Abrazando: Latin Embrace CD In Review

Abrazando: Latin Embrace CD In Review

Abrazando: Latin Embrace
Rosa Antonelli, piano
Albany Records TROY 1571

 

A beguiling CD just landed on my review desk, the sort of music that makes one long for a warm summer day and a cold drink to enhance the enjoyment. Rosa Antonelli, long a specialist in and advocate for lesser-known Spanish and Latin-American repertoire, has here assembled a dessert cart full of delicious and tempting treats.

Not all of the composers or works on Abrazano: Latin Embrace are in fact unknown: Piazzolla, Villa-Lobos, Albeniz, and Lecuona need no introduction. But many will have never heard a work by Gianneo, Ponce, or Williams (the latter composer was my first encounter as well). Even in the better-known composers, however, she has either selected the non-obvious pieces, or made her own transcriptions of non-piano originals, a skill to be commended, as it was once assumed that all virtuosi had such gifts at their command.

She plays two of Piazzolla’s “Four Seasons” of Buenos Aires, Spring and Summer, with great poetry and longing, amid the angular musical gestures of the tango underlying all: the seduction, rejection, re-approach, and eventual union of two imaginary dancers in the brothel district.

Villa-Lobos is represented by his Bachianas Brasilerias No. 4, its Prelude movement showing the “Brazilian Bach” at his most neo-baroque, with perfectly descending sequences that satisfy the ear to no end.

The music of Ernesto Lecuona used to be in the piano bench of every amateur pianist, mainly for his Malagueña or the other number from that suite, which had words added, The Breeze and I. Ms. Antonelli instead gives us two little gems: The Bell-flower and Vals maravilloso (Marvelous Waltz), both salon trifles that gain by being handled so poetically. The fading and slowing bell sounds in the first piece were absolutely ravishingly portrayed.

This brings me to my only quibble about the recording as a whole: I wish it had been done in a concert hall or other larger theater with a natural acoustic, as the engineering and miking are too close, giving the beautiful Steinway and Ms. Antonelli a sort-of choked sound at times, lacking in atmosphere. Also, at fifty-nine minutes, there was room for several more of her wonderful rarities, for the budget-conscious CD buyer.

La misma pena (The Same Sadness) and Llanto negro (Black Tears) by Piazzolla are appropriately heart-tugging. Albeniz is represented by one of his dozens of salon pieces: the charming Champagne Waltz from the 1880s (prior to his embrace of Impressionism combined with Spanish folksong and pictorial color, which culminated in the masterpiece Iberia). The Mexican composer Manuel Ponce (1882-1948) sounds like a Latin Chopin or Schumann in the Intermezzo and Romanza de Amor played here.

Ms. Antonelli then returns to Piazzolla with two more of his nuevo tango items: Nunca, nunca te olvide (I will never, never forget you) and Libertango. The Argentinian Alberto Williams (1862-1952) has a touching Reverie, despite his non-Spanish sounding name, one hears the similar soul sounds as the others on this CD. The disc closes with the more rambunctious pieces by Luis Gianneo (1897-1968) Tres Danzas Argentinas (Three Argentine Dances): Gato, Tango, and Chacarera, topics also taken up by Ginastera, of the generation directly after Williams’.

Dare I use the dangerous word “definitive” to describe Ms. Antonelli’s innate understanding of this style and these composers? I fear I must, and I’m confident that she will continue to unearth and program the best of this unique culture and its music.

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by Frank Daykin  for New York Concert Review; New York, NY
Yerevan Perspectives International Music Festival Presents Evgeny Kissin: “With You, Armenia” in Review

Yerevan Perspectives International Music Festival Presents Evgeny Kissin: “With You, Armenia” in Review

Yerevan Perspectives International Music Festival Presents Evgeny Kissin: “With You, Armenia”
A Concert to Commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide
Evgeny Kissin, piano; Hover Chamber Choir, Sona Hovhannisyan, Director and Choirmaster
Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY
May 26, 2015

 

Just over a week after a full-length solo piano recital at Carnegie Hall (including Beethoven, Chopin, Liszt, and Prokofiev), Evgeny Kissin shared a program with the Hover Chamber Choir, an Armenian ensemble, marking the 100th anniversary of the Armenian genocide that started April 24, 1915.

The first half was approximately an hour of unaccompanied choral music from the twenty-five singers under the direction of the Hover Choir’s founder Sona Hovhannisyan, and the second half was all-Chopin in the hands of Mr. Kissin, including the Fantasy in F minor, the Nocturne in F-sharp minor, Op. 48, the Polonaise in C minor, Op. 40 and the Scherzo in B-flat minor. It was a moving occasion, its somber premise illuminated by moments of hope and heroism.

Mr. Kissin is an artist of heroic stature himself, avoiding the gimmicks of so many colleagues, maintaining integrity and the highest standards, and embracing philanthropic pursuits. A giant in the piano world at age 43, he never rests on his laurels but constantly evolves and surprises. On this occasion Mr. Kissin’s choices of repertoire were full of gravitas, and his playing seemed colored by the solemnity of the occasion. The martial opening of the Fantasy in F minor was fittingly sober in matters of tone and tempo, and the same could be said of Chopin’s Nocturne in F-sharp minor and Polonaise in C minor, Op. 40, all with moments of ethereal beauty, but with the careful unfolding of a sage storyteller. There were musical revelations throughout and always a sound that projected singingly, even at pianissimo levels, to the farthest corners of the hall. Chopin’s Scherzo No. 2 in B-flat minor ended his half brilliantly calling for two encores.

