Oberon's Grove

YCA: Pianist Aristo Sham @ The Morgan Library

Wednesday January 18th, 2023 - Young Concert Artists presenting pianist Aristo Sham (above) in a noontime concert at The Morgan Library. The Hong Kong-born artist holds a Bachelors in Economics from Harvard University and a Masters in Piano Performance from the New England Conservatory. His presentation is both elegant and vibrant, whilst his red-and-white socks revealed a touch of wit. He seemed to hold the sizeable audience in Gilder Lehrman Hall under a spell this afternoon.

Mr. Sham opened the program with Heitor Villa-Lobos' A prole do bebê ("The Baby's Family"), Vol. 1. These are eight miniature character studies, depicting dolls. The first, Branquinha, opens with a gently rippling motif, followed by glissandi which lead us to a simple melody that gets quite grand. Moreninha is animated; the music seems to percolate. For Caboclinha, syncopation lends a jazzy feeling, followed by a nod to the blues in Mulatinha. Negrinha is restless, bright, insistent...and A pobrezinha is a dreamy lullabye. The witty opening of O polichinelo develops into swirls of notes before turning dramatic. And the concluding A bruxa is fast, with a scampering liveliness. To every note and phrase, Mr. Sham brought colour and rhythmic certainty.

Following the briefest of pauses, Mr. Sham commenced Astor Piazzolla's Adiós Nonino ("Farewell Grandpa"), a Tango Rhapsody. Piazzolla reportedly wrote this piece in a single day following the death of his grandfather; it is everything one wants from a tango. A dramatic start is followed by a romantic theme. The music vecomes brooding, then passionate, then dreamy. A sad and lovely song emerges - a classic tango centerpiece - before a cresting wave of sound hits us. Following some quieting measures, a single sustained low note brings the work to a close.  Mr. Sham's mastery of dynamics, and his evident love of the music itself, made this an engrossing experience.

Above: Aristo Sham; performance photo by John Stolen

Samuel Barber's Piano Sonata was nothing less than thrilling in Mr. Sham's interpretation. The opening Allegro energico is dramatic and subtle by turns. A slow pulsing signals the start of a build-up, huge and fraught. The music softens, with a hesitant quality, then turns dark and probing before finally reaching a somber finish. The Allegro vivace e leggero has a delicate start which turns into a waltz. The music tinkles and flutters. Mr. Sham reached the heights of interpretive power with the Adagio mesto. The pensive start introduces a forlorn melody; the music darkens and becomes grandly desolate. As a feeling of mystery engulfs us, the movement reaches an incredible finish which fades to total silence; for a moment, time seemed to stand still.

Then a fanfare-like passage announces the finale - Allegro con spirito - as Mr. Sham reels off swift cascades of notes with brilliant virtuosity, combining power and control in perfect measure: a complete triumph for the young pianist.

Above: playing the Schumann Opus 47: SooBeen Lee, Mr.Sham, Jonathan Swensen and Toby Appel; photo by John Stolen

Joining Mr. Sham for the program's fabulous finale - Robert Schumann's Piano Quartet, Op. 47 - were guest artists SooBeen Lee (violin), Toby Appel (viola), and Jonathan Swensen (cello). Euterpe must have waved her magic wand to bring these four artists together at this place and time, for it was one of the finest quartet performances I've ever experienced. 

A hynn-like passage opens the work, and from the start we can marvel at the rich blend the four musicians achieve, anchored by the intense beauty of Mr. Swensen's cello. A flow of melody carries us along, and watching the communication between the foursome was very much a part of the sublime atmosphere they were creating. Gorgeous tone from all, perfectly interwoven.

Cello and piano introduce the Scherzo, a fast and fabulous musical treat. Viola and cello align in a slower section, and a sense of Mendelssohnian magic prevails. Mr. Swensen then sets forth a heavenly cantabile in the Andante, soon taken up by Ms. Lee's silken violin and then by Mr. Appel's mellow contralto viola. Mr. Sham at the piano is nobly expressive. Mr. Appel takes up the melody, with Ms. Lee offering a counter-song. The cello returns, and together the players reach the heights of musical expression. The Andante has a nostalgic finish.

The Schumann masterpiece concludes with a Vivace which feels like a burst of joy. Sailing along, the musicians provide a veritable feast of sound: a meshing of timbres and technique that is vastly pleasing to both the ear and the soul.

