After two years of capricious and arbitrary bans on live performances, that caused huge damage to the cultural lives of many countries, destroyed cultural institutions and hurt artists' careers, in the fall of 2022, we were finally able to organize and attend live theatrical performances with live classical music. I will not dwell on reasons for the lockdowns of whole societies and countries, for which the idea was imported from China along with the virus that purportedly caused these lockdowns (see book by Michael Sanger on this topic).
"Absence makes the heart grow fonder"... so after an extended period of relying on Zoom for substitute in-person meetings and on video recordings of theater and concerts, as well as films for cultural experiences, we could realize that the magic of live performance with live music is completely irreplaceable and any substitute is a failed simulacrum. As in "bad coin replaces good coin" law of monetary circulation first defined by Nicholas Copernicus, who also stopped the Sun and moved the Earth, in detailed observations that ushered in the heliocentric view of our cosmic neighborhood: the "bad coin" of recordings replaced the "good coin" of live performances.
My readers can guess here that I much prefer live classical music concerts to recordings. I must admit that I do rely on recordings during my long drives on California freeways; these are much better than listening to the radio, for I decide what I want to hear and how many times. I do get stuck on some Chopin etudes (as recently The Aeolian Harp, Op. 25 No. 1); I spent a good six months with a collection of Chopin nocturnes... and enjoyed my time with Anonymous Four' the Sacred Harp CD, Rachmaninoff's Second (not Third) Piano Concerto, Bulat Okudzava, Rachel & Vilray, and Dominika Swiatek singing poems by Zbigniew Herbert... not necessarily in that order... But if I want to completely focus on an artwork, a piece of music, I have to hear and see it live.
On March 18, 2023, in a midst of a very busy Polish events season in California, I attended a Recital by mezzosoprano Katarzyna Sadej accompanied by Wojciech Kocyan, extraordinary pianist, professor at Loyola Marymount University. I had previously organized a concert for Sadej for the Modjeska Club - a celebration of 100 years of Poland's regained independence through important songs marking each decade, event or era. The recital took place in a private mansion in Beverly Hills, with an audience of 100, and accompaniment of Basia Bochenek. The magical voice filled the salon to the brim, resonated in each heart. I called it then "the voice of the century" - so rich, flexible, sonorous, and so well used by musically endowed and beautiful singer.
If we lived in a different era, where the color of skin, eyes and hair did not decide who got the main roles in the big opera houses, and if we did not have the forced shutdown of all joy-bringing activities, such as going to the beach, or a concert due to some machinations of social engineers bringing in their nefarious plans for humanity under the guise of health care - SADEJ would be a household name in the classical music world, and her portraits would be on covers of all classical music magazines. With luscious, extra long blond hair, blue eyes, classic regularity of features, and perfect model's figure (her father was a judo trainer), Sadej looks like a Goddess of Music... But we live in the reality of this world, so we have to collect our gems of delight where we find them, not on the grand opera stages, but in college recital halls...
The recital of Kocyan and Sadej was a jewel of music-making, and a worthy addition to my collection of the best concerts ever. Hearing Messiaen's Turangalila in Avignon in 1987 was one such event; Xenakis's Persephassa for six percussionists surrounding the audience with mobile clouds of sounds, glissando, tremolo, a primordial force - heard in Warsaw, was another; Ivo Pogorelic's Chopin at the second stage of the Chopin Competition in Warsaw from which he was promptly kicked out, but only after the whole audience listened to his piano pianissimo with bated breath - was yet another moment of musical magic. At Loyola Marymount's Recital Hall I came for an unforgettable experience, due to the quality of music selected for the program and the incredibly beautiful renditions of these classic songs.
I came to hear Karol Szymanowski's Kurpie Songs, but there were only three on the program, selected from a set of 12 songs op. 58. These original arrangements of folk songs and dialect texts are among the most important compositions of Polish 20th century. Of course, these were sung well, with proper inflection and gusto. After all, both musicians are Polish. The Loyola Marymount University's website described them as follows: "Renowned Polish-Canadian-American mezzo-soprano Katarzyna Sadej's ... international, eclectic career spans concert, opera, film, chamber music, oratorio, recital and voice over. Her solo appearances include the National Arts Center Ottawa, L.A. Opera, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Carnegie Hall, and the National Theater in Taipei, to name a few. Sadej is joined at the piano by Dr. Wojciech Kocyan, world renowned pianist and Clinical Professor of Music at LMU. He is a laureate of several international piano competitions, including F. Busoni and Viotti, as well as a special prizes winner of the XI International Chopin Competition and the First Prize winner of the Paderewski Piano Competition." The concert was presented by the LMU Department of Music and the Paderewski Music Society where Prof. Kocyan serves as Artistic Director.
