La Scena Musicale

Saturday, May 31, 2008

Today's Birthdays in Music: May 31 (Verrett, Farrenc)

1931 - Shirley Verrett, New Orleans, U.S.A.; opera and recital soprano

Wiki entry
Home Page

Shirley Verrett sings "Pace, pace mio Dio" from Verdi's La Forza del Destino (Orchestre Philarmonique des Pays de la Loire, Marc Soustroc conductor, 1989)



1804 - Louise Farrenc, Paris, France; composer

Wiki entry
Women of Note
Why Did Her Music Fade?

Louise Farrenc - Piano Quintet (Charity concert in Berneck, Switzerland)

Labels: , , , ,

Friday, May 30, 2008

Today's Birthdays in Music: May 30 (London, Oliveros)

1920 - George London, Montreal, Canada; concert and opera bass-baritone

Wiki entry
Biography & pictures

George London (Scarpia) and Maria Callas (Tosca) in Act 2 of Puccini's Tosca (1956 Telecast. New York. Dimitri Mitropoulos conductor)



1930 - Pauline Oliveros, Houston, U.S.A.; accordionist and composer

Wiki entry
Biography and more

Pauline Oliveros On Deep Listening


Pauline Oliveros plays at Cal State, Sacramento

Labels: , , , , ,

Thursday, May 29, 2008

Today's Birthdays in Music: May 29 (Albéniz, Korngold)

1860 - Isaac Albéniz, Camprodon (Catalania), Spain; pianist and composer

Wiki entry
Life and Music

Leyenda (Asturias) played by Andres Segovia



Malagueña played by Edgardo Roffé (2003)



1897 - Erich Korngold, Brünn, Moravia (today, Brno, The Czech Republic); composer

Wiki entry
Unofficial website

Hilary Hahn plays Korngold Violin Concerto in D major, 3rd mvt. (Deutsche Symphonie Orchestra, cond. Kent Nagano)

Labels: , , , ,

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Winners of the Montreal International Music Competition 2008 (Piano Edition)




After following the excitement the past week at home in Toronto, I decided to drive the six hours to Montreal to witness the event live. I am glad I did. The atmosphere in the Theatre Maisonneuve was simply electric this evening, with an excellent house, certainly better attended than the Chant 2007 finals last year. Tonight was the second of two nights of finals, with three candidates performing.



First up was Elizabeth Schumann (USA), playing Chopin piano concerto no. 1. A stylish pianist, Schumann does not possess the big technique like some of the other finalists - she wins points through elegant and poetic playing, her forte. On this particular evening, she unfortunately had an off-night. I found her playing lacked the depth of tone that one has come to expect at this level of competition. It didn't generate much excitement. The most damaging moment occured in the third movement, when a memory lapse caused her to come to a dead stop. Conductor Jean-Marie Zeitouni had to wait for her to re-start. A memory lapse can happen to any artist, but at a competitive situation, it is truly unfortunate. Incidentally, at the semi-finals, Ms. Schumann had a disastrous experience in the Schumann-Liszt Widmung. With only 90 seconds to go before the end of her program, she "got stuck" at one point and it took her five or six tries to get going again. Her uninspired performance this evening is likely something Ms. Schumann would rather forget as soon as possible. Nevertheless, the audience generously applauded her.




Things picked up tremendously with the next candidate, Russian Alexandre Moutouzkine, playing the Rachmaninoff 3rd. He was everything that Schumann was not. He may not be a particularly subtle pianist, but his dazzling technique simply blows you away. Most piano aficionados would agree that Rach 3 is the Mount Everest of piano concertos, at least in terms of technical demands. Well, Mr.Moutouzkind scaled it triumphantly, as if it is childs play. He stunned the audience with his jaw-dropping, stupendous technique - the sheer power and elan of his playing has to be experienced to be believed.





I have to say I had Alexandre Moutouzkine as my first prize winner up to this point. But I made up my mind too soon. The third and final candidate of the competition was Armenian pianist Nareh Arghamanyan. At 19 she is the youngest of the competitors. From the first chord on, it was clear that she was an artist to be reckoned with. She played with an equally big technique, but her playing was not just about technique - it was also about playing the music. Her involvement was total and uncompromising. You can tell she lived and breathed the moment, not just playing it with her fingers. She played as if possessed. I swear it came from her soul. Normally I am not fond of pianists with a lot of twitchy or quirky body movements, but with Ms. Arghamanyan, one immediately senses that it is all real, there is nothing phony or fake about it. It's very much part of her music making. Her playing was as poetic and it was prodigious technically. Here we have a complete artist - at 19!





With such phenomenal displays of artistry from several of the candidates the two evenings, it didn't take the jury long to decide. By 10:45, the audience was called back to their seats. With the nine jurors seated onstage, Mr. Simon Durivage announced the winners. When he announced that the First Prize went to Ms. Arghamanyan, the hall erupted in vociferous applause. It was an entirely deserving triumph. Although I have to say I had a soft spot for Moutouzkine. I thought it might be a tie between Arghamanyan and Moutouzkine. As it turned out, Moutouzkine was tied with Japanese pianist Masataka Takada in second place. No Third Prize was awarded, the prize money of which was added to that for Second Prize and divided equally for the two Second Prize winners.

I am kind of sorry that Sara Daneshpour didn't make it to the winner's circle. She gave a very fine performance last evening, but then the Japanese Takada was equally deserving, and perhaps just that much better. Canadian Sergei Saratovsky, as the best in the comptetion, will win the $5000 Best performance for a Canadian.




There are still prizes to be awarded - The Joseph Rouleau Award, the Best Interpretation of the Imposed Piece (Fast Forward by Alexina Louie), and the People's choice Award. I will hazard a guess - a strong candidate for the People's Choice Award may well be Alexandre Moutouzkine. We will find out on Thursday, during the Gala Concert. Stay tuned!

Labels: , , , , ,

Today's Birthdays in Music: May 28 (Fischer-Dieskau, Souliotis)

1925 - Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Berlin, Germany; lieder and opera baritone

Wiki entry
Biography & pictures

Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, accompanied by Sviatoslav Richter, sings Schubert's "Fischerweise" (1978)


Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (Barak) and Inge Borkh (Die Frau) in Strauss's Die Frau ohne Schatten (1963)



1943 - Elena Souliotis, Athens, Greece; opera soprano

Wiki entry

Elena Souliotis sings "Ben io t'invenni" from Verdi's Nabucco (Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, 1965)

Labels: , , ,

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Today's Birthdays in Music: May 27 (Champagne, Halévy, Musgrave)

1891 - Claude Champagne, Montreal, Canada; composer, educator


Biography


1799 - Jacques Halévy, Paris, France; opera composer (La Juive)

Wiki entry
Biography

Neil Shicoff sings "Raquel, quand du Seigneur" from La Juive



1928 - Thea Musgrave, Edinburgh, Scotland; composer

Homepage

Thea Musgrave: Voices of Power and Protest (world premiere)


Labels: , , , ,

Monday, May 26, 2008

Bramwell Tovey’s Rally Speech


This past Saturday, May 24th, 2008 saw a significant protest against the dumbing down of CBC Radio II on the steps of the Vancouver Art Gallery. The event saw many musical performances, as well as many speeches by som eof Canada's most important classical music figures. One of the most eloquent and thoughtful speeches was given by VSO conductor Bramwell Tovey reprinted below:


To whom it may concern:

I write to you as the longest-serving music director of a major Canadian orchestra, having served in that position with the Winnipeg Symphony (from 1989 to 2001)and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestras (from 2000 onwards.) Additionally, I was principal guest conductor of the Calgary Philharmonic from 1995-1998 and co-founder of the Winnipeg New Music Festival. I am also Principal Guest Conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl and Founder and Conductor (since 2004) of the New York Philharmonic’s annual Summertime Classics festival at Lincoln Centre in New York.

CBC Radio 2 is in dire straits. Loyal listeners are abandoning ship. On Easter Sunday a performance of J.S.Bach’s B minor Mass by a European ensemble was followed by a song from Johnny Cash. Such a lurch of programming would guarantee failure at any box office in the real world. This style of programming forms the core of the new schedules on CBC Radio 2 and is the result of a surfeit of management consultants.

