Oberon's Grove

Lilian Sukis

Lithuanian-born soprano Lilian Sukis (above) emigrated in 1950 to Canada with her family. From 1962, she studied voice at Toronto with - among others - Irene Jessner. In 1964, she appeared as Lady Billows in Britten's Albert Herring for the opening of the MacMillan Theatre at the University of Toronto. Later that year, Ms. Sukis made her Canadian Opera Company debut as Kate Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly.

Moving to New York City in the mid-60s, she was contacted by the Metropolitan Opera where she debuted in 1966 and sang small roles in Parsifal, Frau ohne Schatten, Rigoletto, Elektra, Aida, and Peter Grimes. On March 17, 1967, Ms. Sukis created the role of Helen Niles in the world premiere of Marvin David Levy's Mourning Becomes Electra at The Met. Thereafter, she was Woglinde in the Karajan Walkure, and sang Gluck's Euridice, Nedda, and Pamina before leaving The Met in 1972.

I met Lilian Sukis after a performance of Mourning Becomes Electra; soon after, I found myself sitting next to her at a Sills evening at New York City Opera. She remembered me, and we chatted thru the intermissions. We kept in touch, and when she made her New York Town Hall recital debut in 1969, she invited me:

(I took the photo of her at the top of this article after the recital.)

Ms. Sukis had told me that she was going to be joining the Munich State Opera; for a couple of years, she sang at both Munich and The Met. At the Munich Olympic Festival (1972) she sang the title-role in the premiere of the Korean composer Isang Yun's opera Sim Tjong, which had been written for her.

Following that success, her career centered in Europe, and we eventually lost contact. During the 1970s Ms. Sukis sang at the opera houses in Bayreuth, Frankfurt, Graz, Hamburg, Munich, Salzburg, and Vienna. Her roles included the Countess in Strauss's Capriccio, Fiordiligi in Cosi fan tutte, Miss Jessel in The Turn of the Screw, Leila in Les Pêcheurs de perles, Mélisande in Pelléas et Mélisande, Micaëla in Carmen, Mimi in La Bohème, Pamina in The Magic Flute, Servilia in La Clemenza di Tito, Violetta in La Traviata, and the title roles in Strauss' Daphne and Dvořák's Rusalka. In 1977 she played Frau Fluth in a film version of Nicolai's Merry Wives of Windsor. In 1979 she sang Lisa in The Queen of Spades at Festival Ottawa. Her career continued into the 1990s as a leading soprano with the Bavarian State Opera.

Above: Lilian Sukis in a film of Der Graf von Luxembourg

Above: as the Countess Madeleine in Strauss's Capriccio

Lilian Sukis - Mozart ~ Se ardire e speranza

~ Oberon

Li & Lozakovich @ Mostly Mozart

~Author: Scoresby

Wednesday August 1 2018 – It was a pleasure to hear two young musicians: Daniel Lozakovich and George Li this evening. Due to a busy schedule this summer, I haven’t been able to make out much to concerts. Thus, it was a treat to see one of the Mostly Mozart's "A Little Night Music." These intimate 1-hour concerts are held in the Kaplan Penthouse (the same floor in the Rose Building as the Rose Studio for CMS at Lincoln Center) at 10:00pm. They set it up in such a way that the soloist has the backdrop of an all glass panel with city lights, with tables that are round (almost like a jazz club). The atmosphere is much more welcoming and intimate: they have candles lighting the room, serve complimentary wine beforehand and leave bottles of seltzer at all of the tables. If you have the time, I sincerely recommend hearing this Friday's last program in there with Stephen Hough and Imani Winds. Because the space is so small, I find that audiences tend to be near silent, as any sound would be immediately picked up by the entire room during a performance.

Above: The Intimate Kaplan Penthouse

This evening's performance was the New York debut of the incredibly young violinist (17 years old) Daniel Lozakovich and the Mostly Mozart debut of pianist George Li in an equally distributed program. Mr. Lozakobvich began the program by playing the Bach Chaconne, which he recently recorded for Deutsche Grammophon. Despite his young age, Mr. Lozakovich is quite the musician. His playing was clean, deliberate, and on the slower side. He shifted each variation to make sure each had its unique sound. I have never heard a performance before where every single contrapuntal line was clear - but Mr. Lozakovich seemed to be able to do this. He would shift some of the tempos and articulate the bow in such a way that allowed him to emphasize each line, making the Chaconne sound almost symphonic. Most impressive were his pianissimos, letting the violin drop to a whisper (this is much easier to do in a small hall like this one). During the slow chorale that builds through the middle part of the work Mr. Lozakovich captured the melancholy wistfulness, but while spectacular playing, the interpretation sounded a little cold/heady. Nonetheless, he showed that even at 17, he is a mature and more than capable musician with gravitas.

