David Daniels and Martin Katz

Last night, I saw countertenor David Daniels in a concert at the University of Richmond with pianist Martin Katz. Together, they performed a program of works including those by Brahms, Peri, Durante, Frescobaldi, Reynaldo Hahn, Handel, Vaughan Williams, Quilter, among others in a program that spanned a wide gamut of time, languages, and styles.

Imagine my surprise when I assumed he’d be appearing with the Italian baroque ensemble that is due to perform tomorrow night. But the fact that the entire program was not baroque was no matter.

Both Daniels and Katz are remarkable musicians, and every piece of music was a gem that they obviously savored. A great program then, memorable too, for the remarkable affect offered by several pieces.

There were a few things I noticed that I thought I’d comment upon. First, Daniels audibly was clearing his throat several times and I found this distasteful. It’s like someone who doesn’t want to blow their nose, and is sucking-up phlegm. I mean, if you’ve got it, and you’ve got to sing, I understand. But it was kind of odd.

Second, Daniels appeared several times as if he was going to fall over. As a concertizer, he really does get into each song. He was almost as interesting to watch as he was to listen to. The fact that the entire program was sung from memory on his part was on the verge of amazing.

Third, at times Katz seemed to overpower Daniels. Balance between two musicians is a challenge, sure, but with a countertenor, someone who has a restricted dynamic range, Mr. Katz needed to back off a few notches in a few places.

Fourth, Katz was less effective with a favorite piece by Frescobaldi, where his style at the keyboard used pedal and sounded quasi-romantic. The performance was great, but I’d like things “all baroque” or all “avante-garde,” but not some mushy area in the center.

Fifth, is it me, or is Daniels’ continuous use of vibrato throughout his singing, even bridging styles, authentic, when it comes to a baroque singing style? His voice is in fact very good, and like critics, I’d dare to say he’s a front runner in the countertenor stars. But at times, my mind wandered, thinking if a more “straight” sound would be appropriate for the baroque works. It’s not a criticism, as I haven’t been reading on the latest historical performance research… but more an aesthetic question.

In all, a nice recital; and we were treated to three encores.

Shanghai Quartet in Concert

This past week I travelled to the University of Richmond to hear the Shanghai Quartet perform works by Mozart, Ligeti, and Dvorak.

The Mozart work was late (1790-1), and was one that I did not have regular familiarity. It was well played, but later hearing the group on more grueling material, I felt they might have injected a little more dynamics into the Mozart.

This is my time really hearing the Shanghai quartet. Each of the players has a personality that stuck throughout the evening’s concert. The most expressive player is V1, while V2 is the least expressive. The cellist is the most facially interesting as he plays, and the viola, he’s the most animated during applause, but plays with the most straight of backs and is a little stiff.

Of course none of this matters; it’s the sound and emotion that make us love or hate the experience. I was unfamiliar with the Ligeti work, and found many instances where the composition went wrong. The performance, though, was convincing, and well-done. It was quite a contrast with Mozart, and was well-received by the audience. Powerful sound, for sure.

The Dvorak was the crowd-pleaser. Having been written at the start of Antonin’s deparure from America, it had one thinking about journey. The Shanghai felt, I gather, most at home here, making the most out of this work, with the widest range of dynamic and emotional contrasts. They were “warmed up,” and the last of this work gave them all a workout with fleeting notes.

I typically go to concerts to hear one or more works on the program. This was unique, I guess for me, going for the ensemble over the music. While the vibrato used in the Mozart was at times making me wince (it’s a personal issue, I know), I found the whole experience musically satisfying.

Concert Review: AAM with Egarr

I recently attended a concert with the Academy of Ancient Music under the direction of Richard Egarr, harpsichord.

They appeared along their U.S. tour in Portsmouth, VA, playing a concert of “favorites”: Handel, Telemann, and Bach. Water Music, Brandenburg 4, and a flute concerto by Telemann. In fact, all the music is on record here at home… it was nice to judge the group based on “favorites.”

Egarr has quite a personality, and a dry wit with the audience. The playing space, Trinity Church, was too small for them, and warm. And despite the weather and humidity, they maintained excellent intonation for the duration of the concert.

This is not “your father’s AAM” anymore… this is a new group… well, their style is. More on the edge, like Il giardino armonico, than say, the AAM. They play with energy and fun, and I enjoyed the overall effort by the musicians. Some of the members have been around a long time: Beckett on recorder, Jones on viola, and Beznosuik on violin. Young faces and older together made great music.

