Oberon's Grove

Jon Crain

Tenor Jon Crain sang with the New York City Opera and at The Met, where his roles included Don Jose, Narraboth in SALOME, and Matteo in ARABELLA. He also participated in a studio recording of CAROUSEL with Roberta Peters, Alfred Drake, Claramae Turner, and Norman Treigle, and in an abridged English-language recording of TALES OF HOFFMANN issued by The Metropolitan Opera. Crain appeared on radio programs devoted to opera and song. 

Following his retirement, the tenor joined the music faculty at West Virginia University. He passed away in 2003.

Jon Crain ~ Ariadne auf Naxos - excerpt in English ~ 1958

John Stewart

The American tenor John Stewart made his professional debut at Santa Fe in 1964. Over the ensuing years, he returned often to Santa Fe in a wide-ranging repertory. He made his New York City Opera debut in 1968 and sang many roles there, including Albert Herring, Tamino, and Nanki-Poo. At the Metropolitan Opera, he appeared as Don Ottavio and as Alfred in FLEDERMAUS.

It was at the New York City Opera that I had the pleasure of hearing John Stewart as Pinkerton, Alfredo in TRAVIATA, Sali in A VILLAGE ROMEO AND JULIET, and Mozart's Tito.

In 1972, he sang Mathan in Handel's ATHALIA with the Handel Society at Carnegie Hall. The cast further featured Elinor Ross, Maureen Forrester, and Ara Berberian. Mr. Stewart's singing of the aria "Gentle airs, melodious strains" that evening remains a cherished memory of mine.

In 1974, John Stewart joined the Frankfurt Opera where he sang until his retirement in 1990. He currently teaches voice in New York City.

John Stewart - ROI D'YS aria - Lexington KY 1970

AnA Collaborations: SEASONED

"We never remember days, only moments." ~ Cesare Pavese

AnA Collaborations (dancer/choreographers Alex Jenkins and Audrey Rachelle) have created a film entitled SEASONED. The film premiered in late July 2017 down at The Wild Project. At that time, I was still in the recovery phase of my hip arthritis ordeal; but the collaborators have very kindly sent me a Vimeo of the entire film to view at home. I've finally found time this afternoon to watch it, and it's a finely-crafted film that resonates deeply.

Alex Jenkins is the central figure in SEASONED: her distinctive and quite mesmerizing screen presence alone is enough to sustain our interest in watching the 20-minute film. Cinematographer Blake Horn has wisely let nothing intrude on Ms. Jenkins' charismatic persona; rather, he enhances it at every turn.

The four seasons are evoked in this reflective work; in each of its four segments, Ms. Jenkins shares the screen with an equally compelling lover or partner in her journey. 

Autumn is handsomely filmed against a backdrop of yellow leaves; Ms. Jenkins finds herself in this woodland glade with Jon Ole Olstad. Their intimacy is easy, loving, and joyous, and their pas de deux is at once earthbound and dreamy. Everything about this scene is perfectly natural and spontaneous, even to the point of feeling that's it's been shot in one take.

In Winter, the cinematographer dazzles us with chiaroscuro effects. We are in a dark, unfurnished, rustic cabin but thru the windows the reflected glare of a snow-covered landscape makes for brilliant contrast. Here, Ms. Jenkins' partner is Cameron McKinney, whose alluring sculpted torso is ideally displayed in the contrasted light. Perhaps suffering from cabin fever, this couple's love is rougher, with an unkind edge. Their choreography is gestural and more angular, and occasionally there are cutbacks to Ms. Jenkins' happier times in Autumn. Desperate to escape, Mr. McKinney leaps out of a window and races away into forest. Ms. Jenkins pursues him.

The Winter lovers are never re-united. Instead, in Spring, Ms. Jenkins - after running and seeking - encounters a contemporary wood-nymph, played by Ms. Rachelle. They bask in a mud bath and communicate on a primeval level.

