EICHENDORFF TWO WAYS

 Michael Brofman, William Socolof, Elisabeth Marshall, and Brandon Bell

We have long been a fan of the Brooklyn Art Song Society and a great admirer of the  illuminating programs designed by Artistic Director Michael Brofman. Our regular attendance having been disrupted by Covid and geographical distance, we looked forward to our pilgrimage to Brooklyn for a very special concert, part of The Dichter Project. This year's entry focused on the poetry of Joseph von Eichendorff, a major star in the firmament of Germany's 19th c. Romanticism.

Indeed, his poetry is the most often set of all of Germany's poets, and it is easy to see why. Reading it aloud in German feels like a musical experience. His lines rhyme and scan and beg to be set to music. Apparently, we are not alone in this opinion. Among the many composers who have set his poetry are Schumann,  Wolf, Mendelssohn, Brahms, Pfitzner, Strauss, and Zemlinsky. For last night's concert, Schumann and Wolf were the chosen two.

In our opinion, Schumann made the more likeable of the two. There is something about Schumann's melodic invention that stays in the ear long after the hearing. His writing is entirely sincere and direct; it goes straight to the heart but is also "pictorial" in that it inspires the imagination to create a scene.

Brandon Bell, the baritone to whom was given the first half of the program, comprising Liederkreis, Op.39 , took his cue from the writing and delivered each of the dozen songs in the same sincere direct fashion. Yes, we have heard more dramatic performances of, say, "Waldesgespräch" but we found no fault in Mr. Bell's interpretation which evinced his fine baritonal texture.

We beg your indulgence Dear Reader, for a couple personal stories. Once, riding through Bhutan with a non-English speaking driver, we listened to a tape playing a folk song in Bhutanese. Of course, we did not understand the words but we immediately felt the same emotions we feel when listening to "In der Fremde". Later, we requested the guide to ask the driver what that song was about. You have probably guessed it--a man far from his homeland feeling nostalgia and missing his parents!

The second story is a bit more embarrassing. With all of the arrogance of a first year composition student, we chose Eichendorff's "Wehmut" to set to music. We own that the melody wasn't bad but we knew nothing about writing for piano and the piece lies hidden at the bottom of some drawer. It was like trying to rewrite Shakespeare and we are sure that our composition teacher worked very hard to hide his amusement.

Returning now to last night's excellent concert, the second half comprised settings of different works by Hugo Wolf. We had hoped to hear at least one of the same songs for comparison with Schumann's settings but that was not to be the case. The set was shared between soprano Elisabeth Marshall and bass-baritone William Socolof who seems to be making a big splash in the music scene lately, winning lots of prizes.

We find Wolf's music to be far less accessible to the ear than Schumann's and probably far more difficult to sing. The piano part seems to be denser and the tender moments fewer and farther between. Regular readers will recall that we have great antipathy for the music stand and our heart sank to see both singers glancing down and looking up again, such that the communicative spell was broken.

Mr. Socolof was not the singer listed in the season's brochure so we are going to cut him some slack, imagining that he was not given sufficient time to memorize the nine songs. We have a high opinion of his artistry but we found our attention focusing more on Mr. Brofman's intense piano performance. The stentorian nature of "Der Freund" gave way to the charming story of the feckless "Der Musikant", told with some frisky staccato. 

At this point, soprano Elisabeth Marshall took over for "Verschwiegene Liebe" and continued to use that loathed music stand. We cannot think of an excuse for this since the singer was listed on the original season's program and had plenty of time to learn three songs. We would welcome another opportunity to hear her sing under different circumstances.

We are sure that there were audience members who did not mind but we attend lieder recitals to feel the contact with the poet and the composer, as channeled by the performer. We want to feel that connection and when it is missing, we have the thought that we may as well have stayed home and listened to a CD (of which we have a huge collection, although we understand no one listens to CD's anymore).

And so, we shifted our attention to the piano which Mr. Brofman plays so well. Each song was given its due. We particularly enjoyed the tender moments of "Nachtzauber". In "Soldat I" Mr. Brofman captured both the martial rhythms and also the humor of a man who will escape if his sweetheart speaks of marriage. 

To return to the topic of Eichendorff, he was not only a poet but also a novelist, a critic, and a playwright. It is interesting to note that much of his poems were integral parts of his novellas. One might find it amusing to read the poetry and to try to imagine the character that speaks it and what the situation was. Perhaps this knowledge might yield a fascinating evening!

© meche kroop

PRETTY IS AS PRETTY DOES

Pretty Yende and James Baillieu onstage at Zankel Hall

Guest review by Ellen Godfrey:

On Thursday evening the great South African coloratura soprano Pretty Yende performed an evening of vocal music at the sold out Zankel Hall. James Baillieu was the stellar pianist and accompanist. Many of us came to know  Pretty Yende when she made her unexpected Metropolitan Opera debut in 2013, filling in for an ailing soprano in the little known Rossini opera, Le Comte Ory. She had only one month to learn the opera but she learned it in one week!  She was a sensation and everyone in the audience (including me) knew that we were in the presence of the next great opera singer. She was only in her late twenties, but sang with maturity beyond her years. She also has a wonderful stage presence, a radiant smile, and “joie de vivre.”

After her Met debut and some other engagements, she took some time off for further study with some of the world’s great singing teachers. She has quickly risen to worldwide renown and is one of today’s most beloved opera stars.  She has sung in all of the major opera houses both here and abroad and performs in concerts all around the world. We are lucky to have had her here to perform the great song repertoire of Schumann, Donizetti, Tosti, Richard Strauss and Johann Strauss Jr. Ms. Yende sang comfortably in three different languages-- German, French, and Italian. Of the three, Ms. Yende’s German seemed to be the clearest.

The program began with 7 songs by the the great German composer and pianist, Robert Schumann. He was long in love with Clara Wieck, who was the daughter of his piano teacher, Friedrich Wieck. Wieck tried to break up their relationship but the couple finally was able to marry when Clara became 21 years of age. They married in 1840, sharing artistic and personal collaboration. It was the year of the song for Schumann, as he celebrated his marriage by composing poetic love songs for his new wife.  In that first year he composed 130 songs, including four song cycles!

