"Happy Valentine's Day" Stella Maris Trio Glenorchy Church Exmouth Wednesday 14 February 2018

Stella Maris Trio
Piano: Sam Baker  Soprano: Hannah Coleman
Mezzo Soprano: Iryna Ilnytska

Pianist & Compère:
Sam Baker

Following her sensational recital with Sam Baker at Glenorchy in January, Victoria Armillotta has returned to the Royal Northern College of Music to continue her studies. The Stella Maris Trio continue as before, however, with Victoria's place taken by another talented soprano Hannah Coleman.

On Wednesday 14 February, the trio - Sam, Hannah, and mezzo soprano Iryna Ilnytska - returned to Glenorchy for a lunchtime recital of romantic song, and piano pieces.

Sam introduced the trio, and his first solo piece, 'La Fille aux Cheveux de Lin' (The Girl with the Flaxen Hair) by Claude Debussy. The music, intended for harp, is gently flowing - like golden coils of hair, but also suggests a story of love and longing.

Sam's playing was certainly very loving, and created a very romantic mood to start a special concert for Valentine's Day.

Ellen's Aria from 'Peter Grimes':
Hannah Coleman

Hannah continued the imagery of luxury fabric with the character Ellen Orford's sad aria from Benjamin Brittens opera 'Peter Grimes'.

This tragic song describes Ellen's realisation that the orphan boy John, sold into apprenticeship to the over-ambitious and foolhardy Grimes, has probably died on a dangerous fishing  trip organised by his master.

The evidence, found on the cliff path, is a torn fishing smock which Ellen embroidered herself, out of love for the unfortunate boy.

As realisation dawns, Ellen's love turns to despair - while the audience and male characters become enraged at the inconsiderate actions of the irresponsible Grimes.

Sam's piano part was disjointed and disconcerting, reflecting the terrible uncertainty about the boy's fate. Hannah's singing perfectly evoked the desperate cries of the distraught Ellen carried away on the relentless wind after a terrible storm.

"Dopo L'Oscuro Nembo":
Iryna Ilnytska

Iryna's first aria was from Vincenzo Bellini's opera 'Adelson e Salvini'.

The two men compete for the affections of Nelly, who is somehow deceived into thinking she has been deceived. (This is opera, let's not forget.)

Nelly's aria returns to the theme of uncertain calm after a storm, 'Dopo l'Oscuro Nembo, il Ciel Sperai Sereno' (After the dark clouds, I had hoped for clear skies - and that I might enjoy the calm in my lover's arms).

Iryna had been touring Devon and Somerset only a few days before, singing moving arias by Tchaikovsky and Rimsky-Korsakov with the 'Duo Elegance' (A Celebration of Russian Heritage in Music).

Iryna was able to make the shift from intense Russian romanticism to Italian classical opera with ease, bringing equally convincing passion and feeling to both. A versatile and impressive performer.

Cristoph Willibald Gluck: 'Orfeo ed Euridice'
"Vieni Appaga il guo Consorte"
"No, piu cara a me la morte"
Orfeo: Iryna Ilnytska
Euridice: Hannah Coleman

Classical tragedy continued with a duet from the opera 'Orfeo ed Euridice' by Cristoph Willibald Gluck.

Iryna is Orfeo, who has ventured into the underworld to bring back his beloved Euridice (Hannah) from the dead. In a strange twist, his rescue attempt will fail if he so much as looks at her.

Euridice resists his entreaties to follow him back to the world of the living because of his apparent coldness and indifference.

  Orfeo -
(Iryna Ilnytska)

ed Euridice
(Hannah Coleman)

Tragically, Orfeo's plea, "Vieni Appaga il guo Consorte" (Come, follow your husband) elicits the extraordinary response from Euridice, "No, piu cara a me la morte" (No, I'd rather die!)

Reluctantly Orfeo relents and, knowing the consequences, trades all hope of saving Euridice for one last moment together.

A very loving scene by two masterful performers.