Finally, in Summer, we experience a beautifully-framed underwater pas de deux, with Ms. Jenkins and Nick Korkos floating weightlessly across the screen, their bodies alternately entwining and drifting apart. Their hypnotic duet has a sense of quiet ecstasy, and of time standing still. 

At the Wild Project premiere of SEASONED, while this aquatic duet is being shown, Ms. Jenkins and Mr. Korkos (above, in a Scott Shaw photo) appeared live onstage, dancing together in a duet of passion, tenderness, and supplication. While perfectly dovetailed to the filmed sequence, this live duet has a distinct power of its own as a viable, free-standing dancework.

More of Scott Shaw's images:

Watch the SEASONED trailer here.

Round 2 @ The US Open Qualifiers ~ 2017

Author: Oberon

Thursday August 24th, 2017 - Less humidity but still scorching sun today at the US Open as the second round matches of the Qualifying Tournament were played. Lots of distractions - mainly from people gabbing courtside during play ('straight' men are by far the worst chatterboxes) - and unpleasant encounters with staff made me wonder why I continue to trek out there year after year. Well, I love tennis, that's why.

Today my first match was between Vincent Millot and Tatsuma Ito. As on Tuesday, Ito began rather sluggishly but today he was unable to turn things around, and Millot won in straight sets.

I then went to have a look at a Women's match: former world #2 Vera Zvonareva (above) was playing American Jamie Loeb. Zvonareva was trying for a comeback after a career beset by injuries and which included time off to have a baby. Today she looked to be in great shape and played with rugged determination and fine skill. Each player took a set - the scores were really close - and in the third, Zvonareva saved a couple of match points before Loeb was able to prevail. The crowd was overwhelmingly favoring the American; in fact I am not sure that many of them even knew who Zvonareva was, nor her history. It was great seeing her play again, and I hope she sticks with it. 

The best time I had this week at the Open was watching the match between Go Soeda (above) and Marco Chiudinelli. I found a seat all by my lonesome high up in the gallery where a refreshing breeze periodically swept over me. Go was on fire and played the best tennis I have ever seen from him.

Go Soeda's matches have been some of my happiest memories of past US Opens; win or lose, he always plays a beautiful game. He is among the players who, over the years, have made me see the excitement of the Qualifying matches and who have drawn me there annually, choosing the Qualies over the far more crowded and expensive main draw.  

Today, Go allowed Marco Chuiudinelli very little room for error. The Swiss player could not get his foot in the door against his Japanese opponent's good serving and well-placed shots. The match flew by and Go, cheered on by the crowd, was soon basking in his victory.

More photos of Go Soeda from today:

Above: Go signing autographs...

...and meeting his fans.  

Nicolas Mahut (above), a mainstay on the international tennis stage since turning pro in 2000, was today facing up-and-comer Ramakumar Ramanathan of India. Like Leonardo Mayer, who played a great match here on Tuesday, Mahut has slipped down the rankings just far enough that he has to qualify this time around.

Mahut had vociferous support from the crowd and, although Ramamathan pulled off some impressive shots - and took the second set in a tie-breaker - the Frenchman held on for the win.

Mahut's young son was courtside for the match and kept calling out "Allez, papa!". It was charming, at least for the first one hundred times. 

I was just heading towards the exit to catch the train when a beautiful breeze kicked up. I stopped randomly at the nearest court and watched a bit of the match between Frank Dancevic and Stephane Robert.

I recalled an incident from 2 or 3 years ago when Dancevic had an on-court meltdown over what he thought was a bad line-call. It happened again today - though as a less hysterical level - just during the few minutes I was watching. Chill, man. Everyone gets bad calls. Marco Chiudinelli thought he'd been deprived of a legitimate point during his match with Go Soeda earlier today and held up play as he unloaded on the chair umpire. What good did it do?  Just keep playing and try to win, instead of whining.

