Tag: New York City Ballet

Farewells: Gonzalo Garcia

Above: Gonzalo Garcia in George Balanchine’s immortal APOLLO

Sunday February 27th, 2022 matinee – Gonzalo Garcia, one of the handsomest men ever to grace the ballet stages of the world, bade farewell to the New York City Ballet this afternoon.

Gonzalo, a native of Zaragoza, Spain, won the Prix de Lausanne in 1995 at the age of 15 – the youngest dancer to win that coveted prize. He joined San Francisco Ballet in 1998 at the age of 18, and at 22 he became a principal dancer there.

In 2007, Gonzalo made a great leap from one coast to the other, leaving San Francisco Ballet to join New York City Ballet. Since then, he has performed many roles for us here; among them, I have especially loved his Apollo, Oberon in MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM, the Princes in the Peter Martins productions of SWAN LAKE and SLEEPING BEAUTY, Franz in COPPELIA, the principal male roles in BALLO DELLA REGINA, RUBIES, and BAISER DE LA FEE, the leads in Jerome Robbins’ OPUS 19/THE DREAMER, DANCES AT A GATHERING, and GLASS PIECES, in Christopher Wheeldon’s POLYPHONIA and LES CARILLONS, and Alexei Ratmansky’s CONCERTO DSCH. Most recently, I greatly enjoyed seeing Gonzalo in Justin Peck’s ROTUNDA, an excerpt from which he danced at his farewell gala.

Some wonderful Gonzalo Garcia partnerships:

Above: Gonzalo Garcia and Ana Sophia Scheller in SLEEPING BEAUTY; photo by Paul Kolnik

Above: Gonzalo with Sterling Hyltin in RUBIES; photo by Paul Kolnik

Above: Gonzalo with Tiler Peck in OTHER DANCES; photo by Erin Baiano

Above: with Megan Fairchild in NUTCRACKER

When time has allowed, Gonzalo has danced as a guest artist:

…in STARS AND STRIPES at a gala in Italy…

…and, in Madrid, as Albrecht in GISELLE

Closer to home: dancing with MORPHOSES in Central Park 2009; photo by Kokyat

And in this charming film, Gonzalo shows us how he kept in shape at home during the pandemic.

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For his farewell performance at New York City Ballet, Gonzalo danced works by Balanchine, Robbins, and Justin Peck. The program was book-ended by ballets set to two of Sergei Prokofiev’s most fascinating scores: the Violin Sonata #1 in D-major sets the stage for my favorite Jerome Robbins ballet – OPUS 19/THE DREAMER – and PRODIGAL SON, which marked the only time George Balanchine used Prokofiev’s music. In between, a studio film of Gonzalo working on a solo from Justin Peck’s ROTUNDA (to a fine Nico Muhly score) was followed by a live performance of part of the ballet, with its cast of twelve. Andrews Sill was on the podium, and Kurt Nikkanen’s playing of the violin concerto was simply spectacular. How meaningful it was today to hear the scores of Prokofiev, a son of the Ukraine.

During the interval, I loved running into Carlos Lopez, Charles Askegard, David Fernandez, and Wendy Whelan.

Gonzalo was alone onstage as the curtain rose on OPUS 19, and the audience greeted him with a warm round of applause. His opening solo as the restless dreamer was hypnotically beautiful…his arms and hands are so expressive. For this occasion, two ballerinas took turns dancing with Gonzalo: first, Sterling Hyltin skimmed about the space with an airy lightness before their sublime pas de deux. Tiler Peck then appeared for the allegro passages, and then Sterling returned; it was Tiler who ended the ballet, resting her head on Gonzalo’s palm. The corps danced splendidly, and the three principals exchanged embraces of mutual affection during the curtain calls.

The filmed excerpt from ROTUNDA gave us an up-close view of the danseur at work, whilst the soundtrack included accolades from Gonzalo’s colleagues and his own words about what it means to be a dancer. The live performance went brilliantly, Gonzalo sharing some moments with another of his frequent partners, the spirited Megan Fairchild. The ballet ends with Gonzalo rushing forward into a sudden blackout.

