Vargas and Coote shine in SF Opera's 'Werther'

By Eman Isadiar

SAN FRANCISCO -- In its second production of the season, San Francisco Opera presented one of the most beloved of international opera stars, Mexican tenor Ramón Vargas, in the title role of “Werther” by romantic French composer Jules Massenet. Mezzo-soprano Alice Coote sang the part of Charlotte with baritone Brian Mulligan in the role of Albert. Appearing as Charlotte's sister Sophie, newcomer Heidi Stober proved to be a solid pillar of this co-production with Lyric Opera of Chicago.

Ramón Vargas and Alice Coote co-star in SF Opera's new "Werther."
Photo: Cory Weaver

Massenet's music came across as strikingly romantic, complex and subtle as led by French guest conductor Emmanuel Villaume. The only plausible explanation for why Massenet never rose to the huge popularity enjoyed by his Italian contemporaries, is that his operas are largely based on story lines that may be qualified as dull by comparison. The creative genius of stage director Francisco Negrin, however, breathed new life into this “Werther” despite its tedious tale.

The story depicts the most banal love triangle imaginable, all three of whose sides are pathetically passive. Charlotte is engaged to Albert, whose friend Werther is obsessed with Charlotte, who is fully aware but does nothing about the whole situation. While Werther publicly denies his crush, he continues to stalk Charlotte, who is somehow flattered by her not-so-secret admirer, but proceeds to marry Albert anyway in order to keep a promise to her deceased mother.

Werther's obsession reaches pathological proportions. Charlotte soon realizes that she, too, loves Werther. After a brief declaration of mutual affection, the two consummate their love standing up against a tree. While any average man would be ecstatic to discover that his love is reciprocal, Werther instead proceeds to shoot himself and leaves Charlotte with a guilt-ridden conscience not only for having committed adultery, but for causing his death.

To add insult to injury, his dying wish is for Charlotte to drag his body a considerable distance and bury him since he cannot receive a proper church burial after having committed suicide.

The New York Times has described Ramón Vargas as a “creamy-voiced tenor.” However, Vargas's smooth tones and rich timbre in this “Werther” by far surpassed the realm of dairy. A voice of such purity and finesse deserves the creation of a new qualifier – perhaps “Ramónian” or, better yet, “Vargâsque.”

One of the unique characteristics of Vargas is that it is impossible to decide which is his most spellbinding scene or aria in any given opera. His deeply moving aria “Ô Nature, pleine de grâce” (“Oh Graceful Nature”) of Act 1, was matched – not outdone – by his heartbreaking “Pourquoi me réveiller” (“Why Awaken Me”) of Act 3.

Alice Coote was equally captivating as Charlotte and made a worthy partner to her illustrious co-star Vargas. Her perfectly nuanced rendition of “Va, laisse couler mes larmes” (“Go, Let My Tears Flow”) was one of the opera's most memorable moments. Coote's delicate voice delivered a certain verse of the aria which rang ominously true – “The tears we hold back can only fall inside.”

The stationary set consisted of three rows of trees in center stage, with partially metallic-looking trunks. A banner with the image of green leaves was suspended over the trees to indicate summer, later replaced with a banner of brown leaves for fall. The bare branches with no banner represented winter. Off to one side, a large pile of luggage, chests and boxes of different shapes and sizes (one containing a disassembled grand piano) doubled as a staircase from which characters would enter and exit the stage.

Opposite the mound of clutter, the stage was bordered with an L-shaped brushed aluminum partition, strangely resembling an airport luggage carousel. Just below the pile of boxes was Werther's bedroom in what looked like a dark basement. Costumes were consistent with Goethe's 18th century story, which Massenet used as the basis for the opera.

“Werther” is on stage at the War Memorial Opera House through October 1.

Talamantes enchants as Verdi's Violetta

By Eman Isadiar

FREMONT—The 700 or so spectators attending Fremont Opera last weekend would agree that the show was well worth the wait. Local opera fans, as well as a growing group of commuters, have come to know Fremont Opera as something of an oyster that stays shut for a year; sometimes longer. But when it opens, it reveals a shiny, new pearl. Verdi's La Traviata was indeed a gem of a production, thanks in large part to the dramatic flair of stage director Jonathan field.

Soprano Danielle Talamantes and tenor Benjamin Bunsold star in
Fremont Opera's 'La Traviata' (photo by James Sakane).

The cast featured not one, but two winners of the prestigious Irene Dalis Vocal Competition, namely soprano Danielle Talamantes in the title role and baritone Scott Bearden who sang the part of Giorgio Germont. Gifted tenor Benjamin Bunsold appeared as Alfredo Germont.

Other distinguished artists who each made an important contribution to the production as a whole were baritone Igor Vieira (Baron Douphol), tenor Brian Thorsett (Gastone) and mezzo-soprano Sonia Gariaeff (Flora). Shira Renee Thomas brought much talent and dimension to the character of Annina the maid.

The opera tells the story of Violetta Valéry, a high-class 19th century Parisian courtesan, who at first resists the advances of nobleman Alfredo Germont but ends up falling in love with him. She leaves her former lifestyle to be with Alfredo, much to the dismay of Alfredo's father who plots to separate them. He visit Violetta and asks her to leave his son, which she does out of a mix of shame and altruism.

Not knowing his own father is behind the separation, Alfredo publicly humiliates Violetta in a heartbreaking scene, which worsens Violetta's already poor health due to tuberculosis. The two meet again when Violetta is poverty-stricken and in her deathbed. She finally tells Alfredo the truth and dies moments later in his arms.

Danielle Talamentes has the pipes, the looks and the smarts for a very promising future in opera. But when you add her impressive Italian diction and acting skills to the mix, you have a bona fide star on your hands. It comes as no surprise that Talamantes will join the nation's largest opera company, Metropolitan Opera, as an understudy next spring.

Her rendition of “Sempre libera” (“Forever Free”) of Act 1—where Violetta sings of her inner conflict between her attraction to Alfredo and her desire to stay free and single—was one of the production's brightest highlights. Another stunning Talamantes moment was the aria “Morir si giovane” (“To Die so Young”) of the last scene, which left the audience breathless and reaching for the elusive Kleenex pack.