My plan had been to stay on til the last matches of the day; I wanted to see Lukas Lacko and Duckhee Lee in action. But you've heard the phrase "twice-baked potato"...and that was how I was beginning to feel.

Heading home.

~ Oberon

@ The US Open Qualifiers ~ 2017

Author: Oberon

Tuesday August 22nd, 2017 - As many readers of this blog will know, starting in early March of this year, I developed severe hip arthritis - or maybe bursitis: the exact diagnosis remains unclear. I was literally homebound until, after six weeks of physical therapy, things began to improve...very slowly. Aside from the pain, I also suffered from a literal terror of going outdoors. This hindered my progress considerably. But by the end of May, I began setting goals to commence re-connecting with my world of music, dance, and...tennis.

My improvement stalled more than once; but, encouraged by my physical therapist and by friends who had been thru similar interruptions in their lives (thank you especially, Ask LaCour and Lydia Johnson!), I stuck to my course and one by one achieved my goals. The final one was set for today: to attend the first session of the US Open Qualifying Tournament. This has been an annual event for me for several years and I was determined to be there, come Hell or high water.

Just two weeks ago, the last level of recovery I had hoped for was attained: I was essentially 95% pain-free and weaned off the meds. But then, going to the US Open is not the same as going to a concert or a dance event: it's an all-day experience that includes a very long subway ride from Inwood, lots of walking and standing about, and plenty of stair-climbing. Just as I was leaving my apartment to catch the train, I thought: "Should I pop some Aleve just to be safe?" Nope. Fuck it.

I won't complain at length about the many inconveniences and distractions of going to the Open; I guess you have to shut up and put up with things like tantrum-throwing toddlers (small children don't belong at the Open, especially on blisteringly hot days); badged employees - there are hundreds of 'em - who seem to have nothing else to do but congregate courtside and gab with one another or on their walkie-talkies during play; and staff members barking at you for one reason or another. And it's all become so terribly commercialized.

But...on to the tennis:

Seventeen-year old Félix Auger-Aliassime (above) of Canada prevailed...

...over Japan's Hiroki Moriya (above). Hiroki's a good player and he made some nice shots, but he didn't have the replies for what Félix was sending him from the opposite end of the court.

One court over, a huge throng had gathered to watch another Canadian teenager, Denis Shapovalov, who is building a reputation as a giant-killer. Today he defeated Denis Kudla; I had no energy to fight the crowds to get even a glimpse of the Battle of the Two Denises. Another bright young player on the ascent, Noah Rubin, succumbed to Germany's Tobias Kamke in two sets; Rubin was treated for a shoulder or neck issue during the match, which undoubtedly affected his chances.

I stopped by to watch part of a match between two gentlemen from Portugal: Gastao Elias (above) and Goncalo Oliveira. Each player took a set, and it seemed to me that Oliveira had gathered steam in the second and might outlast Elias in the third, but instead Goncalo seemed to wilt and Gastao claimed the win. One fun aside: Goncalo Oliveira has a unique service preparation: it's something you really have to see.

The only match I watched in its entirety today was between...

...Argentina's Leonard Mayer (above)...

...and the Frenchman Maxime Janvier. Both men are tall, and both are big hitters: the Wilson balls took a real pummeling during their match. Mayer, seeded #1 in the Qualifying draw, made one exquisite drop-shot and had a bit of luck as one of his returns caught the tape and then dropped into Janvier's end of the court. Despite his height, Mayer is an agile mover and was great fun to watch. It took just one break in each of the two sets for the Argentine to secure the victory.

More images of Leonardo Mayer from today's match:

The serve...

...on guard...

...liftoff...

...signing autographs...

Leonardo turned pensive as well-wishers surrounded him after his win.

The predicted cloud-cover had dissipated into a haze and the sun was baking the courts. The match I had most wanted to see today, between Japan's Go Soeda and India's Yuki Bhambri, was scheduled for Court 10 but when I went to see if they'd started, the match preceding theirs was just getting underway.