The distinctive setting for PRODIGAL SON was created in 1929 by painter Georges Rouault. This poignant ballet tells of a young man who leaves his home and his gentle family to find excitement in the wide world; seduced, beaten, and abandoned, he returns home in shame and abject misery only to be enfolded in his father’s loving arms. Gonzalo, looking youthfully handsome, danced the role with the verve and commitment of a spirited teenager. His degradation and downfall were poignantly portrayed, and the moment where he creeps into his father’s forgiving embrace was extraordinarily moving.

Sara Mearns was the deceitful Siren. Harrison Coll and Lars Nelson excelled in their dancing “duel”, and Mary Elizabeth Sell and Jenelle Manzi were lovely as the sisters. Arron Sanz made a profound impression as the father.

The gala ended with a massive ovation which Gonzalo accepted with humility and great joy, pounding his heart with his hand to express his love for us. His colleagues came out one by one, presenting flowers and hugs: they all seemed genuinely sincere. Then Gonzalo’s husband came out, and they shared a kiss, to the audience’s great delight. And so, Gonzalo finished his dancing career while still at peak form, truly one of the finest – and best-loved – dancers I’ve had the pleasure to watch.

~ Oberon

February 26, 2022
CMS ~ Music From Four Countries

Above: cellist Nicholas Canellakis and violist Yura Lee

Sunday November 21st, 2021 – This evening at Alice Tully Hall, Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center gave us a wonderfully satisfying program of music by composers from Russia, Germany, Hungary, and France. The works were all composed between 1849 and 1890.

A very high level of playing is maintained by the Society, making it almost impossible to single out certain concerts as being of particular merit; but tonight was surely one of the most impressive and enjoyable programs have experienced since I started going to CMS concerts regularly a few seasons back.

The program opened with the Andante Cantabile from Tchaikovsky’s String Quartet No. 1, performed in a 1888 arrangement for solo cello and strings. “Cantabile” is an Italian word meaning “singable” or “song-like”, and that’s exactly how cellist Nick Canellakis performed it: as if singing an operatic cavatina.

From the work’s tranquil start, Nick gave us impeccable playing: warm of tone and alive with dynamic subtlety. Seated next to him, the Society’s co-Artistic Director David Finckel threaded a lovely line to compliment his cellist-colleague. Mr. Finckel and violist Misha Amory offered a gentle plucking accompaniment as Nick’s cello continued to sing a melody with a vaguely Asian feeling. Violinists Cho-liang Lin and Alexi Kenney gave silken textures to the music. The work ends on a sweetly blended pianissimo. Mr. Finckel urged Nick Canellakis to stand first; then the other players refused to rise, leaving Nick with a solo bow, much to the delight of the crowd.

Above: Cho-liang Lin

Johannes Brahms’ Quintet in G-major for Two Violins, Two Violas, and Cello, Op. 111, was written in 1890, at the start of the last decade of the composer’s life. It provides a veritable feast for the ear to listeners who – like me – love the sound of stringed instruments. Mssrs. Lin, Kenney, Amory, and Canellakis were joined by that delectable violist, Yura Lee. Ms. Lee, who always delights with her choice of footwear, tonight wore white pumps; her one-shoulder black frock showed off some beautiful tattoos.

The opening movement, marked Allegro non troppo, ma con brio (“…fast, but not too fast, but with a lively feeling…”) gets off to a joyous start, the violas begin duetting in a passage taken up by the violins. The music is so melodious and congenial, with Cho-liang Lin’s poignant violin theme standing out. The music turns mysterious; then Yura Lee’s passionate playing leads back to a reprise of the earlier pairings of violins and violas. Meanwhile, Mr. Canellakis’s cello is giving everything a velvety cushion. The entire movement kept me entranced: simply fantastic playing from everyone.

The ensuing Adagio, in D-minor, has a feeling of melancholy as Yura Lee leads off with a familiar melody. Soon the music had me so engrossed that the rest of the world seemed to vanish: they were playing this music sublimely, and playing it just for me. Yura’s ‘cadenza’ near the end was hypnotically beautiful.

