Carlos Perez, guitar

Carlos Perez, guitar
Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY
March 18, 2010

Guitarist Carlos Perez, a native of Chile, presented a potpourri of composers from Bach to Rodrigo on his recital. He performed entirely from memory. Rodrigo’s Elogio de la Guitarra is wonderfully inventive, and Perez played it with much flavor and zest¸ and with spontaneity of tempo and spirit. Another highlight of the program was the inventive, captivating and technically demanding Tarentella by David Pavlovits. Pavlovitz is a young Hungarian composer and guitarist (one can tell he plays guitar because his work is so idiomatic for the instrument) whose work is inspired by the folklore of South-Eastern Europe. Perez played the piece with both depth of character and technical accomplishment.

In Carulli’s Deux Andantes (No. 1 and 3), Op. 320, Perez showed a wide variety of color, and the pieces were exquisitely rendered. Bach’s Cello Suite No. 4 in E-flat is not really suited to guitar, as one misses the sustained sound of the cello and its dynamic range. Antonio Lauro’s Three Pieces could have used more contrast as well, although the Romanza was perfect in its detail. Four Chilean Folk Songs could not have been played with a more natural affinity for the style. Earlier in the program, I occasionally wished for more definition in the phrasing, but here, Perez brought a lovely shape to all of them, especially to Parabienes—Ya se casaron los novios, where a captivating, gradual decrescendo had me searching for the fading sonorities at the edge of my seat.

Perez has issued ten CDs, two DVDs, and recorded at several European radios, and he has given recitals in over thirty countries in North, Central, and South America as well as Europe. He has played at the Berlin Philarmonie, the Auditorio Nacional in Spain, and England’s Royal Festival Hall among others. We look forward to his next recital here in New York. No doubt, he has much to offer the guitar community.

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

University of Louisville Grawemeyer Players

University of Louisville Grawemeyer Players
Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY
March 9, 2010

After a fascinating and thorough pre-concert lecture by composer Augusta Read Thomas,
in which she discussed the relevance and mission of classical contemporary concert music and how the University of Louisville School of Music’s Grawemeyer Award— celebrating an important 25th Anniversary—has helped and could help foster this mission, several faculty members from the school assembled to perform music by current and past Grawemeyer Award winners.

Lutoslawski won in 1985 and wrote Grave (Metamorphoses) for cello and piano in 1981. The performers here, cellist Paul York and pianist Krista Wallace-Boaz, performed this first-rate work admirably, with pacing and a good eye for the overall structure. The Little Predicament “A kis csava” (1978) by Gyorgy Kurtag, who won in 2006, is comprised of four short pieces which are outrageously humorous— all the more comical due to its clever scoring of piccolo¸ trombone and guitar. The performers, Kathleen Karr on piccolo, guitarist Stephen Mattingly, and trombonist Brett Shuster played with unity of ensemble—although Shuster, who has a great sound, had some trouble producing the work’s difficult high notes.

Sebastian Currier, 2007 Grawemeyer winner, composed Verge in1997, and there is no shortage of humor and ingenuity in this clever array of nine (almost ten) movements, which have titles like Almost Too Fast, Almost Too Slow, Almost Too Little (only about 10 seconds long), Almost Too Much, etc. The latter is the climactic piece, with a consistently exciting, pulsating drive. The last, Almost Too Calm, is a fitting close despite its slow tempo, because it reaches a sublime, stratospheric peak that is exquisitely beautiful. Pianist Wallace-Boaz, violinist J. Patrick Rafferty, and clarinetist Dallas Tidwell played the work very well, although Rafferty—while very talented—played with a tentative sound this evening.

Peter Lieberson, who won in 2008, had 3 Songs from his Rilke Songs performed by outstanding soprano Edith Davis Tidwell and her fine pianist Naomi Oliphant. There is some Mahlerian influence in the melodic writing and it sometimes uniquely combines with a piano left-hand that is almost jazz-like. Three Caprichos after Goya, written by 2009 winner Brett Dean, are three delightful and well-crafted pieces for solo guitar. It was performed by Stephen Mattingly, who played this work without much imagination or depth of dynamics (his instrument didn’t resonate enough.)