One will not soon forget his second encore to this Chopin half-recital, a rendition of Chopin’s “Heroic” Polonaise (Op. 53) that made jaws drop. The speed with which he started the notorious left-hand octaves seemed almost foolhardy at first, but he kept them up with such turbo-charged power and precision that one could only admire. While I’ve always enjoyed Vladimir Horowitz’s more gradual buildup, it was hard to resist this sheer thrill.

Undoubtedly Mr. Kissin could have obliged his clamoring audience with a longer string of encores, as he usually does (one Carnegie performance eliciting twelve), but he showed deference to the solemnity of the occasion by limiting it to two; it was clear that he was not merely a “headliner” for this concert but an artist with a special empathy for the suffering of the Armenian people. His first encore was thus a haunting transcription by Georgy Saradjian of the song “Grounk” (or “Krunk” – “The Crane”) by composer, priest, and patriarch of Armenian music, Komitas Vartapet (1869-1935). Based on a poem by Hovhannes Toumanian (The Crane), this music expresses the desolation of those mourning the loss of their homes, friends, families, and cultural “nest” while the crane returns to his; it is thus a song of great symbolism to the Armenian Diaspora. The audience, including many Armenians, gave thunderous approval, as if a century’s worth of unheard pain were being released through the music.

For around a century, “Armenian Genocide” has met some resistance as a term to describe the brutal massacre by the Ottoman Empire of an estimated 1.5 million Armenians (between 1915 and 1923). The tiptoeing around it, the lumping of it with World War I, and the outright denial of it have taken the Armenian heartbreak to new lows, as have the displaced and ruined lives of victims and their descendants. The facts are stubborn, however, and the former Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, Tigran Sargsyan (currently Ambassador of Armenia to the US) was present to introduce the occasion as the anniversary of the “first modern genocide.”

Among the victims of the torment was the abovementioned composer Komitas himself (often referred to without “Vartapet” which was comparable to “Father”). Komitas survived the horrors of 1915 only to live his last twenty years a broken man. His is a gripping story, the telling of which might have deepened the listeners’ experience, but sadly there were no program notes about him – or about any of the Armenian composers presented. This was a woeful omission, especially considering that Armenia has suffered from loss of a voice for so long.

With the exception of the last choral piece Sweet Breeze – a highlight of the program with its wind-like effects– we heard the Komitas works just as he wrote them, a cappella (except for the conductors’ own additions of some bell-like sounds). The program included Folk songs and selections from the Armenian Divine Liturgy. The music, based on monody, was modal and melismatic, sensitively set, and sung with a balanced and luminous sound. In the interest of space, the list of songs will not be included here, but may be seen at the Carnegie Hall event page (Program listing). An hour was perhaps too heavy a dose of similarly textured music for the uninitiated – something to consider if the goal includes furthering Armenian music – but the concert certainly opened some musical doors.

Interspersed were more contemporary Armenian works including the wide-ranging Waterfall Music by Vache Sharafyan (b. 1966), the imaginative Three Portraits of Women (The Rainbow) by Tigran Mansurian (b. 1939), and a fanciful piece, The Little Prince and the Fox by Anna Azizyan.

Sadly, the only program notes given were about internationally renowned Polish composer Krzysztof Penderecki (b. 1933), whose “Psalm III dedicated to the Armenian Genocide” was presented in a World Premiere. Mr. Penderecki was expected to be present but could not attend. He missed a moving performance. His Psalm III is a stirring work, full of faith but also of anger, with the text opening, “Lord, how many are my foes!” The Hover Chamber Choir performed it with tremendous expressiveness.

Other works were an interesting free arrangement of “Es ist ein Ros entsprungen” (“Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming”) by Jan Sandström (b. 1954) and “Carol”(“Maiden in the mor lay”) by Benjamin Britten (1913-1976). They were beautiful and despite the lack of an explicit connection to Armenia, quite meaningful to this observance.

All in all, despite small issues about programming and the absence of notes, the evening succeeded in its goal of commemorating a grave event in history. Congratulations are in order for the large undertaking. One hopes that it served to further a renaissance of sorts, empowering Armenians to find an ever-greater voice.

 

 

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by Rorianne Schrade  for New York Concert Review; New York, NY
New York Concert Artists and Associates presents Yunwha Song in Review

New York Concert Artists and Associates presents Yunwha Song in Review

New York Concert Artists and Associates presents Yunwha Song
Yunwha Song, flute; Soyeon Kim, piano
Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY
May 29, 2015

 

It’s hard not to like a flute recital, for the sounds the instrument makes are nearly always beguiling. This may result in a sameness of sound over a long program, unless the flutist is sufficiently adventurous, as was mostly the case on Friday night at the fine recital of Yunwha Song. She was at her best in the contemporary (21st century) selections she performed, two of the three involving extended, non-traditional techniques. She displayed abundant virtuosity and a welcome sense of “oneness” with the instrument.