Other deeply emotional and memorable moments of the opera were Alfredo's aria “Miei bollenti spiriti” (“My Spirit Boils”) of Act 2, which Bunsold delivered in soul-stirring tones, and Scott Bearden's “Di Provenza il mar” (“The Sea of Provence”), which brought the first scene of Act 2 to a close on a particularly powerful note.

Since its inaugural production of Puccini's La Bohème in 2007, Fremont Opera has presented semi- and fully-staged productions that encapsulate the emotional essence of each opera in its most compelling form, but with less of the glitz and sparkle of elaborate sets and costumes.

Two productions later, Fremont Opera has bottled the formula. The secret recipe: principal roles sung by young vocal talent just rising to stardom, a brilliant stage director and a top-notch professional symphony orchestra.

Of course, only a well-admired and influential conductor like David Sloss has the artistic clout and skill to bring the prized ingredients together, and, voilà, it is done.

Love and betrayal to begin Friday

Up-and-coming soprano Danielle Talamantes will appear in the title role in Fremont Opera's La Traviata (photo courtesy of Fremont Opera).

Fremont Opera performs Verdi’s La Traviata

FREMONT—Opera fans prepare for a potent dose of forbidden love and tragedy as Fremont Opera’s eagerly anticipated third production—Verdi’s masterpiece La Traviata—opens on Friday, August 27, 2010 at 8pm at the Smith Center of Ohlone College, followed by a 2pm matinée performance on Sunday, August 29.

The leading roles of Violetta and Alfredo are sung by two rising opera stars, soprano Danielle Talamantes and tenor Benjamin Bunsold, in a cast of such distinguished artists as Scott Bearden, Igor Vieira and Brian Thorsett. Stage director Jonathan Field and chorus master James Richard Frieman will join forces with artistic director David Sloss in what promises to be yet another unforgettable production by Fremont Opera.

The opera’s title, which can be loosely translated as “The Fallen Woman,” refers to a famed Parisian courtesan, Violetta Valéry, who captures the heart of a certain nobleman named Alfredo Germont. The two fall passionately in love and begin a life together in Violetta’s country villa. Violetta abandons her former life—which has severe financial consequences unbeknownst to Alfredo—and becomes a faithful companion while trying to maintain a lavish lifestyle for both of them.

She is also secretly battling tuberculosis.

Alfredo’s father pays a surprise visit to Violetta and convinces her to leave his son because her reputation as a courtesan has lowered his family’s social status and has even jeopardized his daughter’s engagement to nobility. Heartbroken, Violetta feels compelled to make this ultimate sacrifice, but does so with a dash of cruelty so Alfredo will no longer love her and is able to fall in love with a more deserving woman. Alfredo must also remain unaware that his own father has caused the break-up.

The pain of separation is unbearable for both Violetta and Alfredo. She returns to her former wealthy lover while her health continues to deteriorate. But she comes face-to-face with Alfredo once again at a party in the story’s climactic scene and arguably the most powerful operatic moment of all time.

In the third and final act, Alfredo finally discovers the truth as Violetta succumbs to the illness and dies in his arms.

About the artists

Danielle Talamantes (Violetta) makes her Fremont Opera debut in La Traviata after winning first prize in the 2010 Irene Dalis Vocal Competition. In the spring of 2011, she will be covering roles at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. She has appeared in many productions throughout the United States and won numerous prestigious awards including Concurso de Trujillo, Liederkranz Competition and the International Lotte Lehman Cybersing and Vocal Arts Society Competitions. She has also appeared in recital at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall as the winner of the National Association of Teachers of Singing Artist Awards.

Benjamin Bunsold (Alfredo) has appeared this season with Opera Columbus, St. Petersburg Opera, and Opera Idaho. He has performed for companies throughout the country, including Opera Delaware, Shreveport Opera, New Opera St. Louis, and Memphis Opera. He has been in resident artist and apprentice programs at Glimmerglass Opera, Utah Festival Opera, Fort Worth Opera, and Tampa Opera.

Jonathon Field has directed over ninety productions throughout the United States for Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco Opera's Western Opera Theatre and Seattle Opera. Over the past ten years he has directed ten productions for Arizona Opera, and has been hailed as “their most perceptive stage director”. Mr. Field introduced computer-generated scenery to opera production in Candide, and has pioneered the use of video-projected scenery in productions of The Tales of Hoffmann and Der Freischütz. He assisted Robert Altman with the world premiere of William Bolcom’s McTeague in Chicago, and David Alden with Conrad Susa’s The Love of Don Perlimplin in San Francisco. As artistic director of Lyric Opera Cleveland, Mr. Field staged a production of Don Giovanni that was nominated for the Northern Ohio Live Award of Achievement. Other notable productions at Lyric Opera Cleveland have included a unique Così fan tutte in which the audience votes to choose one of three alternative endings.

David Sloss, artistic director of Fremont Opera, conducted the Fremont Opera productions of La Bohème and The Barber of Seville, and returns now for his third appearance. Since 1980, he has been music director and conductor of the Fremont Symphony, which also serves as the orchestra for Fremont Opera. During his long association with West Bay Opera, he conducted over twenty productions for the Palo Alto-based company where he served as general director from 1997 to 2005, and also as stage director for productions of Carmen, Il Trovatore, The Barber of Seville, and Lucia di Lammermoor. He has conducted operas for Pacific Repertory Opera, Berkeley Opera, the Lamplighters, the San Francisco Talent Bank, and the Oakland Symphony. He was Professor of Music at Sonoma State University and has worked as a producer and director for WGBH-TV in Boston, where he received an Emmy nomination for the National Educational Television series A Roomful of Music. He holds degrees in music from Harvard College and Stanford University.

Fremont Opera performs Verdi’s La Traviata
Friday, August 27, 2010 at 8 pm
Sunday, August 29, 2010 at 2 pm
The Smith Center for the Performing Arts
Ohlone College, 43600 Mission Blvd., Fremont
Tickets $46-$50
www.fremontopera.org - (510) 474-1004

'Faust' opens San Francisco Opera's summer triple pack

By Eman Isadiar

Opera lovers, rejoice! San Francisco Opera's dry season which lasts from late November to early June is finally over with the opening of Gounod's Faust on June 5 at the War Memorial Opera House. The opera features Italian tenor Stefano Secco in the title role, Canadian bass-baritone John Relyea as Mephistophélès, and American soprano Patricia Racette as Marguerite.