Klangzeichen (2003), the wind quintet with piano composed by this year’s winner, York Holler (born 1944), was given an absolutely polished, dynamic and riveting performance by Karr on flute, oboist Jennifer Potochnic, Tidwell on clarinet, Bruce Heim on horn, and bassoonist Matthew Karr. The work is skillfully written for sustained or chiming piano against fast, double-tonguing wind-playing; the parts often switch roles, with much interchange. The tension and even clashing among the various parts symbolize the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and an old Hebrew melody, which was previously complicated and fragmented, becomes touchingly simple and innocent towards the end, with a tribute to the children of the two lands. Unfortunately, the composers were unavailable to hear their music on this occasion; it was an important evening for live contemporary concert music.

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

Benefit Concert for Haiti

Benefit Concert for Haiti
Xu Hui, piano;
Frank Lévy, piano;
Andy McCullough, tenor
Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY
February 22, 2010

In the wake of Haiti’s disastrous earthquake, it is heartening to see numerous concerts by musicians joining forces to raise funds, and a recital by Xu Hui and Frank Lévy was among them. Though the audience was small, the spirit of giving was palpable.

Opening with the four-hand work, En Bateau from Debussy’s Petite Suite, the duo gave a gently lilting—if off-the-cuff—reading. Xu Hui continued in a meditative vein with Liszt’s Transcendental Etude No. 9, Ricordanza. It was refreshing to hear this work alone, as a special homage or remembrance, rather than as part of a barrage of blockbuster etudes. Xu Hui gave the work the sensitivity and patient lyricism it needs.

The programming of Gaspard de la Nuit by Ravel raised expectations that the evening would officially “set sail,” but tonal beauty and polish took precedence over drama here. Ondine’s vexation was subdued, and even the nightmarish visage of Scarbo took on a silky veneer. Xu Hui has tremendous potential if she widens her range a bit. To close the first half, Andy McCullough sang An American Hymn, an appropriately nostalgic song by Lee Holdridge (b. 1944, Port-Au-Prince), with Xu Hui at the piano. Though a lovely gesture, it effectively underscored the absence of other composers born in—or with connections to—Haiti; there are several other composers that could have been included to enhance the evening’s theme.

Frank Lévy’s portion of the program opened with Scarlatti’s Sonata, L. 457 in C Major, thoughtfully wrought, even if pedaling became tricky with such a resonant piano. Schubert’s Four Impromptus, Op. 90 enjoyed the command of a mature master with a marvelous ability to bend a phrase at just the right time. Liszt’s Vallée d’Obermann, commendably performed, elicited an encore of Chopin’s Nocturne in D-flat, Op. 27, No. 1, which was played with breathtaking delicacy. The evening was capped off with a four-hand encore: Dvorak’s Slavonic Dance in E minor from his Opus 72.

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

Distinguished Concerts International New York – Love, Lust, and Light: A Valentine’s Day Concert

Distinguished Concerts International New York – Love, Lust, and Light: A Valentine’s Day Concert
Love, Lust, and Light: A Valentine’s Day Concert
Carnegie Hall: Stern Auditorium, New York, NY
February 14, 2010

After hearing this concert, I am happy to report that high quality choral singing in the United States is flourishing. In my review of DCINY’s January 18th concert at Avery Fisher Hall, I lauded them for bringing fine amateur choruses to New York. The sentiments expressed in that review are equally applicable to this afternoon’s concert.

