A 17th CENTURY RAVE

 Curtain Call at Manhattan School of Music's Production of Purcell's The Fairy Queen

The proverbial blood, sweat, and tears that go into a theatrical production were nowhere in evidence at this romp seen and heard at Riverside Theater. The results were the evidence! It was difficult to tell who was having more fun last night, the audience or the student performers from Manhattan School of Music. Spirits were high and laughter was abundant.

Henry Purcell wrote some mighty gorgeous music for this "masque" which  was first presented in 1692. Although our knowledge of British history is rather meager, we understand that the entertainment known as a "masque" was very popular under the reign of Charles I and it was a rather lascivious entertainment in which royalty participated, comprising music, dance, theater, art, singing...what Richard Wagner might have called a gesamtkunstwerk.

The Protestant Reformation ended all such excess but The Restoration brought with it the reign of Charles II and the flourishing of the arts. For a deeper discussion of this topic we refer you to the following website...https://www.hrp.org.uk/banqueting-house/history-and-stories/the-masque/#gs.8uvkhk

Purcell made use of some of Shakespeare's text from Midsummer Night's Dream but the author of the libretto remains unknown. Much of the work seems to have gotten lost for a long period, but with the rise of interest in the counter-tenor fach, the work, or most of it, has been located and reassembled. If you were expecting a telling of the Bard's tale, you would have been disappointed. His play would seem to have been just a jumping off point with some of the characters making an appearance and just hints of the story being told.

Director/Choreographer Felicity Stiverson made some felicitous choices (sorry about that, but we just couldn't help ourself) and created an evening of fun that made use of the depth and breadth of talent found in MSM's Undergraduate Opera Theater. An inventive set was devised by Michael Ruiz-del-Vizo with a thrust stage in the center, a lounging area to the left and a bunch of cocktail tables and chairs to the right.

Artists entered and left up and down the center aisle of the auditorium. Everything worked just fine, especially having the excellent musicians, conducted by Jackson McKinnon, upstage behind a scrim. The opening showed imagination with a lone young man seeking admission to what might be a private club or disco and being given a hard time at the door--a scenario everyone has experienced in their lifetime.

Jessica Crawford's costume design was colorful and reminiscent of the 70's which, except for familiarity by means of film and television, might have been as remote from the memory of anyone in the audience as would have been costumes of the late 17th c. We saw bright neon mini-skirts, platform boots, sequined gowns and lots of motley outfits.

There was a gloss on celebrity worship with singers using fake microphones. And that brings us to the singing which was just fine all around. There was an ensemble spirit to the evening and it would be difficult to point out some of the individuals in the cast, since many the roles were allegorical, as was the custom of the time.  Isaac Hall portrayed the inebriated fellow who wound up with Bottom's donkey ears.  Jalynn Stewart portrayed Titania, Evan Katsefes played Oberon, and Yancheng Zhang had the role of Puck.  But everyone else portrayed multiple roles.

In the second act, we heard a couple of lovely arias, one accompanied by the violin and another accompanied by the trumpet. Most impressive was the duet for two women and if they care to step forward and identify themselves, we will be happy to add their names to the review.

Since we always need to find something to pick on (nothing is perfect) it would be the placement of the disco ball which obscured the titles. However, the singers were quite successful at making the text clear so it wasn't really a problem.

With such merriment, one would never complain that the work was updated. It was actually a clever and delightful way to present something that might have seemed antiquated and irrelevant.

© meche kroop

OPERA AS EVENT

The cast of Dido and Aeneas in the Catacombs of Green-Wood Cemetery
(photo by Kevin Condon)

On the front cover of the program for Henry Purcell's Dido and Aeneas, producer Andrew Ousley (of Death of Classical and Unisom Media) expressed his feelings about death and remembrance as eloquently as one could have imagined, giving us a clue about his regular musical presentations in crypts and catacombs. More appropriate than macabre, these radical stagings leave us feeling that life is finite and music is one of the best means of celebrating it.

The conclusion of Purcell's opera would be familiar to most opera goers. Queen Dido of Carthage kills herself but asks her handmaiden Belinda to "remember me but forget my fate". It is arguably one of the best Baroque arias in the canon. Here it was movingly sung by mezzo-soprano Daniela Mack whose prodigious vocal chops are matched by dramatic ones. Belinda was portrayed by soprano Molly Quinn whose instrument is a finely focused one that reaches to the stratosphere and tickles the ceiling. Their overtones bounced around the walls of the catacombs of Green-wood Cemetery where 120 guests were privileged to share a unique collective experience.

Purcell composed the one-act opera for performance at a girl's school in the 1680's with libretto by Nahum Tate, based on Book IV of Virgil's Aeneid. We have seen it at least four times in the past two years and every time certain liberties have been taken. In this iteration, director Alek Shrader (best known for his terrific tenor) has incorporated additional text by Christopher Marlowe and introduced the character of Iarbas (the low resonant tones of Paul Greene-Dennis) whose attentions toward Dido are consistently rejected.

We have noticed a tendency, in the last few versions we have seen, to portray Dido as a strong independent woman, not a victim of Aeneas' abandonment. Here Aeneas was finely performed by Paul La Rosa. It is interesting how stories evolve with the times!  

The unfortunate Trojan Prince Aeneas is led astray by a Sorceress (Vanessa Cariddi) and her two witches (Erin Moll and Alyssa Martin) who reminded us of nothing more or less than Macbeth's "weird sisters". We never find out why they have it in for Dido but they do. They employ base trickery to fool Aeneas into believing that the gods want him to go to Italy and establish Rome. And they do this with intensely valid vocalism.

Dido's sister Anna was sung by the excellent Brooke Larimer and the cast was rounded out by Marc Molomot and Kannan Vasudevan as Trojans accompanying Aeneas.

The musical values were undeniably magnificent with these gorgeous voices accompanied by expressive music. Leading from the harpsichord was Music Director Elliot Figg. Adding to the string quartet was the haunting viola da gamba.

Dancer/choreographer Liana Kleinman added some graceful modern dance to the mix.

Production values contributed a great deal to the overall effect. The catacombs themselves provided the setting with the action taking place at one end of a long tunnel; entrances and exits occurred through side doors which led to crypts occupied by the deceased of various families from the 19th c. There was a small raised platform for the performers and Tláloc López-Watermann's evocative lighting was perfect. Fay Eva's costume design was also perfect with Dido wearing a slender red gown contrasting with Belinda's white one. The three witches wore black with suitably terrifying makeup by Ivey Ray. They created a stunning stage picture.

