THE THREE BARITONES

Glen Roven, Jarrett Ott, Steven LaBrie, and Tobias Greenhalgh

Glen Roven is a composer, pianist, and impresario. His recording company has just released a new CD-- Remember starring three rising stars of the opera world; last night a celebration was held at Weill Recital Hall. Mr. Roven mentioned that this is the first recording for each of these "exploding stars". 

Each of the three celebrated baritones are well known to us from Juilliard, Brooklyn Art Song Society, Santa Fe Opera, and from competitions they have won.  What a treat to hear them all together! As pointed out by Amy Shoremount-Obra, there was a lot of testosterone backstage!  And a lot of handsomeness, we might add.  We are not fond of the designation "Barihunks" but we cannot think of a better description.

From the informative program notes by pianist Michael Brofman, we learned that the baritone fach originated in the bel canto period.  Who knew! More reason to appreciate Rossini, Bellini, and Donizetti.

The program opened with three guest artists with low voices, men who are more advanced in their career arcs.  Arranged by Mr. Roven, Ouverture dei Baritoni involved baritones Robert Wesley Mason and Kyle Pfortmiller, along with bass Branch Fields performing a medley of operatic hits in unison and also sequentially. We were delighted to hear arias by Mozart, Verdi, Rossini, Bizet, and also some Broadway tunes. There was even a cancan performed to the "Toreador Song" from Carmen and choreographed by James Gray. What fun! 

Guest artist soprano Amy Shoremount-Obra performed John Duke's Four Poems by Emily Dickinson, using her generous instrument, lovely phrasing, and crisp enunciation to bring out Mr. Duke's appealing vocal line and Ms. Dickinson's deeply felt text. Andrew Rosenblum's piano did justice to Mr. Duke's many moods bringing out the tumultuousness of "Heart, we will forget him!" and the sweetness of "Nobody knows this little Rose".

She also performed Mr. Roven's duet "The Promise" with Mr. Fields; the texture of the two voices blending and overlapping was quite attractive but Jane Hirshfield's poetry went by without our comprehension.

Tobias Greenhalgh provided a preview of an aria from John Adams' Dr. Atomic, which we will be reviewing this summer at Santa Fe Opera. His performance was a deeply felt and expressive one but we cannot say that John Donne's text wanted to be set to music.

The remainder of the program comprised selections from the new recording.  Mr. Roven related that all the works on the CD were written by living composers. This is probably a big drawing card for many music lovers since Weill Recital Hall was packed. Contemporary vocal music is just not our taste, as regular readers already know. We keep listening and hoping to find something we like but it rarely happens. We were surprised to have liked the John Duke settings as much as we did. 

Accompanied by Mr. Brofman, Mr. Greenhalgh sang Four Surreal Songs by Mr. Roven, settings of text by Paul Éluard. Mr. Greenhalgh has a firmly centered baritone and used every color in his vocal palette to make sense of rather senseless poetry. We liked some of the piano writing, especially the descending arpeggi of "Arc of Your Eyes".

Accompanied by Adam Nielsen, Steven LaBrie exhibited a great deal of vocal power, an interesting texture, and some fine French diction for Benjamin C.S. Boyle's  Le passage des rêves, a setting of text by Paul Veléry.  We liked Mr. Nielsen's delicate piano in "La dormeuse".

Lori Laitman's setting of text by Joan Joffe Hall "The Joy of Uncreating" did not ring our bell. We wondered whether the poet of "Illumination" was writing of the experience of waking from a coma; the piano part was far more appealing than the vocal line.

Jarrett Ott's appealing baritone served well for Jake Heggie's Of Laughter and Farewell. Vachel Lindsay's text "Under the Blessing of your Psyche Wings" rhymed and scanned and we wished the vocal line had done more with it. The piano part, played by Daniel Zelibor, for "By the Spring, at Sunset" was more appealing than the vocal line.

Jennifer Higdon, composer of the opera Cold Mountain, which we heard at Santa Fe Opera, set excerpts of Walt Whitman's poem "When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd" and created a piano and baritone arrangement specifically for Mr. Ott and dedicated the work to him. We kept wishing that we could catch the fragrance of our favorite flower, the one for which we visit Lilac Walk in Central Park every May. We did not. We couldn't keep from thinking about "Le temps des Lilas" by Chausson which gives us an olfactory thrill.

Fortunately, the final work on the program appealed to our ears to a far greater extent. Mr. Roven took to the piano himself for his composition "Remember", setting of a text by the 19th c. English poet Christina Rossetti. Perhaps it was the fact that the sentiment was meaningful and comprehensible; perhaps it was the fact that the text rhymed and scanned; perhaps it was the sound of all three baritones together. (Mr. Roven pointed out that the recording was made with each artist recording in a different city and tracks assembled later. But we were privileged to hear them singing it together for the first time!)  In any case, it ended the recital on an auspicious note.

