Category: Spacious Vision artists

Posts about Spacious Vision artists

Katie Martin performs Lori Laitman’s “If I…”

Spacious VisionLeave a comment

SV_Taso_Katie_portrait_2_color_webLori Laitman is recognized today as one of the America’s most successful and creative living composers. She has composed three operas, an oratorio, and other choral works. In more than 250 songs, she is revitalizing the fusion of poetry and music in song, and helping to continue the tradition of of American art song in the twenty-first century.

For our recent AMERICAN PILGRIMAGE concert, soprano Katie Elizabeth Martin offered Laitman’s tender Dickinson setting “If I…”

EMILY DICKINSON (American, 1830-86)

If I can stop one heart from breaking,
I shall not live in vain;
If I can ease one life the aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin
Unto his nest again,
I shall not live in vain.

View Katie’s performance by clicking here.  Mark Salters is at the piano.

(Photo courtesy of Taso Papadakis)

Katie Elizabeth Martin performs Copland’s “Why do they shut me out of Heaven?”

Spacious VisionLeave a comment

SV_Taso_Katie_portrait_2_color_webEmily Dickinson (1830-86) is universally recognized as one of the most important literary voices of the American experience. Her poems have attracted many composers, and Aaron Copland’s “Twelve Poems of Emily Dickinson” are some of the finest musical settings of Dickinson in the American song repertory.

We are pleased to share a video of Katie Elizabeth Martin singing Copland’s “Why do they shut me out of Heaven?” This live performance is from our recent AMERICAN PILGRIMAGE concert at the Brand Library in Glendale, CA. (Photo courtesy of Taso Papadakis.)

Click here to view Katie’s live performance of “Why do they shut me out of Heaven?


EMILY DICKINSON (American, 1830-86)

Why—do they shut Me out of Heaven?
Did I sing—too loud?
But—I can say a little “Minor”
Timid as a Bird!

Wouldn’t the Angels try me—
Just—once—more—
Just—see—if I troubled them—
But don’t—shut the door!

Oh, if I—were the Gentleman
In the “White Robe”—
And they—were the little Hand—that knocked—
Could—I—forbid?

Our “American Pilgrimage” artists: Gerald Seminatore

Spacious VisionLeave a comment

Taso_headshot_BWAmerican tenor GERALD SEMINATORE completes the quartet of artists for our upcoming “American Pilgrimage” concert at the Brand Library in Glendale, CA (June 27). Gerald began his professional musical career with ensemble engagements including the Handel & Haydn Society, the Boston Early Music Festival, and the New England Bach Festival. He was an apprentice artist for two seasons with the Santa Fe Opera, and operatic engagements followed at the Glimmerglass, Chautauqua, West Bay, Oakland, and Dayton opera companies, among others. He made his European debut at England’s Aldeburgh Festival, and went on to become a member of the solo ensemble at Germany’s Dortmund Opera. Further engagements have included the Frankfurt am Main Opera, Kaiserslautern’s Pfalztheater, the Bremen Opera, and other theaters in Germany and the United States. Gerald has been heard in nearly one hundred song recitals, and his deep knowledge of and experience with song repertoire provided the inspiration for the Spacious Vision Song Project.  (Photo by Taso Papadakis)

Our “American Pilgrimage” artists: Mark Salters

Spacious VisionLeave a comment

Salters_photo_smallMARK SALTERS is a pianist, vocal coach, and recital collaborator. A native of New York, Mark served on
the coaching staff of the Opera Department at the University of Michigan, and on the faculty of Yale University’s graduate opera program. He has accompanied master classes for many well-known singers and coaches including Frederica Von Stade, Roberta Alexander, Vladamir Chernov, Carlo Bergonzi, Sherill Milnes, Régine Crespin, Richard Bonynge, Rodney Gilfry, George Shirley, Carol Neblett, and others.

Mark has also worked with conductors and directors from Los Angeles Opera, New York City Opera, Frankfurt Opera, St. Louis Opera, and the Metropolitan Opera. He served on the music staffs of the Opera Theater of Connecticut and the Long Wharf Theater of New Haven before coming to California.

Mark regularly accompanies singers at events sponsored by the National Association of Teachers of Singing, as well as concerts and classes of the Classical Singers Association. He is a member of the music staffs at both the Cole Conservatory at CSU Long Beach, and is Music Director for the opera workshop at CSU Fullerton. He also serves as Director of Music and Principal Organist at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church in Irvine.

Our “American Pilgrimage” artists: Katie Elizabeth Martin

Spacious VisionLeave a comment

SV_Katie_Martin_photo_reducedSoprano KATIE ELIZABETH MARTIN is a native of Montana. She earned her Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Montana, Missoula. In 2010, she graduated with the Master of Music in Vocal Arts degree from the USC Thornton School of Music, where she is currently pursuing doctoral level studies.

Katie has received an Encouragement Award at the Metropolitan Opera National Council District Auditions, and she was also a finalist in the 2007 Music Teacher’s National Association competition in Toronto. She has also received first place in several other regional competitions.

Katie’s operatic appearances have included Drusilla in Monverdi’s L’incoronazione di Poppea for USC Thornton Opera, the Countess in the Montana Lyric Opera’s production of Le Nozze di Figaro, Mrs. Coyle in USC’s West Coast premiere of Britten’s Owen Wingrave, Miss Wordsworth in Britten’s Albert Herring, Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro, and Frasquita in Carmen. She has also participated in the Songfest 2010 Professional program in Malibu, CA.

