The Ullmann Project-II in Review

The Ullmann Project-II in Review

The Ullmann Project-II
Dominique Hellsten, Artistic Director
Dominique Hellsten and Monique Niemi, sopranos; Jason Plourde and Will Robinson, baritones; Craig Ketter and Matthew Odell, pianists; Johannes Landgren, organist
Saint Peter’s Church-Citicorp Center, New York, NY
April 19, 2016

 

 

Dominique Hellsten continued her ardent advocacy for the music of Viktor Ullmann (1898-1944) with the second installment of her Ullmann Project. In the series, she situates Ullmann’s music in context with other contemporaries, including teachers, friends, fellow prison-camp inmates, and Anthroposophists, composers (Petr Eben (1929-2007), Erich Wolfgang Korngold (1897-1957), and Alexander Zemlinsky (1871-1942)), and poets. Ms. Hellsten chose the unusual venue of a church in order to be able to include striking works by Petr Eben for voice and organ and organ solo. The venue in fact led to a decreased sense of enjoyment on my part, which I will outline briefly before proceeding to compliment the performers on their committed renditions.

First: The hall’s acoustic is not conducive to speech, and really not to singing either. In the previous concert of this series, there had been a pre-concert talk, separate from the music. There was too much barely intelligible talking on this occasion. The acoustic devoured consonants too.

Second: The lighting was dreadful. It created dark “eye pits” on all the singers’ faces. Second only to the voice, eyes are the most expressive tool a singer has. This was a great shame.

Third: The superb collaborative pianists, Craig Ketter and Matthew Odell, had to contend with a shabby, out-of-tune, small grand piano. Only the excellent Swedish organist, Johannes Landgren, escaped unscathed; he was playing the church’s good instrument in the space for which it was designed.

There is a regrettable sameness to much of the music presented, unavoidable in music created in nearly the same time period, with late-Romantic influences predominant. Eben actually emerged as the most progressive voice—he survived his concentration camp internment. As Mr. Landgren told us, Eben held hands with his brother (both stripped naked) in a delousing shower, not knowing whether water or poison gas would come out of the shower heads. This led him to a spiritual epiphany that lasted the rest of his life.

Ullmann’s music, when heard in such quantity, seems to proceed a fitfully, with interesting ideas that too often remain undeveloped fully. Zemlinsky is definitely old-fashioned by comparison, and Korngold has his customary prodigious “sheen” and refinement, while not really adding anything new to musical vocabulary.

The evening began with six Geistliche (Spiritual) Lieder, Op. 20 by Ullmann, sung by Monique Niemi and assisted by Mr. Odell. She seemed somewhat stiff, though her voice was well-suited. The most interesting of the songs was the fourth: Marienlied, which ended on an unresolved major seventh.

Mr. Landgren then played the Mystery of Creation from a cycle of organ pieces by Eben called Job. It was indeed mysterious and striking, sounding a bit like a central-European Messiaen. Mr. Landgren then accompanied Ms. Hellsten in the Lied der Ruth, which despite its German title was sung in English. It was very good as well.

The first half of the program returned to Ullmann and his Drei Sonnette aus dem Portugiesischen, Op. 29 (words by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, translated by Rilke). They were in high expressionist style, a bit overwrought, with rousing high climaxes of passion in each. Ms. Hellsten’s élan was good, but each song had an unsatisfying ending (not her fault, but the composer’s).

After intermission, two baritones, Jason Plourde and Will Robinson, divided the twelve aphoristic songs Der Mensch und sein Tag (Ullmann’s Op. 47, composed in Terezín (Theresienstadt)). Mr. Plourde’s rendition of his six was excellent (somehow he managed clear diction), as was the support from Mr. Ketter. The songs are not even sentences, but brief, enigmatic strings of words, so great was the fear of accidentally transmitting a subversive message that could be picked up by the guards. The words depict random passing events of a day, and must have meant a great deal to those who heard them behind barbed wire fences. Mr. Robinson seemed too unrelievedly somber, his tone overly darkened.

Zemlinsky was represented by his Wedding-Dance and Other Songs (Op. 10), performed by Ms. Niemi, who seemed much more relaxed and charming here. All the singers used their arms in ways I found somewhat distracting, and they looked too serious or sad most of the time. There is virtue in standing still (not stiff!) and using your vocal tone and face to convey emotion. And again, had one been able to see their eyes, the story may have been different.

Ms. Hellsten returned to as she put it lighten the mood with Korngold’s lovely Three Songs, Op. 22. She understands the idiom beautifully, but the material really needs a fresher voice, like the character of Sophie from Richard Strauss’ Der Rosenkavalier.

The concert closed with more Eben: his Die Nomine Caecilie for organ and soprano (Mr. Landgren and Ms. Hellsten), a really good piece that worked for the performers and in the acoustic. Then Mr. Landgren played the Dance of Jephta’s Daughter from Four Biblical Dances by Eben. The storytelling was vivid: Jephta’s father had promised that if he was victorious in battle, he would kill the first person he saw upon his return—it was his own daughter, dancing to welcome him home.

These concerts are so valuable in presenting unusual and rarely-heard repertoire that I do not wish to discourage anyone involved. However, the choice of location is very important, and perhaps going “outside” the context for more variety would make for a more entertaining concert, one that doesn’t feel like a graduate school lecture-recital.

