Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra at The Carnegie Hall Opening Gala

Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
Nikolaus Harnoncourt, conductor
Lang Lang, piano
Carnegie Hall Opening Gala, New York, NY
September 29, 2010

Carnegie Hall opens its 2010-2011 season with a gala benefit concert featuring the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra led by Nikolaus Harnoncourt in Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage. The all-Beethoven program includes Symphony No. 7 in A Major as well as the Piano Concerto No. 1 in C Major, featuring guest soloist Lang Lang. Photo Credit: Chris Lee

 

To launch its new season, Carnegie Hall invited the Vienna Philharmonic for four concerts, the first two conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt, the last two by Gustavo Dudamel. The Opening Night Gala also celebrated the Orchestra’s 101st performance at Carnegie Hall, giving it an especially festive air.  

As is often the case with Gala concerts, the program was very conventional: Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony and first Piano Concerto. The only surprise was that the 80-year-old German-born, Austrian-based maestro had personally selected the 28-year-old Chinese pianist Lang Lang as his soloist, an odd choice that seemed based on an attraction of opposites. But as soon as the music started, it was clear that it was grounded instead in mutual respect and pleasure in working together.  

Harnoncourt is best known for his pioneering work with period-instrument groups, but he has gradually broadened his activities, conducting symphony orchestras and exploring the romantic literature. Using no podium or baton, he exhibited a degree of physical energy and emotional intensity that a man half his age might envy. His Beethoven interpretations seemed to follow traditional lines: respect for structure, dynamics and phrasing; restrained tempi, steady rhythm, and expressiveness without sentimentality. The only exception to this moderation was his penchant for excessive contrast between loud and soft, and for going from whisper to explosion with startling abruptness. In the most forceful moments, the strings sounded positively scratchy, the brass raucous – a distinct departure from the Vienna Philharmonic’s famously pure, mellow tone. Moreover, in Beethoven’s frequent descending two-note figures, Harnoncourt exaggerated the phrasing by dropping the second note to near-inaudibility. The performance’s most pervasive flaw was a lack of orchestral balance, with the winds, especially the brass, consistently overpowering the strings. Though this often happens with today’s orchestras, it came as a surprise here. Generally, though, the playing was as fine as always; intonation, ensemble, and precision were impeccable; every instrumental timbre stood out yet blended into the whole. Concertmaster Rainer Honeck (whose brother Manfred recently became Music Director of the Pittsburgh Symphony), seemed unusually active, leading with vigorous, assertive motions of his whole body.  

Lang Lang played the Concerto beautifully, with charm and a courtly grace free of the exaggerations which sometimes mark his playing. His legato sang; he brought out inner voices usually ignored; his tone was lovely at every dynamic level and full of subtle colors and nuances. Rhythmically flexible but not erratic, the music was sprightly and rippling in the fast movements , simple and expressive in the slow one. Though he reserved his by now legendary virtuosity only for the cadenza, he received a standing ovation; four eager little girls delivered gorgeous bouquets, which he presented to the three women who have cracked the orchestra’s all-male code, tossing the forth into the wind section. Then came the encore: the Finale of Prokofiev’s Seventh Piano Sonata, a marathon of racing, pounding fingers so wild as to be virtually unrecognizable.

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The 2010 New York Musical Theatre Festival “Frog Kiss”

“Frog Kiss”
The 2010 New York Musical Theatre Festival
Theatre at St. Clement’s, New York, NY
October 4, 2010
Remaining Dates: October 6th, 10th, 11th and 13th

Hanley Smith and Curtis Holbrook, FROG KISS, NYMF 2010. Photo by Ellis Gaskell

“Frog Kiss”, a full musical production at the 2010 New York Musical Theatre Festival, is easy to embrace; it is hard to imagine anything more fun or memorable stemming from this festival, which is showcasing 27 full productions—many in the Broadway Theatre District area. A perennial, familiar heartwarming tale of acceptance, it is the lyrics and assemblage of characters that bring us originality, as does this particular cast.

The unfortunate news about this musical is that—unlike the long run of “South Pacific”, which we reviewed recently—it runs a total of only 7 times. Hopefully a much longer run is destined for this production and cast, which has the type of chemistry that would make any stereotypically-happy prince and princess proud. All the singers have fun with the staging, lyrics and music, and the full-house audience was with them all the way.

