THE DRAMA OF THE LIED

 

Lara Saldanha, Victoria Falcone, and Nina Riley (photo by Andrew Bisdale)

If you were fortunate enough to have attended Dell'Arte Opera Ensemble's concert last night at the A.R.T. Center you would have experienced what a lieder recital can and should be. In a program conceived by Maestro Chris Fecteau, each set of songs became a mini opera, since each set had a theme.

There was an overall unity to the program since all of the texts were written by Paul Heyse who translated them from Italian--hence the title of the concert Italienische Liederbuch. Most fans of lieder have heard Heyse's poetry as set  by Hugo Wolf under that very name. But many of us, ourself included, did not know the wealth of material set by other composers. 

We did, of course, know that other German texts have been given multiple settings by different composers but this assemblage had a dramatic intent, the realization of which was an original and effective undertaking. Although no director was listed in the program, we will hazard a guess that Mo. Fecteau undertook the task and it was a fine undertaking indeed.

The material was not organized by composer, but rather organized along the principle of theme, so each listener was swept into the mini dramas and offered an opportunity to access his or her own memories and imagination.

Hermann Goetz's brief period of composition predated that of the late 19th century Hugo Wolf whereas Joseph Marx's heyday was somewhat later. Nonetheless, there is enough similarity within German Romanticism to unite the works, which also included one by Brahms and also Arnold Mendelssohn (a relation of Felix). There was no jarring as there might have been if modern compositions had been included.

The first set of songs was entitled "Young Lovers" and found the bright-voiced soprano Nina Riley locking gazes with the richly voiced mezzo-soprano Victoria Falcone. Both singers amplified the vocalism with dramatic enactments of flirtation. Accompanying with panache at the piano was Lara Saldanha.

We have special admiration for singers who deliver their material "off the book" which makes for better audience contact and soprano Ellen Teufel accomplished that with ease, accompanied by Mo. Fecteau himself who is always a pleasure to hear.

Following was an exploration of a love triangle comprising soprano Heather Bobeck, mezzo-soprano, Olivia Ericsson, and tenor Stephen Steffens. The facial expressions and gestures of the two women were priceless. Furthermore, it was a pleasure to hear Mr. Steffens in gentler material than that written by Mozart for Emperor Tito, which we had heard the night before.

The relationship between Father and Daughter was well explored by soprano Elizaveta Kozlova and bass Jason Adamo who presented a very distant father who seemed never to look at his lovely daughter. David Stech accompanied and also provided an absolutely delightful interlude.  Felix Mendelssohn' Songs Without Words do not need words but his "Barcarolle" in the hands of Mr. Stech produced images of Venice in my mind's eye, a gentle swaying in my body, and strangely enough, in my mind's ear, the lonely musings of the gondolier paddling himself home at the end of the night! Words were not needed but they came unbidden.

Soprano Clara Lisle joined with tenor Andres Penalver for songs about love transcending death, accompanied by Ms. Saldanha. Just when we thought the program was over, we were fortunate enough to have two more songs by Ms. Teufel accompanied by Mo. Fecteau. We observed that Ms. Teufel is always "off the book" and in a position to make good contact with the audience. In the Wolf "Gesegnet sei" she was very still but seemed to loosen up with her gestures in Marx's "Ständchen". We had the thought that her artistry could go from an "A" to an "A-plus" if she could make her gestures more specific. This is a fine point we have been becoming more aware of recently. It takes a performance to a higher level.

Although we could happily have listened to more, we did feel satisfied by the program, which succeeded in accessing our own memories and associations. As in the other two events of Dell'Arte's 25th season, we were very happy with the organization of the space and the clarity of the supertitles. We found ourselves wishing there were more events!

© meche kroop

FROM THE GOOD FOLKS AT DELL'ARTE OPERA ENSEMBLE

 Maestro Chris Fecteau, Jonathan Harris, Clara Lisle, and Morton Cahn

Last night we felt transported back to the 19th c. when artists and their followers gathered around a piano and created music at home. We adore this manner of appreciating music up close and personal and have created many such salons in our own home. What a pleasure to not only hear artists perform but also to be able to socialize with them and other music lovers.

Our hostess for the evening was the lovely artist, mezzo-soprano, and cat-lover Barrett Cobb whose magnificent townhouse gave pleasurable stimulation to the eye. So many senses were involved--the ear, the eye, and tastebuds too, with food and drink courtesy of Maestro Chris Fecteau and his lovely wife Karen Rich, those good folks from Dell'Arte Opera Ensemble. The apt theme of the evening was "Among Friends".

The multi-talented Maestro, chef and connoisseur of wine, was our accompanist for the evening and the musical artists comprised soprano Clara Lisle, bass-baritone Jonathan Harris, and double bass player Morton Cahn. We were especially delighted that the artists introduced their selections and told a little about each one.

