Kyunghun Kim, Conductor in Review

Kyunghun Kim, conductor
The Doctors Orchestral Society of New York
Michael Katz, Cello soloist
Norman Thomas High School Auditorium; New York, NY
May 3, 2012

Kyunghun Kim is a musician with impressive credentials. Recently graduated from the Juilliard School with a Masters degree in conducting under the tutelage of James DePriest (with a full scholarship from the Bruno Walter Memorial Foundation), he also has a diploma in Conducting from the Curtis Institute of Music.  He has also had studies with other renowned conductors, such as Alan Gilbert, Marin Alsop, and Michael Tilson Thomas.  Mr. Kim is the resident conductor of the Chelsea Symphony, the New York Humanitarian Orchestra, and the orchestra he led tonight, The Doctors Orchestral Society of New York.

The Doctors Orchestra was founded in 1938 by physicians interested in performing symphonic music. Now in its 74th season, the ensemble is no longer comprised solely of physicians, but open to musicians of all professions.  As orchestra manager and cellist Charles Ippolito stated in a pre-concert address, the members of the orchestra are all volunteers who do it for the love of music.

This writer is always enthusiastic about attending concerts with non-professional players. At times the playing has been excellent and as memorable as any “professional” group, and other times, to be perfectly frank, downright appalling; no matter the end result, however, the players invest themselves with all their abilities and passion- there is never a “phone it in” attitude that I have experienced with even some of the most famous orchestras in the world.

Leading a non-professional orchestra is a big challenge. The careful selection of repertoire, limited rehearsal time, often changing personnel, wide diversity in playing abilities, and the need to be a patient teacher are all issues that must be considered. Mr. Kim appears to be the man for the job.

The Cello Concerto in B Minor, op. 104 of Antonín Dvořák, with soloist Michael Katz, opened the concert.  Mr. Kim is a hard-working conductor who strove to bring out the best from the orchestra, but the opening measures were played timidly, instead of with quiet intensity, and were marred by intonation problems. Once these issues settled a bit, the playing steadied, with Mr. Kim giving strong direction with broad gestures and a baton technique that clearly defined the beat.  Mr. Katz gave a polished performance; his tone was singing in the lyrical second movement and the bravura sections of the first and third movements were played with brio. Mr. Kim was a worthy collaborator, keeping the needs of the soloist in mind while keeping the orchestra on track.  Although there were a few instances of the orchestra overpowering the soloist and some excessive exuberance in the trumpet section in tuttis (played very well, I must admit, even if much too loudly!), the end result was a commendable performance.

After intermission, Mr. Kim offered his interpretation of Johannes Brahms’s Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 73. Completed in the space of a few months in 1877, this work is Brahms’s most optimistic and idyllic of his four symphonies.  Mr. Kim led with confidence, showing he had carefully thought out his approach and knew exactly where he was going and how to get there. The orchestra took his lead and for the most part, responded with a like confidence. The intonation problems were still an issue, and there were struggles with exposed sections, but there was some excellent playing as well; the French horn section, the lower brasses, and those loud trumpets were uniformly good.  Orchestra and conductor were at their best in the ebullient finale which ended the concert in a joyful mood. I must digress here for a moment to comment on a puzzling statement in the program notes about the finale-“Brahms’ influence from Mozart, Haydn, and Mahler can see seen in the structure and tonal progression…”. Mozart and Haydn, yes, but Mahler? Mahler was 17 years old in 1877, had only begun composing, and did not even meet Brahms until the 1890s!

Mr. Kim is a talented conductor, whose poise and clear communicative style makes him a good fit for this orchestra. Anyone can look good in front of a world-class orchestra, but it takes a special personality to work and succeed with non-professional ensembles.  I wish him good luck and continued success.

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

Gordon Getty’s “The White Election”: A Song Cycle on Poems by Emily Dickinson

Gordon Getty’s “The White Election”: A Song Cycle on Poems by Emily Dickinson
Presented by PentaTone Classics  
Lisa Delan, soprano, Kristin Pankonin, pianist
Cynthia Nixon, actress and special guest
The Stanley H. Kaplan Penthouse, Lincoln Center; New York, NY
April 19, 2012

The poems of Emily Dickinson have proven to be fertile ground for musical settings by many composers.  Vincent Persichetti, George Perle, and Aaron Copland in his brilliant “12 Poems of Emily Dickinson” (which is probably the most well-known), among others, have all composed works using her verses.  Gordon Getty (b. 1933) has thrown his hat in the ring with his song cycle “The White Election” (written in 1981), using 32 of Dickinson’s poems in four sections of eight each.