The enthusiasm of the audience makes us want to encourage you to buy the CD, if contemporary music is to your taste.  On our part, we prefer to hear the artists singing other material. We'd love to hear Ms. Shoremount-Obra sing some Wagner. We yearn to hear Mr. LaBrie as Escamillo. Mr. Greenhalgh's Eugene Onegin would throw us into a joyous delirium. As far as Mr. Ott, well, we are going to hear him sing Maximilian in Bernstein's Candide within 3 months in Santa Fe.  Watch out for the review!

(c) meche kroop

AN OPERA IS AN OPERA IS AN OPERA

Cast and Production Team of Ricky Ian Gordon's 27 at New York City Center
(photo by Erin Baiano)

Regular readers will be shocked to learn that we have seen a new opera and enjoyed it.  We have about given up on hearing a new opera that has melodic arias.  That just isn’t going to come out of the 21st c., especially not in the English language. What we have been seeing are “plays with music”.  But the music has been mostly unmusical. Last night we saw and heard an opera in which many positive factors came together to produce an absorbing and enlightening experience. 27 was commissioned by The Opera Theater of Saint Louis in 2014. This New York premiere included a new expanded choral section written just for Master Voices.

Composer Ricky Ian Gordon chose a subject dear to his heart, a subject that inspired him, the life of Gertrude Stein, the renowned writer, poet and art collector, a major influence in the worlds of art and literature.  He avoided the trap of trying to set her texts to music as Virgil Thompson did.  Instead he chose librettist  Royce Vavrek who constructed a conversational libretto of short uncomplicated phrases that did what the English language does best. There was sufficient repetition of phrases to bind the work together in a manner that was reflective of, but not imitative of Gertrude Stein’s writing style. 

Several successive periods of Ms. Stein’s life were illustrated—a creative life that spanned two World Wars.  The theme running through all these epochs was her relationship with the incredibly devoted Alice B. Toklas who performed innumerable functions including emotional and practical support. Their love story takes center stage.

The earliest period illuminated her involvement with young painters like Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse; then we visited her salon during the privations of World War I when food and coal were hard to come by. Next we witnessed the post-WWI period of "the lost generation" when her salon was visited predominantly by young writers—“Scotty” Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway. Finally we visited her during WWII when her political affiliations were suspect.

Mr. Gordon’s music was powerful when it needed to be and gentle when called for. The romantic duets for Ms. Stein and Ms. Toklas were beautifully written as were the ensembles. The music for wartime utilized percussion to evoke the bombing of the Luxembourg Gardens and the anxiety of those Parisians enduring it.

In addition to the compelling story and the exciting music, the casting of the singers and their performances were extraordinary.  As Ms. Stein, mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe’s larger than life performance perfectly suited the larger than life character of Ms. Stein. The deep and muscular timbre of her voice and her acting had us believing that she was the ghost of Ms. Stein right there on the stage of New York City Center.

Soprano Heidi Stober perfectly portrayed helpmate and wife Alice B. Toklas.  The opera opens with her alone, after Ms. Stein’s death, knitting a bulky garment, knitting up the scenes of their life together. The opera ends at the same place—a superb framing device letting us experience the memories along with her.  Ms. Stober’s bright soprano was perfect for the part and blended beautifully with Ms. Blythe’s.

The other characters in the opera were portrayed by three fine artists for whom we have nothing but praise.  Tenor Theo Lebow was effective as the timid and bibulous Scott Fitzgerald-- but he was absolutely remarkable as the young Picasso. Thanks to the imaginative costuming of James Schuette, he entered dressed as a matador wearing the head of a bull.

Baritone Tobias Greenhalgh gave an excellent portrayal of the photographer Man Ray but was most impressive as Ms. Stein’s brother Leo who strutted around in an enormous raccoon coat, denigrating his sister’s salon and choice of paintings.

Bass-baritone Daniel Brevik impressed as Matisse and later as Hemingway, dragging an elephant behind him.  Oh yes, did we mention that the work was salted with a great deal of humor?

The funniest scene of the opera involved the “wives of geniuses” who bored Ms. Toklas with their talk of perfume, hats, and furs. Just imagine if you can, these three highly masculine singers in drag, singing an unforgettably clever trio.

A trio of soldiers, portrayed by the aforementioned Mr. Lebow, Mr. Greenhalgh, and Mr. Brevik appeared in various scenes together. Their voices harmonized so incredibly well. Their working so well as an ensemble is understandable, given that they portrayed the same roles at the St. Louis premiere.

The set design by Allen Moyer had a great big “27” to indicate  the address on Rue de Fleurus where all the famous and soon-to-be-famous gathered. The stage was littered with paintings and some chairs. 

Ted Sperling, Artistic Director, conducted the Orchestra of St. Luke’s and Master Voices. It is well worth mentioning that the diction of this enormous chorus was so crisp that not a single word was lost. Although there were projected titles, they were superfluous. Everyone’s diction was beyond reproach.

