Saturday Was a Bust (1/24/15)

The program: From Al Andalus to the Americas: An Odyssey of Spanish Songs

It looked good on paper. Alas, everything that could go wrong did. I will not name names. The program opened with Taqsim (improvisation), a solo played on the Nay (or Ney, depending on your Persian translation, a sort of bamboo flute). It started out OK. I thought to myself, this is setting the tone for the concert. Then it went on. And on. And on. Oh, a cell phone went off during the piece.

Next was "Lamma bada yatathanna" Mouwashah, sung by a soprano who was either under the weather, or just had patchy vocal production and a lack of breath control. Maybe it was an "affect" for early music (Anon., pre-15th cent. Spain) -- if so, it didn't work for me.

Next the soprano and the oud (a stringed instrument, tuned onstage) player went with "Ay trista vida corporal" from El Misteri d'Eix (Anon. 14-15th cent., Valencia), which was lengthy and pretty poorly sung.

During these, two more cell phones went off, two parents had to physically remove their loud toddlers, and one tablet/iPhone/me-machine was used to take a photo or recording (all of which -- well not the toddlers -- are prohibited).

After a lengthy, poorly stage-managed change, the soprano performed with a guitarist (who also tuned onstage). Mudejar (sorry, I'm not wasting my time on diacriticals) Song -- "Paseabase el rey moro" (Anon., early 16th cent.) -- was as unattractive as the previous offerings. While the next interminable stage-managed long change took place, I left.

There was a nine-movement song cycle, three more pieces, and two more three-movement works in the first half alone! Not for me.

ConcertMeister