Above, the afternoon's artists: Mr. Sham, Mr. Swensen, Ms.Lee, and Mr. Appel; photo by John Stolen. 

Bravissimi tutti!!

Performance photos by John Stolen, courtesy of Young Concert Artists.

~ Oberon

Lusitano ~ Regina Coeli

The Choir of Somerville College, Oxford, directed by Will Dawes, perform a setting of the Regina coeli by the Portuguese composer Vicente Lusitano.

Watch and listen here.

Youthful Genius @ Chamber Music Society

Above: cellist Paul Watkins

Sunday January 15th, 2023 - A program of works by composers who began making their mark in the music world while still very young was on offer at Alice Tully Hall this evening as Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center summoned a sextet of eminent musicians from their impressive roster to regale us with their artistry.

Several groups of young people were seated near us; perhaps they came from one of the City's music schools, or are pupils of the participating artists. They seemed seriously enthralled with the music, and wonderfully enthusiastic as each work ended. 

The program commenced, appropriately, with music of Mozart: his Trio in E-major, K. 542, which united violinist Danbi Um, cellist Paul Watkins, and pianist Michael Stephen Brown.

Mozart's piano-writing here is at times almost like that of a concerto, and Mr. Brown treated it as such. From his opening solo passage, his playing had great musicality and vitality. Ms. Um and Mr. Watkins harmonized perfection: the violinist's sense of lyricism and the cellist's velvety timbre - including some sustained tones that Mozart introduced as a contrast to the general animation - were a delight to the ear.

A touch of the whimsical sprang up as Mr. Brown introduced the central Andante; the piano continues to play a prominent role here, though Ms. Um leads us gently into a minor-key interlude. The concluding Allegro gets a vivacious start from the keyboard; as the movement rushes forward, Mr. Brown's fantastical mastery of the florid passages put a smile on my face. Meanwhile, Ms. Um and Mr. Watkins matched the pianist in virtuosity and grace. The trio were heartily applauded as they returned for a bow. 

From the pen of Camille Saint-Saëns came the Sonata No. 1 in C-minor for Cello and Piano, Op. 32, which was written in 1872. Mr. Watkins gave a sterling rendering of this intriguing work, perfectly aligned with Gilles Vonsattel's keyboard expertise.

The opening of the Allegro is brisk: the cello sounding low and restless, the piano speedy and rambling. sounding restless and rambling. Both instruments tend to linger in their lower ranges. Mr. Watkins' playing is very aware of the music's subtleties, and he finely catches the music's varying moods, from dreamy to anxious. I really enjoyed watching him draw the music out of his cello: buzzy one moment, spot-on staccati the next. Mr. Vonsattel handled the rapid piano part with élan.

The second movement, Andante tranquillo sostenuto, reminds me very much of the old chorale, The Lord Is Our Great Shepherd. After a bit, the cellist commences a sort of slithering counter-song whilst the piano sustains rhythmic patterns. The cello goes for some deep notes before the rather surprising "plucky" finish.

Mssrs. Watkins and Vonsattel now commence on the final Allegro moderato. From its dramatic start, this movement is restive, even fidgety. Our two artists cover the mood swings - from lyrical and hopeful to the edge of despair - with vibrant playing. As the last note sounded, the audience erupted in boisterous cheers; the players shook hands whilst the applause continued unabated. Wonderful!  

Danbi Um - in a gorgeous fuschia frock - returned, joining Mr. Vonsattel for Erich Korngold's Four Pieces for Violin and Piano from the Incidental Music to Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. Dating from 1918-1919, this music was brand new to me. It was originally composed (for chamber orchestra) for a performance of the play given at the Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna.

The violin/piano arrangement is a suite in four movements. The Maiden in the Bridal Chamber has a shimmering start, and then develops a flowing, waltzy melody. Ms. Um's graceful playing was perfectly meshed to Mr. Vonsattel's lilting "Olde Vienna" feeling at the Steinway. 

Next we have Dogberry and Verges: March of the Watch; with it's military flourishes and march-like pacing, the music mocks play's the pompous constable Dogberry and his crony Verges. Things become quite witty, before a charming finish.

