Dmitri Hvorostovsky Discs

The incomparable Russian Baritone has recently released 2 discs of Russian romances based upon poems of Pushkin.  Composers including Tschaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, Borodin and many others have set these poems to glorious music.  Many of the pieces have also been recently recorded by Anna Netrebko in a glorious Album "In the Still of the Night" with Daniel Barenboim at the keyboard.  While one can not directly compare Hvorostovsky's studio recording with Estonian pianist Ivara Ilja at the keyboard to that of Netrebko's live recording one must say that these discs hold a special place in the repetoire.  Hvorostovsky has often been called the golden baritone and this is well deserved.  The tone is rich, supple and like dark chocolate and honey.  Dmitri has a large voice with impeccable breath control.  Since one can hear many of the same pieces that Netrebko has recorded, comparison's can be made.  As my wife commented, she thought Netrebko's voice was more varied and exciting.  Certainly, Anna has the edge on emotion, but Dmitri has the edge on consistency, breath control and power.  If one compares the pianists, the edge certainly goes to Barenboim for listening to the vocalist and supporting, rather than sounding like a soloist. 

These are wonderful discs that highlight the enormous capabilities and range of this expressive artist.  His operatic repetoire including his Eugene Onegin with Renee Fleming is iconic of one of the highlights of the Metropolitan Opera.  This artist seems unlimited in his styles of recorded material from the humorous to the impassioned more traditional roles.   These discs are truly a joy in now what appears to be a genre of singers singing in their native languages.  Starting from incredible diction to billowing dynamics, Hvorostovsky seems to be at the top of the pack.  Judging from these discs, the listener will look forward to future recordings and new stylistic goals.  Enjoy and treasure these as expressive romances or the equivalent of folk songs or ballades.

Longwood Symphony Orchestra

Longwood Symphony Orchestra

August 18, 2010

DCR Hatch Memorial Shell

Boston's Esplanade 7:00pm

In the Mood

As everyone knows that Boston is the home to major academic institutions, i.e. Harvard, MIT, Boston University, Boston College, Wellesley College, Tufts and many others.  Likewise it is hotbed of excellence in Medicine and Biotechnology including notables such as Mass General Hospital (MGH), Brigham and Women's, Beth Israel, Deaconness, Dana Farber and companies including Amgen, Pfizer, Novartis, AstraZeneca, Genzyme, Vertex and countless others.  Similarly, it is the seat of world class science, e.g. Whitehead Institute and The Broad, Howard Hughes, etc.  It is therefore not surprising that many of these professionals have banded together to create great music.

Last night the orchestra played at the Hatch Shell, made famous by Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops.  It is an impressive venue for free concerts and movies and is packed to several hundred thousand on annual July 4th celebrations.  There are tributory stues of Arthur Fiedler, a Paul Dudley White, MD (notable cardiologist), Harry Ellis Dickson (late director of the Pops and father-in-law to ex-governor Michael Dukakis.    The venue is beautiful and the weather was simply gorgeous.  We had difficulty finding a parking spot on Storrow Drive which is available

for each concert, so we ended up parking on Charles Street in Beacon Hill and attending the 2nd half of the concert.  It was a charming Beethoven's 4th symphony.  It was led by Jonathan McPhee its conductor.  What they lack in talent is more than amply made up for by enthusiasm.  I am not a fan of amplified music which tends to be distorted and leaves the listener straining to hear the quiet passages.  The venue was terrific and the audience received the performance with great applause.  The theme of the program was "In the Mood"  The evening ended with a rousing performance of "In the Mood" made famously popular by Glenn Miller in 1939 in the Big Band Era. 

The orchestra is a Who's Who of medicine, science and academia and should be applauded for bringing great music to the public.  They also play at many local shelters, nursing homes and traditional venues.  Rather than bore the reader with full biography's, I thought that I would list the players who rightly deserve recognotion for their medical, humanitarian and musical contributions.