Protesting financial problems, the CBC has abandoned its own 70 year old radio orchestra, an institution born of the need to promote Canadian talent and new music. Exactly a week later the network managed to find the cash to print a self-congratulatory full page ad in the Globe and Mail, extolling itself in partnership with major record companies, none of whom in fact, contribute one cent to the corporation.

Distinguished hosts have been dismissed without regard for the long standing relationships they enjoyed with listeners across the country. Great broadcasters like Manitoba born Eric Friesen who was poached by CBC from a public radio station in the US, and Howard Dyck, distinguished host of Saturday Afternoon at the Opera for 20 years.

These are broadcasters whose knowledge base and dulcet tones guaranteed a welcome into Canadian homes across the country. They were unceremoniously ditched with announcements laced in Orwellian doublespeak about ‘new pursuits’ and ‘tremendous service’. Canadians do not enjoy being treated like fools and everyone knows what’s going on. An ageist agenda that allegedly favours 35-50 year olds is being pursued. CBC became a laughing stock within the music business as it emerged that all kinds of inappropriate people were being pursued by the corporation to take over Saturday Afternoon At The Opera from Howard Dyck.

Lifting management-consultant speak, CBC Radio managers have talked of ‘phase one’, and with no realization of irony, ‘phase two’ as if such unexplained jargon could placate the increasingly disgruntled public. Constantly interrupting programmes (four times an hour in some cases) with self-promoting advertisements, the network mantra is chanted “Everywhere music takes you”. As a distinguished opera singer said to me recently, “It takes me to the off button.”

The changes on the network have amounted to a dereliction of duty on the part of the CBC. It is as if the CRTC, the House of Commons and above all, the Canadian public were not owed deference in what amounts to a wholescale change of emphasis in the way public money is spent. New policy was decided unilaterally by a handful of bureacrats at CBC Radio 2 after a derisory set of focus groups and ‘consultations’.

In seeking to control the debate about Radio 2 programming the network has ruthlessly censored its own blogsites. In May 2007 I submitted a comment to a blog about changes at Saturday Afternoon at the Opera. I received numerous telephone calls and then an email from a senior CBC manager:

“Let’s talk further about what we’re trying to achieve. I’d still be more than happy to post most of what you wrote, but do need to edit out one line, and want your approval to do that before I get Jowi [the supposed editor of the blog] to post. We’re not trying to censor you.” (sic)

Various websites, including on Facebook have blossomed since it was more widely realized that CBC was incapable of listening to criticism.

CBC is a public broacaster with obligations to Canadians that are clearly laid out in the corporation’s mandate. The lack of public debate has been appalling. I am delighted that the Heritage Committee has decided to hold hearings across Canada. I have accepted the invitation to speak next Thursday.

Given the present government’s significant commitment to young artist training that was announced today, the CBC’s decision to programme classical music between 10 am and 3 pm seems particularly churlish. The VSO, for example, performs to 50,000 children every year and is about to open a state of the art music school in downtown Vancouver. Yet none of these children will hear any classical music on Radio 2 since classical music will only be on the airwaves between 10am and 3pm.

Perhaps CBC Radio needs more airwaves on FM to fulfil its national obligations. CBC Radio certainly needs new direction with an ear to public opinion and a vision that does not discard its traditional powerbase. Classical music is very healthy in our country and CBC simply isn’t aware of this.

My youngest daughter is 7 years old. She has been learning the cello at the Vancouver Academy of Music for two years. A little while ago she played “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” at a family party. Her tiny hands pressed gallantly on the strings as her bow found the sounding point on the instrument and she entered the world of self-expression afforded by the language of music. She dreams of playing in our local youth orchestra. As things currently stand, CBC Radio 2 couldn’t care less about her.

Yours truly,

Bramwell Tovey O.M., LLD, FRAM, FRCMT


Labels:

Today's Birthdays in Music: May 26 (Stratas, Bolcom)

1938 - Teresa Stratas, Toronto, Canada; opera soprano

Wiki entry
Biography

Teresa Stratas and Placido Domingo: "Libiam ne' lieti calici" from Verdi's La Traviata (1983 film, directed by Franco Zeffirelli)


Teresa Stratas sings "Alabama Song" from Kurt Weill's The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny (Metropolitan Opera production, 1978)



1938 - William Bolcom, Seattle, Washington; composer and pianist

Wiki entry
Biography & pictures

"Serpent's Kiss Rag" from The Garden of Eden by William Bolcom (Georgi Slavchev, pianist; Moscow 2007)

Labels: , , , ,

Sunday, May 25, 2008

Montreal International Music Competition announces 6 Finalists



The finalists have been announced for the 2008 Montreal International Music Competition in piano. From left to right in the photo, the finalists are
  • Masataka Takada / Japan (May 26)
  • Elizabeth Schumann / USA (May 27)
  • Sergei Saratovsky / Canada (May 26)
  • Alexandre Moutouzkine / Russia (May 27)
  • Sara Daneshpour / USA (May 26)
  • Nareh Arghamanyan / Armenia (May 27)

The finals will be held over two sessions on May 26 and 27, 2008 at 7:30 p.m. at Theatre Maisonneuve in Montreal, and broadcast live on Espace-musique and CBC Radio 2 and webcast on their respective websites.

On the web
> Montreal International Music Competition
> Espace-musique
> CBC Radio 2

Labels: ,

Is there really too much classical music

The title in Arthur Kaptainis's column in Saturday's Montreal Gazette, Too much classical music, not enough audience, is misleading because the article only talks about too much classical music. I was thinking that my fellow classical music writer was going to launch into a discourse on the lack of music audiences in the concert hall (which may or may not be true), but instead, it was a lament on how many good events are scheduled at the same time, and how it is difficult for a music critic to cover them all. The title was probably created by an overzealous editor, so please don't blame Kaptainis.

While reading the column, I was hoping that Kaptainis would give a plug to the La Scena Musicale calendar. Each month our print calendar publishes over 500-600 listings of concerts, radio and TV programming, so that on any given day there are about 10 concerts happening in Montreal. Our online Canadian Classical Music Calendar (http://calendar.scena.org) lists over 7000 listings every year across Canada. Our Toronto rival The Whole Note also publishes about 400-500 listings per month. All this proves that classical music and especially classical music performance is alive and well, and probably exceeds live performances of all other music genres combined. Food for thought also in arguing again changes to CBC Radio 2.

Our online Canadian Classical Music Calendar is the most complete searchable events calendar of its kind in Canada. If you don't already have your event listed there, please don't hesitate to submit your event. It's free.

Over the summer, we are also working on getting our Arts calendar into our searchable database in time for the September back-to-school. If you are interesting in helping, send an email to info[at]scena.org.

Labels:

Today's Birthday in Music: May 25 (Sills)

1929 - Beverly Sills, New York, U.S.A.; opera soprano

Wiki entry
Beverly Sills online

Beverly Sills sings:

"Contro un cor che accende amore" from Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia (1976)


"Spargi d'amaro pianto" from Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor (Live telecast 1971)


Portuguese Folk Song: "Tell Me Why" at her Farewell Performance (1980)

Labels: , ,

Saturday, May 24, 2008

Queen Elisabeth Singing Competition Prize Winners

The winners are:

1. Szabolcs Brickner (Hungary)
2. Isabelle Druet (France)
3. Bernadetta Grabias (Poland)
4. Anna Kasyan (Georgia)
5. Yury Haradzetski (Belarus)
6. Gabrielle Philiponet (France)

I am speechless. First prize to a tenor, one of two in the finals. Only two sopranos made it to the top 6, out of 46. Really comparing different voice categories are comparing apples and oranges. There should be different and separate competitions. Or prizes for men and women separately, like in a few competitions already. I have to say I never expected Brickner to win. I guess the jury heard from him something I didn't hear over the webcast.

