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Transcendental Taverner: Clarion at the Met in Review

Transcendental Taverner: Clarion at the Met

The Clarion Choir, Steven Fox, Artistic Director

Medieval Sculpture Hall, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York NY

April 29, 2016

As part of the MetLiveArts series of performances, a most amazing evening of music took place last Friday. Entitled “Transcendental Taverner,” it truly lived up to its name in what was one of the most mesmerizing a cappella concerts this reviewer has ever heard.

Founded ten years ago by the young but precociously well-credentialed conductor Steven Fox, the Clarion Choir began as a complement to the Clarion Orchestra, a period instrument ensemble also directed by Maestro Fox. The Clarion Choir, open to a wide range of musical eras beyond the Renaissance and Baroque periods, has performed works by Rachmaninoff and Mozart, as well as works from earlier periods; it seemed, however, ideally suited to the beautiful translucent counterpoint of English composer John Taverner (c. 1490-1545). Also ideal was the setting in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Medieval Sculpture Hall, with stone and marble architecture that allowed the reverberating voices to soar magnificently.

Steven Fox , Photo credit: Kim Fox

The entire program (except for a finale of John Sheppard’s Communio: In Pace) was devoted to Taverner’s Missa Gloria Tibi Trinitas, a mass with central setting of the Latin Easter text, Dum Transisset describing the discovery of the empty sepulchre of Jesus Christ. It is a sublime work, with vocal writing that captures the spiritual transcendence of the subject matter through its movingly melismatic lines. The purity and balance of Clarion’s perfectly selected voices was simply breathtaking. If anyone could be unmoved by such a masterpiece, whatever one’s religious persuasion might be, he should have his pulse checked.

The driving force, of course, was Maestro Fox, who directed with visible passion and energy. One would be hard pressed to find a conductor with more commitment to his repertoire or connection to each note from his choir. The results spoke for themselves.

At times Maestro Fox’s extreme physicality contrasted with the serenity of the melodic lines – almost distractingly – but then again, one is always free to close one’s eyes and drift into the stratosphere with the vocal lines. The fact is that, without the constant and pulsating rhythmic underpinning that the conductor projected, the urge for each line to soar at its own self-indulgent rate could be overpowering to a group already swimming in reverberations, a potential threat to the togetherness of the ensemble. Maestro Fox held the counterpoint together masterfully, with the long-breathed lines still projecting gloriously. His awareness of the special acoustics was clear, and his pacing between movements was accordingly sensitive and generous.

The choir had clearly been prepared well in matters of intonation and balance. Several soloists also were simply phenomenal, but without individual attribution on the program one sadly cannot identify their respective highlights in order to credit them. We know that amid eighteen singers (who shifted places at times), the soloists were Sarah Brailey, Molly Netter, and Sherezade Pantheki, sopranos; Marc Day, Andrew Fuchs, and Timothy Hodges, Tenors; and bass, Craig Philips. All were excellent, with the sopranos standing out as particularly stellar.

One minor reservation arises, which is that, while the diction seemed fine among the choir as a whole, given the extremely reverberant acoustics (and the Latin text), the lay audience member may have not been able to follow exactly where he was in the mass without clearer listings in the program booklet (the Offertorium having been switched to be after the Benedictus, according to the notes but not in the program proper). It seems nitpicky, because one could simply enjoy, as did the ticketless museumgoers who drifted along the periphery of the hall to the ambient magic; the ticket price for the actual seated audience though, comes with a presumption of more than average interest in understanding or experiencing each moment to the fullest, rather than simply being steeped in the sounds, glorious though they were.

