Oberon's Grove

Lydia Johnson Dance

 

Sunday March 29, 2009 - Back to the City Center Studios tonight with Evan to watch a rehearsal by the Lydia Johnson Dance Company of their latest work - as yet untitled - to the music of the Polish composer Henryk Gorecki. This was preceded by excerpts from Lydia's 2004 work IN CONVERSATION set to the spectacular Violin Concerto of Philip Glass.

Waiting for the dancing to begin, Evan and I were speaking of the sheer number of invitations to dance events we receive on a daily basis. Sorting out what to see and what to miss increasingly becomes a dilemma as we try to decide from a press release whether it is something we will like or not; then it's a matter of scheduling and also of hoping to space events out reasonably so there is time in between to reflect rather than dashing madly from one venue to another and never having anything really sink in. Fortunately I have struck it rich in many of my choices, such as TAKE Dance or Miro Magloire's New Chamber Ballet.

Up until this evening Lydia Johnson was just a name I was vaguely familiar with; what made me say 'yes' to this invitation was the announcement that she would be working to music of Gorecki. Music is always the key element for me when it comes to enjoying dance; if I like the music, I'm halfway there before the dancing even commences.

So this is what happened: Lydia Johnson became overnight one of my favorite contemporary choreographers. Her dancers all appear to have strong classical ballet background and are wonderfully fluent in presenting what Lydia asks of them while each also shows keen individuality and personal magnetism. Lydia's style seems to me very demanding physically, making us aware of the workings of the human body while always imaginatively aligning movement to the music . 

Introducing the works, Lydia's love of music shone thru in her words. Then her dancers took the floor and within seconds I knew I had found something I loved.

In excerpts from IN CONVERSATION, dancer Jessica Sand (who reminds me of Alexandra Ansanelli) immediately began 'speaking' to me with her superbly fluid movement; there is a gestural language here and Jessica's dancing has a nice feeling of the poetic. She is partnered by an enigmatic dark-haired and dark-eyed young man named Robert Robinson. The bearded dancer immediately swept Jessica into a spacious lift, his strength as a partner surprising in view of his slender frame. Beyond that he showed elegant port de bras and a presence with an intriguing touch of mystery. Watching these two dancers move thru Lydia's pas de deux with such extraordinary focus and grace as the gorgeous Glass score filled the room was quite an experience. I felt a deep connection to the music and to the expressive commitment of the dancers.

Meanwhile, Tucker Ty Davis stood on the sidelines. He seemed rather unassuming and his more hunky build made me wonder what kind of dancer he would be. The answer when he started to move was compelling: he is passionate, powerful, agile and fearless. His interjected solo lasted only moments but it was enough to put him right up high on my list of dancers to watch in future.

The Glass score with its hypnotic rhythms and haunting minor-key lyricism practically screams: "Dance to me!" It seemed to me that music, dancers and choreographer had met in a perfect union. And after such an exhilirating experience I had to keep reminding myself "It's just a rehearsal". Now I can't wait to see it in full performance setting.

Above: dancers Tucker Ty Davis and Jessica Sand of the Company. Performance photos are by Julie Lemberger.

After a very short break, all nine of the Company's dancers appeared in the untitled Gorecki. Still a work in progess, the piece uses part of the composer's Harpsichord Concerto ('...like the score of an old horror movie"...as Lydia aptly decribed it) and part of his String Quartet #1. Lydia stated that the two movements may eventually have a connecting interlude but I didn't think it needed anything more; it looks so good and responds so well to the music just as it is.

At first the five women seem to be in their own world, moving with quiet intensity in patterns which seem to express that they are an isolated group but not discontented with their situation. As the four men join them, the movement becomes more expansive. Couples form, and the large group often splinters into trios who perform synchronized gestures as the dancing swirls around them; I especially liked this aspect of the piece. The work is both visually and musically extremely satisfying and again the individual dancers continually draw the eye from one to another. Jessica Sand, Tucker Ty Davis, Kerry Shea and the blonde Eric Vlach were outstanding in the leading roles here. The ensemble were anything but anonymous: rather each dancer makes a personal mark on the choreography. I look forward to putting names to faces so that I can properly enthuse over their individual efforts. 

