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“This Shining Night”: The Music of Whitacre and Lauridsen in Review

Presented by DCINY

Distinguished Concerts Singers International

Eric Whitacre, conductor

Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall; New York, NY

April 1, 2012

This Shining Night: The Music of Lauridsen and Whitacre. Photo Credit: DCINY Production/Richard Termine

Eric Whitacre conducted amazingly well-prepared choruses in presentations of his music, which ranged from 1992 to the present, and he also conducted two lovely renditions of works by Morten Lauridsen. The singers, mostly students from high school and university choruses throughout the United States, all sang from memory with excellent pitch, diction, balance, phrasing and rhythm, plus complete devotion to each work. The music contrasted from the sublime (most of the works had to do with the night, sleep or dreams) to the ridiculous (Ogden Nash’s texts in “Animal Crackers”), and the full-house at Carnegie Hall seemed captivated by every selection.

The evening began with “Lux Aurumque”, a serene and poignant work with fascinating harmonies. But even more touching and unsettling was the setting to Octavio Paz’s text to “A Boy and a Girl”. By contrast, “Animal Crackers”– in two short volumes–riotously showcased boys singing high falsetto in “The Cow”, and cleverly incorporated familiar strands such as the opening chords of Tchaikovsky’s B-flat Piano Concerto and “Oh Tenenbaum” in the song “The Kangaroo”. Just as catchy was “The Canary”, humorously set to repetitious music on the words “..never varies”. The excellent pianist for the evening was Tali Tadmor. Ogden Nash’s texts are indeed hysterical, but Whitacre’s music added even more to the hilarity. The audience had a blast.

“Five Hebrew Love Songs”, with a fine string quartet at hand, provided a welcome variety within its five settings. It was idiomatic and ethnically authentic, complete with precise tambourine in its dance movement. There was some ragged ensemble (in the male voices) only once in a tricky section. The work entitled “the city and the sea” contained more dense harmonies and even more fascinating counterpoint; the “Little Man in a Hurry” movement was the highlight, with its catchy melisma and mixed meters.“Cloudburst” was as evocative and mystical as “the city and the sea” was invigorating and exuberant. It goes ‘Old World’, with chants in 5ths, but then intersperses modern techniques such as aleatoric writing and minor-second clusters. The sustained voices over the counterpoint sounded sublime. The celestial swells were reminiscent of Ravel’s “Daphnis et Chloe”, and the rattling percussion, plus clapping and snapping sounds provided with unity and confidence by the chorus added to the sensations and imagination.

“Go, Lovely Rose”, Whitacre’s first composition from 1992, contained impressive high solos for tenor and soprano, and they were performed admirably. Harmonically, the piece is more daring than you would think from such an early composition (he was only 21 at the time). “Sleep”, was evocative, atmospheric and beautifully performed by the large chorus; the cloudy harmonies and mysterious atmosphere are reminiscent of “Sirenes” from Debussy’s “Nocturnes” or music from “Neptune” in Holst’s “The Planets”–both for women’s voices and usually sung off stage. Whitacre’s music, even though seemingly inspired by strokes of genius in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, still has much to offer–especially to young people. The concluding, extremely gradual ‘fade-out’ was astounding for its breath control and dynamic color; it disappeared into the night.

Morten Lauridsen’s “Sure on This Shining Night” and “Dirait-on”, based on the text by Ranier Maria Rilke from “Les Roses”, made fitting partners to Whitacre’s “Sleep” music, but instead of being ethereal-sounding like the Whitacre work, Lauridsen’s night music–while sharing similar ideologies–was less mysterious and chromatic and sounded more harmonically open, earthy and lush (an appropriate musical style for settings to poetry like “Les Roses”). Mr. Lauridsen performed at the piano while Mr. Whitacre conducted. Lauridsen’s consistently tender music provided an endearing close to this very impressive program.

