English Touring Opera are delighted to announce a season of lyric monodramas to tour nationally from October to December. The season features music for solo singer and piano by Argento, Britten, Tippett and Shostakovich with a bold and inventive approach to making opera during social distancing.
This tenth of ten Live from London concerts was in fact a recorded live performance from California. It was no less enjoyable for that, and it was also uplifting to learn that this wasn’t in fact the ‘last’ LfL event that we will be able to enjoy, courtesy of VOCES8 and their fellow vocal ensembles (more below …).
Ever since Wigmore Hall announced their superb series of autumn concerts, all streamed live and available free of charge, I’d been looking forward to this song recital by Ian Bostridge and Imogen Cooper.
The Sixteen continues its exploration of Henry Purcell’s Welcome Songs for Charles II. As with Robert King’s pioneering Purcell series begun over thirty years ago for Hyperion, Harry Christophers is recording two Welcome Songs per disc.
Although Stile Antico’s programme article for their Live from London recital introduced their selection from the many treasures of the English Renaissance in the context of the theological debates and upheavals of the Tudor and Elizabethan years, their performance was more evocative of private chamber music than of public liturgy.
In February this year, Albanian soprano Ermonela Jaho made a highly lauded debut recital at Wigmore Hall - a concert which both celebrated Opera Rara’s 50th anniversary and honoured the career of the Italian soprano Rosina Storchio (1872-1945), the star of verismo who created the title roles in Leoncavallo’s La bohème and Zazà, Mascagni’s Lodoletta and Puccini’s Madama Butterfly.
Evidently, face masks don’t stifle appreciative “Bravo!”s. And, reducing audience numbers doesn’t lower the volume of such acclamations. For, the audience at Wigmore Hall gave soprano Elizabeth Llewellyn and pianist Simon Lepper a greatly deserved warm reception and hearty response following this lunchtime recital of late-Romantic song.
Collapsology. Or, perhaps we should use the French word ‘Collapsologie’ because this is a transdisciplinary idea pretty much advocated by a series of French theorists - and apparently, mostly French theorists. It in essence focuses on the imminent collapse of modern society and all its layers - a series of escalating crises on a global scale: environmental, economic, geopolitical, governmental; the list is extensive.
For this week’s Live from London vocal recital we moved from the home of VOCES8, St Anne and St Agnes in the City of London, to Kings Place, where The Sixteen - who have been associate artists at the venue for some time - presented a programme of music and words bound together by the theme of ‘reflection’.
'Such is your divine Disposation that both you excellently understand, and royally entertaine the Exercise of Musicke.’
Amongst an avalanche of new Mahler recordings appearing at the moment (Das Lied von der Erde seems to be the most favoured, with three) this 1991 Mahler Second from the 2nd Kassel MahlerFest is one of the more interesting releases.
‘And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven … that old serpent … Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.’
If there is one myth, it seems believed by some people today, that probably needs shattering it is that post-war recordings or performances of Wagner operas were always of exceptional quality. This 1949 Hamburg Tristan und Isolde is one of those recordings - though quite who is to blame for its many problems takes quite some unearthing.
There was never any doubt that the fifth of the twelve Met Stars Live in Concert broadcasts was going to be a palpably intense and vivid event, as well as a musically stunning and theatrically enervating experience.
‘Love’ was the theme for this Live from London performance by Apollo5. Given the complexity and diversity of that human emotion, and Apollo5’s reputation for versatility and diverse repertoire, ranging from Renaissance choral music to jazz, from contemporary classical works to popular song, it was no surprise that their programme spanned 500 years and several musical styles.
The Academy of St Martin in the Fields have titled their autumn series of eight concerts - which are taking place at 5pm and 7.30pm on two Saturdays each month at their home venue in Trafalgar Square, and being filmed for streaming the following Thursday - ‘re:connect’.
The London Symphony Orchestra opened their Autumn 2020 season with a homage to Oliver Knussen, who died at the age of 66 in July 2018. The programme traced a national musical lineage through the twentieth century, from Britten to Knussen, on to Mark-Anthony Turnage, and entwining the LSO and Rattle too.
With the Live from London digital vocal festival entering the second half of the series, the festival’s host, VOCES8, returned to their home at St Annes and St Agnes in the City of London to present a sequence of ‘Choral Dances’ - vocal music inspired by dance, embracing diverse genres from the Renaissance madrigal to swing jazz.
