Oberon's Grove

The MET Orchestra/WALKURE ~ Act I

 

Above: Christine Goerke and Brandon Jovanovich from this evening's concert performance of DIE WALKURE/Act I by The MET Orchestra at Carnegie Hall; photo by Chris Lee

Wednesday June 15th, 2022 - The MET Orchestra offering a concert version of Act I of Wagner's DIE WALKURE at Carnegie Hall. The program also included Richard Strauss's DON JUAN and Missy Mazzoli's SINFONIA (for Orbiting Spheres). Yannick Nézet-Séguin, the Met's Music Director, was on the podium.

Strauss's DON JUAN was given a grand and glossy treatment; the orchestra sounded wonderful and the numerous solo passages were beautifully played. Nézet-Séguin then made a speech, referring to the evening as a "great event" and wondering if Wagner would have approved of an act of one of his operas being given in concert form. Since the composer sometimes led concerts that included bleeding chunks of his operas (with singers) as a way to raise money, the question is moot.

The Missy Mazzoli work, lasting ten minutes, was pleasant enough but unmemorable. After a longish intermission, we finally got down to the evening's raison d'être.

The soloists for the WALKURE Act I were Christine Goerke (Brunnhilde), Brandon Jovanovich (Siegmund), and Eric Owens (Hunding). The singers came and went as the opera's staging requires (onstage seats were not provided for them) and they each had their score before them, ready at need. There was some "acting" to be seen, but this was mostly a stand-and-sing affair.

The conductor's tempi seemed on the slowish side; he tended to linger on and draw out each episode in the first half of the act, and it was only with Siegmund's Sword Monologue that the music caught fire and things swept on to an exciting conclusion.

Mr. Owens made a nicely sinister vocal impression; his tone tends to be covered, but in this music that was not really detrimental. Along with his Sarastro a few years back, this role suits him well.

Ms. Goerke was, for the most part, an impressive Sieglinde. This music fits her current vocal state far better than Turandot's; she summoned blazing power for the big moments, and her lower range was well-employed to dramatic effect.  From "Der Männer Sippe" onward, the soprano's singing was super-charged, and her "Du bist der Lenz" was the finest singing I have heard from her for quite a while, with a ringingly sustained top note at the cresting climax. Later, the prolonged high note as she names "Siegmund...!" was just a shade flat and didn't bloom as one might have wished. But overall, this was Goerke at her most exciting.

The hero of the evening was the tall and slender Brandon Jovanovich as Siegmumd. The tenor, who seemed to struggle with parts of the arduous and ungrateful role of Bacchus in ARIADNE AUF NAXOS at The Met earlier this season, was entirely at ease with the music of Siegmund. In the early passages of the role, his singing was clear and well-projected as he told of the character's need to leave the safety of Hunding's home to prevent ill-fortune descending on Sieglinde.

Telling Hunding of his battle to free the unhappy bride he'd sought to rescue showed the tenor's way with words and story-telling. Meanwhile, he is walking into Hunding's trap.

With the Sword Monologue, the performance came totally into focus: the Maestro got a grip on things, and from "Ein Schwert verhieß mir der Vater" to the end of the act, Wagner's magic cast its overwhelming spell. Summoning blazing power, Mr. Jovanovich's cries of "“Wälse! Wälse!” were true, steady, and sustained. Lyricism bloomed as he sang of finding his destiny in Sieglinde; and soon after, his "Winterstürme" was lovingly and poetically sung. The cries of "Notung! Notung1" were vividly dispatched as was his presentation of the sword to Sieglinde as a bridal gift. A trace of hoarseness in his final line did not deter from Mr. Jovanovich's excellent performance.

Perhaps soon, Nézet-Séguin can offer us the same trio of soloists in Act II of PARSIFAL..?

~ Oberon

Paul Taylor ~ Early Works @ The Joyce

Above: Paul Taylor in the 1961 premiere production of Fibers

Author: Oberon

Tuesday June 14th, 2022 - A program of (mostly) forgotten early works by Paul Taylor at The Joyce; the evening also included a premiere choreographed by Michelle Manzanales of Ballet Hispanico.