 Violins

Sherman Jia, Concertmaster
3rd year, HMS, Howard Hughes Research Fellow

Hana Asazuma-Cheng
Music teacher (violin, viola, chamber music)

Catherine Brewster
English Teacher, Commonwealth School

Terry Buchmiller, M.D.
Pediatric Surgery, CHB, Co-Director Advanced Fetal Care Center, CHB

Jennifer Chang, Ph.D.
M.D. - Ph.D. student, HMS

David Chen, M.D.
Internal Medicine, Faulkner Hospital

Jennifer Chu
Freelance science writer

Mark Emerson, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow, Genetics, HMS

Sumi Fasolo, AIA
Architect, Cambridge Seven Associates

Tamara Goldstein, O.T.
Hebrew Rehabilitation Center

Anand Jagannath, M.S.
Research Technician, Cardiac Surgery, MGH

Elizabeth Henderson
Freelance Technical Editor

Heidi Harbison Kimberly, M.D.
Emergency Medicine, BWH

Anna Legedza, Sc.D.
Principal Biostatistician, Biometrics, Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Shenkiat Lim
Director of Product Development, Fidelity Investments

Justin Lo
2nd year, HMS

Psyche Loui, Ph.D.
Research Instructor, Neurology, BIDMC, HMS

Spencer McClelland
2nd year, HMS

David Mish
ESL/History Teacher, Cambridge Public Schools

Ramona Nee, J.D.
Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP

Susan Pauker, M.D.
Associate Professor, HMS; Genetics Chief, Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates; MGH. BWH, Lahey

Chris Richards, Ph.D.
Dept. of Biology doctoral program, Harvard University

Helle Sachse, J.D., Ph.D.
Asst. D.A., Suffolk County

Jenny Smythe, Ph.D.
Physicist, Schlumberger Limited

Ellen Tulchinsky, M.S.P.T.
Physical Therapist, BWH/MGH

Elisha Wachman, M.D.
Pediatrics, Emerson Hospital, BWH

Lisa Wong, M.D.
Milton Pediatrics Associates, HMS, CHB, MGH, BWH, BIDMC



Violas

Michael Cho, M.D.
Research Fellow, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, BIDMC, BWH, MGH

Sarah Cohen
Engineer, Rhythmia Medical

Jon Epstein
Software Engineer, Microsoft

Jennifer Grucza
Senior Software Engineer, Unica

Alistair Kok, D.D.S.
Dentist, Gentle Dental Cambridge

Elizabeth Ogburn
2nd year Ph.D. student, Harvard University

Jane Perera
Speech Therapist, Cotting School

Andrea Spencer, M.D.
MGH/McLean Resident in Psychiatry

Peter Stein, D.C.
Chiropractor, Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates, BU Sargent College

Nicholas Tawa, Jr. , M.D., Ph.D.
Surgical Oncology, BIDMC, HMS

Gwendoline Thornblade, B.D.Sc, M.Sc.D.
Retired Pedodontist

Leah Wilson-Velasco
Director of Operations, Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra


Cellos

Joseph Rovine, D.M.A., principal
Senior Software Engineer, Microsoft

Sylvain Casimir, R.Ph.
Pharmacist

Nancy Chane, R.N., M.S.
Palliative Care Nurse, Tufts Health Plan

Gregory Crist
Interactive Media Designer, iFactory

Mark Cusac
Engineer, CDM

Heidi Greulich, Ph.D.
DFCI, Broad Institute, BWH, HMS

Katherine Hein, M.D.
Plastic Surgeon, MetroWest Medical Center, Newton-Wellesley Hospital

Tai Katzenstein, Ph.D.
Psychology, MGH

Denise Lotufo, P.T., D.P.T., O.C.S.
Harvard, UHS

Martha MacMillin
Cello instructor

Read Pukkila-Worley, M.D.
Infectious Diseases, MGH, HMS

Christopher Reuning
President, Reuning & Son Violins

Susan Z. Robins
President, Muscle Angels, a norbis Innovations Company, LLC

Andreas Schild, Ph.D.
Research Fellow, Center for Human Genetic Research, MGH
Basses

