Rolando Villazon on tenors in Opera

Here is a BBC programme narrated by Villazon, explaining the history and technical aspects of the tenor in Opera.  It features a great number of fantastic singers, there's also a lot of information here about opera in general.  A great introduction to opera, some lovely arias sung by fantastic singers.  If anyone can explain opera and singing to the general public, it's Maestro Villazon.

Here's the whole of 'Werther' with Villazon. Available until later this evening. Search for Villazon on YouTube to find more.

If you want to sample some opera, here is the next of the Rosenblatt Recital Series.

Julia Lezhneva sings Rossini

I've been listening to the new CD by Julia Lezhneva for the last couple of weeks.  When it comes to music, there are always pleasant surprises in store.  Julia is a very young soprano with the voice of someone much more experienced.  The CD itself is a collection of Rossini arias which show off her vocal range, the variety of the music demands accuracy, strength of tone and a delicate touch. She handles the dynamics of the arias effortlessly, drawing comparisons to Callas from critics.  Her voice seems naturally higher in range than Callas', without any weakening in the upper register, strong and fluid with a great deal of depth for such a young singer.

Julia has had a very full career already, despite her youth, winning many awards and garnering praise from many quarters.  It appears Rossini is a favourite of hers, performing his arias at the Classical Brits last year and here performing at the St Petersburg competition for opera singers in 2007.  She doesn't have the richness of voice that we associate with mature singers like Bartoli or Netrebko, what she has is a brilliance more associated with young voices, a brightness that has warmth.  As she gains experience, I hope she keeps that brilliance, it will be the one thing that sets her apart from other singers of her generation.

Another thing to bear in mind is her range.  She appears to glide from soprano, through mezzo, down to contralto and back without sounding strained or stretched in any way, no tiny compromises.  She has a clarity of voice that is unusual in any vocal range.  I cannot recommend this singer highly enough.

I'd encourage everyone to see more opera, try something you've never heard before, preferably sung by a singer you've never heard before.  Later this month I'll be going to see my third Rosenblatt Recital, featuring Vuyani Mlinde.  If the previous recitals are anything to go by, I'll be in for a treat.

Cigdem Aslan sings Rebetiko

Upstairs at Ritzy (the cinema in Brixton) was the venue for the Cigdem Aslan Trio last Wednesday.  True to form for musicians, there were four performers; Cigdem herself on vocals, Meg Hamilton (also of Kosmos and She'Koyokh) on violin, Angelos on bouzouki and Pavlos on guitar.

Rebetiko is a relatively new music form, emerging in the 1960's, combining Greek folk traditions and Turkish (Ottoman) café music.  It has been described as a Greek/Turkish blues, mainly due to lyrics, not the music itself.  Plenty of info in the 'net.

The venue itself is quite small and intimate, a perfect setting for the four-piece trio, Garth Cartwright provided the music while we waited for the performance.

The music itself was new to me, plaintive songs of loss and love from Smyrna and Istanbul, the guitar providing a pulsing rhythm, the bouzouki accompanies and complements the voice, the violin answering the guitar and at times almost vocal itself.  At the heart of the songs is the voice.  The audience were given brief introductions to each song, such as the song where a boy compares his love to an orange in turkish, but an apple in greek (or maybe it was the other way around).  Or the song where the boy has to sneak around to see his girlfriend, but he must be careful of her mother "because mediterranean mothers are hardcore" explained Pavlos.

I found it strange that the music itself sounded so different from what we usually listen to un the UK and the US today, bearing in mind that pretty much all of 'western' music is derived from greek 'modes'.  The Turkish songs in the set didn't sound any different than the Greek songs musically, only the language of the lyrics.  At some point, I really must ask Cigdem how many languages she sings in!

I swear, at one point, Angelos either sprouted an extra two fingers on each hand, or slowed time down for himself.  His fingers blurred on the bouzouki and made my inner guitar player wither and die for a moment.  A similar experience watching Pavlos on guitar.  Meg Harrison obviously loves playing, this is the third time I've seen her play in two weeks.  Viola with Kosmos, violin with She'Koyokh and violin tonight.  The same is true of Cigdem, she sings constantly from what I can gather, thank goodness.

The only song title I remember is 'Emine' and that's because it was dedicated to the young lady of the same name sitting next to me, who kindly provided the photos you see here.  The musicianship of these four people was of a very high standard, and yet the atmosphere was much more relaxed than you would find at many recitals or 'classical' music performances.  They seemed to be enjoying the performance as much as the audience.

These days, it's easy to find new music to listen to, if you have a computer and some idea what you are looking for.  I suggest you have a look for Rebetiko, keep any eye out for Cigdem, Meg, Angelos and Pavlos for further performances, and search out She'Koyokh for their next performance near you.