When Pretty Yende entered the stage on Wednesday night wearing an extravagantly feathered pink gown, the audience greeted her with great applause and cheers.  She sang 7 Schumann songs, four of which she had chosen.  The first song she sang was “Der Nussbaum,” ("The Walnut Tree”). It speaks of the whispering movement of the walnut tree’s blossoms and  branches; the maiden listens as she drifts off smiling into her dreams of love.  Accompanist James Baillieu began playing very softly as Ms. Yende began to sing softly as well. The rapport between them throughout the concert was wonderful. The pianist’s playing whispered the sound of the trees rustling throughout the whole song.  The minute Ms.Yende started to sing we could hear her warm, pleasing voice come through, soft at first, then louder, and then softer again.  She has great control of her dynamics. 

Another charming song was "Schmetterling" in which a child tries to capture a butterfly. Ms.Yende made it all seem so simple, using her hands to portray the butterfly in a fast moving song that went up to an A at the end. Mr. Baillieu easily conquered the extremely fast moving music. In “Loreley”, his playing of the waves that lure men to their death was vivid and captured the somewhat scary mood of the song. The other three Schumann songs were equally delightful and full of vocal color.

The second set of songs were by the great bel canto composer Gaetano Donizetti, who composed 70 operas in a little more than 20 years.  Today only about 9 are popular. He also managed to fit in the composition of other genres of classical music including over 200 songs, chamber music, and piano music. His output is amazing, considering that he died from syphilis at the young age of 51!  

Ms. Yende chose three Italian songs on the lighter side. “Il barcaiuolo” starts off as a calm ride and becomes dramatic as the boatman worries his passengers about a possible rising storm. This song gave Ms. Yende the chance to show us her great coloratura singing as the vocal line gets more dramatic. The other two songs are also charming, "La conocchia" (“The Spindle”) based on a folk tale and "Le crépuscule" (“Twilight”) a serenade with French text by Victor Hugo.

 

Perhaps the most interesting music of the evening, because it is so rarely heard, was Donizetti’s rewriting of Lucia di Lammermoor for a French version of the opera, Lucie de Lammermoor.  It premiered in Paris in 1838, and is occasionally revived today.  Donizetti re-conceived the entire opera, making Lucie a more delicate victim. “Que n’avons nous des ailes” (“If only we had wings”) is in the typical bel canto form: a slow lyric part (called a cantabile)  followed by two stanzas of showy coloratura  (known as a cabaletta). 

Ms. Yende began quietly singing alone (a capella) until she was joined by Mr. Baillieu. The cabaletta requires bravura singing as Ms. Yende went higher and higher, displaying the liquid quality of her voice and moving easily among the very high notes. Her singing was accurate and remarkably flexible The second verse of the cabaletta was even more ornamented. 

After intermission,  Ms. Yende returned with a stunning gown, very bright and shining, almost to the point of requiring sun glasses on the part of the audience!  In the third set we heard songs by the popular and  beloved Italian composer Paolo Tosti.  He was a lyric tenor who had distinguished himself as a vocal teacher in London from 1882 to 1912. He was also a favorite of Queen Victoria and taught her children how to sing. He was knighted by Edward II in 1908. Many of his songs are still very popular today.

The tone of the Tosti songs is brighter and happier than those of some of the songs earlier on the program. “Aprile" is an enchanting song performed very tenderly by Ms. Yende, happily welcoming spring and the season of love. ”It’s April” is sung three times, each time sung differently. Mr. Baillieu played the arpeggi with great dexterity.

The Tosti songs were followed by lieder of Richard Strauss who is probably best known for his 15 operas; but he also composed over 300 lieder. He began to compose songs for the soprano Pauline de Anna whom he married in 1894.  For more than a decade they performed together in concerts.  Strauss loved the soprano voice and he considered her to be the best interpreter of his songs.

“ Zueignung” (dedication), which became one of his most popular songs, was his first performed lied and his favorite. I have to say that it is my favorite Strauss song as well. Ms. Yende sang it with all the lyricism and passionate outpouring required for this song. Again Mr. Baillieu followed her singing with the same feelings. “Cäcilie”, which was composed by Strauss on the eve of his wedding, is one of the most passionate songs ever written.  With huge arpeggi on the piano brilliantly played by Mr. Baillieu and Ms. Yende’s soaring, expressive voice, it made for a wonderful ending to this group of six songs.

Ms. Yende smartly ended the concert with a work by another Strauss who was not related to Richard. Johann Strauss Jr., the King of Operetta, composed in the late 19th and early 20th century.  In the second act of Die Fledermaus, Eisenstein’s wife, Rosalinde, gets back at her wandering spouse by disguising herself as a Hungarian countess.  Ms. Yende sang the Csardas with Hungarian style, singing the first part slowly and ending with a flourish, showing her great acting and sense of comedy.

The audience cheered and yelled for the two performers and eventually were awarded with some encores.  The first was the Neapolitan song “A Vucchella”, a Neapolitan sounding song with lyrics by Gabriele D’Annunzio.  Although Tosti was from the Abruzzo area of Italy, he wanted to prove that he could write in the Neapolitan dialect. The song has always been very popular and was sung with charm and humor by the artists. 

Throughout the whole concert Ms. Yende had a music stand with her music in front of her. She was often looking at the music more then communicating with the audience.  It wasn’t until the last encore, “Una Voce Poco Fa” from Rossini's Il barbiere di Siviglia, that she finally freed herself from the music stand and moved around the stage, flashing her wonderful smile and her impeccable singing. We finally saw the real Pretty Yende, joyous, free from any restraints, and communicating with the audience.

