Oberon's Grove

Second Twilight

Above: Birgit Nilsson as Brunnhilde

On December 14th, 1963, I heard Wagner's GOTTERDAMMERUNG (Twilight of the Gods) for the second time. I had been an ardent opera fan for almost 5 years, but delving into the Wagner repertoire was still somewhat daunting. I had first heard GOTTERDAMMERUNG 1962, finding parts of it thrilling and other sections less so. The 1963 broadcast felt more accessible musically, and details of the plot seemed clearer to me.

I recently discovered that the 1963 GOTTERDAMMERUNG broadcast has been posted on YouTube. Listen here.

Brünnhilde: Birgit Nilsson; Siegfried: Hans Hopf; Hagen: Ernst Wiemann; Alberich: Gerhard Pechner; Gunther: Norman Mittlemann; Gutrune: Mary Curtis-Verna; Waltraute: Mignon Dunn; Woglinde: Mary Ellen Pracht; Wellgunde: Rosalind Elias; Flossilde: Gladys Kriese; First Norn: Lili Chookasian; Second Norn: Mignon Dunn; Third Norn: Mary Curtis-Verna; Conductor: Joseph Rosenstock

Actually seeing a RING opera was still i my future, but once I had attended the matinee of Karajan's magnificent RHEINGOLD in 1969 (part of an unforgettable weekend), the Cycle became an obsession for me. Echoing Wotan: "Den Ring muss ich haben!"

William Desbiens

Ever on the lookout for new voices, I very much like this rendering of Pierrot's Tanzlied from Korngold's DIE TOTE STADT sung by Canadian baritone William Desbiens, with Julia Lynch at the piano.

Watch and listen here.

Lydia Johnson Dance @ NYLA ~ 2022

Above: the dancers of Lydia Johnson Dance in Lydia Johnson's For Eli; photo by Dmitry Beryzokin

Saturday September 17th, 2022 - Lydia Johnson Dance performing at New York Live Arts in Chelsea. Having missed two New York seasons due to the ongoing pandemic, the Company took the opportunity to appear at NYLA in September rather than wait until their accustomed performance time in the Spring: the dancers of course were anxious to perform again, and guest artist Craig Hall of New York City Ballet fame was available...so: on with the show!

Unfortunately, I was feeling sick and could not attend any of the performances; but I did see all four of the works being presented when I dropped in at a studio rehearsal the previous week. My friend Dmitry Beryozkin photographed the dress rehearsal, and sent me some images. So this is not a review, really, but simply a photo gallery. 

The Company were not idle during the long shutdown: they spent a week at Kaatsbaan, where Lydia worked on new creations, they danced (outdoors) in Connecticut, and they gave a warmly-received studio showing at the Martha Graham Studio Westbeth on May 2022, previewing two new works: Glide Path and For Eli. 

Glide Path opened tonight's show: it's set to music by the contemporary quartet ETHEL. Here are some of Dmitry's evocative photos from the dress rehearsal of Glide Path:

Minseon Kim and Chazz Fenner-McBride

The ensemble of women

Katie Lohiya

Chazz Fenner-McBride and Willy Laury

Emily Sarkissian, Minseon Kim, Amanda Egan, Michael Miles, and Michelle L. Siegel

Willy Laury and Laura DiOrio

Laura DiOrio and Willy Laury

Next came For Eli, a poignant work commissioned by New Jersey-based artist Laura Lou Levy, in memory of her pianist-son Eli, who loved playing the music of Frédéric Chopin.

A series of Dmitry Beryozkin's images from For Eli:

Michelle L. Siegel, Michael Miles, Minseon Kim, Amanda Egan, and Laura DiOrio

Willy Laury, Michael Miles, Katie Lohiya, Amanda Egan, and Minseon Kim

Katie Lohiya

Amanda Egan, Emily Sarkissian

Chazz Fenner-McBride and Willy Laury

Following the interval, Craig Hall joined Lydia's dancers for Time...and again, a new work set to Oscar Peterson recordings of jazz standards. This marked a return engagement for the former New York City Ballet star, whose performances in Lydia's haunting Night and Dreams in 2019, dancing with Laura DiOrio, were deeply moving. Craig and Laura have reunited for Time...and again, joined by three other couples for a series of duets.