The waltz returns for The Scene in the Garden, with a lush, cantabile feeling which turns dreamy. We then reach the finale, Masquerade: Hornpipe, for the suite's lively conclusion.

What finer finale could we wish for than Felix Mendelssohn's Quartet in F-minor for Piano, Violin, Viola, and Cello, which the young master wrote at the age of 14? The beloved violinist Ani Kavafian joined violist Mark Holloway and Mssrs. Watkins and Brown for a thrilling rendering of this brilliant piece.

After a poignant string introduction, Mr. Brown commenced his stunning performance of the achingly beautiful piano part with a rippling entrance and a sustained keyboard passage.  The music becomes passionate, with a virtuosic cello motif brought forth by Mr. Watkins, and the first of many opportunities for the violist, Mr. Holloway, to shine.

At the center of this piece is a marvelous Adagio, which is introduced by Mr. Brown in a rather wistful piano passage; the strings join, their blend evoking a sense of yearning. Ms. Kavafian's high, sweet-sounding violin sings forth, harmonized by the other strings: Mr. Holloway's viola lends a poignant feeling, whist Mr. Watkins' cello reaches the soul with its burnished tone. Mr. Brown's playing, so luminous, draws us deeper and deeper into the music. I wished this Adagio could have gone on and on. 

It is Mr. Brown who opens the third movement, Intermezzo, with its melodic grace. The string players continued to ravish the ear in this brief Allegro moderato. The concluding Allegro molto vivace is spirited and swift; dance-like, is sails blithely along, with Ms. Kavafian's violin shining overall. At the end, the players basked in a full-house standing ovation: a fitting finish to a sumptuous evening of music-making.

~ Oberon

Rosina Raisbeck ~ Wesendonck Lieder

Listen to Rosina Raisbeck singing Wagner's Wesendonck Lieder here.

Australian-born, Ms. Raisbeck began her vocal studies at the New South Wales State Conservatory in Sydney in 1942. 

After a concert tour of New Zealand, she sailed for London with her husband John Laurie, whom she had married in 1943. A letter of recommendation from Sir Eugene Goossens led to her audition at the recently formed Covent Garden Opera Compan, where she made her début as Maddalena in Rigoletto, later singing such roles as Flora in La Traviata, Second Lady in The Magic Flute, Mercedes in Carmen, and Wellgunde in Das Rheingold.

The eminent conductor Sir Thomas Beecham suggested to Ms. Raisbeck that she should re-work her voice as a dramatic soprano. She studied with the great tenor Dino Borgioli, and from 1950 onwards she sang such roles as Ortrud in Lohengrin, Senta in The Flying Dutchman, First Lady in The Magic Flute and Third Norn in Götterdämmerung. Her Ortrud won special recognition, both for her singing and for her imposing stage-presence which made her appear the very embodiment of evil in that role.

She returned to Australia for the birth of her son, and resumed singing in 1958 with performances as Ortrud and Beethoven's Leonore with the Elizabethan Trust Opera Company in Sydney.

Returning to London, she sang with Sadler's Wells Opera in 1959, as Senta, Elisabeth in Tannhäuser, and as the Mother in the British premiere of Dallapiccola's The Prisoner.

Ms. Raisbeck toured in a tremendously successful production of The Sound of Music, in which she sang the Mother Abbess:

Rosina Raisbeck - Climb Ev'ry Mountain ~ THE SOUND OF MUSIC

She gave concerts, including cabaret evenings, and then in 1969 she joined Australian Opera; from 1971 to her retirement, she appeared there in several of that Company's productions: as Marcellina in The Marriage of Figaro, as Akhrosimova in Prokofiev's War and Peace, as Widow Begbick in Weill's Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny, and as Herodias in Salome. In 1977, Ms. Raisbeck sang the Zia Principessa in Puccini's Suor Angelica opposite Dame Joan Sutherland.

Rosina Raisbeck's career ended officially in 1985, with a highly successful performance as the First Prioress in Poulenc's Dialogues des Carmélites. She continued to sing for another three years, finally retiring in 1988 at the age of 72. She passed away in 2006.

~ Oberon

@ My Met Score Desk for FEDORA

Saturday January 14th, 2023 matinee - Aside from the tenor aria "Amor te vieta", I knew none of the music from Umberto Giordano's FEDORA: I'd never listened to the opera on LP, tape, or CD, nor seen a video of it. So this afternoon was, for me, like being at the world premiere. Luckily I was able to claim the New York Public Library's only available score.  