 

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by Frank Daykin  for New York Concert Review; New York, NY
Lloyd Arriola, Pianist in Review

Lloyd Arriola, Pianist in Review

Lloyd Arriola, piano
Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY
April 3, 2016

 

The pianist Lloyd Arriola picked an intriguing program at Carnegie’s Weill Recital Hall: two world premieres, his own composition in homage to Arthur Rubinstein, and works by Liszt and (as many historians agree) his piano-virtuoso successor, Ferruccio Busoni. The Liszt and Busoni pieces were two massive concert works on the first half of this recital: Liszt’s Grosses Konzertsolo in its alternative version (1849-1850), and Busoni’s Grosse Fuge (1909-1910). Both of them tend to–as Mr. Arriola puts it in program notes–“go on for a bit”, and that proved to be an understatement, especially when the works are sometimes performed with a lack of contrasting dynamics and direction/flow in the phrasing, as was in the case here. The Liszt is more of a technical showpiece, with left-hand arpeggios galore, but lacking inspired melodic lines and thematic development. The Busoni work is very cerebral, with music that is always developing its idea. Indeed, when Mr. Arriola talks to the audience, he comes across as an academic himself–discussing the history of the compositions. When he was playing the Busoni, it came from that standpoint; he seemed to be studying and admiring the pages intensely, but forgetting to insert contrasting dynamics and shade subsidiary counterpoint. In Mr. Arriola’s notes, he said that it is very unlikely that this early version has ever been performed in New York, and that Busoni apparently allowed G. Schirmer to make only 100 copies of the work, adding that he is not clear why. I have an inkling. The sparse audience seemed perplexed by this work, and after intermission, Mr. Arriola half-apologized for its length and even its character. But Mr. Arriola redeemed himself with a second half that was much more appealing in content.

Opening the second half was a world premiere composed in 2015; Michael Sayers’ charming tone-poem entitled A Buried Dream of the Heart that had the exact tonality and grandiosity of a Liszt piano work, but thankfully not the longevity. Mr. Arriola played it well. In the following work, a meditation on death called Thanatopsis (also a world premiere), composer Charles Hulin IV employs more 20th century sonorities and intervals (many 4ths and 5ths). It was brief but complete in structure, although the end felt abrupt–which was the point. Mr. Arriola gave it a subtle rendering with lovely contrasts of dynamics and phrasing. Mr. Arriola’s own composition, his Concert Piece in E-flat Minor (1986, revised 2010) is another look back to the virtuosity of Liszt, Chopin and even Beethoven, but in this case, I don’t mind it as an original composition because it’s an homage to the incomparable Arthur Rubinstein, who performed the works quoted here. Other than a repetitive left hand with never-ending arpeggios, I think it works and could have some staying power–especially when it comes to Rubinstein tributes. With regards to future programs, Mr. Arriola might consider performing this work alongside full renditions of works that Rubinstein adored.

 

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by Anthony Aibel  for New York Concert Review; New York, NY
Şahan Arzruni, Pianist in Review

Şahan Arzruni, Pianist in Review

Şahan Arzruni, Pianist in Review
The Fund for Armenian Relief Presents: Together for Armenia
A Benefit Concert for the Vanadzor Old Age Home
Şahan Arzruni, Piano, with Adam Rosenblatt, Percussion, and Simon Hagopian-Rogers, Violin
Merkin Concert Hall at the Kaufman Music Center, New York, NY
April 5, 2016

 

Those who say all piano recitals are alike these days have certainly not heard Şahan Arzruni, at least not his most recent New York recital to benefit a senior’s home in Armenia. One would be hard pressed to find duplication of such an evening anywhere – from the unusual Armenian repertoire to the scholarly, often humorous, commentary which made the evening almost more lecture-recital than recital.

Mr. Arzruni is a passionate Armenian pianist who has dedicated much of his extensive concertizing to promoting cultural awareness of Armenian music and benefitting Armenian charities. He is a persuasive advocate, and one left the hall marveling that this body of repertoire has remained still so largely untapped.

The concert opened with a short piece by Arno Babadjanian (1921-1983), the composer’s doleful Elegy (after Sayat Nova), inspired in 1978 by grief over the death of Armenian composer, Aram Khachaturian. It is an accessible, heart-on-sleeve piece, with some of its brooding harmonies reminiscent of Tango composer Astor Piazzolla (and if that seems a stretch from Armenia to Argentina, it isn’t – Babadjanian did actually compose a beautiful Tango himself and the two musical traditions have had interesting cross-pollination).

The next work was a set entitled Yenovk (in honor of the artist Yenovk der Hagopian) by Alan Hovhaness (1911-2000). Hovhaness was known as an eclectic American composer who delighted in many cultures, but he particularly treasured his Armenian heritage on his father’s side. He was extremely prolific, so maybe it shouldn’t be surprising that we still have not exhausted possible premieres of his works sixteen years after his death, but it was still exciting to hear Mr. Arzruni, who also performed the World Premiere of Yenovk in California in this complete version, now giving the set its New York Premiere. The six movements opened with a Fantasy, rather mesmerizing as a chant projected through repeated notes, and followed with Canzona I, Jhala, Canzona II, Ballata, and Fugue. The set combined folk elements of drone basses, stark unaccompanied solo lines, tremolando effects, and dervish-like frenzies that transported one to an exotic terrain far from Manhattan. Occasionally the journey was interrupted by what seemed some unevenness in the hall piano (which does become a distracting problem with all the balalaika-type repeated notes), but Mr. Arzruni held it all together with impressive command and passionate commitment.

Also by Hovhaness were the Five Invocations to Vahakn (New York Premiere) with Mr. Arzruni joined by percussionist Adam Rosenblatt, who played drums, gongs, cymbals, a thunder sheet, and a conch shell (a fittingly noisy assemblage for Vahakn, god of fire and war). Mr. Arzruni elicited laughter as he gestured to the instruments asking, “what is that?” – an assortment to wake up the most jaded audience – but all comedy aside, these were colorful and dramatic pieces.