© meche kroop

    

    

CLARA AND ROBERT

Brian Zeger, Keshav Moodliar, Chance Jonas-O'Toole, Libby Sokolowski, Chris Reynolds, Lauren Norvelle, Jessica Niles, Kyle Miller, and Erin Wagner

Last night at Alice Tully Hall, Juilliard presented one of their Songfests, an occasion we never miss. The program, curated by world renowned collaborative pianist Brian Zeger, who just so happens to be the Artistic Director of the Marcus Institute for Vocal Arts at Juilliard, was one of enormous value for several reasons.

Primarily, we were impressed by the concept of presenting the lives of Clara and Robert Schumann in a theatrically valid way, involving dramatic readings of their letters interspersed with songs that were related to that particular period in their romance. This shed new light on the songs and affected us in a new way.

Clara's letters were brought to vivid life by recent Juilliard graduate Lauren Norvelle who was most remarkable in expressing the young Clara's childhood infatuation with Robert. She was but a pre-teen prodigy when Robert fell deeply in love with her. It was a long courtship since Clara's father was vehemently opposed to the match, even though Robert had been his student; the two were obliged to wait 9 years for Clara's 21st birthday to wed.

Robert's letters were read by Keshav Moodliar, also a Juilliard drama student who keenly expressed Robert's youthful extravagant expressions of love.

Previously known for his piano compositions, 1840 brought forth a torrent of lieder, filled with joy. Apparently, years of separation had made his heart fonder and fonder; the consummation was therefore amplified by the power of ten. Anyone who has yearned for an impossible love will recognize this phenomenon.

The opening duet of the program "Er und Sie" was performed by soprano Jessica Niles and tenor Chance Jonas-O'Toole; the subtle dynamics, the sweet voices, and the blended harmonies successfully expressed the joys of mutual love. The boughs of "Der Nussbaum" inclined their delicate heads to kiss in sincere symbolism, tenderly sung by soprano Libby Sokolowski. 

Symbolism was not necessary in "Intermezzo, Op. 39, No. 2" which speaks openly of the singing of the heart. Baritone Kyle Miller gave it a lovely interpretation.

Mezzo-soprano Erin Wagner expressed a woman's youthful infatuation in
"Seit ich ihn gesehen" from Robert's song cycle Frauenliebe und Leben and later she sang of the joys of sharing pregnancy with "Süsser Freund" from the same cycle. Indeed, the Schumann's would have eight children!

"Widmung", so passionately sung by Mr. Miller, was composed as a wedding gift for Clara and Mr. Miller allowed the song to grow in intensity and passion.

Of course, as we all know, there is no "happily ever after" in real life and Robert's early enthusiasm became increasingly manic and his low periods became increasingly black. Unfortunately, in the early 19th c. there was no effective treatment for mental illness and poor Clara was left to cope with a large family, all the while championing Robert's music, performing at the piano, and composing.

The first time we heard her "Liebst du um Schönheit" we thought of it as having been surpassed by Mahler's setting. However, the more we hear it the higher it grows in our estimation and Ms. Niles gave it a lovely performance.  She was similarly effective in Clara's "Er ist gekommen" which seemed filled with anxiety. We heard a sense of loss in Clara's "Ich stand in dunklen Träumen", finely performed by soprano Libby Sokolowski.

Schumann's compositions toward the end of his life are dark. Listening to Mr. Miller's performance of "Der Spielmann" we can take the Hans Christian Andersen text (translated by Adelbert von Chamisso) as more than usually meaningful. "It's hideous for a man to die in this way, When his heart's still young and striving for joy" and "Let none of us go mad: I too am just a poor musician". We can only wonder what kind of visions and hallucinations troubled the unfortunate musical genius. Similarly, we can only wonder what his artistic output might have been if treatment had been available.

We were sitting close enough to the stage to feel as if we were participating in a salon at the Schumann's home. Singers and actors were all onstage together; it was a highly effective way of presenting the music. Mr. Zeger shared the accompanying duties with the super-talented Chris Reynolds. It was an altogether worthwhile evening that fulfilled both as theater and concert.

© meche kroop

THE LOVES OF A POET

Nathaniel  LaNasa and Xiaoming Tian at Elabash Recital Hall

What does it take to hold an audience spellbound for a half hour?  You could easily answer that question if you attended the recital yesterday of baritone Xiaoming Tian working in harmonious collaboration with pianist Nathaniel LaNasa.  Not only were we held spellbound but we scarcely breathed. Mr. Tian, presently finishing up his Ph.D. and Doctorate of Music at The Graduate Center of City University of New York, took us on a journey involving the present moment colored by memories of lost love.  There was a lot of catharsis going on!

It is important for a recitalist to choose good material, songs that he can inhabit or wear (like the stylish suit he chose). Perhaps it was just great acting, but it seemed as if Mr. Tian was living through the panoply of emotions contained in Robert Schumann's Dichterliebe, Op. 48. Composed in 1840, the cycle comprises a selection of text from Heinrich Heine's 1823 Lyrisches Intermezzo, reordered to suit the composer's vision.

So, the raw materials are all there, with Schumann's memorably melodic vocal lines, his intuitive connection with the text, and Heine's remarkable poetry. (If only we had such poetry today to inspire contemporary composers!) The piano writing expands upon the mood of the text, comments upon it, and occasionally expresses what the poet cannot say in words.

Given these ingredients, it takes a consummate artist to let the text and music speak/sing for themselves. Mr. Tian is such an artist. He is free of excess and does not bombard the audience with special effects.  Rather, he creates a mood that draws the audience in.

We are never able to select our favorite song from among the sixteen but there is one that we always pay attention to because the singer can perform it any number of ways.  That song is "Ich grolle nicht" in which the poet begins by denying his anger at the woman who abandoned him.  By the end of the song his fury emerges. Many singers begin with irony but Mr. Tian began quietly and let the rage build up to a terrifying explosion. We were enthralled.

The slow tempo of "Am leuchtenden Sommermorgen" provided expansive room for an emotional introspection.  Mr. LaNasa made sure we could hear the murmuring of the consoling flowers.

"Ein Jüngling liebt ein Mädchen" was notable for Mr. Tian's storytelling gifts. In this case, he was more generous with his gestures to illustrate the confusing nature of the text.