John Relyea (Mephistophélès, center) surrounded by villagers and soldiers in SF Opera's Faust -- Photo by Cory Weaver

French composer Charles Gounod based the opera on the dramatic work by German writer and philosopher Johann von Goethe. The story's main character, Doctor Faust, is an aging scholar who is convinced that his life has been a total waste. On the brink of suicide, an incarnation of the devil named Mephistophélès appears and offers him a second chance at youth and love in exchange for eternal servitude in the afterlife. Faust accepts and is transformed into his past youthful self.

Caught in the middle of the unholy bargain is Marguerite, a young woman known for her purity and virtue. Her brother and only living relative, Valentin, conveniently ships off to war leaving her vulnerable to Faust's romantic overtures. She cannot resist him for long and becomes pregnant and subsequently a social outcast. Valentin returns from war only to find himself disgraced by Marguerite's shameful indiscretion. He attempts to avenge her honor by challenging Faust to a duel, but he is no match for the dark forces at work. Fatally wounded, Valentin curses his sister and dies.

In the final scene Marguerite is in a prison cell awaiting execution for killing her child. Faust magically appears and offers to help her escape, but she refuses. As morning breaks, Marguerite climbs the long and steep stone staircase to embrace both death and redemption. Faust has no choice but to fulfill his end of the contract.

Making his role debut, tenor Stefano Secco left a deep impression as Faust with his haunting love song“Demeure chaste et pure” (“Chaste and Pure Abode”), in which he blesses the walls of the home where his love resides.

Dramatic soprano Patricia Racette was as captivating as ever as the heartbroken and forlorn Marguerite. Her aria “Si belle en ce miroir” (“So Beautiful In This Mirror”) was one of the most uplifting moments of the opera. Racette's is a familiar voice on the War Memorial stage. Her stunning performance last fall in all three operas of Il trittico will be remembered for many seasons yet to come.

Bass-baritone John Relyea gave a powerful interpretation of the character of Mephistophélès. His role was the single most important dramatic pillar on which rested much of the premise of the story. His opening duet with Faust “Me voici” (“Here I Am”) got the opera off to an intense start. A particularly chilling Relyea moment was in Act 2 when Mephistophélès mockingly offered an apple to the statue of the Holy Virgin in the garden, in a subtle biblical reference mixing Old and New Testaments.

Baritone Brian Mulligan masterfully sang the role of Valentin. His dying aria “Ecoute-moi bien, Marguerite”(“Mark My Words, Marguerite”) was an emotional high point of this production. Soprano Daniela Mack brought much depth to the counter-gender part of Marguerite's young admirer, Siébel.

The orchestra provided a uniquely rich musical backdrop under the capable direction of guest conductor Maurizio Benini. San Francisco Opera's renowned chorus gave another solid performance as the villagers and soldiers led by chorus director Ian Robertson. Credit must also be given to stage directorJose Maria Condemi for the superb acting and overall dramatic cohesion.

A production of the Chicago Lyric Opera, Faust is presented by San Francisco Opera through July 1. The summer opera season also includes concurrent performances of Puccini's The Girl of the Golden Westand Wagner's Die Walküre.

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Eman Isadiar is a San Francisco-based pianist and music journalist.

Black and White equals gold for music in schools

By Eman Isadiar

SAN FRANCISCO – The City’s long-awaited bi-annual black-tie social event known as the Black and White Ball will be held on Saturday, May 22. The War Memorial Performing Arts Center and surrounding area will be transformed into one giant party scene to raise funds for San Francisco Symphony’s citywide music education program in elementary schools known as “Adventures in Music.”

Tony Bennett and k.d. lang will kick off SF Symphony’s signature event “Black and White Ball” with a performance at Davies Symphony Hall on May 22 at 8 pm. Courtesy of San Francisco Symphony

The evening will begin with a special joint concert at Davies Symphony Hall by Tony Bennett and k.d. lang. The entertainment line-up for the post-concert party, beginning at 9 p .m., includes: party headliners Kool & The Gang; two-time Grammy-nominated Afro-Cuban ensemble Tiempo Libre; hip hop/R&B songstress Faith Evans; the illustrious Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra; all-star jam band Moonalice; retro-swingers Royal Crown Revue; unstoppable rock ‘n’ roll party band Wonderbread 5; nine-piece salsa band Candela; California surf band Papa Doo Run Run; Foreverland, a 14-piece musical tribute to Michael Jackson; and all-female Led Zeppelin tribute band Zepparella.

The dancing, food, drinks and the rollicking midnight surprise are all included with a single ticket purchase of $200 per guest. All of the above plus the preceding concert by Tony Bennett and k.d. lang will cost $325 per guest. For details and tickets visit sfsymphony.org/bwball or call 415-864-3000.

Garrick Ohlsson -- Chopin's birthday gift to San Francisco and vice versa

By Eman Isadiar

SAN FRANCISCO – Michael Tilson Thomas conducted the San Francisco Symphony last weekend inChopin's Piano Concerto No. 2 with pianist Garrick Ohlsson as part of a flurry of concerts held this year throughout the world to commemorate the composer's bicentennial birthday. The program also included the second movement of Litolff's Concerto symphonique No. 4 with Ohlsson as soloist, the orchestral suite from the ballet Giselle by Adam and Debussy's La mer.

Bay Area pianist and first American to win the Chopin competition Garrick Ohlsson Courtesy of San Francisco Symphony

The evening opened with the only movement of a single work by Henry Charles Litolff which seems to have endured as a concert piece – the Scherzo from his Concerto symphonique No. 4. in D minor. Without this movement, the world may well have forgotten the Franco-Scottish composer and virtuoso pianist to whom Liszt dedicated his own first piano concerto.

Bay Area pianist Garrick Ohlsson was the soloist.

As the title suggests, the Concerto symphonique elevates the orchestra's size and role as compared to a typical piano concerto. It is a charming work vaguely reminiscent of the music of Mendelssohn in its elf-like motifs. With the exception of a brief transitional section, the piano weaves in and out of the orchestra – non-stop from start to finish – with a repetitive theme featuring quiet, rapidly descending staccato mordents requiring great skill and control.

Then followed an unforgettable rendition of Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 2 in F minor, again with soloist Garrick Ohlsson, who also happens to be the first American ever to win the International Chopin Piano Competition 40 years ago.

