Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) presents “Grant Us Peace” in Review

Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) presents “Grant Us Peace” in Review

Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) presents “Grant Us Peace”
Distinguished Concerts Orchestra; Distinguished Concerts Singers International
Catherine Sailer, DCINY debut conductor; Trey Jacobs, DCINY debut conductor
Inglemoor High School Orchestra; James Rice, conductor,
Inglemoor High School Wind Ensemble; Ted Christensen, conductor
Stern Auditorium, Carnegie Hall, New York, NY
April 12, 2015, 8:30 PM

 

DCINY’s track record of high-quality music events continued unbroken on Sunday with the concert “Grant Us Peace,” featuring two classics by adult choirs and players, and two talented high school groups.

Dona nobis pacem (Grant us peace) is the final phrase of the Ordinary of the Catholic Mass, coming at the end of the Agnus Dei (Lamb of God) prayer for mercy. In our troubled age, any prayer for peace is welcome, especially the rich musical responses that have inspired composers over the centuries.

Mozart’s so-called “Coronation” mass (the nickname dates from the nineteenth century) premiered on Easter Sunday, April 4, 1779, in Salzburg, so this performance on Orthodox Easter was especially appropriate. Catherine Sailer, in her DCINY conducting debut, led the orchestra, chorus and soloists in a stylish rendition of this mainly optimistic celebratory music. The contrasts were precise, and the string playing was in good eighteenth century style without being overly dry. Standouts were the soprano Meeae Nam and the tenor Nathan Bird, whose voices were the epitome of Mozartean elegance and lyricism. The Agnus Dei soprano solo seems to foreshadow the emotional world of the aria Dove sono from Le Nozze di Figaro.

The group then turned to the vivid anti-war cantata Dona nobis pacem by British composer Ralph Vaughan Williams, who himself served in WWI and witnessed its horrors directly. It was conducted by another DCINY debut conductor, Trey Jacobs. In 1936, sensitive Britons were all too aware that their world was inching toward another cataclysm. Vaughan Williams uses the Latin phrase dona nobis pacem interleaved with poetry by Walt Whitman and an address to Parliament by British politician John Bright, along with Bible passages. The work thunders menacingly and has passages of great pleading, the loveliest of which, ‘’Reconciliation,’’ a solo for baritone, was rendered with attention to drama by Steven Taylor. Soprano Meeae Nam made the most of her repeated half-step implorations, turning to a more confident peaceful assertion by the end. The whole work made a great impact, although I might have wished for even more choral muscle, especially when the orchestra was given its full volume. But when they sang by themselves, as in the gorgeous hushed C Major final dona nobis pacem, they were superb.

After intermission, two groups from the Inglemoor High School in Washington State performed: the string orchestra and the wind ensemble. Both were enthusiastic and exhibited moments of maturity, despite minor discrepancies of intonation and ensemble. The string orchestra, in particular, under the direction of James Rice, achieved a hushed, mellow intensity in the haunting Meditation (from Serenade for Strings) by Jack Jarrett. The Ernest Bloch Concerto Grosso excerpt could have used greater rhythmic bite; the two movements from Holst’s St. Paul’s Suite (both jigs) were very successful, and there were smiles of recognition as the audience realized that Greensleeves was mashed-up with another folksong in the second excerpt. The wind ensemble from the same school, led by Ted Christensen, displayed great energy in a Dedicatory Fanfare by William Cherry, and The Florentiner, an “Italian” march by Hungarian composer Julius Fučik. In the programmatic Endurance by Timothy Mahr, they were called upon to use not only their wind instruments but also their own wind, with wordless vocalizes accompanying the music that seeks to depict the nearly-tragic Antarctica expedition of  Ernest Shackleton in 1914.

Overall, a big congratulation to the music education and educators in public schools. Keep up the good work!

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by Frank Daykin  for New York Concert Review; New York, NY
The Sound of Unity: Exhibit in Concert in Review

The Sound of Unity: Exhibit in Concert in Review

The Sound of Unity: Exhibit in Concert
Sven Stucke, violin; Johann Blanchard, piano
St. Peter’s Church, New York, NY
April 11, 2015

 

In celebration of the 25th Anniversary of the German Reunification, W&T Arts Promotion presented a moving and informative evening of film and music that was, by virtue of its very historical background, far from celebratory until the very end. Recounting the division of Germany, heartbreaking separations of loved ones, struggles of the East Germans that included oppression, failed efforts to escape, and death, the chief rays of hope were US contributions and the Berlin Airlift – that is, until the film’s apotheosis, the final reunification of the nation. It was all an important reminder of the mistakes and horrors the world must avoid.

As described on the presenter’s website, the event combined “exclusive digital exhibition materials provided by Stiftung Gedenkstätten Sachsen-Anhalt with carefully programmed live music to replicate a neo-silent film experience.” The term “silent film” was not quite accurate (hence the prefix “neo” I suppose), because there were some spoken interviews in the film while live music was being performed (not so respectful to the music, in my opinion); in many respects, however, the stated mission of the presenters was successful, that is, to tell this tragic but ultimately triumphant chapter in the world’s history.