The excellent music by Eric Schorr has some “Candide”-influenced scoring, some Blues and Swing, and some Rap thrown in to keep with the times. The book by Charles Leipart is based on the Stephen Mitchell novella, and his lyrics are immensely enjoyable: “…a league of nations gives a girl palpatations” or funny innuendo such as “…a long sticky tongue for God only knows” when referring to the frog. “Frog Kiss” seems to spoof everything from Jimmy Durante to “West Side Story” (the line “a frog like that” instead of Anita’s “A Boy Like That”); French, German, Chinese and British stereotypes –Andrew Cao is hysterical with his British–to hints of Mel Brooks (“Three Ball Monte”, a jivin’ number in full swing, seems to get its musical influence from “The Inquisition”, a number from Brooks’ film “History of the World Part I”).

The song “Attention”, with music reminiscent of the “Cell Block Tango” in “Chicago”, gets the audience’s full attention with a tour de force, sexy performance by the terrific Manna Nichols as Hortense.  The opening of Act II is a very original play within a play, as the Princess and the Frog’s courtship is mocked by Hortense and Claus. Nichols and Theis Weckesser (Claus) do a good job pretending to be bad actors.

Princess Clementine, performed by the supremely talented singer and actress Hanley Smith, meets a frog she is determined to turn into a prince, and in doing so, Smith brings a multi-dimensional character to the fore—a unique mix of dumb blonde and probing intellectual, confidence and awkwardness, a combination of pomposity and sincerity along the lines of Meg Ryan’s character in “When Harry Met Sally”. Her voice is always on pitch and lovely in all aspects of the Broadway and coloratura range. Weckesser brings German-stereotype hilarity to his role of Claus. His performance brought to mind Kenneth Mars’ portrayal of Franz Liebkind in the original Producers film of 1968, and indeed after reading his bio, I see that he was cast as a Nazi storm trooper in the recent film version of the musical.

Other standout performers include Terry Burrell in a quirky, snazzy performance of Queen Margot; Curtis Holbrook’s endearing, evocative, and limber rendering of the frog, and Joseph Dellger, with his performance as King Frederic, the father of the two quarreling sibling princesses. The Director Kenneth Roberson, who did the choreography for “Ave Q”, does wonders with the staging and the actors, bringing variety and continuity at the same time. Zane Mark’s band, visible to house right, is a musical treat, as are orchestrations by Daryl Waters. The sound amplification had occasional interference, and balances between singers and the band, which sometimes overpowered due to not being in a pit, weren’t quite right. The sets are customarily bare for this type of festival production, but like much of the suggestive material, one can use one’s imagination. The excellent reaction-acting gives you a lot to admire, as there is so much variety in each actor’s expression that you don’t know where to look when several people are on stage; everyone, in other words, is always in the moment. The costume design by Austin Sanderson is fun and creative, and the choreography by Lorna Ventura is inventive, making good use of the stage.

The final performances of this run are on October 6th at 5pm, October 10th at 7:30pm and October 11th at 1pm—plus extended to include October 13th at 1pm— at the Theater at St. Clement’s, 423 W. 46th Street. Don’t miss “Frog Kiss”.

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Musica de Camara String Orchestra

Musica de Camara String Orchestra
Roselin Pabón, conductor
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
September 25, 2010