Leaving aside Mr. Tian's interpretive gifts, we cannot end without commenting on the velvety tone of his instrument, the richness of the timbre, the musicality of his phrasing, and the accuracy of his German. Diphthongs were perfect and consonants were crisp.

We first heard this fine artist in 2014 at a Classic Lyric Arts Gala and have heard his magnificent Masters of Music recital at Manhattan School of Music, and another recital at The Graduate Center of City University of New York. He has never disappointed us.  He is a young artist to watch!

We hope the artists will forgive us for departing after the Schumann.  We were rather emotional and wanted to preserve the melancholy mood and to process our memories.  That's just how powerful the experience was!

(c) meche kroop

WIE WUNDERBAR!

German Forum President Barbara Heming, pianist Babette Hierholzer, oboeist Julia Obergfell, and baritone Äneas Humm

Last night's German Forum presented their Fall Concert at Lincoln Center's Bruno Walter Auditorium and we are pleased to report that in spite of ex-President Henry Meyer-Oertel's retirement, the music and good fellowship remain intact under the stewardship of new president Barbara Heming.

Guests were welcomed, the mission reiterated, and the young artists presented. We were introduced to the astonishing young baritone Äneas Humm several years ago when the German Forum brought him here from Switzerland. We were amazed by his artistry back then and he has only gotten better each time we hear him.

Last night his light lyric instrument served well in a selection of Schubert lieder. In "Der Wanderer" (the one with text by von Lübeck) the poet is lonely and unhappy; this was successfully conveyed by the singer's word coloring. The contrasting third stanza ("Wo bist du") was filled with anguish. Mr. Humm rose to the challenge of the low tessitura.

The poet in "Der Wanderer an den Mond" is also lonely; but the colors were different as he contemplates the moon and compares their differing situations. The excellent collaborative pianist Babette Hierholzer established a walking rhythm.

"Der Jüngling an der Quelle" tells of a youth filled with unrequited longing; both singer and pianist filled out the music with sweetness.

We can think of no lieder composer we love more than Schubert but we have no love for "Der Zwerg". The problem is not with the music or its performance. We just hate the story of the jealous dwarf who strangles his Queen and throws her into the sea. Still, our singer is a master story-teller.

Robert Stolz's compositions of the early 20th c. bring fresh delights to the ear. From his operetta Mädi, we heard "Bisschen Liebe tut gut" and for this our singer assumed a rakish pose and a charming seductive mien that suited him well.

Not as well suited to his voice was "Sorge infausta una procella", sung by the magician Zoroastro in Händel's opera Orlando. This aria is usually sung by a heavy bass and was not the best choice for a lyric baritone. Furthermore, work needs to be done on the articulation of the fioritura.

Far better were two songs by Viktor Ullman, the Austrian composer who wrote the satirical opera Der Kaiser von Atlantis which we have twice reviewed. Mr. Humm performed two songs of his that were translated from Farsi--"Vorausbestimmung" and "Betrunken". The music is replete with early 20th c. irony.

Co-starring on this interesting and varied program was young German oboist Julia Obergfell who began her musical childhood as a pianist until she fell in love with the oboe. We have also loved the oboe solos in symphonic works but have never heard the oboe in recital. Last night we realized how similar to singing it is.  Breath control and phrasing and color are all important.

The first movement of Schumann's Romance, Op. 94 had some graceful phrasing and a mournful feel. In contrast, we heard Telemann's Fantasy in B minor which demanded a crisper sound and some impressive staccato. Ms. Obergfell's artistry is unmistakable.

Her major work on the program was Poulenc's Sonata for Oboe and Piano. The Elégie was melodious and mysterious and had an impressive trill.  The Scherzo was frisky and fast with fleet fingering required on the repeated notes. The final movement Déploration involved some pensive phrasing and lived up to its meaning--"lamentation". In Ms. Hierholzer, the singer found a worthy piano partner indeed!

We were so happy to see Mr. Meyer-Oertel in the audience and equally happy that the German Forum continues its worthy mission of bringing young artists from German speaking countries to the USA to perform. We have a high level of confidence in the new President Barbara Heming. You too can be part of this valuable organization for a modest contribution. Music, food, wine, and good fellowship!

(c) meche kroop

ANY FRIEND OF VIRA IS A FRIEND OF MINE

David Sytkowski, Elizabeth Pojanowski, Samuel Schultz, and Vira Slywotzky

A new vocal series is something to get excited about! We enjoyed Vira & Friends Sing the Classics so much that we have already put the next recital on our calendar and so should you; it will be at 5:30 on September 15th at the same location--Scorca Hall of the National Opera Center.

Two things impressed us right away in addition to the singing. Firstly, the programming was given over almost totally to story telling. Each singer performed at least one cycle each of which was like a mini-opera.

The second thing that impressed us was hearing an excellent collaborative pianist whom we'd never heard before. David Sytkowski doesn't play much in New York so we consider ourselves fortunate to have heard him, bringing out so many subtleties of the accompaniment whilst supporting the singers with sensitivity and generosity. We appreciate the lid being on the long stick for maximum tone.

Soprano Vira Slywotzky-- whom we have reviewed so many times with 5BMF, Mirror Visions Ensemble, Light Opera of New York, and Victor Herbert Renaissance Project Live--welcomed the audience and got things started with a trio of songs by Stefano Donaudy from Arie di Stile Antico.

Donaudy was a contemporary of Giacomo Puccini who looked forward in time and moved opera into the 20th c. whilst Donaudy often looked back into the Baroque. Ms. Slywotzky has a lively and inimitable personality that serves her well in song interpretation. There were no titles or translations but the singers introduced the songs of their choice and told the audience what the song was about--a reasonable alternative.  

"Sorge il sol! Che fai tu?" was performed with appropriate gaiety. "Sento nel core" was filled with Baroque sensibility and a pleasing excitement. In "Vorrei poterti odiare", Mr. Sytkowski's frisky piano and Ms. Slywotzky's exaggeratedly rolled "r"s limned the ambivalence of the song's text.