With such splendid musical and production values, it is sad that so few people will have the privilege of witnessing this stunning sold-out event. It is also a shame that the long narrow space does not lend itself to good sight lines. We see no way around this dilemma. The tenebrous space creates a mood like no other and the acoustics are beyond wonderful.

Mr. Ousley's events are always greater than the sum of their parts, the parts in this case including a pre-opera whiskey tasting and a post-opera torch lit stroll down from the heights of the cemetery. Lest you, dear reader, imagine that my enthusiasm for the evening was colored by inebriation, rest assured that we left our share for the angels.

(c) meche kroop

LIKE PORNOGRAPHY

Front Row: Mer Wohlgemuth, Kady Evanyshyn, Chance Jonas-O'Toole
Second Row: Shakèd Bar, Dominik Belavy
Third Row: Myka Murphy

Art is like pornography; we cannot describe it for you but we know when we see it! Last night at Juilliard we experienced ART without a whiff of the "artsy-fartsy". Real art. Or should we say real arts. The art of composition by Henry Purcell, the art of poetry by Nahum Tate, the art of conceptualization, realization, and direction by Mary Birnbaum, the art of singing by the students of Juilliard Vocal Arts, the art of Early Music by Juilliard415, the art of scenic design by Grace Laubacher, the art of lighting by Anshuman Bhatia, the art of costuming by Oana Botez, and the art of choreography by Claudia Schreier. WOW!  That was a lot of artistry onstage.

In 2016 we saw three or four iterations of Purcell's Dido and Aeneas--one with Broadway stars, and a couple by small companies. We mostly enjoyed them but can barely remember them. Last night's production stood out for so many reason that we are unlikely to forget it.

It is unlikely that you, dear reader, will be able to score a ticket so we feel compelled to be more than usually descriptive of our experience. Since this is, first of all, an opera, let us begin by praising the young singers. Certain qualities stood out in every single one--consummate skill in the melodic vocal lines accompanied by clear English diction and convincing dramatic performance. The English was sung with such excellent legato that it may as well have been Italian. Projected titles seemed redundant.

In Nahum Tate's libretto, which does not completely follow the story as told in Virgil's Aeneid, poor Trojan Aeneas is tricked into abandoning Dido, Princess of Carthage, in order to found Rome. Or so he is told by the false Mercury, enlisted by the Sorceress. No reason is given for the Sorceress to have such enmity toward Dido although the costuming lets us believe that the Sorceress and her witches come from the serving class.

As Dido, mezzo-soprano Shakèd Bar gave a riveting performance as a far stronger Carthaginian Queen than we have heretofore imagined or seen. Every note and gesture and facial expression supported her interpretation. She seemed born to sing the Baroque repertory. 

As Aeneas, her somewhat weaker romantic interest, baritone Dominik Belavy turned in a fine performance. He is obliged to be a bit "wishy-washy", agreeing to the false Mercury's demands and then changing his mind. His flowered brocaded suit was in strong contrast with Ms. Bar's "Wonderwoman" costume with thigh high boots.

As Dido's two handmaidens, we enjoyed soprano Mer Wohlgemuth as Belinda, and mezzo-soprano Kady Evanyshyn as Anna.  Anna enjoys a charming flirtation with the First Sailor who was here presented as Aeneas' companion and sung by tenor Chance Jonas-O'Toole who has a most captivating vibrato. We love the part where Anna leaves a flower for him as she exits the playing area.

Who else could have portrayed the Sorceress but mezzo-soprano Myka Murphy, who erupted with malevolent glee coloring her impressively rich voice. Her accompanying witches were soprano Shereen Pimentel, mezzo-soprano Olivia Cosio, and soprano Britt Hewitt who had the task of deceiving poor Aeneas.

And now, let us set the stage for you. The playing area was surrounded on three sides by the audience and dominated by an enormous faux stone table with seating for guests on faux stone boulders. Places were set and pompously correct servants dressed in glittery black brought the food. Guests wearing wild costumes and even wilder wigs and headgear devoured food with their hands or ate in slow motion. 

What a strange court this is! What a disorienting effect! We seemed to be in another world completely, as if on a planet invented by a science fiction cartoonist. Shall we call it Baroque Sci-Fi? In any case it was a world that could conceivably contain sorcerers and witches and evil powers.

All these courtiers were played by the superb chorus which comprised, in addition to any principals who were not featured in any given scene,  Joan Hofmeyr, Richard Pittsinger, Santiago Pizarro, Carlyle Quinn, William Socolof, Luke Sutliff, and Maggie Renée Valdman. Chorus Master David Moody made sure that their singing was impeccable, as was their diction.

We surmise that the singers had extensive dance training since they executed the choreography with style and grace.

Maestro Avi Stein conducted members of Juilliard415 from the harpsichord. Joshua Stauffer was a standout on the theorbo and we could not imagine this work better played. We were very comfortable with the interpolation of extraneous music by Purcell; these additions filled out the characters' interaction and provided enough substance to make the work sufficient for the evening, instead of using it as a curtain raiser for another one act opera.

We are always happy to have our prejudices overcome and to enjoy a work in English. Aside from Arthur Sullivan, we can think of no other English composer who so effectively matched the rhythm of the English language.

Another prejudice against "reinterpretation" was overcome, thanks to Ms. Birnbaum's astute and timely choice to bring out the power of the two women-- Dido and the Sorceress. This Dido is no victim! There was a jaw-dropping ending in which she emerges from the fiery pit and stalks offstage. There was no violation of the spirit of the work and for this we are grateful.

This outstanding production will be going on tour to England and France; we are thrilled that the company is getting such recognition and that more people will get to enjoy it.

We would like to share the news that Ms. Birnbaum will be directing La Bohême at Santa Fe Opera this summer and we will be there to see what sort of originality she can bring to that warhorse. You, dear reader, will be the first to know.

(c) meche kroop

MULTI-LINGUAL ARTISTRY

Allen Perriello and Joélle Harvey

At a time when vocal recitals are becoming increasingly scarce, we lovers of classical voice can count on Carnegie Hall, which presents vocal recitals in all three halls--Stern, Zankel, and Weill.  We are particularly fond of the series at the intimate Weill Recital Hall which facilitates the intimate connection so necessary for the appreciation of art songs.

Last night's recital was satisfying on many levels, introducing us to a soprano of distinction whom we had never heard before, although she is well known as a recitalist and in symphonic works with vocal movements.  Joélle Harvey is particularly recognized for her Mahler and we wish there had been some Mahler on last night's program.