Lydia Johnson Dance Company will be at the Ailey Center (55th and 9th Ave) July 16 - 18. I've already circled the dates.

Henryk Gorecki is best known for his Symphony #3, the Symphony of Sorrowful Songs which memorializes the victims of the Holocaust. Normally when I am about to hear a live performance of a composer's music I avoid listening to any of his work for a few days or weeks prior to the event but today on this gloomy, cold Sunday I felt a desire to hear my favorite recording of the 3rd Symphony featuring soprano Zofia Kilanowicz. It is quite a musical journey to take.

New Chamber Ballet: Magloire and Lohse Premieres

Saturday March 28, 2009 - Miro Magloire's New Chamber Ballet presented premieres by Miro and guest choreographer Deborah Lohse.  Above, the dancers costumed by Candice Thompson in a Kristin Lodoen Linder photo. (Visit the photographer's site for some striking images here).

This was the biggest crowd I've seen at one of Miro's evenings, which is good. There were dancers present, including some we recognized. Tonya and I were able to get caught up before the performance and during the intermissions. In addition to the four women who I have seen dancing for Miro previously, tonight former New York City Ballet dancer Lauren Toole appeared; she has worked with Miro before and at the upcoming June performances of New Chamber Ballet, her choreographic work is slated. Something to look forward to.

 

Of the opening work, TWO choreographer Deborah Lohse (above) reports creating the movement before the commissioned score by Stefan Weisman was applied. The result is a beautiful and thought-provoking duet for two women.

 

Stefan's score as played by Owen Dalby (violin) and Melody Fader (piano) is melodic with a feeling of wistfulness or regret underlining the full-blown lyricism. The work opens with Emily SoRelle Adams in an expressive solo; as this first passage ends Emily begins to sketch, first in the air and then on the floor; her drawing conjures up Emery LeCrone: lover? sister? friend? an ideal?  That is left to the viewer's imagination. The girls dance in mirror-image, then in synchronized patterns and in some partnering that is tender yet not entirely romantic. Dressed in Candice's beautiful short-skirted silky black tunics, the girls move with poetic grace thru this mysterious duet. Emery then slips away, leaving Emily to her sketching. Is she remembering...or attempting to summon her absent friend again?  The work is full of moving, memorable images and the combination of the music, which Owen and Melody played with a nice sense of rapture, and the luminous dancing of Emily and Emery made this a piece I would like to see again - several times. The choreographer and composer seemed a bit shy about taking a bow at the end. (Above photo of Emery and Emily by Kristin Lodoen Linder)

The evening progressed with three works by Miro, starting with the new piece to Webern called ECHOES which is shown in the top photo. Here the five dancers perform in silence, alternating with the very brief instrumental statements played by Owen and Melody. Only near the end do dance and music mesh. The girls are on pointe and dance in ensemble, then a duet and a finely-wrought solo for Madeline Deavenport. The music shifts from other-worldly to passionate.

MONOLOGUE to music of Morton Feldman is the only work this evening that I had previosuly seen, and I was again taken by the strong, streamlined dancing of Elizabeth Brown who moves, sometimes in extreme slow-motion, as two other girls hover near the wall, observing or meditating. 

A revival of AEOLIA set to Telemannn violin fantasias showed us the dancers in a different light: Miro working in a more allegro style. Elizabeth Brown opens the piece showing an expansiveness in contrast to her controlled, angular dancing in the previous work. She is joined by Lauren Toole - who I did find I remembered from her NYCB days - and by the beauteous Emery LeCrone. To the rhythmically detailed playing of violinist Erik Carlson, the girls have solos, duets and trios all quite step-filled and extroverted.

The more I see of Miro's dancers, the more drawn I am to them as individual personalities. Some people have suggested that Miro's work would profit further by being done on a 'real' stage with 'real' lighting and I agree: that would be nice. Yet there is something wonderfully immediate about being so close to the dancers and seeing the works in this direct, simple setting. It gives the viewer an intense connnection to the dance.  

All the works were enhanced by Candice Thompson's simple, stylish costumes and - as always at Miro's performances - by the live music, excellently played. New Chamber Ballet's next performances are set for June 19th and 20th.

