THE SUNSHINE OF BETTY

Brent Funderburk, Betty Garces, and Nilko Andreas Guarin

It was a gloomy drizzly day outside but inside the National Opera Center we were given such a dose of sunshine that we wished we'd been wearing SPF 40!   Soprano Betty Garces, beside being a highly accomplished musician, radiates warmth onstage. We had the opportunity to hear her perform works of joy, grief, and everything in between. There was not a single false note, not musically, not emotionally.

Most of our reviewing experience  focuses on young artists at the conservatories whom we love to follow, documenting their artistic growth; it is not usual that we review a young artist who is fully formed.  But Ms. Garces comes from Colombia and has been creating sunshine in her native country and in Europe. The hour we spent with her was pure delight and we didn't want it to end.  

She had two superb collaborating artists as well.  Pianist Brent Funderburk, whose sensitive skills working with singers is well remembered from his stint at Juilliard, and classical guitarist Nilko Andreas Guarin who also hails from Colombia and whose artistry as a soloist and collaborator are celebrated world wide. We reviewed Mr. Guarin's superb performance a year and a half ago in an all-Spanish program.

The program certainly showed off Ms. Garces' versatility, in that it included songs in German by Austrian composer Joseph Marx, songs in Russian by Sergei Rachmaninoff, songs in Spanish by composers of Spain and el Nuevo Mundo, songs in Portuguese by Heitor Villalobos and Jayme Ovalle, and arias in Italian by Puccini and Verdi.  Although Russian and Portuguese are not among our languages they sounded just fine.  The German was perfect.

We have always loved songs by Marx whose work looks back toward the 19th c.  Rachmaninoff's lavish romanticism is always a delight to hear and Ms. Garces' performance of "Spring Waters" was particularly timely!

Fellow Colombian Jaime Leon wrote dozens of art songs in the 20th c., of which we heard two--"La Campesina" and "Si no fuera por ti".  Until yesterday we had never heard any of them but we long to hear more of them!

Cuban composer Gonzalo Roig wrote the zarzuela Cecilia Valdes, a tale of class and racial conflict, in 1932. The song of the ill-fated heroine is known to us and it was given a spirited performance by Ms. Garces. Spanish composer Federico Moreno Torroba wrote his zarzuela La Marchenera in 1928, from which we enjoyed "La Petenera". The Spanish song on yesterday's  program with which we are most familiar was Manuel de Falla's "Polo", from his Siete Canciones Populares Espanolas of 1914. Ms. Garces brought out every ounce of anguish.

The Portuguese songs comprised the much recorded "Azulao" by Ovalle and "Melodia Sentimental" from Villalobos' 1950 work "Floresta do Amazonas", both with guitar accompaniment by Mr. Guarin.

In every case, we felt like we were sampling antojitos, wanting Ms. Garces to return with una comida entera.

In the operatic department we heard "Si, mi chiamano Mimi" from Puccini's La Boheme in which Ms. Garces beautifully portrayed the modest but flirtatious Mimi, and "Pace, pace mio Dio" from Verdi's La forza del destino in which Leonora's desperation was limned.

It is in the performance of an aria that we know well that we are best able to evaluate vocal artistry and it would be an understatement to say that we were impressed. Ms. Garces has a luscious instrument that opens up like an umbrella at the upper end of the register with overtones bouncing around the hall. Her phrasing is impeccable and her use of vocal coloration was as extensive as that of the Fauvists in the world of visual art.  Every song was its own world. No matter how much rehearsal went into this recital, the overall effect was one of spontaneity.

Mr. Guarin entertained us with two fine guitar solos--Prelude No 1 in E minor by Villalobos and Tango in Sky by the recently deceased French composer Roland Dyens. Although we know very little about guitar technique, we could definitely appreciate the beautiful sound and the way he accompanied Ms. Garces for the Portuguese songs, the Torroba, and the De Falla. 

We left completely satisfied by this superb recital which offered a fine balance of vocal and instrumental delights.  Yes, we were satisfied, and yet....we wanted more!

