arbera (more reviews of her by way of the search function) and mezzo Pilar Belaval who is new to us.  Their duet "Aqui estoy ya vestida" from Barbieri's El Barberillo de Lavapies was absolutely charming; both women have superb stage presence.

Ms. Arberas excelled in her solo "Pensar en el" from Arrieta's Marina and harmonized beautifully with tenor Hamid Rodriguez in the delightful duet "Ese panuelito blanco" from Moreno Torroba's La Chulapona in which they revealed a sympathetic connection.  Ms. Arberas' voice has a lovely vibrato and a soaring unfettered top; she always exhibits a gracious stage manner.

Ms. Belaval has a rich chocolatey mezzo that suited "Cuando esta tan hondo" from Chapi's El Barquillero in which the use of the minor key added depth.  She has a fine command of dynamics.

Mr. Rodriguez garnered huge applause for his performance of the familiar "No puede ser" from Sorozabal's La Taberna del Puerto.  We appreciated the variety of the central section in which he colored the words differentially.

Veteran singers Ilya Martinez, a soprano, and baritone Rafael Lebron contributed to the program a fine duet "Que esta esto muy bajo" from Sorozabal's La del Manojo de Rosas.  That work must be a favorite of Mr. Lebron since he rattled off the humorous patter duet "Quien es usted" (with Mr. Rodriguez) from the same work with admirable facility.

We enjoyed Ms. Martinez' duet with Ms. Belaval "Pobre viejecita, que delicadita" from Fernandez Caballero's La Viejecita.

As if that were not enough, dancer Gabriela Granados contributed two dances complete with chattering castanets and the rhythmic percussive footwork of which we are so fond.  One dance was choreographed to Granados' Suite Iberia and the other to Manuel de Falla's La Vida Breve.

We must mention the excellent piano work of Karina Azatyan who was particularly fine accompanying Ms. Belaval in Turina's soulful "Saeta en forma de salve a la virgen de la esperanza". Their partnership moved us deeply.

We hope that someday Amigos de la Zarzuela will mount a full-fledged production of one of these zarzuelas in its entirety.  We would probably choose El Barberillo de Lavapies.

(c) meche kroop