The excellent choruses that participated in this successful Carnegie Hall concert were the Desoto Central High School Chorale (MS), Legacy Christian Academy Concert Choir (TX), Orrville High School Choir (OH), West Monroe High School Choir (LA), Winter Springs High School Chorus (FL), Classical Ensemble and Bel Canto Choirs (CA), Delta State University Chorale (MS), The Lowell Choir (CA), molto cantabile (Switzerland), Olive Branch High School Choir (MS), Ridgeland High School Choir (MS), River Dell High School Select Choir (NJ), and the Rose Choir (NJ). They could not have been better prepared by their directors.

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

DCINY in Review: “Eternal Light…Shining Bright”

Music for Chorus and Women’s Chorus

Jonathan Griffith; Hilary Apfelstadt;

Jed Ragsdale and Hallie Reed, conductors

Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center

March 31, 2012

Eternal Light…Shining Bright . Photo Credit: DCINY Production/Richard Termine

One of my main memories of the first half of this varied musical afternoon is garnering a deeper sense of the sonic possibilities of a choral concert. And that is saying a lot, considering I was in attendance at Avery Fisher Hall, an acoustical space not known for good acoustics.

Choral conductor, Hilary Apfelstadt, often placed two choruses antiphonally on house-left and right, in addition to the main choir at center stage. This produced a surround-sound effect reminiscent of some great choral recordings. In addition, Apfelstadt did a fine job of balancing the voicing so that inner lines could be heard clearly. All of the first-half works were composed for women’s chorus –much of it A Cappella– and every work, which included well-written music by Ruth Watson Henderson, Eleanor Daley, Daniel Gawthrop and Joan Szymko (“The Singing Place”), was delightful.

The highlight of the first half was Elizabeth Alexander’s “Reasons for the Perpetuation of Slavery”. Not only was the chorus completely invested in the music’s meaning, difficult rhythm and counterpoint, it was navigated with complete confidence and polish. The work is brilliantly innovative; the chorus is asked to stomp on the ground, evoking marching in chains, and the ensuing overlapping of the phrasing gives the impression of immense frustration and chaos. “Tundra” by Ola Gjeilo was extremely enjoyable; it was a passionate performance of majestic music that has Broadway undertones. “How Can I Keep from Singing” was more homophonic, with straightforward, chorale-style writing; it was nevertheless memorable for its uniquely noble, hymnal quality. The chorus sang with good breath control, clear diction and intonation—not to mention wonderful character of expression. The Brass Ensemble’s playing was excellent.

In Mozart’s “Regina Coeli”, the talented conductor Jed Ragsdale led the Cy-Fair Chorale and Cy-Fair High School Women’s Choir. The orchestra sounded under-rehearsed, but the chorus sang very well indeed. The quartet of soloists seemed nervous and held the music in front of their faces some of the time—which wasn’t great for their sound projection. Ironically, the chorus performed without their music and sang with more confidence. The soprano soloist did a fine job.

“Cool of the Day”, expertly arranged by John Ratledge and conducted by Hallie Reed, was nicely prepared; shapely phrasing, good diction and clear balance. Sydney Bell’s “Flower of Beauty” was lovely, but the mezzo soprano soloist needed to sing out a lot more and with more accurate pitch (perhaps there were some nerves). Here, the choir phrased with clear-cut precision, meticulous articulation and a concluding unison that was both touching and powerful. Parker’s ‘A Cappella’ phrases were interpreted in a way that allowed us to feel each spirited accent; voicing and counterpoint was clear as a bell. The soprano soloist was excellent here. Ragsdale did a marvelous job with the choral preparation.

The Morten Lauridsen work on this program was his “Lux Aeterna”, and like other works I’ve heard of his recently, it is a fully accessible, Neo-Romantic work that does a wonderful job of reveling in warmth and richness of sound (especially French Horns, low string sonorities and low-tessitura chorus), with subtle changes in expression, orchestration and harmony (which is primarily open, with Copland-like 4ths and 5ths plus occasional major 6ths on top). There is little complex polyphony, with the emphasis on solemnity and nobility of character. One of the main melodies—a perfect fifth leap upwards with falling seconds, and reminiscent of some John Williams or James Horner film scores and the Rachmaninoff or Mahler slow movements that never want to stop singing—grips the audience with its unending tenderness.