Of the 15 Korean singers, the largest group in the competition, not one made it to the top 6, which included two French singers. I can't understand Dutch, so I can't say for sure, but I believe there were some disagreements from the commentators over who should have won. I think many were surprised by the outcome. When the fifth prize winner, Yury Haradzetski was announced, there were a few loud boos - bad behavious from a few in the audience that was totally uncalled for. Then the remaining 6 finalists were brought on for bows and to shake hands with the jurors. It must have been very strange to shake the hands of those (at least some of them) who didn't put you in the winner's circle! Particularly moving was the Korean soprano Yoon, who cried her way through the ovations and the handshakes. I don't think they were tears of joy. I hope she is not disheartened - she is a wonderful singer and will go far. But I hope they heard what Maestro Ono said in the interview - losing doesn't mean one isn't good. There are all sorts of factors. It is the next 10 years in these artists' careers that will determine who the real winners are.

Labels: ,

Queen Elisabeth Singing Competition Finals Day 4 / Proclamation of Winners








Tatiana TRENOGINA
Gioachino ROSSINI Inflammatus est [STABAT MATER]
Giuseppe VERDI È strano – Ah, fors’è lui – Folie ! Folie ! – Sempre libera [VIOLETTA – LA TRAVIATA] Richard STRAUSS September [4 LETZTE LIEDER – HESSE]
Ruggiero LEONCAVALLO Qual fiamma – Stridono lassù [NEDDA – I PAGLIACCI]
This singer seems to be the complete package - a lovely, bright silvery tone, coupled with model-like face and body, solid technique and innate musicality. Apparently she is married to a Belgian, studies in Brussels with Jose van Dam. With an expert - and highly influential - teacher like van Dam, and with great "material" like Trenogina, the end result is a singer to be reckoned with. If I were to nitpick, her stage personality is on the reserved side, a little remote. One doesn't get a feeling she is truly engaged with her audience; her interpretive power is also a little generalized. In any case, there is a real buzz about this singer and much is expected of her. She opened with Inflammatus, from Rossini's Stabat Mater. One was struck by the brightness and beauty of her tone. This is a short but treacherous piece, requiring great high notes and the power of a dramatic soprano. She sang it wonderfully, including two long-held C-sharps. A magnificent start to the program. Next came E strano - Sempre libera. I expected her to t"ace" this. Perhaps she oversang in the Inflammatus, she was good but not fantastic. She began very well, but slowly there were some intonation problems. For one thing, her high pianissimi broke three times - ok, this can happen to any singer. But often it is because the voice is over-extended. Perhaps because of that, she didn't sing the high E flat at the end, a big surprise. Verdi didn't write it, but most sopranos with a good top llike hers sing it. Given her facility at the top, surely it was within her grasp and I am willing to bet she intended to sing it. This was followed by Strauss's September, the second of the Vier letzte Lieder, a real test to the top register. Her high notes were fine but the middle voice was unexpectedly a little tremulous. Again, maybe she gave too much to open the program, and an introspective piece like this requires a reigning-in of her resources. Often singers find this change of pace, from singing big to singing small, difficult. The other way around seems to be easier? Putting Nedda's aria at the end was again a surprise - one would have thought the Violetta's scena would be put at the end. Given her personal beauty, she is a totally believable Nedda. Once again, her high pianissimo had a slight glitch. But overall, it was a very fine performance.

Gabrielle PHILIPONET
Carl Maria von WEBER Einst träumte meiner sel’gen Base – Trübe Augen [ÄNNCHEN – DER FREISCHÜTZ]
Francis POULENC Non, Monsieur mon mari [THÉRÈSE – LES MAMELLES DE TIRÉSIAS]
Richard STRAUSS Amor [6 LIEDER OP.68 – BRENTANO]
Jules MASSENET Suis-je gentille ainsi ? – Je marche sur tous les chemins – Obéissons – Profitons bien de la jeunesse [MANON – MANON]
Gaetano DONIZETTI Ah! Tardai troppo – O luce di quest’anima [LINDA – LINDA DI CHAMOUNIX]
Philiponet is a high coloratura soprano with a flexible voice and a vivid stage personality. I can imagine her as a perfect ingenue, a soubrette, as Zdenka, Fiakermili, Norina, Adina, Oscar, Sophie, Soeur Constance, etc. The timbre is reminiscent of a young Beverly Sills, or perhaps Roberta Peters - a little thin but lovely, especially in lower dynamics. Her fortissimo has a tendency toward edginess and a loss of focus and purity. Her strength -beside a beautiful voice - is her strong communicative power. She engages the audience in her performance - this can be quite rare among singers today. Most singers at this level tend to be a little remote or shy onstage. There is nothing remote about her! She can even be accused of over-acting, as Therese in Les Mamelles. Maybe, but given the piece, overacting is perfectly appropriate! She began with Annchen's aria - a beautiful aria but rarely programmed, perhaps because Aanchen, like Blonchen, is almost always identified as a soubrette. But this aria allowed her to act it out, which she did vividly. The vocalism is very fine, a couple of high notes going sharp notwithstanding.
The Poulenc aria was fun, dramatic, but also a little shrill. This aria played to her strength - her dramatic and communicative power. Ultimately it won me over, despite the occasional edgy and shrill tone. Strauss's Amor is along the same line - bright and lively. Her style and voice in this piece really reminds me so much of Beverly Sills, whom I heard in this. She ended with the Gavotte from Manon. Again, her top can sound pure in one instance and unfocused the next. She even threw in a few interpolated high notes, the audience got so excited that they started applauding before the second stanza, andthen again before the third stanza! This is so unusual since European audiences are generally too knowledgeable and disciplined to do this. In any case, they loved her and she recived an exceptional ovation. She ended with Linda di Chamounix, showing no sign of fatigue after such a heavy program, a testament to her conditioning.


Bernadetta GRABIAS
Francesco CILEA Acerba volutta, dolce tortura [PRINCESSE DE BOUILLON – ADRIANA LECOUVREUR]
Gioachino ROSSINI Cruda sorte – Qual chi vuol [ISABELLA – L’ITALIANA IN ALGERI]
Jules MASSENET Va! Laisse couler mes larmes [CHARLOTTE – WERTHER]
Giuseppe VERDI Liber scriptus [REQUIEM]
Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART Non so più cosa son, cosa faccio [CHERUBINO – LE NOZZE DI FIGARO] Pyotr TCHAIKOVSKY Da, tchas nastal [JEANNA – ORLEANSKAÏA DIEVA (THE MAID OF
ORLEANS)]
I have to say it was strange to follow a high coloratura with a low mezzo. That's exactly Ms. Grabias' fach - a dramatic mezzo who is also capable of an upward extension. She also has a very strong technique. Throughout her program, there was never a moment of uncertainty. She also has good agility. If there is anything missing, it would be a true sense of humour. She sang one "light" piece- Cherubino's aria, but not too convincingly. To be honest, I can't say I am fond of her timbre. There isn't a whole lot of variations in tone colours; as a result, her singing tends to be rather monochromatic. I am of two minds about her concert gown. Bursts of silver flowers down one shoulder and splashes across her skirt - a dramatic statement to be sure. I suppose it matches her dramatic mezzo fach. Appropriately she chose a verismo piece to open - Princess de Bouillon's short sturm und drang outburst from Adriana Lecouvreur. Nobody can say this is a great piece of music, but as a set piece, it can be effective, with the fanfare horns at the end. Grabias sang it well. Cruda sorte next. She has the coloratura and the technical requirement - if only her timbre is more beautiful. But then it's a very individual thing, as the audience loved her. Charlotte's Va! Laisse couler mes larmes, a more subtle piece, which she sang quite beautifully, but the audience gave it only lukewarm reception. It really underscores the fact that the public always respond more to loud music! Liber scriptus as a set piece is extremely unusual, but Grabias' voice is perfect in this oratorio. She ended it with the aria from Jeanne D'Arc, strongly, beatufiully sung, with great dramatic conviction and complete technical assurance. The audience loved it. All I can say is, if she had a more beautiful voice, she will be on the podium for sure.
The competition came to an end at this point. The organizer/host paid tribute to the orchestra under the excellent conducting of Kazushi Ono. He was interviewed and was asked repeatedly about himself, but to his credit, he refused politely to talk about hmself, his future plans (taking over at Lyon Opera), but spent the minutes giving advice to the singers. Telling them not to be disappointed if they didn't win. The real test is how their careers go in the next ten years. A really modest, selfless thing to do. Bravo Maestro!