Mr. Getty carefully chose the poems and arranged them in nearly chronological order, taking the listener on a journey through the life of Dickinson. One could make the case that Dickinson’s poems are more autobiographical than those of other noted poets. In his excellent and extensive program notes, Mr. Getty quotes Dickinson: “Mine, by the right of the White Election!…Mine, by the Grave’s Repeal! Title Confirmed! Delirious Charter! Mine, as long as ages steal!”, signifying Dickinson’s renunciation of the world, but also her idea of the perfect marriage at death.

Mr. Getty has stated his composer’s credo as follows: “My style is undoubtedly tonal, though with hints of atonality, such as any composer would likely use to suggest a degree of disorientation. But I’m strictly tonal in my approach. I represent a viewpoint that stands somewhat apart from the 20th century, which was in large measure a repudiation of the 19th, and a sock in the nose to sentimentality. Whatever it was the great Victorian composers and poets were trying to achieve, that’s what I am trying to achieve.” How true to this ideal is Mr. Getty in “The White Election”?  For the most part, he is. The work has the flavor of the 19th century salon. The writing is strictly tonal, with the occasional dissonance. Mr. Getty has a definite talent for setting text to music in a fluent, natural way, but his skeletal writing for the piano accompaniment lent a monochromatic element to many of the songs. One might call this an astute choice by the composer, in keeping with the style of Dickinson (which a Dickinson-loving colleague calls “close to the bone”). Also, there was a heavy reliance on recitative, which could give the listener the impression that there is not enough melodic material for the great number of poems chosen. One would have to admit, though, that some of the songs were quite striking and effective and could be done independently of the entire cycle.  “I Taste a Liquor Never Brewed” had a saucy, playful quality; “My First Well Day, Since Many Ill” had the soprano and pianist in perfect union; and “I Like to See it Lap the Miles” had delicate beauty in the piano writing (which proves that Mr. Getty has the ability to write effectively for the piano). Finally, “There Came a Wind like a Bugle” can hold its own with Copland’s setting of the same poem. To this listener, it was the highlight of the entire cycle. “The White Election” is at once sublime, primitive, clever, repetitive, innocent, morose, and compelling—just like Emily Dickinson herself.

Soprano Lisa Delan gave a moving performance. It is obvious that she loves these songs and sings them with the conviction of a true believer. Indeed, she has performed “The White Election” extensively and has recorded the cycle on the PentaTone Classics Label (PTC 5186 054). Her diction is superb (for once, I did not have my head buried in the text to understand the words!), and her voice captured the essence of these songs. She was a joy to hear and watch. Pianist Kristin Pankonin was an able accompanist, playing with sensitivity, even though this work leaves little for the pianist to do. To prelude each section, stage and screen actress Cynthia Nixon lent her talents to the evening with engaging readings of Emily Dickinson’s letters (passages were selected and arranged by Judith Farr, Professor Emerita of English and American Literature at Georgetown University). At the conclusion, Mr. Getty joined the performers on stage for bows in front of an appreciative audience.

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

Pro Musicis Concert Series 2012 in Review

Pro Musicis Concert Series 2012
Andrew Staupe, piano, Alexandria Le, piano
Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall;  New York, NY
April 11, 2012
 
Alexandria Le

Alexandria Le

Pro Musicis award winners Andrew Staupe and Alexandria Le appeared in a shared recital that also was each pianist’s New York debut.  With three world premiere pieces and some of the great works in the piano repertoire, it had the makings of a fascinating evening.  Happily, this was the case, as both performers brought brilliance, poetry, and a deep understanding of their respective selections.