What struck as about Ms. Harvey was her bright tone, the clarity of her diction, and her facility with languages. Indeed, we heard her in English, German, French, Italian, and what we took to be Norwegian. Actually, we are not familiar with the Scandinavian languages but since Edvard Grieg was Norwegian, it's a good guess. The program spanned the Baroque period right through to the contemporary one for which we lack a title.  Perhaps "Post Modern" will suffice.

The program opened with a set of songs by Henry Purcell, England's most famous composer for the voice. We don't believe anyone has matched his ability to choose good text in English (can't go wrong with Shakespeare!) and to amplify the text with singable melodies and pleasing harmonies.

However, our favorite of this set was "Sweeter than roses", the text of which is declared to be "anonymous". The text gave Ms. Harvey the opportunity for maximum variety of tempi, dynamics and word coloration. We loved the passion and the ardent melismatic passage.

A set by Mozart reminded us that Mozart could bring out the beauty of texts from any language. "Ridente la calma" is always a pleasure and Ms. Harvey brought out the beauty of the Italian vowels. "Oiseux, si tous les ans" was charmant and sung in fine French. The long legato lines persisted through the German lied "Die Zufriedenheit" which bears a lovely message of contentment. "Die kleine Spinnerin" was new to us and we would have enjoyed it more if Ms. Harvey had differentiated between the voice of the spinning girl and that of the young fellow importuning her.

The singer's German was even crisper in four songs by Clara Schumann which were our favorite part of the recital. We are always overjoyed to hear her songs in recital and particularly "Liebst du um Schönheit" which is refreshingly different from the Mahler setting, perhaps more tender and less exuberant. "Die stille Lotosblume" had some lovely dynamic variety and a wrenching change to the minor mode.

A set by Edvard Grieg focused largely on nature and Spring. Although we liked the sound of Norwegian our favorite song was "Osterlied" sung in German. "En fugelevise" limned a strange and beautiful scene between two lovers who would never see each other again for unexplained reasons. With a text by Ibsen, one could just imagine!

The song cycle Vanitas by contemporary composer Michael Ippolito did not enchant us vocally for the usual reasons. None of the poetry seemed to want to be set.  "Quivered out of decimals", "degreeless noon", and "decades of arrogance" are just three examples of phrases that seemed unmusical to us. The one song that seemed interesting was "A Feather" with Gertrude Stein's nonsensical text leading to some clever vocal effects.

Although Mr. Ippolito is a long-term friend of Ms. Harvey's, we did not find his vocal line interesting or even kind to her voice.  As usual our attention wandered to the piano and we realized that Mr. Ippolito writes very well for the instrument. Collaborative pianist Allen Perriello, so accurate, straightforward, and supportive during the entire recital, was given a chance to play Mr. Ippolito's highly original composition with style.

We were glad that the encore was tuneful. It was "Remember Me" by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez from the Disney film Coco. Apparently, popular song writers known how to craft a tune! Ms. Harvey sang it with personal involvement.  It was lovely!

(c) meche kroop

JOY AND MORE JOY IN SINGING

Haodong Wu and Marisa Karchin at Weill Recital Hall

Surely musicians do not have to be beautiful to look at but there's no denying the visual pleasure of seeing two such lovely artists onstage at Weill Recital Hall last night at the Joy in Singing 2018 International Art Song Award Debut Recital.

An interesting factoid is that we reviewed each of them separately in connection with Cantanti Project. Haodong Wu was the pianist for a recital of love songs and Ms. Karchin sang in Händel's Orlando.  How fine it was to see both of them given an entire recital to show their versatility. Their introduction of each set was delightfully presented.

An unusual feature of Ms. Karchin's artistry is that we could understand every word she sang, in spite of the bright coloratura nature of her instrument. There is an appealing aspect to her vibrato as well. She chose her own program and wisely included plenty of material with melismatic passages, at which she excels.

There is nothing reticent about Ms. Wu's collaborative pianism. She didn't drown out the singer but she certainly didn't fade into the background.  The result was a true matching of artistry.

The program opened with two songs by Purcell, one of the few composers who set English in a way that delights our ear. Both "Sweeter than Roses" and "If Music be the Food of Love" offer opportunities for word coloration and the artists availed themselves of the opportunity, whether the word was "sweet" or "warm", "freeze" or "fire".

Six songs from Lili Boulanger's Clairières dans le ciel were performed.  If the French pronunciation left something to be desired (Yes, those nasalities and diphthongs are difficult to master!) at least the Gallic style was mastered, leaving us to hope that Ms. Karchin will get some additional coaching in French. Her cool tone is just perfect for French.  We heard her in the duet from Delibes' Lakme three years ago and thought the same.

This is our week for Turina's music, which we just heard in a concert at Manhattan School of Music. We can never get enough of Spanish song and were happy that the program included Tres poemas from Opus 81. We particularly admired Ms. Wu's playing in "Tu pupila es azul". Again, we loved the melismatic singing. We heard some insecurity in the Castilian and even a touch of Argentinian accent at times--something that should be very easy to correct.

We have no such quibbles with the Russian since that is a language we have not learned. It was a brave move to put four songs by Nikolai Obukhov on the program. This so-called "modernist mystic" wrote dodecaphonic music, including all sorts of weird vocal utterances, that the audience listened to respectfully. 

The final set by Strauss came as a relief and we noted that Obukhov's music will be performed long after Strauss' music has died--but not a moment before! (Insert laugh). In spite of listening with "open ears", we were gritting our teeth halfway through. We will say, however, that the artists gave the songs a committed and expressive performance.

The Strauss left us happy of heart. That man knew how to write for the voice!  His Brentano Lieder appeared after a decade long hiatus from song writing and must have been greeted with as much glee then as we felt last night. The humanity and accessibility of the text is matched by the stunning vocal writing, filled with descending chromatic passages and wide skips.

Here, Ms.Karchin was in her element, bringing every passage to vivid life with her storytelling.  Her artistic choice was to soften the "ch" sound, avoiding its guttural nature; this was fine since it was consistent. We get annoyed when a singer avoids the sound altogether or pronounces it inconsistently. A little brushing up of the umlaut sounds would make her German perfect.

Ms. Karchin's father is a composer and was in the audience to hear her sing his setting of two poems by Seamus Heaney, whose text, which neither rhymed nor scanned, led to a vocal line than was not memorable. We found our ears leaning toward the piano writing which was interesting.