The recital started from six Gypsy Songs op. 55 (Cigánské melodie) by Antonin Dvorak, one of which was also used as an encore ("Songs My Mother Taught Me"), of delightful and flexible melody that you'd hum long ago after the concert. Indeed, this is the most famous of all these songs, and it was transcribed for various instruments to become a lovely salon piece. Sadej enriched this song with the intensity of her voice and sweetness of expression. It was such a treat to hear it twice!
Other songs from this set had more lively folksy rhythms, as appropriate to a set of poems by Czech poet Adolf Heyduk idealizing the nomadic life of the Gypsies. The songs were originally written for a male voice (tenor), but were entirely suitable for the mezzosoprano. The only issue I had to struggle with during this part of the program was to see Kocyan as an accompanyist instead of a soloist. He had to subdue his formidable technique and talent, in order to play simple arrangements and let the singer shine. I expressed that regret after the concert, saying that the recital should have included at least two solo pieces from the period to show off Kocyan's talent, but he dismissed my concerns, stating that it was a Vocal Recital!
The second part of the program started from the most famous set of Trois Chansons de Bilitis by Claude Debussy, to poems by Pierre Louÿs published in 1894 with a claim that they were ancient verse found in Greek ruins. In 1897, Debussy took three of these poems - The Flute of Pan, The Hair, and the Tomb of Naiades - and set them as a melancholy and expressive portrayal of deeply felt emotions. Sadej and Kocyan rose to the occasion in their interpretation of this often heard classic, creating an unforgettable musical gem. The resonance of Sadej voice permeated the recital hall, in an electrifying moment of musical magic. One has to revert to "purple prose" to describe moments such as this one.
The next two love songs were by 20th century composers, American Tom Cipullo and Roman Ryterband, a Polish Jewish musician who became a citizen of Switzerland and Canada before settling in Palm Springs, California. They were both pretty, but after a month, I cannot recall them at all. Nice, but not extraordinary! There is a reason these composers have not reached the levels of recognition of the grand masters. But minor masters are good to hear too... if only to let the masterpieces shine.
The recital concluded with three songs by another French composer, Henri Duparc, Chanson triste, I'invitation au voyage, La vie anterieure. I previously knew them only from a recording while studying music history - Jessye Norman sang Chanson triste with pianist Dalton Baldwin, with ethereal high notes. There are few more beautiful sounds in the world than those made by opera singer singing in a high register quietly, so the otherworldly voice spreads out and reaches, it seems, to the end of cosmos. Hard to experience this fully while listening to recordings. What a treat it was to hear this effect live, so beautifully rendered by Katarzyna Sadej! Her voice sounded richer, more saturated, more resonant than Norman's but then I listened to Norman only on recording, so I cannot tell. But definitely in the same class. . .
Sadej beautifully rendered I'invitation au voyage, with its effortless leaps from low to high register. For a weak singer such alternations of pitch are a disaster, bridged with heavy portamento, and marked by drastic change of timbre. But a fantastic singer like Sadej or Norman can make these alternations and melodic shifts sound natural and inspired - evoking deep, dramatic emotions in a large arc of melody supported by incessant arpeggios of the pianist. Bravo!
The collaboration of two master musicians was extraordinary as well, but it was to be expected. Next time, though I'd like to hear some more Debussy for solo piano by Kocyan... However, he is more and more interested in artistic collaborations, as he stated: "It was such a pleasure and an unforgettable experience to play with Katarzyna - that's why we are musicians, for those moments in life. On the other hand, I am more and more inclined to do mixed recitals, like the 19. c. kind: a few solo pieces, some arias, some songs , maybe some chamber music." So, if you are in the Los Angeles area, keep your eyes open for announcements of Kocyan's concerts!
Special thanks to EWELINEB® fashion studio for dressing the singer for the performance in an elegant black and white gown. The gown is from the special EWELINEB collection inspired by the film Memoirs of a Geisha and Madama Butterfly by Giacomo Puccini. The a black embroidered dress with a white lace cape was called by a reviewer "the pièce de résistance" of the entire collection, that "is exotic, yet subtle, elegant and sublime." I borrowed all photos for this post from Ms. Sadej's Facebook page, where she wrote: "Thank you to the amazing pianist Wojciech Kocyan for this wonderful musical collaboration! Juan Antonio Espino I am so grateful for your fabulous photography of our event, and to EWELINEB® - Thank you for making me feel fabulous in these gorgeous gowns since 2018!!"
More information about Katarzyna Sadej, whose "Earth Singing Project" is an inspiring adventure outside of the concert hall, into stunning natural landscapes, is found on her website: https://katarzynasadej.com/. Let's hope to hear her often and see her star in operas and recitals worldwide. And let's hope that the misguided social engineers and insane, power-hungry officials that shut down our concert halls for over two years and denied us access to life-affirming beauty and healing inspiration, will never get a chance of destroying our lives again.