A very quirky 1961 Taylor work, Fibers, opened the evening. It was Taylor's opus number 26, set to a strange and marvelous score by Arnold Schoenberg with the set and costumes designed by Rouben Ter-Arutunian. On the white stage stands a spindly tree, its slim branches covered with vari-coloured fibers, the branches casting delicate shadows on the wall.

Fibers features four dancers. We first meet the men - Alex Clayton and Devon Louis - clad in bizarre body costumes covered with all manner of emblems, piping, and other adornments; their faces are covered with masques, giving them an alien air. Their choreography is athletic, and expertly danced..

Now the women appear: Christina Lynch Markham and Lisa Borres. Their faces are painted white, like actors in an ancient Japanese play, and their hair is pulled back under white headpieces.  Ms. Markham has a solo before awakening Mr. Louis, whilst Ms. Borres is carried about on Mr. Clayton's shoulder. Christina also has some witty floorwork before the two women have a pas de trois with Alex, and then one with Devon.

There is a demanding solo for Devon Louis and a quirky duet for Ms. Borres and Mr. Louis; Lisa and Christina have a duo, creating interesting shapes, before the concluding quartet.  This very unusual piece seemed to captivate the audience, and they hailed the dancers with lively applause as they took their bows, with the men having removed their masks.

Next up were three solos from Images and Reflections (1958), Taylor's opus number 20, originally created for television to music by Martin Feldman. In the first solo, White and Sulpher, John Harnage dazzled us with his charismatic presence and persuasive moves. Clad in black, his costume is trimmed with what I at first thought were silvery metallic wings, but in fact they are more like a mane. This quizzical solo is performed in a pool of light.

The solo Shell is danced by Kristin Draucker; in a pale sunrise-orange ballgown, the dancer radiated lyricism and wit by turns as the solo unfolded thru alternating passages of calm and animation. Kristin's  expressive hands seemed to be telling us a story, though throughout the solo she remained enigmatic...and beautifully so.

Devon Louis, is a silver suit, rolls out onto the stage to commence his Blue and Copper solo; mood swings are again the theme, and Mr. Louis was simply brilliant. 

The three solos from Images and Reflections would have been even more fascinating to experience had not two cellphone gone off...just at the wrong moments, of course.

The Manzanales premiere, Hope Is The Thing With The Feather, was a huge hit with the audience. It's beautifully lit by Christopher Chambers, and the ten dancers are costumed by Santo Loquasto. It's a dancework "for the birds", performed to music inspired by our fine, feathered friends from such musicians as Bob Marley, the Beatles, and Tomás Méndez (his hit song "Cucurrucucú paloma").

At curtain rise, to the sound of a whistled tune, Devon Louis moves with subtle strength in a pool of light. The other dancers enter in procession to solo guitar sounds; they dance in unison in shifting positions. Harry Woods' "Red, Red Robin" sets off a big ensemble. The dancers come and go in various pairings and units, filling the space with motion. There are passages when each dancer seems to be doing his/her own thing, yet it's all finely calibrated.

The dancers then each appear in fleeting solos, woven into a continuous parade of dance: Alex Clayton (with fantastic barrel turns), Christina Lynch Markham, Maria Ambrose, Lee Duveneck, Madelyn Ho, Devon Louis, Jada Pearman, Jessica Ferretti, Lisa Borres, and Shawn Lesniak.

Things build to a beautiful "final pose", the dancers drawing together in a tight circle, gazing skyward. The audience tenses, ready to burst into applause. But the dancers collapse, only to rise again and keep on dancing for several more minutes. The audience's focus seemed to waver, though the dancers continued to give their all. Finally. Mr. Louis strikes a dramatic pose and the lights go out. Now the applause is unleashed, Ms. Manzanales getting a roar of cheers when she came out for a bow.  

Despite the 'false' ending, I have to say that Ms. Manzanales seemed to have a better idea of how to show off the Taylor dancers than Lauren Lovette did with her Taylor debut-work, Pentimento, earlier in the season. Ms. Manzanales's choreography was clearer, more musical, and more distinctive.

