Category: Opera

Bach & Handel – Orchestra of St. Luke’s

Above: Hugh Cutting

~ Author: Oberon

Tuesday June 17th, 2023 – The Orchestra of St. Luke’s, conducted by Bernard Labadie, presenting countertenor Hugh Cutting in a program of music by Bach and Handel at Zankel Hall.

The players of St. Luke’s, led by their gracious concertmaster, Krista Bennion Feeney, set the mood of the evening with a cordial performance of the Sinfonia from the Bach cantata “Wir müssen durch viel Trübsal” (“We must pass thru great sorrow”), BWV 146, featuring organist Avi Stein. This music drew us in with its melodic flow and rhythmic grace. A key element of the entire program was the rich double-bass playing of John Feeney: like the heartbeat of the universe.

Mr. Cutting then took the stage; blonde and boyish, he reminds me a bit of cellist Jonathan Swensen. In Bach’s immortal “Vergnűgte Ruh” BWV 170, Mr. Cutting’s lovely clarity of tone, his mastery of dynamics, and his intriguing personality at once engaged us; it was easy to understand why, in 2021, he was the first countertenor to win the Kathleen Ferrier Award. The voice effortlessly fills the hall, and his gorgeous straight-tone notes, gradually infused with a touch of sensuous vibrato, were spine-tingling.

The second half of the program was given over to Handel, commencing with the overture to Giulio Cesare, which was the very first music of Handel I ever heard in live performance…yes, the night of Beverly Sills’ triumphant Cleopatra at New York City Opera. Mr. Cutting then offered a sly and captivating rendering of Cesare’s ‘hunting’ aria, “Va tacito e nascosto” from Giulio Cesare, with Zohar Schondorf playing the demanding horn part. The two gentlemen seemed to revel in their duetting, bowing to one another at the aria’s finish.

The charismatic Mr. Cutting then switched characters to offer Tolomeo’s angry aria, “L’empio, sleale, indegno!” from Giulio Cesare. With acting as vibrant as his singing, he has a wonderful gift for ornamentation, reveling in his technical prowess, much to the audience’s delight.

A four-movement suite from Handel’s Ariodante featured some nimble playing from bassoonist Shelley Monroe Huang in the second and fourth movements. In the third, marked Allegro, Maestro Labadie set an exhilarating pace, and then accelerated to the finish line.

Mr. Cutting brought vibrant dramatic accents to the opening recitative “Otton, qual portenso fulmine è questo?” from Agrippina; then, in the pensive aria “Voi che udite“, he was at his most affecting, his singing seconded to lovely effect by oboist Melanie Feld. In the da capo, Mr. Cutting’s voice was incredibly moving. Here again, Mr. Feeney’s double bass was so poignant.

In “Furibondo spira il vento” from Handel’s Partenope, the singer tossed off Handel’s florid demands with stunning virtuosity: his scale passages swift and sure, his low notes lending dramatic vitality. This incredible showpiece caused the audience to erupt in cheers and applause at the end. Mr. Cutting was called back three times; the crowd so wanted an encore, but none was forthcoming.

We must hear this voice again, and soon. There is so much music I want to hear him sing.

~ Oberon

June 20, 2023
Enemy of the Fatherland

Above: The French poet André Chénier was one of the last people executed during the Reign of Terror; he had been charged with “crimes against the state”. Three days after Chénier was guillotined, Maximilien Robespierre himself met the same fate. Robespierre had been head of the Committee for Public Safety which condemned an estimated 50,000 people to death during the Reign of Terror. With Robespierre’s execution, the Reign of Terror ended.

In Act III of Umberto Giordano’s opera ANDREA CHENIER, Carlo Gérard prepares the indictment against Chénier. Gérard recalls how he had fervently joined the Revolution and wonders how he has come to this: collaborating in the death sentences of men he knows to be good and just.

In the course of this great aria, Nemico della patria (“Enemy of the Fatherland”), Gérard realizes he is only a pawn of the Committee for Public Safety. Called on to read the charges against Chenier at the trial, Gérard instead passionately defends the poet. Nevertheless, the death sentence is quickly handed down. In the opera’s final scene, set in the Saint Lazare prison, Gérard is still trying to get Chenier released, but to no avail.

The words of the aria are timely in our day and age:

“Enemy of the fatherland?!

It’s an old fable

That people still blissfully swallow.

Born in Constantinople? A Foreigner!

Studied at Saint-Cyr? A Soldier!

Traitor! Accomplice to Dumouriez!

And a poet? A corrupter of hearts

And morals!

I once lived joyfully

Without hatred or vengeance…

Pure, innocent and strong,

I thought myself a giant.

But I’m just a servant

Who has changed masters:

An obedient servant to their violent, sadistic passions!

