Concert Review: In the Belly of the Beast

battle hymns on the U.S.S. Intrepid.
by Paul J. Pelkonen

Eyes in the back of his head: conductor James Bagwell.
Photo by Erin Baiano © 2014 The Collegiate Chorale.

For the first New York performance of David Lang's 2009 choral work battle hymns the Collegiate Chorale chose an absolutely unique venue: the hangar deck of the U.S.S. Intrepid. The retired aircraft carrier, moored on the Hudson River and serving as New York's own Sea Air and Space Museum may not seem like an ideal choice for a mostly a capella choral work, but with some clever sound engineering and the leadership of conductor James Bagwell, the performance proved to be a successful one.

Opera Review: A Deviled Egg

Eric Owens takes on Mefistofele at Carnegie Hall.
by Paul J. Pelkonen

Stamping out evil: Mephistopheles (left) and Faust on a 60dm West German postage stamp.
© 1979 Deutsches Bundespost.

On Monday night, the Collegiate Chorale opened their 2013 season at Carnegie Hall with a concert performance of Arrigo Boito's Mefistofele. This was one of the most anticipated evenings of the fall opera season in New York, and marked the first appearance of baritone Eric Owens in the demanding title role. It was also the first performance of Mefistofele in 13 years--the show was last seen at the Metropolitan Opera in 2000 in Robert Carsen's sturdy production.

Concert Review: The Shame of a Nation

The American Symphony Orchestra presents Hungary Torn
by Paul J. Pelkonen

The damage done to Hungary by the right-wing "Arrow Cross" movement and the Nazis
has forever scarred the country's cultural heritage. Photoshop by the author.

The horrors inflicted on Europe by the rise of fascism in the 1930s were not confined to Germany and Italy. On Thursday night, Leon Botstein and the American Symphony Orchestra used the work of five relatively obscure composers to explore the detriment of that political movement and the following Second World War on the development of music and arts in Hungary. Their goal: to shed much-needed light on these brilliant voices, silenced all too early.

Concert Review: Pyramids and Floods

The Collegiate Chorale premieres works by Glass and Golijov.
by Paul J. Pelkonen

Pyramid scheme: James Bagwell (center) leads the

Collegiate Chorale and the American Symphony Orchestra at Carnegie Hall..

Photo by Erin Baiano © 2013 The Collegiate Chorale.

Last night at Carnegie Hall saw the Collegiate Chorale offer two of the more interesting New York premieres of the 2012-2013 season. The concert, performed with the American Symphony Orchestra under the baton of James Bagwell offered Philip Glass' Symphony No. 7 (the Toltec) with Oceana, a cantata by the Argentinean composer Osvaldo Golijov.

The High Priest of Minimalism

Conductor James Bagwell interviews Philip Glass.
by Paul J. Pelkonen

Toltec ruins at Tula, Mexico.

Fans of the music of composer Philip Glass should flock to Carnegie Hall tomorrow night, where James Bagwell and the Collegiate Chorale will give the New York premiere of Mr. Glass's Symphony No. 7 "Toltec." The work appears on a program of modern music that also features Oceana by Osvaldo Golijov, a work in the style and structure of a Bach cantata. Mr. Golijov is the current composer-in-residence at Carnegie Hall.

The following is a brief interview between Mr. Bagwell and Mr. Glass, provided to Superconductor by the good folks at Michelle Tabnick Communications.

(No, I didn't do too much work on it, but how often do you get to run an interview with a composer like Philip Glass?)

Opera Preview: Beatrice di Tenda

The Collegiate Chorale presents a Bellini rarity.
by Paul J. Pelkonen

Angela Meade stars in Beatrice di Tenda.

On Wednesday night at Carnegie Hall, the Collegiate Chorale will present a rare New York performance of Beatrice di Tenda by the bel canto composer Vincenzo Bellini. This is the first performance of this opera in New York since 1988.

Please note: the performance starts at 6pm.

Beatrice stands in the composers's canon between Norma and I Puritani. The opera has a compelling title role (sung here by Angela Meade) and a style of dark choral writing that inspired Verdi in early operas such as Ernani and I due Foscari.

The plot deals with Beatrice's unhappy marriage to Filippo, the Duke of Milan. Filippo has eyes for Agnese, a rial at court. She, in turn is in love with Orombello, another courtier. In the opera's climax, the Duke and Agnese accuse Beatrice of adultery...with Orombello. A trial follows and Beatrice is sentenced to death. The libretto (by Bellini's usual collaborator, Felice Romani) has a curiously unfinished quality, which may account for why Beatrice has never gained a foothold with the public.

However, with singers like this, you don't need to worry too much about the plot. Angela Meade takes on Beatrice. This is the bel canto soprano's first major New York appearance of the 2012 season. She is joined by mezzo Jamie Barton as Agnese, tenor Michael Spyres (Orombello) and baritone Nicholes Pallesan. James Bagwell conducts the Collegiate Chorale and the American Symphony Orchestra.

The Superconductor Interview: Angela Meade

A conversation with the next queen of bel canto.
by Paul J. Pelkonen

"I don't read blogs." Soprano Angela Meade in Ernani.
Photo by Marty Sohl, © 2012 The Metropolitan Opera.