Assigned as a music reviewer, I was prepared to focus on the two German musicians, violinist Sven Stucke with pianist Johann Blanchard, and some accompanying atmospheric film footage, but the evening, as I suggested, turned out to be more about the film. Such events are not the ideal forum for reviewing musicians, but both performers acquitted themselves of the task remarkably well.

 

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Substantial text on the history was projected onto one wall with dramatic images, which directed one’s attention largely away from these two engaging musicians, so the effect was that of a soundtrack heard live, probably not quite the best use of the talents that these classical musicians have honed. With apologies to The Buggles, the evening brought to mind the famous song “Video Killed the Radio Star” – in a classical context. Each musical work was chosen to flow seamlessly into the next (with no introductions or pauses), but a measure of musical integrity was sacrificed in the process, despite much superb playing. Perhaps it also didn’t help that I happened to sit just between the musicians and the wall on which the film turned out to be projected – a whiplash-inducing situation which forced a choice between performers and film as a focus. Some misspellings and unidiomatic English (in captions and text) required several readings of various parts, so that even less attention was left for these fine musicians.

The musical aspect suffered some of its own compromises as well. The very first musical selections were excerpts from Vitali’s Chaconne in G Minor and Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1. One had barely heard what seemed like a few moments of the Chaconne from Mr. Stucke, an excellent violinist, when it was time to move on to the Bruch, again an excerpt – and with piano reduction. Even in a composer’s arrangement and with an expert collaborator in Mr. Blanchard, such a reading is not as fulfilling as one with an orchestra, and any experienced musician cannot help comparing.

Playing-wise, Mr. Stucke displayed effortless precision in his intonation and intense expressiveness. In addition, he showed impressive stamina, playing for around ninety minutes straight, with almost no rest, though he did have a two-minute break while the pianist played “Von fremden Ländern und Menschen” from Schumann’s Kinderszenen – very sensitively, one should add. In other words, Mr. Stucke played what amounted to a generous full-length violin recital, but with no intermission, a demanding feat, for which a performer might expect to reap big artistic rewards. Instead, the program resembled a musical “potluck” in service to a documentary. Let there be no mistake – this evening was indeed informative, the marking of this anniversary was extremely important, and the footage used was quite moving. It just seems that, if the presenter of it is also the manager of these two artists (as it appears from the website), more caution needs to be taken with their art.

The pianist Mr. Blanchard matched the violinist in outlays of energy, though occasionally I found him overly deferential to the violin part. He is a skillful and versatile musician who has ample credentials, including a recently recorded CD of the music of Chaminade.

The program continued with two Shostakovich Preludes (Op. 34, No. 10 and 24), plus the Perpetuum Mobile from Ravel’s Violin Sonata No. 2, and selections from Dvořák’s Four Romantic Pieces, Op. 75. All were played well, to complement scenes that shifted from mournful to frenzied, from nostalgic to diabolic. The inclusion of Devil’s Dance, by John Williams, was an effective touch. Perhaps the use of more such film music would strike musicians in the audience as less of a compromise than a pastiche of concert excerpts.

The largest share of the program went to music by Lera Auerbach, a composer I greatly admire. Two Preludes were selected from Op. 46 (Nos. 15 and 16) and the Sonata No. 2 for Violin and Piano, Op. 63, followed. At one point during extremely bleak and quiet music, a voice in the film burst forth loudly completely breaking the spell, but the pieces were nonetheless hauntingly played. There were several such cases where the synchronization seemed awry somehow.

The Sonata, which is subtitled September 11, was powerful in evoking tragedy and devastation, albeit from a different source and point in history than East Germany’s. I hope to hear it performed live all over again, but with my own imagined (and unfortunately remembered) “footage.”

Poulenc’s Sonata, FP 119, was the last large work and was also a successful collaboration between pianist and violinist. Again, one would like to hear the duo perform it without the accompanying mental exercise of wondering how this or that was meant to fit with the film. In any case the duo should perform it often.

The program concluded with– what else? – Beethoven’s Ode to Joy in a Blanchard/Stucke arrangement. It is a hard thing to pull off the nobility and scope of this symphonic movement without a full orchestra, but the duo coped well, starting softly and slowly before bursting into a pyrotechnic Paganini-esque display. There were quite a few “un-Beethovenian” sounds in the ramped up violin part, and the piano part sounded somewhat improvised – probably another ad hoc element on this program – but it all built to enough of a climax to close the program with spirit.

 

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

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

Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) presents Total Vocal, a celebration of contemporary a cappella music featuring arrangements from Pitch Perfect, The Sing-Off, and the American pop lexicon
Deke Sharon, conductor/arranger
Kelley Jakle, Shelley Regner, Sean Altman, guest soloists; Chesney Snow, vocal percussion
Distinguished Concerts Singers International
Stern Auditorium, Carnegie Hall, New York, NY
March 29, 2015

Two of the most desired syllables in the entertainment world are “sold out.” Follow those by the five syllables of “standing ovation” and you get a clear idea of the exciting program that was delivered in “pitch perfect” fashion on Sunday afternoon, by a large assembly of contemporary a cappella choirs from across the country, Canada, and Australia, under the superb and enthusiastic direction of conductor/arranger Deke Sharon.