The production was well directed by James Robinson.

Every element worked together to produce a memorable evening about which we had a surprising thought—“I’d see this one again”. We have yet to feel such enthusiasm for a contemporary work.  Our eyes and ears have been opened.

(c) meche kroop

BASS' NEW HOME

Miori Sugiyama, Tami Petty, Michael Brofman, Kristina Bachrach, Laura Strickling, Dominic Armstrong, and Tobias Greenhalgh

The Brooklyn Art Song Society is a unique treasure on the New York City musical scene. We have trekked to the farthest reaches of Brooklyn to hear their roster of splendid singers and to immerse ourselves in their innovative programming.  We are pleased to report that BASS, has begun their seventh season in a new and permanent home--the Brooklyn Historical Society. We are even more pleased to report that the location is a grace note away from several subway stops and marvelously close to Manhattan.

This season's ambitious undertaking has a theme--Wien: Fin de Siècle-- and comprises an exploration of that period of musical maximalism we call Late Romanticism.  Our eyes love Klimt.  Our ears love Mahler. The nine songs by Alexander Zemlinsky that we heard last night filled our heart with joy to the point of bursting.

The opening event of the season was a benefit recital and the large space was packed. What a pleasure to see the results of Founder, Artistic Director and Collaborative Pianist Michael Brofman's consistently excellent programming.  Preceding the recital was a lecture by NYU Professor of History Larry Wolff on the political and cultural environment in Vienna during this epoch.

The aforementioned Zemlinsky songs were shared by soprano Kristina Bachrach and baritone Tobias Greenhalgh. Ms. Bachrach sings with a melting tone and a fine vibrato. She seemed to immerse herself in each song and drew the audience toward her.  The songs are brief vignettes, mostly about love, with "Hütet euch!" bearing a shift from the lighthearted arrival of love to the warning about love's equally precipitous departure. The change in coloration was admirable.

Mr. Greenhalgh has recently returned from the Wiener Kammeroper; although we had no complaints about his fine German diction before, we noticed a crispness that might have had us taking him for a native speaker. We particularly enjoyed the baritonal resonance of his instrument when he struck a lulling tone in "Schlaf nur ein!" The change of color from the anxious tone of the insomniac to the lulling reassurance at the end of each verse was quite lovely. We also loved the ardent romanticism of "Unter blühenden Bäumen".

It was no fault of Mr. Greenhalgh that we could not relate to the lengthy and less accessible piece "An den Mond" by Hans Pfitzner. The text by Goethe is filled with troubled emotions; the vocal line is less melodic; the harmonies are more ambiguous. Mr. Brofman's piano captured the anxiety.

The second half of the program comprised almost as much Strauss as we wanted to hear.  The great thing about Strauss is that he is like champagne for the ear.  One can imbibe to excess but one can never get enough! Miori Sugiyama took over for this set as collaborative pianist.

Soprano Laura Strickling has a warm stage presence and great ability to form a connection with the audience. Her German diction is a thing of beauty.  Perhaps the charming "Ständchen" was our favorite in this set; the melody always accompanies us on our way home. We enjoyed her in storytelling mode when she gave a convincing performance of "Die Nacht", another melodic gem. Strauss is a perfect fit for her brilliant tone.

She also sang Joseph Marx' "Selige Nacht".  Every time we hear a Marx song we wonder why his songs appear so rarely in lieder recitals. Ms. Strickling captured the romantic mood and used superb dynamic control from the pianissimo beginning to the thrilling climax. Marx' "Nocturne" gave Ms. Sugiyama an opportunity to show off some dazzling runs on the keys.

Tenor Dominic Armstrong used a gently caressing and tender tone for Strauss' "Heimliche Aufforderung" but became quite ardent at the end, pushing his tone a bit. We noticed this also in "Zueignung" when we wished he would float the top notes instead. One can be passionate at less volume!

We were quite taken, however, by his performance of "Allerseelen", another favorite of ours. On this one day of the year, the poet (Hermann von Gilm zu Rosenegg) can reunite with the spirit of his loved one and Mr. Armstrong appeared to be seeing her spirit and, consequently, so did we.  It was a powerful effect and an interpretation we will long recall.

The final set on the program was the perfect conclusion. Soprano Tami Petty, first brought to our attention as a Joy of Singing winner, has a voice that is made for Strauss. She performed his autumnal Vier letzte Lieder and held the audience spellbound. Three of the texts are by Herman Hesse. 

The songs are said to be autobiographical, the summing up of the composer's life. "September" contains several melismatic passages that Ms. Petty made the most of, while "Beim schlafengehen" brought out all of Ms. Sugiyama's expressiveness.

The two artists worked well together and the final piece "Im Abendrot" (text by von Eichendorff) was filled with ethereal ambiguity. The end of the recital?  The end of Strauss' career? The end of his life?