In Debussy's Trois Chansons de Bilitis, we heard a somewhat different interpretation than we heard the last time. That is what is so great about art, that it can be interpreted in many ways. The last time we heard this cycle, the woman was giving us snapshots of three stages of her life with the third song interpreted as one of a late stage breaking-up love affair with all the magic gone.  Ms. Slywotzky's interpretation was far more sanguine with the man showing the woman what she was longing for through a shard of ice.

Her final selection was Schubert's setting of von Collin's horrific "Der Zwerg", the story of which we have always detested. But she told the tale well, in spite of being "on the book". Her dramatic abilities are keen and just a touch more differentiation of color among the narrator, the young Queen, and the murderous dwarf would have pushed the performance into a higher level. We kept thinking of the four voices necessary for Schubert's "Erlkonig".  We hope she will perform the song again without the music stand.

We had only heard mezzo-soprano Elizabeth Pojanowski once before in Greg Kallor's The Tell-tale Heart. It is difficult for us to evaluate a singer's vocal artistry in contemporary works, especially sung in English. We only recall her theatrical flair. But listening to her singing Rossini's late-life cycle La Regata Veneziana enabled us to appreciate her voice as well as her dramatic skills.

We got to hear Anzoleta's anticipation of her lover's competition in the regatta, her wild excitement during it, and her pride and satisfaction in Momolo's winning.  All this in Venetian dialect! It was a splendid performance of an old favorite of ours and of mezzo-sopranos everywhere.  Where would mezzos be without Rossini!

We were slightly less enthusiastic about her performance of five excerpts from Robert Schumann's Frauenliebe und -Leben. For one thing, we missed our favorite songs. For another, we were distracted by the singer's inconsistency with the "ch" sound. At times it was correctly pronounced; at other times it was almost omitted, and occasionally it was too 'hard'. This flaw is so common in American singers but it shouldn't be! There are always some of us in the audience who are German speakers and who will notice the lapse.

We understand that this cycle has personal meaning for Ms. Pojanowski who has lived through courtship, marriage, and motherhood and we wanted so much to be drawn in but the German got in our way. We also like to hear more change in color from the starstruck adolescent in "Seit ich ihn gesehen" to the mother in "An meinem Herzen". Perhaps if the singer had performed the entire cycle straight through to widowhood we might have heard this evolution.

The third singer on the program was mellow-voiced baritone Samuel Schultz, heretofore unknown to us. We have heard Ravel's cycle Don Quichotte à Dulcinée several times this year and love the opportunity it gives the baritone to show three separate emotions. He is the ardent lover, then the virtuous devoté of the saints, and finally, the bibulous knight in his cups. Show us a singer who doesn't love to play drunk or an actor who doesn't love a good death scene!

We found Mr. Schultz' French adequate, as we did Ms. Slywotzky's in the Debussy, but our native French-speaking companion thought somewhat less of their linguistic skills.

Speaking of which, Mr. Schultz' English was totally comprehensible in the final set of songs--and that's rare. What we heard did nothing to improve our opinion of contemporary composers' ability to write for the voice. We believe that their choice of text is largely at fault.

Erich Korngold's setting of Margaret Kennedy's "Tomorrow" was just gloomy. These two icons of the 20th c. were contemporaries. Although Mr. Schultz gave clarity to each word, we found our mind wandering.

In Everyone Sang, a song cycle by the living composer David Conte, we were happy to focus on Mr. Sytkowski's performance of Mr. Conte's lovely writing for the piano, but the vocal line and the text struck us as typically uninspiring, in spite of the fact that the singer was coached by the composer. Perhaps 19th c. composers just knew how to select text that would "sing".

Let it be noted however that the sizable audience applauded mightily and seemed not to share our indifference.

Vira & Friends merits financial support and if you are a fan of art song recitals, you might want to see the website for updates. www.viraslywotzky.com/engagements.  Or email to info@viraslywotzky.com.

(c) meche kroop

MAGYAR MELODY

Gergely Bogányi, Réka Kristóf, and Äneas Humm

It has been a full five years since we heard Hungarian song. It was a Juilliard Vocal Honors Recital and soprano Lilla Heinrich-Szasz sang a Hungarian encore. We have wanted to hear more Hungarian vocal music for five years and Wednesday night our wishes were granted.

In 2015, the Armel Opera Festival partnered with Virtuosos, a televised Hungarian talent show, providing mentoring and performance opportunities for winners to make their debut in international concert halls.

New Yorkers were the fortunate beneficiaries of this program which introduced us to the splendid soprano Réka Kristóf. We have a sense that Virtuosos bears no resemblance to America's Got Talent but since we've never seen either television show we cannot say. What we can say is that Ms. Kristóf's talent is undeniable and that her program was compelling.

She has a sizable instrument and a lot of stage presence. Clearly her training has made the most of her gifts and we found ourself admiring her powerful sound, the ping-y top, the rich vibrato, the exquisite dynamic control, and her versatility.

The recital opened and closed with exhibitions of madness. In "D'Oreste, d'Ajace ho in seno i tormenti", from Mozart's Idomeneo, Elektra lets loose her wish for revenge. And in Richard Strauss' "Der Frühlingsfeier", a group of female pagans are expressing some fanatical lust for Adonis. There was no doubt about Ms. Kristóf's passionate delivery with its notes of wildness.

In a show of versatility she gave us a frightened Micaëla, reassuring herself of her fearlessness as she searches for her Don Jose in the mountain pass outside of Seville. The two sides of her nature were clearly limned.

Yet another manifestation of versatility occurred when she sang Rosalinde's aria "Klänge der Heimat" from Johann Strauss' Die Fledermaus. Here, Rosalinde is laying on the Hungarian Countess act with a trowel, pranking her gullible husband. 

But Strauss' opera is in German and we wanted to hear some Hungarian music.  And we did! We heard an aria from Bedrich Smetana's The Bartered Bride and several songs by Zoltán Kodály, including a melodic song of longing and a humorous song in which Ms. Kristóf and her excellent accompanist Gergely Bogányi both imitated the sound of a cricket. There was also a song by Béla Bartók.