Andrew Staupe

Andrew Staupe

Mr. Staupe took the first half of the recital and opened with the Fantasy in F-sharp Minor, Op. 28, by Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847). Commonly called “Scottish Fantasy”, this work is Mendelssohn’s musical impression of Scotland, imbued with the spirit of the ancient poet Ossian. Mr. Staupe demonstrated a good sense of drama, with a confident manner, never allowing the stormy moments to be muddied or the lyrical sections to become overly sentimental, ending this work with a driven passion.  Two world premiere works followed without break between them. As Mr. Staupe informed the audience, these works were written especially for him by composers who are his close friends. The first by Christopher Walczak (b.1970), “Dark Blue Etude”, is in the words of the composer, “a hyper-compressed sonata form with a disproportionate coda”.  Indeed, it was over almost as soon as it began, but was played with subtlety.  I’d like to hear this work again, but at a much slower tempo! “Delusion” by Karl Blench (b. 1981) relies on the performer to choose the pace (“play the notes as fast as comfortably possible”), which makes each performance unique, but highly dependent on the ability of the performer. Mr. Staupe’s technical prowess made it a success.  Following these premieres was “La terrasse des audiences du clair de lune”, from the Préludes, Book II, of Claude Debussy (1862-1918). Awash in exoticism, this work requires a nuanced touch, which Mr. Staupe provided in a delicate and crystalline performance. The pianissimo final measures were stunningly rendered with a clarity I have rarely heard.  “Rudepoêma” by Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887-1959) ended Mr. Staupe’s half. This massive work, with elements of savagery is not for the faint of heart (listener and performer alike!).  Described by some as a Brazilian “Le Sacre du Printemps”, I disagree; this work is the essence of Villa-Lobos – raw genius overflowing with ideas and passion. Mr. Staupe gave a brilliant performance, handling the virtuosic demands with apparent ease, capturing the savage without ever resorting to pounding, and maintaining a tremendous level of stamina and power. After the four final fist-driven hammer blows, the audience responded with what appeared to be bewildered applause.  I was stunned- this was one of the most incredible performances of this masterpiece I have ever heard, live or recorded. I wanted to shout out to the audience, “Wake up! Don’t you realize you have had the privilege of hearing a once-in-a-lifetime performance!”  Almost as an apology, Mr. Staupe played a Scarlatti sonata as an encore (stating “let me play something without my fist”), which he did with grace.

Ms. Le began her half with the Fantasy in G minor, Op. 77 of Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827).  Written in an improvisational style, this work shows the influence of C.P.E. Bach, whom Beethoven admired greatly. Ms. Le is a passionate and involved player; she invests herself entirely in her performance, which is ideal for a work of this nature.  Playing with fiery abandon, Ms. Lee gave a reading filled with impulsive pathos, but also longing and beauty.  “Competing Demands” by Ryan Carter (b.1981) was given its world premiere by Ms. Le. Mr. Carter is a close friend and former classmate of Ms. Le and he wrote this piece especially for her. Ms. Le shared with the audience that Mr. Carter is a great fan of the hall and wrote the piece with the hall in mind – an interesting concept.  Requiring a delicate, quicksilver touch in the right hand and a loud, insistent left hand, Ms. Le showed that she was up to the challenge.  There might have been a moment when something in the treble lost traction, but all in all, it was an exciting performance. To finish her half, Ms. Le took on “Pictures at an Exhibition” by Modest Mussorgsky (1839-1881). This work suits Ms Le completely – the concept of musical realizations of art works by a pianist who is so adept at painting tonal pictures.  “The Gnome” was played with sinister grotesqueness that was spot on.  “Tuileries” had the light and delicate touch of children at play, while “Bydlo” was powerfully played, as if the depicted wagon were passing through the hall, fading as it exited.  “The Ballet of the Chicks in Their Shells” had all the humor one could imagine, and “Catacombs”, “Roman Tombs”, and “Cum Mortuis in Lingua Mortua” were simply fantastic. “The Hut on Fowl’s Legs” was played by Ms. Le with demonic flair. She brought this tour-de-force to a close with a majestic “Great Gate of Kiev”, which ended a memorable performance in triumphal style. The audience responded with waves of applause. For an encore, Ms. Le gave a poetic reading of “Danza de la moza donosa” from the “Danzas Argentinas” of Argentine composer Alberto Ginastera. As a final send off, the two pianists paired to play the Hungarian Melody, D.817 of Franz Schubert, as arranged by Mr. Staupe for four hands.