Minor program quibbles aside, the Clarion Choir’s performance was music-making by an ensemble of the highest echelon. Of special note will be their imminent release on the Naxos label of the recently discovered Passion Week by Maximilian Steinberg, a fascinating work, which they will surely perform to the hilt.

by Rorianne Schrade for New York Concert Review; New York, NY

From the Midwest to Midtown: The Ann Arbor Pioneer High School Bands and the Edmond North High School Band in Review

Bob Rogers Travel presents The Ann Arbor Pioneer High School Bands (MI) and the Edmond North High School Band (OK)

David Leach, conductor; Brian Cook, conductor

Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY

April 28, 2016

We have often heard that the state of school music programs throughout the nation is in a sad state of affairs. Budget cuts, fewer students participating, and the shifting focus of schools on test scores are among the many reasons given. Evidently, the music programs in Ann Arbor Pioneer High School and Edmond North High School did not get the memo. These schools were on hand at Carnegie Hall on April 28, 2016 to showcase their talents, the Edmund North High School with their band led by Brian Cook, and the Ann Arbor Pioneer High School with three bands – the Wind Ensemble, the Concert Band, and the Symphony Band – all led by David A. Leach. Both schools sport impressive lists of awards and credentials. Mr. Leach and Mr. Cook are to be congratulated for their building of these school’s music programs into what they are today.

I have written often that I am a big fan of “band” music, and especially the younger players, so I was looking forward to this concert. Lest anyone think that this eternal band geek gives automatic raves, they should consider that I know all the tricks of the trade, that I cannot be fooled or dazzled by effects. Further, my expectations are higher for this very reason.

If I did not know any better, I would think that my earlier reviews of band concerts had been studied. Every one of my suggestions/gripes was accounted for:

Balanced instrumentation- i.e. no instrument(s) over-represented in proportion to others – check
Single stage seating set-up for all groups instead of shifting chairs after each group – check
Seating plan that is correct for the hall acoustic – check
Tuning including concert pitch B-flat for brass instruments – check

Of course, as much as I would like to take credit for all this, it is all in the playbook of the top-drawer directors that Mr. Leach and Mr. Cook are.

The members of the Ann Arbor Pioneer High School Wind Ensemble took to the stage to open the night. I watched the young players heading toward their seats, filing past a small metal trashcan festooned with stickers. I was wondering if there was some symbolic meaning to this, but that I figured would be cleared up at some point in the evening. They offered a single work, Paul Hindemith’s Symphonic Metamorphosis of Themes by Carl Maria von Weber, as transcribed by Hindemith’s Yale colleague, Keith Wilson. Arguably Hindemith’s most popular work, it is a challenge even for the most polished ensembles. The Wind Ensemble played with poise and confidence beyond their years. Other than a few issues, such as a tendency to push/pull in parts, and some very minor intonation problems in some of the more exposed sections, it was a fine start to the evening.

The Pioneer Concert Band was next, and they offered three works. John Mackey’s Xerxes was the first, a five-and-a-half minute march that paints a fine picture of the ruler’s less than stellar qualities. It is angry and nasty, as the program notes state, roaring throughout like a juggernaut – let one remember that Xerxes burnt Athens to the ground. It is an ingenious work (which one could say of almost everything that John Mackey writes) that was played to the hilt! Introduction and Fantasia, by Rex Mitchell followed, a chance for the players to show their skill in playing lush melodic material, with some spirited passagework interwoven throughout. It can be difficult to reign in the adrenaline, especially after the turbocharged testosterone of Xerxes, but it was accomplished with apparent ease. After this, it was time to fire up the engines again. The final work, Samuel R. Hazo’s Ride, is a musical “Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride,” inspired by Mr. Hazo’s hair-raising attempt to follow his mentor and colleague, the legendary Jack Stamp, to Mr. Stamp’s home via some country roads. Mr. Stamp likes to drive fast! It was a thrilling ride for the listener and a fine end to the first half.

After intermission, the Edmond North High School Band took the stage. Their first work, Abram’s Pursuit, by David Holsinger, was led by associate conductor Mitch Hebert. Abram, is of course, Abraham, who the program notes state was “(the) father of the Jewish nation, and a very close friend of God.” With such a close friend, it was no wonder that Abram was able to arm 318 servants to go liberate his kidnapped son Lot, and go Old Testament on a group of baddies including the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah (and that before his good friend took care of business once and for all). The work lived up to the story line, and the playing was equal to the task as well.