We heard five superb singers paying tribute to four fine composers. We eagerly await the next installment of Wien: Fin de Siècle on November 4th.  "Wien II" will tackle the music of Hanns Eisler's Hollywood period. It will be a wonderful opportunity to hear another side of Ms. Bachrach's artistry and to reconnect with tenor Nils Neubert--yet another favorite singer of ours.

(c) meche kroop

PETER DUGAN'S TOTAL NACHTOUT

Peter Dugan, Dave Baron, Leonardo Dugan

This is the time of year when music students are called upon to give a recital as partial requirement for their degrees.  This is the time of year when we are overjoyed to see them move on to establish their careers.  This is the time of year when we feel twinges of sadness, wondering when we will have the opportunity to see/hear them again.

On Monday, piano wizard Peter Dugan took this opportunity to show his amazing versatility.  He is indeed a quadruple threat:  soloist, collaborative pianist, arranger and jazz musician. He greeted the audience with warmth and told of the seven years at Juilliard, culminating in a Master of Music Degree.  He opened with Beethoven and closed with The Isley Brothers. His theme for the recital was music for the night.  Let's take a closer look.

He began Beethoven's "Moonlight" sonata at a rather rapid tempo, more rapid than we have been accustomed to, and there was an indefinable hesitancy.  It was in the rhythmic second movement that he got into his groove and demonstrated fine dynamic control.  By the time he got to the third movement his flying fingers gave evidence of mastery.  The air literally crackled with excitement.  He absolutely nailed this difficult movement with his virtuosity.

"Deux Nocturnes" by Chopin showed a different side to his artistry with thoughtful limning of Chopin's mournful melodies and nationalistic themes.

Lovely mezzo-soprano Kara Sainz joined Mr. Dugan for Brahms's  "Gestillte Sehnsucht" which she sang with deep feeling and crisp German.  A. J. Nilles added to the beauty with some sweet viola playing that gave the lie to all those viola jokes.

Baritone Tobias Greenhalgh lent his expressive voice and dramatic artistry to Schubert's "Der Doppelgänger", confirming our impression that he excels at the mysterious and creepy. (See review of Mörike lieder.) We consider ourselves fortunate to have heard his powerful voice two nights in a row!

Mr. Greenhalgh was joined by Ms. Sainz for Schumann's "In der Nacht" just after Mr. Dugan played a piece by the same composer with the same title, from Fantasiestücke.  The duet was new to us and we loved the way the voices harmonized at times and at other times overlapped.  What a superb choice!

For Rachmaninoff's "La nuit...L'amour" from Suite No. 1 for Two Pianos, Op.5, Mr. Dugan was joined by his piano teacher Matti Raekallio who must be bursting with pride.  This is a luscious work for four hands and seemed to envelop us with sound.

The final "act" of this varied recital permitted Mr. Dugan to show off his skills at arranging.  For Jimmy Forrest's "Night Train", he was joined by Leonardo Dugan on saxophone, Dave Baron on bass and Will Kain on drums.  Paul McCartney's "Blackbird" was given a most unusual and fascinating arrangement with Charles Yang plucking his violin strings to make some avian sounds and the piano doing some bluesy jazzy riffs.

To come full circle, Alice Cooper's "Welcome to my Nightmare" made references to the Beethoven with which the recital began, drawing the program to a satisfying conclusion--but not before an encore of The Isley Brothers' "Don't Say Goodnight When It's Time For Love".

© meche kroop

MORE MÖRIKE PLEASE

 Dominic Armstrong, Miori Sugiyama, Nell Snaidas, Tobias Greenhalgh, Julius Abrahams

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

German Romantic poet Eduard Mörike was as prolific a poet as Hugo Wolf was a composer of lieder.  He was no longer alive when Wolf published his first songbook comprising 53 lieder, all settings of texts by Mörike.  We think, had he heard them, he would have been pleased by the composer's attention to detail and to the diverse moods of the songs, be they serious, funny, pious or fragile.  It is astonishing to learn that Wolf composed them all in a few brief months.

And if Wolf were alive, we think he would have been thrilled that the Brooklyn Art Song Society was devoting two very special evenings to these songs.  And we ourselves were thrilled to hear the songs inhabited by three superb singers, accompanied by two fine collaborative pianists.

A wise choice to open the program, baritone Tobias Greenhalgh impressed us, not only with his enviable technique and skill at conveying the depths of the songs but also because he took the time to learn them and sang "off the book".  Although the other singers managed to convey a lot of feeling "on the book" we personally find that the connection with the audience is impaired in such cases.  We are fully cognizant of the fact that time to memorize songs cannot always be found, especially when time is short; nonetheless, we admire the effort it takes to memorize and relish the connection the singer can establish with the audience.