The recital began with a Sonata by C.P.E. Bach, given a bland rendition that didn’t show much of the personality of either performer. However, all that changed with the next work, Honami, by Dutch-born Wil Offermans, a champion of extended flute techniques. Quoting Mr. Offermans, “Ho means ear (i.e. ear of corn) and nami means wave. Together they refer to the waving scenery one can see when the wind blows over a blooming rice field. For Honami, the breath is the cause, the printed music is the medium and the sound of the flute is the consequential result.” Ms. Song used every sound in the flutist’s arsenal to depict the natural forces of air. The audience gasped with pleasure and astonishment at the faint high whistling sound she achieved at the end.

The first half concluded with the unabashedly sensuous, tonal Sonata for Flute and Piano (2003) by Yuko Uebayashi. The work is beautifully written for both players, true chamber music, with passages that sometimes recall Ravel, or Dutilleux without the “edge.” The coordination between flute and piano was stunningly together, all the more so because the evening’s pianist, Soyeon Kim, was a substitute for the one listed on the program. Ms. Kim gave the impression that the two had been working together for years, the highest praise for any collaborative pianist. I don’t know how much time they had to put this recital together, but it sounded completely thought-out. In fact, I could have used a bit more sound from Ms. Kim all evening (no short stick, pianists!). Their rapid playing was thrilling, and each metric shift and surprising silence happened magically.

After intermission, the stick was lifted for Ms. Kim’s “orchestral” part in Song’s rendition of every flutist’s dream role: the opening solo of Debussy’s Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune (which was wrongly billed on the program). The transcription was uncredited, but it did no favors to the sumptuous orchestral writing that cushions the flute throughout the original. It was like looking at a pencil sketch of an oil painting. Sometimes the flute, in fact, needs to blend into the texture, not always to be out in front. In this work, Ms. Song sounded short of breath (which I know is not an issue for her); the phrasing was not smooth enough. I would rather have heard her do Debussy’s evocative Syrinx or his elusive and summery Sonata for Flute, Viola, and Harp.

Next came a world premiere by Seungwoo Paik called PAN II. Ms. Song began by striking a golden singing bowl gently with a small mallet, as if summoning the noonday god of the senses. Then she picked up the flute and went into an extended set of variations on a mostly pentatonic “theme,” using many extended techniques, such as humming or singing a guttural pitch while blowing notes on the flute. The music crested and then relaxed, bringing Ms. Song back to the lid of the bowl, for the final oracular ringing.

Finally, a shameless showstopper by obscure French flutist François Borne: his Carmen Fantasy for flute and piano. Every hit tune from the opera was included, with virtuoso variations spiraling into ever faster scales and arpeggios. Clearly Ms. Song was in her element, and the audience yielded to the visceral thrill such a display was meant to, and in this case did, evoke.

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by Frank Daykin  for New York Concert Review; New York, NY
Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) presents Life and Remembrance in Review

Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) presents Life and Remembrance in Review

Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) presents Life and Remembrance
Distinguished Concerts Orchestra; Distinguished Concerts Singers International;
Mark Hayes, composer/conductor; Mark Gilgallon, baritone
Pepper Choplin, composer/conductor; Gabriella Barbato; Don Davidson, narrator
Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center, New York, NY
May 25, 2015

 

On Memorial Day, May 25, 2015, Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) presented a concert entitled Life and Remembrance, featuring Mark Hayes’ Requiem and the New York premiere of Our Father: A Journey Through the Lord’s Prayer from composer Pepper Choplin. With singers from Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia, and “individual singers from around the globe,” the stage was set for what proved to be a poignant evening of music.

In honor of those who have served or are serving our nation, DCINY offered all U.S. Military Veterans and Active Servicemen and Women complimentary tickets for this concert, a gesture that this reviewer very much appreciated, and one that reflects honor on this fine organization.

Composer Mark Hayes took the podium to conduct his Requiem. This reviewer was present at the World Premiere of this work (May 27, 2013), so I was curious to hear if Mr. Hayes had made any changes to his work, and if a second hearing would have any effect on my already favorable opinion. For background information about the work and my impressions, interested readers can read the review Mark Hayes-composer/conductor in Review. As for the first question, there were no changes in the work. As to the second, I found my initial impressions to be largely unchanged (the beautiful Agnus Dei is still my favorite movement), however, I gained a deeper appreciation for this work, as there was no doubt that this performance of the Requiem was in all ways was superior to the one I had heard prior. There were many melodic and harmonic nuances captured that were missing in the earlier performance. The orchestra playing was warm and full-bodied in lyrical sections and crisp and decisive in the sinister Dies Irae, the chorus was well prepared, and the diction was much clearer (especially in the Dies Irae). Finally, Mr. Hayes himself showed increased confidence at the podium in what was an outstanding performance.

Baritone Mark Gilgallon wrung every last drop of emotion in his solo work in the Dies Irae. His voice captured the pathos and despair with his dynamic delivery. At the peak of the movement, his voice cut through the large forces behind him like thunder, but without any loss of clarity or straining in his voice. Finally, he retreated into a pleading tone, asking for eternal rest at the close.