Katie will be sharing songs to texts by Emily Dickinson, composed by Aaron Copland and Lori Laitman, as well Samuel Barber’s radiant Hermit Songs, which were first premiered by the operatic legend Leontyne Price.

Our “American Pilgrimage” artists: Arnold Geis

Spacious VisionLeave a comment

bio-geis-arnoldWe welcome back tenor ARNOLD LIVINGSTON GEIS for his second Spacious Vision concert. Arnold holds a Bachelor’s degree in Music Performance from Biola University, and in 2014 he was awarded the Master’s degree in Vocal Performance from the USC Thornton School of Music. Arnold has performed as a chorister with the Los Angeles Opera, and he is currently a member of the Los Angeles Master Chorale. Recent operatic credits include Cavaliere Belfiore in Rossini’s Il viaggio a Reims, the Chevalier in Poulenc’s Dialogues of the Carmelites, and Laurie Lawrence in Adamo’s Little Women.

Gerald Seminatore performs Britten’s Canticle One

Spacious Vision1 Comment

The online service YouTube has become ubiquitous, and many performing artists seeking a wider audience use it to post videos of their work. Our YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/spaciousvision) is drawing a growing number of viewers.

When we only have an audio track to share, it is uploaded to our SoundCloud archive (www.souncloud.com/spacious-vision). YouTube only accepts video files for upload, so if an audio track has no live video associated with it, another solution is needed to share the audio on that platform. Many people create a photo montage for video streaming with an accompanying “soundtrack.” Often these videos are amateurish or poorly done, but sometimes they illuminate the content of the music and are worthy of a look.

canticleofcanticlesA few singers have used YouTube to introduce song and arias, especially those in other languages that might need a translation or subtitles. We have adopted this idea with a video for Britten’s First Canticle “My beloved is mine.”

This powerful work is based on a poem by the 17th century English “Metaphysical” poet Francis Quarles. Britten’s musical setting presents few obstacles for the listener, but the poem’s language and imagery are not immediately accessible. This video provides an introduction to the Canticle itself, as well as text and images to aid the listener in enjoying an extended vocal work that is both spiritual and ardent.

This live 2013 performance is by Gerald Seminatore and pianist Jaebon Hwang. Gerald the montage as a final project for a PowerPoint class.

Click here to view the video of Britten’s First Canticle, “My beloved is mine”

 

Jonathan Mack performs “The Brisk Young Widow”

Spacious VisionLeave a comment

There is still music from recent Spacious Vision performances to share! Over on our SoundCloud audio archive, we have a live performance by Jonathan Mack of a relatively unknown Britten folk song setting. It’s the comedic “The Brisk Young Widow,” from 1954. (The song uses a tune from Somerset, collected by Cecil Sharp in 1905). The recording is from our Nov. 2013 “Britten in Song” concert.

Click here for Jonathan’s performance. Kristof van Grysperre is at the piano. The song has several verses, and you can seem them here, or all on the SoundCloud page.

In Chester town there liv’d
A brisk young widow.
For beauty and fine clothes
None could excel her.
She was proper stout and tall,
Her fingers long and small,
She’s a comely dame withall,
She’s a brisk young widow.

A lover soon there came,
A brisk young farmer,
With his hat turn’d up all round,
Seeking to gain her.
“My dear, for love of you
This wide world I’d go through
If you will but prove true
You shall wed a farmer.”

Says she: “I’m not for you
Nor no such fellow.
I’m for a lively lad
With lands and riches,
‘Tis not your hogs and yowes
Can maintain furbelows,
My silk and satin clothes
Are all my glory”.

“O madam, don’t be coy
For all your glory,
For fear of another day
And another story.
If the world on you should frown
Your top-knot must come down
To a Lindsey-woolsey gown.
Where is then your glory?”

At last there came that way
A sooty collier,
With his hat bent down all round,
And soon he did gain her:
Whereat the farmer swore,
“The widow’s mazed, I’m sure.
I’ll never court no more
A brisk young widow!”

Ariel Pisturino performs Britten’s “Nocturne”

Spacious VisionLeave a comment

Though many of Benjamin Britten’s songs were inspired by tenor Peter Pears, the song cycle “On This Island” (op. 11) was dedicated to noted English soprano Sophie Wyss. This early work is comprised of five settings of poems from W.H. Auden’s collection “Look, Stranger.” Britten set several other poems by Auden as well, but “Nocturne” is arguably the most effective of welding of Britten’s music and Auden’s unique voice. Click here for a performance of “Nocturne” by ARIEL PISTURINO, from our recent “Britten in Song” concert. Krystof van Grysperre at the piano.

Nocturne

Now through night’s caressing grip
Earth and all her oceans slip,
Capes of China slide away
From her fingers into day
And th’Americas incline
Coasts towards her shadow line.

Now the ragged vagrants creep
Into crooked holes to sleep:
Just and unjust, worst and best,
Change their places as they rest:
Awkward lovers like in fields
Where disdainful beauty yields:

While the splendid and the proud
Naked stand before the crowd
And the losing gambler gains
And the beggar entertains:
May sleep’s healing power extend
Through these hours to our friend.

Unpursued by hostile force,
Traction engine, bull or horse
Or revolting succubus;
Calmly till the morning break
Let him lie, then gently wake.