Mr. Lin’s violin sets the third movement, Allegretto, in motion. This is essentially a scherzo, and the melodies flow merrily on. Inspired by Hungarian folk dances, the quintet’s finale is marked Vivace ma non troppo presto (“…lively, but not too fast…”). Yura Lee’s viola is aglow, and Mr. Lin relishes his opportunities to spin more silk with his subtle playing. Suddenly the pace doubles, and the players break into an exultant dance. The crowd went wild: the only possible reaction to this kind of playing.

Pianist Inon Barnatan (above) kept the audience under a spell with his magical playing of Franz Liszt’s “Funérailles” from the Harmonies poétiques et religieuses, written in 1849. The pianist, who in 2016 gave us a mesmerizing performance of Ravel’s Gaspard de la Nuit in this very hall, was spell-binding again this evening.

This piece, which my companion Monica Wellington soon recognized as the music to which the late Liam Scarlett’s 2014 ballet for New York City Ballet, Funérailles, is set. I did not see that pas de deux, costumed by Alexander McQueen, but hearing the music tonight, it’s hard to image a dancework set to it: the music seems to wander thru many mood swings, but Mr. Barnatan’s playing made it cohesive.

The piece opens with gloomy funeral chimes in the slow register. A plodding rhythm reminds us of mourners in a cortège; this stops, and a somber fanfare-like passage is heard. The sense of doom lessens, and then a nostalgic melody is heard, which gets rhapsodic. Animated figurations for the left hand give rise to militaristic passages, followed by a great rise in passion, Full stop. A soft, sad tune is played, whilst low-register rumblings are heard. The music ends suddenly. All this was splendidly played by Mr. Barnatan.

Above: Alexi Kenney

The concert concluded with Gabriel Fauré’s Quartet No. 2 in G-minor for Piano, Violin, Viola, and Cello, Op. 45. The piece premiered on January 22nd, 1887, at the Société Nationale de Musique; it is dedicated to Hans von Bülow, the pianist and conductor who was the first husband of Cosima Liszt who later married Richard Wagner.

Above: Misha Amory

Inon Barnatan returned to the Steinway for this evening’s de luxe rendering of the Fauré; he was joined by violinist Alexi Kenney and violist Misha Amory, both displaying exceptional beauty of tone, whilst Nick Canellakis rounded off his stellar evening with still more phenomenal playing.

The opening Allegro molto moderato commences dramatically, and with passion. The restless piano supports unison strings; the violin, and then the viola, have solo melodies, exquisitely played. Mr. Barnatan continues to work his magic with the music, whilst the strings bring us gorgeous blends, with Mr. Kenney’s upper register truly affecting. Nick Canellakis keeps the cello line prominent without being over-bearing. The opening restive piano and unison strings return, moving to a sublime finish.

The Scherzo: Allegro molto contains lively string pizzicati heard over the piano’s dazzling agitato; though the music is tinged with a strange sense of worry, there is a forward impetus. Marvelous flourishes from the keyboard lead to a sudden stop.

In the Adagio non troppo, in which the composer drew on childhood memories of the sound of church bells, provides lyrical passages for each instrument. There is much subtlety and also much passion in their playing. A curious little interlude develops into a feeling of yearning. This quietens, as piano and viola converse; then the violin takes over. Cello and piano, soon joined by the higher strings, bring us a dreamy ending.

The Finale : Allegro molto has a vibrant start; again Mr. Kenney’s heavenly high-range lures the ear. The music gets bouncy, and then quite grand, as the quartet sails on thru shifting moods. The audience expressed their delight in the music – and with the the playing of it – with a joyous ovation, calling the artists back for a second bow. I felt elated as I headed out into the chilly evening air.

~ Oberon

November 21, 2021
Christopher Williams ~ NARCISSUS @ NYLA

Above: from NARCISSUS; photo by Andrew Jordan

Saturday October 30th, 2021 matinee – At New York Live Arts this afternoon with Roberto Villanueva for a performance of Christopher Williams’ NARCISSUS. It was a purely delightful hour, wherein the music, choreography, lighting, costumes, and the beautiful cast of dancers all combined to create a dreamworld at once quirky, erotic, and poignant.