Even more remarkable chronologically than the Hovhaness premieres was the World Premiere of music by Kristapor Kara-Mourza (1853-1902), his Potpourri on Armenian Songs (1872). Valuable from a musicological perspective perhaps more than musical, this work of Kara-Mourza was some of the first Armenian music notated for piano. True to a disclaimer by Mr. Arzruni that it is “a piece of kitsch,” it was replete with “urban folk” tunes of an adulterated sort. The medley was nonetheless fascinating in the context of the rest of the program, an important piece of the historic picture.

After Intermission came music by a far more famous Armenian composer, Aram Khachaturian (1903-1978). His Chant-Poème was given a beautiful performance by eleven-year-old violinist Simon Hagopian-Rogers, accompanied by Mr. Arzruni at the piano. One expects prodigies today to dazzle with technical facility, but what was impressive here was the young performer’s grasp of the rhapsodic feeling of the piece. Already performing internationally, this violinist will certainly be a young artist to watch.

With a child performer, exotic instruments, and some comedic touches thrown in, Mr. Arzruni was ready for even the most attention-deficit audience – and yet they were all just the right counterbalance to his serious and detailed scholarship. Exemplifying that scholarship, and of greatest weight on the program, were Khachaturian’s Recitatives and Fugues (World Premiere as a complete set). In 1968 Khachaturian added recitatives to seven fugues he had composed in his younger days and had rediscovered decades later. Similar in format to Preludes and Fugues by any number of composers, the resulting set is a valuable addition to Khatchaturian’s body of piano works. At twenty-five minutes in duration and rather cerebral listening at times, they demand much from an audience, but one couldn’t help observing that Mr. Arzruni had drawn a particularly attentive audience. The pieces reflected some influence of Shostakovich (especially in the giocoso sections, as in number 3), some of Bach (naturally), and even of Rachmaninoff (more in the Recitative sections, especially in number 2), but these works stand on their own and warrant further playing. Mr. Arzruni is to be congratulated for pulling off this very demanding achievement.

To cap off the program Mr. Arzruni fittingly presented Armenian Dances by Komitas (1869-1935), often regarded as the father of Armenian music. These are what Mr. Arzruni called “re-creations” (not compositions exactly, but not arrangements), and they included Yeranki (from Yerevan), Hed ou Arach (from Garin), and Shoror (from Moush). They closed the program with an affirmation of Armenian music’s roots, eliciting an encore of the Nocturne in E-flat, Op. 9, No. 2 by Chopin, an honorary Armenian for the evening. A grateful audience will surely return for more.

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by Rorianne Schrade  for New York Concert Review; New York, NY
Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) presents The Music of Christopher Tin in Review

Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) presents The Music of Christopher Tin in Review

Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) presents The Music of Christopher Tin
Jonathan Griffith, DCINY Artistic Director and Principal Conductor
Distinguished Concerts Orchestra; Distinguished Concerts Singers International
Sydney Guillaume, composer/conductor
Christopher Tin, composer-in-residence
David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center, New York, NY
April 3, 2016

 

Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) is well known for their large-scale concerts, which they consistently deliver with the utmost skill. Every last detail is meticulously planned and executed in a way that can be an example for any organization. Even so, they still offer several “blockbuster” concerts each year. By my reckoning, there have been two concerts yearly that consistently merit that designation, the annual Music of Karl Jenkins, and the holiday Messiah…Refreshed! It is time to change that number to three, and the honor is accorded to the concert dedicated to the music of Christopher Tin. For the third time, DCINY programmed the music of Mr. Tin in concert, with the Grammy Award winning Calling All Dawns as the featured work. As if that were not enough, a World Premiere of the overture from Flocks a Mile Wide   (a work that Mr. Tin is presently at work on), and works from the pen of choral composer Sydney Guillaume were also in the mix. In the spirit of Rassemblons-Nous, a movement from Calling All Dawns, singers from California, Indiana, Vermont, Washington, Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, and “individual singers from around the globe” answered the call, in what was to be a memorable afternoon of music.

For the first time, a DCINY concert was broadcast on the Internet via live stream. This is an exciting new step in reaching out to capture more listeners, and I am hoping it is the first in many more broadcasts. Those who were not in attendance (and those who were) can see and hear this concert through the courtesy of DCINY by visiting their page on Facebook – Watch the Concert.

The first half featured the music of Sydney Guillaume, who was on hand to conduct as well. He offered five works, all written in Haitian Creole, reflecting his proud heritage. Mr. Guillaume is a skilled composer, whose works are filled with spirituality and passion. This was especially evident in the first two selections, the powerful Lesklavaj (Slavery), with the plaintive chant of a tenor soloist amidst the steady strength of the chorus behind him, and the equally powerful Dominus Vobiscum (The Lord be with you).

Mr. Guillaume spoke to the audience about Por Toi, Mère, a work he wrote as a college student after learning of his mother’s cancer diagnosis. He spoke of her remission for a period of ten years, but also that the cancer has now returned, and how she was being treated with chemotherapy and was not well enough to attend this concert. He dedicated this performance to her. I hope she can see the recorded concert – she would be so proud of her son. It is a beautiful work, and it was a beautiful performance.

Kanaval (Carnival) and Tchaka (A stew) were energy packed celebrations, filled with clapping, dancing, and joy. Morgan Zwerlein, Haitian drummer, added even more flavor. It was a happy ending to the half.