Taylor's Profiles (1978) is set to music by Jan Radzynski, which commences with a sustained string note. Of this piece, Jennifer Dunning wrote: “Mr. Taylor has created one of his most essential evocations of evil. The four dancers have come to seem bent on some dark private ritual, figures who have stepped off an archaic vase, loose in a world with which they are most terrifying at odds.” None of the dancers seemed particularly evil to me, but perhaps I missed the point because I was so engrossed in watching the beloved Taylor icon Eran Bugge. It was simply great to see her again.

John Harnage did convey a feeling of agitation, and of quirkiness in his stylized "romance" with the lovely Madelyn Ho. Ms. Bugge and Alex Clayton did seem menacing at times as they circled the stage. Poses reminiscent of Nijinsky's L'après-midi d'un faune were sometimes assumed by the men. At the end, Ms. Bugge knelt to Mr. Clayton. During the bows, Ms. Bugge - who had remained cool throughout the ballet - broke into her iconic smile; whatever mischief her character might have been making was forgotten.

The one Taylor work on the program that was familiar to me was Aureole (1962) which I saw years ago at The Pillow. More recently, I had the great pleasure of meeting the legendary Taylor dancer Rachel Berman when she came to New York City in 2009 to coach the adagio from Aureole for the New York International Ballet Competition. It turned out to be the last time that Competition was held. My friend Kokyat and I spent hours watching the coaching sessions; read a bit about it here.

The music of Handel gives Aureole its special charm. The five white-clad dancers were a joy to watch, with Maria Ambrose and Lee Duveneck is the poetic adagio, and the spirited and smiling Austin Kelly having a fine time in his lively, witty role. Mr. Duveneck's solo was outstanding, and Jada Pearman's solo lit up the stage. Kristin Draucker joined Mlles. Ambrose and Pearman in passages of lyrical dancing, flirting with and cajoling the handsome Mr. Kelly. As Aureole ended, all seemed right with the world.

UPDATE: see photos from this program here.

~ Oberon

FAUST ~ Final Trio

From The Metropolitan Opera's 125th Anniversary Gala on March 25th, 2009, the final trio from Gounod's FAUST with Roberto Alagna as Faust, Sondra Radvanovsky as Marguerite, and John Relyea as Mephistopheles.

Listen here.

Dieter Weller as The Friar

German basso Dieter Weller (above) sings the scene of the mysterious Friar in Verdi's DON CARLO.

Dieter Weller as The Friar - DON CARLO - Frankfurt 1971

While Weller's career was centered in Europe, he did appear at the Metropolitan Opera, debuting there in 1976 as Beckmesser in MEISTERSINGER. He later sang the Doctor in WOZZECK (a memorable performance  in which I saw him); Jose van Dam was Wozzeck and Anja Silja was Marie. Mr. Weller also appeared as the Music Master in ARIADNE AUF NAXOS with the Company.

Hilary Hahn's Triumph ~ NY Phil @ Carnegie Hall

Above: violinist Hilary Hahn

Author: Oberon

Friday June 10th, 2022 - Violinist Hilary Hahn brought down the house with her fantastic playing of the Barber Violin Concerto with the The New York Philharmonic at Carnegie Hall. The program also offered a world premiere by Sarah Kirkland Snider, and the Mahler 1st Symphony, with Jaap van Zweden on the podium.

Ms. Snider's Forward Into Light received a radiant performance from the players of the NY Philharmonic. The composer, as part of the orchestra's Project 19 which celebrates the 19th Amendment, took this slogan from the  suffrage movement as a source of inspiration:

"Forward Out of Darkness
Leave Behind the Night
Forward Out of Error
Forward Into Light."

Ms. Snider's work opens with a twinkling passage for the harp; this signature motif is heard periodically throughout the piece's 14-minute duration. The strings join, and then the winds. An oboe solo played by Sherry Sylar emerges from dense harmonies. Suddenly the music stops, only to resume with the harp signature. 