He explained how only twenty to twenty-five years ago, a cappella choirs were few, mainly centering on eastern seaboard colleges. Today, there are over 3000 in the U.S. alone. Television shows like Glee and The Sing-Off competition, for which Mr. Sharon is music director, have fueled their popularity. The Sing-Off is now expanding to its fourth continent, Africa. Mr. Sharon also did all the music for the 2012 sleeper hit movie Pitch Perfect, about the a cappella competition world; the sequel, Pitch Perfect 2, is slated for release on May 15, 2015. The movie and the competition show provided the overarching theme for the day’s offerings, everything from Gershwin to Sondheim to Louis Prima and the Beatles.

Two hundred singers at high school level occupied the first half of the program, and they really showed how fine their training is, first with their own individual conductors in their hometowns; then coming to New York to combine with other groups and Maestro Sharon.

A cappella is an Italian musical indication (literally “in the chapel”). Since instruments were forbidden in the Sistine Chapel (many centuries ago, as well as today), the unaccompanied vocal singing style took that name. The human voice is the only instrument that is not man-made; it is already “in” everyone’s bodies. Every single sound that was made on Sunday came from the breath, lips, mouths, and throats of these musicians, including the new designation “vocal percussion,” also known as “beat box,” and all the complex arrangements were performed completely from memory.

From the first number, “I Got the Music In Me,” there was no doubt that was a true statement. Everything was precise, polished, beautiful, joyful, yet never sounding anything but spontaneous. Other highlights of the first half included Gill and Wade’s “Heartbreaker,” with Shelley Regner as soloist; she was in the Pitch Perfect movie, and will be in the sequel. An all-female version of Leonard Cohen’s moving “Hallelujah” by the group Bare Rhythm from Calabasas, California, earned a rousing standing ovation, one of many. Another was given to the massed choirs’ Benny Goodman homage: Louis Prima’s “Sing Sing Sing,” with the vibrant vocal percussion of Chesney Snow.

There were dozens and dozens of worthy solos all drawn from the choir members, as well as their own beat boxing; all their movements while feeling the music were natural and contributed to the great joy that pervaded the entire afternoon.

The second half saw the (slightly) older groups, from college age to adult. The Plain White T’s “Rhythm of Love” was given star treatment by a traditional barbershop group from Australia, The Blenders, as was John Mayer’s “Waiting on the World to Change” by a Canadian group called newchoir [no capital N]. Gershwin’s “Summertime” contained Sharon himself as the soloist, not only singing, but imitating the wah-wah sound of a trumpet with Harmon mute uncannily.

Kelly Jakle, another star of the Pitch Perfect movie, was outstanding in the inspirational anthem “True Colors,” which banished any comparison with Cyndi Lauper. To finish, the massed choir and all three soloists (including the excellent Sean Altman) sang “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” with energy and fire. They may not have “found what they were looking for,” but they enabled us to find just what we were looking for. Bravo.

A brief, boisterous encore of “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” reintroduced the younger singers, who entered Carnegie Hall from the back, standing, singing, and dancing in the aisles. The rafters definitely rang, as audience joined in with the 400 singers, and Sharon encouraged everyone to sing, no matter where or for whom.

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by Frank Daykin  for New York Concert Review; New York, NY
Multicultural Sonic Evolution (MuSE) presents Sookkyung Cho, Pianist in Review

Multicultural Sonic Evolution (MuSE) presents Sookkyung Cho, Pianist in Review

Multicultural Sonic Evolution (MuSE) presents Sookkyung Cho, Piano
Weill Recital Hall, Carnegie Hall, New York, NY
March 24, 2015

An engaging evening of piano music entitled “Two in One” started appropriately this week with an enchanting miniature entitled Snowdrop (2015) suggesting the beauty of this time of year, transitions and contrasts between winter and spring, and as the program notes describe, “despair and hope.” Written for this evening’s pianist, Sookkyung Cho, by composer Yui Kitamura (b. 1983 – also the Artistic Director of MuSE), it was given a sensitive and imaginative reading. Evoking the melting of ice under gently streaming treble figurations, the work is characterized by a winsome tonal lyricism that brought to mind the music of Norman Dello Joio, while always possessing an individual voice. It was an auspicious start to the program.

On to the weightier works, Ms. Cho proved herself to be more than up to handling the challenges in Schumann’s sprawling Davidsbündlertänze, Op. 6, and more. Ms. Cho is, not surprisingly, the winner of a slew of awards and honors, including from The Juilliard School where she received her Bachelor of Music and DMA degrees, and from The Peabody Institute (MM). She demonstrates a keen intelligence, strong technical command, and impressive stamina, with a physical approach that is strong but undemonstrative. There was much to commend about each of the eighteen character pieces, which alternately conveyed Schumann’s contrasting sides of the spirited Florestan and introverted Eusebius (both part of the “Band of David” to which the title refers – and both in keeping with this concert’s duality theme). The performances were taut, polished, and respectful to the score, with only the occasional fingerfehler. They showed almost no excess (except the rare overly resonant bass line, perhaps due to the piano) and virtually no self-indulgence, so there was not an instant when one would say that the performer’s ego got in the way; on the flip-side, though, one sometimes wanted more individual intimacy and abandon. After all, this set was composed while Schumann was in the throes of longing for his love, Clara, and it contains some of the most vivid and moving music of the Romantic period.