Let us close by pointing out that Joy in Singing, in their sixtieth year, is under new leadership and is expanding its mission. They will now be known as Joy in Singing, The Art Song Institute. Visit www.joyinsinging.org to learn about their outreach in public schools (YAY!), their series Art Song on the Move, their Song Salons in private homes, their master classes and workshops.

(c) meche kroop

PERFECT POLISH PARTNERSHIP

Michal Biel and Jakub Józef Orliński

We constantly attend enjoyable recitals; occasionally we hear outstanding ones; rarely, we hear one that grabs us in the heart--and that's what we experienced last night at the fine venue National Sawdust.  It made crossing the East River to Brooklyn seem like a walk across the street; on the way home we wanted to dance across the Brooklyn Bridge.

Countertenor Jakub Józef Orliński and maître de chant Michal Biel both hail from Poland, have been honored and awarded multiple times, and can be appreciated as two very bright stars in the operatic firmament. We have reviewed them separately and together on multiple occasions. They always astonish us with their artistry but last night's recital was super special.

We are grateful to the Académie du Festival d'Aix-en-Provence and the financial support of HSBC (Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation) for offering this event.  The Académie has a 20-year history of supporting young artists; in 2017 they wisely chose Mr. Orliński as their HSBC Laureate.

Mr. Orliński has been blessed with a highly distinctive instrument that produces caressing tones which wrap around the heart. His overtones set the molecules of air in the room to dancing and the bones of the head to vibrating in a most agreeable manner. There is no straining at the bottom of the register, which allows him to tackle songs that would tax most of our fine countertenors.

The first set of songs (interrupted by applause after each and every one) comprised works by Henry Purcell, titan of 17th c. British opera. This was no dry harpsichordal performance! Our two artists arranged the songs with juicy Polish soul!

"Music for a While" was the perfect introduction.  "Shall all your cares beguile" is the perfect phrase to describe the subsequent performance. Purcell offers many opportunities for melismatic singing that took on the character of a vocalise. In "If music be the food of love" the word "music" was given some stunning embellishments and the word "love" achieved an intense and heartfelt coloration.

Mr. Biel was completely aligned with Mr. Orliński's intent and the staccato chords of "What power art thou" (from King Arthur) were mimicked by the voice. The music built in intensity and unease, achieving a feeling near horror.  "Strike the viol" was lively. The English was perfectly comprehended thanks to some excellent diction which is rarely heard from native American singers.

Reynaldo Hahn's music was composed around the turn of the 20th c. and thereafter but seems to look back toward earlier periods. Every one of his songs is a gem. "A Chloris" has a Baroque feel but "Mai" has a rather Romantic color. We loved the lavish piano figures in "Paysage".

"Fêtes galantes" is a frisky song with dramatic upward swoops, no challenge for Mr. Orliński. Rather, he sailed right through them and used the song to share his skill with dynamic control and his dynamic personality. Do we need to tell you that the Gallic requirements were more than met with superb diction?

We had expected to hear some Schubert but were mollified by the three sets of Polish songs. We rarely get to hear Polish songs except recently at a recital at the Kosciuszko Foundation; we were well compensated for the lack last night when we got to hear songs from three different periods.

We know Karol Szymanowski (early 20th c.) from his opera King Roger which we heard in Santa Fe.  Our pair of artists performed four of his songs which were written for soprano and transposed. There were no translations offered but Mr. Orliński gave us a brief précis of each song. This offered us the opportunity to focus our entire attention on the sounds and how well they fit the vocal line.

One song was about a lost love, another about a bird hiding from a storm, the third a lament by a girl relating her (badly) arranged marriage, and the final one about a girl collecting berries beset by an importunate man. These are all familiar themes and we might have guessed the mood without the details if Mr. Orliński had not introduced the songs. It was impressive how his vocal coloration, amplified by the harmonies written by Szymanowski as played by Mr. Biel, served to establish the different moods.

Tadeusz Baird wrote in the mid 20th c. and we heard Four Love Sonnets that were so much friendlier to the ear than American songs of that period. The second one began as a scherzo in the piano but evolved into a more serious mood. The third was tender and our guess is that the poet was extolling the beauty of his beloved. The fourth began with a ponderous piano that become solemn and then anguished.

The final song was composed by a living composer Paweł Lukaszewski.  "Jesień" went a long way toward overcoming our distaste for contemporary music. It was actually quite lovely and involved some improvisational piano. There was a searching melody sustained by the pedal and sounds came from Mr. Biel's piano that astonished us. Maybe it was "Michal Magic" but it sounded a bit like the cimbalom! The vocal line was jagged and involved some humming.

To cap the evening, our pair of artists performed a glorious work we have been listening to online quite a bit this week--"Vedró con mio diletto" by Vivaldi. The ritornello was particularly effective with sounds bouncing around the room like a ball in a squash court. We take it that this will now be Mr. Orliński's signature piece. What an incredible experience!

(c) meche kroop

ANOTHER LINDEMANN TRIUMPH

Petr Nekoranec, Valeria Polunina, and Hyesang in Lindemann Recital

Let's face it.  The Lindemann Young Artist Development Program gives matchless recitals.  Since 1980 they have discovered and developed the cream of the crop of young opera singers and collaborative pianists. Those fortunate enough to be chosen receive a bounty of instruction, coaching, and performance opportunities. The stages of opera houses worldwide clamor for their talent.

Yesterday's recital at the Bruno Walter Auditorium exceeded greatness. It lasted but 75 minutes but the after effects are still with us. A recital like this can leave you totally satisfied, yet wishing it had gone on and on.  Like champagne, even when you've had enough, you still want more!

What impressed us most about these young artists was how distinctive their voices are.  So many tenors and sopranos of today sound alike; it's a special pleasure to hear voices that have unique qualities.

The appropriately named soprano Hyesang Park opened the program with a pair of songs by Purcell--"Music for a While" from Oedipus and "Sweeter than Roses" from Pausanias. This 17th c. British titan knew how to pair text and music; Ms. Park's bright tone produces a visceral effect; we could feel the bones of our middle ear vibrating and tingling.  What an incredible sensation! It is particularly pronounced in the penetrating upper register.

Her English is so perfect that we missed nary a word. Perhaps some credit must go to Patricia Brandt's coaching in English. Not only was the enunciation clear but the meaning behind the words was emphasized by astute vocal coloration. The word "cool" indeed had a chilly sound and "trembling" literally trembled. Ms. Park's expressive face matched her expressive voice such that we really understood the songs. 