The Met's Brunnhildes

 

Swedish soprano Irene Theorin (above) is now slated to make her Metropolitan Opera debut on April 6th as Brunnhilde in DIE WALKURE, a stand-alone performance of the opera being offered as the Met commences on three full RING Cycles. I first heard Theorin's voice on a recorded performance as one of the Valkyries at the BBC Proms and liked her, although I felt less enthusiastic about her 3rd Norn when I heard her from the 2007 Bayreuth Festival.

When first announced, the Brunnhildes for this season were to have been Lisa Gasteen and Christine Brewer but both names fell off the casting in recent weeks (Brewer officially out with a knee injury), and now the current plan seems to be:

April 6 Die Walküre – Iréne Theorin (debut)
April 11 mat. Die Walküre – Iréne Theorin
April 18 mat. Siegfried – Iréne Theorin
April 25 mat. Götterdämmerung – Katarina Dalayman
April 28 Die Walküre – Katarina Dalayman
April 30 Siegfried – Linda Watson
May 2 Götterdämmerung – Katarina Dalayman
May 5 Die Walküre – Linda Watson
May 7 Siegfried – Linda Watson
May 9 Götterdämmerung – Linda Watson

Whether this configuration will hold is anyone's guess. Ms. Dalayman's recent series of Isoldes at the Met did not go with absolute smoothness; the night I heard her she was quite good though I felt she was often pushing herself to the limits of her vocal powers. At one performance she was replaced by Waltraud Meier and at another Susan Foster took over from Dalayman after Act II. Dalayman has an attractive voice and is a sincere and appealing performer though I don't feel she was wise to venture so extensively into soprano territory. Rather like Violeta Urmana, Dalayman has had some fine successes as a soprano but honestly I miss both these voices in mezzo repertoire. Dalayman is listed to sing the WALKURE Brunnhilde in the much-anticipated Paris RING to be conducted by Philippe Jordan. {And note that my dear friend Nicole Piccolomini will be involved in the Paris RING as well, singing Flosshilde, Grimgerde and the 1st Norn; we'll be having more coverage of that as the time draws nearer.}

Linda Watson is more of a question-mark. When I heard her on the broadcast of the Bayreuth RING in 2007 I was distressed by her effortful, shy-of-the-mark upper register and some flatness elsewhere. It seemed that she would not be singing the second season of the Bayreuth production - Adrienne Dugger was to take over - but in the event Watson did return when Dugger withdrew. I am not sure what the plan is for the coming summer on the Green Hill.

At any rate, it will certainly be interesting to see what develops as the Met Cycles unfold. I have a feeling there will be more dramas both onstage and off before the final note of the final GOTTERDAMMERUNG sounds. In this undertaking there will have to be contingencies, and I am hearing another name being floated about: Rebecca Teem.   

Bouder by Kolnik

I came upon some really nice photos of Ashley Bouder taken by NYC Ballet's super-photographer Paul Kolnik and thought I would post them here while we all wait for the New York City Ballet Spring season to arrive (just over a month away now!) Above, Ashley in FIREBIRD.

EMERALDS with Stephen Hanna.

BALLO DELLA REGINA with Benjamin Millepied.

TCHAIKOVSKY PAS DE DEUX with Gonzalo Garcia.

Ezio Flagello Has Passed Away

 

It's very sad to note the passing of another singer whose performances meant so much to me in my early years of opera-going. Ezio Flagello sang Leporello (above) in the very first Metropolitan Opera performance I ever attended - a DON GIOVANNI at the Old Met.

Metropolitan Opera House
November 27, 1963


DON GIOVANNI {242}

Don Giovanni............Giorgio Tozzi
Donna Anna..............Teresa Stich-Randall
Don Ottavio.............George Shirley
Donna Elvira............Lisa Della Casa
Leporello...............Ezio Flagello
Zerlina.................Neyde Thomaz
Masetto.................Calvin Marsh
Commendatore............John Macurdy

Conductor...............Joseph Rosenstock

Over the next several seasons I heard him as Enobarbus in ANTONY & CLEOPATRA, as a warmly mellow-voiced Pogner in my first MEISTERSINGER, as Sarastro, and as Raimondo in LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR. Just a couple of weeks ago I was enjoying his voice as Ramfis on a Met broadcast of AIDA that Dmitry had copied for me. I remember with special affection his deftly humorous portrayal of the Maharajah in Menotti's THE LAST SAVAGE. Flagello debuted at the Met in 1957 and sang 529 performances with the Company at the Old and New Houses as well as on tour.

