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August 16, 2017 | Permalink
Above: Sara Michelle Murawski and Ask LaCour in INTO SILENCE; photo from Anna Caterina Photography
New York City Ballet principal dancer Ask LaCour has choreographed a pas de deux to the title track of composer Jane Antonia Cornish's new album, INTO SILENCE.
Watch the duet - danced by Ask LaCour and American National Ballet principal Sara Michelle Murawski and filmed at the atmospheric Martha Graham Studios - here.
August 16, 2017 | Permalink
Author: Oberon
Saturday August 12th, 2017 - It's been many moons since I last heard Thomas Zehetmair (above) live, and his playing of the Beethoven Violin Concerto tonight at Mostly Mozart was a welcome re-acquaintance with this excellent and truly distinctive violinist.
Zehetmair's performance ignited a tumultuous ovation, so very well-deserved. Andrew Manze on the podium was both a perfect collaborator for the violinist's unique take on the Beethoven, and a joy to watch as he led a vibrant Mozart 40th in the program's second half. The orchestra played very well indeed, with some really lovely solo statements from the various wind instruments.
Sometimes referred to as Beethoven’s “tenth symphony with violin obbligato...” the Violin Concerto places great demands on the soloist both in its bravura passage-work and its sheer length.
The concerto starts with gentle strikings of the timpani, and a rather lengthy orchestral introduction ensues; Mr. Zehetmair stood stock still, listening, before tucking his violin under his chin and launching his spectacular interpretation of this beloved work. From the very moment he began to play, Zehetmair's control of timbre and dynamic was entrancing. In much of the first movement, he favored an almost astringent, silvery sound; his pianissimo playing in the highest range, his gossamer trills and shimmering scalework, his lean-toned melodic excursions: all sent little chills of delight thru me.
As devised by Beethoven in an 1807 arrangement of the concerto for piano (!), and orchestra, Mr. Zehetmair reveled in a sustained, florid cadenza accompanied by the timpani; it took on the air of a miniature march. Later, as the orchestra re-joined the soloist, Zehetmair's playing took on a particular charm as the plucking strings under-pinned his song. And here, may I toss a rose to the bassoonist? Throughout the entire concerto, the orchestra's wind players gave cause for joy.
In the calm of the Larghetto movement, Mr. Zehetmair sweetened his tone and gave it a halo of soft glow. Playing with great delicacy over - again - gently plucked strings, the violinist sounded absolutely dreamy, his sense of sustained line evoking thoughts of the great bel canto singers of years gone by. Another remarkable cadenza found Mr. Zehetmair at his artistic and expressive peak.
The Larghetto moves without pause into the concluding Rondo; the program note so aptly describes the pace here as "cantering" - just the perfect word. Pop-up cadenzas occupy the soloist, whilst along the way the plushy bassoon, limpid flute, elegant clarinet and oboe, and velvety horns lure our ear's attention. A cascading cadenza is reached, with Mr. Zehetmair's wizardry in full flourish: his triple trill, alternating whole-and half-tones with supreme finesse, bowled me over. This masterpiece, which has thrilled listeners for more than two centuries, swept on to its grand conclusion; as the final chord resounded, shouts of exultation from the Geffen Hall crowd erupted.
Mr. Zehetmair, facing an avalanche of applause from the standing audience, insisted on sharing the homage with the orchestra players and Maestro Manze. The violinist then re-appeared alone, to offer an encore very much in keeping with his artistic sensibilities: rather than a virtuoso showpiece or a heartfelt lyrical song, Mr. Zehetmair chose a quirky, brief solo by Bernd Alois Zimmermann. Zehetmair's pinpoint dynamic control and edgy timbre here dazzled the audience in a very different way.
Following the interval, Maestro Manze (above) led a vital and truly enjoyable performance of Mozart's Symphony #40 in G-minor.
This symphony has no traditional opening chords; instead, it begins in a misterioso mood. As the work unfolds, Maestro Manze draws a savorable sense of drama from the music: he is quite inspiring to watch on the podium, with his balletic port de bras, spell-casting hands, and lean, swaying frame. No touch of theatricality in his style: just a clear love of the music, which is ever-evident.
In the Andante, again the orchestra's wind players - here, most notably, the flautist - shine forth. A sense of mystery arises as minor-key interludes crop up; harmonic modulations and inspired blendings of colour maintain our devotion throughout. The traditional, gracious Menuetto and the symphony's concluding Allegro assai were very finely played, and a clarinet solo in the finale was of particular appeal.
~ Oberon
August 13, 2017 | Permalink
Above: Louis Quilico as Count di Luna in IL TROVATORE
I've recently joined a Facebook group called FORGOTTEN OPERA SINGERS. While the thrust of the group centers around voices from the distant past, there's also lots of interest in those singers from more recent years who have retired or passed away. I'm finding it to be a very congenial place to post some of the 2,000+ MP3s I have created during my 'disability'.