Purcell wrote some gorgeous melismas that took on the character of vocalises. The vocal fireworks of the fast section were exciting as could be.  It was great to hear this artist go from legato lyricism to rapid-fire embellishments.

Five songs by Clara Schumann followed, which involved some warm colors of regret and nostalgia. Rückert's romantic text "Liebst du um Schönheit" was set by her long before Mahler set it. We have always loved Mahler's setting but there is no reason to overlook Clara Schumann's version. Clara's style is not so different from her husband's and we hear the same attention to a singable vocal line and wonderful piano writing.

Collaborative pianist Valeria Polunina created quite a storm in "Er ist gekommen" and some delightful echoing effects in "Das ist ein Tag".

The program also included a charming pair of songs by Reynaldo Hahn who managed to keep melody alive into the 20th c.! "A Chloris" and "L'Enamourée" are graceful songs and Ms. Park sang them simply, creating a dreamlike mood. The effect was that of letting the songs speak for themselves.

Tenor Petr Nekoranec has an equally distinctive sound; we don't know how to describe it except "texture". It sounds rich and multidimensional. The last time we heard Mr. Nekoranec we loved his voice but not the material. Yesterday we were over the moon about his choice of material. Antonín Dvorák wrote his Gypsy Songs in German and that is how we have always heard them.

However, the composer reset them in Czech and we were amazed at the beautiful sound of the language and how well it integrated with the text. Singing in his native tongue permitted Mr. Nekoranec to immerse himself totally in the many moods of Roma life from wild abandon to deep sorrow. The work fits him like a suit of bespoke clothing. His colorful personality emerged as he gave his all.

We also enjoyed Six Romances, Op. 38 by Rachmaninoff. The partnership between him and Ms. Polunina was particularly striking.  "The Daisies" gives the piano score some lacy filigree whereas "The Pied Piper" has a frisky quality that Mr. Nekoranec augmented with his lively personality. The haunting piano line of "A-u!" brought this superb recital to a memorable close.

We longed for an encore but there was none. We kept wondering what these two unique voices would sound like in a duet. Well, now we have something to anticipate for the future.

(c) meche kroop

RUBY SHOES

Julius Drake and Ruby Hughes

Listening to the magic of last night's recital at Weill Recital Hall, we couldn't keep ourselves from thinking about Dorothy's magic shoes in The Wizard of Oz. In any case, there was a lot of magic onstage in a superlative recital given by two artists who compliment each other to an unusual degree. Mr. Drake has the soft hands that we favor, always supporting Ms. Hughes and never drowning her out, unlike some accompanists we have heard recently.

Ms. Hughes has a gracious stage presence and a lovely instrument with which to work. What impressed us immediately was her expressiveness and the attention paid to coloring each word. She opened the program with a trio of songs by Henry Purcell. They spoke to us from the 17th c. in a clearer voice than the Britten songs from the 20th c. that we heard later in the program.

"Music for a while" always beguiles us.  "O lead me to some peaceful gloom" was new to us but "Thrice happy lovers" was familiar from the masque The Faerie Queen which we so enjoyed this past summer (review archived) produced by the newborn Gramercy Opera. The British artist made every word clear and made every word count, without ignoring the overall phrasing.

Robert Schumann's Liederkreis, Op.39 was performed in its entirety and we were transported to the world of nature as seen through the eyes of the 19th c. poet Joseph von Eichendorff. When Schumann called him the perfect poet for lieder he was right on point. The text rhymes and scans beautifully and the images are evocative. (Actually, the same could be said for the texts employed by Purcell.)

With the typical style of 18th c. German Romanticism, Eichendorff used natural elements to refer to feeling tone. Forests can be lonely or threatening. Birds can symbolize freedom of expression and one's very soul. The sky can kiss the earth as a lover would.

The two artists excelled here. Ms. Hughes was riveting in "Waldesgesprach", illuminating the voices of the "man on the make" and that of the witch who retaliates with anger and severe punishment. Mr. Drake was remarkable in creating an air of quietude in the prelude to "Mondnacht" and the rustling of the treetops in "Schone Fremde".

In "Auf einer Burg", the piece closes on an unsettled and unresolved note. We are left puzzled about the weeping bride. Although we have heard this cycle countless times, we have never heard artists create this intense effect. We would have wished to linger awhile as the question hung in the air.

Our only quibble was with Ms. Hughes German. We understood it but were mildly disconcerted by some inconsistencies in the final "ch" and "g", as well as a tendency to ignore the umlaut in certain words. (We ourselves are hampered by not having diacritical marks on our keyboard but if a kind reader comes to our aid we will be grateful. Our writing program used to have a "hack" for this but no longer.)

We are happy to report that Ms. Hughes' French was merveilleux. Lately we have been hearing a great deal of Debussy's Chansons de Bilitis and never tire of it. Each singer has done well in conveying the adolescent innocence of "La flute de Pan", the eroticism of "La chevelure" and the pain of facing reality in "Le tombeau des naiades" when the lover has lost his desire. Ms. Hughes put her own spin on it--the feeling of loneliness when love dies--and we loved it. Debussy's complex piano score was no challenge for Mr. Drake.

We couldn't say we loved Ravel's Deux melodies hebraiques but we loved the way the singer sang them with gorgeous melismas. Perhaps the failure to connect with this work had much to do with Ms. Hughes being "on the book".

A Charm of Lullabies by Benjamin Britten also failed to charm us. This has more to do with our taste than the success of the composition or its performance.  "The Highland Balou" and "The Nurse's Song" have text that is doggerel, but we enjoyed them the most. Some of the others seemed as if they did not ask to be set. 

We managed to feel no affection for the world premiere of Huw Watkins' cycle Echo. We realize that it is a very big deal for a singer to have a work composed just for him/her but it is rare that we enjoy such events. The presence of the detested music stand interfered with any connection we might have felt. Just sayin'.

As encore we heard the Scottish folk song "O Waly Waly", otherwise known as "Water is Wide". It was sung with simplicity and restored our good feeling about this exceptional recital. We understand Ms. Hughes is devoted to female composers and hope she will consider adding some Clara Schumann to her next recital.

(c) meche kroop

IN A GADDA DA VIDA

The Spirit World--Magda Gartner and her Fairies

The Human World--Emily Peragine, Joey Rodriguez, Daniel Byerly, and Allison McAuley

The birth of a new opera company is always a cause for rejoicing but when their debut is as outstanding as that of Gramercy Opera, we find ourselves rather over the moon.