Ah, worse yet: I kill…!

And while I kill, I’m weeping!

Me, a son of the Revolution,

The first to hear its cry…!

For the world, I united that cry to my own!

Have I now lost faith

In that dream of destiny?

Oh, how my path

Shone with glory!

The heart’s conscience…

Reawakening the people,

Gathering up the tears

Of the vanquished and suffering,

Making the world a Pantheon,

Changing men into gods!

And with one kiss,

To embrace all mankind!

Dmitri Hvorostovsky – Nemico della Patria ~ ANDREA CHENIER

~ Oberon

June 19, 2023
Eve Gigliotti ~ Waltraute’s Narrative

Mezzo-soprano Eve Gigliotti sings Waltraute’s Narrative from Wagner’s GOTTERDAMMERUNG with Kevin Korth, pianist.

Watch and listen here.

Ms. Gigliotti’s YouTube page includes several interesting items from her wide-ranging repertoire.

May 30, 2023
Milanov~Bergonzi~Sereni CHENIER – Atlanta 1960

Above: Zinka Milanov

A performance of Giordano’s ANDREA CHENIER given in 1960 by The Met on tour in Atlanta has just popped up on YouTube. Listen here.

This was at the time when I was just falling in love with opera, though I had not yet discovered the Met Texaco broadcasts. Zinka was on the very first opera LP that my parents gave me; Bergonzi was Pinkerton on the first complete opera set I ever bought (the ‘second’ Tebaldi Cio-Cio-San); and not long after, I bought the de los Angeles TRAVIATA on which Sereni sang Germont.

One of the things I loved most about finding this Atlanta CHENIER was that the cast includes three mezzo-sopranos who – over time – were to give me so many wonderful memories: Belén Amparán, Helen Vanni, and Mignon Dunn. And just look at the Met stalwarts cast in the supporting male roles:

Atlanta, Georgia (Metropolitan Opera on tour) May 2nd, 1960

ANDREA CHÉNIER
Andrea Chénier..........Carlo Bergonzi Maddalena...............Zinka Milanov Carlo Gérard............Mario Sereni Bersi...................Helen Vanni Countess di Coigny......Mignon Dunn Abbé....................Gabor Carelli Fléville................George Cehanovsky L'Incredibile...........Alessio De Paolis Roucher.................Clifford Harvuot Mathieu.................Ezio Flagello Madelon.................Belén Amparan Dumas...................Osie Hawkins Fouquier Tinville.......Norman Scott Schmidt.................Louis Sgarro Major-domo..............Lloyd Strang
Conductor...............Fausto Cleva

So, despite the sometimes wonky sound quality, this recording is such a treasure to me.

May 29, 2023
DON GIOVANNI @ The Met

Above: Peter Mattei as Don Giovanni & Ying Fang as Zerlina

Author: Oberon

Saturday May 27th, 2023 matinee – The Met’s new DON GIOVANNI is a grey affair. Large grey architectural set pieces loom above the action; from time to time they are moved to form varying spaces as the story unfolds. The costumes are drab and muted, with the only color splash coming at the Don’s party when mannequins are wheeled in, brightly dressed in period gowns. Much of the time the singers are dressed as they might be for a rehearsal. The greyness prevails until the opera’s final sextet, when flowers, potted plants, and vari-colored domestic furnishings suddenly decorate the set.

Aside from the Don’s killing of the Commendatore with a gun rather than in a duel, there’s nothing radical in the staging. Of course, if the production had been set in the USA, everyone would have been toting an AK-15.

With so little to distract us visually, focus was on the singing. Adam Plachetka sounded muted in Leporello’s opening lines, but he bloomed vocally with his Catalogue Aria and was thereafter very impressive. Dmitry Belosselskiy was a strongly-sung Commendatore, responding ominously to the Don’s dinner invitation, still wearing the bloody shirt in which he was killed. In powerful voice, Mr. Belosselskiy made me look forward to his upcoming Daland.

As the peasant couple, Masetto and his Zerlina, Alfred Walker and Ying Fang were superb. Mr. Walker is always a joy to hear, and his excellent singing today turned the oft-neglected character into a leading role. Ying Fang, with one of the most appealing voices on the current operatic scene, was exquisite in both of her arias, and she blended with Peter Mattei’s suavely-phrased singing to make “La ci darem la mano” one of the highlights of the afternoon.

Ana Maria Martinez was a bit unsettled vocally at first, and I wasn’t sure that Donna Elvira was a role for her; but she convinced me otherwise as the opera progressed. Her “Mi tradi” was fabulously sung: in a delightful musical collaboration with conductor Nathalie Stutzmann, Ms. Martinez made the aria glow. The soprano, looking like an earnest CEO in her fitted forest-green frock and black stilettos, found the perfect mix of determination and frustration in the character.