After intermission, Ms. Cho played C.P.E Bach’s Fantasia in F-sharp minor, Wq67, a rather underplayed and intriguing work, and a perfect dramatic and historical pairing with the next, Beethoven’s 32 Variations on an Original Theme in C Minor, WoO 80. In a way, the evening’s theme of duality, or as the program notes framed it, “dialectic in music,” could be plausibly applied to countless works and programs, but it did make a viable “hook” on which to hang these works for those needing more than simply an evening of great works. The best “hook” is always good playing, and we enjoyed a good measure of it, but the premise for the inclusion of this Beethoven work was that it has “an extremely regular bass line with free florid lines in his variations.” That was certainly clear in Ms. Cho’s able hands, with only small lapses.

As part of a Korean-Western duality, two selections from Three Korean Minyo (2014) by Teddy Niedermaier (b. 1983) were presented as a New York Premiere. They were a highlight of the evening. We heard the songful “Bluebird, Bluebird” and the rather jazzy “Song of the Roasted Chestnuts” – both folk song transcriptions full of character and color. Ms. Cho showed the most involvement of the evening in these, and the pieces sprung to life in winning performances.

The program concluded with Liszt’s Après une Lecture de Dante, Fantasia quasi Sonata, to adhere to the theme of the program, the quintessential Romantic battle of light and dark. For many pianists it is also a battle to navigate through torrents of octaves, but there were no such problems for Ms. Cho, who concluded the evening with brilliance.

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by Rorianne Schrade  for New York Concert Review; New York, NY
From Berlin to Broadway-Transatlantic in Review

From Berlin to Broadway-Transatlantic in Review

From Berlin to Broadway-Transatlantic
Adrienne Haan, chanteuse; Richard Danley, piano; Mike Campenni, drums; Roswitha, curtain singer
The Actors’ Temple, New York, NY
March 23, 2015

This concert was a benefit to raise money for the renovation, or could one say restoration, of Congregation Ezrath Israel’s 1923 landmark building on West 47th Street, The Actors’ Temple, which now serves as both a house of worship and a theater. Before the opening ceremonies we were entertained by Roswitha, an Austrian violinist/singer whose vocals, violin melodies and costume (ooh-la-la!) reminded us that we weren’t in a shul, thus preparing us for the evening of cabaret singing which was to follow.

During these opening ceremonies we learned about the many Broadway legends who worshiped here. The program that followed was a perfect way to conjure up the spirits of those great performers, the zeitgeist of the European countries they left, and the creative spirit which their new home encouraged.

The houselights darkened and Adrienne Haan sauntered down the aisle dressed in a form fitting blue sequined gown with a white fur wrap (ooh-la-la redux!) Her first number was “Die Seeräuberjenny” (“Pirate Jenny”) from Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht’s The Threepenny Opera (Die Dreigroschenoper). This and the next three sets were sung in both German and English, the first two of the five languages we heard this evening. The other three were Yiddish, Hebrew, and French. For her rendition of “Pirate Jenny” and during the following German cabaret medley, Ms. Haan used the very bottom of her very wide range, singing a la Marlene Dietrich. As the concert progressed she sang higher and higher. This was first heard during one of her best numbers, the Yiddish song “Ikh Shtey Unter A Bokserboym” (“I Stand Beneath a Carob Tree”).

Ms. Haan established a close rapport with the audience through her informative, funny, and often moving commentary between sets. Introducing the next song, “Rikmah Enoshit Achat” (“One Human Tissue”), she said it was dedicated “to all the souls who have brutally lost their lives in the massacres of World War II,” and [she] would “sing it in memory of the Auschwitz liberation seventy years ago on January 27, 1945.” The Hebrew text of this song, whose words and music were written by Moti Hamer, was a fitting tribute, but I found the musical arrangement and performance jarringly upbeat.

Up to this point the accompanying artists, pianist Richard Danley and drummer Mike Campenni, were discreetly in the background. During the next set, a medley of American standards, the three artists shared equal prominence. I especially liked Mr. Danley’s swinging “’’S Wonderful.” More American songs followed. For me, Ms. Haan’s best performances took place during the next two sets, sung in French. She began Jacques Brel’s “Le Port D’Amsterdam” a cappella, a wonderful change of color. The instrumentalists soon joined in, and the work crescendoed to a shattering climax. An equally successful Edith Piaf medley followed. The concert proper ended with a moving performance of Ute Lemper’s “Blood and Feathers,” based on Jacques Prévert’s poem “Sang et Plumes.”

After sustained and enthusiastic applause, Ms. Haan performed an encore, “Jerusalem of Gold.” It was touching to hear the melody being softly hummed by some audience members who sat near me.