This Valentine’s Day concert began with Morten Lauridsen’s gentle “Lux Aeterna” (“Eternal Light”) – definitely a non-Valentine’s Day piece, but connected to “Love and Lust” by alliteration. Nancy Menk, a prominent Indiana choral conductor, led five choirs and the Distinguished Concerts Orchestra International, a group of fine New York free-lance musicians who perform at DCINY choral concerts. The singers were drawn from three high school choirs, leavened by more mature voices from two of Ms. Menk’s own performing organizations. What a glorious sound! But there were some problems with diction – vowels were fine, but most consonants were indistinct. And many choral entrances were tentative. As to Ms. Menk’s conducting technique: it was hard to discern a clear pattern to the beat, and there was little connection between what was going on in the music and the beat’s size and intensity. Most gestures were just too large. Good amateur choral singers don’t need the music to be constantly “drawn out from them.”

After intermission, the “Love and Lust” theme was expressed in a work beloved of many choruses and audiences, Carl Orff’s “Carmina Burana.” We heard six choirs, a much larger orchestra and three soloists, all under the masterful direction of Vance George (DCINY Conductor Laureate). We also saw a quite different conducting technique – clear, economic, elegant. While setting fine tempi and skillfully shaping the overall performance, he just let the performers make the music they had so carefully rehearsed. No need to “draw it out from them.”

Dillon McCartney sang the stratospheric tenor part of the “Roasted Swan” with ease. Soprano Penelope Shumate, in a sexy red gown which conjured up the word “lust”, possessed a beautiful, flexible, dramatic voice. My favorite soloist was baritone Stephen Swanson, whose expressive sound was especially thrilling in the upper registers.

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by Harry Saltzman  for New York Concert Review; New York, NY

Denitsa Laffchieva, clarinet; Ofer Canetti, cello; Maria Prinz, piano

Denitsa Laffchieva, clarinet;
Ofer Canetti, cello;
Maria Prinz, piano
Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY
February 11, 2010

Three musicians from different corners of the world, Maria Prinz from Bulgaria; Denitsa Laffchieva from Bulgaria—but residing in London; and Ofer Canetti from Israel, converged recently to perform a program of Debussy, Strauss and Zemlinsky. The concert was presented by MidAmerica Productions. Each musician impressed in different ways, not always complementary to one another, but ultimately providing a stimulating evening to their large audience.

Opening with Debussy’s Première Rhapsodie for clarinet and piano, Prinz provided a gently colored backdrop for Laffchieva’s silky, elegant clarinet sound. Both players managed the challenges of the work with grace and ease overall, though this listener somewhat missed the sensuous abandon heard in favorite performances. Perhaps simply living with the work a bit more would help. It’s also possible that placing the piano lid on the half-stick (it was on full) might have rendered pianistic details less constraining to the clarinetist.

Ofer Canetti joined forces with the versatile Ms. Prinz in Strauss’s Sonata, Op. 6. This was a full-bodied and impassioned performance. Canetti is a powerfully communicative young musician of strong temperament and technique. Some slipping of the endpin at the beginning seemed ready to derail things, but he drove it into the floor with force (from a height and with a loud thud) and continued. One was at first surprised by this harpooning exhibition, but with a player as naturally expressive and unselfconscious as Mr. Canetti, such matters may unfortunately escape consideration. Unfazed, he dove deeply into the work, projecting each nuance with sensitivity, while keeping a firm grip on the larger structure. Prinz ably held her own with her demanding part (made more so by some unruly page-turns). A piano on half-stick and more regular collaboration will bring them to an even higher level.

The second half consisted of the Zemlinsky Trio, Op. 3, a challenging, Brahmsian work that requires a special advocacy to pull it off. It seemed under-rehearsed here; despite some beautiful solos passed between clarinet and cello, there was some groping in the dark for the music’s shape and direction. The third movement of the Brahms Op. 114 Trio was played as an encore, and the performance made one wish that that trio had been played instead of the Zemlinsky.