The opera is filled with beautiful music, but in the end do we really care about these characters? There is much passion, much remorse, and an onstage pianist (Bryan Wagorn, playing superbly), who is actually a character in the story. But a feeling of emptiness pervades the work.

On the podium, Marco Armiliato was in his element. And Sonya Yoncheva enjoyed a personal triumph, giving the opera's title-role the full verismo treatment, with powerful top notes, a true feeling for the lyricism of certain passages, and chesty voicings that were very effective. Partnering her, Piotr Beczala sang fervently, relishing the brief beauty of "Amor te vieta" and full of bitterness on realizing Fedora has betrayed him. Lucas Meachum's Met-sized voice was very welcome in the music of de Siriex, and Rosa Feola sang prettily as Olga.

Several singers made strong impressions this afternoon: Rocky Eugenio Sellers displayed great vocal power as Nicola, Lucia Lucas stood out as Gretch, Richard Bernstein (Dr. Boroff), the excellent tenors Tony Stevenson and Scott Scully, and baritone Jeongchul Cha - a very fine Marullo in RIGOLETTO earlier this season - had more sing today as Cirillo...and he sang handsomely indeed.

~Oberon

Wo bleibt Elektra?

The things you find by chance on YouTube: a thrilling concert performance of ELEKTRA.

Peter Hofmann as Lohengrin

Peter Hofmann ~ LOHENGRIN Narrative - Bayreuth 1982

Bergen Philharmonic ~ Verdi REQUIEM

A 2018 performance of the Verdi REQUIEM by the Bergen Philharmonic. Edward Gardner conducts, and the soloists are Lise Davidsen, Jennifer Johnston, Seungju Bahg, and Matthew Rose.

Watch and listen here.

Rita Gorr and Jean Cox as the Wälsungs

Rita Gorr (above) is Sieglinde and Jean Cox is Siegmund in this scene from Act I of Wagner's DIE WALKURE. The performance, conducted by Andre Cluytens, took place at the Festival de Flandres in 1963.

Listen here.

Enthralling TRAVIATA at The Met

Above: Ermonela Jaho as Violetta; photo by Jonathan Tichler/Met Opera

Sunday January 8th, 2023 matinee - One of the most thrilling Met performances in recent years, today's matinee of LA TRAVIATA centered on the mesmerizing Violetta of the Albanian soprano Ermonela Jaho. Her colleagues - the Spanish tenor Ismael Jordi and the Mongolian baritone Amartuvshin Enkhbat - aligned perfectly with the beloved diva, and a strong supporting cast joined the stellar trio to make Verdi's masterpiece come vividly to life.

Ms. Jaho's voice sounded rather dry and throaty at first, but by the time the Brindisi was being sung, she had found her vocal footing, and she sent her incandescent, spinning upper notes gleaming into the hall. In "Un di felice" Mr. Jordi proved himself a perfect partner for the soprano; their timbres blended to spine-tingling effect, their sustained, tapering harmonies displaying a shared gift for piano/pianissimo colourings. A wonderfully intimate atmosphere was created.

Now alone on the great stage,  Ms. Jaho drew us deep into the character's thoughts with the hushed introspection of her "Ah, fors e lui" in which the lines were spun out to delectable effect. Her "Sempre libera"  was subtle rather than extroverted, the silvery top notes lingering magically in the air, the final note sustained until the curtain fell.

In Act II, Violetta's fragile happiness is shattered by the intrusion of Alfredo's father. Throughout their long scene together, Ms. Jaho made every note and word count; in phrase after phrase, the soprano put up a valiant fight to keep her world from from falling apart. The whispered desperation of "Era felice troppo,..", the terrified uttering of "Gran dio!" when Germont tells her that her love for his son is hopeless, the bitter resignation of "Cosi alla misera..." were all part of the Jaho magic, leading to her surrender with the hushed tracery of "Dite alla giovine..." upon which her fate is sealed.

In Amartuvshin Enkhbat, Ms. Jaho had an ideal vocal partner, for the rich-timbred baritone could scale his tone down to a fine piano. And even though he is winning, this Germont could not help but be touched by Violetta's suffering, since Ms. Jaho's expressive vulnerability could move a heart of stone. 