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

MetLife Foundation Music of the Americas Concert Series in Review

Stephanie Griffin, viola, Cheryl Seltzer, piano
Music of Brady, Greenbaum, Babbitt, Milhaud, Pärt, and Shostakovich
Americas Society; New York, NY
March 20, 2012
 
Stephanie Griffin and Cheryl Seltzer

Stephanie Griffin and Cheryl Seltzer; Photo Credit: Hiroyuki Ito

 
 

 

Stephanie Griffin, violist and founding member of the Momenta Quartet, and Cheryl Seltzer, pianist, founder, and co-director of the internationally renowned group Continuum, joined forces recently in recital at the Americas Society. This pairing of two intelligent and sensitive musicians led to dynamic and thought-provoking performances. Billed as featuring an homage to Milton Babbitt, I found the concept of the entire program to be an homage by performers and composers to those who touched their lives. In the extensive program notes, Ms. Seltzer writes of her friendship and admiration for Babbitt, her teacher Milhaud, and the honor of having premiering a Pärt work with the composer present.  Ms. Griffin writes of her close friendship with Greenbaum, and Shostakovich’s tribute to Beethoven. This information gave the performances special meaning, and the performers demonstrated the sincerity of their words by their passionate playing of the works.

“Three or Four Days After the Death of Kurt Cobain” by Canadian composer Tim Brady (b. 1956) opened the program. This work brought to this listener’s mind the “Love-Death” music of George Crumb’s “Makrokosmos”, with “Smells like Teen Spirit” taking the place of Chopin’s Fantasie-Impromptu. The passing of the thematic material between the two players was done seamlessly and made what might have seemed an odd idea very effective. “Double Song for Viola Sola: In memoriam Milton Babbitt” from Matthew Greenbaum (b.1950) followed.  This work could be described as two voices speaking simultaneously, one voice quiet and the other much more assertive.  Ms. Griffin took this ingenious concept and gave an assured performance, capturing clearly the distinctive voices and making child’s play of the technical demands. I’m sure Babbitt would have heartily approved of the piece and the performance.

Written in 1950, eight years before his famous (and controversial) article “Who Cares if You Listen?”in High Fidelity magazine, Milton Babbitt’s “Composition for Viola and Piano” is a piece very much worth hearing. Babbitt (1916-2011), the mathematician, used permutations of various intervals in a colorful manner, with mercurial interplay of ideas between the viola and the piano. This is a work of equals, and the performers were outstanding–both as individuals and as a duo. Played with energy and commitment, this performance was a highlight of the evening and should serve as an impetus for the audience members to explore further Babbitt works.

“Quatre Visages”, written in 1943 by Darius Milhaud (1892-1974), is a musical depiction of four imaginary ladies in different locales. Ms. Griffin and Ms. Seltzer captured the jazzy charm of “La Californienne” (which one should note had a distinct French flavor), the mournful outlook of the time in “La Bruxelloise”, and the jaunty optimism of “La Parisienne”.  I found “The Wisconsonian” to be more frenetic than the “bustling” that the program notes suggested, but this was my only reservation in an otherwise delightful performance.

After intermission, Ms. Seltzer played Arvo Pärt’s “For Alina”, a short piece written for a young Estonian girl. Pärt (b.1935), after abandoning serial and other modern techniques, adopted an approach that he refers to as “tintinnabuli”.  “For Alina” was one of his first works in this new style. While not technically demanding in a virtuosic sense, it nonetheless requires considerable skill for the performer to produce the bell-like sound without a harsh percussiveness. Ms. Seltzer gave a brief performance (the performer often repeats the 15 bars of written music ad lib.) that showed her complete involvement and attentiveness to the finest of details.

Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975), like Mahler before him, wrote music with strong autobiographical meaning and content. His final work, the Sonata for Viola and Piano, Op. 147–written in the last year of his life–is no exception. This masterpiece could be considered Shostakovich’s final ‘letter’ to the world, which was only ‘read’ in its entirety after his death.  Ms. Griffin and Ms. Seltzer gave a performance to remember; one could sense that the aura of Shostakovich himself was in the room guiding the players.  The biting, sarcastic, and grotesque were all there, along with the quiet despair and the poignant. The finale, which has elements of Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata”, was said by Shostakovich himself to be in memory of Beethoven.  Ms. Griffin’s and Ms. Seltzer’s persuasive playing did honor to the final musical words of a great composer. The audience responded with well-deserved and extended applause, calling the performers back for multiple bows. One trusts that Ms. Griffin and Ms. Seltzer will pair up often in the future; both are wonderful musicians and make a dynamic duo.