(c) meche kroop

AMAZONAS 2015

Guillaume Vincent and Jeanne Gerard

Music is always good, but chamber music in an intimate space is the best. We love the Weill Recital Hall where one can get up close and personal with the artists. There was a fine selection of artists Tuesday night sharing the Spanish music of which we are so fond.  Coming from several Latin American countries as well as from Spain, they performed to draw attention to the rain forest of the Amazon--so important to the health and welfare of the entire planet.

It was a most generous program and the first thing that struck us about the singers--before we even heard them sing--was how beautiful and stylish Latin American women are. We might as well have been attending a Miss Universe contest! But these women have a great deal more to offer; all of them sang with intense involvement with the material and all connected well with the audience. Bravissima!

Accompanied by Oscar Lobete, Colombian soprano Ana Maria Ruge sang two lovely songs by Colombian composer Roberto Pineda Duque. Ms. Ruge appeared in a stunning diaphonous silver gown that matched the silver in her sound.  We loved the romantic "Tu Pupila es Azul" as well as the melancholy "Pobre Amor".

Spanish soprano Laura Sabatel appeared in a stunning orange gown and serenaded us with "El Arbol del Olvido" by Argentinean composer Alberto Ginastera. The dance rhythm seemed to affect our entire body.

Lyric soprano Nardo Muñoz hails from Columbia and lent her ringing tone to "Vivir Sin Tus Caricias" by Cuban composer Eduardo Sánchez and "Algún Día" by Colombian composer Jaime Leónferro.

Looking like Amneris in a gorgeous green gown was Mexican soprano Mónica Ábrego who was joined by some stellar musicians from the Rebow Ensemble for Cuatro Nocturnos by the young Mexican composer Juan Pablo Contreras, a departure from most of the other works on the program which were composed in the early 20th c.  Conducted by Ricardo Jaramillo, the combination of flute, clarinet, bassoon, bass and string quartet made for some fine listening and Ms. Abrego has a killer trill.

Slipping into this Latin American lineup was French soprano Jeanne Gérard who, accompanied by Guilllaume Vincent, contributed three wonderful songs. In "Canción del Ruiseñor" from Doña Francisquita by the Spanish composer Amadeo Vives  her lovely and agile voice joined with the piano in imitating the song of the nightingale. From El Anillo de Hierro by Spanish composer Pedro Márquez we heard "Lágrimas Mías", a song of suffering.  And finally, "Al Amor" from the Catalonian composer Fernando Obradors.

Mezzo-soprano Sarah Nelson Craft sang selections from the familiar cycle Canciones Populares by the Spanish composer Manuel de Falla.  We have reviewed these songs several times this month and never tire of them. We were a trifle uneasy that Ms. Craft seemed to ignore the ironic symbolism of "El Paño Moruno" but by the time she got to the sad "Asturiana" and the angry "Polo" we became far more involved.  She was accompanied by the superb guitarist Nilko Andreas Guarin.

Mr. Guarin delighted us in Manuel de Falla's Danza de la Vida Breve with cellist Serafim Smigelsky. The duo are equally adept at contemporary music as they performed the world premiere of Reino Incierto by Colombian composer Juan Calderón.

There was yet more instrumental music in this generous program--pianist Hyemin Kim performed Castelnuovo Tedesco's Fantasia for Piano and Guitar Op. 49 with Mr. Guarin matching her pianistic skill on the guitar.

Mr. Guarin appeared once more in Luigi Bocherini's late 18th c. "Introduccion y Fandango" from his Guitar Quintet No. 4 in D.  We particularly enjoyed the glissandi on Mr. Smigelsky's cello and Noemi Perez Segura's way with the castanets.

The final piece on the program was Concierto del Sur for Mr. Guarin's guitar and chamber orchestra, conducted by Mr. Jaramillo.  We would like to point out that the newly formed Rebow Ensemble, which contributed so much to the success of the evening, continues to put a modern spin on classical music with its diverse collection of musicians. We will be hearing more from them in the future.

Mr. Guarin founded Azlo Productions to increase musical and cultural exchange between Spain, Latin America, and the USA and to unify the Americas through art. We have nothing but good things to say about social action through music.

(c) meche kroop