Among Ezio Flagello's commercial recordings I am especially fond of his LUCREZIA BORGIA with Montserrat Caballe and his LUCIA with Anna Moffo.

Marking the passing of these fine singers will become an increasingly frequent task as time goes by. They should not be forgotten.

Altoids Ruin RHEINGOLD

Wednesday March 25, 2009 - If there is one person in a theatre who is doing something to disrupt a performance, I am destined to be seated next to him. There was the man with the sandwich at the ballet and last night there was Altoid-man at the Met's prima of RHEINGOLD.

I'd planned to use a score-desk for this performance but when orchestra seats became available I gave away my upstairs pass - a decision I was regretting by the time Alberich stole the gold. For the man sitting next to me opened a tin of Altoids and popped them into his mouth literally every 4-5 minutes throughout the whole show. You'd be surprised how many mints there are in those little tins: enough to sustain a Wagnerian epic. Altoids in a tin make almost as much noise as Tic-Tacs. Then there was the gross sucking noise as he mindlessly devoured his treats. Shushing and dirty looks were to no avail; totally self-absorbed, he addded to the distraction by periodically 'conducting' and cueing the singers. It never ceases to amaze me how thoughtless and ill-mannered people can be - surprising when one considers he was obviously intelligent and sophisticated enough to attend a Wagner performance. I was hoping he would choke to death; I know Heimlich but I wouldn't have helped him."Muori dannato!"

So I wrote the evening off as far as being a serious operatic experience goes. It was a good performance despite a sense of orchestra fatigue with some unfortunate missed-notes in the pit. I love Levine's pacing. James Morris sounded far better than I expected, though still a far cry from his old peak-Wotan form. Jill Grove was more vocally settled as Erda. Garrett Sorenson and Charles Taylor were fine as Froh and Donner. Kim Begley toned-down the mincing and prancing that spoiled his Loge at the dress rehearsal. He sang very well. Wendy Bryn Harmer's voice seemed large and warm at the dress and seemed larger and warmer tonight: a Wagnerienne to watch. Gerhard Siegel was a capital Mime, and Richard Paul Fink a snarling, creepy Alberich. Best of all were Yvonne Naef's majestic and feminine Fricka (superbly sung and so expressive); the magnificent giants, Franz-Josef Selig and John Tomlinson, and the most appealing trio of Rhinemaidens ever: Lisette Oropesa, Kate Lindsey and Tamara Mumford.

Aside from Altoid-monster, the audience were attentive. I was a bit surprised by the brevity of the 'ovation' at the end (everyone stood but there was only one round of bows). It was lovely to see Lisette besieged by fans on leaving the stage door.

Recital: Ashley Emerson & Benedicte Jourdois

 

Tuesday March 24, 2009 - Soprano Ashley Emerson (above) and pianist Benedicte Jourdois in recital at Bruno Walter Auditorium, offering a programme which mixed the familiar with the rare and showing off their talents and personalities to best advantage. This was the first time I've heard Ms. Jourdois (below) and I look forward to many more opportunities.

 

When Ashley Emerson walks out onto the stage, her petite stature. delicious figure, sparkling eyes and slightly mischievous smile suggest that she would be a sprightly Blondchen or a mercurial Susanna in the Mozart operas. By the end of the recital I was thinking more in terms of Blanche de la Force or even Lulu. She has a striking intensity of expression that allows her to cover a broad emotional range and for this recital she chose pieces to show off her many-faceted vocal personality. Ms. Jourdois complimented and underlined Ashley's interpretations while amply displaying her own poetic style.

The simplicity of the words in praise of Nature and Love expressed in the opening aria from Mozart's IL RE PASTORE ("Alla selva, al prato, al fonte") are given a triumphant feel by the composer to which Ashley brought tonal brightness and a sense of joy, spiraling thru the coloratura flourishes, the voice surprisingly ample from such a small-framed figure.

The girls then embarked on a very fine Schubert set, with the lyrical fervor of Gott im Fruhlinge ('God in Springtime') followed by the humorous urgency of Die Manner sind Mechant ('...my mother warned me about men like you...'). In Rastlose Liebe ('Restless Love') Ashley captured both the intensity and charm of the piece; Benedicte's luminous playing was ideal here.