Above: violinist Daniel Lozakovich; Photo Credit: Sergei Andreev

After the Chaconne, George Li replaced Mr. Lozakovich to play Beethoven Piano Sonata No. 6 in F major, Op. 10 No. 2.  Mr. Li has to be one of the best young pianists I have heard in a long time. During the Allegro he took a quick tempo with crisp Mozartian playing. Capturing the playful nature of this work, he articulated all of the small flourishes and seemed to relish in the fun contrasting sections. While pristine playing, Mr. Li's real magic was in his subtle pedaling. Letting warmth exude during fast playful passages, and enhancing the dramatic sections by coloring them with a dark sound. At the end of the development of a minor key, Mr. Li managed to drop his sound to quiet contemplative moment before changing right back to the lighthearted opening sound. During the contemplative Allegretto, Mr. Li was at his best - letting each note matter.  Mr. Li's use of the una corda pedal was subtle and gave a magical effect, providing an entirely different color for the piano. In the Rondo: Allegro, Mr. Li took a fast tempo through the fugual movement. Every voice was clear, precise, and light. He whipped through to provide an exciting ending.

After, the two musicians joined each other on stage to perform Mozart Sonata B-flat major for violin and piano, K. 378, according to Mr. Li's remarks they have been friends for some time. It was an odd combination though, as Mr. Lozakovich's playing seemed significantly less engaging here that in the Chaconne. Perhaps he was less familiar with the repertoire, but his intonation seemed to suffer in the first movement and almost sounded like a different performer. Nonetheless, he had some beautiful flourishes and a pure sound with little vibrato - letting the singing quality of music shine through. Mr. Li for his part continued the crisp, articulate playing from earlier. In the second movement, Mr. Lozakovich seemed more together with Mr. Li, with a bright clean sound. 

Above: Pianist George Li; Photo Credit: Simon Fowler

As a first encore they offered Scherzo from Brahms's FAE Sonata which was fun to hear after a concert of earlier music. Mr. Lozakovich seemed to dig in and Mr. Li's articulation of rhythm was crystal clear. Still though, the playing for Mr. Lozakovich didn't seem the same quality as the first work on the program. As a second encore to an enthusiastic crowd, they played Elgar's La Capricieuse, in which Lozakovich immediately seemed to have his wonderfully clean sound back. I wonder if this was a piece he has been familiar with a long time, if so like with the Chaconne, it shows. It'll be interesting to see how this young artist grows - he is certainly someone to watch (Oberon will be reviewing his orchestral debut with Mostly Mozart late in the week.) George Li is a pianist I would easily see again - he has one of the most sophisticated sounds of any young pianist right now. It was a pleasure to hear both in such an intimate setting. 

~ Scoresby

All-Mozart @ Mostly Mozart

Above: Christian Zacharias, photographed by Constanze Zacharias

Author: Oberon

Friday August 3rd, 2018 - A beautifully-balanced program at the Mostly Mozart Festival this evening brought forth a renowned pianist/conductor and a comely young soprano, with the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra sounding their best.

This was my first experience of hearing Christian Zacharias playing live. The Mozart Piano Concerto No. 25 in C major, K.503, with its regal opening, was a perfect introduction to his artistry, both as pianist and conductor. The Festival Orchestra sounded wonderful, with nicely-textured depth of sound.

 

As soloist, Mr. Zacharias has a sublime touch; he can produce shimmering effects, light-filled scales, marvelous details that never seem fussy, and - in his own cadenza - slight and subtle hesitations that gave the music an irresistible charm. He made the opening movement's familiar theme seem fresh, with its bendings from major to minor.  

 

Superb playing from the Festival Orchestra's winds marked the start of the Andante, the piano and horns later complimenting one another as a sonic treat. The piano then entwines with the other wind voices and feelings of serenity abound.

 

Mr. Zacharias takes us immediately into the Allegretto, which begins in a rather low-key manner, then perks up. The pianist offers swift lightness, and then the oboe and flute mingle voices over rippling figurations from the keyboard. In the finale, our pianist/conductor found the perfect balance of elegance and propulsion.

 

Soprano Rose Feola, making her Mostly Mozart debut, then joined the orchestra in the first of two Mozart concert arias. Mr. Zacharias maintained his seat at the Steinway, since "Ch’io mi scordi di te…Non temer, amato bene" K.505 features voice and piano with equal prominence.

