I faced a quandary when I was programming the April 24 Lorca concert. Though I try to avoid presenting songs I’ve done in recent concerts, I couldn’t find many suitable examples of cante jondo—the “deep song” of Andalusia that Lorca venerated. He disdained the word “flamenco,” which he called the “tourist version” of cante jondo. But for an American listener the two terms are roughly equivalent, especially in this day and age. Recordings of cante jondo are of course in plentiful supply. What’s almost impossible is finding songs in this style appropriate for the recital stage and classically trained singers.
Read MoreIn every NYFOS program I like to have a specialty number, something completely on-topic but completely unexpected. I despaired of having such a song for the April 24th Lorca concert until Michael Barrett said, “Oh, you should contact my cousin Jonathan Mayhew. He’s a big Lorca guy—he’s already written one book about him and is now working on another about songs written to Lorca’s poems.” A flurry of emails followed, along with a slew of suggestions for our concert.
Read MoreAs I prepare for the April 24 concert, I have become increasingly immersed in the life and poetry of Federico García Lorca. The more I know about this great Spanish writer the more astonishing I find him. His neatly bound volumes of poetry and his famous stage works don’t give a true picture of his chaotic creativity, his unique mix of sophistication and naivety, his long-frustrated sensuality, and his complex heart.
Read MoreThis famous aria from Verdi’s Falstaff encapsulates everything about spring: Breezes, flowers, Fairies, love and dancing in the moonlight. I am also a huge fan of Lisette Oropesa’s voice—this aria is worth listening to for her breath control alone. Thank you for reading my blog posts and happy spring!
Read MoreL’une d’avril (April Moon) is the very last song French composer, Francis Poulenc, ever wrote from his song cycle, La courte paille (The Short Straw). The song voices the concern of parents for the violence of the modern world. He composed the work in 1960 during the time of nuclear disarmament and demonstrations banning nukes. I personally love the colors used in the song and its haunting ending.
Read MoreWhat would a Spring themed Song of the Day be without Frülingsstimmen (Voices of Spring)? In my mind, Strauss’ zippy waltz conjures a rainy NYC day during morning rush hour when the sidewalks are congested with oversized umbrellas and your goal is to maneuver past everyone by ditching the umbrella and owning a rain coat with a hood. Or maybe that’s just me.
Read MoreMaybe because I am a Sagittarius and have an incessant yearning to escape life, avoid 9-5 jobs, and live my best creative life by doing my own thing that I picked Queen’s 1984 hit, “I want to break free”. I have a very distinct memory of me in high school, blaring this song while driving with the windows down in my hometown of Cockeysville, Maryland.
Read MoreBaritone Efraín Solís answers our questions about self-care, favorite singers, and more in advance of three appearances with NYFOS this season: García Lorca: Magician and Muse on April 24 at Merkin Hall and Manning the Canon on June 23 in Orient, NY and on June 25 at the LGBT Center in NYC.
Read MoreHelloooooo spring! Hello sunshine, budding trees, my impending sneeze, and a fresh “spring” in my step. When I was asked by NYFOS to contribute to Song of the Week, I immediately knew my theme and what song to start with.
Read MoreI am shamelessly ending this week of music with one of my favorite techno-pop songs. Anyone who knows me knows that I am a sucker for a solid beat and varied syncopation. I think that’s why I am drawn to contemporary music—I love the challenge of decoding a composers rhythmic intent and marrying difficult rhythm with the language on the page.
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