Jonathan Griffith led the orchestra and chorus in a polished (except for one false entrance in the Introitus), meaningful account. The A Cappella work was astoundingly good. The music is not difficult to perform, but the balance, intonation and phrasing were painted with a masterful brush. Each movement was a seamless projection of thought—a musical narrative that seemed to convey that everything is perpetually good and safe with the world. We could use that kind of confidence, especially now.

The talented choristers traveled to Lincoln Center from various locations in the United States: Bella Voce Singers (NY), Cy-Fair High School Women’s Choir (TX), Encore! Women’s Choir (TX), Santiago High School Treble Ensemble (CA), Traverse City Central High School Vocal Majority (MI), Voca Lyrica (MI), The Cathedral City High School Lions’ Pride Chamber Singers (CA), Clearview Regional High School Vocal Ensemble (NJ), Santiago High School Madrigals (CA) and Seaglass Chorale (ME).

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

The Lin-Castro-Balbi Duo in Review

MidAmerica Productions Presents “Playing Favorites”

The Lin-Castro-Balbi Duo in Review: Jesús Castro-Balbi, cello and Gloria Lin, piano

Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall; New York, NY

March 25, 2012

A beautifully conceived program of music for cello and piano offered something for everyone, as the husband-wife team of Gloria Lin and Jesús Castro-Balbi brought a mix ranging from Beethoven (actually from Mozart, if one counts the theme of the Beethoven variations) all the way to an American work composed in 2012. Peruvian-born cellist Castro-Balbi and Taiwanese pianist Gloria Lin have performed widely as individuals, but their musical marriage adds a special dimension to their careers, both as performers and as faculty members at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas.

Beethoven’s Seven Variations in E-flat on a Theme from Mozart’s “Die Zauberflöte” (WoO 46, 1801) opened on a poised and authoritative note. What could be a happier opening for two partners in life than the love duet “Bei Mannern welche Liebe fuhlen”, given some of Beethoven’s sunniest treatment? This work found the duo to be very much equal players, not soloist and accompanist as often happens; having the piano lid raised on the full stick seemed to underscore this partnership. Ms. Lin was able to handle the resonance without ever letting the rapid passagework become obtrusive, and Mr. Castro-Balbi played with a strong, projective tone. In the parallel minor Variation 4, the cellist was at his expressive best, while the pianist had her finest expressive moments in Variation 6. If Variation 7 was a bit unsettled, one could hardly fault them after the hallowed space between variations was interrupted by a particularly hideous cellphone ringtone; they recovered from the intrusion well, however, closing the work in sanguine spirit.

Shostakovich’s Sonata, Op. 40 was a good segue and counterbalance, classically conceived, yet with the probing and dissonance of the 1934 world. The pair’s reading showed brooding darkness in the first and third movements and considerable relish in the playful and rugged second and fourth movements. Both players achieved moments of brilliance and beauty throughout, though not quite reaching the level of visceral involvement that I love to feel in this work.

Debussy’s Sonate for cello (1915) opened the second half with a French masterpiece, combining a rhapsodic approach to form with every cello challenge in the book. Mr. Castro-Balbi was more than up to its demands. The duo nicely captured the quixotic nature of its central Sérénade and the soaring Final. It was a fine (though unstated) tribute to Debussy in his 150^th anniversary year. The World Premiere of Till MacIvor Meyn’s “Revolutions” (2012) was a highlight of the evening, a work of violent ostinatos and wrestling dissonances, giving rise to dramatic transformations. The passion and synchronization made this piece simply electric. The composer writes in his notes that the work was inspired by the regime overthrows in the Middle East, as well as by an alternate definition of “revolution,” the sense of “turning or revolving of tonalities in the music.” Mr. Meyn, a colleague of the duo at TCU, composed the work especially for Ms. Lin and Mr. Castro-Balbi, and it suited them perfectly, as it did the resonant bass of the hall’s Steinway.