As the end of the Lux Aeterna quieted to silence, one could hear the proverbial pin drop. Mr. Hayes held his baton until every bit of sound had faded away. The large audience was moved by this excellent work, letting the silence wash over the hall for a minute or so before breaking into loud applause. It was a justly deserved standing ovation for Mr. Hayes and the performers. A recently released recording of the Requiem, with the Beckenhorst Orchestra and Singers, and Mr. Gilgallon, is available for purchase at the composer’s website www.markhayes.com

During the intermission, in what has become a DCINY Memorial Day concert tradition, The Patriot Brass Ensemble entertained the audience with patriotic tunes from the balcony, beginning their set with a medley dedicated to each branch of the Armed Forces. The veterans, servicemen and women in attendance were asked to stand when their respective hymn was played. Some were young, some in uniform (including a music loving sailor in the city for Fleet Week), others older, but all stood proudly. Our nation is grateful for their service.

After intermission, Pepper Choplin took to the stage to conduct the New York premiere of his cantata Our Father: A Journey Through the Lord’s Prayer. As Mr. Choplin stated in his thoughtful program notes (click to read), he had spent countless hours setting the lines of the Lord’s Prayer and contemplating the power of its words. It is at once obvious that Mr. Choplin has poured his soul into this work, a music testament of the power of his faith, unashamedly so in this nine-movement blockbuster work. Overflowing with life, light, and praise, Our Father: A Journey Through the Lord’s Prayer truly is a journey through Matthew 6:9-13, probing the seemingly simple text for deeper meaning.

There is much to praise, but I will mention what I considered to be the highlights of the work – the big sound of the anthem-like Our Father in Heaven, the poignant and nostalgia-tinged Holy Be Thy Name, the driving energy of Let Your Kingdom Come where the sun breaks through the clouds of doubt, the beautiful, heartfelt Forgive Us, and the uneasy tension of sinister-like chant in Lead Us From Temptation.

Narrator Don Davidson read what might best be called brief homilies between each movement, and the audience was invited to recite the Lord’s Prayer before the final movement, which many did. While these were touches that enhanced the experience, they could be removed for performances of a more secular nature without any negative overall effect. Soprano Gabriella Barbato sang with child-like innocence and beauty in her featured solos.

The ebullient Thine is the Kingdom brought the work to a rousing close. The audience barely waited for the last notes before leaping up into a prolonged standing ovation for Mr. Choplin and all the performers. Congratulations to all.

 

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by nyconcertreview  for New York Concert Review; New York, NY
Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) presents Verdi Requiem in Review

Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) presents Verdi Requiem in Review

Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) presents Verdi Requiem

Jonathan Griffith, conductor

Distinguished Concerts Orchestra; Distinguished Concerts Singers International

Penelope Shumate, soprano; Claudia Chapa, mezzo-soprano; John Pickle, tenor; Christopher Job, bass

Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY

May 24, 2015

 

The Verdi Requiem is one of sacred music’s guilty pleasures, always thrilling even though you know it’s so operatic. So much so, in fact, that it was banned from performance within the Catholic church setting until the early 1960s. Or was it the fact that it was composed by a self-proclaimed atheist? The piece was written in memory of Alessandro Manzoni, a hero of the “Risorgimento,” the mid-nineteenth century movement for Italian unification. Verdi joins Mozart and Berlioz in his relish of the terrifying aspects of death rather than offering comfort to those left behind, as we find in Brahms, Fauré, and Duruflé.

DCINY presented a superior rendition on Sunday night. Due credit must go to the conductor, Jonathan Griffith (who is also co-founder and artistic director of DCINY), who assembles these gigantic choral/orchestral pieces with choirs coming to New York from all over the US and, in this case, Denmark and England. Clearly, his vision for the piece, and his ability to convey it, are crystal clear, because he gets audible results from his assembled forces.

The choir was so large that numerous female members of the soprano and alto sections had to be located in the front balconies, creating an antiphonal effect that was not unwelcome, though it did lead to minor imprecision of ensemble that did not detract from the overall impression.

The chorus thundered when the score requested, but even more critically, they whispered in terrified awe and sang beautiful plush soft chords, with many shades and colors. Verdi has structured the work as a sort of opposition between chorus and four soloists, as was noted in the excellent program notes. He spends a lot more time on the terrifying aspects of death and its aftermath Dies Irae, which always comes back just when the more comforting portions seem to be gaining a foothold.

The four soloists were all up to the operatic demands of their parts, but special mention must be made of Claudia Chapa, a Mexican mezzo-soprano, who has the true Verdi heft and color in her powerful voice. Tenor John Pickle also sang with thrilling squillo in a true Italian style that was entirely appropriate. The bass, Christopher Job, possesses a sound that is brighter and more forward-placed than I am used to for Verdi, but created a haunting and wonderful effect with his three descending Mors. Soprano Penelope Shumate created some lovely pianissimo floaty high notes, and these were her best quality, which is no small achievement. However, in other heftier spots, she risked being overwhelmed by the orchestra; and she didn’t have the requisite raw chest tones for the concluding Libera me Domine, the one that’s down an octave in the soprano’s “vulnerable” range. She and Chapa did have some gorgeous moments when they were each singing softly an octave apart.

From the first hushed descending minor triad of the orchestra, it was clear that the freelance group that calls itself the Distinguished Concerts Orchestra was in full command of the colors this score requires. I wish they were credited in the program, so I could single out some of the solo players, including the concertmaster, and numerous wind players. Also, what Verdi Requiem would be complete without the monstrous and scary “Thwack!” of the tympani in the Dies Irae? Here, it was entirely fulfilled, with what must be one of the tympanist’s most enjoyable places in the repertoire.