Brian Cook took the podium for October, an early work of Eric Whitacre. While known primarily for his vocal works, Whitacre has written a number of pieces for band. October is lush and romantic in the style of Vaughan Williams, but unmistakably Whitacre in the tonal language. The band played with good intonation, which is vital in Whitacre’s works, given the very close harmonies he is so well-known for employing. Just a little slip here or there can ruin the entire effect of the work. There were no such issues here. Another Samuel Hazo work, Arabesque, was the final selection. Filled with the mystical sounds of Middle Eastern music, it was given a sparkling performance. The audience, including members of the Pioneer Bands that had already performed, gave them a standing ovation, a nice gesture that made quite an impression on me.

The Pioneer Symphony Band took the stage to close the concert. Beginning with Paul Dukas’ fiendishly difficult Fanfare from La Peri for brass was crisp, well balanced, and precisely articulated. I’ve heard professional musicians make a mash of this on several occasions, so I was doubly impressed by the maturity of the playing. It was to be a recurring impression, from the charm of Percy Grainger’s Molly on the Shore, to the suave sophistication of Arturo Márquez’s Danzon No. 2 (made popular by Gustavo Dudamel), to the breathtaking beauty of Morten Lauridsen’s O Magnum Mysterium. Without taking anything away from the preceding ensembles, this was playing that truly was a cut above, and at a level I have rarely encountered. The showstopper Asphalt Cocktail, from John Mackey, was the final work. Quoting the composer, “it aims to capture the grit and aggression that I associate with the time I lived in New York.” The Symphony Band blew the roof off the building in a “no holds barred” performance. A member of the percussion section came to the front and picked up that metal trashcan that had been sitting on stage throughout. He held it up in the air for a moment, something I first thought was some sort of inside salute, but then proceeded to smash it down on a piece of wood on the stage over and over until it was dented. I laughed out loud – it was all part of the piece! When the frenzy all ended, the audience erupted into a standing ovation, one that these young players will remember for a lifetime.

One final thought – I have written on these pages on numerous occasions that I encourage the young ensembles to “go for it,” to set aside the “play it safe” mentality that is the product of playing for festival ratings. The quest for “superior” ratings has made many performances technically polished, but with a lack of personality, a homogeneity of sound that becomes stale upon repeated hearings. I am thrilled to report that these ensembles let loose with some of the most refreshingly brash and exciting playing I have heard at this level, or any level for that matter. There was nothing “safe” about it – I wanted to shout, “This is what I’m talking about!” This alone is what took what was an excellent concert into the truly memorable. Congratulations to all!

by Jeffrey Williams for New York Concert Review; New York, NY

The Italian Institute of Culture in New York presents Luisa Sello and Bruno Canino in Review

Luisa Sello, flute

Bruno Canino, piano

Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY

April 18, 2016

Many ensembles who perform the Romantic repertoire–and this program was permeated with it, including a Neo-Romantic work–can often play with such emotion, that precision is overlooked. But this Italian duo plays with both flair and polish. Luisa Sello plays her flute elegantly, with a sonorous low range and a sweet high, without ever being abrasive (unless she’s playing the music of Augusta Read Thomas, but more of that later). She and her pianist, Bruno Canino, chose a varied program that contained some beautiful showpieces on the second half and two serious staples on the first half: the music of Bach and the Neo-Romantic Carl Reinecke. The Bach Sonata in B Minor, BWV 1030 was played with excellent attention to ornaments and the detailed counterpoint at hand. One general quibble: in listening to this performance and other works on the program, I often wished for more defined phrasing of the longer musical line and less emphatic pronouncements of individual notes. Following the Bach was Reinecke’s Undine Sonata, Op. 167, a wonderful work that will always be a favorite of the flute repertoire, despite sounding like Prokofiev at times. The duo’s virtuosity was ever-present and sparkling with energy; there was a lovely mix of extroverted passion and genuine tenderness.

Alfredo Casella’s Barcarola e Scherzo is a charmer–a real delight, and it was played beautifully and with an engaging intensity throughout. Augusta Read Thomas’ Karumi, performed in its world premiere of a new version for solo alto flute, is not a particularly enjoyable piece for an audience at first hearing. It is the type of thorny modernist fare that can grow on you over time, although it is easy to imagine that flutists will have fun playing it because it explores the instrument so fully. Edgy attacks and silences abound, producing staggered musical lines; to some, this produces an emotional disconnect, but to others, raw emotion. In any case, Ms. Sello managed all challenges of this work admirably. Ezio Monti’s Rugiada for alto flute and piano in its American premiere is a solid piece that deserves multiple performances, as it is also thoroughly engrossing and memorable. The sole unfortunate aspect of this Monti performance that I’m sure the performers would agree with is that the alto flute’s pitch was occasionally sharp to the piano.