It was a new sensation for us, listening to songs in a language of which we knew not a single word. There were no titles and no translations in the program but the dramatic skills of the artists got the meaning across. We might add that as strange as the words look on the page, they sound beautiful when sung. We attribute this to the singer's artistry but also the ability of the composers to wed text to music.

The second singer on the program was Swiss baritone Äneas Humm, about whom we have written a great deal. We are mostly familiar with his lieder performances so it was a special treat to hear him sing "Sorge infausta una procella" from Händel's Orlando. Along with a lovely legato, we observed a lot of flexibility in the fioritura.

In contrast with this tempestuous outpouring, there was the sweetness of Richard Strauss' "Breit über mein Haupt". But our admiration was brought to its peak by a series of duets by Robert Schumann, with the voices of the two singers blending beautifully. 

When you put a soprano in a room with a baritone you just know you are going to hear "La ci darem la mano" from Mozart's Don Giovanni. Mr. Humm made a very confident seducer without a shred of malice and Ms. Kristóf made an all-too-willing Zerlina. We love the way different singers give different interpretations of the characters!

Attention must be drawn to the virtuoso pianism of Mr. Bogányi. Performing on a custom designed space age piano that looked as if it would be taking off for another planet, he dazzled the audience with Franz Liszt's arrangement of the melodies from Don Giovanni. There were rapid-fire ascending and descending scales, trills and turns of every variety. Now we understand why Liszt was called "the rock star of his age". Surely Mr. Bogányi was channeling Liszt!

(c) meche kroop

FROM CELLAR TO SANCTUARY

Katelan Terrell, Michal Biel, Marie Engle and Äneas Humm in Songs from the Cellar

Before we tell you about one of the best art song recitals we have ever seen, we have some exciting news about the venue, shared by Alessandro Pittorino, Executive Director of Arts at Blessed Sacrament Church. 

The church has acquired a magnificent Steinway piano in the sanctuary so that recitals can be held there instead of in the cozy cellar. We had no beefs about the cellar but the acoustics in the sanctuary are undeniably better. And the piano has a particularly fine sound, especially as played by our two collaborative pianists Katelan Terrell and Michal Biel.

We have heard Robert Schumann's song cycles more times than we can count but we cannot recall hearing them performed better. The program began with mezzo-soprano Marie Engle, who sounds like eine engel, performing Frauenliebe und -Leben in partnership with Ms. Terrell. Perhaps it is our imagination, but having two women performing the cycle added a new dimension and kinda sorta made up for the fact that the text, written in 1830 by Adelbert von Chamisso and then set within the decade by Robert Schumann, involved men!

We do not know whether this was the poet's interpretation of a woman's life and loves or whether this was culturally accurate but the content would have us believe that a woman's life begins when she meets her future husband and ends when he dies! Nothing happens in between childbirth and widowhood!

In order to enjoy the many pleasures of the cycle, one has to set aside our contemporary view of female equality and self-fulfillment. The middle of the 20th c. seems just as remote as the 19th c.  Just ask your mothers and grandmothers!

The pleasures of the cycle are the perfect union of text and music and the marriage of vocal line to piano accompaniment. Last night, the extra pleasure was experiencing the many moods of the subject which our performing artists conveyed with consummate communicative skill.

"Seit ich ihn gesehen" is filled with wonder, bordering on awe. "Er, der Herrlichste von allen" is replete with excitement as the girl idealizes her beloved. In "Ich kann's nicht fassen, nicht glauben", she is overwhelmed by being the chosen one. In "Du Ring an meinem Finger" she expresses her exalted intent (like Sophie in Der Rosenkavalier) to devote herself fully to her husband; the ring symbolizes the husband-to-be. 

In "Helft mir, ihr Schwestern", the piano provides a wedding march for the girl's special day. In "Süßer Freund" she becomes more solemn as she hints to her husband that she is pregnant. We were enjoying Ms. Engle's word coloring all along but there was something special she did with "lust". The tempo increased as did the woman's heartbeat.  Yes, she has gone from girl to woman.

Her excitement over nursing her infant in "An meinem Herzen" seemed ecstatic--almost delirious.  And then....hubby dies. The terrible chord in the piano announces the shock and the woman experiences that frightening mixture of grief and anger that is so common in loss. Ms. Engle's coloring of the word "leer" (empty) gave us cold chills with its subtle alteration of vibrato. The piano postlude recalls the first time the woman laid eyes upon the man. 

We were left shaken, no longer scoffing at the archaic nature of the text. This was completely due to the intense involvement of Ms. Engle and Ms. Terrell. We might add that Ms. Engle's German was perfect and so clearly enunciated that we didn't miss a word. Titles were superfluous.

The second half of the program comprised a performance of Schumann's Dichterliebe, the likes of which we have never heard. Swiss baritone Äneas Humm came to our attention through the German Forum when he was but 20 years old and already famous in Europe. We loved his voice and communicative skills 3 years ago but we have noted an impressive development in the texture of his voice after just one year at Juilliard, where he studies with Edith Wien. His voice filled the sanctuary with overtones.

We have reviewed Dichterliebe half a dozen times within the year and three times within the past month!  We have not tired of it because each singer has offered a different interpretation. This is one of the distinguishing features of a great work of art. Mr. Humm's very personal interpretation was fully in the present. This was not a reflective summation of a love affair gone wrong. Mr. Humm seemed to be experiencing the events in the moment. Mr. Biel's piano supported that interpretation.

In "Im wonderschönen Monat Mai", the poet suffers from limerence but Michal Biel's piano hinted at a less sanguine reality. The vocal line trailed off unresolved and we began to hear some anxiety in "Aus meinen Tränen sprießen". The subject idealizes his beloved with intense excitement in "Die Rose, die Lilie, die Taube, die Sonne".

We loved the change of color with which Mr. Humm invested the voice of the beloved as she professes her love in the phrase "Ich liebe dich".  This is how the subject wants to hear it!