Of the ten songs Mr. Greenhalgh sang, our personal favorite was "Die Geister Am Mummelsee" in which he enraptured us with a ghostlike tale, infusing his story-telling with both mystery and horror.  His "Peregrina I" and "Peregrina II" were filled with passion, "An die Geliebte" was filled with reverence for the beloved, and "Heimweh", with alienation.  At the phrase "Die Augen gehn mir über", our own eyes nearly spilled over.

Along with his intense involvement with the text and his innate musicality, Mr. Greenhalgh has a voice of gorgeous timbre and a fine command of German.  The Theater an der Wien made an excellent choice in offering him a contract but we will miss him in New York.

Julius Abrahams accompanied Mr. Greenhalgh in the first half of the recital and we loved the way he played the prelude of "Lied Eines Verliebten" and the expressiveness in the minor key of "Bei Einer Trauung".  Mr. Abrahams also accompanied soprano Nell Snaidas in this part of the evening.

Ms. Snaidas has an exciting soprano with interesting overtones and knows how to color different voices successfully as she did in "Der Knabe und das Immlein".  We always knew what lads sound like but now we know how a bee would sound if he could sing!

We also enjoyed her "Nixe Binsefuss" in which she colored her voice to sound very elfin.  What holding the book prevented her from accomplishing with body and gesture, she achieved with her voice.  Mr. Abrahams was right with her on the piano bringing out the fairy-like writing of Herr Wolf.

In the second half of the program, the collaborative pianist was Miori Sugiyama.   We enjoyed Ms. Snaidas in the timely but brief "Er ists" and the sorrowful "Das verlassene Mägdlein".  "Ein Stündlein wohl vor Tag" was another lament on the theme of a mistreated maiden and equally sorrowful.  In "Begegnung" Ms. Sugiyama created a perfect storm on the piano.

The other singer heard on the second half of the program was the brilliant tenor Dominic Armstrong, heard and reviewed a week ago.  We will always jump at any opportunity to hear his clarion voice and to experience the depth of his feeling.  He is a fine actor and managed to hold his book in one hand and to gesture dramatically with the other. 

We loved the adorable song "Auftrag" in which the poet pours his heart out toward the woman who has failed to write to him.  We were moved by the tragic irony of "Auf ein altes Bild" and loved the delicate filigree of "Auf eine Christblume II".  

But it was the three humorous songs bringing the evening to a close that we enjoyed the most, since Mr. Armstrong has a fine flair for comedy.  "Selbstgeständnis" is the tale of a child whose siblings have all left home; he alone has the burden of all the love and duty.  "Zur Warnung" tells the tale of a very bad hangover and "Abschied" relates the poets manner of handling his critics.  Mr. Armstrong sure knows how to tell a story.

Should you be regretting missing this fine program, Mike Brofman, Founder and Artistic Director of BASS, informed us that the remainder of the Mörike lieder will be performed on June 6th.  Not only the wonderful music but the gifted artists Mr. Brofman attracts make it very worthwhile to make the trip to Brooklyn.  And if you live in Brooklyn, so much the better!

© meche kroop

AUTUMN IN NEW YORK

Ms. Worsham, Mr. Brancy, Mr. Greenhalgh, Mr. Bielfield, Ms. Winters, and Mr. Bliss

The fall music season has gotten off to a dazzling start this past week with a major boost from Steven Blier whose New York Festival of Song always gives us something to celebrate.  Performing at Henry's, the consummately hospitable Upper West Side institution known for yummy food and professional service, Maestro Blier brought his crew of wildly talented young singers to entertain the overflowing crowd with a selection of songs suited to the season.

Mr. Blier wears many hats and wears all of the them well, with a jauntiness that makes everyone feel good and fall instantly in love with him.  He hosts the event, narrates with charming anecdotes, arranges the music and performs at the piano; but, most importantly perhaps, he seeks out just the right singers to suit his upbeat style.

The evening began with a big bonus--the inimitable Miles Mykkanen performing "Sing for your Supper" from The Boys from Syracuse by Rogers and Hart.  His charming persona was the perfect start for the evening and "Sing for your Supper" will now be he title for all the NYFOS evenings at Henry's.

Leading off the programmed part of the evening was tenor Kyle Bielfield whose seductive voice made "Dream with Me"...well...dreamy!  This lovely romantic song was composed by Leonard Bernstein with lyrics by Comden and Green.  (You will hear more from us in the near future about Mr. B's newly-released CD with Lachlan Glen which is already topping the charts.)  Mr. Bielfield was joined by barihunk (OH, NO, we didn't just say that!) Tobias Greenhalgh for the spirited "Rumba Blanca" by Armando Oréfiche.  The always wonderful baritone John Brancy, newly back in NY after some major successes abroad, sang Marc Blitzstein's "Stay in My Arms" and was just as wonderfully listenable later in the program in Cole Porter's "Night and Day".