Martha Davis, J.D., principal
Professor, Northeastern University School of Law

Jack Dennerlein, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Environmental Health, HSPH

Karyn Wang


Flutes

Tobi-Ann Kocher
Flute Instructor

Daniela Krause, M.D., Ph.D.
Clinical Pathology and The Center for Regenerative Medicine at MGH

Cindy Moore
Music, Framingham Public Schools

Oboe

Michael Barnett
4th year, HMS

Hilary Cipullo

William Kates, M.D.
Psychiatry, BIDMC, HMS

Thomas Sheldon, M.D.
Assistant Professor Dartmouth Medical School; Director, Radiation Oncology Concord Hospital


Clarinet

Jeffrey Berman, M.D.
Pulmonary and Critical Care, BMC, BUSM

Mark C. Gebhardt, M.D., Ph.D.
Prof. of Orthopaedic Surgery, HMS, Orthopaedic Surgeon-in-Chief, BIDMC, CH Orthopedic Surgery

Tammy Avery Gibson
Cephalon Pharmaceuticals

Paul Silver
President, Handyman Heroes

Bassoon

Stephen Wright, M.D.
Chief of Medicine, Faulkner, BWH, TUSM, HMS

French Horn

Vanessa Gardner
Concerts Manager, MIT

John Hecker, AIA
Carr Lynch and Sandell, Architects

Trumpets
Leonard Zon, M.D.
Heme/Onc CHB, DFCI, HMS

Wolfram Goessling, M.D., Ph.D.
Genetics and Gastroenterology, BWH; Heme/Onc, DFCI; HST; HMS


Trombone

Peter Cook
Computer Engineer

Paul Salinas
Shire Human Genetic Therapies

Timpani

Jeremy Lang
Operations Manager, Elysium Digital LLC

Percussion

Tom Sandora, M.D.
Pediatric Infectious Disease, CHB, HMS

Longwood Opera

Boston is of course a city filled with institutions of higher learning and abundant musical avenues.  The Longwood Opera fills a unique niche giving amature singers a place to showcase their talent, charisma and a place just to have fun.

The Longwood opera may have taken its name from famous Longwood Medical Area intersected by Brookline and Longwood Avenues.  (There is also a very notable Longwood Symphony led by Charles Ansbacher, a local icon).  For a nominal charge, one can sit in the Christ Episcopal Church in Needham and hear several hours of varied music.  J Scott Brumit is largely responsible for this marvelous effort along with Jeffery Brody, the music director.

Since the summer is quite warm and the church is not air conditioned, there are electric fans and complimentary fans passed out each week.  Each week, there is a diffferent theme, but you never leave disappointed.  Refreshments (lemonade & water) are served along with M&M selections during intermission.  We have attended for many years and it is easy to say that the standards are improving steadily.  Most of the efforts by the performers are quite nobel and genuine, while a few are somewhat less that satisfying.  Much of the repetoire is well known, but selections by Humperdinck, Barber, Baby Doe and others are frequently interspersed.  At times you wish the singing would never stop. e.g. Puccini. The schedule for 2010 is presented below.

July 6 : An Evening of Opera

July 13: Broadway Melodies

July 20: An Evening of Opera Scenes

July 27: Presenting Rising Stars

August 3: Opera Meets Broadway

August 10: An Evening of Gilbert & Sullivan
August 17: More Operatic Scenes
August 24: More Broadway Melodies
August 31: A Gala Night of Opera

As you can see, they also did a very abridged version of "The Ring" sung in English. 

Hats off to all of the performers and volunteers at the Longwood Opera as we always leave with a warm feeling of good camaraderie.  We have conversed with several performers and indeed made friends of parents of the performers.  On a somewhat humourous aside, the women usually dress much better than the men.  You realy have to admire the dedication of the performers to rehearse, prepare and deliver the goods.  As we have begin to know some of the performers, one can only truly appreciate their dedication.  Opera is far from dead and these individuals as mentors and performers will keep Opera alive.  They even have a tee short which is emblazened with Opera for All.  In years past, they have sold records, tapes and CD's that were given by donation.  Tickets available at the doors are a very good value, parking is available across the street.  Bring your hearts, ears and soul and you will be more than amply entertained.