Musica de Camara String Orchestra

Musica de Camara was established 31 years ago by the Puerto Rican soprano Eva de la O with a mission to present Hispanic music and musicians in concert. The organization has given several hundred performances in famous venues such as Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, and in educational institutions, community centers and churches, for audiences who rarely have an opportunity to hear classical music.
This concert presented the Musica de Camara String Orchestra in a program by Spanish and Latin American composers. The Orchestra, founded in 2008, grew out of a smaller chamber ensemble formed several years earlier to give concerts in New York City’s public schools. The present group of about 30 players has continued this commitment, and recently added lecture demonstrations on various aspects of music to its educational activities.
The members of the Orchestra constitute a veritable United Nations. Though they live and rehearse in New York City, they trace their heritage to many countries, including Yugoslavia, Korea, China, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela. For their concerts, they invite guest conductors. This performance was directed by the Puerto Rican Maestro Roselin Pabón, for 30 years Associate Musical Director of the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra, Musical Director of the Conservatorio de Musica, San Juan, and a frequent guest with orchestras in Europe and North and South America.
The players, all aspiring soloists, are young, serious, and committed to music; some are still pursuing advanced studies. For example, the assistant concertmistress, Nicole Leon, studies with Itzhak Perlman at the Juilliard School. Their playing was a bit tentative, but time and more performing experience will give them sufficient self-confidence to throw restraint and caution to the wind and give free rein to their natural, youthful involvement and enthusiasm. Concertmaster Francisco Salazar, principal second violinist Luis Casal, principal violist Edmundo Ramirez, and principal cellist Veronica Parrales played a number of solos with vibrancy and aplomb, indicating the group’s high level of talent.
The program opened with Fuga Criolla, a substantial, classical-style Fugue by Juan D. Plaza (1921-1965) from Venezuela. Of the two Danzas Concertantes by Xavier Montsalvatge (1912-2002) from Spain, the slow one had an American, the fast one a Spanish flavor. Aruán Ortiz (b. 1967) from Cuba was present to hear his Perla Caribena; its leisurely melodiousness gave the players a chance to make their instruments sing, as did the lush, sonorous Canambu by Eduardo Gamboa (b. 1953) from Mexico. The Suite for Strings, Op. 115, by Blas E. Atehortua (b. 1943) from Colombia had two fast movements: a rollicking “Scherzo a la valse” and a rhythmic, pungent Finale. Puerto Rico was represented by two composers: Jack Delano (1914-1997), whose Sinfonietta for Strings had a lyrical slow movement and a cheerful fast one, and Guillermo Figueroa (1892-1962), the earliest-born composer on the program, whose Puerto Rican Rhapsody on Themes of Rafael Hernández caressed the ear with its flowing melodies and old-style harmonies. Finally, Michelangelo 70 by the great Argentinean composer Astor Piazzolla (1921-1992), orchestrated by Carlos Rengifo, made a rousing finale, eliciting a standing ovation from the large audience, which had been showing great appreciation throughout the concert. Maestro Pabón responded with an encore: a Puerto Rican Danza, Sara, arranged by Guillermo Figueroa which Johann Strauss could have written on a Puerto Rican vacation.

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Sound+Vision

Sound+Vision: At War
Photographs from Iraq and Afghanistan by Chris Hondros
Music of Johann Sebastian Bach
Fusion Bande; Kenneth Hamrick, Artistic Director
Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College, New York, NY
September 29, 2010

Anthony Turner, baritone

According to American Pulitzer Prize-nominated photojournalist Chris Hondros, “Bach’s meditations on emotion and loss seamlessly apply to war, whether fought in the 18th century or the 21st…the human experience of war has changed little over the centuries.” As I viewed revelatory, disturbing and often poignant photographs of soldiers and civilians while listening to live music of Johann Sebastian Bach, I agreed totally with that sentiment; I highly recommend this multi-media presentation.  

The counterpoint in Bach’s music fits perfectly with the chaos and internal struggles of Iraq and Afghanistan, and the gentle strands of melody in less complex music draws one into the deeply personal reactions of all the individuals on screen. The panel discussion, which followed the presentation, brought personal experiences into greater light, as journalists, educators, an Iraqi war veteran, and Hondros himself discussed their thoughts about the war and answered the audience’s questions. Hondros takes startlingly beautiful, clear photographs that were practically three-dimensional on the Getty Images screen. The expressions on the many faces were heart-wrenchingly multi-dimensional as well; one could see combinations of shock, horror, pain, hate, hope and even love.  

I felt almost present on the battlefield, the streets, in the hospital or in the school yard. Surprisingly, there were many joyful images—touching hints of what a free Iraq has become or will be. One memorable section showed the citizens’ delight with fresh, running water, seemingly symbolic of their newfound freedom. The photographs of Iraqi children with American soldiers showed the great contrast between intimidation and innocence. A stand-out performer in Fusion Banda was double bassist Andrew Trombley. The solo baritone Anthony Turner and the soprano Amanda Papuan were very good. Harpsichordist and Director Kenneth Hamrick did a fine job with coordination, but violinist Jerry Chiu had an edgy sound and approximate intonation.  

Bach’s 18th century music—opposed to Shostakovich’s 20th century, military-like music, for example— is a great choice, as it does mirror the antiquity and sacred nature of the Middle East countries. His counterpoint (several melodic lines at once) in turn represents the complexities and struggle of war, while sustaining an ironic tonality—seemingly symbolizing the goals of resolution and peace. This is a great concept and a marvelous presentation which should tour the US, and perhaps even Iraq and Afghanistan.

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International Violin Competition of Indianapolis

The Eighth International Violin Competition of Indianapolis
Indianapolis, Indiana
September, 2010

Clara-Jumi Kang; Gold Medalist-Photo Credit: Denis R. Kelly Jr.