A great restlessness evolves; a swaying dance with cymbals subsides at the tolling of chimes. The music gets grand. Plucked strings are heard, and growling brass. Then, out of nowhere, comes the sound of voices singing the anthem "March of the Women". 

Above: concertmaster Frank Huang, Maestro van Zweden, composer Sarah Kirkland Snider, violist rebecca Young; photo by Chris Lee

A sense of rapture has pervaded Forward Into Light, and the audience's response was most enthusiastic. The comely composer (above) emerged from the audience to take an onstage bow, which was greeted with cheers. Maestro van Zweden also asked harpist Nancy Allen to rise for a bow, though we couldn't see her from our vantage point; the clarity of her playing seemed to me a major element in the work's success. 

Samuel Barber's Violin Concerto is my favorite among all violin concertos. It was the first violin concerto disc I ever bought - played by Anne Akiko Meyers - back in the days when I listened almost exclusively to opera. Over time, the Bruch 1st and the Mendelssohn have come within winking distance of taking the top place, but it's the Barber that endures. And after this evening's performance, my regard for it is even higher.

Tonight, Hilary Hahn walked out onto the Carnegie Hall stage to a prolonged and very warm reception from the crowd. Wearing a unique outfit -  a long Serenade tutu with panels of blue, yellow, and red, with a black halter top - she gestured for silence, and then commenced her thrilling performance of the Barber.

This music speaks directly to my heart and soul, and it has never spoken as movingly as tonight in Ms. Hahn's interpretation. Her tone silken, her technique impressive and expressive, her dynamic control fascinating, and her presence so appealing. In those moments when the solo violin falls silent, Ms. Hahn maintained contact with her fellow musicians, looking about the stage to savor Barber's haunting orchestral writing. Following the sustained ending of the opening movement, Maestro van Zweden silenced intrusive applause with a flick of his wrist.

Of course, the extended oboe solo that opens the Andante has often been commented upon; tonight is was spectacularly played by Liang Wang, his sound so clear and mellow, his phrasing so thoughtful.

Ms. Hahn finally rejoins, playing with a haunting sense of the poetic. Just at the most ravishing moment, our neighbor drooped his cellphone to the floor with a loud clunk. The violinist managed to ignore this interruption, and played on with heavenly tone and great passion.

The wit and irony of the concluding Presto was perfectly captured by the violinist; she dazzled us in the intense, fiery passages of the music as the concerto speeds to its finish. As the last note sounded, the audience filled the hall with joyful applause; everyone stood up, and nothing matches the sight of a Carnegie Hall standing ovation.

Ms. Hahn held the audience under her spell for a magical Bach encore (Chris Lee photo above), capping her triumphant evening. And even after that, she was called out again...twice.

Over the course of the last eight days, my friend DK and I have heard three of the world's top violinists live at Carnegie Hall: Anne-Sophie Mutter, Maxim Vengerov, and Hilary Hahn.

Dealing with allergies these past few days, I started coughing after shouting a couple of "bravas" for Ms. Hahn, and found myself unable to control the ticklish throat. Not wanting to cough during the Mahler First, we decided to head out, talking happily about the delight of having heard Ms. Hahn on this memorable evening.

More of Chris Lee's images from the concert:

Concertmaster Frank Huang, Maestro van Zweden, Ms.Hahn, and Ms. Young after the Barber concerto

The New York Philharmonic on the Carnegie Hall stage

Facing a standing ovation: NY Phil luminaries Frank Huang, Carter Brey, and Cynthia Phelps with Maestro van Zweden

~ Oberon

Graham 2 ~ Spring 2022

Above: Esteban Santamaría in Martha Graham's Dark Meadow Suite; photo by Melissa Sherwood

Thursday June 9th, 2022 - Down to the Martha Graham Dance Company's homespace at Westbeth for an evening of danceworks performed by the young dancers of Graham 2.

Martha Graham’s iconic Ritual to the Sun from Acts of Light, Dark Meadow Suite, as well as Steps in the Street and Prelude to Action from Chronicle shared the program with a brand new work, Kenopsia, by Japanese choreographer and former Graham 2 dancer Yoshito Sakuraba, and Ensō, a brilliant dance-on-film choreographed by Virginie Mécène.