Things got dark in "Im Rhein, im heiligen Strome" when the subject became serious, spooked out by seeing the beloved's face in an inappropriate place (a portrait of the Virgin in the cathedral). The dark colors of Mr. Humm's lower register struck deep.

"Ich grolle nicht" is the song of the cycle in which we have heard the most variety. The subject seems to be keeping a stiff upper lip but the piano lets us hear the depth of his suffering. Mr. Humm artistically portrayed the melange of anger, bitterness, and pain.

"Das ist ein Flöten und Geigen" involved unadulterated bitterness with Mr. Biel's piano adding much emotional tone. His piano gave us brief respite in the gentle "Hör ich das Liedchen klingen" before the renewed bitterness and irony of "Ein Jüngling liebt ein Mädchen" which was introduced by a jaunty piano tune.

Another highlight of the cycle was "Ich hab' im Traum geweinet" which began with a capella voice and was then punctuated by portentous chords. We also loved the twist at the end of "Allnächtlich im Traume".

Mr. Biel's descending arpeggi in "Die alten, bösen Lieder" served to highlight the subject's attempt to find closure by sinking a coffin filled with his old love songs into the waters of the Rhein. Was this just adolescent hyperbole?

We have read that the poet Heinrich Heine was satirizing Romanticism but we are not sure. That is what is so special about Schumann's setting and the singer's interpretive skills. That is the reason why we can hear this cycle several times in a month and not get bored!

Mr. Humm and Mr. Biel took us on an exhaustive emotional journey through joy and excitement to anger, bitterness, and despair, with a final acceptance. Fortunately we were not to be left in gloom.  Oh, no. There was a perfectly upbeat duet in which Schumann set a charming folksong "Wenn ich ein vöglein wär" performed by the two singers and piano four-hands. Somehow we were reminded of Brahms, which is always a good association.

"Songs from the Cellar" has gotten off to an impressive start, with all the artists coming from Juilliard. Ms. Terrell and Mr. Biel are the Co-coordinators of this art song series. The two have come a long way in one short season by providing top quality entertainment and artistry for the Upper West Side Community. We have watched with great pleasure the growth of the audience. We don't know yet whether they will change the name of the series to "Songs from the Sanctuary". It doesn't matter what they call it; it is worth your while.

We can barely wait for the Autumn season and promise to keep you informed.

(c) meche kroop

 

LINCOLN CENTER GREAT PERFORMERS--MARK PADMORE AND PAUL LEWIS

Paul Lewis and Mark Padmore at Alice Tully Hall

There were four people onstage last night at Alice Tully Hall, as part of Lincoln Center's Great Performers series.  There was the veteran interpreter of art song Mark Padmore, there was the sensitive collaborative pianist Paul Lewis, there was the 19th c. Romantic poet Heinrich Heine, and there was the remarkable 19th c. composer of art song Robert Schumann.

How wonderful to have an entire evening devoted to the Schumann settings of Heine's poetry, so movingly interpreted by Mr. Padmore and Mr. Lewis, whose intense sensitivity to the music and to the singer contributed greatly to an evening of pure delight. We confess to being completely mesmerized.

Mr. Padmore made a few opening remarks about Schumann sending his songs to Clara as a means of communicating his feelings. Surely the young Robert did not mean to communicate the negativity toward love and toward women that we read in Heine's text. We know not what romantic injury Heine suffered to inspire such anger.

We have been reading the poetry aloud and reveling in its astute use of the German language, it's rhythm and its rhyme. Would that a contemporary American poet could so inspire a contemporary American composer!

In any event, Schumann's melodic vocal lines and luscious piano accompaniment went a long way toward softening the harsh sentiments found in Heine's poetry, poetry that inspired so many 19th c. composers.

In the performances of Mr. Padmore and Mr. Lewis, we barely noticed the superlative technical aspects and chose to dwell on the communicative aspects. Mr. Padmore has had a long and illustrious career to focus on communicating emotions to the audience. By virtue of alterations of color and dynamics, and by means of sensitive phrasing, every ounce of emotion was conveyed.

Mr. Lewis' attention to both the piano part and the vocal line made him the perfect partner for Mr. Padmore. He is the type of collaborative pianist that we most enjoy, always light of touch and leaving the final note suspended in the air. There was no mention of his collaborative work in the biography in the program but it was evident that there is a great deal more to his artistry than his solo performances and those with orchestras.

The program included two cycles Schumann composed in 1840. As Mr. Padmore pointed out, they were never meant to be performed in a concert hall, but rather to be played and sung at home. We have observed the incredible intimacy they elicit when performed by students in recital at small venues. To our surprise, Mr. Padmore evoked the same feeling in the vast reaches of Alice Tully Hall.

Liederkreis, Op.24 comprises nine songs about love and loss and was less familiar to us than the cycle that closed the program, Dichterliebe which we have heard countless times.

In "Ich wandelte unter den Bäumen" we loved the tender coloration and the way the quotation of the bird song was differentially colored. In terms of piano and voice working together, we favored "Lieb Liebchen" which not only enjoys a memorable melody but also a piano part that recreates the hammering of the heart. 

The passionate "Warte, warte, wilder Schiffman" is remarkable for its scale passages in the piano and the touch of humor at the end. As a matter of fact, in almost every song Schumann employed a graceful postlude to somewhat undercut Heine's bitterness. He seems to want us to feel consoled.

The familiar Dichterliebe is another story altogether; we have always thought of it as a spurned young man reflecting on the sanguine origin of his romance and the final despair when his beloved marries someone else. In the resolution of the final song, he buries all his sad songs in a coffin and sinks it in the Rhein, a fitting way to find what today is called "closure".

One could not keep from being charmed by the melodious introductory lied, "Im wunderschönen Monat Mai", or puzzled when the song just trails off without the lovely piano postlude referred to earlier. It segues immediately into the tearful "Aus meinen Tränen sprießen", followed by the exuberant "Die Rose, die Lilie, die Taube".