Then a real rarity, a song I'd never heard before: Viola. This long piece takes on the dimensions of an operatic scena with many changes of mood as the poem describes the turbulent arrival of Spring and the awakening of the flowers and forest. Ashley and Benedicte worked perfectly together to produce a memorable performance of what must have taken a great deal of time and thought to learn and prepare. It was definitely a worthwhile experience of a work that one is unlikely to encounter often.

In the songs of Debussy and Poulenc, Benedicte's sense of the poetic created a perfect atmosphere. I first heard the Debussy Quatre Chansons de Jeunesse many years ago sung by Roberta Peters. It's a particularly appealing set and I especially liked Ashley's sensuous singing of Pantomime. Benedicte and Ashley together wove a moonlit spell in Clair de Lune and I always think the transition to Pierrot is a small masterstroke on Debussy's part as the pianist subtly quotes the old children's song 'au clair de la lune mon ami Pierrot' while the singer etches in Debussy's own setting. The intense romantic passion followed by dreamy languor in Apparition made me think that Ashley and Benedicte had reached the apex of their performance.

However, they continued to soar with a rapturous performance of Poulenc's C, a nostalgic and in the end darkly-tinged song which musically evokes for me thoughts of DIALOGUES DES CARMELITES; it was while listening to Ashley sing this song that the idea struck me of what a superb Blanche she might be - both vocally and in the intensity of expression she is able to summon. Then in the wonderful wordiness of Fetes galantes, Ashley and Benedicte dispelled thoughts of war or doomed nuns with their hurried, mocking clarity.

Very nice idea for Ashley to 'come home' to the American repertoire with an excellent set of high-lying songs by Ned Rorem where she was especially pleasing in In a Gondola. Benedicte set the mood for the concluding Pippa's Song with her tremulous sense of anticipation in the introductory measures. Ashley built the beloved poem of Robert Browning to a generously expansive conclusion and sustained final note as she graciously swept her hand in a final benediction:

"The year's at the spring,
And day's at the morn;
Morning's at seven;
The hill-side's dew-pearl'd;
The lark's on the wing;
The snail's on the thorn;
God's in His heaven—
All's right with the world!"

The Rhine Daughters

 

Lisette Oropesa's sweetly sensuous singing of the opening phrases of Wagner's DAS RHEINGOLD at the Met's dress rehearsal yesterday have remained so clearly in my aural memory. With her colleagues mezzo-sopranos Kate Lindsey and Tamara Mumford matching Lisette in vocal beauty and expressiveness, the opening scene of the epic RING Cycle took on a special glow.

 

I was telling Lisette some RING history yesterday over a post-rehearsal supper and I've always been particularly moved by the story of Wagner sitting at the piano at the Palazzo Vendramin (above) in Venice and playing the Rhinemaiden's trio for Cosima before retiring for the night. "They are dear to me, these creatures of the deep with their longings," he said to his wife. The next afternoon Wagner suffered a fatal heart-attack and died in Cosima's arms. Her description of his playing of the Rhinemaiden motifs was the last thing Cosima ever wrote in her diary - the long daily record of her years with Wagner.

 

Lisette snapped some photos of herself in her Rhinemaiden costume in the dressing room. Oh, you will say, you only write about her so much because you are friends. But it should be remembered that I fell in love with her voice before I ever thought of meeting her. The same applies to Kate and Tamara as well. Their voices are very special to me.

 

WOGLINDE:

"Only he who forswears
love's power,
only he who forfeits
love's delight,
only he can attain the magic
to fashion the gold into a ring."

RHEINGOLD Dress Rehearsal at the Met

 

Monday March 23, 2009 - Lisette invited me to the dress rehearsal of RHEINGOLD at the Met today; the opera has its season premiere on Wednesday, March 25th, heralding the coming RING Cycle performances. Since the RING is at the top of my list of thrilling musical experiences, I am all keyed-up for these opera...supposedly the last time we will see the current Met setting.