The women on the program were no less delightful.  Corinne Winters sang Xavier Montsalvatge's "Paisatge del Montseny" and Jésus Guridi's folk poem "Cómo quieres que adivine" which suited her voice to a "T".  Lauren Worsham was absolutely adorable in two timely songs about auditions, as Mr. Blier pointed out that autumn in New York is all about auditions.  Ms. Worsham has a fine sense of theater and we in the audience were given a hefty dose of what it's like to go to open calls.

Mr. Greenhalgh made some really good music with Kurt Weill's setting of Maxwell Anderson's text in "September Song" which Mr. Blier said he had neglected for many years after a hefty overdose.  It was indeed time to revive this nostalgic number.

Tenor Ben Bliss played guitar and sang "Forever My Friend" by Ray LaMontagne, following which he sang "Au fond du temple saint" with Mr. Greenhalgh and we almost fell off our chair in amazement to hear this gorgeous operatic voice.  Regular readers will have no doubt which song we preferred.  Just sayin'.

The satisfying evening was brought to a close with the entire cast singing Vernon Duke's "Autumn in New York";  summer is over and we have ushered in the autumn in high style.  These delightful evenings of fine food, wonderful music and good fellowship fill up fast and we promise to let you know about the next "Sing for Your Supper" event in enough time to get your table at Henry's.

© meche kroop

IMAGINE

Tobias Greenhalgh and Steven Blier

"Imagine" is the name of the John Lennon song that baritone Tobias Greenhalgh chose as an encore to his Masters of Music graduation recital yesterday--in a duet with his brother John and with the beloved Steven Blier at the piano.  Now here is something to imagine:  several rows of high school students on a long day trip from Massachusetts, sitting in rapt attention during the entire recital and joining the rest of us in a prolonged standing ovation at the end.

Now, to understand why the attention was so rapt, we must begin at the beginning when Mr. Greenhalgh opened with selections from Schubert's Winterreise.  This work is always good to hear, but in the right hands (and heart) it becomes astonishing in its ability to move us.  J.J. Penna provided the hands at the piano and did not miss a nuance.  Indeed we heard things we'd never noticed before, including the heartbeat of the hero and the cries of the crow.  The heart of course is that of the singer and it was evident that Mr. G. reached deep within to pull up and wring the juice out of every emotion in the songs.  His alienation, his self-pity, his nostalgia, his illusory dreams, his false hopes, his attempts to put on a happy face--all these were plumbed by this gifted young artist.  His technique was superb but went unnoticed as it was used to serve the music and the text. At a certain point, we just take the phrasing, the diction, the control of dynamics and the musicality for granted.

Accompanied by Mr. Blier, Mr. G. did just fine in Norwegian, French, Italian and Spanish in the second half of the program with some selections by Grieg, Debussy, Respighi and Gardel.  But it was in Billy Bigelow's Soliloquy from Rodgers' and Hammerstein's Carousel that Mr. G. truly distinguished himself.  He made sense of every emotion a prospective father might feel.  At the end of the recital we were left eager to hear Mr. G. perform the entire Winterreise and also wanting to hear him do more Broadway type music.  We sense the influence here of Mr. Blier!  In our opinion, it's all opera if it's good.

© meche kroop

SONG OF THE MIDNIGHT SUN

Michael Barrett and Steven Blier

When one thinks of art song and its champions, the two people one thinks of first are Marilyn Horne and Steven Blier.  In January we had an intense exposure to Marilyn Horne who initiated On Wings of Song and last night we had an equally exciting but somewhat different exposure at Steven Blier's 25-year-old New York Festival of Song.  Mr. Blier's offerings are not just vocal, they are also educational.  Just reading the program notes for "Song of the Midnight Sun" gave us a new appreciation for the vocal music of the Scandinavian countries; filled with interesting facts about each composer and the influences upon which their music rests, we felt as if we were exposed to a valuable academic dissertation.

When Mr. Blier speaks, however, his delightful good humor shines through and we get a different sort of appreciation; but when the four Terrance W. Schwab Vocal Rising Stars, fresh from a 12-day mentorship at Caramoor, take the stage, we gain our appreciation experientially.  In its fifth year, the program honors the memory of Caramoor trustee Terrance Schwab and is funded by an endowment in his name.

New Yorkers are not often exposed to Scandinavian songs.  From time to time we hear one of Grieg's more well-known songs but tonight we got to hear songs written by Swedes, Norwegians, Danes and Finns.  We heard Stenhammar, Grieg, Nielsen, de Frumerie, Linde, Rautavaara, Nystroem, Nordqvist, Rangström, Sibelius, Larsson, Sjöberg and Alfvén.  You may be forgiven if these names are unfamiliar.  Although the composers are all different, our ears searched for a common thread.  What all the songs demonstrated was a love of melody, even in the more modern songs. These guys really loved writing for the voice!  We also noted a spare texture in the piano with a couple of exceptions.  But the themes of nature and love are held in common with German lieder.