Love is like that, especially in the young. Observe any teenager with his cyclothymia!  She loves me, yay!  She loves me not, woe is me! In "Im Rhein, im heiligen Strome", the poet sees his beloved everywhere, even in a portrait in the cathedral in Cologne!

We were waiting to hear what Mr. Padmore would do with "Ich grolle nicht". He held back on the bitterness until the end, a valid and interesting interpretation. 

We heard such rapid figures in the piano in "Und wüsten's die Blumen" and in the bitter "Das ist ein Flöten und Geigen" that the quiet spare piano part of "Hör' ich das Liedchen klingen" came as a surprise. 

Also of interest was the contrast between the jolly piano part of "Ein Jüngling liebt ein Mädchen" and the painfully ironic text. Perhaps our favorite song was "Ich hab' im Traum geweinet" in which the voice begins a capella and the piano part comprises a punctuation of chords. We think of the evanescence of dreams and Mr. Padmore conveyed the intimacy of a confession.

In between these two major Schumann cycles we heard some of Brahms' settings of Heine's poetry. It seemed to us that Brahms, a protegé of Schumann, chose texts of less emotional import. Truth to tell, we mostly prefer Brahms' settings of folk songs and cannot say why. There was nothing wrong with the later life songs we heard last night but presenting them in between two such major cycles probably did not give us a chance to appreciate them fully.

(c) meche kroop

THE DIVA NEXT DOOR

Bryan Wagorn and Nadine Sierra

We rushed uptown to the Park Avenue Armory from our afternoon at the Morgan Library where we heard seventeen young singers competing for the generous awards given by the George London Foundation.  Only a glutton for vocal music could retain energy and enthusiasm. But the artistry of Nadine Sierra and her piano partner Bryan Wagorn ensured that our attention never flagged. 

It occurred to us that Ms. Sierra, not yet 30, would have fit right in with the demographics of the London competitors.  But Ms. Sierra won that competition eight years ago!  And performed a recital for them three years ago as well.  One might say that her star ascended very early. Indeed she was the youngest person to have won the Met National Council Award. And the awards just kept rolling in!

Ms. Sierra is now world renowned but she maintains the warmth, naturalness, and generosity of spirit that can bring an audience to its knees--and to its feet also, for a standing ovation. We have reviewed her performances more than any other singer.  Five years ago we called her "The Diva Next Door".  Earlier reviews have been lost but we have been impressed with her artistry from the very first time we heard her.

Last night she performed as part of a series held in the superbly restored Board of Officers Room at the Park Avenue Armory. The intimate space allowed us to feel up close and personal and its historic nature seemed perfect for a vocal recital.  And what a recital it was!

There was quite a bit of overlapping with a recital she and Mr. Wagorn presented three years ago at Pace University as part of a vocal series that sadly is no more. Our favorite part of both recitals was the Strauss. It seemed as if Richard Strauss wrote the songs with her in mind. The richness of tone, the musicality of phrasing, the artistry of the word coloring, and the intensity of involvement with the text all joined to give the feeling of newness to songs we have heard countless times.

Each song seemed like a mini opera and the listening gave rise to visual imagery, making each one a satisfying experience. "Zueignung" could not have been more passionate and "Allerseelen" could not have been more soulful, as Ms. Sierra caressed each word. The high notes floated up to the very high ceiling.

"Ständchen" was sung playfully and "Cäcilie" with passionate enthusiasm. Ms. Sierra invested "Morgen" with an ethereal quality and Mr. Wagorn's playing of the prelude set the stage perfectly.

Schubert's "Du bist die Ruh" was performed with delicacy and the kind of legato quality one expects in Italian, yet without any cheating of the consonants. The two artists matched each other's style in a most affecting manner.

Schumann's "Widmung" is a bit lower lying but presented no obstacle to Ms. Sierra. We could hear the composer's deep affection for Clara in every phrase.

We have heard Samuel Barber's Hermit Songs many times and have never warmed to them. In spite of the detested music stand, which Ms. Sierra did not seem to need, she was able to give them a full measure of artistry. As usual, the two we do appreciate--"Promiscuity" and "The Monk and His Cat" are not of a religious nature.

Our love for zarzuela was requited by the performance of "Me llaman la primorosa" from Gerónimo Giménez' 1901 El barbero de Sevilla, which is, yes, about some young singers performing the Rossini opera. This gave Ms. Sierra an opportunity to do the Musetta thing and the audience loved it. If there were one thing on the program that we'd want her to do without the music stand, this was it.  What a wonderful encore piece it would be.

Joaquin Rodrigo's mid 20th c. Cuatro madrigales amatorios was written in estilo antico and we always love hearing them for their solid Iberian flavor in the piano and the pungent text. "De dónde venís, amore?" was imbued with flirtatiousness.  In the final song "De los álamos vengo, madre" the final note was spun out like a silk filament and we held our breath.

We were not very familiar with the Turina songs which followed--settings of romantic text by Lope de Vega--but they were quite lovely.

Ms. Sierra is generous in sharing anecdotes with the audience and related how her Portuguese grandmother shared a musical language with her but not a spoken one. She sees her career as a fulfillment of the grandmother's journey. And so we were gifted with some songs in Portuguese.

Ernani Braga's "Engenho novo" is a rapid fire tongue twister that tickled our ears.  On the other hand, Heitor Villa-Lobos' "Melodia sentimental" is lyrical and romantic.  Both were composed in the mid 20th c.

Back came the music stand for Bernstein's "A Julia de Burgos" which we heard recently at New York Festival of Song.

Ms. Sierra expressed her gratitude to Marilyn Horne for jump starting her career and giving her worthwhile advice; she paid her tribute with an encore--Stephen Foster's "Beautiful Dreamer"--beautifully rendered in a very different timbre than the rest of the recital.

It was clear that the audience would not let Ms. Sierra off the stage without some opera and we heard a most enchanting performance of "O mio babbino caro" from Puccini's Gianni Schicchi. What father could resist such a plea?

A word to the wise-- Ms. Sierra has just recorded her first album.  It should be a major success.

(c) meche kroop