After intermission, conductor Jonathan Griffith and Mr. Tim took the stage for an impromptu conversation. Mr. Tin spoke about his in-progress work, Flocks a Mile Wide. Mr. Tin’s works are known for having a unifying theme, and for this work it is about birds, specifically the extinction of bird species. Mr. Griffith informed the audience that a free download of this piece will be available. Click here to get your copy- Free Download. Mr. Tin hopefully is hard at work, as Maestro Griffith has already made mention of a 2018 premiere of Flocks a Mile Wide.

After this brief chat, a representative from Guinness Book came to the stage and presented Mr. Tin of a Guinness World Record title for the first video game music theme to win a Grammy award. This was not the end of the fun, as Maestro Griffith informed the audience that Mr. Tin’s 40th birthday is in May, but that the celebrations for 40th birthdays can be all year long, so with that in mind, he led the orchestra as the chorus and the audience serenaded Mr. Tin with a rousing “Happy Birthday”. Mr. Tin was given a giant-sized birthday card signed by hundred of admirers. Not a bad day at all!

Oh yes, there was still the second half as well. The World Premiere of Flocks a Mile Wide is filled with poignant lyricism. I have mentioned before that Mr. Tin is highly gifted as a melodist, so this comes as no surprise at all. I look forward to hearing the full work.

I have written about the specifics of Calling All Dawns in past reviews, so I leave it to the reader to reference that material by following this link- Calling All Dawns 2013. I know that work well, so I was in the rather infrequent position of “turning the meter off,” so to speak, and sit back and enjoy without having to make notes or other “critic” things. I was very pleased to see that the “’A’ team” was on board – the same core soloists, who can always be counted on to deliver impassioned performances. They are Jacqueline Horner-Kwiatek (mezzo-soprano), Saum Eskandani (tenor), Nominjin (Mongolian singer), Taniya Panda (Indian classical vocalist), Nathalie (Fadista, who evidently is no longer using her last name Pires professionally), Roopa Mahadevan, Shobana Ram, Shiv Subramaniam (Indian classical vocalists), and Jerome Kavanagh (Maori chanter). They were all top-notch (with special kudos to Saum Eskandani, whose supercharged Rassemblons-Nous had the audience cheering for him even after the next movement had begun).

What I find compelling about Calling All Dawns is that each time I hear it, I discover something new, and this deepens my appreciation for this work. I would highly recommend the listener to read the texts of each movement, as it is easy to overlook how carefully chosen and apt they are – Program notes .

I will take the risk of sounding like a broken record when I state that Jonathan Griffith showed his mastery for the nth time. The orchestra was razor-sharp, and the chorus well prepared, with good diction, no mean feat given the many languages used. It was forty-five minutes of superior music making. Watch the video and you will agree!

The audience was caught up in the record book excitement and vied for inclusion into the Guinness Book by offering the loudest and longest standing ovation this reviewer has heard. I hope the Guinness representative took note!

For today’s social media savvy world, I offer this contribution- #TinFTW. Spread the word, tweeters!

 

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by Jeffrey Williams  for New York Concert Review; New York, NY
Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) presents An Evening with Junior Chamber Music in Review

Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) presents An Evening with Junior Chamber Music in Review

Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) presents An Evening with Junior Chamber Music
Susan Boettger, executive director
Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY
Thursday, March 31, 2016

 

If Thursday’s concert of high-school age chamber musicians is any indication, the state of classical chamber music is very healthy in Southern California (and, I hope, elsewhere!). A large array of dedicated students, all excellently coached, performed a wide variety of repertoire with skill ranging from good to very good to “wow.”

For me, the two “wow” moments occurred in the last two works on the program. First, an astonishingly mature string quartet who performed the first movement of Grieg’s rarely heard String Quartet in G minor, Op. 27. The players (Jason Corbin, Alisa Luera, David Noble, and Jonathan Kim) created a fierce, plush, ensemble sound that would be the envy of many a mature professional group; they breathed and phrased perfectly together; and they managed to make Grieg’s somewhat rambling structure sound inevitable and musically coherent and compelling.

The other “wow” moment was provided by a piano four-hand team (incorrectly listed as two-piano in the program) playing the duet transcription of Ravel’s La Valse made by Ravel’s friend Lucien Garban. This team (Nicholas Mendez and Yoko Rosenbaum) played with all the flair and assurance of a professional piano duo, fabulously unified. Their comprehension of this difficult score was superb; the only quality lacking was a bit more freedom, Viennese upbeat, lilt, and charm. Nevertheless, a definite “wow.”

Other highlights included: a fleet, precise rendition of the final movement of Beethoven’s First Piano Trio; cellist William Ellzey’s excellent communication skill in the first movement of Brahms’ Trio for Clarinet, Cello and Piano; Martinů’s Sonata for Flute, Violin and Piano; the first movement of Schoenfield’s Café Music; Raymond Newell’s cello in the Brahms Second Cello Sonata (although someone should tell him to acknowledge his excellent piano partner during the bows!).

Sometimes the age of the participants showed in a lack of either musical maturity or a partial misunderstanding of or inability to inhabit fully the emotional message of the selected repertoire. However, the fact that they are playing such difficult material with technical fluency is in itself a thing to behold (and support).

Mendelssohn’s Second Piano Trio excerpt was slightly mechanical; the Ravel Piano Trio excerpt was marred by a lack of depth and flexibility, as well as quite a few wrong notes I took to be misreadings (and not due to nerves), and a lack of interpersonal communication; the Shostakovich mad romp (second movement of his Second Piano Trio) was too heavy, which made it sound too slow, and didn’t have the requisite irony/terror.