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

Distinguished Concerts International New York: DCINY in Review

Requiem X 2: Mozart and Clausen
Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center, New York
March 18, 2012
 
DCINY

DCINY- Requiem

Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) is an organization that believes in presenting concerts on the grand scale, with performers of all ages from schools and ensembles throughout the country. Having attended many DCINY concerts, I have seen and felt the excitement that fills the hall in anticipation of their performances.  Today was no exception, as over 200 singers filed onto the stage of Avery Fisher Hall with full orchestra; I was ready for a memorable concert. I was not disappointed.

The concert, entitled “Requiem X 2,” was just that, two Requiems. The first was the Requiem in D minor, K. 626 of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and the second (New York Premiere) was the Requiem of DCINY composer-in-residence René Clausen.

Mozart’s Requiem in D minor, K. 626 has a storied history. Commissioned by Count Franz von Walsegg as a memorial to his late wife, it was unfinished by Mozart at the time of his death in 1791.  His student Franz Xaver Süssmayr completed the work, using various sketches Mozart had left and his claim of being familiar with Mozart’s wishes about the composition.  How much of the work is Mozart and how much is Süssmayr is still being debated to this day.

Conductor Vance George led with a steady and confident manner. The orchestra took his lead and played with precision, capturing both stormy despair and heavenly spirit in equal measure. Special mention must be made of the “Tuba Mirum”’s excellent trombone soloist, who played with amazing clarity and tone. I wish that DCINY would list the orchestra personnel in the programs so they could be credited! Soprano Jennifer Aylmer sang with a clear, soaring beauty, and Mezzo-soprano Holly Sorensen was radiant in the solo part written for Contralto. Tenor Young-Ha Kim sang with impressive projection, and Bass-Baritone David Salsbery Fry delivered a strong and committed performance. What was particularly striking was how well the four soloists balanced in ensemble sections; it is not unusual for one voice to overshadow the others, but there was no instance of that here. The chorus, consisting of five choirs from high schools in Arizona and Indiana, and choral groups from California and Massachusetts, lent powerful support to capture the full scale of this emotionally supercharged work.

René Clausen (b. 1953), currently Associate Professor of Music at Concordia College in Minnesota, possesses the ability to write music of substance that is still within the technical grasp of a wide range of performers. This quality has made Dr. Clausen a favorite composer of many choirs in the country.  He writes of his Requiem that it was written to be “accessible and ‘user-friendly’ to singers, players, and the audience.” One could say with confidence that he has succeeded in his goal.

Conductor Bradley Ellingboe was an engaging, attentive, and fully involved conductor whose dedication any composer would be pleased to have. He bounded athletically from the wings onto the stage and jumped to the podium. One could feel the energy even before the first note was played. Once again, I must give kudos to excellent soloists, this time on the French horn and the oboe.

If one was expecting a more modern version of Mozart, that notion was quickly dispelled. Clausen’s overall conception is not dark and foreboding, but serene and hopeful. Clausen has written a work of great power, with moments of conflict, naturally enough the “Dies Irae” with its sinister pizzicato basses and angry brass declarations, but the work as a whole radiated beauty. Soprano Leslie Umphrey was angelic in the “Pie Jesu.” Tenor Sam Shepperson contributed his vocal mastery with refinement, and the indefatigable Bass-Baritone David Salsbery Fry was back and still strong. Four choirs from New Mexico made up the over 200 strong chorus. After the last measures of the ethereal “In Paradisum” quieted to pianissimo, then faded to complete silence, one could hear the collective exhalation of the audience. After what seemed to be an eternity, the audience exploded into applause, which became thunderous when Dr. Clausen came to the stage for a well-deserved bow. This is a work that can stand comparison to any other Requiem and I do hope that it will be recorded and made available to the public. Congratulations to Dr. Clausen and DCINY!

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