Baritone Hermann Prey Sings Mein sehnen, mein wahnen (Tanzlied) from Die tote Stadt

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Today (Nov. 29) marks the passing of the Austrian composer Erich Wolfgang Korngold (5/29/1897 - 11/29/1957)  Born in Brno in what is now the Czech Republic to a Jewish family, Korngold was an undisputed child prodigy. Strauss and Mahler both called Korngold a genius. At the precocious age of 11, Korngold composed his first ballet, and he was only 17 when he composed his opera Violanta, still occasionally performed.  He was 23 when he composed his masterpiece, Die tote Stadt. Korngold immigrated to America in 1934 and became a successful composer of film scores. At the end of WWII and disillusioned with Hollywood, Korngold returned to Austria with the intention of resuming his career in "legitimate" classical music.  But his late-Romantic musical idiom was considered old-fashioned compared to his contemporaries who were all busy at work on serialist compositions. Korngold subsequently returned to the US and died in Hollywood in 1957. To remember his passing, I've chosen one of his most inspired melodies, that of "Mein Sehnen, Mein Wahnen", or the so-called Pierrot's Tanzlied sung by Fritz in Die tote Stadt.  This aria has become a real party piece for the baritone, and is often sung at concerts and competitions. Here is the great German baritone Hermann Prey in one of his signature pieces, recorded in his youthful prime in 1957, the year of the death of Korngold. 

- Joseph K. So

Dudamel and the Vienna Philharmonic

Gustavo Dudamel is not spending all his time in Los Angeles these days. Here he is with the Vienna Philharmonic at the 2010 Lucerne Festival playing Rossini's La Gazza Ladra (The Thieving Magpie) Overture. Fine playing from the VPO and very restrained conducting by Dudamel. Remember, however, that Dudamel is an Abbado protegee. Note also that this concert was being given in the hall where Abbado annually works his magic with the Lucerne Festival Overture.

- Paul E. Robinson

Riccardo Muti Accepts Birgit Nilsson Prize

Riccardo Muti was recently awarded the Birgit Nilsson Prize and on October 13, 2011 he gave his acceptance speech at the Royal Swedish Opera House. Muti has a reputation as not only a great conductor but as an uncompromising artist and citizen. On several occasions he has resigned his posts over artistic and political matters. He has strong views on the scores he conducts and on the work of stage directors. 

Muti is now music director of the Chicago Symphony and the relationship seems to be thriving. To date Muti has made few recordings in Chicago but the orchestra's are broadcast regularly on NPR. Recently, Muti conducted the same programme Mahler conducted with the New York Philharmonic in 1911 and which turned out to be his last concert. As it happens, it was a concert of works by Italian composers. It was an unusual and imaginative programming choice for both Mahler and Muti.

- Paul E. Robinson

Pilar Lorengar and Richard Leech in the Grand Duet from Les Huguenots

Meyerbeer's Les Huguenots is the quintessential French grand opera - five acts and a ballet, with an epic story, outsized emotions, and a big orchestra. It has a large cast and the vocal writing is taxing - though rewarding - for the soloists.  No wonder it is hardly ever staged.  This week, Toronto opera lovers will have a chance to hear this rare work, in a concert performance by Opera In Concert. I would be foolish to suggest that you don't need an orchestra in this work - because to realize the full grandeur of this piece, you really need it.  However, that isn't likely going to happen any time soon.  What Opera in Concert does have are some fine voices - Laura Whalen as Marguerite, Edgar Ramirez as Raoul and Lesley Ann Bradley as Valentine. This single concert performance takes place on Sunday Nov. 27 at 2:30 p.m., at the Jane Mallet Theatre.  For today's video, I have chosen a fantastic video clip of the Grand Duet with a young Richard Leech as a fearless Raoul (when it comes to the high notes) and the beloved and much lamented Spanish soprano Pilar Lorengar, who left us far too soon.  Here both artists are in absolutely top form - Leech in his youthful bloom and Lorengar in her Indian Summer. It is is a performance to honour and enjoy.

- Joseph K. So

Yo Yo Ma at New York's American Museum of Natural History

Cellist Yo-Yo Ma has been a pioneer in using music to provide a bridge to other cultures. Ma formed the Silk Road Ensemble to show how musicians from different countries could play together and find their common ground. What might have appeared a gimmick at first is still going strong. Yo-Yo Ma still devotes much of his time to the Silk Road Ensemble and with this group he has undoubtedly inspired people all over the world. 

In this video Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble perform Ascending Bird, a traditional Persian folk melody.

Paul E. Robinson

Karajan and the Vienna Philharmonic in Japan 1959

In 1959 Herbert von Karajan reigned supreme in Europe. He was conductor for life of the Berlin Philharmonic, general director of the Vienna State Opera and famous everywhere for the dozens of recordings he had made with London's Philharmonia Orchestra. In October he led the Vienna Philharmonic on an unprecedented world tour that started in New Delhi, India and ended in Montreal a month later. There were 25 concerts and Karajan conducted all of them.

In this black and white video we see the third movement from Brahms Fourth Symphony. The concert was given in Tokyo November 6, 1959. Karajan's conducting style seems oddly self-indulgent and arbitrary and perhaps more interesting to the audience than to the musicians. But what Karajan had throughout his career was charisma and authority and there is plenty of both here. And the orchestra, led by Willi Boskovsky, responds with playing of tremendous warmth and intensity.