 

 

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by Harry Saltzman  for New York Concert Review; New York, NY
Capps-Primakov-Lavrova: Passion-Romance-Fire in Review

Capps-Primakov-Lavrova: Passion-Romance-Fire in Review

Capps-Primakov-Lavrova: Passion-Romance-Fire
Ben Capps, cello; Vassily Primakov, piano; Natalia Lavrova, piano
Merkin Concert Hall, Kaufman Music Center, New York, NY
March 14, 2015

 

Take one New York cellist, two Russian pianists, and a South African composer, and you have the beginnings of a rather unusual recipe for a concert. Serve generous amounts of Rachmaninoff and Chopin, plus a premiere for zing, and one can satisfy a full house for approximately two hours. With champagne afterwards to complete the party atmosphere, this was the recipe for Passion-Romance-Fire, a concert featuring cellist Ben Capps, pianists Vassily Primakov and Natalia Lavrova, and composer Braam van Eeden, presented by the artists at Merkin Concert Hall on March 14, 2015. Unusual as the recipe was, it made perfect sense in light of the friendships among these musicians, and the rapport was quite apparent.

Mr. Primakov and Ms. Lavrova opened the evening with Sergei Rachmaninoff’s 1894 work, the Six Morceaux for piano four-hands, Op. 11. Telling native Russians the “proper” way to play Rachmaninoff may seem a bit like telling the sun how to rise, but I would like to express one reservation I had, and that was that the Barcarolle was a bit on the heavy-handed side. This minor matter notwithstanding, it was a stunning performance one would expect from two such highly accomplished pianists.

Abraham van Eeden (b. 1989), or Braam, as he prefers to be called, hails from South Africa. Mr. van Eeden is pursuing a master’s degree at the University of Pretoria in piano and compostion and theory. He is currently studying composition in New York City with one of America’s finest composers, Lowell Liebermann. It is already paying dividends, judging by the quality of the work presented at this performance. Variations on a theme by Schumann, for cello and piano four hands, written especially for Mr. Capps, Mr. Primakov, and Ms. Lavrova, was given its world premiere. The theme, Fast zu Ernst, is from Kinderszenen. There are ten variations with a closing section. Cellist Ben Capps described this work as “Shostakovich and Piazzolla had a baby,” a humorous, but apt analysis. This is a highly dramatic and effective work, filled with eerie moments and excitement, all brought to a finish that Mr. van Eeden likens to an explosion. Mr. Capps, Mr. Primakov, and Ms. Lavrova wrung out every last drop of drama in a superb performance that was the highlight of the evening for this listener. Mr. van Eeden was in attendance, and stood to acknowledge the cheers of the appreciative audience.

The unusual scoring will likely limit extensive performances. It might be a good idea for Mr. van Eeden to work out a version for cello and piano, two hands, as well.

It is indisputable that Mr. van Eeden is a natural talent with seemingly limitless potential, given his youth. What remains to be seen is if he can fully develop those gifts and grow into a composer with a truly distinctive voice. The preliminary indications are looking favorable, as the Variations on a theme by Schumann is a leap forward from some of his earlier works.

Cellist Ben Capps offered two of the warhorses of the repertoire, Chopin’s Sonata for cello and piano in G minor, Op 65, and Rachmaninoff’s Sonata for cello and piano in G minor, Op .19. Expectations are high for any cellist who programs these masterpieces. Woe be to any cellist who is not up to the mark, as these works are so well known that even the average listener will easily detect flaws. There were no worries about this, as Mr. Capps “delivered the goods” with assurance in dynamic performances, further enhanced by the technical wizardry of Mr. Primakov, who made child’s play of the ferociously difficult piano parts. This is a pairing of talents with great potential! Interested listeners would be well-advised to seek out the CD of these works that Mr. Capps and Mr. Primakov recorded, which will be released on April 15, 2015- go to LP Classics for details.

Mr. Capps is all business in his demeanor- there is none of the incessant undulating that so many performers seem to feel is necessary (note to such performers: It isn’t). Playing a 1782 cello made by William Forester, Mr. Capp produces a tone that is rich, warm, and full-bodied, without any stridency in loud passages. He makes the most difficult passagework seem effortless. The closing of the Rachmaninoff sonata was scintillating and brought the audience to their feet. It was a fine end to a fine concert. Bravo to all!

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by Jeffrey Williams  for New York Concert Review; New York, NY
Eastman School of Music presents Cahill Smith in Review

Eastman School of Music presents Cahill Smith in Review

Eastman in New York
Cahill Smith, piano
Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY
March 14, 2015

Eastman School of Music, one of the country’s leading conservatories, under the series title “Eastman in New York” presented one of its fine doctoral graduates, Cahill Smith in a recital of standards and unusual repertoire, all enlivened by Smith’s uncommon musicality.

He is an affable young fellow, with a way of showing facially just where the music is going while he plays, what points it is making, and how his involvement fits with all that, and he does it in a non-obnoxious way, a rare talent. He also at all times gives the impression of creating “on the spot” rather than just parroting something that has been over-learned by rote. This is truly a gift.

His opening Scarlatti sonata, the F minor, K. 466, played with every advantage of the modern piano’s colors and shading, contained a lot of romantic rubato, but was nevertheless totally convincing in Mr. Smith’s hands. This segued directly into Scarlatti Cadences (1996), Sebastian Currier’s postmodern take on Scarlatti’s energy, including some direct appropriations. It was a great programming idea to have the mysterious cluster that begins the Currier follow the final note of the Scarlatti with no break. I felt as though some of Messiaen’s birds wandered into Currier’s world too. The coloring was beautiful from Mr. Smith.