Federica Lombardi had a triumph in her third Mozart role at The Met: following her Countess Almaviva and Elettra (IDOMENEO), she sang brilliantly as Donna Anna today, throwing in some embellishments along the way, which Mme. Stutzmann wisely allowed. All afternoon, the Lombardi voice rang clear and true, with free-flowing coloratura, and capping the ensembles brightly. In the great aria “Non mi dir“, Ms. Lombardi was poignantly expressive in her plea for understanding, and then set off the fireworks for the aria’s fast-paced conclusion.

Ben Bliss as Don Ottavio gave us some of the most expressive singing of the afternoon, with lovely dynamics in the touching “Dalla sua pace” and a sure command of the dazzling demands of “Il mio tesoro“. Ben’s visible frustration when Donna Anna asked for ‘more time’ after demise of her nemesis, Don Giovanni, was much appreciated by the audience.

Peter Mattei’s Don Giovanni made a huge impression at The Met in 2009, in another drab production, which I watched with Lisette Oropesa – the first act onscreen at List Hall and the second from a balcony box. We were both bowled over by his vivid characterization and his mellifluous singing. This afternoon, in a production that casts the Don as a psychopath, Mattei was equally impressive…and the voice is more beautiful and subtle than ever. His “La ci darem la mano” with Ying Fang, his ‘champagne aria’ (taken by Ms. Stutzmann at lightning speed) and his ravishing serenade, “Deh, vieni alla finestra“, were perfect.

What separated this performance from most everything else I have seen at The Met this season was the conducting: the majority of the operas have been played fast and loud, apparently in an attempt to make things more ‘exciting’. As a result, singers were often made to choose between forcing or being drowned out. As a singer, Ms. Stutzmann knows what to do on the podium; so today, every note and word was clearly audible, and no one seemed to be putting undue pressure on their voice.

Moreover, Ms. Stutzmann gave the music a wonderful sense of flow, often moving directly from recitative to aria without pause. There was an especially lovely trio continuo players today: John C. Kelly (fortepiano), Kari Jane Docter (cello), and John Lenti (theorbo and mandolin). It was Mr. Lenti who gave the Mattei serenade its enchanting accompaniment. I cannot say which of the Met Orchestra’s cellists was responsible for the splendid playing in Ms. Martinez’s wonderful “Mi tradi“, nor which clarinetist brought such warmth and clarity to the playing of the downhill scales in Figaro’s “Non piu andrai” as part of the Don’s dinner music.

And so, I wanted very much to meet Nathalie Stutzmann after the performance. I went down to the stage door – after the enthusiastic ovation during the curtain calls – to find that a large crowd had gathered there. The singers came out and were greeted like rockstars, and they all lingered, chatting up the fans.

I think all afternoon the scandale was on people’s minds – at least those people who like gossip. During the performance, there had been no hint of any tension between the pit and the podium, although the players who sit nearest the spot from which the conductor enters – and who usually start clapping loudly when Maestro X, Y, or Z first appears – didn’t do that for Ms. Stutzmann today. But the audience soon spotted her and gave her a round of bravas.

Ar last Ms. Stutzmann came out, and after she had greeted some other fans, it was my turn. I had thought of some non-controversial things to say to her, but my shyness overwhelmed me. She signed my program, and I embraced her, and said: “I love your Alto Rhapsody!” which made her smile. Listen to it here.

~ Oberon

May 28, 2023
Sasha Cooke/Kirill Kuzmin ~ how do I find you

Above: Sasha Cooke in a Stephanie Girard portrait

Author: Oberon

Thursday May 25th, 2023 – Mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke presenting a program of songs she commissioned from some of the most distinctive composers of our time in a concert at Merkin Hall. This ambitious project was conceived by Ms. Cooke in 2020, at the height of the devastation of COVID-19, and many of the songs reflect a wide range of experiences tied to the pandemic, from the virus’s global effects to intimate, domestic stories of isolation and loneliness. Pianist Kirill Kuzmin was Sasha’s perfect musical partner for the evening.

In approaching the composers and lyricists for this project, Sasha had put no limits on subject matter. Of course, the pandemic was on everyone’s mind, but other important topics were brought forward: California wildfires, school shootings, current US politics, and the internment of Asian immigrants on Angel Island in the 19th and 20th centuries.

The artists took the stage to a sustained round of applause. Sasha looked radiant in a shimmering gown, and within a few moments we were basking in the glow of her wide-ranging voice and her thoughtful way with words.