The beautiful Ms. Lisle opened the program with a very fine performance of Musetta's Act I aria from Puccini's La Bohême. All the vocal nuances and gestures were there resulting in a most believable performance, sans sets and sans costume.

Not to be outdone, Mr. Harris tackled a concert aria by Mozart, the ardent "Per questa bella mano" with Mr. Cahn performing the obligato. Mr. Harris does not lack for flexibility as demonstrated in some fine melismatic passages reminding one of a vocalise. He also deftly handled the wide leaps which Mozart often gave to his sopranos (i.e. Fiordiligi).

Ms. Lisle showed off some excellent German diction in a trio of songs by Hugo Wolf. We find Wolf's songs less accessible than those of Brahms, Schubert, and Schumann but not less interesting.. Our favorite of the three was "In dem Schatten mine Locken" from the composer's Spänischer Liederbuch. The warm and tender colors of Ms. Lisle's  voice were matched by Mo. Fecteau's piano.

The Allegro section of Bach's Sonata in G minor, written for viola da gamba, was given an attractive reading by Mr. Cahn.

Having recently heard an entire evening of Czech songs, our ears were quite ready for four folk songs set by Petr Eben, a Czech composer unknown to us. In spite of being composed in the 20th c. they are melodic as folk songs usually are and were charmingly sung by Mr. Harris. The final two were about abandoned women and it is to Mr. Harris' credit that he colored his voice differently for the  one who was in despair and the other one who was ready to move on to a new lover.

Mo. Fecteau gave a most expressive performance of a movement from A Novel composed by Ukrainian Sergei Bortkewiecz, also unknown to us.

Leonard Bernstein set a poem by Walt Whitman entitled "To What You Said" and we found it prosy and not very interesting. The vocal obligato was taken over by Mr. Cahn.

We far preferred the piano- bass duet entitled "Skipper's Call which was written by Ms. Cobb herself! We know what it's like to write music that you never get to hear performed so we shared in Ms. Cobb's joy upon hearing it for the first time.

Ms. Lisle performed "Le Chat" in fine French.  It was commissioned by Dell'Arte from Ellen Mandel. Mr. Harris had the audience in stitches with Libby Larsen's "The Apple Song". He picked up all the suggestive inferences and capped it all off by throwing off his coat. If you never heard this very American song, we urge you to Google the lyrics.

The program ended with Mendelssohn's melodic "Salve Regina" which allowed Ms. Lisle to show off her bright top notes. Mr. Harris performed one of Poulenc's non-ironic songs, the timely "Priez pour paix" in which Mo. Fecteau's piano echoed the contemplative mood.

It was a varied and altogether satisfying evening. We wish to alert you to some upcoming Dell'Arte events so--as they say--stay tuned!

© meche kroop 

EURASIA FESTIVAL RUSSIAN OPERA GALA

Aza Sydykov, Vera Danchenko-Stern, Clara Lisle, Alvard Mayilyan, Kathleen Norchi, Caleb Eick, and Matthew Tartza

We first became acquainted with pianist/accompanist/coach Aza Sydykov through his work with the Kyrgyz American Foundation which presented a concert of Kyrgyz music nearly two years ago--a concert we will never forget (the review of which is archived and available through the search bar). We didn't get to hear nearly enough of his pianistic artistry at that time but we made up for it last night when his brilliance at the keyboard dazzled our ears.

Alternating with the extraordinarily gifted pianist/accompanist/coach Vera Danchenko-Stern, the accompaniment to the singers impressed us with its brilliance. The two pianists knew just when to hold back to support each singer, and when to let out all the stops during the interludes.

We were attending a recital at the National Opera Center designed to showcase the achievements of the five young artists who had attended the week-long institute focusing on Russian singing. We wished that we had been available to monitor their progress through the coachings, from start to finish; however there was one instance in which we are able to report on artistic development.

Not long ago we attended a rather disappointing production of Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin in which we were impressed by the Tatiana of soprano Carla Lisle. Last night she performed the heroine's "Letter Scene" in full and we were happily able to see a great leap forward in phrasing, diction, and interpretation. When we hear an aria extracted from an opera and performed in concert, we measure success partly by the singer's ability to take us into the opera in our mind's eye.

Last night we were not transported to the unfortunate Mannes production but rather to a more traditional one at the Metropolitan Opera that moved us deeply.  This is a good thing! Ms. Lisle's diction and phrasing were enhanced by the astute employment of dynamic variety and dramatic coloration. Poor Tatiana is in the throes of adolescent turmoil and every nuance was well portrayed.

Listening to the other four singers on the program did not offer the same opportunity for comparison between "before" and "after", but we enjoyed hearing songs both familiar and unfamiliar. The Russian canon of songs is vast and our exposure has been somewhat limited. Perhaps it is understandable that we get more enjoyment from songs we have heard before.

For example, Rachmaninoff's "Spring Waters" always fills us with joy and we liked the performance by soprano Kathleen Norchi who also introduced us to "Uzh ty, niva moya, nivushka" with its captivating analogy, comparing scattered thoughts with grains of wheat.