I first heard Louis Quilico in 1969, singing Rigoletto at the New York City Opera. It was at the State Theatre, too, where I first saw him in one of his most affecting roles: Golaud in PELLEAS ET MELISANDE; Louis's voice could convey a sense of heartbreak so convincingly. Also at City Opera he sang resplendently as Renato in BALLO IN MASCHERA.
In 1972, Louis Quilico made his Met debut as Golaud; he sang there for over 20 years, making more than 275 appearances in the House and on tour.
I saw him at the Met many times: as Chorebus in LES TROYENS, as the Bishop of Blois in ESCLARMONDE, as Barnaba in GIOCONDA, and in the great Verdi baritone roles in AIDA, TROVATORE, and FALSTAFF.
Louis' other Met roles included Tonio in PAGLIACCI, Michonnet in ADIANA LECOUVREUR, Germont in TRAVIATA, Rigoletto, Renato in BALLO IN MASCHERA, Posa in DON CARLO, Macbeth, Carlo in ERNANI, and Dr. Bartolo in BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA. On tour, he sang Sharpless in BUTTERFLY and Alfonso in LA FAVORITA.
In 1986, Louis sang a single Met performance as the Comte des Grieux in Massenet's MANON; his son, baritone Gino Quilico, shared the stage with his father, singing the role of Lescaut.
One of my outstanding memories of Louis Quilico was his performance of the role of the High Priest of Dagon in a concert performance of Act II of SAMSON ET DALILA at Carnegie Hall in 1983, with Jessye Norman as a splendid Dalila and James McCracken a thrilling Samson; Charles Dutoit conducted. Unfortunately, I've never been able to find a recording from that evening.
But here are some excerpts from the great baritone roles sung by Louis Quilico:
Louis Quilico - Cortigiani! from RIGOLETTO - NYCO 1969
Louis Quilico - BALLO aria - NYCO
Louis Quilico - Prologo - PAGLIACCI - Met 1978
Louis Quilico - Di Provenza - TRAVIATA -Met 1979
RIGOLETTO - scene - Judith Blegen - Louis Quilico - Richard J Clark - Met bcast 1985
August 11, 2017 | Permalink
Author: Oberon
Wednesday August 9th, 2016 - Cellist Steven Isserlis (above, photo by Satoshi Aoyagi) and violinist Joshua Bell formed a compelling duo in a performance of the Brahms Concerto for Violin and Cello at tonight's Mostly Mozart concert at Geffen Hall; Andrew Manze was on the podium. The evening further featured works by Bach (arranged by Manze) and Mendelssohn's 5th ('Reformation') symphony.
Joshua Bell (above)
A bit of background regarding the Brahms Double Concerto: Brahms had had a falling-out with his longtime friend and collaborator, the violinist Joseph Joachim, in 1880. Joachim had been having marital problems and Brahms, with good intentions, sought to intervene and "save" the marriage. But his plan back-fired, and Joachim distanced himself from the composer.
The Double Concerto was an olive-branch that Brahms held out to his old friend. Clara Schumann wrote in her journal, "This concerto is a work of reconciliation - Joachim and Brahms have spoken to each other again for the first time in years."
Joachim and the cellist Robert Hausmann met with Brahms at Baden-Baden in September 1887 to rehearse the new concerto. The work premiered in October 1887 at Cologne, with Brahms conducting and Joachim and Hausmann as soloists.
This evening's performance was only my second live experience of the Double Concerto and it was a deeply pleasing performance: for the music is truly beautiful, the players were exceptional, and the audience was held in a state of pin-drop silence for the duration.
Andrew Manze and the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra were in fine fettle, and after their brief opening statement, cellist Steven Isserlis established the atmosphere with his playing of the first solo passage that was at once elegant and passionate. When Joshua Bell's violin joined in, it was quickly evident that he and Mr. Isserlis were in a simpatico state: they each bring both grandeur of phrasing and amazingly delicate nuances to their playing.
A woodwind-choir passage was felicitous, and the familiar 'big theme' of the opening Allegro movement was warmly set forth. But much of the appeal of this concerto stems from the musical dialogue between the violin and the cello: they seem to finish one another's sentences, and to vie in a subtle contest to see which one can play the softer. Their voices mingle in a rising passage, and then Mr. Bell lingers in his sweet high register. The main theme returns, superbly harmonized by the duo. The orchestra swells and brings the Allegro to grand closing. Applause after movements is not always welcome, but in this case it was understandable.
The Andante brings us the gentle lyricism that so often marks Brahms' slow movements. The violin and cello sometimes play in unison here - a welcome sonic experience - and the orchestra maintains a plush cordiality in tutti passages.