The Eighth Quadrennial International Violin Competition of Indianapolis, which is one of the world’s most important, uniquely versatile competitions, recently held its final rounds with concerto performances by six Laureates and the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra.  Throughout most of September, 2010, there were many informative violin demonstrations, forums, showcases, recitals, performances, interviews and pre-concert lectures, and after an extremely fascinating display and comparison of old and new violins by Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra concertmaster Zachary De Pue—with voting by the audience (the public chose a 1717 Stradivari that is coincidentally owned by juror and world renowned violinist Cho-Liang Lin)—jury President Jaime Laredo announced the winners. The Gold Medal was awarded to 23 year-old Clara-Jumi Kang from South Korea/Germany.  Silver and Bronze medals were also awarded this year, with the Silver Medal going to 25 year-old Korean Soyoung Yoon and the Bronze Medal going to young American Benjamin Beilman, only 20 years of age and studying at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia. 

Soyoung Yoon; Silver Medalist-Photo Credit: Denis R. Kelly Jr.

 

I enjoyed Beilman’s Sibelius Concerto immensely; it sweeped certain tired traditions clean. His phrases were shaped with distinct dynamic and tone-color contrasts, and there was an unusual longing and mystery to his interpretation, bringing simplicity and an honesty of spirit to the score I had never heard before. Because of that, I thought there was a chance he would be awarded the top prize. But because of some slight slips in the last movement and because other stages of the competition are taken into account, I thought Clara-Jumi Kang, who played the Beethoven Violin Concerto with sublime purity of tone and a fantastic precision for pitch and rhythm, would place very high. The choice of Beethoven instead of other concertos that might show more flashy virtuosic brilliance was a brave one, and it paid off for Kang, who won the Gold plus five special prizes. In the Beethoven concerto, she displayed the perfect balance of Classical Period simplicity and early Romantic expression—very difficult to accomplish for such a young violinist who wants to impress in competition. What she was able to show—above all else—was her extraordinary musicianship for her age, or any age for that matter. The slow movement, a daunting task in the high range of the instrument, is something which prevents many violinists from taking on this concerto. She performed it with sublime beauty. Beilman, incidentally, did win special prizes for best performance of a Bach work and for best performance of a Mozart Sonata. 

Benjamin Beilman; Bronze Medalist-Photo Credit: Denis R. Kelly Jr.

I guessed on target with regards to the Silver medal and the 4th, 5th and 6th place Laureates. Silver medalist Soyoung Yoon was as solid as a rock in her performance of the Sibelius Violin Concerto. She nailed all the octave and arpeggiated passages—plus the up-bow spiccato and double-stop passage work. She has a very rich, resonant middle range, though oddly her low G-String and very high range didn’t project as well. There was some monotony in this powerhouse performance; the playing needed more contrasting tone and dynamics, and more gradual pacing of the phrasing. 20 year-old Chinese violinist, Haoming Xie, was the Fourth Place Laureate—but he did win two special prizes for best violin-piano sonata (other than Beethoven) and best Ysaye Sonata performance. His playing in the Tchaikovsky concerto had lovely tempo contrasts, dynamic and tone variation, and sensitivity to peaks of phrases that were all lacking in 6th place Laureate and Russian violinist Andrey Baranov’s performance of that same concerto. Baranov, who unfortunately rushed quickly through the Tchaikovsky with some indifference, had a very lush sound that was hard to dislike, but—as with some of the other laureates— it didn’t often vary away from that. 

The 29 year-old Hungarian Antal Szalai, who placed Fifth, performed the difficult Bartok violin Concerto No. 2 with technical brilliance, but with nothing really unique to say with regards to color, dynamic expansion or a true sense of the Hungarian style with all its freedoms—and didn’t come close to past Indianapolis Gold medalists Barnabas Kelemen and Augustin Hadelich, who played this very work in the Indianapolis finals when they won in 2002 and 2006 respectively. Kelemen and Hadelich are both doing extremely well, incidentally. Hadelich recently performed as soloist with the New York Philharmonic and the Cleveland Orchestra, and Kelemen will be making his London Philharmonic debut. The major successes and exposure of these recent Indianapolis Gold medalists is reaching new plateaus; the winners prior to 2002 have been very successful, but more as recitalists and chamber musicians. Kyoko Takezawa, the 1986 Gold Laureate, enjoys a great solo career, playing with many major orchestras, though less-so recently. Ida Kavafian, a Silver medalist from 1982, is a highly successful chamber musician. There are even prominent orchestral musicians, as in the case of Juliette Kang (1994 Gold) who plays in the Philadelphia Orchestra, and David Chan—an American Bronze medalist from 1994—who is co-concertmaster at the MET. An American has never won gold in this competition’s history, although 6 out of the 8 competitions over the last 28 years have produced a third-place American winner. 