After the gig, I got to the tube at Brixton, stuck Dylan's 'Blonde on Blonde' on the ipod and opened a book.  A couple of minutes later, a rag-tag bunch of musicians and friends piled into the carriage.  Within about 60 seconds they had their instruments out and the gig continued.  They're probably still northbound on the Victoria Line, and probably still entertaining confused tourists.  We need more people like this and more people should listen to music that is new to them.

Thanks to Emine Arikan for the photos.

The 100 Club 13.5.2011 UPDATED with VIDEOS

This club, for me, is one of the genuine articles. A piece of history. Not the photos that adorn the walls, but the acts I've seen here myself. First was Siouxsie and the Banshees, supported by John Cooper Clarke. Next was Nicola Benedetti. Natalie Clien and an Azerbaijani ensemble led by Sabina Rakcheyeva was the last time I was in the 100 Club.

The evening consisted of 5 acts, (a full list is here) beginning with JC Ryan, fresh from her residency at The Castle in Portobello. Tonight she was sporting a full band line-up and the magnificent Babs on backing vocals. Her self-penned tunes in a similar vein to other female singer-songwriters are given an added attraction, which is her unique, soulful voice. Try to catch her at The Castle if you get a chance.

Video 1   Video 2   (Thanks Elena)

The next act that caught my attention was Rhys Williams. Easily the most experienced performer of the evening, a tight, well-rehearsed band, crafted songs and a history that includes playing with Morrissey. Friday the 13th saw the release of his 2nd CD on Vinegar Alley Records, Great Falls, recorded in Virginia and London, and finished at Abbey Road. One to watch out for, make sure you bookmark his website.

Wolfette was certainly full of energy and enthusiasm. I assume she writes her own material, but her voice was overpowered by the rhythm section. A better balance of sound would have improved the clarity of her performance. Similar problems also beset the remaining two bands.

The Empty Headz gave the audience a lively set (one or two fans in the house, I think) giving it their all, though again the bass and drums were overpowering. Probably down to lack of experience and a firm guiding hand in rehearsals. Nothing wrong with the music, just a full-on presentation with amps set to 11. Oh, and they're lovely people.

Top of the bill were The Electric Flowers. The 80's were worshipped with full abandon, even sartorially. I was unsure if they were doing this ironically, but was assured there was no irony intended. This is much the same confusion that surrounded Ladytron when they began their career. Ladytron's way to drive the message home was to record and gig constantly, silencing the critics with their enthusiastic and unashamed keyboard driven tunes. Once again, most of what I heard had the full-on sound of unbalanced drums and bass. I swear my eyeballs were vibrating. Experience will make all the difference, and these guys will have lots of gigs to refine their sound. Hopefully they'll have as much success as Ladytron in the future.

The whole evening was well-balanced between the up-and-comers and the more experienced performers. Folk, electronica, rock and ballads made for an eclectic mix of musical styles. Each of the acts performed well and I expect to hear more from all of them, Rhys Williams and JC Ryan especially, that's just my taste.

Wolfette, Empty Headz and The Electric Flowers only lack experience and possibly a guiding hand in the recording/rehearsal studio. Fingers crossed for all of them.

My 2nd Rosenblatt Recital...

I suppose, like most people, I took time to get into classical music in the first place. Listening to opera on the radio, or seeing it performed on TV was, well, like listening to snooker or watching cricket; always better live. I didn't realise this until I went to see Carmen (chosen because I love the music, who doesn't?) at The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. After I'd seen Carmen performed live, I heard it with new ears. Now I understand why people listen to opera on the radio, or watch on TV. But it's usually the same popular pieces on the radio, or the same shows beamed into the local cinema (great idea) or shown on the big screen around the UK (another great idea).

Tonight I listened to a Rosenblatt Recital featuring Serena Malfi accompanied by Angelo Michele Errico. I was expecting opera arias, lieder, possibly something based on folk melodies and poems. It didn't work out as I expected, bearing in mind that I'd only ever heard of two of the composers featured tonight; Mozart and Rossini.

Beginning with three pieces by Vincenzo Righini I suspected I was in for a challenge. Forty minutes passed like five as I was slowly seduced by the subtlety of bel-canto. Yes, me too. I had no idea that there was something that opera singers sang that wasn't opera or lieder songs. My fault entirely, I just didn't know. I know now.

Spontini followed, then an aria from Mozart's 'La Clemenza di Tito'. Each piece sung and played beautifully, the piano a perfect fit for Serena's voice which was just getting ready to spring its first surprise; Romeo. Serena sang the part of Romeo (from some play or other) in arias by Vaccai and Bellini. Girls sang the boys parts in those days, or when it was convenient, or possibly cheaper.

At this point, I make a small confession; much of the information regarding these unknown (to me) works comes courtesy of the amazingly informative programme for the performance. Performers details, composers details, librettist/poets details, the lyrics in the original tongue and also in english.

