One wishes one could report the Queen’s Hall filled to capacity and overflowing last Saturday, for The Classical Music Development Foundation of Trinidad and Tobago concert “Rapture” featuring our own Natalia Dopwell, soprano, American tenor Marcos Vigil, British pianist Simon Mulligan and the UTT musicians – but, sadly, the Hall was only one third full.
Nevertheless, both singers and musicians gave of their best to give true music lovers an excellent start to the New Year. It was perhaps, unfortunate that the concert came fast on the heels of Christmas with all the expense that festival can entail in TT, and before the January pay day (with Carnival so late this year, one ought to be able to spare a blue note or two come February). But such are the demands of the artistes’ schedules that we must take what we can get in the way of serious classical music, when we can get it – and be thankful.
“Rapture” began with Antonin Dvorak’s “Terzetto in C for two violins and viola” – a work unfamiliar to this reviewer who would like to hear this work again reminding one, as it does, of sobbing gypsy violins and East European folk melodies.
Visiting American tenor Marcos Vigil came next with Adam Walters on the French horn and Simon Mulligan at the piano for the awesome “Canticle III Still falls the rain”, Benjamin Britten’s setting of a wartime poem by Edith Sitwell. Soprano Natalia Dopwell accompanied by Eleanor Ryan on violin sang two Irish Country Songs by Howard Boatwright, the first the somewhat wistful “Black is the colour of my true love’s hair” and then lightened the mood with the slightly saucy (and well acted) “One morning in May”.
This reviewer had no idea that Ludwig Van Beethoven had set seven Welsh songs to music accompanied by piano, violin and cello, and sung, somewhat surprisingly, in English, alternately by Marcos Vigil and Natalia Dopwell, except for the last song “The Dream” sung as a duet. One feels there’s no need to comment on these professional artistes’ perfect diction – although one detected a faint hint of a US accent here and there…
The UTT musicians completed the first half of the programme with “Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks!”. This (I borrow shamelessly from Eleanor Ryan’s programme notes when this piece was performed at a Saturday afternoon concert in NAPA) is Franz Hasenohrl’sadaptation for French horn, clarinet, bassoon, double bass and violin of Richard Strauss’ tone poem of the impish, mythical Till Eulenspiegel thumbing his nose at authority all over medieval Germany.
After the intermission Simon Mulligan played the gorgeous, rippling “Ballade No 3 in A-flat major” by Frédéric Chopin. What a pleasure it was to hear the Queen’s Hall Steinway played by a master of the instrument.
We venture into the more familiar when Natalia, accompanied by the strings and Christopher Rawley, bassoon, sang the “Laudate Dominum” from “Viesperae solemne de confessore” by Mozart; this (the “Lacrimosa” excepted) is Wolfgang Amadeus at his most sublime and Natalia did not fail him.
Handel dominated the rest of the programme first with the strings playing the Sinfonia, then Marco Vigil giving full voice to “Comfort Ye” and “Every Valley” from The Messiah.
Natalia, backed by the UTT Strings sang “Oh, Had I Jubal’s Lyre” (probably the best known piece from Handel’s oratorio Joshua).
Oboeist Roy Carter and Simon Mulligan on piano accompanied Natalia as she sang “Domine Deus” from Vivaldi’s “Gloria” leaving the rest of the programme to Handel, first Marcos Vigil and the strings performing “Gentle airs, melodious strains from the oratorio Athalia.”
The last piece on the programme might well be described as a duet between Natalia and Paul Archibald on trumpet performing “Let the Bright Seraphim” from the Handel Oratorio Samson.
The applause merited an encore with Stephen Foster’s “My Prayer” – however, there was no standing ovation, or the enthusiasm that normally greets a concert at Queen’s Hall.
This may be due to the unfamiliarity of most of the music to an audience accustomed to hearing but one or two unknown compositions with the rest being – if not old favourites, at least some with which they have a nodding acquaintance.
However being so starved for “live” serious music, one cannot fault the singers or the musicians. One treasures memories of “Rapture”; the music sends one to the Internet to broaden one’s knowledge of the world of serious, classical music.