Just a few unison string wriggles from the opening of Mozart’s overture to Le nozze di Figaro are enough to make any opera-lover perch on the edge of their seat, in excited anticipation of the drama in music to come, so there could be no other curtain-raiser for this Gala Concert at the Royal Opera House, the latest instalment from ‘their House’ to ‘our houses’.
"Before the ending of the day, creator of all things, we pray that, with your accustomed mercy, you may watch over us."
![Carlos Kalmar [Photo by Michael Jones]](http://www.operatoday.com/CarlosKalmar.png)
During a recent concert at the Grant Park Music Festival, held on this occasion in the adjacent Harris Theater, members of the Ryan Opera Center of Lyric Opera of Chicago presented ensembles from four operas, two each by Mozart and by Rossini.
The finales from Act I of Rossini’s La Cenerentola and Act II of Don Giovanni were featured in the fist half of the program; after intermission, the finales from Act I of L’Italiana in Algeri and Act II of Le Nozze di Figaro concluded the program. Carlos Kalmar conducted the Grant Park Orchestra.
Already in the first ensemble from La Cenerentola a strong impression was made by the individual voices and their abilities to interact in the collective spirit of the composition. Tenor René Barbera and baritone Paul La Rosa began the famous “Zitto, zitto: piano, piano” [“Hush, hush: softly, softly”] as the characters Don Ramiro and Dandini evaluate Cinderella’s step-sisters. Both men showed appropriate dramatic sensitivity, just as the sisters Clorinda and Tisbe, sung by Jennifer Jakob and Katherine Lerner, entered with their frenetic appeals and comments. Ms. Jakob and Ms. Lerner acted well with their accomplished voices, with the others all leading to an announcement by Alidoro that a “dama incognita” [“an unknown woman”] had arrived at the festivity. In the role of Alidoro, Evan Boyer displayed a sonorous and eloquent bass-baritone voice which he used to good effect in this important role. Attention then centered on the Cenerentola of Emily Fons, who entered the stage with both lyrical and physical grace. As her presence increased, Ms. Fons enhanced the impression she gave with an assured vocal technique and a mezzo-soprano range with an upper extension equal to the demands of so many female Rossinian lead roles. Her decorations on “Sprezzo” [“I scorn”] and “rispetto” [“respect”] were impeccable and sung with a florid and clearly traced line. Don Ramiro’s reaction to the unknown woman led to a well-rehearsed conclusion in which all delivered their impressions of confused gaiety.
In the finale from Don Giovanni several of the above singers were joined by additional members of the Ryan Center. After a bright orchestral introduction under Kalmar’s direction Mr. La Rosa gave a lyrical and confident assumption of the role of Don Giovanni. His Leporello was sung by Sam Handley, whose deeper and equally well-schooled bass-baritone made him a believable foil to the Don. Ms. Fons took on the role of Donna Elvira with superbly dramatic top notes in her fervent appeals; Amanda Majeski sang Donna Anna with an exquisite sense of pitch and believable dramatic poise, both qualities so vital to the wronged noblewoman. Craig Irvin gave solid and even intonation to the role of the statue, and Ms. Jakob was a sprightly, memorable Zerlina.
In the second half of the program several singers shifted to leading roles in the excerpt from L’Italiana in Algeri. Ms. Lerner delighted as Isabella with her combination of acting and descent to a lower register, while Ms. Fons and Ms. Jakob sang smaller yet important roles contributing to the atmosphere of the Eastern court where Isabella, the Italiana, is captive. Perhaps most impressive in this scene was Mr. Handley’s fluid, seamless approach to the bass role of the Mustafá. So often taken simply as a comic part, it is refreshing to hear a truly fine, young basso cantante give lyrical expression to the ruler’s yearnings. The onomatopoetic conclusion received a dramatically disciplined and comic touch.
The final selection from Act II of Le Nozze di Figaro featured Mr. La Rosa as the Count and Ms. Majeski as the Countess. Both sang committed, believable performances as the noble couple caught in their own misunderstandings and comic, marital deceptions. The supporting characters, especially the Susanna of Ms. Jakob, lent a sense of collective confusion in the spirit of Mozart’s delightful ensemble writing. The Grant Park Music Festival is to be commended for showcasing the talents of these performers who have distinguished themselves in such a variety of operatic roles.
Salvatore Calomino