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

Musica de Camara String Ensemble

Musica de Camara String Ensemble
Christian Colberg, conductor
The Cathedral of St. Patrick’s
February 11, 2010

The soloists who participated in this concert “Celebrating 30 Years of Excellence in Classical Music” were fine ambassadors of Musica de Camara’s mission to present “Puerto Rican and Hispanic classical musicians in concert.” And the Musica de Camara String Ensemble, made up of Hispanic and non-Hispanic players, presented a beautiful picture of the diversity of this great city of ours.

After a special introductory proclamation from the City Council of New York, presented by its Speaker of the House, Christine Quinn, we heard a reduced group of the ensemble perform J.S. Bach’s Double Violin Concerto in D minor, BWV 1043. My worries about how this piece would fare in the over-reverberant acoustics of the cathedral were unfounded. The polyphonic textures were clear, and the expert soloists, Jose Miguel Cueto and Evelyn Estava, were well balanced. They handled the work’s technical demands with ease and performed the slow movement with lilting grace. I did miss the use of a harpsichord continuo to fill in the chords during the solo passages accompanied by just cello and bass. And we needed more celli and basses during the tutti sections.

The rest of the players then joined their colleagues for a luscious performance of Ralph Vaughan Williams’ “Fantasy on a Theme of Thomas Tallis”. Here, the ensemble’s beautiful, rich sound was further enhanced by the cathedral’s live acoustics. This is a perfect piece for this space, but a very important spatial aspect of the work was disregarded. It is scored for a string quartet and two different sized string orchestras. If, as in tonight’s performance, these orchestras aren’t physically separated from each other, the composer’s antiphonal effects are weakened or lost. Although we heard a fine performance, skillfully paced and shaped by conductor Christian Colberg, it was one which didn’t express a crucial part of the composer’s intent.

A performance of Dvorak’s Serenade for Strings in E major, Opus 22 exhibited the same fine intonation and tight ensemble we heard all evening. But here the echoey acoustics got in the way and created muddy textures. The concert ended with a spirited performance of Jose Ignacio Quinton’s Puerto Rican dance, “El Coqui.”

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by Harry Saltzman  for New York Concert Review; New York, NY

The Park Avenue Chamber Symphony

The Park Avenue Chamber Symphony
David Bernard, conductor

 

Sirena Huang, violin

 

All Saints Church, New York, NY

 

February 7, 2010

 

The Park Avenue Chamber Symphony

 

Sirena Huang was the featured soloist, and despite her fifteen years of age, she played Saint-Saens’ Third Violin Concerto like a seasoned pro. Not only did Sirena confidently “nail” the difficult notes in the stratosphere of her instrument and play with a beautifully resonant sound, she winningly captured the essence of this brilliant French score. The Park Avenue Chamber Symphony’s talented Music Director, David Bernard, held things together very well, but he needs more rehearsal time to work on the pitch of the winds, as chords in the second movement were significantly out of tune. This was also true of the chords in the first movement of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony—before the recapitulation. Still, there were many things to admire in this performance of the Fifth. For one, there was excellent precision of ensemble in the notoriously tricky first movement, with all its off-beat entrances. One also felt and heard the players’ emotional commitment throughout the symphony. I also really liked Bernard’s emphasis of the first movement’s famous four-note motive when it appears in the horns two or four times slower than normal (as augmentation). 

I did find it very unusual that on the third fermata of the first movement opening, in which the first violins sustain a high G, some violinists—on two different occasions—also held the B-natural, which, traditionally, is only a part of the chord’s roll. Tempo-wise, the last movement Allegro was faster than usual—it was refreshing to hear, although the strings sometimes struggled with the pace. The third movement Scherzo, on the other hand, sounded slower than usual; Beethoven’s Allegro indication (not to mention his metronome marking), was ignored in this performance—but many agree that Beethoven hastily added some of his metronome markings in order to accommodate his publisher. Wagner’s Prelude to Act III of “Lohengrin”, which was placed on the second half before the Beethoven, was played with unabashed exuberance—as it should be. Food for thought: as it is so extremely short, I wonder how it would have fit on the first half, immediately prior to the Overture to “Die Fledermaus”, which opened the program. The Strauss—like the Wagner—was performed with an immensely appealing flair. 