Labels: , , ,

Queen Elisabeth Singing Competition Finals Day 3







Isabelle DRUET
Georges BIZET Près des remparts de Séville [CARMEN – CARMEN]
Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART Ah, scostati ! – Smanie implacabili [DORABELLA – COSÌ FAN TUTTE]
Gustav MAHLER Wer hat dies Liedlein erdacht ? [DES KNABEN WUNDERHORN]
Henri DUPARC Au pays où se fait la guerre [GAUTIER]
Henry PURCELL Thy hand, Belinda – When I am laid [DIDO – DIDO AND AENEAS]
Gioachino ROSSINI Nacqui all’affanno [CENERENTOLA – LA CENERENTOLA]
French mezzo Isabelle Druet has a rich, dark mezzo, with just the right timbre for Carmen, and her Sequille was very well sung and well acted, correctly with her hands behind until she "frees" herself from the robe binding her at the end. Similarly, her "Smanie implacabili" was sung with much expression, fully bringing out the ditzy qualities in Dorabella's personality. Dramatically she applied the same broad strokes to the Das knaben Wunderhorn song, to its detriment. Yes, it is a playful song, but it needs a more child-like, innocent and folksy delivery. I would have liked a bit more contrast between Dorabella and Mahler. The Duparc, on the other hand, was delivered perfectly. Despite her dark mezzo, she has a secure top which served her well in these pieces. Again, her rich tone is perfectly suited to Dido's Lament, but I must say she sacrificed clarity of the words for beauty of tone, which admittedly was much in evidence. Her English was hard to understand, with all the consonants suppressed - she has a strange way of singing "remember me....."! Her "killer blow" was Cenerentola's showpiece, "Nacqui all;affanno", which she sang with panache, with excellent coloratura and a fine top. But....but.... the bottom of her voice disappeared in the octave runs - the lowest notes simply failed to sound. A very find effort but not quite perfect, although the audience loved her.


Layla CLAIRE
Joseph HAYDN Es bringe das Wasser – Auf starkem Fittiche [GABRIEL – DIE SCHÖPFUNG]
Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART Ei parte – Per pietà ben mio [FIORDILIGI – COSÌ FAN TUTTE]
Richard STRAUSS Ständchen [6 LIEDER OP.17 – SCHACK]
Benjamin BRITTEN Embroidery in childhood [ELLEN – PETER GRIMES]
Charles GOUNOD Ah, je veux vivre [JULIETTE – ROMÉO ET JULIETTE]
Twenty-six year old BC soprano Layla Clare is a student at Curtis and is already going places, and one can see why. She has a lovely, silvery lyric soprano, with a marvelous timbre and a warm, full middle voice - not always the case with lyrics. The voice is particularly suited to oratorios and lieder. She looks beautiful onstage, always an advantage. The voice also has a fluttery vibrato that is actually quite pleasant, but it can turn tremulous when not fully supported. She opened nicely with "Auf starkem Fittiche" from Die Schopfung - a beautiful start, and she was rewarded by good applause. "Per pieta" - she handled the low section really well without forcing, again unusual in a lyric soprano. Her experience showed - she has already sang Fiordiligi with James Levine at Tanglewood! She is a very fine Mozart singer, as she amply demonstrated here. Perhaps a fly in the ointment is her extreme top, which doesn't ideally bloom. Her "Standchen" was quite beautiful, but she pecked at the notes a la Elizabeth Schumann, and in the process sometimes sounding a little tremulous and not fully supported. I liked her Ellen Orford's Embroidery Aria, finely spun singing, with much inner feeling. The showstopper, Juliette's Waltz, is a piece that should clinch it for a good voice like hers, and it began well. But I think at this point the voice was a little tired. The high notes started to go a little flat, and she was not holding them any longer than absolutely necessary. Still, this piece showed off the lovely qualities of her voice - she would make an ideal Juliette some day. So, it was unfortunate that with really only one minute to go, in the last few bars of the aria, she missed the high B in the final coloratura flourish, and couldn't hold the final high B. One never wants to leave the judges with a bad impression right at the very end of the program, but that's life. There is a reason that singing is compared to a high-wire act - it's dangerous!


YOON Jung Nan
Hugo WOLF Er ist’s [ZEHN LIEDER – MÖRIKE]
Giacomo PUCCINI Si, mi chiamano Mimì [MIMÌ – LA BOHÈME]
Charles GOUNOD Ah, je veux vivre [JULIETTE – ROMÉO ET JULIETTE]
Giuseppe VERDI È strano – Ah, fors’è lui – Folie ! Folie ! – Sempre libera [VIOLETTA – LA TRAVIATA]
Korean soprano Jung Nan Yoon has a voice that is quite rare - a budding lirico-spinto of good size, yet at this point in her young age, she can still dispatch a high E flat, as in the end of Sempre libera. The voice is of good size, opulent and technically very secure. A student at Indiana University, she is very well schooled, musical, and has a nice stage presence. If I were to fault her, she doesn't have a good trill - necessary at the end of Juliette's Waltz, and she has a tendency to swallow the words, suppressing the consonants. As a result sometimes you just can't hear what she is singing, not just above the stave - common with high voices - but even in the middle. This evening, she wore a beautiful sleeveless white gown with a black lace top, classy-looking if a touch severe for someone so young. She opened with the short "Er ist's" by Wolf, a fanfare to warm up the voice and the audience. It was brave of her to sing Mimi's aria, considering its popularity and the tendency of the audience to compare with their favourite renditions. Yoon sang it beautifully and idiomatically, with good Italian, even if hers wasn't the last word on all the melisma, portamento, legato we are used to in this piece. Then it was Juliette's Waltz. Unlike Clare's problems at the top, Yoon's was completely secure and the whole aria was wonderfully rendered and she received a big hand. Violetta's great scena was more of a challenge, and again, she sang it very well if without a uniquely personal stamp, which at this stage is perhaps unrealistic to expect.
If I had to pick, I would vote for Yoon, but it can easily be a tie between Druet and Yoon. You can watch it in the archive by going to http://video.cmireb.be/

Labels: , , ,

Today's Birthday in Music: May 24 (Hammond)

1912 - Joan Hammond, Christchurch, New Zealand; opera and concert soprano, singing teacher

Wiki entry
Music Australia biography

Joan Hammond sings "The Green Hills of Somerset" by Eric Coates

Labels: , ,

Friday, May 23, 2008

Queen Elisabeth Singing Competition Finals Day 2










Yury HARADZETSKI
Georg Friedrich HAENDEL Comfort ye my people – Ev’ry valley shall be exalted [MESSIAH]

Sergey RACHMANINOV Ne poy, krasavitsa, pri mne (Sing not to me, beautiful maiden) [6 SONGS OP.4PUSHKIN]
Joseph HAYDN Gefesselt steht der breite See – Hier steht der Wand’rer nun [LUCAS – DIE JAHRESZEITEN]
Pyotr TCHAIKOVSKY Kuda, kuda [LENSKI – EVGENY ONEGIN]


This evening we had the second tenor in the finals, the Belorussian Yury Haradzetski. He has a bright, good-sized, well focused voice, with a forward vocal placement, and an individual timbre that is perhaps not the most beautiful in the competition. His stage demeanor is a bit stiff, his height makes him look a little awkward. I wasn't terribly impressed by him in the semi-finals when he seemed to push his voice. But all that was in the past. Tonight I was very pleasantly surprised by his performance. He sang with technical security, sensitivity and musicality, with plenty of chiaroscuro. He opened with the extremely familiar "Ev'ry valley", sung in quite good English for a non-native speaker. He was completely in his element in the Rachmaninoff song, another very familiar piece.He did some lovely mezza voce to end the piece. If I were to nitpick, I would not have chosen the aria from The Seasons - singing two oratorio pieces out of four is a bit much, especially ending up singing only one opera aria. But what a piece of singing he did in the aria! For four minutes, his Lensky's aria was a tour de force, and definitely superior to Brickner's yesterday. Those were real tears at the end of "Kuda, kuda" - let's face it, how often do we have a singer, in the high pressure situation of a competition, capable of feeling so deeply about a piece of music? And he sang it beautifully. Very impressive indeed. No wonder Michele Losier, waiting to come on, greeted him with bravos. To him I also say "Bravo"!