Caroline Shaw wrote both the music and the words for the evening’s title song, how do i find you. In this lyrical, melodious piece, everything that is dear to me about Sasha’s voice came into play: the warmth of her timbre, the cushioned, unforced low notes and rapturous highs, and the sheer seamlessness of it all. And she is sounding more gorgeous and expressive than ever.

A five-note descending scale is a recurring motif in Ms. Shaw’s song, tailored so perfectly to the words. The music gets quite grand, and then briefly declamatory, before a final passage of sustained tones.

Listen (music by Kamala Sankaram, words by Mark Campbell) features some lovely writing for the piano, and explores a wide tonal range for the voice. There comes a great outpouring, and then a mix of pastel colors at the end. The poet’s words are simple yet infinitely moving: “Listen, as you would to the words of a dying friend…”

Risk Not One (music by Matt Boehler, words by Todd Boss) Sasha jumps right in, and a rhythm develops; The words are urgent: “Go for broke!” Sasha’s voice is big and rich here, and Kirill at the piano has lots of lively notes to play. Glorious singing, with a big finish.

Self-Portrait with Dishevelled Hair (music by Missy Mazzoli, words by Royce Vavrek) Inspired by Rembrant’s painting of the same name, and by the idea that a self-portrait captures a moment in time, the music veers from pensive to animated to moving. “I will paint you a self-portrait of me…so that you and I, separated by centuries, might lock into each other’s gaze.”

Spider (music by John Glover, words by Kelley Rourke) was one of my favorite songs on the program, though – to be honest – all the songs were favorites. The piano begins to ripple as the spider builds her web, and the music is thoughtful. Sasha’s voicing of the words is so clear…and then she begins to hum, like a lullaby.

MasksUsedToBeFun (music by Frances Pollock, words by Emily Roller) was the most political song of the evening. It’s a light-hearted take on serious matters. From a bright start, the words are sometimes sung and sometimes spoken. Full of irony – and finger snapping – the piece rushes along, eventually taking singer and pianist to the brink of madness. The final lines are a hymn to our beloved democracy, followed by a touching piano postlude.

(During a Q & A after the performance, a woman in the audience asked why “we” (left wingers) don’t reach out to “them” (the right wingers). The answer is simple: “they” are inflexible, cannot be reasoned with, nor think of anything other than imposing their beliefs on everyone else, and getting their own way – by hook or by crook. That’s why “we” end up “talking to ourselves”, as the woman so blithely put it.)

Everything Will Be Okay (music by Christopher Cerrone, words by John K. Samson) was another favorite of mine; it tells of the recovery of a lost ‘treasure’. The song grows from a low start via simple voice and piano lines to a more dramatic passage before finding a tranquil ending, as peace of mind is restored.

After the Fires (music by Lembit Beecher, words by Liza Balkan) is a poetic narrative recalling the California fires of 2020, wherein the writer tells of returning home after the devastation. “There’s a feeling of memories having been erased along with the place.” The music covers a wide dynamic range, and the role of the piano is key. The song becomes very reflective, and finishes with a sense of quiet resignation. I loved watching Sasha sing this piece.

(A Bad Case of) Kids (music by Andrew Marshall, lyrics by Todd Boss) is a drunken song, and Sasha’s take on it made me think of Flicka von Stade’s hilarious PERICHOLE aria. A poor bloke is stuck at home with the kids all day, day after day. He pleads: “Find me a bed on the topmost floor, far from the cries of the maternity ward!” Sasha and Kirill had a blast with this song, which is quite operatic at times. The music rolls along, like something out of a music hall revue: a vivid finale to the concert’s first half.

The Work of Angels (music by Huang Ruo, words by David Henry Hwang), which tells of Angel Island and the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, where Asian immigrants were held, some for months…or even years. Of course this made me think of my beloved Wei, and the ongoing threats to Asians in this country. The singing is intimate, contrasting with some grand passages for the piano. The sound of the words becomes hesitant, as if afraid to speak of the things that happened to these people. It was some of the most poignant music we heard tonight, and it ends with a wordless vocalise.

Altitude (music by Timo Andres, words by Lola Ridge), an enigmatic and strangely captivating song, in which Sasha almost compulsively repeats words whilst Kirill plays dotty accents. Then Sasha concludes this unique song in a gorgeous high phrase.

Still Waiting (music by Joel Thompson, words by Gene Scheer) is the harrowing tale of a mother in this age of school shootings. Reassuring at first, humming to herself, the woman misses a text from her daughter telling of a shooter in the school, followed by a second text: “”I’m OK, We’re evacuating. I love you.” This brings a huge outpouring of voice. In the final unaccompanied passage, Sasha almost lost control. I imagine this song is very difficult for a mother to sing, but it needs to be heard.