NARCISSUS is set to Nikolai Tcherepnin’s score “Narcisse et Echo” which was composed in 1911 for Michel Fokine’s ballet of the same title, produced by Serge de Diaghilev for the Ballets Russes. In Mr. Williams re-imagining of the ballet, he takes a fresh look at the timeless tale of Nacissus, a young man very much taken with his own beauty. The enticing production features costume and set designs by Andrew Jordan and lighting by Joe Levasseur.

In a brief prologue, in which bouche fermée voices are heard, a group of Boeotians are silhouetted against the breaking dawn. We then meet the Oreads: a brotherhood of mountain nymphs with Spock-like ears. Dancers Casey Hess, Jack Blackmon, Alexander Olivieri, Michael Parmelee, and Logan Pedon cavort, their heavenly, nearly nude bodies adorned with fantastical red penises. For all the intimacy of their partnering, they paradoxically seem chaste. The music underscores the ecstatic feeling of these youthful males, savoring their delight in nature and in each others company. Throughout this provocative scene – and indeed, throughout the entire ballet – the choreography in superbly musical.

The music shifts with the arrival of Echo, who has both a penis and female breasts; Mac Twining plays the part handsomely. Echo is a lonely creature, and is rejected by the Oreads who hiss at him like animals. Now the Boeotians return: hetero and same sex couples of varying ages are danced by Janet Charleston, Alan Good, Ching-I Chang, Shayla-Vie Jenkins, Justin Lynch, and Jake Montanaro. They are joined by a trio of Bacchantes (Christiana Axelsen, Breckyn Drescher, and Caitlin Scranton), dressed in flame-coloured gowns, their faces painted white, their dark hair almost Medusa-like. Their dance is a highlight of the ballet. Now the music becomes tumultuous, the dancing joyous.

The Oreads re-appear, and we are only too happy to see them again; and finally we meet Narcissus himself – in the magnetic person of New York City Ballet principal dancer Taylor Stanley. Clad in a short blue tunic, his solo depicts the character’s self-love.

For Narcissus has fallen in love with his own reflection: a reflection danced by Cemiyon Barber in a yellow tunic. Their duet of mutual admiration is danced in-sync; meanwhile, their shadows follow them on the wall.

Echo returns; smitten with Narcissus, his dance is a visual lament. As the music veers from powerful to eerie, he sustains a balance as if teetering on the verge. Mr. Twining excelled here. Now Narcissus and his double return; the music gets big as they fill the space with swirling leaps and mirror-image passages. They embrace, sink to the ground, their bodies communing whilst the forlorn Echo watches them in despair. Narcisssus expires; reaching under his dead idol’s tunic, Echo brings forth a yellow narcissus as darkness falls.

The dancers were enthusiastically applauded; though I thought solo bows for Mssrs. Stanley, Barber, and Twining were in order, they were not forthcoming. The choreographer was warmly greeted by dancers and audience alike.

One of the many reasons I wanted to see this production was the presence in the cast of my friend Justin Lynch. Justin has danced for Amanda Selwyn, Lydia Johnson, and Nai-Ni Chen, and in 2014 he appeared in the Metropolitan Opera’s controversial production of DEATH OF KLINGHOFFER. In 2010, he participated in Kokyat’s photoshoot at the Secret Theater. Justn’s such a handsome fellow: it was great to see him again.

~ Oberon

October 29, 2021
Sara Leland Has Passed Away

Above: former New York City Ballet principal dancer Sara Leland has passed away.

In the Autumn of 1974, I had moved into TJ’s dorm room at Sarah Lawrence College, pretending to be a student; he and I were making frequent trips into Manhattan for the opera. We’d spent the Summer on Cape Cod, performing with a small ballet company. I had never liked ballet until I got caught up in it by dancing in COPPELIA. Now that we were living within range of Lincoln Center, TJ began taking me to see The New York City Ballet.

It was a heady time at NYCB, with Kay Mazzo, Patricia McBride, Karin von Aroldingen, and Violette Verdy as reigning ballerinas. And on our third visit to the House of Mr. B that season, Suzanne Farrell returned to the Company after five years in exile following her falling out with Balanchine…yes, we were there that night.