Ritual to the Sun (photo above by Melissa Sherwood) opens with dancer Jared Stern circling the space; clad in gold and dancing in golden light, Mr. Stern is soon joined by his Graham 2 colleagues. The choreography is sort of "everything Martha Graham, together in one place" and it is performed to Carl Nielsen's triumphant, Olympian score. The Company is put thru their paces in an exploration of Graham technique, and it's a perfect way to be introduced to these beautiful and distinctive young dancers. The evening is off to an exciting start.

Ms. Mécène, Graham 2's director, found a perfect setting for her imaginative dancework Ensō right downstairs in the Westbeth courtyard: a low, circular seating space with only one point of access. Yejin Lee's team have done an incredible job making this film, including breathtaking shots from directly overhead. 

The dancers are clad in black, with swathes of red fabric; they move in, on, and about the circle to the rhythmic score by Armand Amar, The dancers seem to be seeking and reaching as the movement flows from active and urgent to moments of calm. Everything about Ensō impressed me; I would love to get my hands on a copy of the film and watch it every day as a source of inspiration.

Above: from Martha Graham's Dark Meadow; photo by Melissa Sherwood

The suite from Martha Graham's Dark Meadow, to music by Carlos Chavez, was performed before projections of cave drawings and rock formations assembled by Ms. Mécène. The dancers wear Earth-tone costumes, and the piece commences in silence. A dance for the women to the sound of a flute first brought Ghislaine van den Heuvel into my focus: this woman looks amazingly like the great Paul Taylor star Laura Halzack. I found myself continually seeking Ms. van den Heuvel out as the program continued.

Above: Axel Gerard and Lauren Rickman in Dark Meadow Suite; photo by Melissa Sherwood

Putting names to faces while watching a group of dancers most of who are new to me is always a challenge; everyone danced with commitment as Dark Meadow unfolded with fleeting solos, a pas de six, and the beautiful passage where the kneeling men hold their partners by the ankles as the women lean forward: a Graham masterstroke.

After the interval, Mr. Sakuraba's Kenopsia (photo above by Melissa Sherwood), set to a musical collage by Rupert Huber and Peter Sandberg mixed with sound effects by the choreographer, was engrossing...and beautifully lit. Kenopsia refers to "...the forlorn atmosphere of a place that is usually bustling with people but is now abandoned."  Dressed in casual, everyday wear, the dancers find many opportunities for expressive movement in brief solos, duets, and ensemble clusters. Spoken words, the tolling of bells, and deep pulsing beats fill the air; a woman dances a solo while seated, and there is a restless female quartet. Fleeting intimacies surface: the  tender brotherhood of Esteban Santamaría and Antonio Leone cannot sustain itself in the overall atmosphere of pain and loneliness. But somehow the work ends with a touch of the poetic.

A musical interlude put Eran Fink and Stahv Danker, who sometimes play for Graham class, in the spotlight. They traded instruments (piano and drums) midway thru their set, and won whooping applause from the audience when they finished. Bravo, gentlemen!

Above: from Martha Graham's Chronicle, photo by Yejin Lee

The last two movements of Martha Graham's powerful Chronicle made for a grand finale to the evening. In silence, the women back slowly into the space for Steps in the Street. Avery Glunt made a vivid impression as soloist here, and then Ane Arrieta was the vibrant leader in Prelude to Action. For the first time, male dancers joined in this normally all-female work, and the effect was striking. The choreography is so demanding, and the dancers showed boundless stamina and grace in bringing it all off to triumphant effect.

A wonderful evening, then: so full of memorable moments, and with the promise of things to come from these young dancers of Graham 2. I was very happy to have a chance to catch up with two of my Graham idols: Leslie Andrea Williams and Lloyd Knight.

~ Oberon

Vengerov/Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra

Above: violinist Maxim Vengerov; concert photo by Michael Violago

Tuesday June 7th, 2022 - The Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra, with Marios Papadopoulos, conductor, at Carnegie Hall with a program of Bruch, Navarra, and Brahms. Maxim Vengerov was the soloist for the Bruch Violin Concerto No. 1.