Photos from this jazz work by Dmitry Beryozkin:

Katie Lohiya and McGee Maddox

Katie & McGee, Amanda & Laura, Minseon & Michael

Laura DiOrio & Craig Hall

'

Craig Hall & Laura DiOrio

Laura & Craig

Amanda Egan & Chazz Fenner-McBride

Katie Lohiya & McGee Maddox

Crag Hall

Katie Lohiya with Michael, Laura, and Willy

The music of Henryk Górecki makes a colossal impression in the evening's concluding work, Undercurrent. Here are some of Dmitry Beryozkin's pictures from this ballet:

McGee Maddox, Chazz Fenner-McBride, and Michael Miles

Students from Lydia's school participated in the finale of Undercurrent

The Company women in swirling red skirts

The full Company onstage

Michael Miles and Minseon Kim, center

Michael Miles and student dancer Stella Weihrauch

Laura DiOrio, aloft, as Undercurrent come to an end

All photos by Dmitry Beryozkin

~ Oberon

Claudio Arrau ~ Moonlight Sonata

Claudio Arrau plays Beethoven's piano sonata #14 ('Moonlight') at a recital televised in Germany in 1970.

Watch and listen here.

Edith Mathis Sings Schumann

Listen to a delightful recording of Robert Schumann's Frauenliebe und -leben performed by Edith Mathis (above) with Christoph Eschenbach at the piano here. 

Renata Scotto as Lucia di Lammermoor

Above: Renata Scotto in the title-role of Gaetano Donizetti's bel canto masterpiece, LUCIA DI LAMMEROOR, photo by Louis Melançon

Scotto sang 21 performances of Lucia with The Met: one at the Old House, fifteen times at Lincoln Center, and five performances on tour. Scotto was my very first Lucia, in 1967; her Edgardo was George Shirley. 

And I saw her a second time, in October 1972, opposite Alfredo Kraus - their only Met appearance in this opera together.

Here are some scenes from that memorable evening; I apologize for the frequent sounds of coughing: there was a flu bug going around.

LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR - Act I scene - Renata Scotto & Alfredo Kraus - Met Oct 30 1972

Renata Scotto & Matteo Manuguerra - LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR ~ scene - Met 1972

LUCIA - Wedding Scene - Scotto-Kraus-Manuguerra-Macurdy-Ordassy-Goeke -Met 1972

Renata Scotto - LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR ~ Mad Scene - Met 1972

Tucci & Tucker: BUTTERFLY~ Love Duet

Gabriella Tucci and Richard Tucker sing the love duet from Act I of Puccini's MADAMA BUTTERFLY with the Bell Telephone Hour Orchestra, conducted by Donald Voorhees,

Watch and listen here.

Meditation

Violinist Mayuko Kamio's rendition of the famous Meditation from Massenet's THAIS.

Wagner's Götterdämmerung ~ Teatro Colón 1962

Above: basso Arnold van Mill as Hunding

An impressive cast for a 1962 performance of Richard Wagner's monumental Götterdämmerung, given at the Teatro Colón, Buenos Aires. Heinz Wallberg conducts.

Listen here.

Siegfried: Hans Hopf; Gunther: Angel Mattiello; Hagen: Arnold van Mill; Brünnhilde: Birgit Nilsson; Alberich: Alois Pernerstorfer; Gutrune: Gré Brouwenstijn; Waltraute: Ursula Boese; Woglinde: Myrtha Garbarini; Wellgunde: Olga Chelavine; Flosshilde: Noemí Souza; 1st Norn: Marga Hoeffgen; 2nd Norn: Isabel Casey; 3rd Norn: Gré Brouwenstijn.

Remembering Richard

Today is the birthday of Richard Sidorik, who was my lover, then my housemate, and then my best friend for many years...until his death in 2015.

We met in 1976 when we were both working at Covenant Insurance in Hartford, CT. I was on the rebound from my first (male) lover, TJ.

Richard and I moved in together very soon after we met. After the romance wore off - we were both promiscuous and not ready to settle down - we continued living together as friends. And after splitting up to pursue other relationships, we lived together again for a couple of years until I met Kenny.

Richard spent the last ten years of his life caring diligently for his mother, who became an invalid in her old age. This took a heavy toll on him, and I believe he increased his drinking and dependence on medications to stave off depression and to help him sleep. I cannot say for sure, but I feel that his death was most likely the result of a combination of alcohol and drugs. 

In a way, his death was a blessing as his health was declining rapidly and he seemed to lose interest in taking care of himself. I'll never forget our last in-person time together: he'd come in to The City for a day of lunch and shopping. Before he left to catch the train home to Connecticut, we sat in a small park in The Village for a half-hour, and he was completely silent. I tried to keep a conversation going, but at last he stood up and said, "I should go home.." and he hailed a cab.

I do not know what would have become of him in his old age, but he was spared those problems.

The thing I miss most about him is the sound of his slightly raspy speaking voice.