RSS 2.0 FeedNovember 23, 2011, Cover Stories, Classical
Bach, the Bard, and a bull
Attuned to the upcoming holiday season, Bach Aria Soloists offered a program inspired by literature, featuring one of the best-known characters of children's literature: Ferdinand the Bull.
Bach Aria Soloists presented a night of musical storytelling on Saturday in partnership with the Kansas City Public Library, Central Branch. The accomplished ensemble graced the Kirk Hall with a fashionably short program of four pieces and a sublime performance.
Veteran Kansas City actor Stuart Rider joined the soloists for the event and narrated the background stories and the literary connections of each work during the program.
Elizabeth Suh Lane (violin), Elisa Bickers (harpsichord), Beau Bledsoe (guitar), and Rebecca Lloyd (soprano) started the program with Hercules' journey through his exploration of virtue and vice in “Schlafe, mein Liebster” by J.S. Bach. The work was beautifully adapted for the ensemble's instrumentation. In the piece, the soprano represents vice and appeals to Hercules to choose her over virtue. It wouldn't come as a surprise if Hercules, hearing soprano Rebecca Lloyd's delightful interpretation, decided to choose vice over virtue this time.
Bledsoe accompanied Lloyd on guitar for one of Franz Schubert's most popular art songs, Gretchen am Spinnrade,Op. 2. Bledsoe showcased his ineffable technique as the duo presented a teenager's passion in the famous lied.
Following the spirited love song, the soloists joined together again for Roger Quilter's somber song cycle Five Shakespeare Songs, Op. 23. Two songs from the cycle, "Fear No More the Heat o' the Sun" and "It was a Lover and His Lass," foreshadowed, Ferdinand the Bull for speaker and violin.
The book was written by American author Munro Leaf for his friend, illustrator Robert Lawson, to showcase his talents. It was accepted as a pacifist book in Spain during the Spanish Civil War, banned by Hitler in Germany, and in contrast, praised by Gandhi. Alan Ridout set this famous children's story to music in 1971. Suh Lane and Rider brought the story into life radiantly. The violin illustrates the storyline with variety of demanding techniques as Suh Lane accompanied the narration with exceptional ease and skill.
Throughout the concert, performers' musicianship was unquestionably excellent, exhibiting high level of technique and passion. The program however was slightly disjointed due to the combination of literary genres chosen.
Although the event was clearly conceived as an exhibition of literature in music, the advertisement gave an impression of a children's show. Although performed masterfully, everything before Ferdinand the Bull seemed like introductory matter leading up to the actual performance.
Even so, children in the hall were scarce; the handful that attended were indifferent during the first part of the night. However, when it was time for Ferdinand, the heads perked up and there was a palpable anticipation in the hall. The success of Ferdinand the Bull was confirmed when a young audience member shouted "Bravo!" with two eager thumbs up after the performance.
REVIEW:
Bach Aria Soloists
Musical Tales featuring Ferdinand the Bull
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Kansas City Public Library, Central Branch
14 West 10th St, Kansas City, MO
For more information, visit http://bachariasoloists.com/
Top Photo: Bach Aria Soloists (Rebecca Lloyd, Beau Bledsoe, Elisa Bickers, Elizabeth Suh Lane)
Classical, New Classical, Jazz, Theatre Contributor
Nihan Yesil is a composer/performance artist and currently a candidate of M.M.Composition at the UMKC Conservatory. She composes both acoustic and electroacoustic music and has a strong interest in experimenting with the perception of sound and language.
Nihan started studying classical music with her father, M. Emin Yesil, at an early age and earned a bachelor's degree in Jazz Composition in Istanbul, Turkey, studying with Lawrence D. "Butch" Morris, Ali Perret, and Aydin Esen. She participated in festivals and artist residencies inclduing the Henry Mancini Institute, Czech-American Summer Music Institute, Brevard Music Festival, Electronic Music Midwest Festival, Women in New Music, Oregon Bach Festival Composers Symposium, Escape to Create Artist-in-Residence Program and I-Park Artists' Enclave Residency where she also served as a selection committee member for the composition program. Her compositions have been performed at number of venues both in Turkey and the U.S.
Her favorite activity is experiencing or witnessing any form of artistic creativity. Nihan is a big fan of the Internet and keeps several blogs where she presents her unsolicited opinion on different subject matters.
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