Please take these evaluations as suggestions, and don’t stop studying and making fine music. I wish I had had these opportunities when I was a young student. I salute you all, and your fine teachers, coaches, and schools.

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by Frank Daykin  for New York Concert Review; New York, NY
Lee Walter Associates presents John Hersey High School in Review

Lee Walter Associates presents John Hersey High School in Review

John Hersey High School Symphonic Orchestra, Choral Ensembles, and Symphonic Bands
Sara Michael, choral conductor; Thomas Beckwith, Concert Band conductor
Scott Casagrande; Symphonic Band conductor; Joshua Stewart; Symphonic Orchestra conductor
Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall, New York
April 1, 2016

 

Music is alive and well in the Land of Lincoln. For the second time in two weeks, a concert featuring the talents of high school students from the state of Illinois took place on the main stage of Carnegie Hall. The collective programs (choir, band, orchestra) from John Hersey High School had the honors on this date. Interested readers can refer to the prior week’s review for my thoughts about high school music programs- Click here.

Before anything else, I must comment on the duration of this concert, which was (through no fault of the young players) prolonged to the point of becoming exasperating. While I understand the motivation to maximize the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to pack in as much as possible, I was less enchanted with the revolving door of conductors (eight in all), and the four (yes, four!) long pauses for shifting chairs and stands, by which nearly an hour was added to the concert’s total length. Given an 8pm start time, it was well after 11pm before the final assemblage was on the stage to end this concert. Thankfully the hall was filled with family and friends, because otherwise the exodus of departing souls would have been in the hundreds. I would have preferred the sight of empty chairs and stands with a single set-up to allow continuity and flow, rather than all this fussiness.

(For the sake of completeness, the eight conductors, in order of appearance, were Sara Michael, Ollie Watts Davis, Thomas Beckwith, John Casagrande, Scott Casagrande, Stephen Peterson, Joshua Stewart, and Donald Schleicher.)

Now, with that off my chest, it is time to get to the music. The choral group led off with Randol Bass’ Gloria. Complete with brass choir and percussion, it is a work that showcases the talents of younger and developing performers. Good balance with smart brass playing (reviewer’s note: Thank you for tuning to Bb!) made for an excellent start to the night. No Time (arranged by Susan Brumfield) and Robert’s A. Boyd’s Blessing were both done with sensitivity. The high point was Rest, by V. Michael McKay. With the soaring voice of soprano soloist Ollie Watts Davis (who also conducted), it was a journey of gospel styles that in the words of Dr. Davis, “promises relief and release from besetting conditions that affect soul, body, and spirit.”

The Concert Band (the Junior Varsity to the Varsity Symphonic Band) showed how deep the layers of talent are at John Hersey. A skillful arrangement of Ravel’s Laideronnette, impératrice des pagodes from his Mother Goose Suite (Ma mère l’Oye), by Brian Beck, was played with confidence. My one quibble was that there was a need for slightly more clearly articulated passagework in the woodwinds. Wayne Oquist’s A Solemn Place (a wind arrangement of his vocal work O’ Magnum Mysterium) had remarkable subtlety and depth, and a fun-filled His Honor March by Henry Fillmore ended their selections on a happy note. The Symphonic Band wasted no time in putting their cards on the table with a first-rate performance of Frank Tichelli’s Blue Shades. I could scarcely believe this was a performance by a high school ensemble. These young players made it all seem so easy, but it is assuredly anything but easy! Special kudos to the (uncredited) clarinet soloist. Gershwin’s Catfish Row Scenes from Porgy and Bess, with Dr. Davis returning to the stage as soprano soloist, was another example of how accomplished these young players are. I have heard many young ensembles, but this one was among the very best without a doubt.

I was puzzled by the Chamber Orchestra’s offering of the first two movements of Dmitri Shostakovich’s String Quartet No. 8 in C minor, Op. 110. It came off as some sort of “sampling” (i.e. The DSCH motif and some quotes from earlier works). As there is a complete version for chamber orchestra, it would be preferable to do all five movements or none at all. In any case, one must admit that it was very well played.

The Symphonic Orchestra offered three works – a polished and moving rendition of The Awakening (with the choir) by Joseph Martin, a spirited first movement of Haydn’s Symphony No. 104 (“London”), and a fiercely passionate Carmen Suite No. 1 from Georges Bizet. The latter brought the audience to their feet in a long and loud standing ovation. Howard Hanson’s Song of Democracy, with members of every group filling the stage, ended the long night in triumph. The players and conductors should all be proud, as John Hersey High School has an excellent music program that could be the envy of many schools around the country. Congratulations to all.

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by Jeffrey Williams  for New York Concert Review; New York, NY
Rolling Meadows High School Music Department presents Music from the Land of Lincoln in Review

Rolling Meadows High School Music Department presents Music from the Land of Lincoln in Review

Rolling Meadows High School Music Department in association with Bob Rogers Travel
Rolling Meadows High School Bands, Choirs, and Orchestra
Christopher Butti, Band director; Caitlyn Walsh, Choir director; Patrick Sullen, piano; Kevin Carroll, Orchestra director
Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall. New York, NY
March 24, 2016

 

It is no secret to any regular reader of this journal that this reviewer has a particular interest in band performances (“wind ensemble” if you prefer), especially those with young players. On March 24, 2016, at Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall, the Rolling Meadows High School Music Department (Band, Orchestra, Choir) from Illinois was on hand to showcase their talents. Watching the young people file onto stage transported me back to those long ago days when I was a youngster, myself, getting ready for concerts. I was especially taken by the sight of one wide-eyed young lady walking out with her hand covering her mouth as if saying to herself, “I’m on the stage of Carnegie Hall!”