Mozart’s Sonata in D Major, K. 311, finds the composer in an optimistic mood, and although we know how exposed Mozart is for the intrepid pianist, Mr. Smith illuminated every phrase affectionately and with sparkle, crisp runs, and stylish ornaments.

He then closed the first half of the recital with Liszt’s epic Vallée d’Obermann, from the “Swiss” year. In his charming verbal program notes, he said that the piece was new to him, and it sounded thus. I felt it really was best in those moments when he actually got a bit wild and almost out of control. That’s when the most fitting energy was applied, and at those times it was very exciting. Perhaps as he matures with the piece, he will find more mystery, more longing, more existential dread progressing to redemption. I suggest he re-analyze the motif as a “three-note descending” rather than the scale he mentioned. That way, he will discover just how it constantly refers to Obermann’s questioning “Que veux-je?/Que suis-je?” (What do I want? What am I?)

The entire second half was devoted to a special “cause” of Mr. Smith: the piano music of Nikolai Medtner, a Russian near-contemporary of Rachmaninoff whose music has been largely neglected in the rush to modernism (he worked in a largely tonal, conservative vein, but with great originality and touching emotion). He offered selections from Forgotten Melodies, Book 1, Op. 38 (I. Sonata Reminiscenza ,II. Danza graziosa, III. Danza festiva, VI. Canzona serenata, VII. Danza silvestra , Coda. Alla Reminiscenza). Here, Mr. Smith was in his element, revealing every twist and turn, every poignant repeat of the cyclic themes, with beautiful shimmering colors I haven’t heard since Gilels played the Sonata reminiscenza in Carnegie Hall in 1980. This was the most Medtner I’ve ever heard at one time, and I was wondering since he presented Op. 38, why did Mr. Smith leave out the fourth and fifth pieces? It would have made for a longer recital for sure, but no one was complaining.

After a rousing ovation, he did a “true” encore, and repeated the second Medtner piece, the Danza graziosa, with its hints of incipient ragtime à la Russe. It was even more finely shaded than the first time. Thanks to Eastman for providing a real program, and to Mr. Smith for writing his own program notes. Bravo.

 

 

 

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

Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) presents a cappella NEXT in Review

Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) presents a cappella NEXT
Harmonia Chamber Singers, Robert Pacillo, director; Choeur de Chambre du Québec, Robert Ingari, director; Elore Festival Singers, Noel Edison, director
Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY
March 13, 2015

For the superstitious, the idea of a concert on Friday the 13th might be considered to be an ill-advised undertaking to be avoided at all costs. While those with paraskevidekatriaphobia stayed home, the hall was filled with those intrepid souls who refuse to subscribe to such beliefs, and they were rewarded with a truly outstanding concert. On March 13, 2015, Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) presented a concert entitled a cappella NEXT, an evening dedicated to contemporary choral chamber music. Featuring the talents of three choruses, one from New York and two from Canada, it was a night filled with the sounds of some old classics and exciting new works.

I had the privilege of reviewing the 2014 a cappella NEXT concert ( a cappella NEXT 2014 review), so I was looking forward to this year’s edition. Without taking anything away from the talented ensembles that sang so well in 2014, the three ensembles this year not only met the high standards of their predecessors, but moved the bar up several levels.

The Harmonia Chamber singers opened the concert. Led by Robert Pacillo, this New York based ensemble got the night off to a fine start with a rock-solid performance of My Soul, There is a Country, an anthem by the composer best known for Jerusalem, Hubert Parry. Eulogy, by Rob Deemer, with text by Brian Turner, followed. Eulogy is a written account of a solider’s suicide in Iraq. With pitch bends and near bi-tonality at times, suggestive of the waves of heat on the battefield, the pause after the solider shoots himself, and the tight harmonies as the work ends in almost a whisper, Eulogy is hauntingly moving. Mr. Deemer was present in the audience and must have been pleased by the superb performance of his piece. The next work, She Walks in Beauty by Lord Byron, was skillfully set by Jeffrey Trenchard, a member of the ensemble. Mr. Trenchard was visibly moved to tears when he stepped forward to acknowledge the audience after a lovely performance. Goin’ Home, using the Largo movement from Dvořák’s Symphony No.9 “From the New World” and a playful Nelly Bly by Stephen Foster brought the Harmonia Chamber Singers’ portion of the program to a close. An appreciative audience loudly cheered for this fine ensemble.

After a short break, Choeur de Chambre du Québec took the stage. As one would expect from an ensemble from Québec, their entire portion (dix chansons) of the program was sung in French. The details of their entire set, plus translations, can be viewed by clicking the following link: a cappella NEXT program 2015. Conductor Robert Ingari not only led his ensemble with careful attention to details of timbre, but proved to be an accomplished composer as well. His settings of the poetry of Paul Verlaine in Chanson d’automne and Soleils Couchants were compelling. Not to be overshadowed by their maître, ensemble members Guillaume Boulay and Jean-Charles Côté contributed fine works as well, all performed with flawless intonation, balance, and style. French, and French-Canadian composers (Debussy, Poulenc, Lionel Daunais, and Mark Sirett) rounded out their program. Choeur de Chambre du Québec sang these works with the native flair that a non-francophone would be hard pressed to emulate. After the last sounds of Sirett’s ravishing Ce beau printemps faded away, the audience reacted with a standing ovation for this first-rate ensemble. Bien joué, Choeur de Chambre du Québec!