“Le Grand Tango” by Piazzolla concluded the written program. Originally for cello and piano, this piece exists in many other versions (this listener having played it on two pianos), and it can be equally successful in all its incarnations. It can be alternately suave, smoldering, and searing in each one, but it needs careful pacing. In this particular case, I felt it peaked too soon, and the effort to prolong a crescendo from such intense dynamic levels felt too strenuous. On the other hand, it aroused a large burst of applause, capping off what was all in all an excellent recital.

The first exciting encore was a jazzy movement from “Manhattan Serenades” by Gabriela Frank, followed by the more contemplative “Poema III” by Brazilian composer Marlos Nobre.

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

Katarzyna Musial, Pianist in Review

Katarzyna Musial, Piano

Camerata New York Orchestra, Richard Owen, Jr. Conductor

The Kosciuszko Foundation

March 18, 2012

Katarzyna Musial

The Camerata New York Orchestra presented a delightful program on a delightful Sunday afternoon, March 18, with a guest soloist, the Polish-Canadian pianist Katarzyna Musial. The Camerata, now celebrating its tenth anniversary, is a spirited chamber orchestra, 25 players strong. The American conductor, Richard Owen, Jr., its founder and Music Director, a graduate of the Manhattan School of Music, Dartmouth College (he also worked at the University for Music in Vienna) has conducted extensively, operas and symphonic music, and is also a pianist who gives concerts with his cellist wife (the Owens live in Brewster, New York with their three sons.)

For its opening salvo, Owen and the Camerata played the 3-part Overture (Spiritoso; Andante; Presto) to “La buona figliola” by Niccolò Piccinni. Piccinni (1728-1800) is listed in the New Groves as “one of the central figures in Italian and French opera in the second half of the 18^thcentury.” Piccinni’s overture to one of his earliest operas is a scampering, quicksilver-light opera buffa affair, more lighthearted and volatile than many of Gluck’s more “serious” works, and Owen’s incisive, sprinting performance abounded with grace and precision.

The critic for the Wiener Zeitung (Vienna News) had a glowing praise for Owen’s Austrian debut: “he must be a genius…how flowing and musical this young American was able to realize the music from the podium.” This listener was able to assess the conductor’s stick technique, care, and phrase shaping at point-blank in the first row—and players’ response—gained a vivid impression of his gestures, his phrase shaping, expressive cantabile desired rhythmic precision and ideas about nuance and idiomatic style. Fauré’s lovely “Pavane”, a very different type of work from the Piccinni Overture, came forth with long-lined flowing cantabile lyricism.

The afternoon’s soloist, pianist Katarzyna Musial, has performed as a soloist and chamber musician throughout North America and Europe. In addition to the First Prize at the 2011 Bradshaw & Buono International Piano Competition (New York), Ms. Musial was a prize winner in the following competitions: the Krzysztof Penderecki International Competition of Contemporary Chamber Music (Cracow), the Kay Meek Competition (Vancouver), and she received the Alban Berg Prize for outstanding merit (Vienna), as well as the Philip Cohen Award for outstanding performance musicianship (Montreal).

Interested in the music of today, she has performed works by avant garde composer Jay Sydeman and gave the world premiere of a 35-minute piano suite dedicated to her, Mark Vance’s “Nevada County Epitaphs,” premiered at the California Music in the Mountains Festival. At this afternoon’s performance, Ms. Musial’s prodigious digits and tonal massiveness were impressive and appropriate for the driving, moto perpetuo called for in the Allegro Molto in Henryk Górecki’s two movement Concerto for Piano and Strings (the second, Vivace, was appropriately more gracious).Then Ms. Musial followed the Concerto with an encore, Turina’s “Seduction Dance”. Other recent concerto appearances include performances with the Toronto Sinfonietta, L’Orchestre Symphonique de L’Isle, the McGill Chamber Orchestra and the Bielsko Chamber Orchestra at the opening of the International Bach Festival (Poland).