A concert with high school players presents a number of challenges to a reviewer – does one adopt a “one size fits all” standard, or does one make allowances for the age and experience level of these performers? It is my belief that constructive criticism, tempered with regard to age, is what is appropriate. I have the utmost respect for high school music directors and the challenges they face, such as the vast range of abilities of the players, the difficulty in maintaining a solid foundation of players when the personnel is constantly changing, too many/too few of particular instruments, finding music that is level appropriate yet sounds sophisticated, and trying to maintain “law and order” with a large number of teens. On the other hand, this does not mean that a wholesale “free pass” is being issued. Intonation, balance, and precise articulation are non-negotiable items.

Leading off was the band, directed by Christopher Butti. I was immediately intrigued by the multi-note tuning (first A, then F), something I have not encountered before. That being said, it has always been my belief that tuning for junior high/high school bands should center on Bb instead, as using A (a notoriously sharp note for Bb Trumpets) has a tendency to bring the overall pitch toward the flat side later. I was curious to see how this was going to work out (or not) in practice.

Let’s get the criticisms out of the way first. The set-up of the instruments was at odds with the acoustics of the hall, which made the percussion section sound much too loud (through no fault of the percussionists), which also “muddied” up some of the rapid passages. Intonation issues occurred throughout, some jarringly severe. There were numerous missed and cracked notes in solo passages. Of course one can factor nerves into the equation, but this is an issue very common with younger players, who mistakenly approach some notes from the bottom up instead of aiming slightly above (which allows the player to “slide down” if necessary, while trying to “pull up” almost always causes cracks or just plain missing of the note).

Now, let’s get on to the many good things. There was much to praise in the overall ensemble playing – the balance (making allowances for the acoustics) was nicely done, individual players showed a lot of talent and promise, and Mr. Butti is to be commended for choosing works that were of a level that was right for his ensemble, and which showed them to the best advantage. I’ve heard too many young groups “crash and burn” on Grade 5 works, when there are so many terrific Grade 4 works that they could really shine in.

The band offered four selections. Phillip Sparke’s Merry-Go-Round is aptly called a mini “Concerto for Band,” with the melody making its way around the instruments. Other than the acoustical issue, it was a playfully fun opener. Selections from John Williams’ Lincoln was given a solid reading. The highlight of their selections was Elements by Brian Balmages. Subtitled Petite Symphony, this four-movement piece (Air, Water, Earth, Fire) is a highly-effective Grade 4 work that these young players put their collective all into, and it showed in a wonderful performance. They ended with a medley of hymns from the five branches of the Armed Forces that earned them a nice ovation.

The choir followed, led by a very animated Caitlyn Walsh. Ms. Walsh had prepared her choir well in what were well-conceived and tight performances. The joy of the South African hymn Siyahamba was clear, and the “spoken chorus” work, Geographical Fugue by Ernst Toch, was well done (though simply a “diversion” according to the composer). The touching Susan Brumfield arrangement of No Time and Joseph Martin’s The Awakening were excellent. Well done, Ms. Walsh and Choir!

After intermission, the orchestra took to the stage, led by Kevin Carroll. Mr. Carroll addressed the audience, thanking them on behalf of himself and his colleagues for their support in making this concert in a “hallowed ground of music” possible. They led off with Aaron Copland’s An Outdoor Overture. Written with young ensembles in mind, this work has all the hallmarks of the Copland style while being within their technical grasp. There were intonation problems in the exposed sections, but the overall effect was good, and the balance issues that vexed me earlier were no longer in evidence (different seating plan!). Percy Grainger’s Irish Tune from County Derry (which most will recognize as “Danny Boy” or Londonderry Air) was wistful, but needed more “lift” from the string players. Selections from the popular musical Chicago followed and was delightful, with the raunchy growls of the trumpets and jazzy elements coming through with panache.

The combined forces joined together for the World Premiere of Fanfare and Fantasia on Illinois, commissioned by and written especially for Rolling Meadows High School, by Don Owens. With quotes from the Illinois State song, the Rolling Meadows High School alma mater song, and other Illinois related themes, it is an effective work that should figure highly in concerts for years to come from Rolling Meadows. The audience filled with family and friends gave their “stars” a standing ovation, a fitting end to a night that these young people will cherish for a lifetime.

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by Jeffrey Williams  for New York Concert Review; New York, NY
Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) presents Vocal Colors in Review

Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) presents Vocal Colors in Review

Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) presents Vocal Colors
The Music of Ivo Antognini
Ivo Antognini, visiting composer
Distinguished Concerts Singers International from Lee’s Summit High School Concert Choir and Kearney Chamber Choir (Missouri), Jerry McCoy, director
Khorikos, Alec Galambos, assistant director
Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center, New York
March 22, 2016

 

Khorikos, are you listening? I don’t mean to each other, I mean to me . . . I’m a huge fan! Previous to this concert, I had not known of your work. You had me at “Christ,” the first word of the first selection, Bach’s chorale Christ ist erstanden, BWV 276. What ecstatic excellence poured out of this small group, which stood in a humble semicircle of two rows, in front of the risers. They sang selections from six centuries of a cappella music, in six different languages, with such purity and passion. I can’t recall the last time I attended a vocal event this good—and I’ve been swimming in a spring season full of choral concerts, all of which have had their “moments.”

Ranging from the Renaissance to the twenty-first century, their repertoire is perfectly rendered at all times. There is an interesting nuance they do a lot, consisting of a note (or chord) that “travels,” what I mean by that is, it doesn’t hold still on a white, pure sound, but a sort of urgent crescendo is placed on it, which varies according to the needs of the composer, text, and/or phrase. It could have become mannered, but was deployed with such musical wisdom that I now wonder why all choirs don’t do this.