The program opened with a quartet singing Wilhelm Stenhammar's "I Seraillets have".  What could be lovelier than the beautiful blending of four well-trained voices?  Celebrated soprano Julia Bullock, beautiful Scandinavian-looking mezzo Sarah Larsen, tenor Theo Lebow making his NYFOS debut and award-winning baritone Tobias Greenhalgh composed the quartet.

The program was divided into songs about nature, about night, about the sea, about youth and age and about a "ruined" maid.  Grieg's "Våren" was our personal favorite in the nature category.  The spare texture in the piano writing allowed Mr. Greenhalgh's voice to shine with all its resplendent colors and dynamic variety.  The poet wrote of the pleasures of Spring, the sorrow of thinking it might be his last Spring, and the resignation of knowing that everything ends.  Mr. Greenhalgh captured all these emotions.

Our favorite song in the section about night was Alfvén's "Skogen sover" in which Mr Lebow expressed the tender sentiments with polished phrasing and aching melisma.  We noted some dense and rippling accompaniment in Sibelius' "Var det en dröm?" which was less spare than some of the other songs.

In the section about the sea, Michael Barrett, Associate Artistic Director of NYFOS, took over the piano duties in Nystroem's "Ute i skären" and produced a sound both mystical and impressionistic.

In the section about youth and age, Ms. Bullock evinced a moving depth of feeling as she reminisced about childhood memories in connection with a letter from mother.

The four songs in the "ruined maid" section almost became a cycle, although written by three different composers.  Sibelius' "Im Feld ein Mädchen singt" Mr. Greehalgh sang powerfully against a spare piano and in "Flickan kom ifrån sin älsklings mote", also by Sibelius, Ms. Larsen did the mother-daughter drama proud; the mother was concerned and suspicious while the daughter was at first dissembling and later distraught; it was a fine piece of storytelling.

Ms. Bullock's performance of "En svane" was brilliant, conveying the unutterable sadness of a secret love that only revealed itself at the time of death.  Had Mr. Blier not explained the metaphor, we might have continued to believe that the swan was just a swan.

Sending the audience home happy was the result of the encore, the quartet from Act II of Sondheim's "A Little Night Music".
We could not have imagined a better program.  We listened, we learned, we thrilled to the sound of four fine singers and the piano of Mr. Barrett and Mr. Blier.  We want to hear those songs again on future recital programs!

(c) meche kroop

FUN PASQUALE

Deanna Breiwick, Tobias Greenhalgh, Jeongcheol Cha

What fun we had at Juilliard last night where Donizetti's comic masterpiece Don Pasquale was presented by artists from Juilliard Opera and Juilliard Orchestra.  The story is right out of the commedia dell'arte tradition--a foolish old man wants to marry and gets his comeuppance.  In most productions, we feel great sympathy for the disinherited nephew Ernesto who is so in love with the poor  Norina that he refuses to marry the rich bride his uncle favors, thereby provoking the uncle to seek a bride and produce an heir.

But, in this case, Jeongcheol Cha created such a sympathetic character that our sympathies shifted toward him and less toward the slacker nephew, portrayed by Javier Abreu, a rather unprepossessing fellow who appeared unworthy of the beautiful and spunky Norina, performed by Deanna Breiwick.  The crafty Doctor Malatesta, portrayed by the too young and too handsome Tobias Greenhalgh, initiates a plan to show Don Pasquale how awful marriage is by presenting Norina as his convent-raised sister Sofronia, the perfect wife.  Naturally as soon as the fake marriage contract is signed, Norina proceeds to go through the Don's fortune and to demolish his self-esteem with her wanton ways.  There was a very moving moment when Norina realized how she has injured her future father-in-law; remorse was written all over Ms. Breiwick's lovely face.

Mr. Cha's sturdy bass-baritone served him well in the bel canto style; Mr. Greenhalgh who, in spite of his matinee idol looks and youth, created a dashing image of a doctor who manages to pull off the stunt with panache; his baritone was most pleasant to the ear.  Ms. Breiwick, whose gorgeous golden locks were hidden under a dowdy brown wig, used her lustrous soprano and superior technique to illuminate the coloratura passages with distinction.  Just listen to that liquid silver trill!  Mr. Abreu has a sweet but small tenor and failed to enlist our sympathies for his character.

In a bit of luxury casting, some of Juilliard's finest singers composed the ensemble.  In Swinging Sixties wigs and costumes we had fun trying to recognize them.

The conductor Stephen Lord and the director James Robinson were imported from St. Louis; we were not impressed.  Donizetti's music must sparkle like a diamond and what we heard sounded more like a rhinestone.  Not bad, just a bit lackluster.  The Juilliard Orchestra has sounded better on other occasions.