Ms. Musial’s concert venues have included, among others, the Warsaw National Philharmonic Hall, the Chan Centre in Vancouver, the Isabel Bader Theatre in Toronto, Pollack Hall in Montreal and Weill Recital Hall in New York. She completed an Artistic residency at the prestigious Banff Centre, and she has worked with many distinguished artists that include Anton Kuerti, Paul Gulda and Piers Lane. She is a laureate of the Mrs. Cheng Koon (S.K.) Lee Scholarship as well as grants and scholarships from Conseil des arts et lettres du Québec – Vivacité Montréal, The Banff Centre, the Vancouver Chopin Society and the Quebec Polish Cultural Foundation.

The biggest surprise for this writer came after the intermission. Krzysztof Penderecki’s “Three Pieces in Baroque Style” astonished me; the famous Avant Garde didn’t pen these three courtly tonal lento and two Menuettos as a juvenile composer (as I first suspected); he wrote them down tongue-in-cheek on a lark, for a 1963 film.

The concert concluded with a magnificent account of Schubert’s Fifth Symphony (which he wrote when he was nineteen years old). Owen and his orchestra, in this small room, produced an impactful, physically potent performance—surely one of the best I’ve heard in years (remarkably close in style to the wonderful ones I remember from (Erich) Kleiber, Eduard van Beinum, Fischer-Dieskau and Toscanini).

by Harris Goldsmith 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; 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.

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

“The Most Happy Fella” by Frank Loesser in Review

“The Most Happy Fella” by Frank Loesser

Dicapo Opera Theatre, New York, NY

March 17, 2012

Leah Lane, Michael Corvino and cast; Photo Credit Rob Rich

I first saw Frank Loesser’s “The Most Happy Fella” in 1957, during its first Broadway run. I bought the score as soon as it was published and the original cast album (the first recording of an entire show, including spoken dialogue) as soon as the 33rpm records came out. These were later replaced by CD’s. In 2006 I attended the New York City Opera’s disastrous production starring a woefully miscast, musically inept Paul Sorvino as the baritone lead. There were other revivals in between. Yes, I’ve had a fifty-five year love affair with this great American musical, but it was a love affair scarred by inept revivals. Would I ever experience a performance which came even close to my memories of the original? This thought went through my mind as I sat in the fifth row of the Dicapo Opera Theatre’s lovely 204 seat space in the basement of St. Jean Baptiste Church on E 76^th Street. As the houselights dimmed I was in a state of wary anticipation.

And a few hours later, I was in a state of bliss. I had just attended a performance for which I am still finding it hard to find suitable words – superb, magnificent, sublime all come to mind. Forget about 1957 – this was the best performance I’ve heard of this great American masterpiece; the perfect amalgam of wonderful unamplified singing (both operatic and pop,) moving acting, clear and simple staging, costumes which conjured up a time and a place, and beautiful orchestral playing.

“The Most Happy Fella” stands or falls on the performance of the “fella,” Tony Esposito, a lonely Italian immigrant who owns a winery in the Napa Valley. He is most often played by a large man who often exaggerates the characters awkwardness and lack of education. Baritone Michael Corvino is a slight, dignified man and his moving portrayal brought out the character’s fragility and, more than any Tony I’ve seen, his deep love for Rosabella, the mail-order bride who has come to his winery. He is a powerful and compelling baritone. But one never felt that he was an “opera singer” crossing over into musical comedy, as he brought the same natural delivery to his “arias” as he did to simple songs like “Happy to make your Acquaintance.” And there was a wonderful chemistry between Mr. Corvino’s Tony and soprano Molly Mustonen’s Rosabella. Possessing a beautiful soprano voice, Ms. Mustonen is a fine singing actress. Her deepening love for Tony was palpable and brought tears to my eyes.

