The Wolfscrag Scene from Donizetti’s LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR sung by tenor Francisco Araiza (above) and baritone Brian Schexnayder from a 1988 performance.
Watch and listen here.
Blog
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Wolfscrag Scene ~ Araiza & Schexnayder
The Wolfscrag Scene from Donizetti’s LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR sung by tenor Francisco Araiza (above) and baritone Brian Schexnayder from a 1988 performance.
Watch and listen here.
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CMS Brandenburgs ~ 2021
Sunday December 19th, 2021 – Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center‘s annual Yuletide performances of Bach’s immortal Brandenburg Concertos are always a highlight of the New York musical season. Music lovers turn out on droves for each of the program’s three presentations, giving themselves an early Christmas gift.
One tradition at the CMS Brandenburgs is the annual reshuffling of the order in which the six concetros are played. This year, the odd-numbered concertos were played first, with the even-numbered ones coming after the interval.
The 1st Brandenburg (in F-major) briought together the program’s largest ensemble of players, which produced a wonderful fullness of sound. The wind instrument lineup tonight was impressive indeed: there are three oboes, led by Stephen Taylor with Randall Ellis and Mr. Smith, two mellow horns (David Byrd-Marrow and Stewart Rose); and Marc Goldberg’s rich-toned bassoon. On the string team, led by violinist Daniel Philllips (excellent in the Adagio), Arnaud Sussmann and Sean Lee (violins) were joined by Che-Yen Chen (viola) and Dimitri Atapine (cello). The outstanding continuo duo – Kenneth Weiss (harpsichord) and Joseph Conyers (double bass)- made marvelous music all evening. Mr. Phillips made a lovely thing of the Adagio, where he and Mr. Taylor duetted cordially. The bustling Allegro drew a warm round of applause, but then comes a built-in ‘encore’, in which the wind players outdid themselves.
The 3rd concerto, in G-major, is unique in that the anticipated central slow movement is replaced by a mere couple of chords and a violin flourish before going immediately on to the exhilarating Allegro. Bach calls for three trios of strings: violinists Sean Lee, Arnaud Sussmann, and Alexander Sitkovetsky gave us lively playing in the opening movement, whilst Mr. Phillips traded his violin for his viola to join Mr. Chen and Yura Lee. Add the cello trio of Timothy Eddy, Mr. Atapine, and Inbal Segev, and you have a veritable string-fest. My companion, Cherylyn Lavagnino and I were much taken with Mr. Conyers’ rich and nimble bass playing. The final Allegro sailed blithely onward: so many notes!
In the 5th concerto (in D-major), harpsichordist Kenneth Weiss mesmerized the crowd with his fantastic playing of the long cadenza; people stood up and cheered when he stepped forward for a bow at the end of the evening’s first half. From its familiar opening theme, the 5th concerto puts the violin (Sean Lee) and the flute (Ransom Wilson) in the spotlight; these two gentlemen played the central Affetuoso divinely, whilst Mr. Weiss’s harpsichord cunningly etched a filigree around their melodies. In the concerto’s light and lively final Allegro, Mssrs. Sitkovetsky, Phillips, Eddy, and Conyers were a top-class ensemble.
Following the interval, flautist Tara Helen O’Connor drew a warm welcome as she walked out onto the Tully Hall stage, goddess-like in a glimmering red gown. Yura Lee and Inbal Segev had also chosen red frocks for the evening, giving the scene a festive Yuletide glow. In the 2nd concerto (in F-major), dazzling trumpet virtuosity from David Washburn set the hall alight, whilst Ms. O’Connor’s timbre had its familiar crystalline clarity.
In the Andante, the quartet of Ms. O’Connor, James Austin Smith (oboe), Arnaud Sussmann (violin), and Timothy Eddy (cello) wove a tapestry of sound that warmed the soul: simply perfect. Then Mr. Washburn’s trumpet calls rang out, summoning us to revel in the concerto’s festive finale. A rock-star ovation saluted these extraordinary musicians as they returned for a bow.
