New York Philharmonic – Lorin Maazel, Conductor; New York Choral Artits, Joseph Flummerfelt, Director. June 2, 2007.

Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center, Second Tier Box Rear (Seat 20F2, $43).

Program: Brahms the Romantic – A Philharmonic Festival

Variations on a Theme by Haydn by Brahms (1833-1897).

A German Requiem, Op. 45 by Brahms.

We had tickets for June 9 and 16 (both programs conducted by Riccardo Muti, with Lang Lang playing Beethoven's Fifth Piano Concerto in one) but wouldn't be able to make them due to our planned trip to Asia. We got tonight's ticket in exchange for one event, and gave the Lang Lang concert tickets to a friend. While I would like to see Lang Lang and Muti (whom I still have yet to see), I am also glad we went to tonight's concert.

Brahms' first foray into symphonic work was with these Hadyn Variations. He composed a score for two pianos and another for an orchestra. Interestingly, most musicologists today believe the theme wasn't written by Hadyn. The piece contains the theme (Chorale St. Antoni - Andante), eight variations (Poco piu animato, Piu vivace, Con moto, Andante con moto, Vivace, Vivace, Grazioso, Preseto no troppo), and a Finale (Andante). This composition is quite unusual as variations go - the theme only unmistakenly appears in the first and last movements. Nonetheless, the 20- or so minute piece was quite delightful.

As with many of Brahms' works, “A German Requiem” underwent many revisions before Brahms finally finished it. Most Requiems are based on the Latin requiem mass text, starting with Introit et Kyrie and ending with In paradisum. Brahms chose for his work different passages from the Bible, in German. He also said his work could be called “A Human Requiem”. There is no mention of Christ at all in the text, but there is a strong sense of faith and redemption nonetheless. This piece was played by the New York Philharmonic on September 20, 2001 as a memorial for the 9/11 attacks. The headings of the pieces are (i) Blessed are they that mourn; (ii) For all flesh is grass; (iii) Lord, teach me; (iv) How amiable are Thy tabernacles; (v) Ye now therefore have sorrow; (vi) For here have we no continuing city; and (vii) Bleassed are the dead.

The piece was very enjoyable, and moving. The soloists were the soprano Celena Shafer and the baritone Matthias Goerne. While up to the task, they had relatively minor roles (each sang for fewer than five minutes). The New York Chorale consisted of about 80 singers, they were generally quite good also. They couldn't get all the s's and t's in sync, though. And there were many of those sounds in the German lyrics.

We were in the city early, so we went to the pre-concert talk by Charles Borstein, scholar in residence at the Philharmonic. He talked about two things in the Requiem: the seventh interval which recurs in every movement, and the Dresden Amen. I only caught glimpses of them during the concert. He also mentioned the piece was not motif-based but was rather harmony-based. While I understand what he said in the abstract, I am not sure I agree with it, and there were certainly many motif-sounding fragments to me. When asked whom the Requiem was written for, he mentioned it might have been for Robert Schumann, or Brahms's own mother. Then he made the insightful remark that at the end the composer wrote it for himself.

The requiem was 70 minutes long (advertised as 60 in the notes). Maazel conducted it without music, although I was a bit worried about his stamina – he seemed a bit tired at the end. It was a great performance, though.

The New York Times preview of the program (which also reviewed an earlier program) is brutal, severely criticizing the perceived lack of originality of the “Brahms the Romantic” series and Maazel's handling of Brahms in general. Let me repeat: I thought the evening's performance was quite enjoyable.

New York Philharmonic – Lorin Maazel, Conductor; Julian Rachlin, Violin. May 26, 2007.

Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center, Second Tier Center (Seat AA110, $60).

Program

Russian Easter Overture, Op. 36 (1887-88) by Rimsky-Korsakov (1844-1908).

Violin Concerto No. 3 in B minor, Op. 61 (1880) by Saint-Saens (1835-1921).

Concerto for Orchestra, BB 123, Sz. 116 (1943) by Bartok (1881-1945).

The overture by Rimsky-Korsakov is quite interesting. It contains many solo lines (flute, cello, violin, trombone, etc), and some passages are very typical R-K. The short piece (16 minutes) has many mood changes. Some of the passages very quite difficult and the orchestra was a bit sloppy at times.

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov belonged to this nationalistic group of five Russian composers (“the Mighty Five”) that also included Alexander Borodin, Cesar Cui, Modest Musorgsky, and Mily Balakirev (organizer and R-K's mentor.)

I couldn't remember what the violin concerto sounded like. It turned out to be one that was quite familiar to me. The three movements are: Allegro non troppo; Andantino quasi allegretto; and Molto moderato e maestoso – Allegro non troppo. The concerto was dedicated to Pablo de Sarasate. The performance tonight certainly didn't start auspiciously, with the beginning sounding quite lethargic and the violinist having some intonation problems with notes played on the bridge end of the finger board.

Luckily, the performance eventually settled into a rather pleasant rendition of a virtuoso piece of music, noted for the extensive use of harmonics. The clarinet doubling accompaniment made the passage especially dreamlike and enjoyable.

Lithuania-born (1974) Rachlin plays the 1741 “ex Carrodus” Guarnerius del Gesu violin. Guarnerii are usually noted for their smooth tone, and they usually don't project very well against an orchestra. This one seemed to do well, though.

Bartok came to the United States in 1940, and by 1943 had developed the first symptoms of leukemia, his weight falling to a mere 87 pounds. He was also financially strapped, and his similarly displaced Hungarian friends Fritz Reiner and Joseph Szigeti asked the Boston Symphony's Serge Koussevitzky to commission Bartok to write a new symphonic work. After being convinced that this wasn't an act of charity, Bartok wrote the piece at a rural mountain getaway at Saranac Lake, New York. Bartok's commented on the piece at its premiere: “The general mood of the work represents, apart from the jesting second movement, a gradual transition from the sterness of the first movement and the lugubrious death-song of the third to the life-assertion of the last one.” The five movements are (i) Introduction: Andante non troppo – Allegro vivace; (ii) Game of Couples: Allegretto scherzando; (iii) Elegy: Andante non troppo; (iv) Interrupted Intermezzo: Allegretto; and (v) Finale: Pesante – Presto. There was no pause between (iv) and (v) in tonight's performance. (Most of this paragraph taken from the Notes to the concert.)

I usually enjoy Bartok's music. However, I didn't find tonight's piece particularly captivating. Perhaps it was its length: a bit long at 40 minutes. Or perhaps it was its complexity. In any case, the program notes also talk about a parody of a theme from Shostakovich's Seventh Symphony, which was in turn copied from Franz Lehar's operetta The Merry Widow. Describing it as “rude vulgar” was probably a bit much, but it certainly sounded out of place.

See also the New York Times review of the concert. The reviewer thought the entire concert was on the vulgar side.

New York Philharmonic - Lorin Maazel, Conductor; Anne-Sophie Mutter, Violin. April 28, 2007.

Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center. First Tier Center (Seat DD13, $59).

Program
Leonore Overture No. 3, Op. 72b (1806) by Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827).
Violin Concerto (1935) by Alban Berg (1885-1935).
Andante - Allegretto
Allegro - Adagio
Chant du rossignol: Poeme symphonique (Song of the Nightingale: Symphonic Poem; 1913-14; 1917) by Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971).
Daphnis et Chloe Suite No. 2 (1909-12; 1913) by Maurice Ravel (1875-1937).
Daybreak
Pantomime
General Dance

A few observations. This is close to the end of the season, and it is the first time we see Maazel conducting. What's going on? He has to take on guest conducting assignments at other orchestras to supplement his generous Philharmonic salary?

The Berg concerto was a bit beyond me. I read that he composed in the 12-tone scale a la Schoenberg. Technically it appears quite challenging, musically I alas don't appreciate.

Mutter's dress was a bit flashy - I'd call the color orange, others may call it peach. I am sure she performed on one of the two Strads she owns, but the tone was uncharacteristically muted.

Leonore eventually evolved into Fidelio, Beethoven's only opera. It sounded very familiar, but I couldn't find it on my iPod. I get that confused with the Egmont overtures, oftentimes.

This concert is reviewed by the New York Times, for those who can't wait ...

New York City Opera – Verdi's La traviata – April 21, 2007.

New York State Theater at Lincoln Center First Ring, Seat B13 ($112.50).