Well actually we found ourselves in a charming verdant private garden on E. 61st St. which had been decorated with strings of twinkling lights and colorful flowers, both nature made and man made. This perfectly suited an entertainment that involves two worlds--the human world and the spirit world.

Leave it to two opera singers to accomplish the impossible!  Major props to Magda Gartner and Allison McAuley who joined forces to create Gramercy Opera.

What we experienced with such complete joy had very little to do with what was presented in 1692 as The Fairy Queen, a masque or semi-opera by Henry Purcell, loosely based on Shakespeare's late 16th c. comedy. 

What we experienced was the result of an impressive show of creativity by Director Brittany Goodwin who also adapted William Shakespeare's text from Midsummer Night's Dream and contributed some spoken dialogue of her own. We were wildly impressed!

The music, of course, was by Henry Purcell and was performed by a chamber orchestra using original instruments. There was a string quartet augmented by two trumpets (almost unrecognizable to those accustomed to the modern trumpet) and a pair of oboes d'amore and a harpsichord, all conducted by David Stech. Even without the enrapturing production design by Maria Torffield we would have enjoyed the music.

And what a production it was! Coming in at just under two hours, the production excised the little Indian changeling, the framing device of the marriage of the Duke of Athens and Hippolyta, as well as the gathering of rustics producing a play as entertainment for the festivities involved with said marriage.

Wisely Ms. Goodwin placed the emphasis on the interface between the human world and the spirit world. The humans flee into the woods to escape paternal interference but meet interference from the spirit world. It rests upon Puck's naughtiness to baffle and confuse the lovers--until he finally establishes order.

The cast was flawless. Mezzo-soprano Magda Gartner was perfect as Titania, angry at Oberon for his philandering. As Oberon, baritone Angky Budiardjono had a marvelous sound and exotic look just right for the part. His primary interaction was with the Puck of soprano Chelsea Feltman who both introduced the opera and brought it to a successful conclusion. She was, well, "puckish" in her compelling characterization. She enchanted us!

The fairies included the rich-voiced mezzo-soprano Kat Liu as Cobweb and soprano La Toya Lewis as Mustardseed, who harmonized beautifully in their duet. Sopranos Rachel Duval, Jaeyeon Kim, Megan Brunning, and Sara Lin Yoder added to the fairy fun, along with baritone Frank D. Fainer and tenor Carlos J. Jiminez who sang and danced the role of Cupid.

Now what of the humans! Canadian soprano Allison McAuley was totally convincing as the desperate Helena pursuing the rejecting Demetrius of tenor Daniel Byerly. As "fair Hermia" we heard the lovely soprano Emily Peragine who defied her father to elope with the Lysander of baritone Joey Rodriguez. Mr. Rodriguez had a great moment as he tried to persuade Hermia to lie closer to him.

We also enjoyed baritone Paul La Rosa's performance as Bottom, who wore his donkey-head quite rakishly.

Did we say how superb all the voices were?  We guess we did.

And now to discuss the production which involved some of the most imaginative costuming and makeup one could imagine. We suspect that imagination was in greater supply than funds but one could not tell that from the colorful results.

Ms. Goodwin's direction involved some stunning imagery that lingers in the mind's eye as much as that of Frederick Ashton's ballet The Dream. There were so many magnificent moments both scenic and choreographic that we find ourselves running out of words to praise.

Ms. Goodwin shared with us her casting method which involved asking those auditioning to improvise. That probably explains how integrated the performers were.

We urge our dear readers to see and hear for themselves. We are sure you will be as enchanted as we were. This weekend is sold out but hopefully you will find tickets for next weekend. If you succeed you will be the happier for it.

(c) meche kroop

MORE POLISH SONGS PLEASE!

Michal Biel and Jakub Jozef Orlinski

The Polish songs we heard at Michal Biel's recital at Juilliard on Thursday were so outstandingly lovely that we wanted more. The review for that recital is just a few reviews behind this one but there is more to say about the songs. The performance took place in the gorgeous townhouse of the Kosciuszko Foundation (about which Development Officer Ewa Zadworna had some interesting anecdotes to share). Counter-tenor Jakub Jozef Orlinski shared descriptions about each of the Kurpian Songs of Karol Szymanowski. He is the first counter-tenor to perform them.

We were so frustrated searching for translations online but were told by Mr. O. that the dialect of these folk songs could not be accurately translated.  So...we just let the sounds engulf us and tease our ears. The first song, which we had described as sad, turned out to be a lament for lost love; the one we called lively was about a bird escaping a storm; the one we noted as somber was about a woman being married off to a man she doesn't love; the one we described as anxious was about a woman being seduced by a man on horseback.  So, it appears as if Mr. O. was preternaturally successful at conveying the meaning!

On our wish list is hearing this divine duo perform all twelve of them.

The Baird songs also stood up to a second hearing. We just learned they were written for the basso fach but what difference does that make when they sound so good in the counter-tenor range. Actually "Slodka milosci" utilized the bottom of Mr. O's register which is very mellow and appealing.

Another Polish offering was Pawel Lukaszewski's 1968 "Jesien" about autumn, decay, death, and rebirth. The prelude involved improvisation  by Mr. Biel. As one would expect, Mr. O. is so comfortable in his native language that he seems to be tasting the words as he sings them. He is a singer of great intelligence and musicality. Among the many honors and awards he has accrued was the 2015 Marcella Sembrich competition and the Met National Council Award.

The program also included works with which we are far more familiar. There were some sunny songs by the beloved Reynaldo Hahn who knew how to write a gorgeous melody for the voice. Mr. O. sang them in fine French. "A Chloris" has a baroque introduction on the piano which Mr. Biel enjoyed, and some interesting variations in dynamics of which Mr. O. made the most.

"L'heure exquise" with its gorgeous arpeggios was perhaps our favorite, but we were also taken with the lively "Fetes Galantes". Upward swoops (portamenti) were well handled.

The Schubert songs were not so sunny but impressed us because Mr. O. sang them so completely "on the breath" with complete connection. Consonants were crisply enunciated but no vowel got cheated. "Die Stadt" from Schwanengesang struck us as very ominous, enhanced by a slight change in vibrato.

No program would be complete without some Handel and "Agitato da fiere tempeste" from Riccardo I, Re d'Inghilterra offered all the coloratura fireworks that we want from Baroque opera and Mr. O. handled them with panache.