Similar to Beethoven's second concerto, the work predates the composer's first concerto, but was published later and numbered counter to its chronology.

Chopin's unique brand of romantic classicism permeates this piece, with a fast and heroic first movement written in sonata allegro form, a slow, poetic and utterly enchanting second movement, and a fast folk dance-inspired third movement in rondo form.

Since the beginning of this historic anniversary year, audiences everywhere have been treated to the music of Chopin in concert halls big and small. Now that Garrick Ohlsson and Michael Tilson Thomas have shared the stage to honor the composer, the world can rest assured that Chopin's 200th birthday has indeed been celebrated.

Next on the program was music from the ballet Giselle by Chopin's Parisian contemporary Adolphe Adam. The work highlighted San Francisco Symphony's special flair for lavishly orchestrated and technically demanding romantic music. Apart from the conductor, the piece kept two orchestra members particularly busy – principal viola Jonathan Vinocour whose stunning solo passages pierced through the thick orchestration, and principal percussion Jack Van Geem whose precise striking of the triangle was simply brilliant as he switched back and forth among many other instruments.

The evening concluded with Debussy's three-movement symphonic work, or "three symphonic sketches" better known as La mer. Conducting from memory, Michael Tilson Thomas brought to focus the pronounced dynamics of the piece with wave after wave of symphonic sound gushing in a formidable musical deluge flowing from the tip of his baton.

Exaggerated climaxes such as we find in La mer are rare in the music of Debussy.

Paris, France figures prominently in the life of each and every composer whose work was included in the program.

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Eman Isadiar is a San Francisco-based pianist and music writer.

Opera San José’s ‘Swallow’ soars like a hawk

By Eman Isadiar

This season of Opera San José comes to a close with Puccini’s La rondine (The Swallow), which opened at the California Theatre on April 24 and runs through May 9, 2010. The principal roles of Magda de Civry and Ruggero Lastouc were sung by Rebecca Davis and Christopher Bengochea. Khori Dastoor and Michael Dailey appeared as Magda’s maid Lisette and Prunier the poet. Krassen Karagiozov sang the part of Magda’s companion Rambaldo Fernandez.

Rebecca Davis as Magda and Christopher Bengochea as Ruggero (photo by Pat Kirk)

The Opera is set in 19th century Paris with the final act in Nice. It follows Magda—a woman with a shady past—who now lives with the wealthy banker Rambaldo. When Magda meets a humble country boy named Ruggero, she realizes that her life of privilege has not satisfied her longing for true love. She leaves Rambaldo and follows Ruggero to the Mediterranean coast, much like a swallow migrates to warmer climes.

Magda is quite content as Ruggero’s lover, but is suddenly conflicted when he proposes marriage. She struggles with guilt about her unspoken past, and feels unworthy to be Ruggero’s wife. Her internal anguish comes to a head when she realizes, too, that they are broke and must move in with Ruggero’s parents in the countryside. So she tells Ruggero that theirs is an impossible love, and—once again like a bird—wings her way back to her former life of luxury in Paris with Rambaldo.

In the first aria of the opera, “Il bel sogno di Doretta” ("Doretta's Sweet Dream"), Magda completes an unfinished song by her friend Prunier about a young woman named Doretta who must decide between love and riches. In Magda’s version, Doretta chooses love over fortune, foreshadowing Magda’s own impending decision to leave Rambaldo for Ruggero.

Requiring supreme vocal control, “Doretta’s Dream” is one of Puccini's most moving tunes with a heart-rending pair of descending thirds, which stretch the upper range of the soprano voice to its very limits. If there were an instrument for measuring audience goose bumps, Rebecca Davis might well have broken it with her stunning rendition of this aria.

As the love-stricken Ruggero of Act 2, gifted tenor Christopher Bengochea certainly maintained the standard set by Davis in the preceding act. His powerful delivery of “Bevo al tuo fresco sorriso” ("I Drink to Your Cool Smile"), was one of the highlights of the production. In another moment of pure vocal magic, Begochea left the audience breathless with his soul-stirring aria“Dimmi che vuoi seguirmi” ("Say You Wish to Join Me") of Act 3, where Ruggero sings of the happy life he and Magda would share as husband and wife.

Soprano Khori Dastoor brought just the right dash of playfulness to the opera as Magda’s loyal and mischievous maid. In addition to her highly refined voice, Dastoor is known for her trademark facial humor and physical comedy when appearing in supporting roles. Tenor Michael Dailey was compelling as the debonair poet Prunier, and made a particularly well-suited stage partner for Dastoor.

Baritone Krassen Karagiozov was simply brilliant as Rambaldo, and may have even left the audience regretting that Puccini didn’t write more for his role.

Stage director Jose Maria Condemi deserves credit for the all-around superb acting. The awkward romantic moments often expected in opera were entirely absent in this production, and every embrace was warm, passionate and convincing.

Opera San José music director Maestro David Rohrbaugh led the orchestra in a sensitive and acutely well-balanced accompaniment, even during a few scenes when vocalists sang from the rear area of the theater’s surprisingly deep stage.

Until recent times, La rondine remained one of Puccini’s least-performed operas owing to a number of reasons, including some conflicting versions left by Puccini and partial destruction of the score in bombings during World War I.

Another possible reason is the story’s rather flat ending for an opera—there is no murder, suicide or death of any kind, and love does not conquer all. Naturally, the work went largely neglected until the mid-‘90s, when the missing orchestration was reconstructed and a new version was performed in Turin.

One woman, however, may have also influenced the resurgence of interest in this quasi-forgotten opera—Angela Gheorghiu. The Romanian super-soprano recorded La rondine with the London Symphony Orchestra in the late ‘90s, and appeared in following years in new productions of the work with the Royal Opera House, Metropolitan Opera and San Francisco Opera. Gheorghiu has also performed “Doretta's Dream” extensively in concert.

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Eman Isadiar is a San Francisco-based pianist and music writer.

Pop! Goes the Symphony

By Eman Isadiar

In its latest concert, San Francisco Symphony was led by guest conductor Edwin Outwater in a premiere of songs from the musical play Whisper House by pop artist Duncan Sheik. The concert also included excerpts from the ballet suite from the opera Faust by Charles Gounod and local premieres of Zipangu by Claude Vivier and music from the ballet Les biches by Francis Poulenc.