I went to watch Japan's Tatsumo Ito (above) playing against the Frenchman Kenny de Schepper but it was during their first set that I began feeling 'the burn'. Ito is often a slow starter, and de Schepper took the opening set. When I got home, I checked the website to find that Ito had turned things around and scored a win. 

I swung by Court 10 again to see if the Soeda/Bhambri match was anywhere near ready to go but that was not the case. It would have been one of those matches that's hard for me to watch, as I like both players; in fact, they are my only tennis-playing Facebook Friends. I later found that Go had prevailed in a 3-setter.

On the women's side, one name piqued my curiosity: Vera Zvonareva. In 2010, Zvonareva was a finalist both at Wimbledon and the US Open and reached a career-high ranking of #2. Injuries, marriage, and motherhood subsequently took her away from tennis. She is now making a comeback. I wish I had seen her play today; I didn't notice her name in the listings until her match was over. Maybe I'll catch her on Thursday, when I plan to go back to the Open.  

So, In the end, my day turned out very well. The only pain involved was the sunburn I acquired, and that will fade in a day or two. 

Leaving the tennis center, I couldn't resist photographing this poster which reminded me so much of my Brix:

~ Oberon

Vladimir Kastorsky

Born in 1870, Vladimir Kastorsky entered the St. Petersburg Conservatory in 1893. A year later he was expelled for "voicelessness and incompetence". But he persevered, and made his operatic debut at the Opera House of Pskov in 1894; he went on to a career of nearly 50 years.

Kastorsky was a star of both the Mariinsky and Bolshoi Theatres. He sang all the great Russian basso roles as well as Mozart's Count Almaviva and Leporello, Nilakantha in LAKME, and Wagner's Wotan and Wolfram.

In 1907-1908, Kastorsky participated in Sergei Diaghilev's Russian seasons in Paris. He also was heard at La Scala, Prague, Berlin, Rome, Munich, London, Kiev, Odessa, and Tiflis. Later in life, he taught at Mariinsky Theatre, Leningrad's Art Studio and at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory. Kastorsky continued to give recitals of Russian songs and German lieder into his old age. He died on July 2, 1948...one day before I was born.

Vladimir Kastorsky - Pimen's Monologue from BORIS GODUNOV

Vladimir Kastorsky ~ Eugene Onegin - Prince Gremin's Aria

dell'Arte Opera Ensemble: LA CALISTO

~ Author: Oberon

Sunday August 20th, 2017 matinee - Francesco Cavalli (above) wrote about 30 operas, and of them LA CALISTO has become a favorite with contemporary audiences. Premiered in 1651, the opera's brief and richly-varied musical numbers - and its sensuous, lusty characters - seem wonderfully fresh and relevant to us today, especially in a performance such as was offered this afternoon by the enterprising dell'Arte Opera Ensemble down at the La MaMa Theater.

A brief synopsis of the opera will help sort out the twists of plot and the infatuations and motivations of the various characters:

THE PROLOGUE
Nature and Eternity celebrate those mortals who have climbed the path to immortality. Destiny insists that the name of Calisto be added to the list.

THE OPERA
A thunderbolt hurled by Giove has gone awry and decimated a portion of the valley of Arcadia. The god comes down with his sidekick Mercurio to inspect the damage They find the nymph Calisto, desperately seeking water. Giove causes a stream to gush up. He then attempts to seduce Calisto, who is a follower of Diana - the goddess of the hunt - and a staunch virgin. She rejects Giove's advances, but later succumbs when he disguises himself as Diana. Meanwhile, the real Diana, because of her vow of chastity, cannot return the love of the handsome shepherd boy Endimione. Diana relies on the help of her attendant nymph, Linfea, who desires a husband but spurns the advances of a young satyr.

On Mount Lycaeus, Endimione sings to the moon, the symbol of Diana. As he sleeps, Diana covers him with kisses. He awakes and they sing of their love. Jove's infidelity is discovered by his wife Juno, while Diana's secret is found out by Pane, the god of the forest, who has long desired her. Endimione is persecuted by Pane and his satyrs.