The plaintive clarinet solo as Violetta writes her farewell letter to Alfredo has never sounded so forlorn. Despite the conductor's bungling of the accompaniment, "Amami, Alfredo...!" made its usual heart-breaking effect.

The tension at Flora's party was palpable, and even while arguing, Ms. Jaho and Mr. Jordi could not stop themselves from embracing. But she keeps her resolve and bravely faces his denunciation. Mr. Jordi's instant realization of the damage he has done was indeed touching, and as Ms. Jaho sang to him of her enduring love in "Alfredo, Alfredo, di questo core" she slowly crossed the stage and knelt before him where he sat, shunned by all, and tried to comfort him.

The crushing sadness of the opera's final scene seemed more poignant than ever today, with Ms. Jaho's hypnotic reading of Germont's letter, and the alternating currents of despair and of a passionate desire to live that pulsed thru the soprano's multi-hued singing of "Addio del passato", gnawed at my heart. The fleeting joy of their reunion, the sweetly harmonized, desperate hope of "Parigi, o cara..." and the bitter realization that it is all too late felt so real, and so devastating, today.

Throughout my sixty years of opera-going, having seen so many memorable Violettas - from Albanese to Zylis-Gara - I must say that Ermonela Jaho has assumed a unique place in that pantheon. Meeting her briefly after the performance, all I could say to her was "I love you!"  

Above: Ismael Jordi as Alfredo and Amartuvshin Enkhbat as Germont; photo by Jonathan Tichler/Met Opera

Mr. Jordi, tall and slender, was a truly convincing Alfredo both vocally and dramatically. His ardent, pleasing lyricism made his duets with Ms. Jaho so appealing, and his singing of the Act II aria was most beautifully and persuasively phrased, although his sustained top-C in the cabaletta was ungraciously covered by Armiliato's thoughtlessness. A handsome and compelling actor, Mr. Jordi captured the youthfulness, rebelliousness, wild jealousy, and desperate remorse of the young man to perfection.

Mr. Enkhbat sounded glorious in the big hall. One of the many voices to emerge triumphant from the Cardiff Singer of the World Competition - he won the Audience Prize there in 2015 - he is most welcome at The Met. Displaying a rich, darkish, and powerful sound, Mr. Enkhbat showed a natural affinity for the Verdian line, and brought to the music a wealth of dynamic nuance. His great aria, "Di Provenza", was gloriously sung, and he even made me like the ensuing cabaletta, "No, non udrai rimproveri " which I normally find holds up the action; today I found myself wishing for the second verse, the better to savour the Enkhbat voice. The baritone won a huge volley of cheers at his curtain calls, and we can only hope that we shall be hearing him here again very soon.

Edyta Kulczak made a lovely impression as Flora, with Christopher Job as her admirer d'Obigny. Paul Corona was a powerfully-sung Dr. Grenvil, and Scott Scully a lively Gastone. Patrick Miller actually made something out of Giuseppe's lines, and Jonathan Scott delivered Violetta's message firmly. Mezzo-soprano Deborah Nansteel created a moving Annina, singing handsomely as Violetta's faithful maid. I had been looking forward to hearing John Hancock as Baron Douphol, but Dwayne Croft stepped in and sounded very impressive. In the silent role of Mlle. Germont, my dancer/friend Allegra Herman was a poignant witness to Violetta's death; I was moved by the moment when Alfredo embraced his sister, showing that he bore her no ill will in the end.

In the pit, Marco Armiliato's pacing was very fine, and he allowed the singers leeway to sustain lines and to introduce piano effects at just the right moments. But he also sometimes covered the singers, which seems to be pretty commonplace at The Met these days. 

It was a great pleasure for me to join in the ecstatic ovation for Ms. Jaho at the end. I felt a curious need to go to the stage door and thank the singers personally, but with my innate shyness I was unable to express myself adequately once I stepped up to meet them. Of course, after they had all left, I thought of so many things I should have said.

Just my luck: my pen ran out of ink as Mr. Enkhbat was signing; Mr. Jordi was extremely cordial:

Ms. Jaho was so kind, and so understanding:

 

Above: Ermonela Jaho and Ismael Jordi as Violetta and Alfredo; photo by Ken Howard/MET Opera

Watch the curtain calls here.

~ Oberon