Verdi’s Requiem does not have the In Paradisum section that some other Requiems do, but the audience was certainly “In Paradise” and leapt to its feet for a deserved ovation.

 

 

 

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by Frank Daykin  for New York Concert Review; New York, NY
Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) presents A High Lonesome Bluegrass Mass in Review

Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) presents A High Lonesome Bluegrass Mass in Review

Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) presents A High Lonesome Bluegrass Mass
Navo Middle School Varsity Treble Choir: Mary Margaret Sadler, director; Denise Stephens, accompanist
Tim Sharp, composer/conductor
The Chuck Nation Band: Chuck Nation, fiddle/mandolin; Susan Nation, acoustic bass; Libby Nation-Whitehead, mandolin/guitar; Jody Hughes, guitar/banjo; Steve Vincent, drums
Distinguished Concerts International Singers
Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY
May 22, 2015

 

Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) presented a concert entitled A High Lonesome Bluegrass Mass: From the Voice Comes Inspiration on May 22, 2015 at Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall. Featuring the Navo Middle School Varsity Treble Choir, singers from Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and special guests The Chuck Nation Band, it was to prove to be a most enjoyable evening for all in attendance.

The thirty-six-member Navo Middle School Varsity Treble Choir took the stage for the first half. Their eleven pieces were quite eclectic, with works from Handel and Mozart mingled with Stephen Foster, Samuel Barber, and more recent, popular works from Greg Gilpin and others. Each selection was introduced with a special quote in the program, which the reader can find here: Program Notes. Led by Mary Margaret Sadler, the choristers proved to be mature beyond their years. Most Middle School ensembles struggle with single-line and full-unison singing, but these young ladies handled complex works with confidence and precision. One would have liked more projection, but this is a minor quibble, and one that can easily be attributed to the still developing voices of the young singers. Highlights included an arrangement of the Adagio movement of Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto, K. 622, with the chorus taking the clarinet melody and clarinet soloist Perry Phillips playing in a quasi-improvisatory style in accompaniment, a delightful Oh! Susanna, in a Mark Hayes arrangement with violinist Julianne Booth, and the haunting Ose Shalom from John Leavitt, with Mr. Phillips and Ms. Booth. Ending with an energetic Nothin’ Gonna Stumble My Feet from Greg Gilpin, their many supporters in the audience rewarded the young singers with a standing ovation. To see thirty-six beaming faces when it was all done was the highlight of the evening to this listener.

After intermission, The Chuck Nation Band took the stage and offered works composed by Susan Nation, Chuck Nation, and legends such as JJ Cale and Hank Williams, Sr. Between pieces, Chuck Nation bantered a bit with the audience as he introduced his band members, including a funny story about his own song If You Leave Me, written especially for his wife, Susan. (“If you leave me, I’m coming with you!”). The seven-piece set showcased their considerable talents as singers and instrumentalists. Ending with a red-hot Orange Blossom Special, that old classic where “Paganini meets Bluegrass” in a rousing display of fiddling pyrotechnics at breakneck speed, Chuck Nation “burned the house down” as the sparks flew off his bow in a jaw-dropping virtuosic fiddling display. The audience loved it and roared in approval.

After this, it was time for the featured work- Come Away to the Skies: A High, Lonesome Mass. A few words of explanation about the title might be helpful here. High lonesome is a style that Bill Monroe, the “Father of Bluegrass,” popularized. It features the lead voice in the middle, while the highest voice sings in an often dissonant tone (“the high, lonesome sound”). Composer Tim Sharp combined this idea with a play on the term “High Mass,” including the Introit, Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, and Angus Dei, set with carefully selected folk hymns. I recommend referring to the excellent Program Notes for a more detailed explanation. Guitarist Harry Musselwhite joined with The Chuck Nation Band to add his talents to the mix and tenor Nollie Moore was to have a featured role.

As I watched the Distinguished Concerts International Singers take the stage, I must admit to feeling some reservations about the idea of another “Bluegrass Mass.” Based upon an earlier concert featuring a different bluegrass mass in which the joining of “classical” and “bluegrass” was not entirely satisfying to either genre, I was hoping this would not be the case here. Happily, those reservations were dispelled almost immediately. Come Away to the Skies: A High, Lonesome Mass works, because it is unfailingly true to itself, lacking in pretense, simple, direct, and heartfelt.

Composer Tim Sharp came to the stage carrying a banjo. After placing the banjo on a stand, he took the podium and directed with unflagging energy. It was a dynamic, crowd-pleasing performance. The combination of the Distinguished Concerts International Singers with the Chuck Nation Band was a winning pairing that had the audience breaking convention by applauding enthusiastically after each movement of the Mass.

Special credit to the chorus for the high-speed rendering of the words Et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatatis Gloria with such clear diction!

The audience burst into a prolonged standing ovation as the chorus and the Chuck Nation band took their well-earned bows. Mr. Sharp took up his banjo and joined all playing the Credo as an encore. The audience excitedly clapped in rhythm, and many even sang along. It was a joyful end to the night.