After another short break, the Elora Fesitval Singers took the stage for the last set. Based in Elora, Canada, they are led by the able Noel Edison. Their opening piece, Immortality, by Timothy Corlis, was for this listener, the highlight of the evening. A crowd-pleaser from start to finish, it is a work with something for everyone- driving energy, brilliance, spine-tingling moments, sublime beauty, and a build-up to a climax that explodes before fading away. It was a great lead-off work, but I believe this placement was a tactical error- it should have been the last work on their program. Two well-known and popular works from Eric Whitacre followed- Sleep and Her Spirit Soars. The close harmonies that are so characteristic of Whitacre, were delivered precisely by the ensemble, making for a truly wonderful performance. Gloria Deo per immensa Saecula, by Healey Willan, closed the concert. This motet was the product of a challenge from a colleague about the lack of new five-part works (two other examples of similar challenges readily come to mind J.S. Bach’s Musical Offering and Thomas Tallis’s Spem in alium). It is a remarkable work and was given a remarkable performance- a real tour-de-force that might be better appreciated by choral specialists than by the average lay listener. In any case, my reservations about sequence are a matter of preference, and in no way detract anything from the fine performances. The audience gave the Elora Festival Singers a well-earned standing ovation.

Congratulations to all three ensembles. It was a lucky Friday the 13th indeed!

 

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by Jeffrey Williams  for New York Concert Review; New York, NY
New York Concert Artists & Associates Present Sergey Kuznetsov, 2014 Carnegie Debut Recital Winner in Review

New York Concert Artists & Associates Present Sergey Kuznetsov, 2014 Carnegie Debut Recital Winner in Review

New York Concert Artists & Associates Present the 2014 Carnegie Debut Recital Winner
Sergey Kuznetsov, Piano
Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY
Wednesday, March 11, 2015

A barn-storming firepower Russian virtuoso of the “old school” variety swept into town on Wednesday night in the person of Sergey Kuznetsov. I should qualify that by saying that in addition to absolute technical command and big line, Mr. Kuznetsov adds the virtues of a steely concentration, fierce intellect, and a great deal of lyrical intimacy. I’d say overall for me he was at his best in precisely those lyrical moments—however he generated the greatest audience excitement when giving full vent to what are his obviously huge passions about the music he is playing and what it is expressing. He took risks, and they paid off.

He began with a searching account of Schubert’s Impromptu No. 1 in C minor, D. 899, one that emphasized the implacable march-like nature of the material, but then dissolved into moments of heartbreaking lyricism, with a perfect singing legato and voicing. Mr. Kuzetsov then launched into the true curiosity of the program: his own transcription for solo piano of the great Schubert F minor Fantasie, D. 940, originally for piano four-hands. This is one of Schubert’s final compositions, and arguably the most profound work ever written for the medium of two players at one keyboard. I confess to being worried that the essential intimacy of the chamber-music genre would be lost, but my worries were unfounded. Due to Mr. Kuznetsov’s unlimited technique and total understanding of each gesture, I quickly and happily surrendered to this version. Interestingly, the unavoidable need for him to leave out at least some of the notes led to an increase in transparency for the piece as a whole. I only missed some of the massive climactic sonority in the final fugal section, which needed deeper basses.

He then turned to his fellow Russian, the deeply mystical, often misunderstood Scriabin. First he teased out the brief, evanescent mini-dramas of the Three Pieces, Op. 45, from Scriabin’s fully-formed mysterious late-style period. They progress backwards, with the final short piece called Prelude. Perfectly rendered, as they were here, their enigmas remain unsolvable. Mr. Kuznetsov then played Scriabin’s Third Sonata, which still relates to the Chopinesque romantic style of Scriabin’s youth, but expands the rhythmic ambiguity greatly, on the way to the later sonatas. Here Mr. Kuznetsov’s tempestuous emotions added immensely to the success of the work. I’d like to add also, that he understands something very important abut Scriabin: if you merely do literally what is on the page, often the music just “lies there.” Mr. Kuznetsov possesses the secret of what I call the “Scriabin rubato,” which knows when to surge forward, pull back, and group certain notes and rhythms together in a slightly (!) altered fashion, so that the true gesture emerges. An exciting performance.

After intermission, Chopin was the subject, starting with the rarely performed Rondo à la Mazur, an early work. I had only heard it once live, at a Horowitz recital. Mr. Kuznetsov brought so much authentic mazurka characterization to the main theme that it became a dancing joy. His sparkle and glitter were in abundance too. The 24 Preludes, Op. 28, followed. This work is far from rare, even though Chopin himself didn’t perform all of them at one sitting; this only became popular in the twentieth century. Mr. Kuznetsov seemed to have an overall plan to make these mostly brief character pieces into one arching statement. To that end, he de-sentimentalized many of them, not in itself a bad thing. I felt an indefinable need for less aggression though, only at times, and just when I was beginning to get uncomfortable with it, he redeemed it with a moment or two of stunning intimacy. A very individual approach, completely admirable in such an iconic, even overplayed, work. [A note to Martha Argerich . . . I’ve finally found someone who can play Chopin’s Prelude No. 16 faster than you, with no dropped notes, musically, and live!]