Two encores were called for: Purcell's "Strike the Viol" and Vivaldi's "Vedro con mio diletto" which decorates the romantic sentiment with a lovely trill.

(c) meche kroop

A NEWBORN ARRIVES!

Madison Marie McIntosh as the dying Dido and Constance Rogalski as Belinda in Henry Purcell's Dido and Aeneas

It is indeed a privilege to be present for a birth and we were honored to be among the guests witnessing the birth of a new opera company--the Christman Opera Company. Although no mission statement was present in the program, we gather that the mission is for fledgling opera composer Theodore Christman to present his work to the public while balancing the program with a long-established piece.

Henry Purcell's Dido and Aeneas has been kicking around since the 1680's, which certainly qualifies it as long-established. We are not sure why so many small companies have presented it in the past year (Heartbeat Opera and Utopia Opera, among others); it is neither the anniversary of Purcell's death nor birth. Since we have already written a great deal about the opera's history, we leave it to you readers to use the search bar so that we may focus on the performances.

The musical values were successful all around with singers chosen for their fine vocal artistry, accompanied by Musical Director Lochlan Brown conducting a fine string quartet from the piano. Mr. Brown was responsible for the excellent reduction of the score.

As the unfortunate Dido, Queen of Carthage, Madison Marie McIntosh could be heard expanding her wide range from the stratospheric coloratura reaches down to a richly textured and strong lower register. The final "When I Am Laid in Earth" was heartbreaking.

As her handmaiden Belinda, Constance Rogalski exhibited an attractive crystalline soprano but failed to make the text clear. This task is nearly impossible with that high tessitura and we longed for surtitles to maximize comprehension. Beier Zhao nicely complemented Ms. Rogalski as another handmaiden.

A riveting performance as the Sorceress was delivered by Eowyn Driscoll whose richly resonant voice filled out the text beautifully. Her two accomplices, Raquel Nobile and Sarah Knott completed the trio of tricksters and we could not keep from thinking of Shakespeare's "weird sisters" as they plot to bring Dido down. We observed that somehow Ms. Nobile's diction made the text rather clear, in spite of the high range, especially when she doubled as the faux-Mercury, leading Aeneas astray. What a terrific trio!

John Ramseyer sang the role of Aeneas and sang it well.  All that was needed to make it a fine performance was a measure of dramatic investment, especially in his interaction with the woman he is wooing and abandoning.

A fine performance was given by Thomas Massey who sang the notoriously humorous "Sailor's Song". He exhibited not only fine vocal skills but a lot of personality.

The chorus contributed a great deal and comprised Shawn Palmer, Clayton G. Williams, and Hajeong Lee, as well as whomever was not singing front and center.

The second half of the program introduced us to Mr. Christman's new opera Adriana McMannes, with libretto written by Anna Winslow (who also was director for the entire evening). We have complained a great deal about contemporary opera being devoid of melody and not being entertaining. We had no such complaints last night.

Mr. Christman's writing offered tuneful vocal lines suggestive of mid-20th c. popular music--much in the same way that Johannes Brahms incorporated folk tunes into his serious music.  This is anything but "academic" music and totally accessible, a point noted by our operatic-newbie companion who enjoyed it enormously.

The story is an Upstairs/Downstairs tale in which a widower falls in love with his daughter's governess. The obstacle to their marriage is the widower's mother-in-law who spreads ugly gossip about the governess' mental stability. Fortunately she is made to retract her words and the tale has a happy conclusion.

Ms. McIntosh demonstrated her versatility in the role of Adriana with Mr. Ramseyer as her intended. His Broadway style in this role did not mesh perfectly with her operatic vibrato. 

We were delighted to have another opportunity to see more of Ms. Knott who did a marvelous interpretation of the bibulous mother-in-law from hell. And likewise, seeing Ms. Nobile as Adriana's imperious boss was another treat as she delivered some very funny lines. This was also a great scene for Ms. McIntosh who came across as a modern day Cinderella.

Mr. Brown accompanied on the piano. We know of no plans to orchestrate the score but it was fine just as it was performed. We will eagerly await his next offering!

(c) meche kroop

OUR THIRD DIDO

Kelli O'Hara and Victoria Clark (photo by Erin Baiano)

Henry Purcell's first opera, first performed in 1689 by students in a school for young ladies, lay dormant for two centuries, but we have seen three performances of this seminal work this season. The one we saw last night at New York City Center had the largest audience by far. The large theater was packed and the audience enthusiastic. Much of the credit lay at the feet of Master Voices, the group formerly known as The Collegiate Chorale. They have, apparently, a huge following and tackle a wide variety of genres.

Not for nothing did they cast the major female roles with famous Broadway stars who were lavishly costumed by the designer Christian Siriano, whose fame was flaunted in the press. We say "Anything goes if it brings people to the opera!"

The glamour took nothing away from the musical values. Kelli O'Hara  made a sympathetic Dido and Victoria Clark's star turn as the Sorceress brought shivers of wicked delight. They both sounded terrific and if their voices were amplified it was done with subtlety.

Canadian baritone Elliot Madore sang with honeyed tone and created a fine believable Aeneas such that we wanted to shout out "Don't fall for that false Mercury!" In Nahum Tate's libretto, which does not completely follow the story as told in Virgil's Aeneid, poor Trojan Aeneas is tricked into abandoning Dido, Princess of Carthage, in order to found Rome. Or so he is told by the false Mercury, enlisted by the Sorceress. No reason is given for the Sorceress to have such enmity toward Dido. We have missed Mr. Madore since he graduated from the Lindemann Young Artists Program and were very very happy to see him onstage once more.

Dido has two handmaidens--one is her sister Belinda who encourages her to consider Aeneas as a suitor. In this role, soprano Anna Christy, a favorite of the Santa Fe Opera where we have thrilled to her performances, has a gorgeous high clear voice with a beautiful timbre. The second handmaiden was performed by Sarah Mesko, whose lovely chocolatey mezzo voice graced the stage of the Santa Fe Opera as well.

Tenor Nathaniel Dolquist was given the role of the First Sailor; his aria was the one spot of humor in this very sad opera. Aside from singing it well, we might add that his every word was understood. The same can be said for Mr. Madore. We realize that higher voices are more difficult to understand and for this reason we feel justified in our sole complaint of this excellent evening--titles were badly needed. One tends to feel the way one does when listening to an opera in a language that one only half knows. One catches a word here and there and figures out the essence of the meaning but one wishes to hear and understand the entire thing.