But if much of the music sung by Tony and Rosabella tended towards the operatic, that of the two other leads, Lauren Hoffmeier and Brance Cornelius, was pure musical comedy. Ms. Hoffmeier’s singing of the show’s first number, “Ooo! My Feet,” was deliciously brassy, and her duet with Mr. Cornelius, “Big D,” brought down the house. The fine dancing of both these performers helped choreographer Francine D. Harman solve the problem of how an opera company treats the show’s two big dance numbers. The members of Dicapo’s chorus sang beautifully all evening, but couldn’t be expected to perform the complex choreography of big production numbers. Ms. Harman’s solution was perfect. Omit the dance following the chorus “Sposalizio” and leave most of the dancing in “Big D” to Ms. Hoffmeier and Mr. Cornelius. By the way, the chorus’s performance of “Song of a Summer Night” was memorable.

The supporting cast did much more than just support. One could not ask for better portrayals than Peter Kendall Clark’s Jo, Bess Morrison’s Marie, Michael Hopewell’s Doc and David Keller-Flight’s Postman. Three show stoppers were “Standing on the Corner,” performed by Brian Ribeiro, Nicholas Connolly, Jonathan Harris and the afore mentioned Brance Cornelius; “Abbondanza,” and “Benvenuta,” brilliantly sung by Paolo Buffani, Michael Imbimbo and Vincent Ricciardi.

The fine orchestra was under the masterful direction of conductor Pacien Mazzagatti. The orchestra was seated upstage, behind the performers, bringing the singers very close to the audience. But this setup did nothing to hinder the coordination between voices and instruments. The ensemble was perfect. The simple but effective set by John Farrell was beautifully lit by Susan Roth (In addition to what happened on stage, I loved the mysterious blue-lit orchestra behind the performers.) The fine costumes were designed by Julie Wyma.

Kudos to Dicapo Opera Theatre’s General Director, Michael Capasso. He has a smash hit show on his hands. My brother, who now lives in Paris, was with me at that 1957 performance of “The Most Happy Fella,” If Dicapo performs it again, he will fly back to New York to see it. I’ll be there too.

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

Gila Goldstein Pianist in Review

Gila Goldstein, Piano

Saint Andrew Music Society: Music on Madison

Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church, New York, N.Y.

March 18, 2012

Gila Goldstein

Balmy weather in New York may seem like stiff competition for one’s afternoon versus sitting indoors at a piano recital, but a lot depends on the program and the artist. As it turned out, Gila Goldstein’s piano recital was the perfect welcome to imminent spring. Opening with a substantial work by J. S. Bach, whom many musicians associate with spring (both for his birthdate and his perennial newness), Ms. Goldstein gave one of the finest accounts I can recall of the Partita in E minor.

From its opening Toccata movement, tastefully and meaningfully embellished, she projected its singing lines with a sense of freedom without ever losing sight of the pacing and framework, clearly and thoroughly conceived. To say that a performance is thoroughly satisfying may sound to some like faint praise, but, considering how rarely such a reaction occurs with Bach performances today, it is not. As a pianist-reviewer it can be difficult to set aside one’s preferences within the wide range of possible Bach interpretations, and unsurprisingly, there were fleeting moments in Sunday’s recital when I felt I would have tried for something different; remarkably, however, in each case the dispute was settled by hindsight (or should I say hindsound?), in that her choices ultimately made sense in revelatory ways. I especially admired Ms. Goldstein’s expert treatment of overlapping voices, where individual lines are often either buried or thumped out, and here they simply shone clearly through the transparency of texture she achieved. The Allemande movement was poetically delivered, and while some might take exception to the tendency to shrink suddenly in volume at melodic high points (here and in other movements), there was Romantic poignancy in such moments. The Corrente was so feather light and marvelously controlled in each nanosecond that I was sad that the repeats had not been observed, as it was all over in a blink. Here and elsewhere, Ms. Goldstein followed her heart, and in the end the repeats and absence of repeats all balanced out in a logical way. The Sarabande was thoughtful and compelling, though I occasionally felt that some of the embellishments (as a way to be declamatory perhaps?) burst forth in a way that distracted a bit from the long lines. In any case, it was always engaging, and the Tempo di Gavotta and brilliant Gigue left one wanting for nothing. I would love to hear Ms. Goldstein play and record much more Bach, as I imagine she could easily become one of my favorite Bach interpreters.