     Albéniz, Gounod, Elgar . . .
Piano: Sam Baker

Sam and Hannah then took our romantic journey to Catalonia, Paris and London. Sam played the 'Capricho Catalan' from the suite 'España' by Isaac Albéniz, and the 'Salut D'Amour' (Ode to Love) written by Sir Edward Elgar for his beloved Caroline Alice Roberts - either side of the most effusively romantic piece of the afternoon.

Hannah, as Juliette, sang the most famous aria from the opera 'Roméo et Juliette' by Charles Gounod, "Je veux vivre dans le rêve qui m'enivre. - Ce jour encor!" (I want to live in the dream that exhilarates me. I want this day again!) The feeling of excitement and delight that Hannah brought to the part made the audience feel just as Juliette did - that the joyful experience should never end!

However, a very different lover was about to take the stage. Just a few years after Gounod brought Roméo et Juliette to the Paris stage, Georges Bizet presented his most memorable character to Paris audiences . . .

Carmen! - Iryna Ilnytska

"L’amour est un oiseau rebelle
Que nul ne peut apprivoiser!"
Sam Baker & Iryna Ilnytska

Iryna's performance of Carmen's famous 'Habanera' is intoxicating, and not a little terrifying. "If you don't love me, I love you. But, if I love you - be careful!"

No male audience member is safe, as Iryna's Carmen stalks the aisles serenading each in turn with disconcerting intensity. Suffused with blushes, the victims look forward to Carmen's attention moving on to another hapless mark - when they can sit back and enjoy the someone else's hilarious squirming embarrassment.

Carmen is relentless, working the whole room. It is a testimony to Iryna's incredible ability as a character actor and her vocal talent that, regardless of her predatory peregrinations, every word of this spectacular aria was clearly audible to everyone in the audience.

Iryna has performed this marvellous piece many times, always with electrifying effect. Every performance is a joy to experience.

"Si je t’aime, prends garde à toi!"

Jacques Offenbach: Tales of Hoffmann

"Berceuse"

Soprano: Hannah Coleman

Mezzo Soprano: Iryna Ilnytska

To draw the concert to a gentle conclusion, Sam played "Abschied" (Farewell) from the Waldszenen by Robert Schumann, followed by the restful caress of Jacques Offenbach's 'Berceuse' from 'The Tales of Hoffmann' - "Belle Nuit, ô Nuit d'Amour".

This was a spectacular closing duet for Hannah and Iryna, gently throwing the lilting sound back and forth, as Sam provided a gentle and loving accompaniment on the piano.

Good night - with love.

"Belle Nuit, ô Nuit d'Amour"
Soprano: Hannah Coleman - Mezzo Soprano: Iryna Ilnytska

Una Gatta: Hannah Coleman

The audience were so delighted by all the love-songs they had heard that there was clearly plenty of demand for something more. Incredibly the trio had prepared something so intricate and skilled as an encore that it must have taken more preparation than any other part of the programme.

The 'Duetto Buffo di due Gatti'  by Lucas de Pearsall (often wrongly attributed to Gioachino Rossini) is always enormous fun - the entire dialogue between the two singers being in the forms of "Meeow!" exchanged in mock recitative.

For this concert Hannah and Iryna (Sam's 'kittens') created an entire mobile phone interaction, complete with picture messages and selfies - all acted out perfectly, demonstrating their wonderful stage skills, and each "Meeow!" delivered with such conviction it was possible to follow the crazy mock-conversation with ease.

'Duetti di due Gatti'
Hannah Coleman & Iryna Ilnytska

"Formaggio!"
Hannah Coleman & Iryna Ilnytska

What a special treat for a special day. Sam, Hannah and Iryna provided a loving helping of romantic musical delights for Valentine's Day and made a perfect spring morning that much brighter. Many thanks for all their work, and for the pleasure they bring.

Don't forget that the Stella Maris Trio are in concert again at the Teignmouth Classical Music Festival on Saturday 10 March, giving an afternoon concert in The Church of St Michael the Archangel at 2.30pm. (And the Classical Duo Elegance will be there sharing a bill with the Force Five Wind Quintet from 10am to 1pm in the morning.)

The essential ingredient
Piano: Sam Baker