Whilst these lovely ladies were giving one spectacular performance after another, both TJ and I had a special affection for Sara Leland, a truly unique ballerina. I first saw Sara in the Valse Mélanconique of TCHAIKOVSKY SUITE #3; a few days later, she danced the third movement of SYMPHONY IN C in Farrell’s return performance.

In May of 1975, I saw my first JEWELS, and it was RUBIES that most dazzled me, with Ms. Leland and Marnee Morris, another favorite, in the leading roles. Robert Weiss stepped in on very short notice for Edward Villella that night. Read about it here.

We went on to see Sara Leland in Balanchine’s UNION JACK (above, with Helgi Tomasson), SYMPHONY IN THREE MOVEMENTS, and VIENNA WALTZES, and in Robbins’ DANCES AT A GATHERING (in Apricot), SCHERZO FANTASTIQUE, GOLDBERG VARIATIONS, AN EVENING’S WALTZES, and THE CONCERT.

Both TJ and I were especially fascinated whenever Sara danced with Bart Cook. They had a kind of offbeat sexiness, and they somehow could be both edgy and poetic at the same time:

Another of Sara’s frequent partners, John Clifford, posted a film of SYMPHONY IN C, third movement; watch it here.

Sara Leland’s romantic side shines thru in this lovely photo of her with William Weslow in Balanchine’s LA VALSE.

November 29, 2020
Evgeny Kissin ~ Beethoven Piano Concerto #1

Evgeny Kissin (above) plays Beethoven’s Piano Concerto #1 in a 2007 performance with the Verbier Festival Orchestra conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen.

Watch and listen here.

I first fell in love with this concerto when Helgi Tomasson set his ballet PRISM to it for the New York City Ballet in 2000.

November 28, 2020
Lydia Johnson Dance ~ Studio Event

Above: Stephen Hanna and Katie Martin-Lohiya

On Sunday, January 26th, 2020, Lydia Johnson Dance presented excerpts from their repertoire – including a new work-in-progress set to music of Ludwig van Beethoven (celebrating the composer’s 250th birthday!) – at a studio showing held at the Alvin Ailey Dance Center. The afternoon offered a preview of the Company’s 2020 season, wherein Craig Hall and Stephen Hanna, both former members of New York City Ballet, will appear as guest artists.

Due to a conflict, I was unable to attend the studio event, but Dmitry Beryozkin provides these images:

Brynt Beitman and Kate Martin-Lohiya

Brynt Beitman and Min Kim

Laura DiOrio and Craig Hall; this is Craig’s second season guesting with Lydia Johnson Dance

Stephen Hanna and Katie Martin-Lohiya; Stephen previously appeared as a guest with Lydia Johnson Dance in 2018

Katie Martin-Lohiya, Craig Hall, Min Kim, and Catherine Gurr in a passage from the new Beethoven piece, which draws inspiration from the writings of Edith Wharton

Brynt Beitman and Craig Hall, with Katie and Min

The ensemble

Lydia Johnson Dance‘s annual New York season will be at the Ailey Citigroup Theatre on June 17, 18, and 19, 2020.

~ Oberon

January 27, 2020
Shanghai Ballet’s SWAN LAKE

~ Author: Oberon

Saturday January 18th, 2020 – Billed as the “Grand SWAN LAKE“, Shanghai Ballet’s production of the Tchaikovsky classic arrived at Lincoln Center for four performances, of which we saw he third. In this very traditional setting, the Derek Deane Petipa-based choreography offers no surprises, aside from the sheer number of swans to be seen: I guess that’s what makes it “grand”.

The production is mostly pleasing visually, but the scene in the palace ballroom has a very ugly mish-mash of a set in which the vision of Odette seems like an afterthought, thus missing a key dramatic point. Garish costumes for the national dances added to the cheesy effect.

But the lakeside scenes were fine, and the 48 swans were wonderfully in-sync choreographically, making the stage seem full but not over-crowded. Mr. Deane deploys them skillfully as they form pleasing patterns and make smooth entrances and exits throughout the White Swan act. Zhu Haibo, a Rothbart with expansive wings dripping with seaweed, menaced Odette and her prince as Rothbarts have ever been wont to do.