"The essence of a great bel canto opera is beautifully written melodies that seem extremely organic." Soprano Angela Meade should know. In the last five years, Ms. Meade has taken the spotlight as a bel canto specialist, reviving this lost operatic form (the phrase is Italian for "beautiful song") for a new generation of opera lovers.

Opera Review: The Sword's Upside-Down

The Collegiate Chorale takes on The Mikado.
by Paul Pelkonen

Amy Justman, (Peep-Bo) Kelli O'Hara (Yum-Yum) and Lauren Worsham (Pitti-Sing)
on their way home from school. Photo by Erin Baiano © 2012 The Collegiate Chorale.

Huge vases of cherry blossoms stood at either end of the Carnegie Hall stage on Tuesday night. The plain white plaster panels at the back of that famous stage were adorned with a projection of Mount Fuji. The Collegiate Chorale was in place, behind the American Symphony Orchestra.

Then came the announcement. "Ladies and gentlemen, we regret to inform you that the part of Pooh-Bah, scheduled to be sung by Jonathan Freeman, will be sung by Jonathan Freeman."

This bit of wit was the perfect introduction to Tuesday's endearing, if sometimes sloppy performance of Gilbert and Sullivan's Mikado, the witty work that skewered Victorian British society by moving it to the absurdly named Town of Titipu in W.S. Gilbert's version of Japan.

Under the direction of Ted Sperling, both Chorale and Orchestra delivered a fizzy account of the overture and first scene. Mr. Sperling chose fast tempos, driving the famous themes forward. This set up the entrance of Nanki-Poo (South Pacific star Jason Danielly.) He emerged, instrument in hand from the brass section. But instead of the usual Japanese shamisen, Mr. Danielly carried the instrument from the libretto, a serviceable second trombone.

He was soon joined by a trio of fine comic baritones, well known on Broadway. Mr. Freeman (Roger Debris in The Producers)  as Pooh-Bah, Steve Rosen (Spamalot) as Pish-Tush and the energetic, loose comic Christopher Fitzgerald (Wicked) as Ko-Ko, the Lord High Executioner. In a loose black hipster suit, an enormous, shabby top hat and an (upside-down) katana, Mr. Fitzgerald cut a memorable figure as the former cheap tailor. More importantly, his comic energy drove the show, even if he occsionally flubbed a line.

In W.S. Gilbert's libretto, the Three Little Maids enter late in the first act. Here, they fared better than the men. Kelli O'Hara (also a star of South Pacific) was a strong Yum-Yum, bringing warmth and self-regard to "The Sun Whose Rays." City Opera veteran Lauren Worsham was even better as Pitti-Sing, stealing hearts with a flash of an eye and a whistling air. Amy Justman had less to do as Peep-Bo, but brought able support.

Katisha's entrance is always a brilliant piece of theater: Sir Arthur Sullivan's parody of several Wagner heroines (Brunnhilde, Kundry, Isolde) all at once. Victoria Clark brought the requisite voice, a full-powered dramatic soprano and stage presence to Nanki-Poo's would-be fiancée. She threw herself into the part of the vengeance-seeking diva, at one point decking Mr. Fitzgerald during "There is Beauty in the Bellow of the Blast." To his credit, he got up, recovered, and they finished the merry duet. 

The last character to enter in The Mikado is the title character, given the appropriate pomp and circumstance with a genuine Japanese chorus accompanying his procession. Chuck Cooper was comic and magesterial, evoking a psychotic glee in "A more humane Mikado" and letting out a giggle of pleasure as he listed both crimes and punishments. The finale proceeded smoothly, whipped up to a bubbling frenzy as the world of topsy-turvy righted itself and all was well in the Town of Titipu.

Concert Review: Echoes of Broken Glass

The Collegiate Chorale pairs Bruckner and Tippett.

Herschel Grynszpan: his shooting of a German diplomatic official in 1938
was the Nazis excuse for Kristallnacht. Photo from the Holocaust Research Project.

At first glance, there is no connection between Anton Bruckner and Sir Michael Tippett. They were born in different countries and centuries, but both composers wrote music of intense spirituality, the subject of a fascinating program played at Carnegie Hall Friday night. 

The program, which paired Bruckner's Te Deum with Tippett's World War II oratorio A Child of Our Time was mounted by the Collegiate Chorale, an acclaimed vocal ensemble led by James Bagwell, and featured the reliable American Symphony Orchestra. It made a strong case for both works.

The concert opened with Bruckner's Te Deum, a 20-minute paean to God. With its soaring choral parts, pulsing rhythms and deceptively simple harmonies, the Te Deum is like a movement from one of his symphonies, with Latin text added. This was a potent performance. Bruckner's characteristic three-two rhythms had muscle and drive, and the Chorale sang with power and conviction.

John Relyea (center) sings while James Bagwell (left) conducts the
American Symphony Orchestra and the Collegiate Chorale. Russell Thomas looks on.
Photo © 2012 by Erin Baiano courtesy the Collegiate Chorale.