As far as the direction goes, we saw no reason to place the story in the 1960's, a decade no more relevant to our lives today than the time period in which Donizetti and librettist Giovanni Ruffini placed the action.  This anachronism left us in a disjointed frame of mind when horses and coaches were mentioned.  We were not outraged as we are when serious classics are trashed, just mildly irritated.  There should be a point and there isn't one.  To make matters worse, there were even more contemporary touches like the personal trainer and the green juice drink that didn't belong to the 60's at all.  That being said, these funny bits were....funny.

Set designer Shoko Kambara created a beautiful set for the Don's home with overstuffed furniture and burnished wooden walls that made us think we were going to see an epoch-valid production.  When Norina has the home redecorated, everything appeared to be of the art deco period, another anachronism.

Costumes by Amanda Seymour were colorful and apropos the period.  Still, we were left wondering why Norina, appearing as the modest Sofronia in a black dress, would be wearing bright shiny red stilettos.  In sum, this was a production in which one would do well to forget dramatic logic and just listen to the delightful young artists as they embark on what promises to be some very illustrious careers on the opera stage.

(c) meche kroop

JUILLIARD'S BLACK BOX

There are a number of small opera companies in New York that would do well to consider producing chamber opera but Juilliard Opera actually presents them in the small Rosemary and Meredith Willson Theater.  Artists from Juilliard Opera, mostly graduate students with ample performing experience and enough talent to have won multiple awards and grants, have the gifts and the enthusiasm to bring to light some works that are rarely seen and heard.

Last night two very unusual works were presented--Benjamin Britten's 1964 work Curlew River and Ralph Vaughn Williams' 1927 work Riders to the Sea.  Britten wrote Curlew River as one of three church parables; it is a story of healing and redemption.  The libretto by William Plomer is based upon a Noh play written by Sumidagawa in the 15th c. about a Ferryman who transports a group of pilgrims, a traveler and a madwoman across the river to the grave of a child who died there; the grave has become a sacred spot and famous for healing.  Britten's music is highly original and influenced by Japanese instruments. 

The Madwoman, a "skirt" role created for Peter Pears, was sung by tenor Kyle Bielfield; his sweet voice and dramatic skills emphasized the woman's pain, sorrow, bizarreness and outsider status, a favorite theme of Britten's.  The composer's use of the flute (here played by Daniel James) to represent her character reminded us of Lucia di Lammermoor's mad scene.

The role of the Ferryman was taken by baritone Tobias Greenhalgh whose rich baritone and ease in acting were more than adequate to create a believable character.  The instrument who represented him was the French Horn, played by Jordan James.  The Traveler was sung by another excellent baritone Emmett O'Hanlon, of whom we hope to hear more.  Bass-baritone Davone Tines used the depth of his voice to fine advantage as the Narrator.

As is traditional in Noh theater, all the major roles were taken by men with the exception of the spirit of the dead boy which was movingly sung by soprano Ying Fang.  The chorus of male pilgrims had such fine diction that one couldn't complain of missing a single word.

Aside from the flute and horn, the work was scored for viola (Sara Ordonez),  double bass (Zachary Green), percussion (Jeremy Smith), organ (Julius Abrahams) and harp (Margaret Davis)--all member of the outstanding Juilliard Orchestra.

Alexis Distler's simple setting, which served for both operas, was spare and effective.  Performed in the round, there were two low platforms; one served as the ferry, the other as a gravesite.  Costumes by Sydney Maresca were simple casual street attire with bare feet.  Only the spirit of the boy had a strongly Japanese look with long pants legs that trailed off behind Ms. Fang as she walked.

The second opera, Riders to the Sea, made use of a libretto based on J.M. Synge's play of the same title.  It was clear that Mr. Williams' attempted to create a vocal line that reflected the peculiar sentence structure and lilt of the Irish dialect but this was not entirely successful.  Mark Shapiro conducted the work and the lone piano was played by Adam Nielsen.  We wondered whether the music might have sounded better with the orchestral colors intact.  As performed, it felt more like a play with music than an opera.

The powerful singing compensated for the lack of interest in the music.  Mezzo Lacey Jo Benter has a wonderful chocolatey sound and sufficient acting chops to involve us in the unremitting grief of a mother who has already lost husband, father-in-law and four sons to the sea--and in the course of the work is to lose her last two boys.  Her wordless lament and the ending dirge, in which she is joined by a female chorus, left us close to tears.  Her two daughters were portrayed by sopranos Simone Easthope and Laura Mixter and they too sang superbly and conveyed the tragedy that left us feeling devastated by the end of the work.  The last son was finely sung by the aforementioned Mr. O'Hanlon.

The evening was directed by John Giampietro whose blocking was always effective and never obvious.  These were risky works to put on stage and could not have been done better.  Although done in the round, there was never a time when we felt behind the action.  Rather we felt a part of it.  Perhaps that's why we left with tears in our eyes.

(c) meche kroop