 

Ms. Feola seemed a bit unsettled vocally here, with slight intonation issues along the way, and some of this aria's lower-lying phrases were a bit of a reach for her. But the sound of her voice surely has an attractive quality and - as I rather expected - the soprano had a far finer chance to shine after the interval in "Bella mia fiamma…Resta, o cara, K. 528.

 

In Prague in 1787, the soprano Josefa Dušek insisted that Mozart compose a new aria for her, and reportedly went so far as to lock him in a pavilion in her garden until he had completed the work. Thus was "Bella mia fiamma " born.

 

This complex and demanding scena seemed truly congenial to Ms. Feola's gifts, both vocal and dramatic. She sang with a sense of urgency, making much of the drama of the long recitative, and then colouring her voice expressively in the aria proper.

 

Ms. Feola is slated for her Met debut as Gilda in the coming season; I plan to be there.

 

Maestro Zacharias then took the orchestra thru a well-paced performance of the familiar “Prague” symphony, K.504. Here the players of the Festival Orchestra made the most of every measure, every solo phrase, every harmony; their playing was detailed yet still forward-sweeping.

 

~ Oberon

Happy Birthday, Gabriella Tucci!

Above: Gabriella Tucci, photographed at the site of the New York World's Fair, 1964

Today marks the 89th birthday of the Italian soprano Gabriella Tucci. I fell in love with Tucci's voice while listening to the Texaco broadcasts from The Old Met in the early 1960s: her Aida, Violetta, Butterfly, Desdemona, Alice Ford, Marguerite in FAUST, Mimi, and the Leonoras of FORZA and TROVATORE are among my earliest and strongest operatic memories.

On October 23, 1965, the soprano sang a matinee of Marguerite in FAUST and then, in the evening, she stepped in for an ailing colleague as Mimi in BOHEME.

Ms. Tucci sang Mimi in the last broadcast from the Old Met on the afternoon of April 16th, 1966, and that evening she closed the gala concert that bade farewell to the Old House, singing the final trio from FAUST with Nicolai Gedda and Jerome Hines.

I first saw her onstage in TROVATORE at the Old Met, and she was my first-ever Aida in 1967 at the New Met where I later saw her as Liu, Elisabetta in DON CARLO, and Mimi. In the Summer of 1967, my parents took me to a concert performance of TROVATORE given by The Met at the Newport Festival, with Tucci again singing Leonora.

Gabriella Tucci sang her last Met performances in 1972.

Flash forward three decades to an afternoon while I was working at Tower Records, and Ms. Tucci came into the opera room. I did not recognize her immediately: she was wearing a mini-skirt and her hair was done differently. But then I kissed her hand, and we had a lovely chat.

Gabriella Tucci - D'amor sull'all rosee ~ TROVATORE

~ Oberon

Frances Yeend

Above: Frances Yeend as Chrysothemis in ELEKTRA; photo by Louis Melançon/Metropolitan Opera

Canadian-born, raised in the USA, soprano Frances Yeend began her singing career in the ensemble of a 1943 Broadway production of THE MERRY WIDOW. She toured as a vocal soloist with Phil Spitalny's All-Girl Orchestra - a group my father loved (and he took us to see them in concert on one of their last tours).

Ms. Yeend made her 'major league' debut in the Beethoven 9th with the Boston Symphony Orchestra conducted by Koussevitzky in 1946. A year later, with the BSO at Tanglewood, she was Ellen Orford in the US premiere of Britten's PETER GRIMES. In the late 1940s, she was part of the Bel Canto Trio, singing on radio and concert stages with Mario Lanza and George London.

Frances Yeend joined New York City Opera in 1948 and sang there for ten years; her roles included Violetta, Marguerite in FAUST, Micaela, Countess Almaviva, Mimi, Eva in MEISTERSINGER, Tosca, and - eventually - Turandot. During this time, she also appeared in Europe: at Covent Garden, the Vienna State Opera, and the Arena di Verona. And she sang in the Israeli premiere of the Verdi REQUIEM at Tel Aviv.

On the US circuit, she went into heavier roles such as Elisabeth in TANNHAUSER, Strauss's Ariadne, Sieglinde, Donna Anna, and Abigaille in NABUCCO. 

In 1961, the soprano made her Met debut as Chrysothemis. She remained at The Met for two seasons, also singing Gutrune and Violetta there.

One of Ms. Yeend's last operatic appearances was at Philadelphia in 1964 as Desdemona opposite Mario del Monaco. She retired from the stage in 1966, and taught at West Virginia University for several years. 