In the Q & A at the program’s end, Sasha spoke of her difficulty in deciding what should follow Still Waiting. She chose That Night (music by Hilary Purrington, words by Mark Campbell), a long and rambling paean to the vitality and chaos of New York City life. It was a lot of fun to watch Sasha toss off the words; despite all the extroversion, the song has a thoughtful finish.

Inward Things is Nico Muhly’s setting of a text by the 17th century English poet and theologian, Thomas Traherne. Muhly fashioned the piece so compellingly, and Sasha brought opulent tone and an engaging dynamic palette to bear on this beauteous music. The song’s end was especially sublime.

Dear Colleagues (music by Rene Orth, words by Colleen Murphy) details the abundant problems masses of people faced during the pandemic while trying to work from home where kids, pets, and daily domestic stuff keep interrupting. The song is a working mother’s melodrama, which Sasha sang and acted with flair, whilst Kirill relished the choice piano interjections. The song has a hilarious ending.

The Hazelnut Tree (words and music by Gabriel Kahane) tells of emerging from the confines of the indoors, of newspapers and television screens, into the natural world where we can find the true beauty of life. Mr. Kahane gives the words a fine melodic flow, which Sasha voiced so persuasively.

Where Once We Sang (music by Jimmy López Bellido, words by Mark Campbell) marked the end of the evening. From the title, we knew what it would be about: lost time, lost opportunity…the pandemic months depriving musicians, dancers, and performing artists of their reason for living. Some were taken from us, others gave up. And by the time it was deemed safe again, the lost days were irretrievable.

From the song’s unaccompanied start, Sasha conveyed everything those of us for whom music is our lifeblood felt and feared throughout those dark days. The song grows in fervor, which is then becalmed, and a sense of hope and quiet rapture settles over us.

What I will always remember about this evening is the great pleasure of having been in that space with that voice.

~ Oberon

May 25, 2023
Composer Portraits: Suzanne Farrin

Above: composer Suzanne Farrin at the ondes Martenot; photo by Rob Davidson

Tuesday May 23rd, 2023 – The final program of the season in the Miller Theatre’s unique Composer Portraits series featured Suzanne Farrin, who hails from a small town on the Maine coast. It was an incredible musical experience which moved me deeply.

Two fascinating singers – soprano Alice Teyssier and countertenor Eric Jurenas – joined virtuoso members of the International Contemporary Ensemble for an evening of magical music-making, with conductor Kamna Gupta leading the large ensemble works, and the composer joining in for the program’s world premiere finale, playing the ondes Martenot. Special kudos to audio engineer Caley Monahon-Ward and lighting designer Philip Treviño for their expertise in making it a memorable evening in every possible way.

I knew nothing about Ms. Farrin’s work until this evening; in the days leading up to the performance, I read her bio but didn’t sample any of her compositions, as I like to be introduced to new music live whenever possible. All day, I felt an odd sense of anticipation for the concert, as if something special was about to happen. This was prophetic: from first note to last, the program mesmerized me.

Five excerpts from Ms. Farrin’s 2016 opera, dolce la morte, were presented during the evening. I cannot imagine anything that could more perfectly have captivated my imagination than the opening measures of the aria unico spirto, which begins with oboe (Kemp Jernigan) and bassoon (Rebekah Heller) on a sustained tone. Matching the pitch, countertenor Eric Jurenas joins them with a straight tone of unearthly beauty. Mr. Jurenas’s fantastical voice was heard with a subtle halo of echo, evoking an ancient world which lingers only in the imagination.

Above: Kyle Armbrust (viola), Evan Runyon (double bass), conductor Kamma Gupta, and countertenor Eric Jurenas; photo by Rob Davidson

Odd harmonies from the wind players wrap around the vocal line; the texts are drawn from letters of Michelangelo to the young Italian nobleman Tommaso dei Cavalieri, and Mr. Jurenas voiced them with a spine-tingling air of sensuality. Near the end, Evan Runyon’s double bass introduces tension with a shivering tremolo. The aria ends with the singer’s magical voice fading into thin air.

The other excerpts from dolce la morte were interspersed thru the concert’s first half. The first of these was come serpe in which Mr. Jurenas’s timbre was almost unbearably gorgeous. Bassoonist Rebekah Heller displayed amazing breath control, whilst double bassist Evan Runyon brought forth tones from the depths. At times, the music seemed to be reaching us from a distant galaxy.

veggio found the countertenor veering between the ethereal and the dramatic; his is an uncanny sound, delighting me constantly with its kozmic beauty. The ensemble meanwhile sighed, trembled, and groaned, with pulsing notes played pianissimo by the bass, and insistent high notes beaming from Nuiko Wadden’s enchanted harp.