The final Vivace non troppo is dance-like, with wonderful alternations of forte and piano. Among the many treats Brahms gives us here is a passage for the cello soloist, accompanied by the basses. The music goes grand, only to simmer down before a re-bound and a finish marked by three loud chords. A torrent of applause and cheers filled the Hall as the soloists and conductor were called out twice to a boisterous standing ovation.
Mr. Bell then announced a surprise encore: the second movement (Langsam) of Robert Schumann's Violin Concerto. In concert performances of this concerto, the Langsam would flow directly into the third and final movement. But Benjamin Britten thoughtfully provided a coda, which allows for free-standing performances of the hauntingly beautiful Langsam.
The Schumann violin concerto - one of the composer's last completed works - has a somewhat bizarre history:
Joseph Joachim (again, that name!) privately played through the concerto with the Hanover Court Orchestra for Schumann in October 1853; Schumann left the manuscript with Joachim, who kept it - unpublished - for the rest of his life. Following Schumann’s attempted suicide in February 1854 and his eventual decline and death in the sanatorium at Endenich, Joachim came to the conclusion that the concerto was a product of Schumann’s madness and physical exhaustion. This decided the violinist to keep the manuscript hidden away, apparently thinking that to publish it would be too morbid; Clara Schumann and Johannes Brahms concurred. Joachim deposited the manuscript of the concerto with the Prussian State Library in Berlin, and stated in his will that the work should not be played or published until a hundred years after the composer's death.
But the story goes that, in March 1933, during a séance in London, Joachim's grand-niece, the violinist Jelly d'Aranyi (above), was told by a spirit-voice identifying himself as Robert Schumann that Miss d'Aranyi should recover the unpublished work, and perform it. In a second message, this time from the spirit of Joachim, the location of the score at the Prussian State Library was revealed. The score of the concerto was located and published by Schott, and has since become a beloved staple of the violin repertoire.
Mr. Bell's performance of the Schumann as tonight's encore captured a sense of the mystery that has surrounded the work. It is breathtakingly gorgeous music, and the violinist savoured every moment. Mr. Isserlis, in a sublime solo cello passage, was simply captivating. But Mr. Bell then re-claimed the music for his violin with a superbly calibrated trill before ascending to an ethereal, sustained high note to end the performance. The audience, needless to say, went wild.
Following the interval, Maestro Manze (above) took up the baton for the concert's second half, which began with the conductor's own arrangement of Bach's Contrapunctus XIV, from the Art of the Fugue. As I rule, I dislike speeches from the podium in the course of a concert; but Mr. Manze's introduction of his Bach arrangement was so charming and witty that all was forgiven.
The Contrapunctus was left unfinished by Bach, and thus - as lovingly played by the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra - the Manze arrangement likewise has a non-ending. The sound tapestry of strings, brass, and winds unfurled before us, with slow Bachian inevitability, and with the timpani lending a noble feeling along the way.
A very fine performance of Mendelssohn's 'Reformation' symphony brought the evening to its close. While Mendelssohn is one of my favorite composers (his piano trios, octet, and MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM are high on my A-list), this was my first time hearing the 'Reformation' played live.
This symphony contains many allusions to earlier works. The opening motif of the Andante - echoing Mozart's use of it in his Jupiter symphony - can be traced back to Gregorian chant. Mendelssohn also exquisitely brings in the beloved "Dresden Amen", later employed by Richard Wagner as the Grail motif in PARSIFAL. A downward theme early in the Andante may have inspired Verdi's Requiem aeternam. And then the Lutheran chorale Ein' feste Burg ist unser Gott ("A Mighty Fortress Is Our God") becomes a keystone of the Reformation symphony's last movement.
The Reformation starts soberly and has many surpassingly lovely passages - a mellow brass chorale, and a long and appealing flute solo (played, if my eyes deceive me not, by Jasmine Choi) - that make for a very pleasing half-hour. And yet, I would not add the Reformation to my 'Mendelssohn favourites' list...nor would I mind hearing it again.
I must say again that I don't at all like the way the Geffen Hall stage is configured for these Mostly Mozart concerts. The hanging lights over the players produce a night-clubbish effect, and the stage seating - with the musicians in a sort of corral - makes the playing area look cramped. Who thought this was a good idea? And how does it enhance the concert experience?
~ Oberon
August 10, 2017 | Permalink
On Monday August 7th, 2017, Claudia Schreier's latest creation, TRANQUIL NIGHT, BRIGHT AND INFINITE - set to Leonard Bernstein's Sonata for Clarinet and Piano - had its official premiere at the Vail International Dance Festival. The ballet had a New York City preview in July when Claudia Schreier and Company danced it at The Joyce.
The dancers - both at The Joyce and at Vail - are Elizabeth Claire Walker (soloist, Los Angeles Ballet), Unity Phelan, Jared Angle, and Cameron Dieck (all from New York City Ballet), and Dance Theatre of Harlem's Da'Von Doane.