There’s no Jester in this production, nor does the prince have any friends to join him on his hunting expedition. There is a Tutor, who is thankfully not given much to do.

At the heart of the matter, Qi Bingxue as Odette/Odile and Wu Husheng as Siegfried (above) danced expressively and with technical polish. Their love, doomed from the start, played out in the moving tenderness of their partnering, in their effortless brilliance in the feats of the Black Swan pas de deux, and in the jolt of betrayal. But the production ends rather weakly, as the lovers float over the stage on a large swan-boat while Rothbart lay dying. Once you’ve experienced the final moments of the Peter Martins SWAN LAKE, nothing else compares.

The New York City Ballet orchestra played the familiar score with some very nice solo parts shining thru, and Charles Barker conducted, keeping a firm rein on things whilst also admirably supporting the principal couple thru both the poignant and the showy passages.

Late seating, and ushers wandering the aisles to admonish viewers about cellphones during the music, were serious distractions, as were the constant babbling of the two Russian women seated next to us, and of the two silly queens sitting behind us. But we stayed until the end, because Wei was enjoying it.

Production photos by North American Photography Associates, courtesy of Michelle Tabnick PR

~ Oberon

January 19, 2020
Shanghai Ballet’s SWAN LAKE

~ Author: Oberon

Saturday January 18th, 2020 – Billed as the “Grand SWAN LAKE“, Shanghai Ballet’s production of the Tchaikovsky classic arrived at Lincoln Center for four performances, of which we saw he third. In this very traditional setting, the Derek Deane Petipa-based choreography offers no surprises, aside from the sheer number of swans to be seen: I guess that’s what makes it “grand”.

The production is mostly pleasing visually, but the scene in the palace ballroom has a very ugly mish-mash of a set in which the vision of Odette seems like an afterthought, thus missing a key dramatic point. Garish costumes for the national dances added to the cheesy effect.

But the lakeside scenes were fine, and the 48 swans were wonderfully in-sync choreographically, making the stage seem full but not over-crowded. Mr. Deane deploys them skillfully as they form pleasing patterns and make smooth entrances and exits throughout the White Swan act. Zhu Haibo, a Rothbart with expansive wings dripping with seaweed, menaced Odette and her prince as Rothbarts have ever been wont to do.

There’s no Jester in this production, nor does the prince have any friends to join him on his hunting expedition. There is a Tutor, who is thankfully not given much to do.

At the heart of the matter, Qi Bingxue as Odette/Odile and Wu Husheng as Siegfried (above) danced expressively and with technical polish. Their love, doomed from the start, played out in the moving tenderness of their partnering, in their effortless brilliance in the feats of the Black Swan pas de deux, and in the jolt of betrayal. But the production ends rather weakly, as the lovers float over the stage on a large swan-boat while Rothbart lay dying. Once you’ve experienced the final moments of the Peter Martins SWAN LAKE, nothing else compares.

The New York City Ballet orchestra played the familiar score with some very nice solo parts shining thru, and Charles Barker conducted, keeping a firm rein on things whilst also admirably supporting the principal couple thru both the poignant and the showy passages.

Late seating, and ushers wandering the aisles to admonish viewers about cellphones during the music, were serious distractions, as were the constant babbling of the two Russian women seated next to us, and of the two silly queens sitting behind us. But we stayed until the end, because Wei was enjoying it.

Production photos by North American Photography Associates, courtesy of Michelle Tabnick PR

~ Oberon

January 18, 2020
Emanuel Ax|Stéphane Denève @ The NY Phil

Above: pianist Emanuel Ax

~ Author: Oberon

Saturday October 26th, 2019 – How wonderful to encounter Emanuel Ax again so soon after his lovely performance of the Schumann piano quintet with the Dover Quartet last week at Zankel Hall. Tonight the great pianist joined The New York Philharmonic for Beethoven’s Piano Concerto #1.

The announced program looked long on paper, and indeed – after an engrossing first half – there was something of a slump with Albert Roussel’s 3rd symphony. It’s understandable that Maestro Stéphane Denève would want to include it, but somehow it did not quite fit in with the other works: it didn’t hold hold up well in the company of Beethoven and Ravel.