Mezzo-soprano Alvard Mayilyan evinced very different personalities in Polina's romance from Tchaikovsky's Pique Dame and Olga's aria from his Eugene Onegin. The former was haunting and the latter was light-hearted and teasing.

We liked baritone Caleb Eick best in Aleko's Cavatina from the Rachmaninoff opera, in which he portrayed the pain of romantic betrayal by varying vocal colors and dynamics to suit the character's complex feelings.

Tenor Matthew Tartza introduced us to a charming songs by Rimsky-Korsakov, the gentle Levko's aria from May Night and  Tchaikovsky's "Vesna: Travka Zeleneyer" from Songs for Children.  Perhaps it was ill advised to put Mario's pre-death aria "E lucevan le stelle" from Puccini's Tosca on the program. We have heard it so often sung by famous tenors that the risk of comparison worked against the singer.

Again, we wish to emphasize how superlative was the pianism. Russian vocal music captivated us a bit later than Italian and German and isn't always performed with such subtlety. We appreciate being introduced to the musical heritage of Russia and are glad that the Kyrgyz American Foundation has sponsored the Eurasia Festival, thereby promoting Eurasian culture.

There will be one more concert in the Festival, Sunday evening at 7:30, also at the National Opera Center.

(c) meche kroop

MUSIC 10; PRODUCTION 2

Clara Lisle as Tatyana in Mannes Opera's production of Eugene Onegin
(photo courtesy of The New School)

If you want to hear a valid rendering of Tchaikovsky's luscious score, get yourself to John Jay College's Gerald Lynch Theater by 2:00 this afternoon. Maestro Julian Wachner, using his expressive body (and no baton), leads The Mannes Orchestra in fine fashion, laying down a silken carpet of strings, and bouncing the themes around among the various wind sections. We heard some mighty fine solos from the oboes, horns, and trombones.

We were happy with the fine singing of the cast, comprising soprano Clara Lisle dealing with Tatyana's desire, anxiety, rejection, and ultimate dignity; mezzo-soprano  Wan Zhao as her flighty sister Olga; baritone Hyunsoon Kim as a rather likeable Onegin; and the terrific tenor Oleksii Kuznietsov, well remembered from his stint with IVAI, as the ill-fated Vladimir Lensky.

This Ukrainian tenor was so superb in his deeply felt and carefully modulated "Kuda, kuda" that when he was shot by Onegin in the duel scene, we were wishing that the director Jordan Fein had been shot instead.

Although there was thankfully no lengthy exegesis in the program to "conceptsplain" the production, we were left to our own devices, trying to figure out the point of betraying Pushkin's verse to such an egregious extent.

This story is rooted in Russian soil and the times of serfdom and duels. Fein's iteration places it absolutely nowhere and in some amorphous contemporary time. We were surprised that Tatyana did not write her letter to Onegin on a laptop and that her name-day party guests were not taking selfies on their phones.

The story cannot be shoehorned into a modern dress production.  It simply DID NOT WORK! The duel scene was a joke with Onegin's "second" a drunken passed out Triquet (Jens Ibsen, whose tribute to Tatyana was delivered in French not worthy of an identified Frenchman). Onegin and Lensky just pulled pistols out of their respective backpacks and shot at each other.

The chorus sang well but instead of peasants they were just a group of young friends of the Larin girls who called Madame Larina "Mother", causing us to question "Did Madame bear 19 children or did she adopt them?" They sang of hands hardened from work!  The work of studying?

When the two young men are discussing the sisters, the girls are standing right next to them! And why was Madame Larina coming on to Onegin?

The party for Tatyana's name day involved some of the worst choreography (Chloe Kernaghan) we have ever seen. There was absolutely no relationship between Tchaikovsky's music and the movement of the young guests.  Come to think of it, there was the same problem in Act III at Prince Gremin's ball where the guests were doing some kind of conga line. The audience tittered.

Terese Wadden's costumes were similarly rebarbative. The young folks wore short shorts and backpacks. Madame Larina was rather more bejeweled than one would expect in the provinces. Only in Act III were the singers dressed appropriately with Gremin and Onegin in dinner jackets and Tatyana in a long gown.

Amy Rubin's set was nothing but a curved wall with chalk writing on it. It served to alter the acoustics with a few dead spots, impairing the audibility of the singers who deserved better.

Now that we have gotten our dismay off our chest, let us praise the singers for doing a swell job with this difficult opera. Although we do not speak Russian, it sounded fine to the ear. Roles were performed sensitively with good variety of coloration.

Bass Michael Pitocchi made an excellent impression as Prince Gremin as he sang of his love for Tatiana and how it changed his life. Taryn Holback sang the role of Madame Larina; Perri Di Christina made a fine Filippyevna.

Each young artist succeeded in making us care for their character which was quite an achievement since they had to surmount an insulting production.

(c) meche kroop