After the interval we were treated to Caracciolo, Mattei (who was probably a musical god in London, at the time, from the info I have here) and Tosti, I mention these three because I'll probably try to find more of their work. Costa's 'Dark Eyes' continues the evening's trend of more dynamic, rhythmic and dramatic pieces, enhanced further by three pieces written by singers. Maria Mailibran and her sister, Pauline Viardot Garcia wrote for themselves, and these songs display more humour and melody than their male counterparts, possibly because they were written by women, for women. Serena seemed to enjoy singing them, and we certainly enjoyed listening to them.

Rossini rounded off the programme nicely, as you would expect, an aria from La Cerenentola (I need to hear more opera, I swear) "I was born to suffering....." A narrative familiar to anyone who has read or seen Cinderella.

A first encore was a short by Salieri, yes, that one. The next was by Vivaldi, from Il Giustino (click translate) and for my money the Vivaldi was the best piece of the evening, mainly because it showed how versatile Serena's voice is.

I've left describing Serena's voice until now for a reason, it's a revelation for someone, like me, who grew up listening to very talented but untutored non-operatic, non-classical singers. Smooth and strong, a complete lack of harshness, coupled with great control. I don't understand Italian, my french is sketchy, but listening to Serena sing, it didn't matter. Her voice, alongside the playing of Angelo Michele Errico was a joy.

There are probably many technical terms to describe voices, but the only terms that make sense to me are those used for wines. Serena's voice is full-bodied, sometimes sparkling (the Malibran pieces) with strong aftertones (the Vivaldi). words like caramel and honey also spring to mind, mostly because they're both smooth and delicious.

In short, a voluptuous, mature voice with a lot of growing room. If you get a chance to hear her, in recital or opera (in Paris and Vienna) buy a ticket. If you're not enchanted, I'll be very surprised. I think tonight's performance was being filmed, so I'll keep you informed about that. In the meantime, here she is in a suit.

And, for a certain Italian friend, Serena's dress was fabulous!

UPDATE: When the video is available, it will appear here.

Friday 13th at The 100 Club

The listing for the evening consistes of The Electric Flowers, Rhys Williams, Empty Headz, Wolfette and Jo Ryan. Everything kicks off at 7:30, so don't arrive late or you'll miss Jo, and you'll kick yourself forever if you miss Jo at the 100 Club. You'll feel like the guy who passed on signing the Beatles. Or the lifeboat inspector on the Titanic.

Check out the links above and see you on Friday.

A week of music.........

My week of music began on Friday the 6th with an impromptu piano recital by Stefano Orioli. The venue was the Italian Cultural Institute in Belgrave Square. The playing was very accomplished, as you would expect of a pianist of his experience. The recital was well balanced with works by classical composers Scarlatti and Clementi followed by romantic works by Debussy and Liszt.

Sunday was a little unexpected. I'd been invited to a concert at the Purcell Room at the Southbank Centre. The event was 'Breaking Boundaries'. On the bill were Kosmos, Paprika and She'Koyokh. Kosmos opened the evening with a mixture of jazz, klezmer and tango, spiced up with gypsy and arabic melodies. Milos, the accordionist (one of the two) from Paprika joined for Piazzolla's 'Libertango' bringing a touch of familiarity to the evening, giving us a foretaste of what to expect for the rest of the evening.

Next up was Paprika, featuring the charismatic violinist Bogdan Vacarescu, joined by Meg Hamilton of Kosmos (cross-pollination is a feature of this evening), who regaled us with Serbian, Balkan, Romanian and gypsy folk songs and melodies. The use of two accordions in a call-and-response setting was inspired. It was at about this point that the audience became aware that they were in a seated venue, listening to what was, essentially, music for dancing. More on that later.

After the break came She'Koyokh. The theme of the evening reached its peak with this ensemble. Featuring one of the most versatile vocalists I've heard since Elizabeth Fraser, Cigdem Aslan sang bulgarian folk, managing to sound eerily like the Voix Bulgares, veering off around the Balkans on a melodic and linguistic ending up somewhere around the Black Sea. During the course of the evening, I lost count of the number of languages I heard her sing. The ensemble itself performed all this music and more. Stand-out performances from Susi Evans on clarinet (perhaps previously owned by Faust) and Matt Bacon on guitar. Not to forget Paul on the accordion who had us all singin the yiddish chorus to 'die Philosope'. The finale was a klezmer super-group. All the members of the previous groups joined She'Koyokh onstage for a melange which featured the individual mixes of all the bands. The result was an irresistable urge to dance. I resisted, most didn't. Clapping to the klezmer, dancing to folk melodies from around the balkans and the middle-east, rapt silence as Susi on clarinet duelled with the guitarists, pulling off a win using circular-breathing and a healthy dash of chutzpah!
All these bands are highly recommended, unless you have something against having fun.

My week continues on Wednesday 11th, with the second of the Rosenblatt Recitals series, this one featuring Serena Malfi, once again at St John's, Smith Square.
And if you are dithering, wondering if you should come on Wednesday or not, here's your invitation!

Following that, on Friday 13th, is my friend Jo Ryan at the 100 Club.

Blog reviews following both of these concerts.