In an oboe solo from the opera, l’onde della non vostra, Kemp Jernigan summoned squawking, stuttering, twittering sounds, along with trills and sagging tones, before rising to a high finish. From there, Mr. Jurenas took up the oboe’s final note and commenced rendete, the final excerpt from dolce la morte. His voice blended marvelously with the oboe and bassoon, soon joined by violinist Josh Modney, violist Kyle Ambrust, and cellist Clare Monfredo. Ms. Wadden’s harp twinkled in the high range as the singer ventured upward. There were shivering motifs from Mr. Runyon’s bass, leading to a big, grinding sound from the ensemble. Overall, the heavenly voice of Mr. Jurenas sounded with utter clarity.

Backtracking, the concert’s first half had offered soprano Alice Teyssier (above, photo by Rob Davidson) in Il Suono (from 2016) in which Ms. Wadden’s harp sounded in skittering passages and entrancing melismatic flourishes whilst Ms.Teyssier’s voice floated dreamily on the air, with straight tones of alluring purity.

Above: Nuiko Wadden; photo by Rob Davidson

Three works for solo instruments put members of the International Contemporary Ensemble in the spotlight. The first of these was polvere et ombra (2008) for harp, in which Ms. Wadden delivered swirls of notes and cascading glissandi, followed by some crisp plucked notes. The piece ends with the strings being gently brushed, almost a caress.

Above, the evening’s string contingent: John Modney (violin), Clare Monfredo (cello), Kyle Armbrust (viola), and Evan Runyon (double bass); photo by Rob Davidson

In Time is a Cage (2007), violinist John Modney produced a wide range of sonic motifs: tremolos and trills, and passages of fluttering, buzzing, slithering sounds. In the piece’s most delicate moments, the music went from being impressive to being spellbinding.

Following the interval, cellist Clare Monfredo (above, photo by Rob Davidson) played corpo di terra (2009). From quietly tapping the strings, trills carried the music to a discordant passage. After rising to quiet, repeated notes, and a feeling of quivering, the cello drops to a drone. A lullaby-like motif turns astringent, and then rather ominous. Calming, the strings are gently brushed. There follows a sort of coda, with an upward rush to a sort of oozing sound, ending in a trembling state. Ms. Monfredo took all of this in stride, making the music feel like a poem that expresses many moods.

Above, Evan Runyon, Nathan Davis, Alice Teyssier, and Suzanne Farrin; photo by Rob Davidson

Concluding the evening, the world premiere of Ms. Farrin’s Their Hearts are Columns (2020) brought together Mlles. Teyssier and Wadden, Mr. Runyon, percussionist Nathan Davis, and the composer herself, seated at the ondes Martenot. This work, a setting of poems about love and its meaning to the woman’s character, begins with quiet drumming and bass tones, and then the voice of Ms. Teyssier emerged, remote and beckoning. The sound of the ondes Martenot entices the ear, like the soundtrack of a dream. The entwining timbres of this unique instrument with the bass, harp, and percussion made for some extraordinary textures, An unexpected outburst from the singer brings the work to a sudden end.

In a mid-concert interview with the Miller’s Melissa Smey, Ms. Farrin spoke of the essential elements for living in our increasingly disquieting world: compassion and empathy. This confirmed what I felt while listening to her music: she and I are on the same wave-length,

~ Oberon

May 23, 2023
ORPHEUS: A Paul Robeson Celebration & “Egmont”

~ Author: Oberon

Saturday May 20, 2023 – ORPHEUS presenting the world premiere of Jasmine Barnes’ Songs of Paul, celebrating the 125th birthday of the great singer/activist Paul Robeson; this was followed by Beethoven’s Egmont in an arrangement by Andreas Tarkmann, with a new translation of the narrative by Philip Bohem. Soprano Karen Slack and baritone Will Liverman were the excellent soloists for the Barnes, and Ms. Slack also sang the soprano arias in the Beethoven, sharing the stage with the inimitable Christine Baranski, who was the Narrator.

Above: Paul Robeson

Ms. Barnes’ new work was warmly received by the audience tonight; her arrangements are beautiful, and were finely played by the artists of ORPHEUS. Sometimes the music seemed too symphonic, detracting a bit from the voices; I grew up hearing these songs on my grandmother’s 78s, with Lawrence Brown playing piano, and the orchestral settings tonight at times felt too glossy. Be that as it may, the songs were superbly sung by Will Liverman (“Didn’t My Lord Deliver Daniel?”, “Deep River”, “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot”, and “Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child”) and Karen Slack (“There’s A Man Going Round Taking Names” and “My Soul’s Been Anchored in the Lord“). The two singers joined together for a grand finale, starting with the profound “Go down, Moses” which gave way to the rousing “Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho“. Both singers sounded marvelous in the great Hall; composer Jasmine Barnes joined them for a bow, to loud cheers from the crowd.