Norma at Caramoor

Norma at Caramoor

Will Crutchfield

Mira O Norma
Keri Alkema (L) and Angela Meade

Every year, Caramoor this hidden gem in Katonah, New York puts on a Bel Canto Festival.  Under the tutelage and conducting of Will Crutchfield puts on a spectacular show.  Caramoor is a Venetian type of venue in which performance are held in an large billoowing tent that faces a Venetian style stage.  Despite a blistering hot evening with high humidity, the singers and orchestra played out their roles with passion and intensity.  We have seen Sumi Jo there in I Puritani and Vivica Geneaux in La Cenerentola last year.  This year was no exception.  Angela Meade, one of Met finalists played the role of Norma and sang with great assurance.  She was also highlighted in the movie "The Audition" about the MET finalists and the audition process.  She sang Casta Diva (Chaste Godess)  in the MET audition and has risen to the occasion in this performance.  Angela Meade played the Druid Priestess Norma while the mezzo soprano, Keri Alkema played Adalgisa with superb intensity.  Their duet, Mira O Norma in Act two, scene 2 was thrilling.  Historically, many will recall Sutherland and Horne in this role.  The most notable Norma of the recent past was most certainly Maria Callas who sang the role witth great intensity, passion and drama.  I only wish you were all there to enjoy a very memorable evening.  Angela who has sung at the MET in Ernani surely has a great career ahead of her.  The evening started off with a preconcert lecture retrospectively looking back at the attempts in this role.  The audience reactted with great enthusiasm and praise. It was a wonderful joyous evening of truly beautiful singing.  Bellini would have been proud.  The weather and the singing were both on fire!

Barbra Streisand at the Village Vanguard

Barbara Streisand at the Village Vanguard is a newly released DVD/CD combo recorded at a life recital in Greenwich Village in 2009.  While, the DVD is recorded with a live audience through somewhat limited audio capabilities it offers a unique and personal view of this artist.  In between some of her selections, she welcomes & greats many notables including Bill and Hillary Clinton, Sarah Jessica Parker, Nicole Kidman and those who played a large part in her long lived career.  It is refreshing to hear that this dynamic star has not forgotten her roots in Brooklyn, NY.  From a humble and modest background comes a wonderful entertainer who has the tremendous ability not only as a story teller, but can convey emotions through her talented singing.  At 68, she can still wow and audience with charisma, charm and vocal prowess.  The DVD and CD (containing truncated dialogue) offer a diverse glimpse into her history and growth as an artist.  It is of interest that she indicates that she gets bored singing "People" but her send off with Memories evokes visions of the 1970's and "The Way We Were" filmed at my Alma Mater, Union College in Schenectady, NY.  A committed democrat and liberal, she recounts protesting with Bela Abzug, the NY congresswoman.  Her tribute the President Bill Clinton for 8 years of prosperity and respect around the word closes with a comment that Bill was at ease with the poor and downtrodden as well as the mightiest leaders of the world.  She sings his favorite song, Evergreen which she wrote and sang at his inaguration. 

This is a wonderful refreshing retrospective, not simply a re-hash of old standards.  She sings with ease and grace and at one point asked the pianist of she had hit the correct note.  The crowd was engaged, adoring and composed of celebrities and to those who had won lottery tickets for the specail one night show,  As the evening starts, she indicates that this is how she got her start in show business and she wanted to give something back.  What she delivered was truly from her heart.