Yura Lee and Che-Yen Chen put us under a viola spell with their playing of the 6th concerto (B-flat major) – the one in which no violins are heard: a trio of cellists (Mr. Atapine, Ms. Segev, and Mr Eddy) and the continuo players are all Bach needed here. The Adagio – one of Bach’s most moving and melodious inventions – was entrancing as Ms. Lee and Mr. Chen exchanged phrases. This could have gone on and on – such a balm to the ear – but the closing Allegro sweeps us inexorably forward with its thrice familiar theme..
The evening ended with the fourth concerto (in G-major), in which Alexander Sitkovetsky dazzled us with his silky tone and incredible dexterity. Duetting flautists Ransom Wilson and Tara Helen O’Connor displayed jewel-like qualities in their playing of the animated phrases of the outer movements, whilst bringing a sweet sadness to the harmonies of the central Andante. Mr. Conyers’ double bass and Ms. Segev’s cello provided a resonant counterpoise to the high voices of the flutes and violin. Then we are down to the final Presto: a fugue-like race in which Mr. Sitkovetsky’s fabulous virtuosity led his colleagues in a final sprint to a victorious finish. The audience saluted the musicians with a vociferous standing ovation, recalling them for a second bow.
Leaving Alice Tully Hall, which has become dear to me over these past few years as a refuge of peace and beauty in an increasingly perilous world, we stepped out into the brisk evening air, feeling on top of the world. How wonderful to experience this concert with my friend Ms. Lavagnino, who is truly a kindred spirit.
~ Oberon
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Rolando Villazón’s Papageno @ The Met
Above: Rolando Villazón rehearsing the role of Papageno; a Met Opera photo
Saturday December 18th, 2021 – Though I would like to have seen The Met’s Julie Taymor MAGIC FLUTE again, financial constraints decided me to get score desks for all but a couple of Met performances this season. One of the main draws for FLUTE this time around was to hear Rolando Villazón essaying the role of Papageno. When Villazón’s career as a primo tenore faltered a few years back, he shifted into different repertory. But I believe his taking on Papageno might be a first step towards joining the ranks of baritones.
In the event, though he was HUGELY cheered at his solo bow, Villazón’s Papageno didn’t really work in vocal terms. His voice is no longer very attractive, being a bit dry and lacking in resonance. Much of the time he semi-spoke his musical lines, whilst the actual spoken passages, charmingly accented, were not always understandable. He made bird noises from time to time; his rooster crow was hilarious. It struck me that Placido Domingo in his 80s has more voice at his disposal than Villazón, who is not yet 50.
The remainder of the cast has its pluses and minuses. Outstanding were Matthew Polenzani’s beautifully turned phrases, exquisite piano notes, and clear diction as Tamino, and the rich and rolling sound of basso of Morris Robinson, whose diction was also superb, as Sarastro. Patrick Carfizzi’s Speaker, Rodell Rosel as Monostatos, and Ashley Emerson’s Papagena were excellent, making much of their roles. Daryl Freedman’s Third Lady and Adam Lau’s Second Guard stood out.
Kathryn Lewek dazzled with the Queen of Night’s first aria, climaxing with a sustained high-F; later, in her Vengeance aria, Ms. Lewek’s singing was not quite as impressive as she has been in previous seasons. Hera Hyesang Park’s attractive lyric timbre acquired an edgy quality when she put too much pressure on the tone higher up. Felicia Moore has impressed me on YouTube, but today as the First Lady she sang well but not memorably, though the voice blossomed more as the afternoon went on. Sarah Larsen was fine as the 2nd Lady, Matthew Burns and Mark Schowalter spoke clearly as the Priests, and Richard Trey Smagur was a forthright 1st Guard. The Three Spirits were under-powered and pitchy; I hope when The Met gets a new ZAUBERFLOETE, the music of these Three Spirits will once again be sung by petite women, of the same ilk as Suzanne Adams, Christine Weidinger, Frederica von Stade, Helen Vanni, and Joann Grillo, all of whom were Spirits at The Met over the years.
Jane Glover’s conducting was well-nigh perfect, and the orchestra played well; Chelsea Knox’s flute solos fell gracefully on the ear.
An annoying child in the Family Circle whined and muttered often throughout the opera, and the sound of moving sets around behind the drop curtain during “O Isis and Osiris” spoiled that beautiful passage. But…all’s well as ends well. As the Three Spirits remind Papageno – and us: “You have a life, so live it while you can!”