Conductor – George Manahan; Violetta Valery – Anne Sophie Duprels, Flora Bervoix – Heather Johnson, Alfredo Germont – Bruce Sledge, Giorgio Germont – Michael Corvino, Dr. Grenvil – Eric Jordan.

Story: Violetta, a courtesan, falls in love with Alfredo and the two live together. To support themselves, Violetta has to sell off her possessions without telling Alfredo. Alfredo's father Giorgio visits Violetta and asks her to leave his son so he can reclaim his family's reputation. Violetta obliges but Alfredo mistakes her departure as abandonment. Violetta eventually develops consumption. Finally Alfredo realizes his mistakes and asks Violetta for her forgiveness. Violetta forgives and dies in his arms.

Well, that's how the ending goes most of the time – and I have seen this opera many times. In this production Violetta simply falls to the ground.

La traviata and Carmen are two operas I still haven't grown tired of, and heartily recommend to any first time opera listeners. The stories, while predictable, are captivating and simple to follow. The arias are generally well-known and melodic. While they are tragedies, they are not overtly “moral”. You can empathize with the various characters, but you don't feel the need to judge the characters, or the traits they represent. The villain Giorgio redeems himself at the end by trying to reconcile Violetta and Alfredo; and he was not evil as Scarpia in Tosca or Delilah in Samson and Delilah.

The sets for this opera were reasonably elaborate by NYC Opera standards. A couple of years ago we saw the production by the Met, which was quite opulent.

Well, the NYC Opera isn't the Met, and Anne Sophie Duprels isn't Renee Fleming either. Fleming sang the part of Violetta at the Met performance we saw. I am sure Duprels is an excellent soprano, and she reached the high notes comfortably. However, she could only reach those notes by force, rather that the soft pianissimo a great soprano seems to reach effortlessly. The opera rises and falls on the performance of the heroine, so the performance was – adequate.

Alfredo and Giorgio also put in adequate performances. However, at times Giorgio's voice was particularly weak.

The interlude scenes of gypsy dancers and bull fighters are sometimes incongruent with the flow of the story. I found both to be quite enjoyable, even they were not trying to do as much as, say, the Met. The lead Gypsy dancer's performance was especially good.

The Chinese title for this opera is “Lady of Camellia”. Alfredo offers the flower to Violetta when he first meets her, and brings a flower to her at the end. It didn't happen in this one.

Despite my mixed review, I still would recommend this opera to others. And I won't mind seeing it again myself either.

The New York Times reviewer was struggling a bit with what to say about a so-so performance of a great opera also. There is an interesting description of the last New York City production.

We met up with Anna and Kenneth after the opera (it was a matinee) for dinner at Old Homstead Restaurant, famous for its $41 Kobe Beef Hamburger. We were pleasantly surprised that most of their beef dishes are around $40 (exception is the Kobe Steak at $195). The leftover from Anne's prime rib fed the two of us for another two days.

A very pleasant spring day to spend in New York.

The Metropolitan Opera - Giordano's Andrea Chenier. April 7, 2007.

Metropolitan Opera at Lincoln Center - Grand Tier, Seat G20 ($150).

Conductor - Marco Armiliato; Carlo Gerard - Mark Delaven, Maddalena de Coigny - Violeta Urmana, Bersi - Maria Zifchak, Andrea Chenier - Ben Heppner, The Incredible (a spy) - David Cangelosi, Roucher - Charles Taylor, Madelon - Irina Mishura.

Story. Andre Chenier is a poet during the time of the French Revolution and the Reign of Terror. He is introduced in the opera composing a poem mocking the aristocrats invited to a ball by Maddalena's family. Gerard, a servant in the household, quits his job, joins the French Revolution and rises up in its ranks. He falsely accuses Chenier of betraying the cause. Maddalena, who is in love with Andre Chenier, pleads for Chenier's life and promises to marry Gerard if Chenier is saved. Her plea to Gerard describing how her mother was killed and how she and her servant Bersi had to hide from their persecutors wins Gerard over. Despite Gerard's admitting that the charges are trumped up, the tribunal still sentences Chenier to die. Before the execution, Maddalena bribes the prison guard to let her be disguised as another condemned woman prisoner. Maddalena and Andre spend their last moments together before going to the guillotine.

The aria “La mamma morta”, sung by Maria Callas, was made famous in the fireplace scene of the movie Philadelphia with Tom Hanks describing the aria, especially the cello part. It was largely because of my fascination with this song that we went to see the opera. The other interesting thing is there is a causal clothing brand in Hong Kong named Giordano, legend has it that the company founder named the company after the opera composer.

I enjoyed the opera. The sets were elaborately and nicely constructed. The opera also called for a large number of chorus members in scenes such as the ballroom dance and the mob. The music was generally pleasant. What I have read about the opera seems to indicate there are a couple of familiar arias. I only knew the one from Philadelphia, though.

Violetta Urmana is no Maria Callas. She had a different take on the aria than the Callas soundtrack I have, nonetheless it was beautifully performed. Ben Heppner, whom we also saw earlier this season in Idomeneo, was a bit weak. The acting in general was only so-so. The supposedly scene-stealer aria of Madelon, a blind old woman offering her only surviving son to the revolution, was not all that captivating.

Nonetheless, it was well worth the time. The appreciative audience seemed to agree. I also got to review a bit of my European history. Andre Chenier was a historical character. The love story with Maddalena, alas, was made up. The macabre in us made us wonder if they would show a guillotine in the last Act. What they did was cast a shadow of one in the background.

New York Philharmonic - Sir Colin Davis, Conductor; Radu Lupu, Piano, Thomas Stacy, English Horn. March 31, 2007.

Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center - Third Tier Box 10R6 ($30).

Program
Piano Concerto in B-flat major, K. 595 (1790-91) by Mozart (1756-91).
Lemminkainen Suite, Op. 22 (various) by Sibelius (1865-1957).

We attended tonight's concert at the suggestion of our friend. He claims Radu Lupu plays great Mozart. The other part of the program was going to be Sibelius's Lemminkainen Suite. I had heard a movement from the Suite about a year ago and was not particularly impressed. So there was both anticipation and dread towards the concert.

The Mozart piano concerto was written less than a year before Mozart died, although scholars doubt very much it indicates any knowledge of the composer's sad demise. The concerto contains the traditional movements (Allegro, Larghetto, and Allegro). Indeed Lupu played very well. Compared to Uchida, whom I heard a week ago, his phrasing was crisp, and the use of pedal was minimal (I detected it only during the cadenza). Now, I am no pianist, nor am I a Mozart scholar, so I honestly can't tell one great performance from another. Nonetheless, both a doctoral student at Julliard and her mother tell me the phrasing and balance are just exquisite. I will have to take their word for it. In contrast, the orchestra was a bit sloppy. No doubt more rehearsal time with the guest conductor Colin Davis would have helped.

The Lemminkainen Suite consists of four movements composed during various times. They are: (i) Lemminkainen and the Maidens of the Island (1895, rev. 1897/1939), (ii) The Swan of Tuonela (1895, rev. 1897/1900), (iii) Lemminkainen in Tuonela (1893, rev. 1879/1939) and (iv) Lemminaiken's Return (1895, rev. 1897/1900).

I enjoyed the Suite much more this time than the last, which I characterized as “forgettable.” Perhaps it was due to the seat. Although we sat in a third tier box and had only a partial view of the stage, the acoustics was quite good. Another factor could be when the entire Suite is played, there was more context to understand the music with. Even the Swan movement came across quite well. Although we had to lean forward to see Thomas Stacy, the sound of the English Horn came through very well. Overall, the music is quite uplifting, especially by Sibelius's standard.

A word on the conductor. He is about 80 years old (born 1927), and still stands straight and conduct vigorously. Impressive.

The Metropolitan Opera - Strauss's Die Agyptische Helena. March 31, 2007.

Metropolitan Opera at Lincoln Center - Dress Circle, Seat F24 ($125).

Conductor - Fabio Luisi; Aithra - Diana Damrau, Helena - Deborah Voight, Melenas - Torsten Kerl, Da-ud, Garrett Soreson, Altair - Wolfgang Brendel.

Story. The traditional Helen of Troy story has Helen carried away by Paris and marrying him. This story presents the alternate legend that it is actually a facsimile of Helen that is carried off, while the real Helen remains in Egypt. She has to convince Menalas that she has always been faithful. When given the choice of a lotus potion that will eliminate all the bad memories or a potion that will bring back remembrance of those bad times, Helen chooses the later. Still, they manage to overcome the pain and are reunited with their child Hermione.