The concert opened with selected movements of the ballet suite from the opera Faust. Charles Gounod added this music ten years after the opera was first performed in order to accommodate a more elaborate new production.

The work requires a sizable orchestra for the rich, colorful sounds that are typical to the late romantic period. While San Francisco Symphony is known especially for its unique flare for romantic repertoire, Outwater's conducting brought out the most brilliant colors the orchestra has to offer.

Then came the evening's headliner, Duncan Sheik, whose works include chart-topping pop singles, award-winning musicals and film scores. The concert featured the song suite from Sheik's latest musical play titled Whisper House, which debuted last January in San Diego.

Award-winning pop artist Duncan Sheik performs songs from

Whisper House withSan Francisco Symphony

(photo courtesy of San Francisco Symphony).

The music was especially arranged for the San Francisco Symphony by Sheik's long-time collaborator Simon Hale. The large orchestra included a partially off-stage brass section, whip, wind machine and electric guitar. Sheik was the lead vocalist, with backup by his female counterpart.

Whisper House tells the story of a haunted lighthouse in Maine, whose musical ghosts sing to the eleven-year old orphan living there with his aunt in the 1940s. Prior to their death, the ghosts were apparently musicians on a steamer that crashed nearby in 1912. The songs of the ghosts examine our modern world—as its in 2010—torn by conflict and fear.

The opening number, “We're Here to Tell You,” is a hypnotic tune with an eery orchestral accompaniment. “The Tale of Solomon Snell”—a rather sinister song about a man whose lifelong fear of being buried alive comes true—leaves the listener with a lingering sense of unease. “Earthbound Starlight” has a catchy melody and is deeply emotional. As the title suggests, “I Don't Believe in You” is a callous and mean-spirited song, proclaiming man's inability to change his dark fate.

Sheik's haunting tunes are a perfect fit for a story about ghosts. The lyrics are powerful, poignant and sobering. The orchestration is dazzling and extravagant. While the wind machine evokes the stormy New England coast, the electric guitar provides an impressively wide array of ghostly sound-effects and echoes.

Sheik's music bears the undeniable influences of pop, aspires to Broadway dimension and features an elaborate orchestration all at the same time. By crossing multiple boundaries of genre and style, Sheik is well on his way to creating his own. Something we might call “symphonic pop.”

The next piece on the program was French-Canadian Claude Vivier's Zipangu—a reference to Japan as it was known at the time of Marco Polo. Outwater explained from the stage that the music focuses rather on the “idea” of Japan as the far-away place of mystery and intrigue to Marco Polo, and not necessarily on the country itself or its music.

Zipangu calls for a 13-piece string ensemble and has a striking introspective quality. It takes the listener—as the proverbial Marco Polo—on a distant journey to the remote corners of the self. One of the most prominent features of the music is its rough bowing technique, which draws multiple tones from one note. In this regard, Vivier joins the ranks of 20th century avant-garde composers who used musical instruments in unconventional ways, seeking to produce sounds not originally intended for the instrument.

San Francisco Symphony associate concertmaster Nadya Tichman truly outdid herself, not only with her flawless technique and variety of sound, but also as the musical glue that held the piece together in this difficult and highly demanding work.

Zipangu is a clear testament that, had he not been silenced by murder in 1983, Claude Vivier is likely to have become an influential voice in contemporary art music.

The orchestral suite from the ballet Les biches (“The Does,” as in female deers) by Francis Poulenc made for a strong ending to the concert. While Vivier's music featured sounds the instruments may not have been intended for, Poulenc takes the conventional “intended” sonorities of each instrument to new heights with his breathtaking orchestral writing.

Poulenc originally composed Les biches in 1923 for Diaghilev, but wrote the orchestral suite 16 years later as a stand-alone concert piece. While the subject of the ballet may have been inspired by Nijinsky's choreography of the Prelude to the Afternoon of a Fawn, Poulenc's music has little in common with that of Debussy.

The music prominently features rhythmic motifs well-suited for dance. The rapid tempos and quickly shifting dynamics require an orchestra of the highest caliber, led by a capable conductor. San Francisco Symphony and its own former Youth Orchestra music director Edwin Outwater proved to be equal to the task.

The most striking aspect of Les biches is its use of musical norms established in the preceding century, a stylistic feature now commonly labeled as “neo-classical.” Poulenc's music shares this retrospective quality with that of his fellow members of the group of young, aspiring musicians known as "Les Six" (“The Six”) in 1920s Paris.

Incidentally, Les Six has ties to the Bay Area through one of its members, namely Darius Milhaud, who moved to America and taught at Oakland's Mills College.

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Eman Isadiar teaches piano at the Peninsula Conservatory and writes about music in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Israel's RITA sings of love and hope

By Eman Isadiar

LOS ANGELES—Beloved Israeli pop star RITA left an indelible mark in LA after an impressively well-attended single performance at the Fred Kavli Theater of the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza on March 21. The LA concert was the last in RITA's US tour, which included a special charity benefit in Great Neck, New Jersey, and shows in New York, Philadelphia and Miami.

Israeli sensation RITA concluded her US Tour with a concert in Los Angeles on March 21, 2010 (photo courtesy of Keshet Chaim Dance Ensemble).

RITA's LA concert also included a brilliant performance by the talented Israeli-American dance ensemble Keshet Chaim (“Rainbow of Life”) to the beat of drumming troupe Naked Rhythm.

But who exactly is this enigmatic RITA, and why has she risen to such unprecedented heights of popularity and stardom back in Israel?

Aside from the obvious ingredients of talent and opportunity, RITA's success may also be linked to Israel's own development as a nation. While earlier generations of Israelis were deeply divided along lines of national and cultural origin, RITA represents Israel's longing for a single, unified nation.

Being a household name since the '80s, RITA's artistic longevity has also given the Israeli people a sense of stability and permanence in a country where unrest and conflict are part of everyday life.

Whatever may have led to the rise of the phenomenon that is RITA, she has the unique and unmistakable mark of a true star—she can connect with each and every one of her fans on a deep, genuine and personal level.