He favored his enthusiastic audience with two encores: the Chopin Berceuse, Op. 57, which contained all the delicacy I craved in the Preludes. Then the monstrously difficult Godowsky/Strauss: Symphonic Metamorphoses on Themes from Die Fledermaus. This piece contains enough notes for six hands, or, if you’re lucky enough to have him: one Kuznetsov.

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by Frank Daykin  for New York Concert Review; New York, NY
Mirror Visions Ensemble presents Journeys in Review

Mirror Visions Ensemble presents Journeys in Review

Mirror Visions Ensemble presents Journeys
Mirror Visions Ensemble- Vira Slywotzky, soprano
Scott Murphree, tenor
Jesse Blumberg, baritone
Grant Wenaus, piano
SubCulture, New York, NY
March 10, 2015

 

To celebrate the upcoming release of their CD entitled The Three-Paneled Mirror (Centaur Records CRC 3381/3382), comprised entirely of commissioned works, Mirror Visions Ensemble presented a program called Journeys at SubCulture in New York City. Featuring works from the standard repertoire paired with premiered commissioned works from contemporary composers (not included on their CD), it proved to be a trip filled with wonder and whimsy.

Mirror Visions Ensemble, directed by Tobé Malawista, has stated their mission as “performing and commissioning musical ‘mirror images’- multiple settings of the same text by one or more composers,” and presenting programs that are “built around themes and always include new works commissioned by the ensemble.” Each member of Mirror Visions has an impressive list of accomplishments and credentials as soloist and was featured as such in at least one work in the program.

Journeys included works about exploring the sea, islands, and forests, letters from friends, as well as visits to churches and several hotels. There were sixteen works total on the program with the earlier being songs from Hugo Wolf, Hector Berlioz, Joseph Haydn, Felice Blangini, Henri Duparc, 20th century masters Samuel Barber and Francis Poulenc, and popular composers Cole Porter and Stephen Schwartz. The newer were commissioned works by Gilda Lyons, Scott Wheeler, Deborah Fischer Teason, Tom Cipullo, and William Ryden.

As much as I would like to give a detailed account of all the songs, I will concentrate mostly on the commissioned works. For the older works, I will mention three highlights: Baritone Jesse Blumberg dynamic, full-bodied performance of Hugo Wolf’s Auf einer Wanderung, tenor Scott Murphree’s hilarious take on Cole Porter’s Tale of the Oyster, which had the audience roaring with laughter, and Samuel Barber’s setting of James Joyce in Solitary Hotel performed in Film Noir style, with soprano Vira Slywotzky taking the part of the femme fatale as she slinked to the front of the stage – it was campy to be sure, but how very effective it was!

Moving on to the commissioned works, Great Barrier Reef by Gilda Lyons, from “recent studies, adapted by the composer,” featured swirling sounds of the waves, as the music “flowed” from one performer to the next in rapid sequence, and with some added sound effects. It was an ingenious work given a polished performance.

Letters to Isabella, by Scott Wheeler, uses the texts of three letters written to art collector and museum founder Isabella Stewart Gardner. The first from Henry James (for tenor), the second from Paul Bourget (for soprano), and the last (for baritone) from Kakuzo Okakura, ostensibly written to his cat, who was “visiting” with Ms. Gardner. Mr. Wheeler expertly captured the tone of each letter, from the longing sighs of James, to the world-weary Bourget (who found Florida especially odious), and the playful teasing of Okakura, and the performers projected those qualities with consummate grace.

The Bells at Saint-Aignan by Deborah Fischer Teason, using text from Jeffrey Greene, was to this listener the highlight of the commissioned works. As told in the program, each bell at this church has three names, the first the name of a noble woman, the second after bees or wasps, and the third for the notes they sounded. This commemorative piece was conveyed with haunting tonal ambiguity in both the vocal and piano writing, never straying too far toward atonality, but remaining unsettled throughout. It was a mesmerizing effect, given an equally mesmerizing performance.

At the Windermere Hotel, by Tom Cipullo, with text from Nightmare at the Windermere Hotel by Edna St. Vincent Millay, was a sure-fire crowd pleaser. The audience was in stitches as the quest for an elusive cup of coffee from room service took an absurdly comic route. Even pianist Grant Wenaus got into the act – when he called out “Kitchen Speaking,” the audience howled in laughter. This was just pure fun and Mirror Visions played it for all it was worth.

William Ryden’s The Owl and the Pussy-Cat, using Edward Lear’s verses, was a delight and brought the program to a successful finish.

It was gratifying that all the composers of the commissioned works were in attendance and able to be acknowledged for their compositions by the appreciative audience.

The Ghost of Madame de Sévigné at the Carnavalet, by Christopher Berg, was offered as an encore, after which the Ensemble greeted the many people who wished to see them. Mirror Visions Ensemble is not only highly accomplished musically, but also pulls in their listeners with their winning personalities on both the individual and group level. Add those qualities to the great service they do for contemporary composers by their continual commissioning and performing of new works, and the end result is a win for everyone. I look forward to hearing more from and about Mirror Visions Ensemble.

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