The Beethoven did not seem the right companion piece to the Robeson fest this evening; though both Paul Robeson and Lamoral of Egmont were idealists and freedom fighters, that is their only real connection. There was a feeling of restlessness in the Hall as the Beethoven went on, and at least four different cellphones went off, which was distracting. At any rate, Egmont is not one of Beethoven’s masterpieces; the music mostly feels dutiful rather than inspired.

The historical story of Lamoral of Egmont (above) began in Brussels, in the second half of the 16th century. The Low Countries, under the heavy yoke of Philip II and his Spanish Inquisition – reference Verdi’s DON CARLO – found their civil rights curtailed and the Protestant movement crushed. Egmont, although himself a loyal Catholic, went to Madrid to plead for clemency for the Protestants. He was received with honors by King Philip, but when Egmont returned to his homeland, the king sent the Duke of Alva to Brussels to squash all resistance to Spain’s will. Egmont was imprisoned and eventually executed for treason; his martyr’s death roused the Lowlanders to rebel and cast off their Spanish overlords.

Beethoven took up the tale of Egmont in 1809, when he was commissioned to compose incidental music for the Vienna premiere of the Goethe play. Beethoven composed a set of musical numbers for Egmont, beginning with the dramatic overture, now a free-standing staple of the concert repertory. There are four entr’actes, two songs for Klärchen, and the final scenes of Egmont’s trial and death. It ends with Egmont’s exultant call to the people to overthrow their oppressors: “Defend your land! And to liberate your loved ones, give yourselves joyously, as I do now, for you!”

Ms. Baranski, clad all in white, read the narrative, which veers from poetic to melodramatic, with her distinctive voice and innate sense of drama. Ms. Slack sang Klärchen’s two brief arias attractively. The orchestra – all evening – played splendidly, with several notable solo passages for the winds.

~ Oberon

May 21, 2023
ORPHEUS: A Paul Robeson Celebration & “Egmont”

~ Author: Oberon

Saturday May 20, 2023 – ORPHEUS presenting the world premiere of Jasmine Barnes’ Songs of Paul, celebrating the 125th birthday of the great singer/activist Paul Robeson; this was followed by Beethoven’s Egmont in an arrangement by Andreas Tarkmann, with a new translation of the narrative by Philip Bohem. Soprano Karen Slack and baritone Will Liverman were the excellent soloists for the Barnes, and Ms. Slack also sang the soprano arias in the Beethoven, sharing the stage with the inimitable Christine Baranski, who was the Narrator.

Above: Paul Robeson

Ms. Barnes’ new work was warmly received by the audience tonight; her arrangements are beautiful, and were finely played by the artists of ORPHEUS. Sometimes the music seemed too symphonic, detracting a bit from the voices; I grew up hearing these songs on my grandmother’s 78s, with Lawrence Brown playing piano, and the orchestral settings tonight at times felt too glossy. Be that as it may, the songs were superbly sung by Will Liverman (“Didn’t My Lord Deliver Daniel?”, “Deep River”, “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot”, and “Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child”) and Karen Slack (“There’s A Man Going Round Taking Names” and “My Soul’s Been Anchored in the Lord“). The two singers joined together for a grand finale, starting with the profound “Go down, Moses” which gave way to the rousing “Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho“. Both singers sounded marvelous in the great Hall; composer Jasmine Barnes joined them for a bow, to loud cheers from the crowd.

The Beethoven did not seem the right companion piece to the Robeson fest this evening; though both Paul Robeson and Lamoral of Egmont were idealists and freedom fighters, that is their only real connection. There was a feeling of restlessness in the Hall as the Beethoven went on, and at least four different cellphones went off, which was distracting. At any rate, Egmont is not one of Beethoven’s masterpieces; the music mostly feels dutiful rather than inspired.

The historical story of Lamoral of Egmont (above) began in Brussels, in the second half of the 16th century. The Low Countries, under the heavy yoke of Philip II and his Spanish Inquisition – reference Verdi’s DON CARLO – found their civil rights curtailed and the Protestant movement crushed. Egmont, although himself a loyal Catholic, went to Madrid to plead for clemency for the Protestants. He was received with honors by King Philip, but when Egmont returned to his homeland, the king sent the Duke of Alva to Brussels to squash all resistance to Spain’s will. Egmont was imprisoned and eventually executed for treason; his martyr’s death roused the Lowlanders to rebel and cast off their Spanish overlords.