 

 

 

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by Jeffrey Williams  for New York Concert Review; New York, NY
Ensemble 212 and Multicultural Sonic Evolution (MuSE) present Voices in Harmony in Review

Ensemble 212 and Multicultural Sonic Evolution (MuSE) present Voices in Harmony in Review

Ensemble 212 and Multicultural Sonic Evolution (MuSE) present Voices in Harmony
Ensemble 212- Kyunghun Kim and Yoon Jae Lee, conductors
MuSE Chorus- Yuti Kitamura and Hirona Amamiya, choral directors
Julia Gebhardt, soprano; Mio Kanehara, mezzo-soprano; Christian Davakis, tenor; Jeffrey Goble, baritone
Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church, New York, NY
May 20, 2015

Ensemble 212, a New York based orchestra, and Multicultural Sonic Evolution (MuSE) joined forces on May 20, 2015, in presenting a concert entitled Voices in Harmony. Featuring two world premieres, performances by Co-Grand Prize Winners of the Ensemble 212 2014-15 Young Artist Competition, William Chen and Alyssa Kim, a selection from Mendelssohn’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Mozart’s Coronation Mass, it was a program with “something for everyone.” The combination of these two fine ensembles proved to be an inspired pairing. Kyunghun Kim and Yoon Jae Lee conducted.

While this review will cover the entire event, the primary focus will be on the conductor Kyunghun Kim. This reviewer has had the pleasure of reviewing Mr. Kim’s work in the past (Kyunghun Kim,conductor in review) and was looking forward to hearing his work with Ensemble 212 and MuSE.

Mr. Kim took the podium for the first half of the program. Leading off with Mozart’s C major Mass, K. 317, the Coronation, he led a well-conceived and tautly executed performance. The orchestra playing was crisp and precise, balance between chorus and orchestra was excellent, and the four soloists were uniformly outstanding in their roles. It was a fine start to the night. The Song and Chorus from Mendelssohn’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a charming piece – at times witty, and at other moments poignant. Mr. Kim gave this short, light-hearted work the same attention to detail as he did the Mozart. Ending the half was the world premiere of Song for the Earth, which was introduced by the composer, Yui Kitamura (b. 1983). In her excitement and obvious enthusiasm, Ms. Kitamura spoke much too quickly and not quite loudly enough for one to get the maximum understanding about her piece. Song for the Earth is a highly effective combination of the folk sounds and harmonies of the East co-mingling with those of the West. The text for the chorus is in Japanese and suggests that we ask the Earth to be temperate and indulge us (the human race) with patience and understanding. Mr. Kim proved again to be striving to the utmost to explore all the subtleties in a fine reading of this interesting work.

Upon hearing Mr. Kim in 2012 with a non-professional orchestra, this reviewer had found his conducting style to be extremely physically demonstrative, not surprisingly. One might have expected a more economical approach with these more accomplished players, however Mr. Kim maintains the same expansive and expressive style that served him well in my last encounter with him at the helm. He is a fully involved and extroverted leader, with a gift for nurturing developing ensembles and coaxing extra effort from highly skilled players.

After intermission, Yoon Jae Lee took the podium to lead the second half. The first work, Orche-mino, (another world premiere) was introduced by Texu Kim (b.1980), the composer. The title is a contraction of “orchestra” and “domino”, and the work itself was inspired by a YouTube video of domino tricks. The video Insane Domino Tricks (click to view) was projected as the work was played. The music cleverly captured the various tricks in what was a whimsical three-and-half-minute romp.

While the stage was being readied for the young soloists, Mr. Lee explained that Ensemble 212 uses a multimedia approach to reach a wide audience. Definitions and explanations of basic music terms and forms in simple language, background information about the composition being played, and interesting facts about the composer are projected on a screen as the works are being played. This is an approach I find myself to be much in favor of, and would like to see it utilized more often.

The co-winners of the Ensemble 212 2014-15 Young Artist Competition, eleven-year-old William Chen, who played the first movement of Chopin’s F minor Piano Concerto, and fourteen year old Alyssa Kim, who played the finale of Saint-Saens’s Third Violin Concerto, are talents to watch in the coming years. Mr. Lee was an attentive and steadying influence for the young soloists.

Kyunghun Kim returned to lead an encore of Amazing Grace, which to this listener was too hackneyed in its “showstopper” arrangement. The audience members were encouraged to sing along, which many did. Conductors, composers, and soloists joined together for well-deserved bows from the appreciative audience.

 

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by Jeffrey Williams  for New York Concert Review; New York, NY
Tempo Trapezio CD in Review

Tempo Trapezio CD in Review

Tempo Trapezio CD
Misha Quint, cello
Svetlana Gorokhovich, piano
Blue Griffin Recordings BGR323 (also available on iTunes)

 

Misha Quint has recorded a wonderfully diverse array of works on his new CD, Tempo Trapezio. His pianist, Svetlana Gorokhovich, provides much more than accompaniment, as she interweaves her intermittent solo passages with subtlety and—when called for—real virtuosity. Together, they make an impressive pair; the notes are all there, and they play with a solid unity throughout. Yet, more than just excellent ensemble-work, they seem to identify with each composer on this disc in a personal way.

Thomas Fortmann’s Sonata for Quintcello, premiered at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in 2014, is a funny play on words, with the cellist’s name obviously inserted, but also indicating the work’s prevalent usage of the perfect fifth interval. What would the title be if arranged for string quintet? No matter; the work is terrific writing in its own right. Clever and comical, the work’s eclecticism includes hints from the rock era—a simulation of guitar open fifths—plus music that points to Schoenberg and the twelve-tone school in the slow movement. Mr. Quint handles all the technical demands with ease.