The Furies turn Calisto into a bear at the command of the indignant Juno. Giove sadly confesses all to Calisto: she must live the rest of her life as a bear, but eventually he will raise her to the stars. Diana rescues Endmione and they agree that, while their kissing-fest was enjoyable, they will leave it at that. Giove and Mercurio celebrate Calisto's ascension to her heavenly home in the constellation Ursa Major

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sung in the original Italian, with English surtitles, the dell'Arte production is directed with wit and affection by Brittany Goodwin, who let the bawdiness of certain scenes play out without lapsing into vulgarity. The costumes by Claire Townsend mix modern-day wear with fantasy elements. The scenic design is by You-Shin Chen, and the atmospheric lighting by Dante Olivia Smith.

The score was played by an expert period-instrument ensemble led by Charles Weaver, with Mr. Weaver and Adam Cockerham playing lutes, violinists Dongmyung Ahn and Sarah Kenner, cellist Matt Zucker, and Jeffrey Grossman at the harpsichord. Their unfailing grace and perceptive dramatic accents brought Cavalli's music into our time in all its glory.  

Vocally, the afternoon got off to a splendid start as Allison Gish (above, in a backstage portrait) intoned the lines of La Natura with a voice that evoked thoughts of the great contraltos of bygone days.

In a scene which anticipates Wagner's GOTTERDAMMERUNG Norns (even down to having a contralto sing first), Ms. Gish's La Natura is joined by Elyse Kakacek as L'Eternità and Jungje Xu as Il Destino. Ms. Kakacek looked striking as she sang from the mezzanine; the voice is full and wide-ranging, pinging out into the theater space. Jungje Xu's voice is lyrical, and she sang very well as she pleaded Destiny's case for giving Calisto a place in the heavens. When these three singers blended voices, the effect was superb. Later in the opera, they portrayed the stream which sprang up to quench Calisto's thirst, and - later still - were Furies, minions of the goddess Juno, who revel in a scene where they torment Calisto.

Above: Emily Hughes as Calisto, with her fellow archers of Diana's entourage, in a Brian Long photo. Ms. Hughes was the lovely focal-point of the story; with her clear, appealing timbre and a charming streak of vulnerability in her personification of the role, the young soprano made Jupiter's infatuation entirely understandable. Her long aria in the opera's second half was particularly pleasing.  

Mason Jarboe as Giove (Jupiter) - handsome in appearance and authoritative of voice - was an ideal matching of singer to role. My only wish was that he'd had more to sing. The same might be said of tenor Brady DelVecchio as Mercurio; his characterful singing, easy stage demeanor, and pimp-like persona were much appreciated. Both gentlemen savoured their every moment onstage.

Above: Emily Hughes as Calisto with Adria Caffaro, who appears both as Diana and as Giove disguised as Diana. Ms. Caffaro was able to subtly differentiate vocally between her two roles; the voice is warm, sizable and pliant, with a touch of earthiness. And she exuded goddess-like confidence. After an episode of heated kissing between Calisto and Giove in his Diana guise, Ms. Caffaro returns as 'Diana herself' and is amused - and then annoyed - by Calisto's description of 'their' smooching session and the implication that Diana might have same-sex desires: Ms. Caffaro here turned fiery, making the scene one of the highlights of the afternoon. 

Above: Padraic Costello as Endimione. Mr. Costello's honeyed counter-tenor and gift for persuasive phrasing fell graciously on the ear. His portrayal of the shepherd, infatuated with Diana, was as expressive as his singing. As the most human character in the story, and the one for whom love is truly all, Mr. Costello was as moving in his sincerity as in the beauty of sound he produced.   