I suppose it's inappropriate to comment too much on the singing at a dress rehearsal: you never know if the singers are semi-marking or otherwise pacing themselves. I but do know for sure we have a delectable trio of Rhinemaidens: Lisette Oropesa, Kate Lindsey and Tamara Mumford. Lisette opened the opera with her spun-silver voice; Kate and Tamara sounded gorgeous and in all their solo lines and harmonized trios, the three girls showed us why they are at the top of the 'now' generation of singers...the whole scene was such a total treat for the ear. And the eye: all three are strikingly attractive and move with grace. Richard Paul Fink's strongly sung Alberich struggled to grasp one of the elusive beauties. Richard's nicely nasty vocalism kept the character vividly center-stage all afternoon, a first-rate portrayal. Richard and the three girls just made the opening scene so purely enjoyable.

The giants were grand: John Tomlinson and Franz-Josef Selig are experienced Wagnerians with power to spare. All their utterances rumbled with dark vocal authority. I loved Yvonne Naef's strongly-sung yet often subtle Fricka and Gerhard Siegel's pointedly projected singing and cringing portrayal of Mime were right on the mark. Kim Begley sang and enunciated very well as Loge but I really disliked the campy, 'gay' characterization - whether it is his idea or the director's, it's lame. Wendy Bryn Harmer's large, warm sound as Freia augers well for future Wagnerian ventures. She looked fine also. Garrett Sorenson was a clear-voiced Froh and Charles Taylor sang strongly as Donner though his weight-loss may have tampered a bit with his vocal support. Jill Grove seemed out-of-sorts as Erda, veering sharp on her higher notes. The 'new' costume for her was drab and did not look well in the lighting.  

James Morris seemed vocally pallid at first; later there were flashes of the old power and glory of one of the all-time great Wotans but it does seem rather late in the day for him to be holding onto this role. Still, it was a rehearsal...Wednesday evening's prima may tell a different tale. His authority and intimate knowledge of the role are unquestionable.

The orchestral players had a few morning bloopers but overall played well for Maestro Levine who has the score ideally in hand and supports the singers to their best advantage.

A Year With TAKE Dance

 

Sunday March 22, 2009 - Rob and I went to the premiere screening of the film  A Year With TAKE Dance. The theatre was packed with friends and fans of Takehiro Ueyama, the former Paul Taylor dancer who founded his own troupe in 2004: TAKE Dance. The film was created by Damian Eckstein.

I fell for Take when I saw him dancing with the Taylor Company at Jacob's Pillow in the 1990s. Then I sort of lost track of him (and of non-balletic dance in general) until last year when Sophie Bromberg alerted me to the fact that Take now had his own troupe. Long story short: I was invited to a TAKE Dance rehearsal which was a revelatory experience for me; there I fell for Take the Choreographer and for his Company of dancers.  

 

Above, Jill Echo and Take in a still from the film which follows the fledgling Company over the course of a year and will be of interest whether you are a devotee of Take, or are simply fascinated by the daily routine of people who dance or - like me - didn't realize until too late that dancing was supposed to be what you were doing with your life. The film mixes rehearsal and performance footage with interviews and we see most of the current dancers in Take's Company plus some who have since moved into other career phases - people I loved at first sight, like Elise Drew and Kate Hirstein.

 

The current dancers (including Amy Young and John Eirich, above) were all on hand for the screening tonight; on Thursday at their rehearsal event at the Ailey Studios, some of them expressed concerns about seeing themselves on the big screen but of course they all looked teriffic. There were enjoyable scenes of camaraderie, the dancers doing impressions of Take (John Eirich nailed it), eating, talking about their day jobs, rehearsing. But the best moments were the filmed excerpts from Take's works.

The evening did not begin smoothly as the theatre personnel seemed very disorganized, and they had scheduled two 'events' at the same time in limited lobby space. We met Take and some of the dancers and also Ariel and Tonya; Taylor and Sophie arrived later. Unfortunately the dry air in the screening room gave me a sinus headache and at the end I really needed to get out into the fresh air and so missed the chance to talk to everyone. Taylor and I appeared very briefly in the film!

Prior to the Take film (and before the headache set in) we watched a very moving brief film called NO SE which juxtaposed shadowy black-and-white footage of dancers in a New York City studio with scenes depicting the last day in the life of a South African woman dying of AIDS. A quick Google search gave me no information on the film but I plan to dig deeper.