Returning to the flute, Ms. Sello played a brilliant technical rendering of the Ponchielli Fantasy on the opera La Gioconda (elaborated for flute and piano by Luigi Hugues). There was excellent breath control and an abundance of charm in her scale and arpeggio runs. Dynamic shading within the phrases was limited in Mr. Canino’s piano part, which sounded too pedantic and deliberate at times; this could have been his approach to the comical wit of the piece, but I was hoping for a more directional approach to phrasing. The pair saved the best for last in a colorful, blazing account of Bizet’s Carmen Fantasy (elaborated for flute and piano by Francis Borne). The drama of the opera truly came across (not an easy task with just flute and piano), as the light and darkness of the score’s dynamics and harmonies–the chiaroscuro, if you will–made for a gripping performance.

by Anthony Aibel for New York Concert Review; New York, NY

Ian Hobson, Pianist in Review

Ian Hobson, piano

Merkin Concert Hall, Kaufman Center, New York, NY

April 13, 2016

Ian Hobson has unusual stamina. He plays with an uncanny virtuosity. His interpretations are nuanced and fresh. Of those elements, the stamina aspect cannot be overstated here. He opened with Fauré’s Theme and Variations, Op. 73, then proceeded with Chopin’s Etudes, Op. 10, followed by Schumann’s Symphonic Etudes, Op. 13, and then concluded with none other than Rachmaninoff’s Preludes, Op. 32. There was exceptional pacing within each work, and he never tired technically or emotionally.

Mr. Hobson’s interpretation of the Fauré had the usual simplicity and delicacy of the French master, but also the extroverted tenderness of a young Brahms. There was beauteous and varied tone here, exquisite balance of the hands–featuring supremely delicate high notes, and the phrasing was also unique, with a favorability for stretching musical lines into very long phrases. The Chopin had a fleet-fingered leggiero (lightness of touch) when called upon, as in the opening Allegros, but also a profoundly warmer tone quality as needed–like No. 3, the E major Lento. No. 5, the G-flat major Vivace, had expert timing, with the subtlest of rubato. Even more endearing tempo fluctuations were evident in No. 8, the F major Allegro. No. 4 was facile and precise, especially in the left hand. It was only in No. 11, that a few phrases were glossed over.

The Schumann Etudes, really a Theme and Variations, which Brahms would also master, is symphonic in ways that Schumann’s symphonies tried to be but couldn’t. Brahms achieved in his symphonies what Schumann lacked: varied colors and depth in the orchestration. Mr. Hobson performed this Schumann evoking an orchestra, seemingly turning left hand dotted rhythms into cellos and basses, sometimes a low brass section. In the fourth etude, the punctuated chords were pungent in a way that a woodwind section can pierce through a tonal fabric, and the lyrical right hand was reminiscent of violas, clarinets, and silky smooth violins on top. Emotionally speaking, there was a wonderful mix of relaxed moods and stormy agitato befitting Schumann’s inner torment. The memorable finale was fiery and propulsive–emotionally obsessive at times–with a welcome, exaggerated attention to harmonic detail, like when the chord pattern climactically changes to the major key–as in the end of Bolero, when it surprisingly shifts to E major. Hobson’s Rachmaninoff contained both soul and a soul-searching quality. The peaks were timed beautifully; during grandiose moments, the bass was powerful but never distorted or over-pedaled, as sometimes is the case. His encore was Rachmaninoff’s last work–from 1941, an arrangement of a Tchaikovsky Lullaby: the A-flat “Cradle Song” from Six Romances, Op. 16.

by Anthony Aibel for New York Concert Review; New York, NY

Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) presents Misatango 20th Anniversary in Review

Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) presents Misatango 20th Anniversary

Distinguished Concerts Orchestra; Distinguished Concerts Singers International

Martín Palmeri, composer/conductor

Maine Festival Chorus

Richard Nickerson, Robert Westerberg, co-directors; Darrell Morrow, accompanist

Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY

April 17, 2016

On April 17, 2016, Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) presented a concert to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the composition of Misa A Buenos Aires, more widely known by its subtitle Misatango: A Tango Mass from Argentina. What better way to way to bring in the spring season than with the vibrant, lively sounds of far away Argentina, courtesy of performers from France, Germany, Poland, The Netherlands, Switzerland, and of course, Argentina. Also featured was the Maine Festival Chorus, in what was to be a most enjoyable evening.