Beethoven took up the tale of Egmont in 1809, when he was commissioned to compose incidental music for the Vienna premiere of the Goethe play. Beethoven composed a set of musical numbers for Egmont, beginning with the dramatic overture, now a free-standing staple of the concert repertory. There are four entr’actes, two songs for Klärchen, and the final scenes of Egmont’s trial and death. It ends with Egmont’s exultant call to the people to overthrow their oppressors: “Defend your land! And to liberate your loved ones, give yourselves joyously, as I do now, for you!”

Ms. Baranski, clad all in white, read the narrative, which veers from poetic to melodramatic, with her distinctive voice and innate sense of drama. Ms. Slack sang Klärchen’s two brief arias attractively. The orchestra – all evening – played splendidly, with several notable solo passages for the winds.

~ Oberon

May 20, 2023
Nelsons/BSO: Mozart/Adès/Sibelius @ Carnegie Hall

Above: Maestro Andris Nelsons; photo by Fadi Kheir

Author: Ben Weaver

Tuesday April 25th, 2023 – The Boston Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of their music director Andris Nelsons, returned to Carnegie Hall last week. The concert of April 25th, 2023 was a marvelous evening of music by Mozart, Adès, and Sibelius, featuring two outstanding soloist artists.

The great Anne-Sophie Mutter (above, photo by Fadi Kheir) performed two works: Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 1 in B-flat major, KV 207 and the New York premiere of Thomas Adès’ Air (Homage to Sibelius) for Violin and Orchestra.

Mozart’s violin concertos have been part of Mutter’s repertoire for her entire career; it’s music she has played and internalized, and performances she has perfected, through the years. The magical performance on Tuesday night of the 1st Concerto, composed in 1773, was essentially perfect. Mutter’s golden, rich, steady tone never wavered; the soulfulness of her playing made the audience lean in. Mozart’s virtuosic writing gave Mutter no difficulties; she dispatched every run, double stop, and trill with absolute ease.

The new composition by Adès, Air (Homage to Sibelius), is a very different work from Mozart. Composed for Ms. Mutter in 2022, it’s a single-movement, semi-minimalist work (running about 13 mins) that lets the soloist stay in the upper reaches of the instrument for almost its entire run time. While the soloist played a canon – Ms. Mutter’s perfect control and steadiness were wondrous to hear – the orchestra shifted the landscape through orchestration and rhythms. Maestro Nelsons shepherded the forces around Ms. Mutter beautifully, the BSO letting the music ebb and flow. While Mr. Adès explicitly says Air is an homage to Sibelius, I heard more Arvo Pärt and John Adams than Sibelius.

Above: soprano Golda Schultz sings Sibelius; photo by Fad Kheir

Two works by Sibelius book-ended the evening’s program. The vocal tone poem Luonnotar, Op. 70, is one of Sibelius’ most mystical and magical works. With text taken from the first “song” of the Finnish epic national poem Kalevala (a work that inspired several other major works from Sibelius), it tells the story of the (non-religious) Creation. The huge leaps and range of the vocal writing makes Luonnotar one of the most demanding works for a soprano, and South African soprano Golda Schultz was mesmerizing. Her rich voice is even throughout the range, even in the uppermost reaches it remains creamy and ravishing. Her breath control ensured she never ran out of air for Sibelius’ long and achingly beautiful melodies. Maestro Nelsons was sensitive to never let the orchestra drown out the singer. This is a work I wish would be performed more often.

Above: Maestro Nelsons and the BSO; photo by Fadi Kheir

The concert ended with an expansive performance of Sibelius’ Symphony No. 5 in E-flat major, Op. 82. Sibelius’ sound-world is really like no other. I don’t think there is another composer who composed music of such surging coldness and brilliant light. You can feel the winds sweeping across the snow and the icy water glistening in the Sun. The episodic nature of Sibelius’ writing, in the hands of lesser conductors, can be difficult to stitch together. Maestro Nelsons managed it beautifully, and the Boston Symphony – which has a long history of playing Sibelius – responded to every nuance. The orchestra’s marvelous brass section deserves special recognition here because the very exposed writing for the horns in the first and third movements was played perfectly by the ensemble. The final movement, one of Sibelius’ most famous compositions, with the majestic tolling of the horns and sweeping melody from the strings, is one of those rare truly breathtaking glories of music. It’s interesting that this overwhelming section – supposedly inspired by a flock of swans he watched passing overhead – is only played in all its Romantic glory once. When it is repeated in the second half of the movement, it changes to a darker, almost sinister tone. And the work ends with 4 chords and 2 unisons – broken by pauses. A stark and startling conclusion.

The Boston Symphony is second to none playing Sibelius; years ago Sir Colin Davis – one of the great exponents of the Finnish bard’s music – played and recorded his works with the BSO extensively. Andris Nelsons doesn’t miss a beat.

Performance photos by Fadi Kheir, courtesy of Carnegie Hall

~ Ben Weaver

April 28, 2023