The Rautavaara Avuksihuutopsalmi had a wonderful choral glissando (in an upward direction) that occurred in each verse. If you’ve never sung in a choir, you have no idea how difficult that is to execute with everyone landing on the desired chord in tune.

The two Italian works (Monteverdi and Gesualdo madrigals) were stunning. They were followed by American composer Samuel Barber’s rarely heard Three Reincarnations, the first and third of which were conducted by an uncredited man other than Mr. Galambos. The third, The Coolin, was particularly moving. Guillermo Martínez’s No llora, paloma mia was a tour de force, with discreet narration and all manner of vocal effects. Khorikos closed with a lively number (unusual for Arvo Pärt), and the audience leapt to its feet.

After intermission, two high school choirs from Missouri took to the risers, and were conducted by the excellent Jerry McCoy. They sang music of only one composer: the Swiss Ivo Antognini, who writes in a conservative idiom, but with high-quality, spiking his choral music with juicy clusters and smudges of tone and usually resolving everything by the final chord. In fact, my only (minor) suggestion to Mr. Antognini would be to vary his endings a bit more. I’d love to hear something “less” triadic as an ending, maybe more dissonant, more questioning . . .

The selections were mainly sacred, with five in Latin and two in English. His Ubi caritas, a classic medieval text that has been set notably by Maurice Duruflé and Paul Mealor, was stunning. Mr. McCoy delivered a verbal program note that it was dedicated to the “people in Belgium” in light of the previous day’s attack.

Throughout each work, the choir performed so well, it would have been the envy of many a professional group. Every nuance was audible, and the dynamic range was well-varied and large; so often massed-choirs fall victim to a generic loudness.

The Victorian-era paean to self-reliance and perseverance Invictus, which is hard for me to stomach as a poem, but did offer comfort to Nelson Mandela during his long years of imprisonment, was actually very convincing in Mr. Antognini’s setting. Perhaps I need to re-examine the poem!

The group closed with Canticum Novum (Sing unto the Lord a new song, Psalm 98), with energy, excitement and beauty. What a gift DCINY gave us on Tuesday night!

 

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by Frank Daykin  for New York Concert Review; New York, NY
Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) presents Sounds of a New Generation in Review

Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) presents Sounds of a New Generation in Review

Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) presents Sounds of a New Generation-An Evening with James Martin High School, Arlington, TX
Martin High School Chorale, Kay Owens, Director; Martin Wind Symphony, Brad McCann, Director; Martin High School Symphony Orchestra, Michael Stringer, Director
Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY
March 21, 2016

Maybe everything really is bigger in Texas, including the hearts of high-school musicians and their music educators. Such a fine evening of choral, band, and orchestral music was presented on Monday, March 21, and it was supported throughout by loud acclamation from parents, friends, and co-students that filled Carnegie Hall in what will certainly remain a vivid memory for their whole lives.

The concert began with the Martin High School Chorale, under the expert leadership of Kay Owens, a thirty-three year veteran of choral music. Brent Pierce’s Hosanna in Excelsis provided the perfect opening, energetic and glamorous, but with nuance, announcing the credentials of the group.

Other highlights were: By the Waters of Babylon by Edwin Fissinger, the moving text involved whispering, which imparted a mysterious quality to the whole. Dúlamán by Michael McGlynn followed, using only the male voices. It is an Irish seaweed-gathering chanty from the potato-famine era. Then the female voices had their turn with Hope Is . . . by Randy Jordan, its Emily Dickinson poem sensitively rendered. By the way, the choral diction was crystal clear all evening, no small accomplishment.

This part of the program closed with the inspirational It Takes a Village by Joan Szymko, with a small ensemble of boys taken from the choir to solo, and also using a few traditional African percussion instruments.

After DCINY’s famous “brief pause,” the Martin High School Wind Symphony, conducted by Brad McCann, tackled one of the pillars of the repertoire: Hindemith’s Symphonic Metamorphosis on Themes by Carl Maria von Weber. Although from where I was seated the first section (Allegro) was a bit cloudy in texture, I didn’t know whether to blame Hindemith or the young players. However, the second and fourth movements were absolutely crisp and exciting, and the somber third movement was also very good.

After intermission, the Martin High School Symphony Orchestra appeared, although it wasn’t conducted by its billed music director until the third selection. First, an uncredited woman led the group in Dvořák’s well-known Carnival Overture. I did feel it was played too fast for clarity in the hall’s acoustic, but the second theme area showed astonishing maturity in the phrasing of the strings and the overall burnished tone one usually finds only in professional adult groups. The quiet central section, scored more like chamber music, gave ample opportunity for solo wind players to shine.

A different woman then took the stage and led the orchestra in a string rendition of Puccini’s pop-iconic aria for tenor, Nessun dorma, from his opera Turandot. Yes, I know Aretha Franklin sang it at the Grammys one year, but this prospect of an aria shorn of its words I was not looking forward to. However, once again, those strings showed a great maturity and passion in what they were given to work with, although one missed the squillo of a fine Italian tenor (and the expansion of the tempo) for the “Vincerò!” exultant cries at the end.

Finally, Michael Stringer came out to direct the Finale from Rachmaninoff’s ill-fated and not often performed Symphony No. 1 in D minor, Op. 13. This work caused such consternation in Rachmaninoff’s teachers and peers that it almost caused him a complete nervous breakdown, and did lead to a several-year hiatus from composing. The orchestra played the difficult passages and abrupt transitions with which this music abounds with rhythmic clarity. Even their enthusiasm couldn’t help it totally though, and I found myself at times agreeing with Glazunov that it was incoherent. But let me add that’s not the fault of Martin High, who delivered completely appropriate high-wattage bombast.