Above: composer Jennifer Higdon

Jennifer Higdon’s blue cathedral, composed in 2000 in memory of her brother, opened the evening. Read the composer’s eloquent program note on this work here.

blue cathedral opens with most ethereal of sounds: barely audible at first, the music slowly seeps into our consciousness. Cello, the plaintive flute, clarinet, piano, and harp bring their colours to bear; the strings are lush and grand, with the high violins set against the deep celli and basses. A massive wave of drums and low brass hits like a tsunami. The marimba, oboe, and Cynthia Phelps’ dusky viola are heard: each solo voice seems to evoke a particular memory of the departed.

The music then becomes cinematic, with a back-beat dynamic. Brass fanfares lead to epic grandeur before calm sets in. Now the solo voices are heard again – flute, clarinet, oboe – and an especially fine passage for a cello/viola quartet as the music fades to the gentle chiming of a solitary bell.

In her program note, Ms. Higdon wrote about her use of the clarinet, which was her brother’s instrument. It was in the passages for that instrument, sublimely played by the inimitable Pascual Martínez-Forteza, that Ms. Higdon’s moving tribute to her sibling found its most poignant voice.

Emanuel Ax, ever a welcome guest at the Philharmonic, was warmly greeted as he took his place at the Steinway. The pianist sat quietly as the musical introduction – at first courtly, then stately – sets the mood. Mr. Ax then began his enchanting performance: crystal-clear arpeggios, subtly modulated, drew us in. Beethoven’s font of melody – both for the pianist and the orchestra – is filled to overflowing. In a long paragraph, the pianist displayed his gifts with nimble downhill scales played pianissimo, and cascades of notes of great delicacy, clarity, and warmth.

Following a majestic orchestral passage, the long cadenza – which seems almost like a sonata in itself – was impeccably delivered, the audience in a state of rapt attentiveness. One sensed that an ovation might erupt at this point, but Maestro Denève was able to forestall an intrusion by keeping a cautionary hand raised.

Now came the Largo, featuring one of Beethoven’s most gorgeous themes. For the next several minutes, my companion and I were transfixed by the ongoing dialog between Mr. Ax’s keyboard and Pascual Martínez-Forteza’s clarinet. Two great musicians, trading subtleties: mesmerizing!

Mr. Ax immediately commenced the concerto’s concluding Rondo: Allegro, bringing to mind – with its jaunty interjections – the ballet Prism which Helgi Tomasson choreographed to this score for New York City Ballet in 2000. The esteemed pianist continued to dazzle us right to the last note, causing the audience to leap to their collective feet as he took his bows; Mr. Martínez-Forteza was also asked to rise, deservedly so.

An encore was demanded, and Mr. Ax sustained the ballet connection for me with his Chopin, used by Jerome Robbins in his ballet Dances at a Gathering.

Following the interval, Maestro Stéphane Denève (above) brought us two works by his fellow Frenchmen: Albert Roussel’s Symphony #3 (composed 1929-1930) and Maurice Ravel’s immortal La Valse, which premiered in 1930.

The Roussel at first seemed wonderfully refreshing: its jazzy, driven, bustling opening augured well for thorough enjoyment. Yet as the work unfolded, it seemed full of ideas but lacking in coherence. The first, second, and fourth movements each felt overly long, and there was a sense of increased audience restlessness. The piece features a lot of ‘big’ music; rhythmic variety and enticing instrumentation are never lacking. Though poignant, witty, and ebullient by turns, the music slips in one ear and out the other, leaving little lasting impression. Some wonderful solo passages for violin, played beautifully by Frank Huang, were appealing.

Above: New York City Ballet’s Marika Anderson in George Balanchine’s La Valse

“We are dancing on the edge of a volcano…” wrote Maurice Ravel’s in his notes for La Valse. Such a timely concept, as our world these days often seems to be rushing toward its doom. This music, which George Balanchine choreographed for his evocative “death and the maiden” ballet of the same title, has been with me for decades.

Tonight’s performance, under Maestro Denève’s ardent baton, was everything one can hope for in this marvelous music. The musicians made the most of every opportunity, whether by solo or by section. La Valse again entranced with its dark allure and inevitability. Resistance is futile.