Saturday December 18th, 2021 matinee
THE MAGIC FLUTE}
Wolfgang Amadeus MozartPamina.......................................Hera Hyesang Park
Tamino.......................................Matthew Polenzani
Queen of the Night...........................Kathryn Lewek
Sarastro.....................................Morris Robinson
Papageno.....................................Rolando Villazón
Papagena.....................................Ashley Emerson
Monostatos...................................Rodell Rosel
Speaker......................................Patrick Carfizzi
First Lady...................................Felicia Moore
Second Lady..................................Sarah Larsen
Third Lady...................................Daryl Freedman
Genie........................................Julian Knopf
Genie........................................Julian Fertel
Genie........................................N. Casey Schopflocher
Priest.......................................Ashraf Sewailam Priest.......................................Mark Schowalter
Guard........................................Richard Trey Smagur
Guard........................................Adam Lau
Slave........................................Stephen Paynter
Slave........................................Kurt Phinney
Slave........................................Craig Montgomery
Solo Dancer.......................................Maria PheganFlute Solo...................................Chelsea Knox
Conductor....................................Jane Glover
~ Oberon
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EUGENE ONEGIN ~ Ottawa 1983
Above: Kathryn Bouleyn
An English-language production of Tchaikovsky’s EUGENE ONEGIN given in 1983 at the National Arts Centre, Ottawa, Canada. Watch and listen here.
Neeme Järvi conducts this performance, staged by John Copley.
The singers are Thomas Allen, Kathryn Bouleyn, David Rendall, Don Garrard, Diane Loeb, Gabrielle Lavigne, Lois Marshall, and Bernard Fitch
I am especially glad to have this souvenir of the wonderful soprano Kathryn Bouleyn, who I saw at the New York City Opera as Countess Almaviva. It is also lovely to see Lois Marshall as Filipyevna; this great singer had a highly successful concert career but rarely appeared in staged opera. Mssrs. Allen, Rendall, and Garrard are excellent.
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Timo Andres @ Merkin Hall
Thursday December 16th, 2021 – Pianist/composer Timo Andres (above) in recital at Merkin Hall. This evening’s program, part of The Kaufman Music Center’s Piano Dialogues series, grew out of the musical friendship of Mr. Andres with his fellow composers, Sarah Goldfeather and Eric Shanfield. Honoring the continuing influence of Robert Schumann’s piano music, Mr. Andres performed the composer’s Waldszenen. Ms. Goldfeather’s new work for Mr. Andres, and Mr. Shanfield’s aptly titled new work, Timo Variations, based on a theme which Mr. Andres composed for Eric in 2019, completed the program.
I simply loved the new work by Sarah Goldfeather, entitled Fern Canyon, which opened the evening in its world premiere performance. Ms. Goldfeather could not have asked for a finer interpreter of her new work than Mr. Andres, a tall, bookish-looking fellow with beautiful hands.
Fern Canyon is at first whimsical and repetitive at the start, keeping in the piano’s mid-range. Little flourishes turn up, and then the music gets more lyrical. Mr. Andres then lingers in the high range, with delicate figurations tickling the ear. Suddenly, the music turns grand, and Rachmaninoff springs immediately to mind. But the piece ends magically, with Mr. Andres keeping his foot on the pedal to sustain the sound of the final note, which hung beautifully on the air. Fern Canyon would make a wonderful dancework, in my view.
Without taking a break, Mr. Andres then commenced Schumann’s Waldszenen, Opus 82. These nine short solo piano pieces were inspired by the German woodlands. In the Teutonic imagination, forests are ancient, restful, and – sometimes – eerily haunted places. Schumann’s nine miniatures conjure up such visions of the woods.
Composed in 1849, this series of intimate scenes from Nature begins with Eintritt, the entry into a cool and shaded grove filled with forest murmurs. A simple, folkish tune emerges as the forest-stroller’s eye wanders about.
Horn calls and the sounds of rifle-fire herald the human invasion of Nature’s sanctuary; in Jäger auf der Lauer, huntsmen who have been stalking their prey break into wild pursuit. The music conveys the thrills of the chase.