I chose this Met performance because Deborah Voight is in it. I had read many reports on Voight who is proclaimed as a great Wagner soprano. My interest was really piqued when she was dismissed from a London performance because she was too overweight, and her subsequent decision to have her stomach's size surgically reduced.

That this opera was composed by Richard Strass was a bit of a deterrent. We saw his Capriccio (NYC Opera) in 2005 and I came away puzzled. Alas, this sentiment is repeated with this opera.

The premise of the story is interesting enough, although with the way the plot unfolds in the opera, there is not much suspense or drama. The set is minimal and not very interesting, especially by the Met's usual elaborate standards. The costume was modern – dresses and suits, no togas.

Both Damrau and Voight have great voices. Voight supposedly had to hit a C#, I missed it, probably because she did it so effortlessly. I was a bit surprised that Voight's timbre was a bit on the harsh side, maybe that's why it carries so well? Damrau's voice is very pleasant. In comparison, the tenor Kerl's voice was weak.

A few interesting notes. The elves all wear sunglasses and dresses, but they all have beards. There is also a group of men in white suits carrying black briefcases that have light bulbs in them. They remind me of the “agents” in the Matrix movies. Also, they made Aithra lie on the stage at the end of Act I and before Act II for quite a while. The sets of Acts I and II are mirror images of one another.

Opera News magazine had a couple of articles on Diana Damrau and the Met production of this opera. Perhaps these writers have a better appreciation of the opera.

The Met put this opera on soon after it was written in 1928. It wasn't repeated until this series. One wonders when the opera will be produced again!

New York Philharmonic - Sir Colin Davis, Conductor; Mitsuko Uchida, Piano. March 24, 2007.

Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center, First Tier Center, Seat DD19 ($59).

Program
Symphony No. 85 in B-flat minor, "La Reine," Hob. I:85 (1785?) by Haydn (1732-1809).
Piano Concerto in F major, K. 459 (1784) by Mozart (1756-91).
Symphony No. 4 in C minor, "Tragic," D.417 (1816) by Schubert (1797-1828).

Since we had quite a bit of time between the Opera and this evening's concert, we went to the pre-concert talk. It was given by the Philharmonic's scholar-in-residence Charles Bornstein. He had quite a bit of praise for how effect Colin Davis was as a conductor. He also remarked that all three composers in tonight's concert died in Vienna. Someone pointed out Schubert actually died at age 31, even younger than Mozart. To think Schubert could be writing timeless music while a teenage is sobering. Although Bornstein did point out the music sometimes would drift on for a bit too long.

We saw Colin Davis last year, the soloist was also Uchida, whom we have heard several times already. She is generally known as a great Mozart musician, although I find her playing a bit sloppy (too much pedaling?). I am very familiar with the concerto, having played it in the orchestra while I was in high school, and thoroughly enjoyed it. The movements are Allegro, Allegretto, and Allegro assai.

The Haydn symphony is in four movements: Adagio – vivace; Romance (Allegretto); Menuet (Allegretto – Trio); and Finale (Presto). Schubert's symphony is also in four movements: Adagio molto – Allegro vivace; Andante; Menuetto (Allegro vivace – Trio); and Allegro.

By the time I write this (April 6, 2007), I have forgotten most of the concert already. Having to write four reviews in a row doesn't help. I should learn to jot down my thoughts sooner, for what it's worth.

See the New York Times review.

New York City Opera - Rossini's La donna del lago. March 24, 2007.

New York State Theater at Lincoln Center - First Ring Right, Seat D6 ($112.50).

Conductor - George Manahan; Elena - Alexandrina Pendatchanska, Malcolm - Laura Vlasak Nolen, Uberto - Barry Banks, Rodrigo - Robert McPherson, Duglas - Daniel Mobbs.

Story. Elena, of Loch Katrine, is in love with the warrior Malcolm, but her father Duglas would rather she marry Rodrigo, the leader of the insurgent Highland army. Elena encounters Uberto and provides him with shelther; Uberto mistakes this kindness for love. When Uberto finds out Elena's true feelings, he gives Elena a ring that he claims will guarantee the King's aid and protection if she needed it. Rodrigo overhears this and challenges Uberto to a duel; Rodrigo is killed and the conflict is escalated. Duglas is captured and Elena goes to ask King James to pardon him. She discovers Uberto is actually King James of Scotland; he pardons both Duglas and Malcolm. The story ends with the marriage of Elena and Malcom being blessed.

This was a so-so opera. The staging was simplistic, the story was straight-forward, and the singing was only okay.

Three layers of broken city walls represent the ruins of the Highlands. If you don't use your imagination that there is a boat on stage, you won't know there is a lake involved, despite the title. Some free staging advice: a blue sheet or some sort of lighting will have given the effect of a shimmering lake.

The first act is basically used to introduce the main characters: Elena and her three suitors. There is no drama, no comedy, and barely a story in the act. The only action is Elena and Uberto climbing onto this contraption called a boat and appearing at Elena's home. The second act is interesting only when compared to the first one.

The singing was generally okay, the orchestra played well. But you expect that of Rossini's music anyway. The role of Malcolm was played by a woman, which is probably a necessity given the voice range expected. Unfortunately for me, I got terribly confused at times.

See also the Financial Times review.

New York Philharmonic – Esa-Pekka Salonen, Conductor; Yefim Bronfman, Piano. February 3, 2007.

Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center, Second Tier Center, Seat CC22 ($60).

Program

Le tombeau de Couperin (1914-17/1919) by Ravel (1875-1937).
Piano Concerto (2006-07 ; World Premiere) by Esa-Pekka Salonen (b. 1958).
Pictures at an Exhibition (1874, arr. By Ravel 1922) by Musorgsky (1839-81).

Salonen has been the music director of LA Philharmonic for a long time, and I saw him quite a bit when I lived in the LA area in 2001/2002. I actually had a subscription to the 2002/2003 season, but had to give those tickets away because I came back to the East Coast. He burst onto the music scene many years ago and is considered on of the top (still) young conductors.

The first piece by Ravel was supposed to be a tribute to Ravel’s friends who died during World War I, with each of the movements (Prelude, Forlane, Menuet and Rigaudon) all dedicated to different people. In general, however, the music was lively and one would never think of it as an elegy. Perhaps it was how Ravel remembered his friends? In any case, there was no percussion at all, which is unusual for a contemporary symphonic piece. Salonen tends to anticipate the orchestra when he conducts. I always wonder how they maintain precision. For tonight at least I concluded they could not.

This series was the premiere performance of Salonen’s piano concerto, which is dedicated to the soloist Yefim Bronfman. What does one say about the concerto? The program notes contain a very detailed “roadmap” by Salonen on how he constructed the three different movements (simply called I, II and III) of the concerto. One could follow the roadmap to a tee and know exactly where the music is. There are enough interesting constructions that would keep the listener focused, but at the end you are not quite sure what you have heard. Somewhat like looking at a well-executed piece of modern artwork but not understanding whether the artist was trying to get across her emotion or was illustrating a new technique. One can even call this a sonata between the piano and the orchestra, if such a construct exists; even though the piano part contains many virtuoso passages, it often alternates the supporting role with the orchestra. You walk away agreeing Salonen is a great technician, but not sure whether he is an artist.

One of Salonen’s teachers at the Sibelius Academy was Einojuhani Rautavaara, whose work we heard when we were in Hong Kong in December, 2006. It was a concerto for “birds and orchestra” and taped singing of birds was used. Surely, movement II of tonight’s concerto had a working title of “synthetic folk music with artificial birds I”.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Musorgsky piece. The performance was done with a fresh perspective from the get-go. The slight accent of each of the first notes conjures up a long corridor. The texture of the piece was so rich that you wonder how the piano, wonderful and complete an instrument as it is, can bring out the images the orchestra does. The performance was so enjoyable that one can easily overlook the errant entry here or there.

Musorgsky wrote this music in memory of his artist friend Victor Hartmann (1834-73). The composition was inspired by various drawings, watercolors, sketches and architectural plans: ballet of the unhatched chicks, Tuileries; Limoges: the marketplace; catacombas, the Great Gate of Kiev). But most of Hartmann’s works have been lost or destroyed. Musorgsky evidently wasn’t very good technically, so his piano score was sanitized by Rimsky-Korsakov; and the original was already lost when Ravel worked on rearranging that for the orchestra.