Krzysztof Penderecki’s Per Slava—a Rostropovich dedication (for those who are unaware of the legend’s nickname) is also a demanding piece which deserves more performances and is well-interpreted here. The first notes depict Bach’s name: B—A—C—H (Bb-A-C-B♮), and this permeates the six minutes of music. One might therefore expect some Bach to be included on this disc, but one will have to wait for Mr. Quint’s next album. And it would be interesting to hear the Penderecki paired next to a Bach Suite in recital (no doubt, Mr. Quint has already done that or thought of the idea.)

Also included on this uniquely-selected program is Richard Strauss’s early Cello Sonata in F major, Op. 6 (1880-1883). Like Brahms’ Op. 99 (1886), F major has proven to be a winning key for a cello sonata. Brahms must have been impressed with this early cello sonata—to the point of writing one in the same key three years later? Brahms and Strauss still engaged artistically during this period, and Brahms was somewhat of a mentor before Strauss became a deep-seeded Wagnerite and anti-Brahmsian. What a wonderful work this Strauss is- this is not by any means a student work. It makes great demands on the cellist and pianist. One can hear the charm and devilish nature of his future Til Eulenspiegel in its strands, but more importantly, it is easy to notice that this work shows the hand of a young master. Both Mr. Quint and Ms. Gorokhovich play with passion and elegance here. The tempos and transitions are paced and timed admirably—the phrasing always engaging; not a note goes by without meaning or an arrival-point in mind.

Schubert’s Impromptu is recorded well and is exquisitely shaped. Works by Stravinsky: the Pas de Deux from Divertimento and the Chanson Russe are stellar additions to this disc. They are presented with a vast range of dynamics and color; at times humorous and graceful—at other times, wild and bombastic. If purchasing on iTunes, I would have to recommend getting the album and not just the individual selections—since the Sonata for Quintcello is only available with an album-only purchase. If purchasing individually, I would recommend the Strauss and Stravinsky works as absolute must-haves on your playlist. You will want to enjoy listening back and forth, again and again.

 

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by Anthony Aibel  for New York Concert Review; New York, NY
Manhattan Concert Productions presents Masterworks Festival Chorus and New York City Chamber Orchestra in Review

Manhattan Concert Productions presents Masterworks Festival Chorus and New York City Chamber Orchestra in Review

Manhattan Concert Productions presents Masterworks Festival Chorus and New York City Chamber Orchestra
Masterworks Festival Chorus
San Jose State University Choraliers
The Phoenix Symphony Chorus
New York City Chamber Orchestra
Jeffrey Benson and Thomas Bookhout, conductors
Layna Chianakis, mezzo-soprano; Jessica Sandidge, soprano; Michael Scarcelle, bass; Marguerite Krull, soprano; Amy Maude Helfer, mezzo-soprano; Nathan Munson, tenor; Paul An, bass
Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY
April 27, 2015

 

Manhattan Concert Productions gives community choruses great opportunities to perform in leading concert halls across America, including Carnegie Hall. Their umbrella reaches from children’s choirs to high-school, collegiate, and community and symphony choruses. These groups then travel to New York and work with the permanent instrumental ensemble known as the New York City Chamber Orchestra. The evening of April 27, 2015, on the main stage of Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall, a wonderful range of talent and music was on display.

The program began with the San Jose State University Choraliers, who indeed proved that they have “choral ears,” in fine renditions of Finzi and Elder. Finzi’s music deserves to be much more widely known. Their diction in his My Spirit Sang All Day was exemplary, as was the feeling of tenderness, which followed into Elder’s Willow-Wood, conducted by their own Jeffrey Benson. They were then joined by the extraordinary mezzo-soprano Layna Chianakis in two spirituals. If my pitch-sense isn’t failing me, I could swear she did an effortless high D near the end of This Little Light of Mine, a light which shone brightly indeed.

The main business of the first half was Fauré’s Requiem, Op. 48. This work is comforting, austerely sensuous, and serene in its appeal, unlike the melodramatic/operatic settings of Verdi or Berlioz that emphasize damnation. It was composed in 1888 in memory of Fauré’s recently deceased father. The Requiem, which was modified by Fauré three complete times over many years, has the unusual scoring of omitting the “first violin” sound, thus giving it a darker coloration and symbolizing absence perfectly. Then when the angelic solo violin of concertmaster Robert Zubrycki entered in the Sanctus, the effect was stunning. Again, the conductor was Mr. Benson, from whose group (a massed choir of people from California, Michigan, and New York) I could have used a greater dynamic range, especially in the pianissimi. Their sound was exciting in the louder dynamics, but I missed the great emotional power of a large number of people all singing extremely softy, held-in. I was also sorry to hear some choral diphthongs, especially on the open “e” vowels, which made the church Latin sound so American. The range of instrumental dynamics was not wide enough, from the very first note, a fortissimo D that is supposed to decline to a pianissimo choral entry. This resulted in a “smooth” performance, but one that didn’t maximize contrast. The sound of the electronic organ, the only type Carnegie and other New York halls have at their disposal (with the exception of Alice Tully Hall), was unfortunate and crude, though well-played by the uncredited organist. This is a shame that New York really needs to address if such works are to be presented. The two soloists handled their work admirably, with the soprano Jessica Sandidge wisely not scaling her lovely voice into anything “boy”-sounding in the Pie Jesu, even though the premiere was by a boy soprano. Michael Scarcelle sang the Offertoire and Libera me, Domine with power and intimacy by turns.