The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, which is an important fixture at this competition and is most often associated with its venerable music director and conductor laureate Raymond Leppard, played with much sensitivity and enthusiasm, and they clapped appreciatively after every performance. Samuel Wong conducted two Tchaikovsky concertos and two Sibelius Concertos with great awareness to the varying details in each soloist’s interpretation; he did a fantastic job. The Hilbert Circle Theater is an acoustical gem, producing a natural, needed warmth and amplification to the Indianapolis string sound. Acoustical help aside, the strings have improved under its new concertmaster, Zachary De Pue.   

The backgrounds of the Laureates give a clear indication of the high level and experience required to become a finalist. Gold Medalist Clara-Jumi Kang started violin and piano lessons at the age of three and entered the Mannheim Musikhochschule at the age of four. At the age of seven, she auditioned at The Juilliard School where she was accepted with a full scholarship. Her numerous prizes in international competitions include First Prize at the 2010 Sendai International Violin Competition, Second Prize at the 2009 Hannover International Violin Competition, and First Prize at the 2009 Seoul International Violin Competition. Clara-Jumi is currently studying under Nam Yun Kim at the Korean National University of Arts where she was accepted as one of the youngest college students. Silver Medalist Soyoung Yoon received her first violin lesson at the age of five in her native South Korea. She was a prizewinner at the Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels and the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow. She also received Grand Prize at the Odessa International David Oistrakh Violin Competition and First Prize at the Menuhin International Violin Competition in 2002. Soyoung has toured as a soloist and chamber musician throughout Asia and Europe. Previously a student at the Musikhochschule Köln, she is currently studying at the Zurich University of Arts in Switzerland.  

Bronze Medalist Benjamin Beilman has appeared as a guest soloist with the Philadelphia, Detroit, and New Mexico symphony orchestras and is a Presidential Scholar in the Arts. He won First Prize at the 2010 Montreal International Music Competition, First Prize and the Bach Prize at the 2009 Corpus Christi International String Competition, and was the Gold Medalist at the 2007 Stulberg International String Competition. A featured artist at the Marlboro Music Festival since age 17, he joins Musicians from Marlboro on tour in 2011. Benjamin currently attends The Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. 4th Place Laureate Haoming Xie began studying violin at six and was admitted to Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing in 2008. He has won numerous awards including Second Prize at the China National Violin Competition and Fourth Prize at the Qingdao International Violin Competition. Haoming has soloed with orchestras throughout China and abroad. In 2009, Haoming performed in Brussels to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China. 

 5th Place Laureate Antal Szalai first began his violin studies at the age of five. Since then, Antal has performed with such orchestras as the Deutsches Symphonie Orchester Berlin and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic among many others. At age 15, he was invited to perform for the gala concert to celebrate Yehudi Menuhin’s 80th birthday. Antal will make his Viennese debut in 2010 at the famed Musikverein with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra. Szalai was a Laureate at the Queen Elisabeth International Violin Competition and First Prize winner at both the Lipizer and Valsesia Musicale international violin competitions. 6th Place Laureate Andrey Baranov was born in Leningrad and began studying violin at the age of five. The recipient of numerous competition prizes, Andrey won Second Prize in the Sendai International Violin Competition, First Prize at the Benjamin Britten International Violin Competition, and First Prize at the Marteau International Violin Competition. Andrey has performed with such orchestras as the St. Petersburg Philharmonic and the Royal Philharmonic in London among others. Andrey studied at the St. Petersburg Conservatory and is currently enrolled at the Conservatory in Lausanne, Switzerland where he is an assistant to Pierre Amoyal. Andrey performs on a violin by Andrea Guarneri (1682). 

The 2010 Jury—in addition to the aforementioned Jury President Jaime Laredo and Cho Liang-Lin—included Pamela Frank, Rodney Friend, Yuzoko Horigome, Jean-Jacques Kantorow, Boris Kuschnir, Mihaela Martin (the competition’s first Gold Medal Laureate back in 1982), and Joel Smirnoff. The competition’s prizes are wonderfully lavish and extremely appealing to all that enter, making this competition a necessity for the violinist who wants to make a major mark. As the Gold Medal Laureate, Clara-Jumi Kang will receive $30,000 dollars—plus $5,000 in special prizes, a likely four-year loan of the 1683 ex-Gingold Stradivari violin, a gold mounted Tourte-Voirin bow, an opportunity to record a CD for Naxos, a 24-Karat gold medal and a Carnegie Hall recital. I look forward to hearing her here on 57th street. The International Violin Competition of Indianapolis is consistently proving that the world of the violin—and indeed classical music itself would be a much smaller, less informed and less fortunate place without it.  