See also the New York Times review of an earlier performance.

New York Philharmonic – Riccardo Muti, Conductor; Vadim Repin, Violin. January 20, 2007.

Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center, Second Tier Center, Seat AA109 ($60).

Program
Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35 (1878) by Tchaikovsky (1840-93).
Symphony No. 3 in C minor, “Le Poeme divin” (“The Divine Poem”), Op. 43 (1902-04) by Scriabin (1872-1915).

We saw Vadim Repin several years ago, and it was one of the more memorable experiences. After one of the strings on his violin snapped during the program, he calmly exchanged his violin with a member of the orchestra and continued playing. At a break in the solo part, he reached into his pocket and took out a set of strings so a fresh one could be put on (and tuned, by Di Cecco). When ready, violins were exchanged again, and Repin continued as if nothing had happened. The audience was awed and some couldn’t help but clap. I had a similar experience as a member of an orchestra during a performance. I sat out the rest of the piece. All that, and he played very well.

We didn’t expect similar fireworks tonight, and none was delivered. Actually we were thinking of not going to the concert. It was a cold and blustery night, which ended up being a long cold snap that hasn’t broken yet as I write this, in an otherwise warmish winter. Also, Anne was to get on a plane to Hong Kong the next day.

Repin plays the 1736 Guarneri del Gesu “von Szerdahely” violin, and the violin’s tone is more brilliant than I would expect. And the singing tone it produces is simply splendid. Nonetheless, the instrument did get swamped by the reduced orchestra during some of the louder orchestra passages. The cadenza of the first movement (Allegro moderato – Moderato assai) was technically challenging, which Repin tackled with ease. However, the harmonics sounded as if the violin was a bit out of tune. He didn’t have to retune though, so maybe it was my ears. The audience applauded after the first movement, which is understandable. After a short interlude called the second movement (Canzonetta, Andante), the piece launched into a lively Finale (Allegro vivacissimo). The piece was played a bit freer than usual. Overall the performance was enjoyable, but I was a bit disappointed as my expectations were very high, broken string notwithstanding.

The Scriabin symphony was of typical “Russian” length at 50 minutes, and consisted of three movements played without pause: Lento – Struggles (Allegro), Sensual Pleasures (Lento – Vivo), and Divine Play (Allegro – Vivo – Allegro). The work is supposedly to reflect Scriabin’s interest in mysticism and disclose his view of a specific philosophical meaning (quoting from the Program Notes). I didn’t get it.

The first movement began with the brass sections, and didn’t sound like a struggle to me despite my effort to listen for it. There was this 5-note motif that kept appearing. The second movement indeed had a mystic sound to it with the interplay between the violins and a “percolating” flute. The solo violin was a bit weak tonight, though. The last movement had French horns recalling the theme of the first movement.

This was the first time we saw Muti. I couldn’t tell how good he was since I was trying to understand the music itself.

The reviewer for New York Times thoroughly enjoyed the program.

New York Philharmonic – Zubin Mehta, conductor; Pinchas Zukerman, violin. January 6, 2007.

Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center, Orchestra 2, Seat Q20 ($59).

Program
Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61 (1806) by Beethoven (1770-1827).
Le Sacre du printemps (1911-13) by Stravinsky (1882-1971).

Our seats were towards the right side of the orchestra section, so the view of the soloist and the orchestra wasn’t great. However, the acoustics were great, one could hear the instrumentalists very well.

We heard Pinchas Zuckerman in Ithaca in the late 1970s. He was already well-known as a violinist then. In the intervening years, he has done conducting, played the viola extensively, and has taken up teaching; good for him. Zubin Mehta was the director of New York Philharmonic for more than 10 years and (I recall) left under somewhat unpleasant circumstances. I have heard him before (in Los Angeles, I think, and of course many CDs) and quite enjoy his music. He is one of those conductors that don’t seem to conduct rigidly to rhythm but more to cue the sections in before their appearances.

Most violin players I know love the Beethoven concerto. I remember in graduate school playing a David Oistrakh recording over and over again. It is interesting how Beethoven could string together a great sounding, musically challenging, and symphony-like concerto with a lot of scales and arpeggios. A good argument for doing your exercises.

Naturally Zuckerman played brilliantly. He tackled the most difficult pieces with ease, the dynamics were excellent, the give-and-take with the orchestra was good. The cadenzas were remarkable. Sometimes he would play along the orchestra violin parts, and it was interesting (and challenging) to pick out his violin from the other 10 or so that were playing the same tune. Every now and then, especially in the higher registers, there seemed to be problems with intonation; or have my ears deserted me? His violin sounded good, but didn’t seem to have the same smoothness one gets from a Stradivarius. (I researched a bit but couldn’t find out what violin Zuckerman plays.)

All in all a very enjoyable performance, even measured against the Oistrakh standard. The sold-out concert audience was also quite appreciative.

I am actually not as familiar with The Rite of Spring – particularly the second part – as I thought. This piece, rightly or wrongly, is defined by the introductory bassoon passage, which was played well, although not quite in the way most people play it. The composition caused a riot when it was premiered in Paris; by today’s standards it sounded quite tame. It talks about a young maiden’s sacrifice. One of those days I should go see the ballet.

There seemed to be some hesitation on the orchestra’s part towards the end where I expected entrances with convictions. Perhaps that’s due to my lack of understanding of the music, or was it the way Mehta conducted?

New York Philharmonic – David Robertson, conductor; Patricia Bardon, Mezzo-Soprano. December 16, 2006.

Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center, Second Tier Center ($59).

Program
Le Martyre de Saint Sebastien: Fragments symphoniques (1911/13) by Debussy (1862-1918).
Adriana Songs for Mezzo-Soprano and Orchestra (2006 ; US Premiere) by Kaija Saariaho (b. 1952).
Night Ride and Sunrise, Op. 55 (1808) by Sibelius (1865-1957).
La Mer: Trois esquisses symphoniques (1903-05, rev. 1910) by Debussy.

If someone asks why I got tickets for this concert, I won’t be able to answer. Other than Debussy’s La Mer, I didn’t know any of the pieces in the program. And I am not particularly a fan of vocal music. This concert was in the series I subscribe to, and I didn’t bother to exchange the tickets for another concert.

Many concert-goers probably felt the same way I did, and on top of that this was the holiday shopping season, so it wasn’t surprising that the attendance was quite spotty.

I was surprised at the size of the orchestra for the first piece, The Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian: Symphonic Fragments. There were three harps on stage. According to the program notes, Debussy wrote the music for a theater piece by Gabriele d’Annunzio who called it a “mystery play.” The premiere in 1911 wasn’t much of a success, and two years later Debussy asked his collaborator Andre Caplet to create the orchestral suite heard tonight.

The four movements of the piece are titled: The Court of the Lilies; Ecstatic Dance and Act One Finale; The Passion; and The Good Shepherd. The play depicts how Sebastian was killed by arrows. It was generally a pleasant (if a martyr play can be pleasant) piece with interesting lines and orchestration that evoke variously serenity, tension, and suspense.

Adriana Songs is derived from Helsinki-born Saariaho’s opera Adriana Mater and consists of four movements: Autumn Garden; I Feel Two Hearts; Furious Passions; and Life Regained. The story could be compelling, it talks of how good can triumph over evil and hatred. The mood set by the music generally supports that. One can associate different passages variously with struggle, mourning, furor, passion, and rage. Unfortunately, the music is a bit beyond me, it seems to be a bunch of motifs that don’t seem to lead anywhere. The French lyrics sounded pleasant enough – even though I don’t understand it. (Libretto by Amin Maalouf.)

This was Dublin-born Bardon’s New York Philharmonic debut. Her voice, at times quite strong, sometimes carried only intermittently into the Second Tier seat I was in. You wish she had a more auspicious debut.

The basis for Sibelius Night Ride and Sunrise is not entirely clear, but the line “the feelings of someone riding through the forest at night and then, after many hours, sensing the awesome silence of the pre-dawn, and finally glimpsing the ecstatic as the sun rises” sounds plausible and sensible enough. The program notes also say this is very optimistic by Sibelius usual dark standards. I was surprised at how energetic the night ride felt, though.