Our thanks to The Classical Music Development Foundation of Trinidad and Tobago for bringing Natalia back to sing for us, and introducing us to American tenor Marcos Vigil and pianist Simon Mulligan – and giving the UTT musicians a chance to play in an auditorium that does full justice to their playing.
Nevertheless, both singers and musicians gave of their best to give true music lovers an excellent start to the New Year. It was perhaps, unfortunate that the concert came fast on the heels of Christmas with all the expense that festival can entail in TT, and before the January pay day (with Carnival so late this year, one ought to be able to spare a blue note or two come February). But such are the demands of the artistes’ schedules that we must take what we can get in the way of serious classical music, when we can get it – and be thankful.
“Rapture” began with Antonin Dvorak’s “Terzetto in C for two violins and viola” – a work unfamiliar to this reviewer who would like to hear this work again reminding one, as it does, of sobbing gypsy violins and East European folk melodies.
Visiting American tenor Marcos Vigil came next with Adam Walters on the French horn and Simon Mulligan at the piano for the awesome “Canticle III Still falls the rain”, Benjamin Britten’s setting of a wartime poem by Edith Sitwell. Soprano Natalia Dopwell accompanied by Eleanor Ryan on violin sang two Irish Country Songs by Howard Boatwright, the first the somewhat wistful “Black is the colour of my true love’s hair” and then lightened the mood with the slightly saucy (and well acted) “One morning in May”.
This reviewer had no idea that Ludwig Van Beethoven had set seven Welsh songs to music accompanied by piano, violin and cello, and sung, somewhat surprisingly, in English, alternately by Marcos Vigil and Natalia Dopwell, except for the last song “The Dream” sung as a duet. One feels there’s no need to comment on these professional artistes’ perfect diction – although one detected a faint hint of a US accent here and there…
The UTT musicians completed the first half of the programme with “Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks!”. This (I borrow shamelessly from Eleanor Ryan’s programme notes when this piece was performed at a Saturday afternoon concert in NAPA) is Franz Hasenohrl’sadaptation for French horn, clarinet, bassoon, double bass and violin of Richard Strauss’ tone poem of the impish, mythical Till Eulenspiegel thumbing his nose at authority all over medieval Germany.
After the intermission Simon Mulligan played the gorgeous, rippling “Ballade No 3 in A-flat major” by Frédéric Chopin. What a pleasure it was to hear the Queen’s Hall Steinway played by a master of the instrument.
We venture into the more familiar when Natalia, accompanied by the strings and Christopher Rawley, bassoon, sang the “Laudate Dominum” from “Viesperae solemne de confessore” by Mozart; this (the “Lacrimosa” excepted) is Wolfgang Amadeus at his most sublime and Natalia did not fail him.
Handel dominated the rest of the programme first with the strings playing the Sinfonia, then Marco Vigil giving full voice to “Comfort Ye” and “Every Valley” from The Messiah.
Natalia, backed by the UTT Strings sang “Oh, Had I Jubal’s Lyre” (probably the best known piece from Handel’s oratorio Joshua).
Oboeist Roy Carter and Simon Mulligan on piano accompanied Natalia as she sang “Domine Deus” from Vivaldi’s “Gloria” leaving the rest of the programme to Handel, first Marcos Vigil and the strings performing “Gentle airs, melodious strains from the oratorio Athalia.”
The last piece on the programme might well be described as a duet between Natalia and Paul Archibald on trumpet performing “Let the Bright Seraphim” from the Handel Oratorio Samson.
The applause merited an encore with Stephen Foster’s “My Prayer” – however, there was no standing ovation, or the enthusiasm that normally greets a concert at Queen’s Hall.
This may be due to the unfamiliarity of most of the music to an audience accustomed to hearing but one or two unknown compositions with the rest being – if not old favourites, at least some with which they have a nodding acquaintance.
However being so starved for “live” serious music, one cannot fault the singers or the musicians. One treasures memories of “Rapture”; the music sends one to the Internet to broaden one’s knowledge of the world of serious, classical music.
Our thanks to The Classical Music Development Foundation of Trinidad and Tobago for bringing Natalia back to sing for us, and introducing us to American tenor Marcos Vigil and pianist Simon Mulligan – and giving the UTT musicians a chance to play in an auditorium that does full justice to their playing.
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