Michèle LOSIER
Maurice RAVEL Asie – La flûte enchantée [SHÉHÉRAZADE – KLINGSOR]
Gustav MAHLER Wenn mein Schatz Hochzeit macht – Ging heut morgen übers Feld [LIEDER EINES FAHRENDEN GESELLEN]



Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART Parto, parto, ma tu ben mio [SESTO – LA CLEMENZA DI TITO]


Pundits consider Losier a good bet to be placed highly, and for good reason. Hers is an exceptional voice, coupled with fine musical intelligence and uncommon refinement. She looked very beautiful in a blue gown with an interesting ruffled collar, and perfectly coiffed hair. Her opening arias, Asie and La flute enchantee from Sheherazade were exquisitely sung, her gleaming mezzo never sounded better. The voice was free, with plenty of dynamic variation, and she was totally engaged in the music, telling a story so vividly that she had the audience spellbound. The music built to a shattering climax in Asie and she was able to ride it perfectly. It was a superlative performance, definitely a highlight of the competition. It was hard to surpass the Ravel, and her Mahler's Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen was well sung but I found her vibrato a bit intrusive. I would have liked a bit more inward feeling, more introspection. Her acting here was just a bit too operatic, too coy. What worked in Sheherazade didn't work so well here. Her last piece was Sesto's great aria, Parto, parto, a real staple in any mezzo's repertoire. This piece suits her like a glove, and she did not disappoint, holding the audience's attention through this very long aria. Her runs in the allegro section was perfectly executed, ending the aria with a flourish. Her performance tonight was the strongest in the finals so far. In my book, Losier should land in the winners circle.

Anna KASYAN
Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART Exsultate [EXSULTATE, JUBILATE KV 165]
Georg Friedrich HAENDEL Dunque i lacci d’un volto – Ah! Crudel [ARMIDA – RINALDO]
Gaetano DONIZETTI Tranquillo ei posa – Come è bello [LUCREZIA – LUCREZIA BORGIA]
Nikolay RIMSKY-KORSAKOV S podroezkjami [SNIEGOUROTCHKA – SNIEGOUROTCHKA (THE SNOW MAIDEN)]
Georges BIZET Me voilà seule dans la nuit – Comme autrefois [LEÏLA – LES PÊCHEURS DE PERLES]
Richard STRAUSS Im Abendrot [4 LETZTE LIEDER – EICHENDORFF]

I remember Ms. Kasyan well. She came 4th at the Montreal competition three years ago. Since then, she has gone on to place highly in quite a few competitions, including the new Renata Tebaldi Competition in San Marino last year. She has updated her look, coming out in a tight fitting sequined black gown, a huge improvement over the quaint (ie., folksy), floral gown she wore in Montreal. She chose what was arguably the most difficult and certainly the most wide-ranging and ambitious program of any in the competition. Six pieces - a Mozart motet, a baroque aria, a bel canto aria, something Russian, something French, and ending in the last of the Vier letzte lieder - that is what I call a jam-packed program! She opened with Exsultate, Jubilate - well sung enough, although her timbre with its ripe vibrato is not ideal in this music. In my mind, she should have chosen Alleluja rather than the opening aria - she certainly has the coloratura to do it justice. Next up was the aria from Armida. The cantilena section was beautiful, but her fortissimo didn't have the same quality as her lovely soft singing. Her rapid-fire coloratura - nobody else could do it as well or as fast in this competition - was shown to advantage here. The Lucrezia Borgia aria was also lovely and she got a big ovation. Six pieces of very diverse styles - Kasyan delivered vocally, if not always stylistically. Still it was an impressive showing. Her Im Abendrot form VLL was for me the least successful - it was turned into too much of a 'show piece', without sufficient inner feeling. I felt she didn't really communicate the deeper meaning of this most spiritual of the four last songs.


There you have it, three very strong candidates, but I have to give the nod to Michele Losier, with Anna Kasyan a close second. I think both of them will place in the final six. But I wouldn't be surprised if all three end up on the podium, since good tenors are always in short supply. My money however is on the two women. The audio and video files are archived so you can judge for yourself by going to http://video.cmireb.be/vod/




Labels: , , ,

Today's Birthday in Music: May 23 (de Larrocha)

1923 - Alicia de Larrocha, Barcelona, Spain; pianist

Biography & pictures

Alicia de Larrocha plays:

Ravel's piano concerto in G, 1st mvt. (Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra conducted by Jesus Lopez-Cobos, 1997)


"Evocacion" from Iberia, by Albeniz

Labels: , ,

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Queen Elisabeth Singing Competition Finals Day 1

We have reached the home stretch - twelve finalists spread over four evenings. The first session took place on May 21, with three candidates - soprano Elizabeth Bailey (UK), baritone Changhan Lim (Korea), and tenor Szabolcs Brickner (Hungary).

Elizabeth BAILEY

Vincenzo BELLINI Eccomi in lieta vesta – Oh! Quante volte [GIULIETTA – I CAPULETI E I MONTECCHI]
Gaetano DONIZETTI Ah! Tardai troppo – O luce di quest’anima [LINDA – LINDA DI CHAMOUNIX]Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART Et incarnatus est [GROSSE MESSE IN C]
Leonard BERNSTEIN Glitter and be gay [CUNEGONDE – CANDIDE]
La Monnaie/De Munt Symphony Orchestra - Kazushi ONO, conductor

The proceedings certainly got off to a fine start with Bailey, who looked lovely in a cream-coloured, tight bodiced gown with flared skirt. She also looked poised and calm throughout. Hers is a high soprano, with a fine upper extension - much like the early Natalie Dessay. High F's pose no terror for her. Her Bellini showed lovely cantilena singing. The tone is bright, if a little limited in colour. This was followed by the aria from Linda di Chamounix, which showed more sparkle, with extra interpolated high notes thrown in. If there is a fault, it is her lack of a truly solid trill to go with her agility and upper extension. As Sutherland would say - you are either born with it (a trill) or you are not! Bailey even interpolated a high F sharp - impressive! The third piece was from Mozart's Grosse Messe. It is a long aria that requires a great range (including low notes) This piece showed her weakness - she had to struggle to keep her legato line steady, especially in the beginning, and the very long phrases caused her breathing to sound a little laboured. One wished for a more solid intonation. The lowest note gave her a great deal of trouble - it simply didn't sound. Overall, I would say this was her weakest piece of the four. She ended with Bernstein's Glitter and be Gay - always an audience favourite, and she sang it very well indeed. Her English diction was not ideally clear, but this is par for the course in high sopranos. She was able to sustain this very long piece nicely, pulling out all the stops for a blazing finish. The audience was certainly behind her all the way. Surprisingly she did not sing a French piece - this is Belgium afterall! But overall it was very well done.

Changhan LIM

Charles GOUNOD Oh sainte médaille – Avant de quitter ces lieux [VALENTIN – FAUST]Giuseppe VERDI Per me giunto – O Carlo ascolta – Io morrò ma lieto in cuore [RODRIGO – DON CARLO]
Maurice RAVEL Chanson romanesque [DON QUICHOTTE À DULCINÉE – MORAND]Gioachino ROSSINI Sois immobile [GUILLAUME TELL – GUILLAUME TELL]Jules MASSENET Ce breuvage pourrait me donner un tel rêve – Vision fugitive [HÉRODE – HÉRODIADE]

This Korean baritone has a smooth, well-trained lyric baritone of ingratiating timbre. It is a compact voice, beautiful but perhaps lacks that true Verdian baritone flavour. He began well, with Valentin's aria. But immediately one noticed the voice was a little underpowered - at climaxes, it does not bloom. The top is beautiful, the bottom a little on the weak side. I felt he sang very well, although the audience response was lukewarm, especially when compared to Bailey. Carlo's aria from Don Carlo also went well, with nicely controlled singing, with a nice diminuendo. He looked very handsome in the traditional tuxedo, but his stage manner was decidedly restrained. He didn't play to the audience, which perhaps explained the rather polite but tepid response. He deserved a bigger ovation. His Don Quichotte song was short, with very good French. In fact, I would say his French is among the best of all the non-French contestants. His last piece, Vision fugitive from Herodiade, is a beautiful piece that requires a voice of real impact and a reserve for the climax. He unfortunately he ran into trouble. Everything beautiful until the high note near the end when he suffered a most unfortunate crack. He didn't come to a dead stop, but the tone turned sour. Too bad, as he is a very fine singer, very musical and he deserved a better fate. I think he was pushing his voice too hard to make a bigger sound, and sometimes it just doesn't pay off. He recovered well and the audience was sympathetic, but I am afraid the damage was done.