This was such a great evening of music-making. The Oxford Philharmonic is a superb ensemble, achieving a rich and deeply satisfying blend; section by section, these are some of the finest musicians I have ever heard. And when solo moments popped up, the individual players played like gods and goddesses. A special favorite with the audience was oboist Clara Dent, who won a burst of cheers when Maestro Papadopoulos has her rise for a bow.

The Bruch opened the evening. The great violin virtuoso Joseph Joachim championed this work, and while Joachim was a famed interpreter of the concertos of Brahms and Mendelssohn, he called Bruch's "the richest, the most seductive" of them all. Tonight, Maxim Vengerov seconded that opinion with his beautifully detailed playing.

Rising out of a subtle timpani roll, the concerto commences with a passionate violin passage, slowly ascending thru the registers to the heights; Mr. Vengerov's exquisite playing here set the tone for his majestic interpretation, whilst the orchestra bowled me over with their epic playing. A two-part cadenza was neatly dispatched by Mr. Vengerov. The music, so melancholy and passionate, had orchestra and soloist enmeshed in soul-enriching playing of the finest quality.

In the theme of the luminous Adagio, Mr. Vengerov's violin sang a sublime lament. With a quiet pulse from the timpani, a magical hush fell over the Hall before the grand sounds of the orchestra and the captivating playing of the soloist brought us to a gorgeous finish. Could we just remain in this moment...forever?

But: tremelo strings lead us onward to the familiar melody of the Allegro energico; hearing this lilting gypsy theme again was like encountering an old friend one has not seen for years and finding the friendship not only intact, but thriving. Mr. Vengerov and the orchestra swept onward to the concerto's glorious conclusion, the audience rising as the violinist returned for a bow. Of course, we expected an encore...

...and we had one, though it was already programmed: Pablo de Sarasate's "Navarra" for Two Violins and Orchestra, Op. 33, in a special arrangement wherein Mr. Vengerov joined a group of young violinists from the Juilliard Pre-College Division, arranging themselves in front of the podium. This is lively, dancing music, including a waltz à l'Espagnole. The young musicians played their hearts out, with Mr. Vengerov in the role of a congenial maestro. The audience loved it. I do wish the names of the Juilliard players had been listed, though.

Above: Maxim Vengerov (center) and violinists from the Juilliard Pre-College Division; concert photo by Michael Violago 

Following the interval, Maestro Papadopoulos (above) led his remarkable orchestra in Johannes Brahms' Symphony No. 1. Although in recent years I have become less and less patient with the 'pleasant' orchestral works of such composers as Brahms, Dvořák, and Schubert, I was determined to enjoy tonight's symphony. But there are times when determination can only take you so far, and - despite the perfect playing by the Oxford Philharmonic - I found my mind wandering. Unlike me, the audience truly appreciated the Brahms tonight, and a warm ovation filled the Hall at its end; how I wish we could have heard some Britten (imagine this orchestra in the Sea Interludes!), Tippett, or Vaughan Williams instead. 

An encore was demanded by the enthusiastic crowd, so we heard Maestro Papadopoulos and his mighty players in a heavenly rendition of "Nimrod" from Edward Elgar's Enigma Variations. This iconic work has never sounded so moving to me as in tonight's performance: the musicians simply gave it their all, and the result was benediction which humanity is now so desperately in need of. Returning to insistent applause, the Maestro moved amongst the players, raising them up section by section to the receive the audience's thanks.

Then I suddenly wished they would play "God Save The Queen" in honor of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.

Above: Maestro Papadopoulos and the Oxford Philharmonic; concert photo by Michael Violago

Many thanks to publicist Matthew Herman for arranging everything for me so perfectly, and for sending me the concert photos. It was truly a wonderful evening. 