Frances Yeend passed away in 2008 at the age of 95.

Frances Yeend & David Lloyd - Paray ~ Mass for the 500th Anniversary of the Death of Joan of Arc ~ Agnus Dei

Joshua Bell @ Mostly Mozart 2018

Above: Joshua Bell

Author: Oberon

Tuesday July 31st, 2018 - Joshua Bell was the soloist extraordinaire at tonight's Mostly Mozart concert at Geffen Hall. Louis Langrée was on the podium for a program featuring works by Adams, Bruch, and Brahms. 

The evening opened with John Adams' all-too-brief 'Tromba Lontana' (‘Distant Trumpet’) which was written in 1985 as part of a fanfare-commissioning project organized by the composer Tobias Picker. 'Tromba Lontana' is rather the antithesis of what we normally think of as a fanfare: it's not big, exultant music which summons up thoughts of victory or glory, but rather a quiet flow of music from the strings over which two 'distant trumpets' call to one another as in a dream or memory.

The music starts delicately, with the higher winds and bells creating a hypnotic atmosphere. Trumpeters Neil Balm and Lee Soper, positioned at opposite sides of the performing space, send forth their calls over a steady, gentle orchestral pulse. There's passing hints of discord in the music which makes it all the more appealing. Lasting only about four minutes, this glowing Adams gem held the audience under its spell until the music fades away.

In fact, I've seldom encountered an audience so silently attentive and anticipatory as tonight's. This wonderful atmosphere was sustained throughout Joshua Bell's magnificent playing of the Bruch 1st violin concerto, wherein the violinist truly captivated his listeners.

This concerto is one of the first non-operatic works to capture my fancy: it was on the first CD of violin concertos I ever bought, along with the Barber violin concerto, played by Anne Akiko Meyers. I still have it...and still love it.

Max Bruch (1838-1920) was only 19 when he began sketching this violin concerto; it premiered a decade later and has been beloved by violinists and audiences ever since. Buch's writing remained faithful to the older musical traditions: it's loaded with melody and is rhythmically persuasive and endearing.

Following a soft timpani phrase, the opening Prelude: allegro moderato soon introduces the soloist. From note one, Mr. Bell was on peak form and carried a bedazzled audience along with him through the rising musical lines, the gentle sadness, and the lovely lyrical flow of the music. As the concerto moves directly into the Adagio, the violinist's dynamic range, his caressing tone (especially in the upper register), and his poignant turns of phrase became ever more sublime. Slithering scales add a bit of spice, whilst the themes of the Adagio have a sentimental feeling, to which Mr. Bell gave tonal glamour. A cadenza - supple, subtle, and superb - leads on to a gorgeous melody, with the horns providing a velvety sound. As the Adagio ended, one was grateful that no applause shattered the atmosphere.

Maestro Langrée immediately launched the Finale: allegro energico with its familiar theme that suggests an exulting folk dance. Mr. Bell dug in with great energy and verve, his playing irresistible in its rhythmic pacing. A broad melody allows him to show off his juicy mid-range. Then the music plunges on, the orchestra cushioning the soloist ideally, and a sense of joy seemed to fill the hall. At the final chord, the crowd went wild; Mr. Bell bowed with the Maestro to the screaming throng, then the violinist came back for a solo bow to a terrific din: everyone standing and yelling like crazy.

Silence fell immediately when Mr. Bell tucked his priceless Haberman Strad under his chin and announced his encore: from John Corigliano's RED VIOLIN. "It's my son's 11th birthday, and he's never seen the film as it is R-rated! So this is for him!" said the violinist. The ovation resumed after the encore. 

Maestro Langrée and the excellent Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra gave us the Brahms 2nd symphony after the interval. The Brahms' 2nd symphony is often compared to Beethoven’s 'Pastoral'; both are extremely pleasant, but purely pleasant music never moves or thrills me.

There was much to enjoy in the symphony's opening Allegro non troppo - the resonant brass chorale which opens the piece, the lovely depth of sound the musicians put forth, the limpid flute phrases, a hint of the 'Brahms Lullabye', a plush horn motif, and the ever-marvelous clarinetist Jon Manasse having some solo moments - but after that, I feel the symphony tends to lose ground.

Fine horn playing and more Manasse magic stand out in the Adagio, which lacks an iconic melody and tends to amble along. The oboe makes a fine impression in the Allegretto grazioso, the best parts of which are the Mendelssohnian bits. By the time the Allegro con spirito is reached, I'm saturated with pleasantness.

Another Jon Manasse passage along the way was most welcome: couldn't we have him in a concerto setting? Please?

~  Oberon