As we were walking down to the subway, my friend Cherylyn Lavagnino and I both spoke of the effect that the playing of Mssrs Ax and Martínez-Forteza in the Beethoven adagio had on us, and of the consolation of such musical experiences in these dark days. Thank you, gentlemen.

~ Oberon

October 26, 2019
Lori Belilove ~ Isadora Duncan Dance Company

~ Author: Oberon

Thursday March 28th, 2019 – A studio performance by The Isadora Dance Company, founded by and under the artistic direction of Lori Belilove (above), presenting an evening of Duncan works in an intimate salon setting. At the piano, New York City Ballet’s Cameron Grant regaled us with his vibrant playing of works by Chopin, Brahms, Schubert, and Scriabin.

The room was packed to the bursting point as Lori greeted us, and then the dancing immediately commenced. A set of Duncan works set to music of Franz Schubert opened the evening, starting with dancers Hayley Rose and Faith Kimberling as light-hearted nymphs Moment Musical. Throughout the evening, the women wore classic Grecian-style tunics, iconic elements of the Duncan repertoire, in various hues. Emily D’Angelo, in pale blue, danced Lullabye, with the evocative Isadora motif of raising the arms heavenward. Becky Allen and Caroline Yamada, in pink with flowers in their hair, gave us Classical Duet, and then Lori Beliliove, in dark blue, spoke to us in Duncan’s striking gestural language in the waltz-like Water Study.

The music by Frederic of Chopin – waltzes, etudes and mazurkas – came next, all of it immaculately played by Mr. Grant (I was seated just behind his right shoulder, and could follow along in his score). Nikki Poulos was the soloist in the joyous Grande Valse Brillante – a feel-good Isadora work to be savoured for its freshness and vitality. Mlles. Yamada, Allen, Kimberling, and Rose were the attractive ensemble here. Emily D’Angelo’s solo opened Prelude, with Becky Allen and Caroline Yamada transforming it into a trio; this very familiar music was most cordially played by Mr. Grant. Faith Kimberling – always such an appealing dancer to watch – then appeared for a second trio, Line Mazurka, with Becky and Caroline.

In the solo Ballspiel, Hayley Rose used the space to fine advantage, her dancing responding ideally to the music’s shifting changes of pace. In the moody Slow Mazurka, Mlles. D’Angelo, Rose, Poulos, and Yamada took turns striking stylized poses on the floor – classic Isadora, this – whilst their companions danced. Becky Allen’s dancing of the immortal Minute Waltz was perfectly dovetailed to the playing of Mr. Grant: this was one of the evening’s many highlights.

Hayley Rose, Nikki Poulos, and Faith Kimberling appeared as woodland sprites in Butterfly Etudes, employing scarves in a space-filling dance. Nikki Poulos gave a poignant performance of Death and The Maiden, her gestures indicating longing and then withdrawal, her expressive face beautifully mirroring the sorrowing music.

Isadora’s suite of Brahms waltzes entitled The Many Faces of Love opened with Caroline Yamada’s cheerful energy in Greeting, followed by Faith Kimberling’s Frolic, with its folkish flavour, so lovely to watch. Lori Belilove performed Scarf Dance, a lilting, provocative piece, followed by Mlles. Rose, Yamada, and Poulos in the unison trio that opens Cymbals, with its accented music. Ms. Rose then gave Flames of The Heart a Romany flair: fast, passionate, with streaks of wildness. The lyrical, lovely Rose Petals was danced by Emily D’Angelo with cherishing grace; at the end of the dance, she slowly scatters the flowers about the floor.

Two of Isadora Duncan’s great Scriabin solos were given exemplary performances by Lori Belilove: the deep melancholy of Mother, in which she comforts her ghostly children, and the madly passionate, red-clad Revolutionary, with its silent screams.

As a triumphant finale, honoring Women’s History Month and embracing the power of sisterhood, Nikki Poulos led Mlles. Yamada, Allen, Kimberling, and Rose in the bracing Military Polonaise of Chopin, thrillingly played by Cameron Grant. This made our spirits soar.

~ Oberon

March 28, 2019