In a way, all one has to do after such a fine performance is to avoid spoiling the afterglow – so it was with some reluctance that I moved my attention to anything else – but Ms. Goldstein continued her program quite admirably. Chopin’s Polonaise in C-sharp minor, Op. 26, No. 1, was sensitively delivered next, with more of the arresting “subito piano” phrases one had heard in the Bach, and the exquisite Nocturne in B Major, Op. 62, No. 1, one of my favorites, followed without pause. Possibly the only thing I can imagine that would have heightened the beauty of this performance would have been greater seamlessness in the string of trills at the return of the opening melody – it is something over which pianists lose sleep, but it can bring a performance to a transcendent level. Chopin’s Barcarolle Op. 60 brought the first half to a commanding close; although the Romantic leanings shown in the Bach had led one to expect more reveling in the extravagant beauty of this work, Ms. Goldstein was persuasive in a relatively taut, muscular reading, leaving much to ponder.

After intermission came Liszt’s Vallée d’Obermann from the Years of Pilgrimage, Volume I (“Suisse”), given great loving attention to detail in the gentler sections and a bold approach in the octave fusillades. Ginastera’s Sonata No. 1 added just the right dimension of dissonance after so much lush harmony, and it was just as vibrant as it needs to be. The first movement could have benefited from a bit more left hand clarity in extremely rapid passages, and the second movement left me wondering whether soft parts could have been still softer (especially where marked with “ppp”), but it seems rather greedy to ask for more of anything when such excellence abounded. Persistent applause was rewarded with an encore of Tchaikovsky’s “October” from The Seasons. It seemed the audience could have stayed for much more, myself included.

by Rorianne Schrade 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- 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!

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

Guitar Fest: Pro Musicis Concert in Review

Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall

March 14, 2012

Duo Michel de Paula & Luiz Mantovani

Luiz Mantovani

Emanuele Segre

Pro Musicis, a concert organization that began its auditions in 1965, has presented its awardees in more than 1,900 concerts in Europe, Asia, and North America, both in prominent venues such as Weill Hall and through community outreach programs. This season it presented a recital entitled “Guitar Fest” which included three of their four winning guitarists, Rafael Aguirre, Luiz Mantovani, and Emmanuele Segre. The three combined forces in solos and duos, joined by flutist Michel de Paula and cellist Nadège Rochat, in what was a thoroughly enjoyable evening. There was plenty of variety despite the fact that the program heavily favored music from Spain and South America, as the balancing of lyricism, pyrotechnics, intimate chamber collaboration, and solo virtuosity kept the surprises coming. David Leisner, composer, guitarist, and host for the evening, remarked on the generous spirit of the performers in sharing the stage, but really, the collaborations were to everyone’s benefit.

The first guitarist, Rafael Aguirre, chose to pair with Ms. Rochat, cello, to open with Manuel de Falla’s Spanish Dance from “La Vida Breve” (after which they’ve named their duo). Their blending was expert, and though the cello faced some intonation challenges, its sound did weave seamlessly into the guitar textures. Mr. Aguirre was restrained in his collaborative role. The same duo then played “Volver” by Carlos Gardels and two more selections of Falla, “El Paño Moruno” and “Polo” from “Siete Canciones Populares Españolas,” each player becoming more extroverted with time. Ms. Rochat showed some skillful bending of phrases, while Mr. Aguirre started to show more of the effortless virtuosity that would really come to the fore next in his solo works, including “Guajiras de Lucía” by Paco de Lucía (b. 1947) and Intermedio from “La Boda de Luis Alonso” by Jerónimo Giménez (1854-1923). An outstanding player with unquestionable technique, Mr. Aguirre showed an especially rare gift to make the guitar sing.