~ Oberon

Dances We Dance ~ PASSAGES

Above: Francesca Todesco in Isadora Duncan's Scriabin Études; photo by Steven Pisano

Author: Oberon

Sunday June 5th, 2022 matinee - At the Theater at St. Jean's on Lexington Avenue, dancer and choreographer Francesca Todesco's newly-formed company, Dances We Dance, offering a program of works by Isadora Duncan and new choreography by Catherine Gallant and Ms. Todesco. These debut performances by Dances We Dance were dedicated to the memory of dancer and educator Betty Jones, a founding member of member of the José Limón Dance Company. In October, 2019. I had the great pleasure of meeting Ms. Jones when she and her husband Fritz Ludin gave a master-class here in New York City, to which Francesca invited me. Though her health was fading, Ms. Jones engaged me in a charming conversation about footwear.

I hadn't ventured across Central Park in many moons, and I was not sure til the morning of the show whether I would be up for such a trek. The gorgeous weather seemed a happy omen, and everything went very smoothly. It was so nice to see Francesca's husband Claudio again, and my longtime friends Catherine Gallant, Loretta Thomas, and Audrey Ross after such a long hiatus.

Above: dancer Rosy Gentle in Reflets d'Allemagne/Nuremberg; photo by Steven Pisano

To open the program, Francesca Todesco, whose dance career has been steeped in the choreography of Isadora Duncan and Anna Sokolow, re-created three "lost" sections of Isadora Duncan's Reflets d'Allemagne, a rarely-seen work set to music by French composer Florent Schmitt. Schmitt wrote this series of eight musical vignettes after traveling through Europe in the early 20th century. Isadora Duncan's choreography for three of the sections remains with us, and with Ms. Todesco three additional sections, the work took shape. The two remaining sections - Heidelberg and Munich - were performed as musical interludes by the afternoon's vibrant pianists Nathaniel LaNasa (the Company's music director) and Isidora Vladic.

Above: from Reflets d'Allemagne; photo by Steven Pisano

With Heidelberg as prelude, the dancers appeared at first in silhouette. This was followed by Dresden, with its original Duncan choreography danced by Colleen Edwards, Kathleen Caragine, and Margherita Tisato. The next three sections - Koblenz, Werder, and Vienna - were choreographed by Ms. Todesco in the Isadora style, with Rosy Gentle joining the afore-named dancers. Vienna, danced  before a red back-panel, was especially impressive in its sense of drama.

Above: from Reflets d'Allemagne/Werder; photo by Alex Gramma; the dancers are Rosy Gentle (on the floor, facing us); Colleen Edwards (center, seated), and Margherita Tisato (with her back to us)

The lighting turned deep blue as Mr. LaNasa and Ms. Vladic gave a stellar performance of Munich. Mlles. Gentle, Caragine, and Tisato then danced Lübeck, a ritual of comforting, and the Company joined together for the final Nuremberg, a waltzy piece danced in golden light.

Now Francesca Todesco (above, in an Alex Gramma photo) appeared in a red gown to dance Isadora Duncan's immortal masterpiece, Scriabin Études; these demanding piano works were commandingly played by Mr. LaNasa.

In a pool of light, the dancer gave a hypnotic performance of the three solos: The Crossing, Mother, and Revolutionary. These dances are called "timeless" for a reason: today, the seeking and invoking of The Crossing, the tender farewell of the bereaved Mother, and the silent screams of Revolutionary all took on relevancy to events we read of daily in headlines about our faltering democracy, of the shootings of innocent children, and of a horrific war brought on by one man's vanity. Francesca Todesco's powerful and poetic dancing, aligned to Mr. LaNasa's splendid playing, made for a compelling experience.

Following the interval, dancer Margherita Tisato (above, in a Steven Pisano photo) took command of the stage for The Calling, a solo work choreographed by Francesca Todesco to music by Frederic Chopin and George Ivanovich Gurdjieff. Costumed by Ivana Drazic in a white nightgown with a metallic-grey overcoat (it might be armor...or a straight-jacket), Ms. Tisato dances to the tumultuous opening music, played by Mr. LaNasa. The work was inspired by Joan of Arc's fate, though it has a more universal and contemporary feel. The dancer is possibly an on-the verge patient in a mental hospital. Cellist Kirsten Jermé's lovely playing of Gurdjieff's Woman's Prayer brings a sense of calm, though anxiousness lurks below the surface. Ms. Tisato's veering between resistance and resignation is captured in the third movement; she struggles to remove her metallic garment, and finally collapses. Attendants cover her with a sheet, but once they depart, she rises and - again to Ms. Jermé playing Gurdjieff's Armenian Song - her ghostly spirit wanders, still not at peace. Ms. Tisato's powerful presence, and the artistry of the musicians, made a lasting impression.