They stayed at my hotel. In fact, I recognized Pavlo Beznosuik on the dockside area in Portsmouth before the concert… I should have said something. Hoping to get a signature on a CD by Egarr after the show, I hung around the hotel lobby. One by one, the Academy of Ancient Music walked by me, carrying their instruments… Bill Carter with his theorbo, Rachel Beckett with her flutes, Joe Crouch with his cello… Egarr never came back while I waited. Then, one by one, they walked about out, supposedly for dinner, in less formal clothing.

I didn’t think much of Portsmouth… I can only wonder what their reaction was.

Among their best pieces of the evening was a closing encore of Handel from op. 3, and the Telemann Wassermusik suite. It was all good, but these stuck out. With new blood and energy at the helm, they’re once again to be listened to… I think I will check out their Handel CD. None were for sale after the concert.

Update: I should add that Trevor Jones, the violist, looks very much like the comedian, Larry David. And the lutenist, William Carter, very much looks like our friend, Greg. And–I added two photos of the venue for the concert from my cell phone.

Baroque by Candlelight

The Chamber Music Society of Central Virginia presented a concert on December 12, 2006 at the Second Presbyterian Church, Richmond. Performers included Amanda Balestrieri, James Wilson, Carsten Schmidt, Mary Boodell, and Theresa Salomon on original instruments.

The program included DeFesch’s Sonata in A minor for cello and harpsichord, a Pastorale ad libitum attributed to Antonio Vivaldi, and de Monteclair’s Pan et Syrinx, a cantata for voice and instruments.

I enjoyed Wilson’s playing on cello. Many know him as a member of the Shanghai Quartet, that was centered at the University of Richmond. His playing style was spirited and confident, and his baroque style was pretty good. He was accompanied by my favorite musician of the evening, harpsichordist Schmidt, who played with such enthusiasm, emotion, and fervor. It is exciting to see someone really “get into” the music, and I think, ultimately have fun.

Our singer was Ms. Balestrieri, who did an excellent job at French diction. At times her power out-did the instruments, but for the most part, she was an affective singer with above-average Baroque technique. Weaker performances came from the flute and violin.

After the intermission, and a short re-tuning, the duo of Wilson and Schmidt returned with violinist Ms. Salomon to perform Biber’s first Mystery Sonata. What a gem! A favorite!

I felt the entire ensemble rushed the work, despite the fun I had listening to it. Drama and gravitas is lost when everything is just rushed through. I felt the group hadn’t adequately studied the work. Salomon seemed more in her element on this work, but her violin had an especially wirey, thin tone that sometimes lost itself to squeaks.

The next major work was La Lucrezia, an Italian cantata by Handel. This work was technically and musically richer than the earlier French work. It was also far too virtuosic for Ms. Balestrieri to perform confidently. At one point she became lost in a muddle of fast notes, and the look on her face told us “she was trying to relax and get the notes out,” but the result would have afforded a scolding from a voice coach.

Sorry–she did a great job, but it was lacking in the fastest parts. I’ve heard better Italian diction, too. But the continuo team of cello and harpsichord did an admirable job.

Perhaps one of the most fitting works was the finale: Telemann’s Concerto, his Paris Quartet in D in three movements. Here, our flute was more confident (and in better tune), and the continuo support was excellent. Only in a few sections did the violin player look taxed.

In all, it was an admirable concert, especially so for an ensemble that doesn’t normally perform together. The diversity of music was robust, and the highlights many.

Bach and his Era

On Tuesday evening, November 7, 2006, I watched as Musica Antiqua Köln took the stage for one of their final concerts in Los Angeles at the Walt Disney Hall.

I questioned, however, what made this “MAK” versus, just some friends who had played together before? For their leader, Reinhard Goebel was absent due to health reasons. I am not sure if this had to do with his recent hand injury reoccuring or something else. I wish him well.

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Chanticleer - Live

On March 18, 2002, I attended a concert put-on by Chanticleer in Richmond, VA.

This evening I had the opportunity to hear the all-male vocal ensemble Chanticleer perform at the University of Richmond. Dubbed as the only “full time, professional choral organization devoted to classical music,” the 12 members performed everything from spirtuals, renaissance madrigals, and the Scott Joplin tune “Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair.”

First, it is always disappointing to go to a concert here, at the University of Richmond, only to see more people with white hair than you see anyplace else, save for a retirement home with assisted living services. The sold-out concert though, did bring a crowd, and the triple standing ovation at the end was a testament to their success as an ensemble. Read the rest of this entry »