After intermission, the Phoenix Symphony Chorus, conducted by Thomas Bookhout, sang a beautiful work by Stephen Paulus, The Pilgrims’ Hymn, excerpted from his opera The Three Hermits, and a less-original but still heartfelt Psalm of Ascension by Dan Forrest. This group, of considerably more mature singers than had been heard in the first half, delivered all the contrasts of text and tone that one could wish for.

They were then joined by choirs from Arizona, New Jersey, and Wisconsin (and apparently some free-lance individuals from New Jersey) for a rousing performance of Haydn’s well-known “Lord Nelson” Mass, originally titled Missa in Angustiis (Mass for Troubled Times). The tempi were moderate, allowing the grandeur of the music to breathe, while articulation, dynamics, and transparency all reflected some of the advances in historically-informed playing that one expects in this repertoire (And again that electronic pseudo-organ). All four soloists were excellent, but I must single (or double) out the soprano Marguerite Krull and the tenor Nathan Munson for the clarity of their tone, its brilliance, and forward placement. Bass Paul An, an accomplished Juilliard graduate, sang well but should nevertheless be advised not to try to sound too “old” or vocally dark before his time, even though he is a bass, because this will eventually wear out the voice. This chorus achieved that magical hush in the final Dona nobis pacem (Grant us peace), a fitting end to a well-done evening of choral music.

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by Frank Daykin  for New York Concert Review; New York, NY
Rondo FORMA 2015 Competition Winners’ Recital in Review

Rondo FORMA 2015 Competition Winners’ Recital in Review

Rondo Young Artist presents Rondo FORMA 2015 Competition Winners’ Recital
Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY
April 19, 2015

 

The Rondo Young Artist program had its first-ever college-level piano competition this year, and they presented the winners in recital on Sunday afternoon. What a promising crop of young pianists this is! They all played with great panache and individuality, which is always a wonderful thing to hear. Only two of them are actually music majors in conservatories. Interestingly, they are (or were) all students of the same teacher: Alexandre Moutouzkine, himself a competition winner of great stature. I know he’s not the only piano teacher in New York, but he must be doing something very effective! Perhaps he gently prods most of his flock to enter this competition.

Er-Hsuan Li began the afternoon with a nicely articulated Bach French Suite in D minor that had good contrapuntal interplay with the all-important left hand. Played with no repeats, probably because of time constraints for the recital as a whole, one wished for more. He then followed with Schoenberg’s Op. 11, No. 1 Klavierstück, played with astonishing maturity and flair, although to this listener (often a Schoenberg lover) it sounded like Brahms without soul (the music, not the performance). He closed his set with a fun romp through the last two movements of Carl Maria von Weber’s C Major Piano Sonata, a darling of recitals many years ago. He dispatched the Presto rondo finale with immaculate sparkle.

Annie Cao, a business major at Drexel, was next, exhibiting a big personality in the overlapping-hands work of Rameau’s L’Egyptienne. That was followed by the first Impromptu of Fauré, which while full of character and wonderfully fluent had a bit too much romantic rubato for this composer. It was nevertheless convincing. In Chopin’s rarely heard Introduction and Bolero, Op. 19, she showed interesting impetuosity and gave the piece a lot of fire, instead of relating the bolero dance to the more stately polonaise rhythm, with which it shares characteristics.

After intermission, Yong Murray, a math student at Columbia, played the B-flat minor Prelude and Fugue from Book I of Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier with drama and poetry, although for me it was a bit too “right-hand” in the Prelude, missing a lot of the interesting polyphony; and the fugue subject is not just the first two notes, but continues to the descending scale that follows—it should have been pursued more. He segued right into Bartók’s fiendishly difficult Etude No. 1 from Three Etudes, Op. 18. This was an amazing burst of adrenalin and excitement, perfectly suiting his temperament. Two of Brahms’ final works for the piano (Nos. 1 and 4 from Op. 119) closed his set. The Intermezzo (No. 1) was beautifully played, with more youthful passion and less autumnal resignation than usual. The interpreter is young, after all! The Rhapsody (No. 4) however, was too fast, and a bit clangorous.

Finally, the oldest of the four, though by no means “old”: Sherry Kim, dazzled with lyrical, deeply personal renditions of three Scarlatti sonatas. The D minor (K. 213) was heartbreaking. Her staccato had great personality and line in the E major (K. 495). Then she played four of Shostakovich’s less-often heard Preludes from Op. 34, with perfection of irony and wistfulness, in short, everything one could wish for. She closed with a fierce, yet playful, even coquettish, Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody No. 12 in C-sharp minor. These great pieces seem to have fallen out of favor, perhaps because of their “non”-Hungarian provenance (we like to think we’re so much more sophisticated musicologically), and certainly because of their great difficulty. When sported with, as was the case today, they become an exciting joy-ride of technique and wit.

Afterward, the four were presented with trophies by the staff of Rondo Young Artist, to enthusiastic applause.

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