Above: Joyce Yin as Linfea, one of Diana's handmaidens who is torn between preserving her chastity and losing it. Satirino, a lusty satyr, offers to solve Linfea's dilemma for her, but she fends him off. Ms. Yin's voice is clear and assertive, pealing forth to express her excitement. Stage-wise, she was a bundle of energy, and very amusing when she 'remembered' to strike the required archer's poses.

Above: Raymond Storms as Pane. This is the opera's second counter-tenor role and Mr. Storms excelled in the music, which veered from passionate declaration to soft, sweet turns of phrase. His acting was spot-on as yet another frustrated lover of Diana (she's so popular!).

Pane's pals are Shawn Palmer as Satirino (the satyr who tried to have his way with Linfea earlier) and Angky Budiardjono as Silvano. This trio's scenes recall the rustics in MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM...and all three are actors who can sing.

Ms. Palmer looked androgynous with her lithe, long-legged figure and glossy blue bob-wig. Her cantering walk and occasional pawing of the ground revealed her animal nature. Her rather long dramatic aria showed a deeper side to the character, and she sang it so well.

Mr. Budiardjono's singing was wide-ranging and ample-toned, a very pleasing sound to be sure. In Part II of the opera, Mssrs. Storms and Budiardjono have a duet that really showed off their talents; Ms. Palmer then joined them in a trio that was sheer fun to see and hear.

Sophie Delphis as the goddess Giunone, wife of Jove, did not descend from the heavens until the start of Part II. Clad in an elaborate haute couture dress, spike heels, and a flame-red hat, Ms. Delphis' appearance was as striking as her singing and acting. A complete immersion into the character made her every note, word, and movement vivid. In a vindictive rage upon learning her husband has been unfaithful, Ms. Delphis unleashed her anger like a sylvan Santuzza. The voice has a real bite to it.

Diana's archers also served as stagehands, quickly maneuvering floor platforms into different configurations and nimbly transforming swaths of long, hanging sheer-white fabric into clouds, canopies, or pillars.

The afternoon flew by; all too soon we were hearing what seemed to be a choral finale with all the characters mingling voices as Giove showed Calisto the firmament...her future home. But the voices fade away and the opera ends on a parlando passage from Giove.

Production photos by Brian Long.

~ Oberon

Shaham|Langrée @ Mostly Mozart

Above: Violinist Gil Shaham

~ Author: Scoresby

Friday August 18th, 2017 – After a month of recovering from an illness, I was happy to be able hear live music performed by the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra in David Geffen Hall led by its music director Louis Langrée with guest violinist Gil Shaham. A month is the longest I’ve gone without hearing live music in years, so it felt like the ultimate psychological panacea to attend. While I have regularly attended the chamber music performances, A Little Night Music, and contemporary music concerts, I hadn't heard the Festival Orchestra since 2014.  I was glad to be able to attend the penultimate Festival Orchestra concert of the season.

Above: Louis Langrée 

The first piece on the program was the bubbly Prokofiev Symphony No. 1 in D major (“Classical”). The only other time I have heard this piece played live was, coincidentally, also the last time I heard the Festival Orchestra. This evening Mr. Langrée led a taut, lean performance. During the dance-like opening movement, the strings sounded bouncy and light. The low woodwinds provided a warm sheen, even in the most ominous undercurrents of the piece. Mr. Langrée’s sense of balance allowed the bassoon’s counterpoint to easily pop. While certainly an energetic account, none of the structural detailing was missed.

During the Larghetto, the bassoons and clarinets took the spotlight, providing entertainment combined with artistry. For those who haven’t been to Mostly Mozart before, the stage of David Geffen is modified to allow riser seating in the back of the orchestra by moving up the stage to what would be the first few rows of the hall. This pushes the orchestra significantly closer to audience and creates a much more intimate environment.