Paul E. Robinson

Lucia Popp Sings "Song to the Moon" from Rusalka

I had the great pleasure of seeing the opening night performance of Opera de Montreal's Rusalka last Saturday. It seemed that all the stars were aligned and the performance was truly wonderful.  First of all, what a magnificent-looking production!  I have seen plenty of projections but nothing can compare to this one.  I was stunned by its beauty.  The musical side of things was also terrific. Kelly Kaduce is a great singing actress. She was an amazing Butterfly two years ago in Santa Fe, and now she is equally wonderful as Rusalka in Montreal.  Here is the best known aria from the opera, "Song to the Moon" sung by the great Slovak soprano, the late Lucia Popp.  Tomorrow (Wednesday) marks her passing 18 years ago, when she died on Nov. 16 1993 from a brain tumour. The opera world lost this great singer much too soon!

Joseph K. So

Kollo and Krause Sing the Pearl Fishers Duet

Bizet's opera The Pearl Fishers is all but forgotten except for its thrilling tenor/baritone duet. One of the classic recordings features Jussi Bjoerling and Robert Merrill. But there are many other versions that are well worth hearing. This is one of them. Two of my favourite singers were tenor Rene Kollo and Finnish baritone Tom Krause. Kollo was a Karajan favourite for many years, especially in Wagner roles. I have fond memories of Krause in both opera and concert and in a Liederabend he gave at the St. Lawrence Centre in Toronto. Their performance of the Pearl Fishers duet was done in German in 1981.

Paul E. Robinson

Ashkenazy Conducts Schumann

Vladimir Ashkenazy has long since retired from performance as a pianist. He was one of the greatest of his generation and his many recordings will attest to his importance. But for many years he has also excelled as a conductor. He has held many conducting appointments including one as principal guest conductor of the Cleveland Orchestra. He is currently music director of the Sydney Symphony in Australia. 

Ashkenazy is not the most proficient nor the most charismatic of conductors but he invariably has a keen understanding of the music he conducts and conveys his ideas with great passion. In this video he leads the Chamber Orchestra of Europe in the final movement from Schumann's Symphony No. 2. The musicians play as if possessed and with Ashkenazy at the helm make Schumann's music intense and exciting.

Paul E. Robinson

Shirley Verrett Sings Mozart and Wagner in the same concert

Last Saturday (Nov. 5) marked the one year anniversary of the passing of the American mezzo Shirley Verrett (May 31, 1931 - Nov. 5, 2010)  Verrett made her debut in 1957 in Britten's Rape of Lucretia, and went on to great success as Carmen, Eboli, Didon, Amneris, and many of the great mezzo roles.  By the mid 70s, she made a transition to soprano roles, taking on Lady Macbeth, Tosca, Desdemona, Madame Lidoine, Aida, Leonore (Fidelio) and Norma. She retired in the early 90's and taught voice at the University of Michigan. A woman of great beauty and stage charisma, an evening in the theatre with Shirley Verrett was always an occasion. Whether her transition to soprano was successful is a matter of debate, but whatever she sang, Verrett brought her unique voice and artistry to the music. To remember this great artist, here are two video clips drawn from an Avery Fisher Hall concert in 1977, conducted by Zubin Mehta.  Only a versatile singer like Verrett could have pulled off the feat of singing Mozart's Alleluia (Exsultate Jubilate) - complete with the high C ending - and Wagner's Liebestod on the same evening! 

- Joseph K. So

Pears and Britten Perform and Discuss Schubert's Wintereisse

For anyone interested in how great performers and composers do what they do this video is a precious document. The video was made in 1968 when Peter Pears and Benjamin Britten were at the height of their powers. They gave legendary performances together of the Schubert song cycles and showed an uncanny understanding of both the words and the music. In this video we see them at their home in Aldeburgh performing excerpts from Wintereisse and discussing some points of interest. Britten marvels at "how little there is on the page." In otherwords, the performers have an enormous challenge to get behind the notes and capture the spirit of the music. Significantly, Britten's own music has this quality too. He never used a single note more than he needed. His compositions are shockingly transparent and as in the case of Schubert demand performers who are able to do much more than play the notes. 

Britten was equally sparing in his conversation. He was a man of few words - he agreed to very few interviews - and those words were nearly always well-considered before they were spoken - as in this video.

For me Britten was one of the towering figures of Twentieth Century music both as a composer and a performer. And in Peter Pears he had a soulmate who was both a lifelong friend and a supreme interpreter of his music.

Paul E. Robinson

Rattle and the BPO Play Britten

If this doesn't knock your socks off I don't know what will. We have all grown up with Benjamin Britten's Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra and we know it so well it has probably lost some of its freshness and originality. But for the Berlin Philharmonic and its music director Simon Rattle nothing is routine. They give us not only an introduction to the instruments of the orchestra but to what is arguably the best orchestra in the world. This is out and out virtuosity at the highest level from every section of the orchestra. This excerpt includes only the final section of the piece - actually, without the narration we should call it Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Henry Purcell Op. 34 - and you may want to investigate the entire performance at the orchestra's website.

Paul E. Robinson

Countertenor Philippe Jaroussky Sings Vivaldi

At age 33, Philippe Jaroussky is at the top of his game. His countertenor is noted for its purity and innate beauty, a completely natural sound without the artificiality that can afflict some countertenor voices. His coloratura facility is exemplary, allowing him to sing some of the most florid music once reserved for the castrato voice. Given the contraction of the record industry, his discography is nothing short of amazing. He is currently on a recital tour that takes him to Royal Conservatory of Music's Koerner Hall in Toronto on Tuesday, Nov. 1. Appearing with Jaroussky is the baroque orchestra, Apollo's Fire in a program of Handel and Vivaldi.  There are plenty of video clips of Jaroussky on Youtube.  Here is one where he sings Vivaldi's "Vedro con mio diletto,"  also on his program at Koerner Hall.

- Joseph K. So