The two ‘flower’ pieces that follow are very different in feeling: the simplicity of Einsame Blumen (Lonely Flowers) leads to the shadowy, flowing Verrufene Stelle (Haunted Places) which describes a dark red flower that draws its colour from Earth saturated with human blood.
Things brighten with Freundliche Landschaft (Friendly Landscape) while the coziness of sitting before the fire with a pint are evoked in the almost hymn-like Herberge (The Inn).
The best-known of the Waldszenen is Vogel als Prophet (Bird as Prophet), which captures a sonic image of forest birds, flitting from tree to tree. A central, more poetic passage praises the mystical powers of the forest’s avian dwellers.
Then the music sings of hunters again: in Jagdlied (Hunting Song) the woodland sportsmen look forward to feasting on their catch of the day. The final Abschied (Farewell) was so affectingly played, but the jarring sound of a cellphone came at the worst possible moment.
Throughout this Schumann cycle, Mr. Andres’s playing moved from the poetic to the passionate with a lovely mastery of dynamics, and an unfailingly distinctive style.
Eric Shanfield‘s Timo Variations brought the program to an end. The theme was Mr. Andres’ own creation, brief and uncomplicated; thereafter the pianist embarked on a 9-variation journey, with a closing Aria. Theme I, Scheletrica (“emaciated, meager”) features sharp accents. A reference to the Waldszenen comes next, in a brisk and brusk reply to Schumann’s Vogel als Prophet. Then, bell-like sounds give way to rippling effects in the 3rd variation.
Variation 4 is marked Espressivo (‘ritmico ma no meccanico’) – “rhythmic but not mechanical” – wherein Mr. Andres followed those instructions to the letter. Variation 5 begins with a pulsing feeling, later flowing freely. Continuum (Variation 6) maintains a steadiness, then gives over to a fluttering feeling in Variation 7, which ends up expansively. In the 8th Variation, entitled Kreisleriana, flourishes are played over sustained notes before the music turns quite majestic. The ‘delicate and precise’ music of the 9th Variation is really fun to hear.
Each of these variations is rather longer than one might expect, but they are very inventive and pleasing to hear. Mr. Andres reveled in each of the variations Mr. Shanfield crafted for him. The Timo Variations end with a final Aria which is marked “Elegante“, a word that truly describes Mr. Andres’s playing.
I usually don’t stay for post-performance talks, but this evening I was in no rush to get home, so we stayed to hear what Mssrs. Andres and Shanfield and Ms. Goldfeather had to say. Being well-acquainted with one another, the three hardly needed a moderator. They chatted blithely, and some interesting things popped up along the way: Ms. Goldfeather noted the influence of Rachmaninoff on Fern Canyon, and also revealed that she does not own a piano. Mr. Shanfield said that he owns a piano, but admits to being “a terrible pianist”.
~ Oberon
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GIULIO CESARE ~ Vienna 1985
Above: Marjana Lipovsek as Cornelia and Ann Murray as Sesto
A performance of Handel’s GIULIO CESARE at the Vienna State Opera in 1985
Watch and listen here.
CAST:
Caesar – Benjamin Luxon; Cleopatra – Roberta Alexander; Cornelia – Marjana Lipovsek; Sesto – Ann Murray; Curio – Rudolf Katzböck; Tolomeo – Roderick Kennedy; Achilla – Thomas Hampson; Nireno – Anton Scharinger
Conductor: Nicolas Harnoncourt
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Sonia Prina Sings Porpora’s SALVE REGINA
The Italian contralto Sonia Prina (above) sings Nicola Porpora’s Salve Regina with Accademia Bizantina.
Listen here.
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Sonia Prina Sings Porpora’s SALVE REGINA
The Italian contralto Sonia Prina (above) sings Nicola Porpora’s Salve Regina with Accademia Bizantina.
Listen here.
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Monteverdi ~ Laudate Dominum
A performance of Claudio Monteverdi’s Laudate Dominum with soprano Sherezade Panthaki (above) and members of Voices of Music: Elisabeth Reed (viola da gamba), Hanneke van Proosdij (Baroque organ) and David Tayler (archlute).
Watch and listen here.
Oberon's Glade 