Above: from Catherine Gallant's Late Echo; photo by Steven Pisano

Next we saw Catherine Gallant's Late Echo, a new work for five dancers commissioned by Dances We Dance. Set to composer James Ra's Evocation for cello and piano - vividly played by Kirsten Jermé (cello) and Mr. LaNasa (piano) - Late Echo was danced today by Colleen Edwards, Kathleen Caragine, and Rosy Gentle, with guest artists Amelia Dawe Sanders, and Rebecca Seow. Some curious and intriguing projections came into play.

Ms. Gallant is ever the thoughtful, imaginative choreographer, and she opens Late Echo with the dancers briefly stepping into the space one by one and quickly departing. Then luminous movement passages are seen, the dancers responding beautifully to the gorgeous music. In more animated passages, the dancers communicate with a gestural language; a sense of tenderness develops. In the end, one dancer is left alone. My only regret about Late Echo is that Ms. Gallant was not dancing in it herself.

A new solo, choreographed and danced by Francesca Todesco, was inspired by William Wordsworth's poem "Ode on Intimations of Immortality" from Recollections of Early Childhood) and developed from the idea the poignant relentlessness of change. It is set to words from the Wordsworth poem and music by Scriabin, impeccably played by Mr. LaNasa.

Clad in black, Ms. Todesco's movement is rivetingly evocative - at first with a sense of aloneness and then with increasing restlessness. What has always lured me to Francesca's dancing is her deeply feminine spirit, her inner intensity, and her sure sense of the music. In Intimations of Immortality these elements combined in a personal tour de force.

These words from Wordsworth always leave me shaken, and nowadays - when the world seems poised on the edge of a knife - more than ever: "Whither is fled the visionary gleam? Where is it now, the glory and the dream?"

Above: from Fuga Y Misterio, photo by Steven Pisano

To close the program, in Francesca Todesco's Fuga Y Misterio, we find four women who seem to be lingering in an after-hours club, with the pianist (Mr. LaNasa) still at his keyboard. A program note reads: "inspired by the personal journey of women's artists throughout history, their courage, ambitions, strength and the beauty of their characters, but also their darkness and hardship."

Astor Piazzolla's music is always a sensual thrill to experience; Mr. LaNasa and Ms. Jermé polished off their evening with more superb playing, Ms. Jermé joining "live" a recorded 12-cello version of the closing piece. The dancers are Colleen Edwards, Kathleen Caragine, Rosy Gentle, and Margherita Tisato. Costumes by Ms. Todesco are mostly red or accented in red - joined later by Ms. Tisato in black - and the women wear stilettos.

The movement has a stylized quality. The women are beautiful, sensual, and proud, but also lonely and uncertain; as the work nears its end, they find consolation in their sisterhood. There is a burst of energy but the work ends with a quiet coda.

In a pre-pandemic lifetime, I was at one of Francesca's earliest classes with the women who would come to form Dances We Dance. It's so lovely to see all the months of her dedication and hard work blossoming with today's production. 

~ Oberon

Rarity: Steber's Liebestod

I came upon this remarkable treasure by chance on YouTube. It's a bit late in the day for the Steber voice, but her distinctive tone and arching lyricism make a lovely impression.

Hei-Kyung Hong as Mimi

Above: Hei-Kyung Hong as Mimi; a Cory Weaver/Met Opera photo

Korean soprano Hei-Kyung Hong sings Mimi in LA BOHEME opposite the Rodolfo of Placido Domingo in a 1991 broadcast from The Met, conducted by Cristian Badea.

Listen here.