In her early days, RITA was part of a group of performers during her service in the Israeli Army. She competed twice to represent Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest, attracting more attention each time with her unique voice and captivating stage presence. Her second attempt garnered a victory in the national qualifying contest, which sent her to Zagreb, Yugoslavia in 1990.

Although RITA didn't win Eurovision, she became a national sensation four years later with the release of her fourth album “Ahava Gdola” (“Great Love”). Since then, she has released seven other albums, many of which have topped the charts with record-breaking sales and airplay.

While trying to stay clear of volatile Israeli politics, RITA has remained an outspoken advocate against violence of all kinds. She participates frequently in charity benefit concerts, and a percentage of proceeds from her non-benefit performances are also often donated to children's organizations.

RITA has also become something of an icon to Israel's gay community after her song “Bo” (“Come”) was featured in Eytan Fox's award-winning film “Yossi and Jagger.” The English version of this same song was released in the US as the single “Love Has Begun,” which recently earned RITA the title of “Top 40 Breakthrough Artist” by New Music Weekly.

From the moment she set foot on stage at the Kavli Theater, RITA sang her most memorable hits, which even included her 1990 Eurovision entry “Shara Barkhovot” (“Singing in the Streets”). Some of the evening's highlights were “Erev Kakhol Amok” (“Deep, Blue Evening”), “Mehaka” (“Waiting”), “Tiftakh Khalon” (“Open A Window”), and of course, “Love Has Begun” in both English and the original Hebrew.

Honoring her Persian ancestry, RITA sang a song in Farsi titled “Gole Sangam” (“I'm a Stone Flower”), and ended the concert with Shlomo Bar's satirical song—and one of RITA's own biggest hits— “Yeladim Ze Simkha” (“Children are a Joy”).

The most pleasant surprise of the evening, however, was an operatic number—“Chi vuol la zingarella?” (“Who Desires the Little Gypsy Girl?”) from Giovanni Paisello's opera “Zingari in Fiera” (“The Gypsy Fair”). Here, RITA showed an entirely different side of her talent, and by her own admission, years and years of classical training as a youngster. She said that she recently sang the same aria for the Italian prime minister during his latest visit to Israel.

RITA's comments from the stage—mostly in English with a dash of Hebrew—were remarkably funny and philosophical at the same time. In a tearful moment, she offered hope and optimism by stating that the darkest moment is the instant just before the break of dawn, which she attributed to the Kabbalah. The message of hope, patience and perseverance is a recurring theme in most of RITA's music.

Another striking aspect of the concert was that the audience seemed to know every word to RITA's songs. In fact, on multiple occasions, RITA turned the microphone to the audience for almost the whole length of the song. This was a reminder that RITA is no ordinary artist with a handful of successful hits—she seems to have built her entire career on one blockbuster hit after another.

How appropriate that this immensely gifted woman from the Middle East should bring her songs of hope and love to us on this first day of spring after a difficult El Niño winter. Hopefully, the rest of the world will soon discover RITA, and likewise, take her message to heart.

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Eman Isadiar is a San Francisco-based pianist and music writer.

Israeli Superstar RITA to Sing in Southern California

By Eman Isadiar

THOUSAND OAKS, CA—On March 21 at 7 pm, the Fred Kavli Theater at Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza braces for what promises to be a blockbuster concert by Israel's most popular singer of all time—RITA—along with a performance by American-Israeli dance company Keshet Chaim (“Rainbow of Life”) to the exotic beat of LA's own Naked Rhythm Drummers.

This concert is the last in RITA's eagerly anticipated US tour, which included a charity benefit in New York, and performances in Philadelphia and Miami.

Voice of a Nation

Israel's most popular singer of all time, RITA, will perform in Thousand Oaks on March 21 (photo courtesy of Keshet Chaim).

Now in its seventh decade of existence, the State of Israel has finally accomplished what may have been only a distant dream to the country's founders—to create a cohesive society from a hodgepodge of immigrant populations coming from as far-flung places as Yemen and America, with little or nothing in common except a legacy of persecution for their faith or ancestry.

Perhaps no other single artist has had so profound an impact on the nascent culture of Israel as the Persian-born songstress known simply by her first name, “RITA.”

Launching her singing and acting careers in the 1980s, RITA has become a powerful unifying force, loved and admired by multiple generations of Israelis whether they trace their cultural roots to Eastern or Western Europe, to North Africa or Central Asia. Her deeply moving rendition of the national anthem in Israel's 50th anniversary jubilee has forever engraved RITA's name in the pages of history and in the hearts of her people.

And now, RITA seeks to conquer America's heart.

New Music Weekly recently named RITA as the latest “Top 40 Breakthrough Artist” for her new American single “Love Has Begun,” which continues to make its way through American music charts. She has raised the Western-style pop song to new heights with her impressively wide vocal range and musical ornamentation akin to ancient Persian music.

Throughout her career, RITA has also recorded, performed and paraphrased well-known songs by the late Persian diva Hayedeh, which indicates her reverence and love for the music of her birthplace.

RITA's deep chest voice has a grainy, rich timbre while her high head voice is powerful, pure and penetrating. Her natural gift, her technical prowess and her diverse cultural influences have combined in a rare convergence of elements to create a truly unique artist.

Perhaps in an effort to connect with her younger fan base, RITA seems to have dropped the emblematic rolled “r” of the Mizrahi accent, which she has now replaced with its guttural counterpart of mainstream Hebrew.

Whatever the accent, prepare to fall under RITA's spell as did thousands in her 2003 Los Angeles appearance also produced by Keshet Chaim. This single performance on the first day of spring—the Persian New Year—could very well be the harbinger of many more concerts in the United States by Israel's beloved superstar, and possibly America's new dark-haired sweetheart.

“RITA Live in Concert”
Sunday, March 21 at 7 pm
Fred Kavli Theater
Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza
2100 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks, CA 91362
818-986-7332 – www.kcdancers.org

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Eman Isadiar is a San Francisco-based pianist and music writer.

Pianist Adam Neiman Honors Chopin Bicentennial in Fremont

By Eman Isadiar

FREMONT, CA – It is unclear whether the legendary composer of the piano Frédéric François Chopin was born on February 22, 1810 or a week later on March 1. Fremont Symphony Orchestra presented the internationally acclaimed pianist Adam Neiman on the evening of Saturday, February 27—an approximate halfway point between Chopin's disputed birthdays—in a special recital dominated by the Polish composer's works. The performance also included music by Rachmaninoff, Prokofiev, and Adam Neiman himself.