Mr. Langrée takes full advantage of this intimacy by using far quieter dynamics than could ever be used during the normal season’s setup – it feels as if the orchestra is thrust into the audience. The orchestral detailing in the second movement was superb through even the quietest of moments. While this makes the music sound more nuanced and detailed, it feels as if the noises from the crowd are too. Throughout the performance I heard many more pings of hearing aids, coughs, and wrappers of food than I hear during the regular season. However, I am happy to take that trade-off if it makes the music-making substantially more interesting as it did here. In the third and fourth movements, the orchestra kept its momentum and finished to a crowd that roared, obviously excited over the energy of the musicians.

The second piece on the program was Mozart Symphony No. 25 G minor, K. 183 (one of few Mozart symphonies in the minor key). I’ve never been the biggest fan of the piece, but it was still a pleasure to hear it live in such an intimate space. While at times I felt the orchestra sounded a little muddy through the first movement, every time there was a canonic section Mr. Langrée confidently led transparent and thoughtful introductions for each instrument.

These structured sections sounded just as buoyant as the Prokofiev. While a welcome change in dynamics, some of the rhythms and accents in the Andante felt over-accentuated to my ear.  Nonetheless, one could hear every instrument clearly singing its line. The trio of the third movement brought another warm passage with the bright woodwinds followed by an incisive final movement.

After the intermission, the crowd seemed to be buzzing to hear the final piece on the program: the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto in D major played by violinist Gil Shaham. I’ve never been a fan of this piece, but here it was played in a refreshing way that would make want to listen again. Mr. Shaham took an understated approach to the first movement (at least as much as is possible for a virtuosic warhorse), languishing in the phrasing of lines.

Again, because of the setup of the lean orchestra and intimacy of the venue, there was no need to play loud. Thus he was able to bring a supple legato phrasing that never sounded harsh. After a measured performance of the cadenza by Mr. Shaham, the principal flautist Jasmine Choi gave one of the clearest and mellowest solos I’ve heard for that section of the piece. Mr. Shaham seemed more effective in the second movement, managing to illicit a rounder, ghostly tone during the introduction. The orchestra responded, with the clarinet’s extensive accompaniment matching the misty mood.

Throughout the piece Mr. Shaham seemed to play for the musicians rather than for the audience – the whole experience seemed have more of a chamber music feel than that of a virtuosic concerto. The orchestral musicians and Mr. Langrée were smiling from start to finish and it was a joy to watch them exchange phrases with Mr. Shaham. While perhaps not the most technical or dazzling performance of this piece, witnessing and feeling that rare warmth between the artists is something that can only be experienced in a live performance.

During the final movement, Mr. Shaham dispatched the technical sections with ease and the crowd gave him a roaring ovation. He played as an encore the third movement of the third E-major Bach Partita. While charming, to me the highlight of the concert was witnessing intimate collaborative music-making that is rare to see in an orchestra.

~ Scoresby

Aafje Heynis

I love this story about Aafje Heynis:

~ When the Netherlands were liberated in May of 1945, there were celebrations in the streets of every town.

A man hit on the idea of wheeling his old upright piano out onto the street. He sat down and began to play a patriotic song; naturally, the crowd joined in with utmost emotion.

Suddenly someone yelled: "There's a real singer living just nearby. She must join us!" A few minutes later the young lady, slender and somewhat shy, came to the gathering. It was Aafje Heynis. There were cries of "sing, sing!"

Standing by the old piano, she began to sing a Handel aria. It became completely still, and people began to weep. Aafje's beautiful timbre, the splendid melody, the profound meaning of the occasion (freedom after five years of German occupation): all these cast a spell over the dozens of witnesses. "Never again have I been able to sing quite like that", the famous contralto was later to say. ~

Aafje Heynis - Ombra mai fu from SERSE ~ Handel

More selections selections from the Dutch contralto:

Aafje Heynis - Ave Maria ~ Schubert

Aafje Heynis - Morgen! ~ StraussŸ

Aafje Heynis - Zueignung ~ Richard Strauss

Gerstein|Langrée @ Mostly Mozart

Author: Oberon

Wednesday August 16th, 1017 - How doubly grateful I felt when I saw that Kirill Gerstein (above, in a Marco Borggreve portrait) would be playing the Schumann Piano Concerto at tonight's Mostly Mozart concert; grateful first of all because I greatly admire Mr. Gerstein as an artist, and grateful yet again for the opportunity to finally hear this concerto played live. It seems that it is not programmed all that often these days.