James Meaders, conductor and now associate director of DCINY then led the group, plus full choir in two movements (The Spheres [Kyrie] and Sunrise [Gloria]) of Ola Gjeilo’s Sunrise Mass, the second time I’ve heard this work in less than one month. This must be Mr. Gjeilo’s “moment,” and it’s a good thing. As I sat listening to music that was now familiar to me, I couldn’t help but marveling: was I really hearing a better performance than the one earlier in the month by adult choirs and a professional orchestra? By golly, I was! The choral singing was superb, and the blend of orchestra and choir was perfect. Dynamic shadings were stunning, and the whole enterprise held up the promise of mystical involvement not only with religion, but with all of nature.

A final, sort of “built-in” encore was the Gloria by Randol Alan Bass, which despite committed playing and singing sounded rather trite after the glories of the Gjeilo.

The concert was dedicated to the memory of Taylor Renee Helland, a 19-year-old cancer patient (and 2014 graduate of Martin High), who just passed away in February. Her mantra was “choose joy” and that’s what the musicians did. What a beautiful tribute for her friends to make music with such youthful passion. Thank you, Martin High.

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by Frank Daykin  for New York Concert Review; New York, NY
Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) presents Total Vocal in Review

Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) presents Total Vocal in Review

Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) presents Total Vocal
Deke Sharon, conductor and host
Chrissie Fit and Hannah Juliano, guest soloists
Andrew Fitzpatrick, guest vocal percussionist
The Filharmonic, Vocalosity, Highlands Voices, Stay Tuned, featured choirs
Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY
March 20, 2016

The second installment of Total Vocal made its energetic appearance on Sunday, March 20 at Carnegie Hall. Deke Sharon, the affable leader of this enterprise, is the pre-eminent arranger, conductor, and promoter of contemporary a cappella choir singing in this country. All but one of the arrangements belonged to Mr. Sharon. His skill is as boundless as his youthful energy, bouncing on stage in his sneakers: he seems as young as the high school kids he works with. Capitalizing on the success of The Sing-Off, the Pitch Perfect movies, and even Glee, the growth of these groups nation- (and world-) wide has been explosive: from 200 when Mr. Sharon began (twenty years ago), to over 3000 today.

The program fell into two parts: that prior to intermission featured a younger-age massed choir made of groups from all over the country and Canada. Their music was, one might say, relentlessly cheerful, with a certain sameness to a lot of it, perhaps a limitation of their age. But their enthusiasm knew no limits whatsoever, and the high-energy was electric. Their bodies were wonderfully free, moving along with all the music, even when they weren’t singing. A slight flaw to me was that the amplification of the female soloists made a lot of them sound alike. A group of 11- to 16-year olds called Chamber Bravura did a fine rendition of “Mercy.” The all-female “Key of She” group was very moving in “True Colors.” The song “Try,” with the excellent Chrissie Fit and the Highlands Voices and Stay Tuned groups, finally revealed some adolescent angst about the dangers of selling out just to fit in and be liked.

After intermission, the massed choir shifted its demographic slightly older, to include young adults and professionals. Choirs from Google (Googapella), Facebook (The Vocal Network), and Twitter (Songbirds) played key roles, with Mr. Sharon remarking that there is in fact time (even for the workaholics of Silicon Valley) to make music. A marvelous summation of the history of a cappella music (another Sharon arrangement) took place disguised as a medley of Beatles songs. Hannah Juliano was the super-strong soloist in Adele’s first hit “Chasing Pavements”: her proud mother (in the audience) was also an a cappella choir singer, back when Deke Sharon was just starting out.

The “tech” groups mentioned above scored a timely message with their version of “Video Killed the Radio Star,” which was updated to the “Internet,” and featured the choir members taking the unavoidable selfies of each other while singing.

Not to be forgotten: the amazing “vocal percussion” (commonly called beat-boxing) of Andrew Fitzpatrick, also known as 80Fitz. There would seem to be no sound he can’t make with this mouth, lips, and throat. Truly, a one-man orchestra. This carried over into many of the arrangements as well, lest one think that in a choir it’s all “just singing,” they utilize any sound that can be made without instruments other than the human voice.

Although Mr. Sharon called the song “Close to You” and the Carpenters “cheesy,” I’d remind him that it was Bacharach/David who wrote it; and the velvet-voiced (but tragic) Karen Carpenter wasn’t cheesy. The female side of the choir sang it with beautiful sensitivity, and Mr. Sharon dedicated the performance to his wife, who couldn’t attend.

Mr. Sharon himself soloed in front of his well-trained group (who had only worked with him for two days prior to the concert) in a deep-jazz, complex arrangement of one of Sinatra’s biggest hits, Jimmy Van Heusen’s “Come Fly with Me.”

Another sensation, the all-Filipino male group The Filharmonic sang “Flashlight” with flair, showing why they did so well in the Sing-Off. That was followed by the male side of the choir rendering John Legend’s (formerly John Stephens) “All of Me.”

For a stomping conclusion, Sharon led the choir AND audience in Lionel Richie’s “All Night Long,” with choir members from the first half coming down all the aisles and leading everyone. A built-in encore was the audience’s rendition of “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.”

It is so good to see young people engaging their musical and emotional skills in this way. Keep it up, America, and Mr. Sharon: Bravo!

 

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by Frank Daykin  for New York Concert Review; New York, NY