Fremont Symphony Orchestra presented pianist Adam Neiman in a special recital honoring Chopin’s 200th birthday (photo courtesy of Fremont Symphony Orchestra).

Neiman proved to be an especially gifted speaker, capable of communicating the musical highlights of each piece equally well to the average concertgoer as to the aficionado. His introductions from the stage primed the listener to follow particular musical details that may otherwise have gone unnoticed.

The first half of the concert was dedicated entirely to Chopin's music—short single pieces, which Neiman presented in pairs based on tonality and character without pause for applause.

The Prélude in C-sharp minor of opus 45 was the concert-opener, paired together with the Barcarolle in F-sharp major. Then followed the familiar Waltz in C-sharp minor of opus 64 and the highly energetic Waltz in A-flat major. The passionate Nocturne in C Minor of opus 48 was presented together with the lyrical Nocturne in F Major of opus 15. The F-minor Ballade of opus 52—Chopin's last—made a worthy conclusion to a program meant to honor the single most important composer of the piano in history.

While Adam Neiman showed remarkable clarity in outlining the musical contours, with carefully measured peaks and valleys, it was his delicate pianissimo that left the audience breathless on multiple occasions throughout the evening. He proved to have a special knack for mining melodic gems buried deep in the elusive middle voices. Neiman's approach to Chopin's counterpoint bears the unmistakable mark of an artist well-versed in the fugues of Bach.

Another significant quality in Neiman's playing was his ability to raise Chopin's smaller pieces, such as the C-sharp minor Waltz, to the same level of artistic merit as the larger works on the program, like the Barcarolle and the Ballade. The same degree of painstaking musical finesse was apparent in the miniature pieces as in the epic works.

The second half of the program included works by two diametrically opposed Russian contemporaries named Sergei—Rachmaninoff and Prokofiev. While Prokofiev sought to provoke and shock with his inventive harmonies and percussive rhythms, Rachmaninoff continued the work of composers in the preceding century and brought his own brand of extreme romanticism. Both drew brutal criticism during their lifetime, and both changed the course of piano writing forever. The Russian works were separated by Adam Neiman's 2004 composition titled Vision.

Rachamaninoff's Etudes tableaux numbers eight, two and one (the French title implies studies in tonal painting) offered a wide spectrum of the composer's style and temperament. They also demonstrated many more facets of Adam Neiman's playing, chief among them his exceptional singing tone.

Following Rachmaninoff, Adam Neiman presented his own work, which was apparently composed for a PBS documentary. Vision is a hypnotic piece with a repeating harmonic pattern laden with intricate finger work. Neiman made no secret of his affinity for the movie industry, and his ambition to pursue a secondary career composing for film. Judging by the sample included in the program, composition is also a highly promising career choice for Adam Neiman.

The program ended with Prokofiev's Sonata No. 2 of opus 14, which Neiman infused with an impressive array of emotions ranging from disdain to dread to triumph. Before playing the piece, Neiman divulged his imaginary mascot for the third movement—an old Tolstoyesque exile to Siberia with a long frozen beard, dragging a ball and chain. Whether or not Prokofiev had a similar image when composing this movement, the world shall never know. The music, however, was a perfect fit for the image.

Neiman reminded us that conjuring a visual image or a specific storyline for each piece is a valuable tool in communicating its musical ideas. Pianists of the world, take note!

The audience showed no hesitation in offering a heartfelt standing ovation, which Adam Neiman gracefully reciprocated with an encore—the Prélude in C from the first book of Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier.

For generations, pianists have been taught to simulate the harpsichord when playing the music of Bach, with detached articulation and total avoidance of the pedal. Neiman, however, made no such attempt. Au contraire, he gave a highly “pianistic” interpretation, which was a refreshing break from tradition.

Having played a program of Chopin with the clarity of Bach, Adam Neiman now gave us a Bach with the sensitivity of Chopin. Clearly, here is an artist who does not merely play with flawless technique, but has taken complete ownership of the instrument—a quintessential pianist.

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Eman Isadiar teaches piano at the Peninsula Conservatory and writes about music in the San Francisco Bay Area.

San Francisco Symphony Combines Classical with Neo-Classical

By Eman Isadiar

In a rare performance of Mozart's piano concerto No. 23, Michael Tilson Thomas appeared in the twin roles of conductor and soloist (photo courtesy of San Francisco Symphony).

During a break in this winter's extreme weather, San Francisco Symphony music director proved himself a force of nature on the keyboard in Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 23. This rare appearance by Michael Tilson Thomas in the twin roles of conductor and soloist was framed by two works by Stravinsky – the Octet for winds and music from the ballet Pulcinella – each representing a different side of the composer's stylistic temperament.

Until today, we might have thought it impossible for Michael Tilson Thomas to charm us any more than he already has over his fifteen-year history as the symphony's music director. For a world-renowned conductor to show his instrumental skills, it takes more than courage. It is a meaningful gesture – an expression of trust.

And having done so with the sublime elegance of a Mozart concerto rather than a technically opulent romantic or modern work, M.T.T. made this occasion even more precious.

There is a long list of reasons why many consider Mozart's K. 488 concerto in A major to be his greatest musical achievement. Completed five years before the composer's death, the concerto predates Mozart's decline in health and was written at a time when his creative genius and his career in Vienna were both at their brightest. It was also written in the same year that saw the creation of The Impresario and The Marriage of Figaro, which could explain the concerto's unmistakable operatic quality.

Tilson Thomas displayed a clear sense of reverence in his approach to the concerto, which indicates the piece must hold a special place in his repertoire as a conductor and pianist. Delicate dynamics, lyrical swells and singing effects were prominent throughout the first movement. The very subtle fluctuations in tempo added a moderately romantic touch, and the tastefully held-back cadenza displayed some impressive finger work.

Some fleeting moments of the second movement, however, were intensely laden with emotion. The most powerful of these was marked by Tilson Thomas' sophisticated half-pedaling and use of the sostenuto pedal, which simulated the sonorities of an 18th century fortepiano. In a moment of pure musical enchantment, the faint, pleading voice of Mozart was heard, as if through a tunnel from 220 years away.