Traviata with Netrebko & Villazon

On a delayed flight home on Memorial Day (May 31st, 2010, my wife and I watched the Salzburg 2005 performance of La Traviata with Anna Netrebko, Rolando Villazon, Thomas Hampson conducted by Carlo Rizzi.  This avant garde production known for its "red couch" and simplicity is one to watch over and over.  The music by Verdi is characteristic of this period of his composition style.    The OM-Pa-Pa of the Brindi (Drinking song) is jovial.  Carlo Rizzi conducts at a fast, but manageable pace.

Violetta, played by Anna Netrebko is called by some the whore with a heart of gold.  This performance is full of intrigue, drama, passion & pain.  Netrebko was right not to try and have a redux at next year's Metropolitan Opera, staing that she did not want to try and recreate the Salzburg performance which is widely available on DVD. 

The MET will put on La Traviata as a New Years Gala. 

New Year's Eve Gala

Willy Decker’s strikingly beautiful production, a hit when it premiered at the Salzburg Festival in 2005, arrives at the Met with soprano Marina Poplavskaya starring as opera’s most fascinating heroine. “Violetta is an outlaw,” Decker says. “Society shuts her out and looks down on her as a person without feeling, without love. But the further you look into the piece, you see that it’s the other way around: she is the only person in the opera who truly loves, selflessly. Verdi follows her like an obsessed lover throughout the piece, and by the end, our sympathy too is completely on her side.” Matthew Polenzani plays Alfredo with Andrzej Dobber as his father; Gianandrea Noseda conducts Verdi’s timeless tragedy.

Friday, December 31, 2010, 7:00 pm


Noseda; Poplavskaya, Polenzani, Dobber

Original production of the Salzburger Festspiele; with thanks to De Nederlandse Opera

http://www.metoperafamily.org/metupload/video/2010-11PressConf/Traviata.html 

Here is a clip from interview with the director Willy Decker.  This is an incredibly challenging role for any soprano.  We have also seen Netrebko in an updated version of La Traviata in San Franscisco set to the "Roaring 20's".  It is unfortunate, but we may never see Villazon sing again in anything as passionate and skilled as in this production.  He has suffered a "vocal crisis", surgery to remove a polyp from his vocal chords and a very lackluster re-entrance into the world of opera.  He has also served as a rather infamous judge on a show entitled "From Rock Star to Opera Star" a lame attempt at an American Idle rip-off.

At any rate, all 3 principles were in exceptionally rare form.  The minimalist set composed of only a few couches and a clock symbolizing  the march of time towards Violetta's death allow the viewer to concentrate and be immersed in the passion of the drama and the glorious singing.    This was certainly one of the signature roles for Netrebko.  She truly owns this role. 

It is astonishing that 45 of 59 reviews at Amazon were for 5 stars!  Netrebko exhudes confidence, sex appeal, tremendous acting ability and a charasmatic charm in this role.  Since that production, neraly 5 years ago, she has had a son, married Erwin Schrott and continued her career as a diva who reaches out to the public and has brought modern opera to the masses. 

Enjoy this exciting performance - which can only be imitated, certainly not duplicated.  It will be very interesting to note how this production fares at the MET and its staid audiences.

Phantom

Last Sunday, May 31st we saw Phantom at the Arizona Broadway Dinner Theater.  This was the culmination of a High School Graduation festivity for my nephew, Harry.  The service, dinner and seats were excellent.
Phantom


April 23 - May 30, 2010

Developed in the early 1980s by Tony Award-winners Maury Yeston (Nine, Titanic) and Arthur Kopit (Nine), the Yeston/Kopit Phantom – like Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera – was based on Gaston Leroux’s immortal tale of a desperate young man, born and raised in the catacombs under the Paris Opera House, and the girl whom he adores. With a lush and compelling score, Phantom is an American musical that has captivated audiences worldwide in over one thousand independent productions, with rave reviews from Variety and The Wall Street Journal.

My only complaint was that the artists used microphones, when the venue was small enogh to project without the use of electronic amplification.  The music was mostly from a black tee shirt wearing synthesizer player who feverishly was orchestrating the entire production.  We saw the final performance and enjoyed it.  It was a tad too long, but provided reasonable entertainment for all to enjoy