The Maine Festival Chorus took the stage for the first half. Led by Co-directors Richard Nickerson and Robert Westerberg, this fine ensemble offered eight works. Mr. Westerberg led the first four works, and Mr. Nickerson, the final four. They wasted no time in announcing their presence in an arresting opener- Williametta Spencer’s At the Rounded Earth’s Imagined Corners. Set to the text of John Donne’s Holy Sonnet 7 of the same name, this work captures the essence of Donne’s shattering words with consummate skill. It’s highly unusual for me to find an opening work as my favorite, but this was far and away the case, in what was simply a first-rate performance. The touching For the Beauty of the Earth by Philip Stopford, and Twilight on the Beach by Andrew Hurst, a musical rendering of the Maine coast, followed. The last of Mr. Westerberg’s set was the joyous Alleluia of Paul Basler, with the added talents of French Horn player Justin Drew. Mr. Nickerson took the baton and opened his portion with Lamentations of Jeremiah by Z. Randall Stroope. This piece reminds one of Carl Orff’s O Fortuna from Carmina Burana with its driving intensity. Jenny by Nick Myers was a heartbreaking song of a lost love that had many in the audience in tears. The poignant Scottish anthem Caledonia by Dougie Maclean (arranged by Richard Nickerson) was lovely. Keith Hampton’s jubilant A Shout of Praise was like a victory lap for this ensemble, and ended their part of the program in triumph.

Some general observations – balance was superb throughout, with a rich sound of middle and lower voices that are often covered by the higher ones. Diction and intonation were spotless. The Maine Festival Chorus is one of the best vocal ensembles I have heard, and I have heard many excellent ones. Congratulations to the singers, and to Mr. Nickerson and Mr. Westerberg!

After intermission, the stage was set for the featured work of the evening, Martín Palmeri’s Misatango. As the three hundred plus singers filed onto the stage, I was thinking back to the January 18, 2015 DCINY performance of this work. I had had my doubts about concept of tango music with the Mass (largely fueled by my earlier hearing of another Mass using non-traditional form that I found to be problematic), but was won over in the end. What was of particular interest for me on this occasion was that the composer himself was to conduct.

As I wrote in January 2015, Misatango is a six-movement work scored for chorus, string orchestra, bandoneón (for this performance there were three bandoneón players), and mezzo-soprano soloist. Quoting Mr. Palmeri, “…my objective in this composition was to maintain the harmonic language, rhythms, melodic designs, and all the characteristics of the tango within the orchestra score, thus allowing the chorus to have the full liberty to ‘just sing the mass.’” It seems to be completely counter-intuitive, but it works, and it works brilliantly. From the quasi-cadenza bandoneón solo that opened the Kyrie to the last note of the serene Agnus Dei, it was passion-plus that captured the hearts of the audience (who broke convention over and over with boisterous applause between movements). As was the case in 2015, the Credo was my favorite, but I also found the Benedictus to be especially beautiful. Of course, all six movements command attention. Soprano Carla Filipcic Holm was a revelation; her voice soared to the heavens with angelic grace, but she also possessed striking power and intensity. Kudos as well to the three bandoneón players, Daniel Binelli, Emmanuel Trifilio, and Rodolfo Marcelo Zanetti.

After the music of the Agnus Dei faded to silence, the audience reacted with a thunderous ovation. Mr. Palmeri then encored a section of the Credo, to the delight of all.

Jeffrey Williams for New York Concert Review; New York, NY

by Jeffrey Williams for New York Concert Review; New York, NY

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.

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

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.

by Anthony Aibel for New York Concert Review; New York, NY

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.

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

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 40^th birthday is in May, but that the celebrations for 40^th 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!

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

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.

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