Any clouds which may have gathered during the dark despair of the second movement were quickly dispelled in the opening bars of the energetic third, and the more familiar jovial Mozart came bursting through.

Stravinsky's Octet for winds preceded Mozart's concerto on the program, and made a rather suitable complement. The piece dates back to the middle period in the composer's career dominated by a return to older musical idioms, during which Stravinsky explores the same principles of music used and perfected by Mozart, but in a contemporary context.

The three-movement Octet for winds is notoriously difficult in its frequent and sudden tempo changes, which are often managed by a conductor. Stravinsky himself conducted the premiere at the Paris Opera House, and was described by playwright Jean Cocteau as “an astronomer engaged in working out a magnificent instrumental calculation in figures of silver.”

While most chamber groups would have required a conductor to smooth out the rapidly shifting transitions, the elite ensemble of the San Francisco Symphony was able to give a solid performance of the Octet without the need for one. The fast-paced and playful finale was particularly exciting.

The final piece on the program was the music from Stravinsky's ballet Pulcinella commissioned by the fabled Russian ballet impresario Sergei Diaghilev. Stravinsky was specifically tasked with using music attributed to 18th century Italian composer Giovanni Pergolesi, which Diaghilev thought would be the perfect accompaniment to the ballet's Comedia dell'arte setting.

While wrapping the ancient Italian tunes entirely in his own unique style – to the point that any trace of the original composer is all but entirely erased – Stravinsky is deeply marked by this return to Europe's earlier music. Pulcinella is said to be the seminal work that triggered an important period in Stravinsky's style, and subsequently that of other composers of his generation, known as “neo-classicism.”

Apparently, Diaghilev had in mind a lavish ballet production, incorporating orchestral and vocal music as well as making prominent use of the visual arts in the sets, which were to be designed by none other than Pablo Picasso. The choreography and libretto were both done by Diaghilev's protégé Leonide Messine.

Michael Tilson Thomas led the San Francisco Symphony in a stunning performance of Pulcinella with its nine arias, each sung brilliantly by mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke, tenor Bruce Sledge and bass Eric Owens.

While both of the Stravinsky pieces were written in close chronological proximity, they represent the two extremes of composer's approach to neo-classicism – the Octet being essentially a modern piece aspiring to classical principles while Pulcinella contains old music guised in 20th century modernism and orchestral color.

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Eman Isadiar teaches piano at the Peninsula Conservatory and writes about music in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Composer George Benjamin Inaugurates ‘Project San Francisco’

By Eman Isadiar

Guest conductor David Robertson led the San Francisco Symphony in music by British composer George Benjamin, the first resident artist of the orchestra’s new “Project San Francisco” program. The season’s latest concert also included works by Debussy and Mendelssohn.

British Composer George Benjamin is featured as San Francisco Symphony’s resident artist in “Project San Francisco” (photo by Betty Freeman)

George Benjamin comes to us by way of Paris, where he studied as a precocious teenager at the Conservatoire with one of the brightest musical luminaries of the last century, Olivier Messiaen.

Now 50, Benjamin is noted equally for his painstaking and meticulous writing style, and—not surprisingly—for the fewness of the works he has produced since being a favored student of Messiaen in the ‘70s.

The program opened with Benjamin’s 1985 work titled Jubilation for orchestra and a chorus of about 100 children’s voices, sung here by the Allegro chorus of Berkeley’s Crowden School. The imposing size of the orchestra and Benjamin’s rich tonal palette in Jubilation would win over even the most averse of patrons to contemporary music.

Guest conductor David Robertson led the San Francisco Symphony in Jubliation and Dance Figures by George Benjamin (photo courtesy of San Francisco Symphony).

Leading such a large ensemble, some of whose youthful singers also doubled as clave players, required attention to a dizzying level of detail. The challenge was a perfect match for St. Louis Symphony music director David Robertson, who appears frequently as a guest conductor of the San Francisco Symphony.

Then followed Debussy’s Three Etudes for the piano, orchestrated by Swiss composer Michael Jarrell.

The études by Debussy were conceived as technical exercises, which, similar to the études of Chopin, serve not only to enhance the pianist’s skill, but are also each a gem of great musical brilliance. These pieces are doubly precious as they also represent Debussy’s very last works for the piano near the end of his battle with cancer.

The first étude features quickly repeated notes, while the second focuses on bringing out individual melodic lines in a thick harmonic setting. The last etude deals with the difficulties of playing parallel block chords moving in rapid succession.

Jarrell’s orchestration closely follows Debussy’s own orchestral model, and retains much of the musical value of the études. Surprisingly, even the educational component intended by Debussy seems to be present, but transferred from keyboard to strings.

Next on the program were Benjamin’s Dance Figures—a collection of nine short pieces adapted from the original piano version to an orchestral accompaniment for dance, or as a stand-alone symphonic concert piece. With a creative voice uniquely his own, Benjamin’s Figures range from intrigue to exuberance; from introspection to excitement.

A distinctly French thread ran through the first half of the program, with music by a composer whose formative years were shaped at the Paris Conservatoire, the orchestral reincarnation of piano works by the founder of French impressionism, and a conductor with a distinguished set of artistic tenures in both Lyon and Paris.

By contrast, the second half of the program brought Scottish-inspired music by a Jewish-born composer from Hamburg.

Felix Mendelssohn allegedly felt the first stirrings of what was later to become the Scottish Symphony while visiting Scotland as a budding 20-year old musician. However, he completed the work 13 years later at the height of his creative genius.

Typical of composers of the romantic period, Mendelssohn’s four-movement work follows the classical symphonic form as brought into practice by Haydn and perfected by Mozart and Beethoven. Yet the longing melodies of the second movement and the heroic motifs of the fourth bear the unmistakable mark of Mendelssohn’s unique musical gift.

The Scottish Symphony—a workhorse of the standard repertoire—provided a well-balanced ending to an evening whose goal was clearly to introduce the San Francisco public to the music of George Benjamin.

As part of the symphony’s “Project San Francisco,” Benjamin will make multiple appearances as conductor and pianist in his own music as well as that of other composers through January 17. George Benjamin will be followed by cellist Yo-Yo Ma as the second resident artist of “Project San Francisco”, with concerts through January 26.

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Eman Isadiar teaches piano at the Peninsula Conservatory and writes about music in the San Francisco Bay Area.