It's rather unusual to find an extended solo piano work included on an orchestral program, but Mr. Gerstein's rendering of Brahms' Variations on a Theme by Robert Schumann was a wonderful prelude to his performance of the Schumann concerto...or rather, it would have been, had not audience distractions nearly ruined it. The pianist's lyric warmth and a beautiful modulations of dynamic were truly congenial, but he had no sooner commenced to play than a loud thudding noise spoiled the music: someone among the stage audience had dropped something - something heavy.

Mr. Gerstein soldiered on, but as the variations continued a plague of coughing swept thru Geffen Hall. Hardly a bar of music went by without a cough, snort, clearing of throat, or other upper-respiratory distraction. After a while it became comical; I gave up thinking I could derive any real enjoyment from Gerstein's playing, and I have to congratulate him for maintaining his focus: there's no way he could have been unaware of these annoyances. Before the piece was over, something else had been dropped, and a cellphone went off. As the pianist took his bows, my friend Dmitry and I rolled our eyes; but we were determined that our evening would not be spoilt.

The Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra players then took their seats, and Mr. Gerstein returned with Maestro Louis Langrée for the Schumann concerto. I became intrigued with this with this work years ago thru the film Madame Sousatzka, and have waited literally decades to hear it played live. I once asked a pianist/friend why it is not performed more often, and he replied: "It's too easy." It may be 'easy' to play, but it pleases audiences and was tonight given a top-notch performance by Gerstein, Langrée, and Company.

The first movement opens with a dramatic outburst from the soloist, followed by a simple, expressive melody played by the woodwinds; this theme will re-appear in various guises in the first and last movements.  The second movement is referred to as an Intermezzo, and it is perhaps here that the real reason pianists choose other concertos over Schumann to display their artistry is to be found: without a real adagio or andante, expressive possibilities might be considered limited. For all that, Mr. Gerstein found much to be savoured here, and his playing was clear and shining. The final movement is full of vitality and sweeps us along in its dancing rhythms, with enjoyable references back to the concerto's opening movement.

The Mostly Mozart woodwind players relished their opportunities here: Jon Manasse's dulcet clarinet was a sheer balm to the ear, and Dwight Parry is a remarkable oboist. Their highlights, and the beautiful flow of Gerstein's playing of the piano part - which includes a passage of shimmering light over delicate accompaniment - were simply the outstanding moments in a superb performance.

For an encore, Mr. Gerstein chose an arrangement of the Romanze: Andante non troppo, con grazia from Clara Schumann's piano concerto, opus 7, composed when Fräulein Wieck was only 13 years old. Robert Schumann later devised a setting of the Romanze for piano and cello, with just a touch of timpani at the end. It was this musical love letter we heard tonight, ravishingly played by Mr. Gerstein and Mostly Mozart's principal cellist Ilya Finkelshteyn. Markus Rhoten's gentle sounding of the timpani had the magical effect of a heartbeat: the heartbeat of Clara's love for her Robert. The overall effect of this encore was truly touching.

The evening concluded with Maestro Langrée (above) conducting the Brahms 1st Symphony. The composer declared that this symphony, from sketches to finishing touches, took 21 years - from 1855 to 1876 - to complete.

Tonight's performance was rich-textured and lovingly paced, giving its 40-minute span a Beethovian air. The inner movements were particularly pleasing: the tender Andante sostenuto and the charming Allegretto. Throughout, the Mostly Mozart wind soloists gave ample pleasure - Jasmine Choi's flute playing is priceless in it's clarity and sheen. The symphony swept by, an affirmation of faith in the enduring power of great music as the world around us darkens.

~ Oberon