Szabolcs BRICKNER

Giacomo MEYERBEER Pays merveilleux – Ô, paradis sorti de l’onde [VASCO DE GAMA – L’AFRICAINE]
Benjamin BRITTEN Royauté [LES ILLUMINATIONS – RIMBAUD]
Gustav MAHLER Revelge – Um Mitternacht [7 LIEDER AUS LETZTER ZEIT – RÜCKERT]
Giuseppe VERDI O, figli – Ah, la paterna mano [MACDUFF – MACBETH]
Pyotr TCHAIKOVSKY Kuda, kuda [LENSKI – EVGENY ONEGIN]

Of the two tenors in the finals, I have to say I prefer Mr. Brickner over Haradzetski from Belarus. Brickner has a nicer timbre and better technique. That said, the voice has some inherent limitations. Among the three singers tonight, he pushed his voice the most; and his vocal production is too open-throated especially in the middle and upper middle, although not as open as Mr. Haradzetski. The tone is also a little on the thin side - one wishes for a rounder sound. He opened with "O paradis" - very careful with the high notes. This was followed by a short, piece from Britten's Les illuminations, which he sang vividly. Then it was two selections from Mahler's Ruckert Lider. Revelge is a veritable tour de force, and he sang it well, bringing out the "neurotic" nature of this piece by giving a really committed, dramatic reading of a difficult song. His flat-out singing without holding anything in reserve makes for somewhat uncomfortable listening - this is also true in the Macduff's aria. Nice, but one got the feeling he was singing with his capital, not his interest. His last piece, Lensky's Kuda, kuda, together with the Britten, were probably his strongest pieces. Here in Kuda, kuda for once, he had to sing mezza voce, but he didn't sound all that comfortable singing in half voice. Still, he gave a nice rendering of this most beautiful aria and received a strong ovation. This tenor shows promise but he needs not force his voice so much.

There was no clear winner tonight, but if I had to pick one, I would give the nod to Elizabeth Bailey.

On the Web
> Queen Elisabeth Competition

Labels: , , , ,

Opera de Montreal's Madama Butterfly Sold Out - Tickets still available at La Scena Musicale

The Opéra de Montréal just announced that their entire run of Puccini's Madama Butterfly (from May 24 to June 7) has been sold out. La Scena Musicale still has a few tickets left for sale for the May 24th opening night as part of its latest fundraising activity. Unfortunately, the limited available free Madama Butterfly DVDs are sold out. Email operaweekend@scena.org or call 514-948-2520.

The O d M also announced that their June 7th performance will be live telecast outside in the promenade of the Place des Arts.

Labels: ,

Today's Birthday in Music: May 22 (Wagner)

1813 - Richard Wagner, Leipzig, Germany; composer and conductor

Wiki entry
Wagner and his operas

"Ride of the Valkyries" from Die Walküre (Wilhelm Furtwangler & Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra)


Excerpt from the Siegfried Idyll (University of Indiana Symphony Orchestra, cond. Christopher Noel, 2007)

Labels: , , ,

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Today's Birthday in Music: May 21 (Holliger)

1939 - Heinz Holliger, Langenthal, Switzerland; oboist, composer, conductor

Wiki entry
Biography

Heinz Holliger plays Mozart's Oboe Concerto, K. 314, 1st mvt. (Lausanne Chamber Orchestra, José Luis López Cobos conducting, 1993)

Labels: , , , ,

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Today's Birthday in Music: May 20 (H. Menuhin)

1920 - Hephzibah Menuhin, San Francisco, U.S.A.; pianist

Keyboard crusader

Yehudi and Hephzibah Menuhin with The Sydney String Quartet performing Ernest Chausson's Concerto for Violin, Piano and String Quartet in D major, Op. 21, 1st mvt.

Labels: , ,

Monday, May 19, 2008

Queen Elisabeth Singing Competition May 2008




For voice fans, there is nothing quite like a good old vocal competition. Here is where one discovers hidden talents, the diamonds in the rough, the "finished product", and the soon-to-emerge stars of tomorrow. And when you have a competition the calibre of the Queen Elisabeth's in Belgium, it really is a voice aficionado's dream. So far, we have had the First Round and the Semi-finals. There is still time to follow the Finals starting Wednesday - don't miss the excitement!

While there are many terrific competitions around the world - including the Montreal International Competition (vocal edition), in terms of scope, number of participants, prestige, and opportunities for future employment, few can match the QE. In fact, I would put Cardiff and the QE as being tied, at the highest level of excellence. Even the venerable Met Auditions is not truly global because it is limited to the Americas, primarily US and Canada. Others like the Hans Gabor, Operalia, or the Queen Sonja, are fine, but again their impact don't measure up to Cardiff and the QE. The QE in particular has been good to Canada, since it launched the career of contralto Marie-Nicole Lemieux. (Incidentally, Operalia 2008 will take place in Quebec City in September. Stay tuned!)

Back to the QE. It is taking place as I write, in Brussels, from May 8 to 24. 83 candidates from 31 countries were invited to the first round (May 8 -10), including 6 each from Canada and Poland. Interestingly, the USA only have 2 singers and none from Australia, usually a strong country in singing competitions. The country with the most number of candidates is Korea (15), followed by France at 8, and then it is Canada and Poland at 6 each. There are 60 women and 23 men, 46 sopranos, 14 mezzos, 2 countertenors, 6 tenors, 13 baritones, and 2 bassos.


Not everyone invited showed up. Only 71 of the 83 invited decided to come to Brussels. Among those absent are two Canadians, sopranos Marianne Fiset and Marie-Eve Munger. Both were on the announced list but did not compete. The remaining four Canadians are baritone Cosimo Oppedisano, mezzo Michele Losier, baritone Philip Carmichael, and soprano Layla Claire. Each candidate in the First Round performed two works from opera, oratorio, or lieder or song repertoire, totaling 15 minutes.

You can still listen to the completed rounds on demand from the RTBF website at http://www.rtbf.be/podcast/montre/index.htm?th=24 Videos of the semi-finals are also available, from http://www.cmireb.be/en/p/2/8/74/77/semi-finalists.html Click on "Watch and Listen" on the right side of the homepage.

Twenty-four singers survived the First Round into the semi-finals. Out of these 24, 12 are now in the final round: Elizabeth Bailey, sop. (UK), Szabolcs Bricker, ten. (Hungary), Layla Claire sop. (Canada), Isabelle Druet mez. (France), Bernadetta Gravias, mez. (Poland), Yuri Haradzetski ten. (Belarus), Anna Kasyan, sop. (Georgia), Changhan Lim, bar. (Korea), Michele Losier mez. (Canada), Gabrielle Philiponet, sop. (France), Tatiana Trenogina sop. (Russia), and Jung Nan Yoon, sop. (Korea). From listening to the live streaming, it is clear that the standards are extremely high. All the voices are good, with a number that are truly wonderful and destined for fine careers. There will be four days of finals, starting May 21. Each candidate will sing four to six selections, accompanied by the Orchestre symphonique de la Monnaie with Kazushi Ono conducting. You can listen and watch the live webcast by going to http://www.cmireb.be/en/p/2/8/13/22/final.html and click on Watch and Listen to the right.
In the semi-finals (May 12-14), each singer performed three to six pieces with a maximum of two by the same composer. There was an imposed work, Canzone, composed for the occasion by Wim Hendrickx. It is typically a modern piece, but tonal and vocally "grateful". It is interesting to hear the different interpretations by the contestants. Some chose to commit it to memory, and from my experience of attending past competitions, a singer willing and able to memorize the piece on short order - and singing it well, of course - stands a good chance of winning the prize for interpretation of the imposed work. A case in point is Greek-Australian sopano Elena Xanthoudakis, who won the interpretation prize and Fourth Prize at the Montreal Competition in 2005. A quick study, she sang the piece from memory, impressing the judges and the audience.