There was a surprisingly delightful addition to the program. Since the prologue to the opera was lost long long ago, the task of writing one was given to Michael John LaChiusa who wrote both music and lyrics for "The Daughters of Necessity: a Prologue". He used every skill he possesses from his Broadway experience to write something that was both artistic and accessible.

He created a scene that reminded us of the Three Norns in The Ring Cycle. Three very funny Norns, as a matter of fact. He calls them Fates. The first, Nona, sung by Ms. Mesko, spins the thread of life and is focused on the past. The second, Decima, sung by Anna Christy, measures the thread and concerns herself with the present.  The third, Morta, sung by Victoria Clark, cuts the thread at the time of death and is, therefore, the one determining the future.

The punchy dialogue about life, love, and death worked extremely well with the music written by LaChiusa, which was interspersed with baroque music. Much of the humor came from the Fates' interaction with the Master Voices, arranged upstage in tiers. There was a running joke of Morta and her scissors ending the lives of various choristers who fell from the ranks and collapsed on the floor, to be hauled away. One of them, trying to avoid the deadly scissors, fled upstage. Ms. Clark's flair for comedy was impressive.

The singing of the chorus was exemplary and much of it employed such good diction that we got most of what they were singing. They seemed like a true Greek Chorus, commenting on the action and interacting with the singers.

No less could be said of The Orchestra of St. Luke's who performed superbly under the baton of Ted Sperling. Purcell's music has never sounded so fine!

If we did not have such antipathy toward barefoot modern dance, we might have found more to enjoy in the choreography by Doug Varone. His athletic dancers lept and spun and rolled around on the floor. They also moved the minimal furniture and interacted with the singers. Clad in black, they mostly moved as a unit. Our companion thought they added something to the performance.

It is not necessary to know the political atmosphere of the 17th c. but it is interesting. Purcell was born at the time of the Restoration and scholars have "found" an allegory in the story. Dido is said to represent the British people while Aeneas represents James II. The Sorceress is said to represent the repressive Catholic church, luring James to abandon his subjects by denying them secular entertainment.  Welcome Charles!!

This makes us wonder what is going on today that makes this story of deceit of a ruler by evil forces so relevant.  Hmmm.

(c) meche kroop

CAT FIGHT!!!

Jakub Jozef Orlinski and Miles Mykkanen

Regular readers already are aware of the high esteem in which we hold these two singers. But nothing could have prepared us for the encore they performed at the Juilliard Vocal Arts Honors Recital last night at Alice Tully Hall. Most people believe that the "Duetto buffo di due gatti" was composed by Rossini but we have learned that it is actually a compilation of excerpts from many works.  

We don't care where it originated. We have never heard it performed by a countertenor and a tenor. Nor have we ever heard it performed with such nuance and panache. The vocal  fireworks were layered with hilarious innuendo and some private references that the singers in the audience must have relished.  Laughter spread throughout Alice Tully Hall and everyone left grinning.

We do not mean to shortchange the rest of the recital but that encore is the piece we will remember after the rest of the program has been forgotten.  Countertenor Jakub Jozef Orlinski and tenor Miles Mykkanen were selected for this annual event by audition, after being nominated by their teachers. We applaud the choices as heartily as we applauded the performances.

Awards have already been heaped on these two vocal magicians and it appears that their futures are assured. We are glad to have been there pretty close to the beginning, in the case of Mr. Mykkanen, and immediately upon Mr. Orlinski's arrival at Juilliard for advanced training.

Mr. Orlinski's instrument sounds like what you'd expect to hear from an angel, if you believed in paradise. We haven't heard anything like it since Anthony Roth Costanzo. We liked him best in the two Handel arias--"A dispetto d'un volto ingrato" from Tamerlano and the devilishly difficult "Furibondo spira il vento" from Partenope. He exhibited a full emotional range, dynamic subtlety, and ample flexibility in the fioritura.

The quieter songs by Purcell were sung with impeccable English diction, leading us to wonder whether singers with non-English backgrounds just try harder.  Collaborative pianist Michal Biel excelled in the gorgeous piano introduction to "Music for a While" and John Dryden's text was perfectly understood. The wide skips were well negotiated.

The melismatic passages of "If Music be the Food of Love" were transporting and Mr. Orlinski's phrasing was lovely.  Even his catch-breaths were given an emotional subtext. "Strike the Viol" was an emotional tribute to the Patroness and we couldn't help thinking of the largesse of Ellen and the late James S. Marcus who so generously supported their namesake Institute for Vocal Arts.

A trio of Polish songs rounded out Mr. Orlinski's half of the program and we were enthralled by the two early 20th c. songs by Karol Szymanowski whose opera King Roger we so enjoyed in Santa Fe a couple years ago. A third song by a contemporary, Pawel Lukaszewski, offered some very colorful writing for the piano which Mr. Biel performed beautifully.

The second half of the program began with tenor Miles Mykkanen making sense of W.H. Auden's poetry in Benjamin Britten's setting of On this island, Op. 11. He had no problem with the high tessitura of "Let the Florid Music Praise!".  Collaborative pianist Ho Jae Lee kept a throbbing piano underpinning the severe text of "Now the Leaves Are Falling Fast". Mr. Mykkanen brought the song to a dramatic climax with a stunning diminuendo at the end.

Mr. Mykkanen, apart from his prodigious vocal talent, is a splendid storyteller and we like him best when he has something to work with.  The final song in this set, "As it is, plenty" was infused with irony and grabbed us by the throat; there was a kind of music hall flavor to it that just made the text more poignant.

For our taste, it was the set of Schumann songs that touched us most deeply. "Des Sennen Abschied" was given all the ambivalence of accepting the change of seasons. One cannot go wrong setting Friedrich Schiller!

Nor can one go wrong setting Friedrich Rückert and Mr. Mykkanen invested "Mein schöner Stern" with apt phrasing and emotional content. "Requiem" was filled with spiritual transport.

And those songs by Edvard Grieg are gems!  "Takk for dit Råd" was sung with strength and determination; "En svane" was filled with a gentle mournfulness and was quite moving.  We love the repetitive motif. The romantic "En drøm" closed the program and Mr. Lee's delicacy on the piano supported Mr. Mykkanen's gentle delivery.

We understand that the singers chose their own program and it is always wonderful to hear singers singing what they love. Moreover, both singers were engaging when addressing the audience. So, we wound up hearing something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue!

(c) meche kroop