Olivier Messiaen: Chants de terre et de ciel; Alexander Scriabin: Poème-nocturne, op. 61; Alexander Scriabin: Vers la flamme, op. 72; John Zorn: Jumalattaret. Barbara Hannigan, soprano; Bertrand Chamayou, piano. Koerner Corridor, November 28, 2024.
As I’m scripting this assessment, it’s a full 12 hours after I heard Barbara Hannigan at Koerner Corridor final night. But I’m nonetheless feeling the afterglow of her extraordinary recital. In my 60-plus years of attending classical vocal concert events, I’ve by no means witnessed something fairly like hers final night. To get into the “Barbara Hannigan Temper,” I attended her masterclass on Thursday. Her pedagogical model, like her efficiency, was wonderful, and it certain ready me for live performance!
After I was leaving Koerner Corridor after the recital, I assumed again to my 2001 interview with the distinguished Canadian soprano and voice trainer Mary Morrison. I vividly recall her mentioning Barbara Hannigan as one in all her most promising college students, destined to have a major profession. I simply heard this morning that Morrison was within the viewers. I’m certain she is happy that Hannigan has fulfilled that promise 23 years in the past, spectacularly so.
Like her trainer, Barbara Hannigan is that uncommon breed of singers with a fervent devotion to new music. Fearless, distinctive, adventurous, and passionate are only a few adjectives that describe her artistry. Provided that my musical tastes have a tendency in direction of the normal, Hannigan’s repertoire usually takes me out of my consolation zone. But I’m at all times struck by her energy of communication and her complete dedication. I could or could not heat to the work itself, however her performances by no means, ever, go away me detached.
Olivier Messiaen: Chants de terre et de ciel; Alexander Scriabin: Poème-nocturne, op. 61; Alexander Scriabin: Vers la flamme, op. 72
Final night was no exception. It was a 70-minute program (with out intermission) of two track cycles, by Olivier Messiaen and John Zorn. In between had been two Scriabin piano solos performed by the marvelous French pianist Bertrand Chamayou. I confess that the first focus of this assessment is on Hannigan the singer, however I don’t wish to neglect the superb pianism of Monsieur Chamayou, who performed with character and luminous magnificence within the two Scriabin items. Within the two track cycles, he was extremely supportive and in good synch with the soprano, particularly within the John Zorn work. I hope to listen to him in a solo recital sooner or later.
My modest publicity to Messiaen’s vocal music was primarily his “Poémes pour Mi” (1936), which is kind of often programmed. It’s set to Messiaen’s personal textual content, and offers with the non secular struggles and success of marriage. By the way, the work is devoted to his spouse Claire Delbos, whose nickname is “Mi.” A religious Catholic, lots of Messiaen songs have a robust non secular core, particularly in “Poemes pour Mi” and “Chants de terre et de ciel” (1938).
The second cycle was the one on this system final night. Set to textual content by the composer, it a meditation on marriage, fatherhood and Catholic religion by Messiaen — his son Pascal was born across the time of composition. In just below half-hour, it’s a technically demanding work for the voice. Hannigan sang affectingly, with ethereal magnificence and purity of tone. Her crystalline high quality was a pleasure to the ear, although magnificence was by no means on the expense of the drama, which she delivered in spades.
Zorn: Jumalattaret
If musically the Messiaen cycle has up to date resonance, John Zorn’s “Jumalattaret” is off-the-chart in its new music sensibilities. It’s stuffed with what’s greatest described as extra-vocal utterances, sounds that one wouldn’t encounter in a conventional classical track cycle. The one different work I heard that’s closest stylistically was manner again in my pupil days within the Sixties, listening to mezzo Cathy Berberian singing “Sequenza III”, a chunk by her husband and avant-garde composer Luciano Berio. Hannigan has sung the Zorn cycle again in 2019 in New York, with pianist Stephen Gosling. Billed as unsingable by many, it held no terror for Hannigan, and she or he had a triumph.
Given the complexity of the Zorn cycle, Hannigan used the rating. She started with Sprechstimme, very similar to Schönberg’s “Pierrot lunaire.” Then it morphed into numerous kinds of wordless vocalises and different wonderful vocal results, all executed flawlessly, and normally with little vibrato. Her centered sound was nothing in need of astounding.
Because the eight songs of the cycle progressed, it obtained wilder, for lack of a greater phrase.
Chamayou would pluck the piano strings, and Hannigan would direct her numerous utterances in direction of the pianist. It created a soundscape in contrast to any I had skilled previously. It was positively mesmerizing. That mentioned, I don’t wish to give the impression that it’s all gimmicky and with out substance, as a result of it isn’t. She was devoted to the central core of that means of this work: a track cycle in reward of the 9 Finnish goddesses out of Sami Shamanism. It’s a chunk that entails conventional people track sensibilities in addition to numerous vocal gymnastics. It certain stretches the singing voice to extremes, and the fearless Hannigan managed it spectacularly.
It’s too sophisticated to enter on this assessment, however we viewers members benefited tremendously from the printed program which incorporates feedback from the singer and the composer on the raison d’etre of the work. That mentioned, the severely darkened theatre, coupled with the shortage of projected titles made it unattainable to know what was being sung. I perceive that the doubtless motive for the dim lighting was to reinforce viewers give attention to the efficiency, however because it’s an unfamiliar work, it actually ought to have been accompanied by projected translations.
Closing Ideas
Sitting there listening to Hannigan’s vocal highwire act, I recalled asking Mary Morrison 23 years in the past if the treacherous vocal calls for of latest music is harmful for the voice. Her response was an emphatic, “NO!” She mentioned that if one sings with a great method, it’s not an issue.
Hannigan is the most effective instance of the Morrison philosophy — after so a few years of singing new music, Hannigan’s tone stays pure and exquisite, with none blemish or extreme vibrato. If something, it has grown in quantity. In one of many later songs within the Zorn piece, I had ringing in my ears from a fortissimo excessive observe. Kudos to the viewers for being extremely properly behaved and attentive — I didn’t hear a single cough the entire night, and you may hear a pin drop.
All in all, a rare recital given by one in all Canada’s greatest. If you happen to missed the recital, do take heed to the Zorn work right here.
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Joseph So is Professor Emeritus at Trent College and Affiliate Editor of Opera Canada.He’s additionally a long-time contributor to La Scena Musicale and Opera (London, UK). His curiosity in music journalism focuses on voice, opera in addition to symphonic and piano repertoires. He seems recurrently as a panel member of the Large COC Podcast.He has co-edited a guide, Opera in a Multicultural World: Coloniality, Tradition, Efficiency, printed by Routledge (Taylor & Francis Group).