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Opening Night of The New York Philharmonic

Alan Gilbert, music director and conductor
Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra
Wynton Marsalis, director and trumpet
Opening Night
Avery Fisher Hall, New York, NY
September 22, 2010


Wynton Marsalis – Photo Credit: Julie Skarratt

On the first concert of the Lincoln Center Fall season, the New York Philharmonic performed Strauss’s Don Juan, a most difficult score (it is used to audition string players for almost every orchestra), with supreme virtuosic strength and confidence, sounding as good as any top ensemble who has ever played it. Music Director Alan Gilbert’s tempos and pacing were perfect as usual, translating the composer’s intentions rather than trying to sauce it up with a personal interpretation, as his predecessor often did. Gilbert is not a showman; he is an honest man at the podium. Hindemith’s Symphonic Metamorphoses on Themes of Carl Maria von Weber (the title is practically longer than the piece itself) was never milked for the sake of pandering to an audience, and Gilbert once again stayed true to the composer’s tempo markings and dynamics. As a result, the work and the orchestra’s playing were stirring and brilliant, and the delicate gem of a slow movement was played with just the right simplicity and tenderness.

Wynton Marsalis’ 45-minute Swing Symphony (in its US premiere) is about 30 minutes too long to be a concert piece. All the extended jazz riffs and solos take time away from the Philharmonic, which often served as an accompaniment. The moments that did integrate the orchestra were derivative of blues found in Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess or the raucous elements of the Mambo from West Side Story— to name a couple possible influences. The prevalent, virtuosic solo playing by the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra was always outstanding, however, and the audience clearly appreciated Mr. Marsalis’ playing and tremendous artistic effort here. One of the movements, which was played at the Berlin Philharmonic world premiere, was cut out of this US premiere—due to time allotment for the PBS telecast, but next season, the Philharmonic will play the symphony in its entirety. If anything, Gilbert should figure out ways to convince Marsalis to cut out more. And if that can’t be done, Marsalis needs to incorporate the symphony orchestra a lot more. I still think the concept of bringing the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic together is a good one; after all, expanding audiences and enriching cultural tastes are necessities in today’s world.

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South Pacific, by Richard Rogers and Oscar Hammerstein

Live from Lincoln Center
South Pacific, by Richard Rogers and Oscar Hammerstein
Kelli O’Hara – Nellie Forbush
Paulo Szot – Emile de Becque
Danny Burstein – Luther Billis
Loretta Ables Sayre – Bloody Mary
Andrew Samonsky – Joseph Cable
Sean Cullen – William Harbison
Li Jun Li – Liat
Bartlett Sher – Director
Ted Sperling – Music Director
Telecast on PBS Channel 13, August 18, 2010

 

This Rogers and Hammerstein classic, one of the most beloved musicals of all time, hardly needs an introduction. The latest revival, which opened in 2008 and closed a few days after this telecast, won seven Tony Awards and unanimous critical praise, and no wonder: it was an eye- and ear-catching production. Having had two years to grow into their roles, the performers seemed not to play but to inhabit them, yet they had retained their spontaneity and, where appropriate, sense of fun. One of the best things about the show was that everybody appeared to be having a really good time.

The two stars naturally dominated the stage. Kelli O’Hara’s Nellie was all youthful, ingenuous charm (though it seemed strange that she spoke with a mid-Western accent, but sang in unaccented English); Paulo Szot’s Emile was mature and worldly, and he seemed to regard her naiveté with incredulous delight. It was clear that their romance was based on an attraction of opposites. Szot, who recently made his Metropolitan Opera debut in the lead part of Shostakovich’s “The Nose” – in every way a far cry from “South Pacific”– is a terrific singer, able to challenge the never quite exorcised ghost of the role’s creator, the great Ezio Pinza. Other stand-outs were Danny Burstein’s Luther Billis, Andrew Samonsky’s Lt. Cable, and Li Lun Li’s very beautiful Liat. The orchestra was most excellent.

In the course of its long history, “South Pacific” has sometimes been accused of ethnic prejudice because Nellie reacts with horror to the discovery that Emile married the Polynesian mother of his children and because Lt. Cable, though in love with Liat, goes back on his promise to marry her. (We should remember that in James Michener’s stories, which inspired the musical, Emile has fathered many daughters with several native women, but did not marry any of them. One must wonder what Nellie would have thought of that.) Even today, this is a fraught subject, but has not affected the musical’s popularity. To the objective viewer, Bloody Mary seems the “ethnically” most objectionable character: the stereotypically cagey native who sells dubious artifacts to unsuspecting foreigners and lures them to engage in dubious activities. In this production, Loretta Ables Sayre underlined this by emphasizing her raucousness.