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

Distinguished Concerts International New York – “Music on Canvas, 57×7”

Distinguished Concerts International New York
“Music on Canvas, 57×7”
Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY
January 23, 2010

An enjoyable presentation of music and art—and even fashion—entitled: “Music on Canvas, 57×7” took place on January 23rd at… (Actually, the numbers in the title cleverly indicate the concert’s location, so take a guess.) (Yet…you’ve probably already seen the location listed in the above heading, so never mind.) Anyway, while we listened to music sung by the delightful Amy Buckley and Kirsten Allegri, we were afforded the luxury of seeing portraits by talented artist Stef-Albert Bothma. Bothma has a unique style to his paintings—several of them portraits of composers on the program—and they are brilliant in their use of color and chiaroscuro (light-dark contrasts). I recommend that you take a look at his website to peruse his work: www.stefalbertstudios.com. Slides of his paintings lingered tastefully on screen and appropriately back-dropped the music—never flashing at a quick pace to distract us from the performances. After the concert, the audience was treated to a viewing of his originals.

Allegri and Buckley frequently perform individually but also as the duo “Canzone”, and one could instantly recognize the chemistry between them. Mozart’s “Via Resti..” from “Figaro” had more than the requisite comedy and charm, and technically they have the goods as well: “Pur ti miro” from “Poppea” was sung with excellent intonation, a matching vibrato, and a unified eye for peaks of phrase. Kirsten Allegri went solo with both sincerity and elegance in Korngold’s lush and inspired “Lieder des Abschieds”. Her rendering of Bernstein’s “I Am Easily Assimilated” from “Candide” was carefree and sexy, with exceptionally funny accents. Buckley’s solo turn in Rachmaninoff songs displayed her stunningly accurate and beautiful high range.

Bothma’s improvisations on “Carmen” and on Gershwin melodies show promise, but editing might be welcome: they ramble on a bit, and some harmonies and key shifts were awkward. He tends to over-pedal at the piano–obscuring some melodic lines–but his solo octave-playing was impressively virtuoso-like. Bothma’s beautiful artwork wasn’t the only stunning visual aspect to this unique program; the ladies were splendidly and varyingly gowned in several different Alecia Zameska designs that seemed tailor-made for the music at hand. (I never comment on wardrobe, so trust me that this made an impression.) One example was Buckley’s eye-catching dress accompanied by a diamond necklace in a sparkling performance of “Glitter and Be Gay” from “Candide”. Her great comic timing didn’t hurt either.

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

Continuum: Celebrating Ursula Mamlok

Merkin Concert Hall, New York, NY
January 13, 2010

Ursula Mamlok Photo Credit Simon Pauly

 Continuum’s commemoration of Ursula Mamlok’s 87th birthday spanned the 50 years of her journey as a composer. And this revealing concert showed us that this important composer was steadfastly devoted to her unique style, which for the most part follows serialism. Due to inclement weather and the hardship of travel, Ms. Mamlok was unfortunately unable to attend this concert and tribute. She would have been greatly touched by the numerous reflections and anecdotes of her friends and acquaintances. Though she is an urbanite, her connections to the natural world are a continual thread that permeates her oeuvre. That thread was beautifully interwoven by Continuum’s directors, Cheryl Seltzer and Joel Sachs. From the first note of Ulla Suokko’s poignant, impassioned presentation of the demanding solo pieces “Arabesque for Flute” (1960) and “Variations for Solo Flute” (1961) to the intricate ensemble-piece “Girasol” (1990), the performers and audience remained captivated in the microcosms of sound that enveloped them. Whether the subject matter was a bird or a flower, the performers were able to reach inside the material and extract Mamlok’s experience. Fragility and humor were included in each inward journey.