Erin Baiano has provided these images from the Vail premiere:
Elizabeth Claire Walker and Jared Angle
Unity Phelan and Da'Von Doane
Liz Walker, Da'Von Doane, and Unity Phelan
The ensemble
Bernstein score was performed at Vail by Deborah Marshall (clarinet) and Cameron Grant (piano).
Many thanks to Erin Baiano for delivering these images so swiftly.
August 08, 2017 | Permalink
Suzzanne Ponomorenko's SP Dance will be bringing A Chance to Dance to women and children in Quetzaltenango (Xela), Guatemala, in October 2017. Ponomarekno's A Chance to Dance initiative is part of SP Dance's mission of artistic outreach and community service.
Each morning of the Quetzaltenango visit, Ms. Ponomoreko and her team of dance educators will spend at the women's shelter; afternoons are dedicated to the children's center. The week-long curriculum will culminate with a community showing of their work.
A Chance to Dance is the second outreach branch of SP Dance. Here in New York City, the Company's Senior Care Project establishes a connection between senior ccitizen centers and the dance community, aiming to improve the quality of life for seniors while providing performance opportunities for local dance artists.
SP Dance's A Chance to Dance targets international communities with little or no access to dance. You can support their efforts here.
August 08, 2017 | Permalink
Suzanne Juyol (above) and José Luccioni in a French-language rendering of the Miserere from IL TROVATORE.
José Luccioni and Suzanne Juyol - Miserere from TROVATORE ~ in French
August 07, 2017 | Permalink
Above: Adam Cockerham playing the theorbo for dell'Arte Opera Ensemble's production of Francesco Cavalli's LA CALISTO
Saturday August 5th, 2017 - Photographer Travis Magee and I stopped in at La Galleria/La MaMa for a rehearsal of dell’Arte Opera Ensemble's upcoming production of Cavalli's LA CALISTO. The production opens at La MaMa on August 12th for a six-performance run.
Tickets for LA CALISTO as well as for the Company's production of Janacek's CUNNING LITTLE VIXEN and other dell'Arte events may be purchased here.
On arriving at the appointed time, we shared the elevator with Mr. Cockerham, toting his theorbo in its sturdy, protective case. Minutes later, we were listening to him tune and warm up: the iconic sound so closely associated with the early Baroque period.
We then met the production's stage director, Brittany Goodwin (above), a lively and delightful young woman who made us feel welcome in the somewhat timeworn studio, redolent with the heady perfume of countless theatrical rehearsals. It brought back memories of the only time I ever appeared onstage, oh-so-many years ago, and especially of the preparation period which was far more enjoyable than the actual performances.
Marshaling her forces, Ms. Goodwin called for a run-thru of the opera's first half. Wisely, the score has been judiciously pruned for this production. Baroque opera is a dream, but even beautiful dreams can go on too long. The dell'Arte take on the score seemed just about perfect.
Above: the Company's music director Charles Weaver and Mr. Cockerham struck up; the instrumental ensemble will be larger for the actual performances, but these two players provided ample sound and rhythmic virtuosity for the rehearsal setting.
The story of LA CALISTO is complicated, filled with deceit, disguise, love, lust, wit, and despair. You can read a synopsis here.
As La Natura, Allison Gish (snake-bound, above, with Diana's entourage) sounded simply gorgeous with her deep contralto tones. Ms. Gish's authoritative singing set the opera on its way.
Here are some of Travis Magee's images from the rehearsal; each player in the youthful cast seemed to embody his/her character to perfection.
Mason Jarboe as Giove
Mason Jarboe (Giove) with Brady Del Vecchio (Mercurio)
Emily Hughes as Calisto, with Diana's attendants
Elyse Kakacek and Emily Hughes
Emily Hughes with Adria Caffaro; Ms. Caffaro plays both Diana and Giove disguised as Diana
Emily Hughes, Adria Caffaro
Brady Del Vecchio
Padraic Costello as Endimione with Diana's maidens
Diana's archers
Adria Caffaro
Emily Hughes
Joyce Yin as Linfea with Shawn Palmer as Satirino
Raymond Storms as Pane, observed by Ms. Palmer and Angky Budiardjono (Silvano)
Ms. Palmer and Mr. Budiardjono attempt to console Mr. Storms
Padraic Costello and Ardia Caffaro
Around the studio, before the rehearsal started:
Elyse Kakacek prepares for a dance number
Stage director Brittany Goodwin with Ms. Caffaro and Mr. Costello
Mason Jarboe
Adam Cockerham and his theorbo
After the run of Act I, we took our leave. I'll have much more to say about the singing and the production after seeing in in August 20th matinee. Meanwhile, today's rehearsal truly bodes well for the coming performances.
All photography by Travis Magee.
August 06, 2017 | Permalink