Ultimately, the most potent magic of “South Pacific” lies in the music. Those lovely songs, hummable tunes and catchy rhythms make up for any dramatic weaknesses or “politically incorrect” elements. No wonder they are firmly embedded in the public’s ears and hearts. 

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Renée Fleming and Dmitri Hvorostovsky: A Musical Odyssey in St. Petersburg

Great Performances
Renée Fleming and Dmitri Hvorostovsky: A Musical Odyssey in St. Petersburg
Telecast on PBS Channel 13, September 1, 2010

 This “Odyssey” was a feast for eyes and ears. Viewers were guided by the American soprano Renée Fleming on walks through St. Petersburg’s streets and squares and on boat rides on its canals, and were also invited into the magnificent Czarist Winter Palace, Peterhof Palace and Yusupov Palace, in whose glittering theaters and ballrooms Fleming and the Russian baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky presented concerts of songs and operatic scenes.

The music was mostly Russian, but began with duets from two Verdi operas: “Il Trovatore” and “Simone Boccanegra.” The confrontation between Count Luna and Leonora in the former presaged the vocal and emotional intensity that infused the whole program, but stopped before the climactic moment when Leonora secretly drains the poison in her ring, though Fleming actually wore a ring that looked as if it had been chosen for that purpose. The recognition scene between Boccanegra and Amelia in the latter depicts the unexpected reunion of a father with his long-lost daughter; it was an outpouring of joy and love.

 The program closed with the final scene from Tchaikovsky’s “Eugene Onegin,” an opera the two singers have performed together at the Metropolitan Opera to great acclaim, and have made their signature collaboration. For this, they used the host palace’s lay-out: the camera followed Hvorostovsky as he hurried up the wide, regal staircase to make his entrance, every inch the impatient lover.

 Needless to say, the singing was wonderful. The performers entered so deeply into their roles that they were able to immediately establish an atmosphere and create real characters, without scenery, props or costumes, using only their voices and personalities. Even if one did not understand the words or know the operas, one could guess what they were singing about. The State Hermitage Orchestra under Constantine Orbellian accompanied them with care and sensitivity, but sounded too discreet and distant.

 Alternating in songs by Rachmaninov, Rimsky-Korsakov, Medtner and Tchaikovsky, the singers adjusted their voices admirably to fit a smaller, more intimate room. Fleming was partnered by the Russian pianist Olga Kern, who recently won the Van Cliburn Competition, Hvorostovsky by his regular pianist, Ivan Ilja. The Bechstein piano they used looked and sounded beautiful. Again, music proved to be the best ambassador and bridge-builder between nations.

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Armida (1817)

Great Performances at the MET

Armida (1817)
Music by Gioachino Rossini (1792-1864)
Libretto by Giovanni Schmidt
Production: Mary Zimmerman
Conductor: Ricardo Frizza
Choreographer: Graciela Daniele
Set & costume designer: Richard Hudson
Armida: Renée Fleming
Rinaldo: Lawrence Brownlee
Goffredo: John Osborn
Gernanco: José Manuel Zapata
Carlo: Barry Banks
Ubaldo: Kobie van Rensburg
Telecast on Channel 13 PBS: August 18, 2010

Armida- Renee Fleming and Lawrence Brownlee- Photo: Ken Howard/Metropolitan Opera

“Armida” is one of Rossini’s less familiar operas. It requires not only a soprano who combines dramatic power with brilliant coloratura, but includes no fewer than six tenor roles (shared in this production by five singers) demanding a stratospheric range, bel canto lyricism and ringing heroics. No wonder it is so rarely performed. Created for Renée Fleming at her request, this new MET production was a vocal and visual bonanza.

The story takes place during the Crusades, but evokes legends of earlier times. Princess Armida is a beautiful sorceress who lures men to her magic island (think Circe) and holds them captive in her luxurious palace (think Venus’ Mountain), entertaining them with music and dancing. This offers opportunities for spectacular scenery and ballet sequences, first by a group of demons with horns and long tails, then by wave upon wave of gorgeously costumed dancers. Armida finds the crusading knights easy prey, but falls in love with Rinaldo, the army’s general, when he succumbs to her spell. He has to be extricated by fervent appeals to duty and honor – unlike Tannhäuser, who abandons Venus because he has become bored – leaving Armida devastated.