The “Rhapsody” (1989), cohesively and serenely presented by pianist Cheryl Seltzer, clarinetist Moran Katz, and violist Stephanie Griffin, revealed a world of light hidden within the dark palette of the viola and clarinet. Joel Sachs’ presentation of “Sculpture” (1964) captured the suspended stillness embedded in this work; though the opening was colored in dark, sinister tones rife with anxiety, the work slowly calms to a quiet curiosity. An irregular yet delicate dance came across in the “The Love Song of Two Pigeons” (1991), another world premiere; Mr. Sachs created a stunning web of sound to support the challenging demands. Stephanie Griffin’s quiet energy captured the beauty of “From My Garden” (1983). With the skill and insight acquired over a lifetime of artistry, Mamlok produces a sublime rendering of biological wonders, without cliché.

In “Confluences” (2001), a Continuum commission performed by clarinetist Moran Katz, violinist  Renee Jolles, cellist Joanne Lin and pianist Cheryl Seltzer, the poignancy of the music was captured with expression and outstanding clarity. The String Quartet No.2 (1998), with its contrasting themes and colors passed among the performers in continuous conversation, was carefully rendered by Renee Jolles and Airi Yoshioka, violinists; violist Stephanie Griffin and cellist Joanne Lin.  This extraordinary program closed with a witty and enjoyable performance by clarinetists Charles Neidich and Ayako Oshima in the world premiere of the latest Ursula Mamlok composition: “Aphorisms II” for Clarinet Duo (2009). Their playful interchanges fashioned a delightful coda to this significant celebration of Ursula Mamlok.

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

Nadejda Vlaeva, piano

Nadejda Vlaeva, piano
Merkin Concert Hall, New York, NY
December 10, 2009

The odds of hearing Prokofiev’s Sonata No. 1 in recital are rather slim (compared to the seventh, eighth, and others), but when a pianist combines it with the Piano Sonata No. 2 of Ukrainian-born Sergei Bortkiewicz (1877-1952), a composer whose works are seldom recorded or performed, one knows that an unusual musical mind is at work. Add the Variations on “Dilmano, Dilbero” Op. 2 by Alexander Vladigerov (1933-1993) and the World Premiere of Lowell Liebermann’s Variations on a Theme of Schubert, Op. 100, and one has a unique evening to remember. That was what it was when Nadejda Vlaeva took the stage recently, offering also some of Liadov’s most beautiful Preludes (the D-flat, Op. 57, No. 1 and the B minor, Op. 11, No. 1) and the much more familiar Sonata “Après une Lecture du Dante” by Liszt.

Ms. Vlaeva showed throughout the evening that she has the intellectual and digital power to play anything she chooses. It was a joy to hear such effortless mastery, though at times things seemed a trifle too easy (revealing less of the involvement that sometimes redeems players of lesser gifts). Such facility may be what pushes Ms. Vlaeva towards the challenges of uncharted territory, but whatever the case may be, her forays are a refreshing break from the standard fare. Her Prokofiev illuminated phrases this listener had forgotten were there. Her sensitive interpretations of Liadov gently bridged Prokofiev and Bortkiewicz (both Liadov students).

This listener was not completely sold on the Bortkiewicz Sonata, which seemed a pastiche of other Romantics without a completely convincing cohesiveness; nonetheless, one has trouble imagining it played much better and will look forward to a second hearing. Ms. Vlaeva has recorded the work and given it its North American premiere.

Vladigerov’s syncopated Variations were a good antidote to this lush romanticism, and Liebermann’s excellent set of variations (commissioned for Ms. Vlaeva) brought Schubert’s “Heidenröslein” brilliantly and expressively into the twenty-first century.

After the Dante Sonata, as polished as expected, Ms. Vlaeva played three encores, Rebikov’s “Christmas Waltz,” Rebikov’s Musical Snuff Box, and Liszt’s “Les Cloches de Geneve.” Brava!

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