The three symphonic sketches of Debussy’s La Mer were originally called: Beautiful Sea at the Sanguinaire Islands; Play of the Waves; and The Wind Makess the Sea Dance. By the time he was done with the composition, the movements’ names changed to: From Dawn till Noon on the Sea; Play of the Waves (same); and Dialogue of the Wind and the Sea. Debussy father was an ex-Navy man who had wanted to send his son into a sailing career. The father got into legal trouble and Claude was sent to live with a family friend who steered him to the Paris Consevatoire.

The piece turned out to be less familiar to me than I thought. I generally like Debussy, usually after hearing a piece many times over. I need to listen to this some more, especially since I had trouble staying awake during the performance.

Robertson conducts two series in the 2006/2007 New York Philharmonic Season. By chance I saw both of them (the other one with Gil Shaham the soloist).

Tonight’s concert was a bit beyond me. The program notes (which I quoted extensively) were quite interesting, though.

The New York Times gives the concert a glowing review. They are especially appreciative of the program put together by Robertson and how the La Mer piece was performed.

Hong Kong Philharmonic – Osmo Vanska, conductor; Trey Lee, Cello. December 9, 2006.

Hong Kong Cultural Center Concert Hall, Stall 2, Seat HH31. (HK $200)

Program – Sounds of Nature
Cantus Arcticus, concerto for birds and orchestra (1972) by Einojuhani Rautavaara (b. 1928)
Cello Concerto in E minor, Op. 85 (1919) by Edward Elgar (1857-1934)
Symphony No. 6 in F, Op. 68, Pastoral (1808) by Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

David & Ruby, who were visiting Hong Kong the same time we were, suggested we attend a concert. Joining us were Jane and Ka Shi. I have never been inside the Cultural Center, and was surprised at the intimacy of the small auditorium. We were seated quite close to the stage, with a good view of the artists.

The program started with a piece by a composer I had never heard of. It was in three movements. There was extensive use of recorded bird songs in all three movements. I wonder if the songs were synchronized down to the beat with the orchestra: that would mean the tape dictates how fast the music is played, which I guess no self-respecting conductor will allow. The piece does not have the rich texture one usually finds with modern music. It was interesting, but quite forgettable.

The Cellist Trey Lee graduated from Harvard with an economics degree. He looks younger than his biography would indicate. Both his technique and intonation seemed excellent – he didn’t seem to need to struggle at all with some of the more difficult passages. However, there was no dynamic range, the whole piece was played through at mf. David thinks it is the instrument; I say get a new instrument. The piece was performed without evoking much emotion despite the program notes talking about a very sad ending.

Beethoven’s Pastoral symphony is always enjoyable. One thing about the program notes: they are like a step-by-step guide for the music, very useful for the uninitiated (above remark about Elgar notwithstanding). The notes talk about the oboe being hesitant (3^rd movement) by design, which is something I hadn’t realized before. However, I didn’t catch the part about the bassoon having only three notes but still had trouble. There were very few miscues, although one would expect Beethoven in any orchestra’s standard repertoire. The dynamics of the orchestra were good.

The conductor, who among other appointments is with the Minnesota Symphony, must have strong knees since he crouched down a lot. At times he was over-emotive. Many conductors put down their batons for certain passages (usually slow), but he overdid it in my opinion.

A narrator came out before the Elgar and Beethoven pieces to talk about the music. I have no idea why that was necessary since the detailed program notes are in English and Chinese. And he didn’t say much. Strange ritual indeed.

One word about the composition of the orchestra. The string players are predominantly Asian (mostly Chinese), but the woodwind and brass sections are still 80% (or higher) Caucasian. I wonder why. Perhaps the turnover in those sections is much slower, or not as many Chinese take to those instruments?

All in all an enjoyable evening undoubtedly helped by lowered expectations.

New York City Opera – Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel. November 4, 2006.

New York State Theater at Lincoln Center – First Ring Left, Seat B13 ($112.50)

Conductor – Steven Mosteller; Gretel – Jennifer Aylmer, Hansel – Jennifer Rivera, Mother – Cheryl Evans, Father – Michael Chioldi, The Witch – Jessie Raven.

Story. This opera is based on the Grimm Brothers story. The brother and sister Hansel and Gretel are sent out to forage for food after they ruin the dinner their mother was preparing while horsing around in the house. They get lost and spend the night away from home. The witch gets a hold of them, locks up Hansel to fatten him up to eat, and gets Gretel to work for her. Gretel tricks the witch into opening the oven door and shoves her into the oven. Many other children are freed together with Hansel.

Except in today’s production, the story didn’t take place in a medieval German forest; the setting was turn of the (20^th) century New York City (1893 being the year the opera premiered). Hansel and Gretel were German immigrants, which allowed them to switch between singing in German and English. They lived in the lower East Side, the forest is the Central Park, and the witch’s house is a mansion on – where else – the upper West Side.

My first reactions to the opera were not positive. For whatever reason, the voices of Hansel and Gretel didn’t project very well, which is inexcusable for a sound-enhanced stage. I have always thought English is not a good language for the opera, so I don’t understand why NYC Opera decided to translate the libretto into English. And the chintzy rhyming really drove me up the wall.

Although the program notes say there are many well-known folk tunes, the only one I am familiar with is the aria “When I go to sleep, angels watch over me.” In general the tunes are pleasant. My understanding is German operas tend to run as continuously stories, so there are not too many natural pauses for the audience to applaud.

NYC Opera tends to use younger, up-and-coming artists. Thus you don’t often get 40 year old women trying to play the role of Cio-Cio San (a teenager). Today’s singers are by-and-large age-appropriate (well, the two Jennifers aren't children, for sure), except you can’t make a case of Gretel and her mother’s being underfed.

One final note. Engelbert Humperdinck the rock singer, who was all the rage when I was a young man, actually named himself after EH the opera composer. I guess nowadays both are not that well-known. Adelheid Wette, the librettist, was the wife of the composer.

Despite phrases like “the company deserves praise,” New York Times also has a so-so review of the opera.

New York Philharmonic – Jonanthan Nott, conductor; Peter Serkin, piano. October 28, 2006.

Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center, Second Tier Center, Seat AA109 ($60).

Program
Overture to Konig Stephan (King Stephen), Op. 117 (1811) by Beethoven (1770-1827).
Lontano, for Largo Orchestra (1967) by Ligeti (1923-2006).
Piano Concerto No. 1, BB 91 (1926) by Bartok (1881-1945).
Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67 (1804-08) by Beethoven.

The first part of the program was a Hungarian affair. Per the program notes, the program was presented to mark the 50^th anniversary of the Hungarian Revolution. King Stephen, the subject of the 10-number Beethoven work, was the founder of “modern Hungry” (and we are still talking late-10^th-century here). Gyorgy Ligeti, who recently passed away, migrated to Germany in 1956. Bela Bartok, of course, is a well-known Hungarian composer.

The Beethoven overture began with a stately trumpet statement, followed by a light passage. The form is classical, and the piece finishes with a flourish.

Ligeti pieces have been used extensively in Stanley Kubrick’s films, including 2001: A Space Odessey and Eyes Wide Shut. Lontano was used in the horror film The Shining, and created – with other pieces - the creepy background in the film. Although I tried to listen for that effect, I couldn’t quite get it. The piece began with the flutes playing a long note and joined by dissonant strings. There was extensive use of tremolo passages in the strings. The tuba and trombone, together with harmonics in the violins, did generate an image of a “glob” or a “thing.” The music gradually built up to some level of controlled chaos, and then gently faded away. Interestingly, considering this piece as being for a “large orchestra,” there were no percussion instruments (not even the timpani).

Percussion was very much in play in the Bartok piece, which began with the timpani followed by the trombone and then the trumpet. The program notes mention this concerto highlights the use of the piano as a percussion instrument, and it is indeed true. The first movement (Allegro moderato – Allegro) was definitely a virtuoso piece, and there were some melodious interludes. Some sections in the middle were a bit difficult to appreciate, though. The movement ended with a flourish. The second movement (Andante) showcased the percussion nature of the piano with a march-like passage. It also had an ethnic sound to it. The construction of the movement was actually quite simple. The snare drums and the brass that started the third movement (Allegro molto) woke up those who had dozed off. The running passages gave the soloist another opportunity to display his virtuosity. Of the contemporary composers, I have found Bartok an easy composer to understand.

A word on Peter Serkin, a tall fellow with a gawkish manner about him. People will always associate him with his famous pianist father Rudolf. He needed the music for this performance, and the pace kept the page turner busy. I haven't heard enough of him to form a strong opinion, but I am quite sure he is a great pianist in his own right.

Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, whose first movement (Allegro con brio) begins with the famous notes for V, is one of his most well-known compositions. Tonight’s performance was a bit sloppy, with some players jumping in early on quite a few occasions. Avery Fisher Hall has a reputation of being a poor concert hall, and tonight the playing sounded particularly hollow. The cellos began the second movement (Andante con moto), followed by the violins. On the whole the simple movement was pleasantly done and enjoyable. The cellos again began the third movement (Allegro). The French horns made a pleasant appearance. The movement climaxed to lead to the last movement (Allegro) where an earlier theme showed up. The coda was a bit out of control, with the strings struggling a bit with intonation. Nonetheless, Beethoven delivers.

We saw Jonathan Nott earlier this year and I wrote a review of that concert. He seemed to move his wrists less than the last time, and generally put in a good performance.

New York City Opera – Donizetti’s The Elixir of Love. October 28, 2006.

New York State Theater at Lincoln Center – First Ring Right, Seat B10 ($112.50)

Conductor – George Manahan; Adina – Anna Skibinsky, Nemorino – John Tessier, Belcore – Paulo Szot, Dulcamara – Jan Opalach, Giannetta – Erin Morley.

Story. Nemorino is in love with Adina but receives a cold shoulder when he tells her about it. So Nemorina uses all his money to buy this potion from the traveling salesman Dulcamara. Dulcamara claims this is Tristan’s elixir but won’t take effect for a day, so Nemorino plays it cool when Adina approaches him. Thus angered, Adina agrees to marry the soldier Belcore immediately. In desperation, Nemorino enlists in the army so he can get the money to buy more potion to accelerate its effect. Meanwhile, Nemorino’s uncle passes away and leaves him a huge inheritance. Girls thus flock to Nemorino, making him think the elixir is working since he doesn’t know about the inheritance. When Adina finds out from Dulcamara that Nemorino is actually in love with her, she buys back his enlistment contract. They then find out about Nemorino’s inheritance, and everyone rejoices.

This is the first Donizetti opera I listened to. I am somewhat familiar with a couple of arias in Lucia di Lammermoor. Donizetti wrote over 70 operas, quite a few of them are still popular today. I have a long ways to go yet.

The opera begins with a traditional overture. While the themes are pleasant enough, somehow I find the parts not quite fitting together as a coherent piece, there were some flute passages that seemed particularly out of place.

The production is “modern,” the setting being a 1950s diner complete with leather jackets and a motorbike. It reminds me of Grease or the TV series Happy Days. Even the subtitles tend to mirror language used at that time, such as referring to girls as “chicks” and using phrases like “one hell of a …” Dlcamara’s entrance was in a convertible Ford Sunliner. I am not a fan of this sort of revisionism, evidently NY Opera feels the need to do so to appeal to a wider audience. Surprisingly, this production was first created for the Royal Swedish Opera in Stockholm. I wonder if they used American dollars at the diner there? The advertisements for this opera cite elaborate praises of the production; I wonder who the reviewers are.

In general the singing was very good. Many of the arias are pleasant, but few are memorable. The notable exception is “Una Furtiva Lagrima,” sung by Nemorino when he realizes joyfully that Adina is actually in love with him. The audience was appreciative, although the applause was a bit overdone in my opinion.

This was an overall pleasant experience. The story was a bit loose, even for an opera. I probably would have enjoyed a more traditional setting (a horse drawn wagon instead of a car?), but the new production was okay.

See also the New York Times review of the performance.

New York Philharmonic – David Robertson, conductor; Gil Shaham, violin. October 14, 2006.

Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center, First Tier Center, Seat AA16 ($59).

Program

Overture to Candide (1956) by Bernstein (1918-90).
Concerto in E-flat, “Dumbarton Oaks” (1937-38) by Stravinsky (1882-1971).
Violin Concerto No. 2 in D major, K. 211 (1775) by Mozart (1756-91).
Violin Concerto in D (1931) by Stranvinsky.
Symphony No. 36 in C major, “Linz,” K. 425 (1783) by Mozart.

This was the second concert of the day. And there were two Mozart pieces on the program. This, after sitting through a three-hour (plus intermission) Mozart opera earlier in the day. I was worried that it may be a bit much. Turns out it was.

On the anniversary of Leonard Bernstein’s death, the orchestra played the composer piece without a conductor. Sheryl Maples did start the orchestra off with a few swings of her arm. The familiar piece was brilliantly played, and the audience was appreciative.

Robertson appeared to conduct Stravinsky Concerto. It was performed by an ensemble of about 16 players. This is a rather complex piece, but one can’t help but wonder – especially after the Candide performance – why a conductor was necessary. Stravinsky compares this composition to Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos. The similarity, alas, eludes me. The first movement (Tempo giusto) was delightful but monotonous sounding at times. The Allegretto movement had more give and take among the various instruments. There were some nice flute passages. The last movement (Con moto) was march-like. Dumbarton Oaks refers to an impressive 19th-century mansion in Washington, D.C.

One would think Mozart’s violin concertos would be part of an orchestra’s standard repertoire. I was surprised to find out tonight’s performance was a New York Philharmonic premiere. Gil Shaham performed the piece on the 1699 “Countess Polignac” Stradivarius. When I heard him in June, 2005, I mentioned the violin didn’t sound as brilliant as I expected, but the Mozart piece carried beautifully above the orchestra tonight. He had some intonation problems with the first movement (Allegro moderato) but played the cadenza beautifully. He still moves about the stage quite a bit – obviously hasn’t read my review yet. After the second movement (Andante) I found the Rondeau-Allegro particularly delightful.

Shaham came back after the intermission to play Stravinsky’s Violin Concerto. The concerto consists of four movements: Toccata, Aria I, Aria II and Capriccio. Stravinsky actually specifies the tempo also, I guess he had a specific way he wanted the music played. Against the much larger orchestra, Shaham sounded much weaker. He actually needed the music which surprised me a bit. The first movement showcased good interplay between the soloist and the orchestra. Aria I contained a 3-note theme, nice harmonics, and detached notes. Aria II started with a strong statement from the violin which had a prominent role. The last movement was energetic, required much virtuosity from the violinist, and had many abrupt change of moods. I sense one’s appreciation of this concerto will greatly increase with additional listenings. An interesting note: Stravinsky was not a fan of the violin concerto genre.

Mozart’s Symphony began slowing (Adagio; Allegro spiritoso), and I was sure at a couple of occasions some jumped the gun. While it was a nice composition, I was feeling a bit sated with Mozart by this time. The second movement (Andante) was pastoral sounding and painted a picture of a countryside. The third movement (Menuetto; Trio) continued without pause to the Presto movement. Overall this is a nice Symphony that sounds very similar to Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony.

With the addition of the Bernstein piece, we were not done until about 10:10 pm. It made for a long day – we left the house at 11 am and didn’t get back until after 11 pm, but I’m glad we went.

Metropolitan Opera – Mozart’s Idomeneo. October 14, 2006.

Metropolitan Opera at Lincoln Center – Dress Circle, Seat B118 ($125).

Conductor – James Levine; Ilia – Nicole Heaston, Idamante – Kristine Jepson, Elettra – Olga Makarina, Idomeneo – Ben Heppner.

Story: The Cretan king Idomeneo captures Ilia of Troy and sends her to Crete. She is rescued from a storm by the king’s son Idamante and falls in love with him. Princess Elettra flees Argos to take refuge in Crete, and also falls in love with Idamante. On his way home, Idomeneo runs into a storm, and promises Neptune he will sacrifice the first man he meets if he survives. Idomeneo comes ashore to find Idamante seeking solitude, having been misinformed of his father’s death. Idomeneo hopes to avoid carrying out his vow by banishing Idamante without telling him the reason, which causes great sorrow in his son. Eventually Idamante finds out, and demands to be sacrificed. As he is about to be killed, Neptune speaks and proclaims that the alternative is for Idomeneo to yield the throne to Idamante and Ilia. Elettra is horrified and dies.

The story, as I summarized it, sounds a bit disjoint, but it reflected my understanding of the plot after seeing the opera and reading the program synopsis a couple of times. I have seen several of Mozart’s operas (Don Giovanni, Cosi Fan Tutte, and this one), they all seem to have plots that are not particularly captivating. Some of the "monologues", especially the ones by Idomeneo and Elettra, were a bit long.