The second guitarist Luiz Mantovani took the stage with flutist Michel de Paula in the World Premiere of “Brazilian Landscapes No. 12” by Liduíno Pitombeira (b. 1962). A suite of contrasting impressions in five movements (Ponteio, Baião, Modinha, Frevo, and Acalanto), this set took listeners on a journey through Brazil with the aid of helpful program notes by Dr. Richard E. Rodda. Moving from its languorous prelude to the vibrant Carnival-inspired Frevo (with Mr. de Paula changing to piccolo), and back to its closing lullaby, the suite seemed not so much a mere set of vignettes as a deep immersion into the Brazilian tonal world, inviting many further hearings. The composer was present to bow and thank the performers, exceptional champions for this deserving work.

It was a joy then to hear Mr. Mantovani after intermission in a more familiar work by which one could concentrate on his solo artistry. His introspective rendition of the “Valsa-Chôro” from the “Suite Popular Brasileira” by Heitor Villa-Lobos was just perfect in its plaintive beauty.

David Leisner’s “Mirage” (1987) followed, bringing guitarist Emanuele Segre onstage in duo with Mr. Mantovani. The duo realized this finely wrought piece with tremendous dedication and projection. The contrapuntal opening was magnificently clear in its “dialogue” while in the rapid passages the duo combined as one in a single line. It is an excellent piece, and it was given a first-rate performance.

Mr. Segre continued the evening with two South American works, starting with “Canto de Ossanha” by Baden Powell (1937-2000). A captivating piece from its simple opening through its subsequent development, it was given an amazing degree of contrast and nuance by Mr. Segre, a most expressive and dramatic interpreter with one of the largest dynamic ranges I’ve heard from a guitarist. Prelude No.1 in E Minor by Villa-Lobos was followed by two works by Roland Dyens (b.1955), “Songe Capricorne” and then “Fuoco” from “Libra Sonatine”, alternately Bachian and jazzy, punctuated with percussive bursts, and full of intense expression. It was a dynamic close to an exciting evening.

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

Britten’s “The Prodigal Son” in Review

Claudia Dumschat, Music Director

Richard Olson, Stage Director

David Neer, Peter Ludwig, Reid Pierre Delahunt

Christopher Preston Thompson, solo voices

Betty Howe, Dramaturg/Stage Manager

The Church of the Transfiguration, New York, NY

March 9, 2012

Composed in 1967/68, Benjamin Britten’s chamber opera “The Prodigal Son” is subtitled “A Parable for Church Performance.” And The Church of the Transfiguration, also known as “The Little Church Around the Corner,” proved to be a perfect venue in which to hear this superlative performance. With its all-male cast and its use of masks and stylized movement, the work shows the influence of Japanese Nō drama. In addition, the use of small drums, bells and gong all conjure up the sound of the music of the Far East.

The work began with the sound of chant far in the distance, a foolproof way of setting the mood for chamber opera performed in a church. The chanters, hooded monks, soon processed down the center aisle and assembled in the sanctuary. After the four main characters (The Father, The Elder Son, The Younger Son, The Tempter/Abbot) removed their monk’s habits and put on their costumes, the drama began to the accompaniment of the organ and chamber orchestra.

What followed was a performance that succeeded in all aspects. The four soloists were superb, each singing with dramatic intensity, great sound and crystal-clear diction. As the Tempter, David Neer had the meatiest part and skillfully expressed the character’s unctuous villainy. Peter Ludwig’s portrayal of The Father expertly balanced self-satisfied pomposity and deep paternal love. And as the two sons, Reid Pierre Delahunt and Christopher Preston Thompson clearly contrasted the two young men’s world view. Each soloist was a fine singing-actor.

Some of the men performing the roles of monks, servants, parasites and beggars, and all of the boys portraying “distant voices” were members of the church’s Choir of Men and Boys. They all sang with great tone and strong sense of ensemble. Highest praise must go to Music Director Claudia Dumschat who lead the fine chamber orchestra and performed the all-pervasive organ part. Under her leadership, the musical preparation and execution were exemplary. Mention should also be made of the simple but quite evocative costumes by Costume Designer Terri Bush. The dramatic action, responsibility of Dramaturg/Stage Manager Betty Howe and Stage Director Richard Olson, was persuasive and melded seamlessly with the singing. All in all, a wonderful performance.

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