The opera begins with a dark, ominous Overture notable for its colorful woodwind solos, performed most impressively by the principal players. Generally, though, the music is not top-level Rossini in invention or originality; indeed, whenever an arresting passage emerges, it bears a definite resemblance to “The Barber of Seville.” The vocal lines are designed primarily for maximal technical display with brilliant, florid ornamentation, not for melodic beauty or delineation of character. Armida, of course, gets the lion’s (or lioness’) share of pyrotechnics, but the tenors are not far behind: they seem to vie for the top notes and most spectacular coloratura. One might almost call the opera “The Battle of the Tenors,” and in fact one of them soon slays another (over an insult, not the highest note).

The singing in this performance was truly stunning. Renée Fleming, whose physical beauty made her a very convincing seductress, sometimes seemed a bit overwhelmed by the sheer length and intensity of her role, but sang with enormous virtuosity and abandon. The tenors dispatched their vocal fireworks with incredible bravura; Lawrence Brownlee made a real character of Rinaldo, the most demanding role musically and dramatically.

For these telecasts, the MET invites one of its stars to introduce the opera, and also to interview one or more of the principals during intermission. This requires stopping tired cast members on their way to the dressing room and subjecting them to usually inane questions about their feelings for the role they are performing – an imposition on the singers, who clearly yearn to be left alone, rest their voices and concentrate on the next act. Fleming could hardly contain her impatience to get away, though, although in an earlier telecast, she herself had interviewed Simon Keenlyside, a hot and weary “Hamlet,” who was reacting in exactly the same way. Could these interviews not be taped at some time other than during the performance? Though this might cause some loss of immediacy, it would save the singers – and many empathetic viewers – a lot of discomfort.

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Mostly Mozart Festival

Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra
Louis Langrée, conductor, Stephen Hough, piano
Carolyn Sampson, soprano, Sasha Cooke, mezzo-soprano
Steve Davislim, tenor
Concert Chorale of New York, James Bagwell, Director
Avery Fisher Hall, New York, NY
August 20, 2010

Stephen Hough-Photo Credit: Christian Steiner

The Festival dedicated its final concert to the genius for whom it was named with an all-Mozart program: the Piano Concerto No. 21 in C major, K.467, and the Cantata “Davidde penitente,” K.469, both written in 1785. The Cantata is not performed as often as it deserves. It was written at the request of a Viennese charitable Artists’ Society devoted to looking after the widows and orphans of musicians. Mozart was a member of the organization and had promised to compose a choral piece for a benefit concert, but was too busy to create a major original work, so he took parts of his own unfinished C-minor Mass and just added two new arias. He used an Italian text based on the Psalms of David, said to have been provided by Lorenzo da Ponte, his later librettist. Thus, the music is vintage Mozart, with many grand choruses using complex counterpoint, and extraordinarily difficult arias that would not be out of place in any of his operas. The soprano goes up to high D’s and E’s and engages in spectacular vocal acrobatics; the tenor has a long “scene” with almost equally demanding coloratura passages. The soloists at this concert did nobly, but could not conceal hints of struggle. The chorus was wonderful; Langrée handled his large forces admirably.

Sasha Cook-Photo credit: Christian Steiner

The C-major Piano Concerto became famous because the slow movement was used in a film called “Elvira Madigan;”  many people became familiar with it who would never have heard the concerto. It is one of Mozart’s sunniest, most beautiful works; its tunes are simple but can be endlessly developed; the solo part is brilliant; the scoring includes timpani and a full complement of winds. The lovely slow movement shows Mozart at his most romantic, the Finale at his most playful. Stephen Hough played it with ease, elegance and expressiveness; he used his own stylistic, effective but unostentatious cadenzas. His encore, Schumann’s “Träumerei,” was properly dreamy but a bit too free.

Carolyn Sampson-Photo Credit: Nina Large

The orchestra was in top form all summer, but the balance favored the winds and percussion under every conductor. Under Langrée, the timpanist frequently entered a split second too early, especially at the beginning of a piece; later, he seemed to settle into the beat. The concerts were very well attended, and it was a pleasure to watch the unstinting enthusiasm with which the audiences gave standing ovations to the orchestra and all the conductors, demanding encores of practically every soloist. Another observation was more troubling: the number of wheelchairs, crutches, walkers and canes seems to increase not only every year, but also in the course of a single season. In a way, though, this may be encouraging: it indicates that more and more people with disabilities are determined to participate in New York’s cultural life and enjoy its abundant offerings.

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