I generally agree with the choices of the twelve finalists. Interestingly, two of the six tenors entered made it to the finals, a success rate of 33% - the world always want more tenors! By contrast, 6 sopranos out of 46 made it - a success rate of only 15%. Similarly, only 1 out of 13 baritones made it. I must say there were a few singers whom I felt were good enough to be in the finals but sadly didn't make it. I was particularly fond of Sri Lankan soprano Kishani Jayashinghe, who has a gleaming, powerful voice, great long breath line, and excellent musicality. The only thing missing perhaps is a sense of humour - her Adina's aria from L'Elisir d'amore lacked sparkle. She was a finalist at the 2006 Kathleen Ferrier competition and is in the Covent Garden Young Artists program. I think she will go far. It is important to remember that not making the finals doesn't mean a singer is not good. So much is dependent on the individual taste of the jury panel, and there is always the possibility of politics, although this is difficult to prove. At this level of competition, jury members tend to look for the finished product. Often, a great voice that is unfinished coupled with ordinary stage presence or preparation may be bypassed in favour of someone with a good voice but in possession of excellent stage presence and attractive physical appearance. Without naming names, I can say there is a baritone in this competition who has a wonderfully strong amd rich if still somewhat rough baritone, and his stage appearance needs work - a better suit would help! He was passed over by the jury in favour of another singer who has a beautiful, well controlled, technically accomplished, smooth lyric baritone, combined with a handsome face, slim physique, and altogether a more polished "package". Modern audiences demand believability, and unless one has a voice the likes of Pavarotti or Sutherland, an attractive, slim singer will always have an advantage, such is the reality of the opera world these days.

Finally, a few words about the jury panel. QE is known for star-studded jurors, but this edition is simply amazing - imagine on the same panel Martina Arroyo, Lella Cuberli, Raina Kabaivanska, Tom Krause, Ann Murray, Anna Tomowa-Sintow, Jose Van Dam, Brigitte Fassbaender, and Helmut Deutsch! I would love to be a fly on the wall during the deliberations!
Good listening!



Labels: , ,

Today's Birthdays in Music: May 19 (Melba, Thorborg)

1861 - Nellie Melba, Richmond, Australia; opera soprano

Wiki entry

"Ave Maria" from Verdi's Otello; part of Dame Nellie Melba's Farewell Performance at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, June 8, 1926



1896 - Kerstin Thorborg, Venjan, Sweden; opera & concert contralto

Biography & pictures

Mahler - Kerstin Thorborg sings "Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen" from Mahler's Rückert Lieder (Bruno Walter, Vienna Philharmonic, 1936)

Labels: , , ,

Sunday, May 18, 2008

Today's Birthdays in Music: May 18 (Pinza, Christoff, Curzon)

1892 - Ezio Pinza, Rome, Italy; opera bass

Wiki entry
Biography & pictures

Ezio Pinza sings "Le rovine sono queste" from Meyerbeer's Robert le diable (1927 recording)



1914 - Boris Christoff, Plovdiv, Bulgaria; opera bass

Wiki entry
Biography

Boris Christoff recording Mussorgsky's Boris Godunov



1907 - Clifford Curzon, London, England; pianist

Wiki entry
Biography

Clifford Curzon plays Mozart's Piano Concerto No.. 23, K. 488, 2nd movement

Labels: , , , , ,

Saturday, May 17, 2008

Today's Birthdays in Music: May 17 (Brain, Nilsson, Satie)

1921 - Dennis Brain, London, England; horn player

Wiki entry
Legacy

Dennis Brain and Denis Matthews (piano) perform Beethoven's Horn Sonata



1918 - Birgit Nilsson, Västra Karup, Sweden; opera soprano

Wiki entry
Biography & pictures

Birgit Nilsson performs "Liebestod" from Wagner's Tristan und Isolde



1866 - Erik Satie, Honfleur, France; composer and pianist

Wiki entry
Homepage

Gymnopédie No. 2, played by Jean Yves Thibaudet (Delft, 1995)

Labels: , , , , , , ,

Friday, May 16, 2008

Today's Birthdays in Music: May 16 (Tauber, Kiepura)

1891 - Richard Tauber, Linz, Austria; opera tenor

Wiki entry

Richard Tauber sings:

"You Are My Heart's Delight" from Lehar's The Land of Smiles (Das Land des Lächelns) (1935 recording)


"Ombra mai fu" from Handel's Xerxes (1939 recording)



1902 - Jan Kiepura, Sosnowiec, Poland; opera tenor

Biography

Jan Kiepura sings "Ach so fromm" from Flotow's Martha

Labels: , , ,

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Today's Birthday's in Music: May 15 (Monteverdi, Balfe)

1567 - Claudio Monteverdi, Cremona, Italy; composer (baptized May 15)

Wiki entry
Biography

Excerpt from La Favola d'Orfeo (Le Concert des Nations, La Capella Reial de Catalunya; director Jordi Savall)



1808 - Michael Balfe, Dublin, Ireland; composer (The Bohemian Girl)

Biography & pictures

Jessye Norman sings "I dreamt that I dwelt in marble halls" from The Bohemian Girl

Labels: , , ,

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Le Concours Musical International de Montréal - Du 19 au 29 mai 2008

La conférence de presse du Concours Musical International de Montréal (CMIM) avait lieu hier à la Maison de Radio-Canada. Consacrée cette année au piano, la 7e édition du concours a attiré 130 candidats de 28 pays, dont 24 ont été retenus1.

C’est aux épreuves quart de finale, une nouveauté de cette année, que sera entendue l’œuvre canadienne imposée qui a été commandée par la Direction du Concours à Alexina Louie. Présidé par André Bourbeau, le jury est composé de : Arnaldo Cohen (Brésil), Dang Thai Son (Vietnam), André D e Groote (Belgique), Marc Durand (Canada), Louise Forand-Samson (Canada), Piotr Paleczny (Pologne), Imre Rohmann (Autriche), Peter Rösel (Allemagne) et Jacques Rouvier (France).

Le président, André Bourbeau, a annoncé que 100 000$ de prix seront distribués. Le premier prix qui était de 25 000$ est augmenté à 30 000$ et le prix du public sera donné en hommage à la grande pianiste Yvonne Hubert. Pour Joseph Rouleau, l’objectif le plus important du concours consiste à aider les lauréats à développer leur carrière et les responsables ne ménagent pas leurs efforts pour y arriver. Déjà 28 protocoles d’entente sont signés, comprenant deux concerts à Paris et à Londres.

Issu d’une famille de musiciens, Simon Durivage a été désigné comme porte-parole du concours. Amoureux de la musique, il s’est mis à l’étude du piano il ya trois ans avec Alain Lefebvre et se décrit comme un « pianoteux » sérieux.

Hier avait lieu aussi le dévoilement officiel du premier enregistrement pour le label Analekta de la soprano Marianne Fiset, 1er Grand prix chant 2007. Les invités ont eu le grand plaisir de l’entendre interpréter Chant de la lune, extrait de Rusalka de Dvorak, accompagnée au piano par Marie-Ève Scarfone.

C’est à Serhiy Salov, lauréat de l’édition Piano 2004, que revenait l’honneur de terminer la conférence de presse. Originaire d’Ukraine, ignorant tout du Québec à son arrivée, sauf qu’on y parlait français et que la Formule 1 y avait lieu, Sergei Salov habite maintenant en Gatineau. Il a interprété l’Ouverture Fledermaus de Strauss qu’il a adapté pour le piano.

Mario Paquet était fier d’annoncer que Radio-Canada a créé cette année un site web pour accéder directement au CMIM (www.radio-canada.ca/cmim). Dès le 20 mai, on pourra entendre les prestations des candidats en quart de finale et en demi-finale. Françoise Davoine précise qu’il y aura un petit reportage à chaque jour et que le réputé pianiste Bruno Riguto se joindra aux deux commentateurs. De plus, la finale sera en ligne à partir du 2 juin pour une période d’un an. Kelly Rice du réseau anglais CBC (www.cbc.ca/mimc) indiquait pour sa part qu’il sera aussi présent en compagnie des pianistes David Jalbert et Martha De Francisco.