A Child of Our Time was Tippett's attempt to address the horrors of Kristallnacht, the 48-hour assault upon Jews within Nazi Germany, beginning on Nov. 9, 1938. The Nazis unleashed their thugs after Herschel Grynszpan, a displaced 17-year old boy who was about to be expelled from his refuge in France, shot a minor German diplomatic official in Paris. The Nazis used this incident as an excuse to begin the Holocaust. 

Tippett chose Grynszpan's fate as the seed of his oratorio, a moving examination of the suffering of the Jewish people with the promise of peace and a better world to come. To express that coming redemption, the British composer chose to incorporate American spirituals, (including "Steal Away", "Go Down Moses" and "Deep River") using the music of enslaved Africans in America to create a resonant cross-sympathy with the oppression and murder of the Jews under Hitler's regime. It is powerful stuff.

The cast of four soloists sang both works with fervor. Soprano Nicola Cabell sang both pieces with a fine instrument that got better as the evening went on. The same could be said for tenor Russell Thomas. Hard and metallic in the Bruckner, he improved greatly in the second piece, soaring through the phrase "I would know my shadow and my light.. Veteran mezzo Marietta Simpson made the part of the Mother an intense experience. The finest of the four was bass John Relyea, whose big, dark instrument made him a compelling Narrator. 

Mr. Bagwell and his forces delivered a powerful, respectful performance of this tricky score. The orchestra built Tippett's chords in slow, solemn sequence, with steady rhythms in the timpani and sonorous brass playing. The chorus, balanced at 2/3 female voices, 1/3 male made the spirituals move and swell, providing a soothing aural salve at the end of each of the three movements.

Bruckner's music was touted by the Nazis as an "ideal," "Aryan" composer. Hitler was addicted to his symphonies, and accompanied important announcements with excerpts from the Seventh. Tippett was a pacifist, sentenced to prison when he would not do secondary service for Britain in World War II. But he found his voice as an important English composer with the oratorio A Child of Our Time In bringing together these two vastly different usicians, Mr. Bagwell created an evening that was a thoughtful analysis of World War II, and ultimately, a success.

Concert Review: The Rites of Winter

Stravinsky Outside Russia at Carnegie Hall.

Conductor Leon Botstein. Photo © Bard College.

On Friday night, conductor and musical archaeologist Leon Botstein led the American Symphony Orchestra and the Collegiate Choral in a program exploring the music written by Igor Stravinsky in exile from his Russian homeland. The program was  part of the ASO's annual subscription season at Carnegie Hall.

Dr. Botstein assembled a slew of unfamiliar Stravinsky, opening up the composer's repertory beyond the composer's most frequently heard works: The Firebird, Petrushka and The Rite of Spring. Instead, there was a wide-ranging survey of songs, liturgical music, choral pieces, and even a short opera. Like Stravinsky's catalogue, this concert was bewildering in its its diversity.

The concert opened with a recent discovery: Stravinsky's orchestration of the Song of the Volga Boatmen. According to the program notes, Stravinsky may have written this orchestration for  legendary Russian bass Fyodor Chaliapin. It was sung by Keith Miller, the former NFL fullback turned bass-baritone. Mr. Miller sang the steady aquatic rhythms with steady, powerful tone.

Mr. Botstein then brought in the Collegiate Chorale for The King of the Stars, a choral work that finds the composer exploring the cosmos in with rich choral writing underpinned by the orchestra. Mr. Miller returned, joined by mezzo Ann McMahon Quintero for the Requiem Canticles, a funereal piece that the composer had performed at his own last rites.

The wrath of God yielded to comedy with a charming performance of Mavra, the composer's  last opera. This is Stravinsky at his most playful: The Rake's Progress freed from W. H. Auden's pesky moralizing. The score features a poke at Mahler--a funeral dirge as the Mother (Ms. Quintero) mourns her old cook. It opens with a tasty love duet for soprano Anne-Carolyn Bird and tenor Nicholas Phan, that would not be out of place in Smetana's Bartered Bride. 

Based on a short Pushkin farce, Mavra is about a suitor who resorts to cross-dressing to get a job as a cook in his girlfriend's mother's house. The singers made good impromptu use of the concert setting, with Ms. Bird's shoulder wrap becoming "Mavra's" headscarf. A shave kit was brought out for the climactic scene, and Mr. Phan made good his escape by running across the stage and hiding behind the organ.

The haunting, antiphonal Canticum Sacrum opened the second half. Mr. Phan and baritone Jonathan Beyer sang long melodic lines, originally written to sound across the vast Basilica of San Marco in Venice. Here, the singers engaged in call-and response with the chorus, organ and sparse orchestra, bringing an air of religiosity to the friendly confines of Carnegie Hall. That pious vein continued with Babel : a short retelling of the Old Testament linguistic crisis featuring the chorus and narrator John Douglas Thompson. 

The concert ended with the more familiar Symphony of Psalms a work that is exceptionally challenig for the chorus. The Collegiate Chorale responded ably, handling Stravinsky's tricky cross-rhythms and harmonics. With the odd melody and rhythmic quotations drawn from the score of the Rite of Spring, this symphony sounds as if the prehistoric Russian pagans of that famous ballet finally went and got religion.