The Met usually has relatively impressive sets, while the columns are quite tall, the same set (with slight backstage variations) was used for all three acts of the opera. For Act 2, which is supposed to be a seashore setting, all they did was to add a few white sheets to represent sails. The stage designers must have been great fans of symmetry. The two halves seem to be mirror images of one another. Even where people stand is balanced. I don't particularly care for it.

And the costumes. The story is set during the Trojan War. I am not a historian, but what Elettra wore looks like a formal gown during Victorian times, and the soldiers’ costumes look more Roman than Greek. The chorus members looked like French peasants. All in all, it seemed anachronistic and hodge-podge.

Prince Idamante’s part was sung by a mezzo-soprano. During intermission some music student Anne ran into (waiting in line to buy coffee) explains the range is beyond most tenors and is thus often played by a mezzo-soprano. I just find it awkward, unbelievable, and confusing. The singing in and of itself was good, and one is supposed to suspend reality, but they weren’t enough to get me past thinking it as being ridiculous. Surely Mozart could have written equally great music for a “regular” tenor. The Elettra death scene, while funny, was a bit incongruous also.

The music is good. The orchestra played well, the singing was excellent. However, the music is not enough to overcome the disjoint story, simplistic staging, weird costumes, and confusing roles. This is an opera you can just listen to on the radio and not miss much.

The opera is being staged in Germany (Berlin, I think), and is causing a great stir because of the staging. There were threats directed against the opera house. I simply can’t understand how the production design people can turn this into a controversial affair, or why people would be so offended.

See also the New York Times review of the performance.

Westfield Symphony Orchestra – Puccini’s Turandot. September 28, 2006

PNC Arts Center, Holmdel, NJ, Right Rear section (Free).

Conductor – David Wroe; New York City Opera, Monmouth Civic Chorus, and Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company; Turandot – Othalie Graham, Calaf – Carlo Scibelli, Liu – Julianne Borg, Timur – Kevin Maynor.

Story: Prince Calaf, who just reunited with his father Timor and the slave girl Liu, is smitten with Turandot’s beauty and is determined to win her as his bride. To do so, Calaf has to solve three puzzles given by Turandot; failure to do so would mean death. After successfully solving the three puzzles (hope, blood, and Turandot being the answers), Calaf gives the princess a chance to get out of the marriage: she can kill him if she can guess his name by daybreak. Turandot tries to find out the Prince’s name by torturing Liu and Timor. Liu, who has been in love with Calaf since he showed her kindness a long time ago, commits suicide after claiming only she knows the name. The Prince further puts his fate in Turandot’s hands by telling her his name. Moved, Turandot announces the Prince’s name as “Love”.

We have lived in New Jersey since 1979, except for a couple of years in Hong Kong and a year in California, yet this was the first time we went to the Arts Center. I know it as a venue for rock concerts; evidently every now and then one can catch a classical music performance. The Center must seat up to 5,000 people, and it was about half-filled for tonight’s event.

My impression of the performance was amateurish, although the result was generally satisfactory. The orchestra and chorus each consisted of about 60 members, the soloists mostly sang the music, and some of the scenes were acted out by the dance troupe.

Sometimes I feel “Turandot” should be re-titled “Liu”. The slave girl certainly had more memorable arias, and Borg delivered the two well-known ones (in Acts 1 and 3) with feeling and precision. Her performance was by far the best among the soloists. The other two characters mostly shouted out their lines. Scibelli (as Calaf) every now and then struggled with his intonation. I felt a great sense of relief when he successfully sang “Nessun Dorma”: it had a wobbly beginning, but he managed the last notes well. Turandot’s arias were not easily hummed, which was a pity for the role.

The orchestra and chorus were generally quite good, despite confusion every now and then, and several miscues. Saying that the “world-class” orchestra “rivals any in the New York metropolitan area” (as in the program notes) was a bit much though. Indeed, I play the same music as (name your concert violinist).

It was quite interesting to have dancers perform some of the scenes. I find the ones depicting the riddles and Liu’s death particularly enjoyable. (Anne pointed out the riddles to me.) We were seated too far back to really appreciate the dancing, though.

Perhaps some of the loudness was attributable to the sound system, which was particularly problematic. It sounded tinny and the occurrences of loud feedback were too frequent for a professional venue like the Arts Center. The lack of projected English subtitles didn't help either. It was difficult to follow the story unless one was familiar with the opera.

A good opera performance captures one’s imagination. A whisper can hold the rapt attention of the audience. Unfortunately those moments were not to be found tonight.

In any case, Turandot is an opera easily enjoyed, with several great arias, a generally good storyline, and several passages based on popular Chinese folk melodies. I am still confused whether it is a comedy or a tragedy, though. Calaf’s success and happiness follow a bit too closely Liu’s self-sacrifice.

Perhaps my real feeling about tonight is the realization that it is often worth it to pay $100 or more for an opera performance in New York City.

New York Philharmonic – Lorin Maazel, Conductor; Itzhak Perlman, Violin. September 16, 2006.

Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center, Second Tier Center, Seat AA109 ($63).

Program

Sebastian im Traum, Salzburger Nachtmusik auf eine Dichtung von Georg Trakl (Dream of Sebastian, Salzburg Night-Music on a poem by Georg Trakl; 2003-2004) by Hans Werner Henze (b. 1926).
Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op. 26 (1864-67) by Max Bruch (1838-1920).
Rapsodie espangnole (Spanish Rhapsody, 1907) by Maurice Ravel (1875-1937).
L’Oiseau de feu (The Firebird): Suite for Orchestra (1919) by Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971).

Tonight’s concert marked the new 2006/2007 season for us. The program was quite diverse, containing both familiar pieces and a premiere performance.

This was the first time I heard of (and heard) Hanze, a German now living in Italy. The program notes call him “one of the most important opera composers of our time.” In the composers words, the work tries to follow the poem, referring “to the (Catholic) melancholy there, to the Salzburg temperatures and perfumes, to the rustic Baroque, to the biblical, to the wooden crucifix, to the nearness of death, to the moonlight, to Traklish evening sonatas.” Unfortunately I didn’t get any of that. (The actual poem was more interesting, although to be fair, I read it a few times.) The low rumble and the detached notes that began the piece did convey aimless wandering, though. As with a lot of contemporary music, the percussion section was huge, including a piano and two harps. The piece lasted about 15 minutes, and I couldn’t help thinking of Ravel’s remark “The orchestra’s too large for the number of bars.” (Quoted later in the program in reference to Ravel’s own composition.)

Bruch’s first violin concerto defines the composer, who was younger than Brahms by five years and is destined to always remain in Brahms’ shadow. Perlman’s performance of this popular piece was very enjoyable. However, I found the runs a bit “mushed” and the dynamic range a bit limited. In general the violin (naturally a Stradivarius, the “Soil” built in 1714 Perlman bought from Yehudi Mennhin in 1986) projected very well over the orchestra, which made the flaws more puzzling. The three movements (Prelude: Allegro moderato; Adagio; Finale: Allegro energico) were played through without pauses, and by my watch it took about 29 minutes, longer than the 24 minutes listed in the program, and much longer than the 20 minutes or so of the Heifetz performance on my iPod.

Bruch started to work on this concerto in 1857, did most of the work on it between 1864 and 1866, and sought advice from Joseph Joachim. According to the program notes, when Joachim was asked to characterize the four most famous German concertos in his repertoire – by Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Bruch, and Brahms – he insisted that Bruch’s was “the richest and the most seductive.”

True to the title, the Spanish Rhapsody was very Spanish, and very Ravelian. The first movement (Prelude to Night) began with a simple four-note theme repeated by various sections of the orchestra. The second movement (Malaguena) was short and contained a nice solo by the English Horn. The third movement (Habanera) was equally short and was the subject of the earlier quote about too large an orchestra. The English Horn had a few lines that were played beautifully. The Festival movement concluded the piece.

Stravinsky composed the original ballet music in 1909-1910. The chance came to the young artist rather by accident: the composer commissioned by Serge Diaghilev (of Ballets Russes) procrastinated on the request. The Suite performed tonight was created in 1919. The story involves Prince Ivan wandering through the evil monarch King Kashchei’s garden. There the Prince captures a Firebird which he agrees to free after it gives him a magic tail-feather. The Prince then happens upon 13 princesses; the most beautiful of them, acting under Kashchei’s spell, lures him to a spot where Kashchei’s demonic guards can ensnare him. Instead, the Prince uses the feather to summon the Firebird that leads the Prince to smash the egg that gives the evil monarch his power. Thus liberated, the Princess marries the Prince.