1 Canada (4), États-Unis (4), Japon (3), Serbie (2), Corée du Sud (2), Russie (2), Taiwan (2), Israël (1), Lituanie (1) et Pologne (1).

Labels: , ,

Today's Birthday in Music: May 14 (Klemperer)

1885 - Otto Klemperer, Breslau, Prussia (now Wroclaw, Poland); conductor and composer

Wiki entry
Homepage
Behind Every Great Conductor ....

Otto Klemperer conducts Beethoven's 3rd Symphony ("Eroica"), 1st movement (New Philharmonia Orchestra; live performance at the Royal Festival Hall, London.

Labels: , , ,

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Today's Birthday in Music: May 13 (Sullivan)

1842 - Arthur Sullivan, London, England; composer and conductor

Wiki entry
Biography
Gilbert and Sullivan Archive

"Dance a Cachucha, Fandango, Bolero" from Gilbert and Sullivan's The Gondoliers


Overture to Gilbert and Sullivan's H.M.S Pinafore (Opera Australia; Andrew Greene conducts)


Sullivan's The Lost Chord (Jan van Laar Organ & Ruud van Laar Trumpet)

Labels: , , ,

Monday, May 12, 2008

Today's Birthdays in Music: May 12 (Massenet, Fauré)

1842 - Jules Massenet, Montaud, France; composer

Wiki entry

Maxim Vengerov plays "Meditation" from Thais (Itamar Golan, piano)


Maria Callas sings "Pleurez, mes yeux" from Le Cid (Orchestre National de la Radiodiffusion Française, conducted by Georges Prêtre, 1961)



1845 - Gabriel Fauré, Pamiers, France; composer

Wiki entry
Biography + pictures

"In Paradisum" from Fauré's Requiem (Oslo Vokalensemble. Oslo June 2007, Reza Aghamir conducting)

Labels: , , ,

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Today's Birthdays in Music: May 11 (Weir, Gluck)

1954 - Judith Weir, Cambridge, England; composer

Wiki entry
Biography
Interview

"Illuminare Jerusalem", sung by the choir of King's College, Cambridge



1884 - Alma Gluck, Iaşi, Romania; opera soprano

Wiki entry
Alma Gluck Web-Page

Alma Gluck sings "Qual fiamma ... Stridono lassù" (Nedda's balatella) from Leoncavallo's Pagliacci

Labels: , , , ,

Saturday, May 10, 2008

Today's Birthdays in Music: May 10 (Babbitt, M. Shostakovich)

1916 - Milton Babbitt, Philadelphia, U.S.A.; composer

Wiki entry
Biography
Interview

Milton Babbitt's Fanfare For All (Meridian Arts Ensemble in Timosoara, Romania. November 2007)




1938 - Maxim Shostakovich, Leningrad, Russia; pianist & conductor

Wiki entry
Maxim Shostakovich on his father's 7th Symphony

Dmitri Shostakovich's Piano Concerto No. 1, 4th mvt. Maxim Shostakovich conducts I Musici de Montréal. Pianist is Dmitri Shostakovich, Jr.

Labels: , , , , ,

Friday, May 9, 2008

Today's Birthdays in Music: May 9 (Giulini, von Otter)

1814 - Carlo Maria Giulini, Barletta, Italy; conductor

Biography & pictures

Giulini rehearsing Bruckner's Ninth Symphony with the Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra, 1997



1955 - Anne Sofie von Otter, Stockholm, Sweden; opera & concert mezzo-soprano

Biography & pictures

Anne Sophie von Otter sings Schubert's Erlkoenig (excerpt)

Labels: , , , ,

Thursday, May 8, 2008

Today's Birthdays in Music: May 8 (Gottschalk, Cossutta)

1829 - Louis Gottschalk, New Orleans, U.S.A.; pianist and composer

Biography

Organist Jelani Eddington and pianist David Harris play Louis Moreau Gottschalk's "Grand Tarantelle" (Grace Baptist Church, Sarasota, Florida)



1932 - Carlo Cossutta, Trieste, Italy; opera tenor

Biography

Carlo Cossutta sings "Di Quella Pira" from Verdi's Il Trovatore

Labels: , , , ,

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Today's Birthdays in Music: May 7 (Brahms, Tchaikovsky)

1833 - Johannes Brahms, Hamburg, Germany; composer

Wiki entry

A mini-biopic of Johannes Brahms. The music is his Hungarian Dance no.11


Brahms Piano Concerto No. 1, 3rd movement (Vladimir Ashkenazy, Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, Carlo Maria Giulini conducting)



1870 - Piotr Tchaikovsky, Votkinsk, Russia; composer

Wiki entry
Tchaikovsky

Tchaikovksy's 1812 overture - Berliner Philharmoniker. Seiji Ozawa, conductor

Rocco Rilippini plays Tchaikovsky Rococo Variations with the Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana led by Karl Anton Rickenbacher


Soprano Egle Chisiu and baritone Nauris Indzeris sing the final duet of Tatyana and Onegin from Eugene Onegin - Klaipeda Opera Theatre (Lithuania), August 2007(Conductor - I.Lapinsch)



Ramon Flowers performs "Trepack" from The Nutcracker (production of Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, Montreal, Canada)

Labels: , , ,

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Today's Birthdays in Music: May 6 (Ridout, Dimitrova)

1918 - Godfrey Ridout, Toronto, Canada; composer

Biography

Fall Fair by Godfrey Ridout, performed in Beijing by the Toronto High School Oakwood Symphony Orchestra



1941 - Ghena Dimitrova, Beglej, Bulgaria; opera soprano

Wiki entry
Official website

Ghena Dimitrova sings "In questa reggia" from Puccini's Turandot, La Scala 1983 (Placido Domingo as Calaf)

Labels: , , , ,

Monday, May 5, 2008

Today's Birthdays in Music: May 5 (Böhme, Caniglia)

1908 - Kurt Böhme, Dresden, Germany; opera bass

Biography

Duet from Smetana's The Bartered Bride: Kurt Böhme as Kezal and Fritz Wunderlich as Jenik (Berlin, 1966)



1905 - Maria Caniglia, Naples, Italy; opera soprano

Wiki entry

Maria Caniglia sings "Ebben? Ne andrò lontana" from Catalani's La Wally

Labels: , , ,

Sunday, May 4, 2008

Today's Birthdays in Music: May 4 (Cristofori, Peters)

1655 - Bartolomeo Cristofori, Padua, Italy; instrument maker (built the first playable piano)

Wiki entry

Grand Piano, 1720. Built by Bartolomeo Cristofori, Florence, Italy


1930 - Roberta Peters, New York, USA; opera soprano

Wiki entry

Roberta Peters sings Adina's aria "Prendi, per me sei libero" from Donizetti's L'Elisir d'Amore (New Jersey, 1989)

Labels: , , , ,

Saturday, May 3, 2008

Today's Birthdays in Music: May 3 (Simoneau, D'Oyly Carte)

1916 - Léopold Simoneau, St-Flavien, Québec, Canada; opera tenor

Biography

Léopold Simoneau sings "Dalla sua pace" from Mozart's Don Giovanni



1844 - Richard D'Oyly Carte, London, England; impresario (D'Oyly Carte Opera Company)

Wiki entry

Act 1 Finale of Gilbert and Sullivan's The Mikado (D'Oyly Carte Opera Company's 1990 production on BBC2)

Labels: , , , ,

Friday, May 2, 2008

Today's Birthday in Music: May 2 (A. Scarlatti)

1660 - Alessandro Scarlatti, Palermo, Italy; composer

Wiki entry


Kathleen Battle and Wynton Marsalis perform "Si suoni la tromba"

Labels: , ,

Thursday, May 1, 2008

Today's Birthday in Music: May 1 (Dussek)

1775 - Sophia Dussek, Edinburgh, Scotland; composer, singer, pianist, harpist

Wiki entry
WOW/EM Bio

Sophia Dussek- Introduction & Waltz for harp and piano (Floraleda Sacchi & Marco Cadario perform at Lake Como Festival 2007)


Labels: , , , , ,