In the Suite, the story is told in five movements: The Firebird and its Dance, Variation of the Firebird; The Princesses’ Khorovod (Round-Dance); Infernal Dance of King Kaschchei; Lullaby; and Finale. I am quite familiar with a couple of the movements, and thoroughly enjoyed the performance. The piccolo had a few interesting parts.

On our way home, there was a disabled subway train at the 59th street station. We left the subway, walked about ten blocks before we managed to grab a taxi to Penn Station. The train back home was stopped at Newark for a while to wait for the police (no idea what happened). It was not a good day for train travel. Nonetheless, tonight was a good start to the season.

The New York Times reivew contains an interesting perspective on the Hanze piece.

J.S. Kids. June 30, 2006

Location: Monmouth Chinese Christian Church, Middletown, NJ

Program
Johann Sebastian Bach
Invention no. 8 in G major, BWV 781; Invention no. 9 in g minor, BWV 782; Sinfonia no. 5 in E-flat major, BWV 791. Yi-heng Yang, piano.
Georg Philip Telemann
Trio Sonata in C major - Xantippe (Presto), Corinna (Allegretto), Clelia (Vivace). Jojo Cheng, flute; Mitchell Li, oboe; Margret Arnadottir, cello.
Johann Sebastian Bach
Suite no. 2 in d minor, BWV 1008 - Prelude; Allemande. Margret Arnadottir, cello.
Joseph Haydn
Trio in D major, Hob XV:7 - Allegro assai. David Wu, violin; Margret Arnadottir, cello, Yi-heng Yang, piano.

J.S.Kids - A play with music by Yi-heng Yang and Dongmyung Ahn.
Students and Orchestra of the MCCC Choral Camp, conducted by Dongmyung Ahn
Johann Sebastian Bach
English Suite in g minor, BWV 808 - Overture. Yi-heng Yang, piano.

Three professional musicians led 38 students and 7 additional instrumentalists in practice for a week (mornings) to put out the performance. Since I helped out with the practice, and played the percussion in the Britten piece, I am not going to comment on the concert itself. Suffice it to say it was an interesting week that required resourceful teachers. (What to do if someone needs to go to the bathroom, and it is an "emergency"?)

The play "J.S. Kids" began with Bach having his students sing a rather straightforward SATB chorale from St. Matthew's Passion. To look for music for Noah's ark, Bach was transported into 20th century England and met up with Benjamin Britten. The JS Kids sang the last song in Britten's "Noah's Flood". The piece is relatively easy if one studied it a bit. Nonetheless, it has an 8-part canon (fancy word for a round) that involves quite a bit of discipline. Glad to report we pulled it off, in a manner of speaking.

The concert was quite well attended, and I certainly enjoyed being part of the preparation and the performance.

Newton Community Chorus - Richard Travers, Music Director. June 3, 2006.

Our Lady Help of Christians Church, Newton, MA

Lesley Chen, Concertmaster; Megan Workman, Soprano; Shannon Wicks, Countertenor; John William Gomez, Tenor; Michael D. Andrako, Baritone.

Program
Mass in Time of War (Paukenmesse) in C major (1796) by Joseph Haydn (1732-1809).

We came up to Boston to listen to the chorus of which Ellie is a member. Tonight we were seated in the front, on the right hand side of the church.

The Mass is known for its extensive use of the timpani (2 drums, C and G, I assume) which many felt Haydn used to denote cannons being fired. The mass was written during a time of war between Austria and France, in which Austria was ultimately defeated.

My last review of the chorus, when they sang Handel's Messiah in December 2005, largely took note of their amateur status. Perhaps I should look at tonight's performance in the same spirit. My overall impression is that the level of performance was generally higher this time around.

In general, the soloists were not as good as those in the last concert - and they were not great then. They are all voice students at the Boston Conservatory of Music, with three of them being students of one Victor Jannett. None of the voices sounded particular mature, hopefully they will improve with experience. The soprano rushed at the beginning and sang the high notes in Kyrie eleison as if she was out of breath, or couldn't wait to move off them. She did improve as the Mass progressed and was much better at the end. The countertenor's voice was a bit weak. Many in the audience were taken aback by a man singing a traditional alto role using a falsetto voice. The tenor and bass/bartione put in adequate but not spectacular performances. The bass was a bit weak in the low registers.

I actually thought the chorus did quite a bit better than December. The balance between the voices was much better, and I think this piece is musically more challenging than Messiah. There were inevitable miscues and imprecisions, and periods of chaos would creep in, but they didn't detract from the overall performance. Ellie thought they messed up in only one place.

The conductor did a good job, and most of his cues seemed timely, albeit not inspiring. The orchestra members played gallantly, but the orchestra was drowned out often due to its small size. There was a nice cello solo passage, though. The two trumpets were solid. The timpani player was quite good, but could play with more conviction during some of the more prominent passages. She didn't bring out the gloom and doom that should run in the background.

Frankly I had never encountered this piece until Ellie told me about it. I have since listened to a recording of it several times and find it enjoyable. Tonight's performance, played and sung by a group of (mostly) amateur musicians, was also quite satisfying.

This is probably Ellie's last performance with the chorus as she plans to leave the Boston area sometime during the summer. Let's hope she finds an appropriate group to join after she moves! (Not that I am being mysterious, she isn't sure where she'll end up yet.)

New York Philharmonic – Lorin Maazel, Conductor; Cynthia Phelps, Viola. May 27, 2006

Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center, First Tier Center, Seat BB10.

Program
Harold in Italy, Symphony in Four Parts for Orchestra with Solo Viola, after Byron, Op. 16 (1834) by Hector Berlioz (1803-69).
Symphony No. 1 in D major (1888; rev. 1890-1906) by Gustav Mahler (1860-1911).

The “Paganini of the Viola” turns out to be Paganini himself. He asked Berlioz to write a work to be played on the famous virtuoso’s newly acquired Stradivarious viola. Although Berlioz reworked the piece per Paganini’s suggestion, Paganini opted out of the premiere. It is easy to see why.

The first movement (I. Harold in the mountains. Scenes of melancholy, happiness, and joy. Adagio – Allegro ma non tanto) began with an introduction by the low strings. The viola came in mainly as a duet with the harp, with the orchestra in the background. The viola had a nice sound, but was easily, and often, overwhelmed by the orchestra. The movement did convey the stated emotions, although the coda seemed more ominous than melancholic. The second movement (II. Procession of pilgrims chanting the evening prayer. Allegretto) saw the viola go into a different theme after a short orchestral introduction. The flying arpeggios with the theme in the background conveyed a prayer-like atmosphere. The third movement (III. Serenade of an Abruzzi highlander to his mistress. Allegro assai- Allegretto) first sounded like Scottish highland music. It also contained nice melodies by the bassoon and the clarinet. The last movement (IV. Brigands’ orgy. Recollections of preceding scenes. Allegro frenetico) was the most interesting of all, although I didn’t catch the repeated themes.

The solo viola was supposed to be a narrator. The nature of the instrument is that its sound tends not to carry well. The red dress Phelps wore drew attention to her, but her playing didn’t have the flair of a soloist in a give-and-take situation with the orchestra, so I couldn’t help thinking “incongruent.” Now if she wore a regular black dress and stood to the side … I’m not sure that would have worked either. Perhaps Paganini was right in rejecting the piece, although when he heard it four years after the premiere he was very impressed with it. To me the music wandered quite a bit, even though that’s the theme of the symphony.

I was surprised to find Mahler first symphony in tonight’s program. The orchestra played it earlier in the season (September 2005), and I had written a review of it. I enjoyed hearing it for the second time though. This symphony contained many folksy tunes, including the famous “Frere Jacques” in the third movement. The repeated motifs juxtaposed with constant changing sceneries made for very interesting listening. Brass instruments play important roles in Mahler’s symphonies, this one was no exception. At the beginning several trumpets were playing off-stage; at the end all the French horns stood up. My reaction to this performance is by and large the same as for the last one. One major difference: this time around the orchestra always seemed to be in control.

To sum up, I was lost in Harold’s wanderings, and was a bit disappointed that part of the program was a rerun. The Orchestra’s repertoire can’t be that limited.