Search - Manuel de Falla, Enrique Granados, Carlos Guastavino :: Isabel Bayrakdarian ~ Azulão

Fascinating Program Beautifully Performed

J Scott Morrison | Middlebury VT, USA | 11/20/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"There's been a lot of buzz lately about a young soprano just emerging up in Canada, a striking-looking young woman still in her twenties, winner of the Met Auditions, who has a burgeoning career in opera and recital. Her name is Isabel Bayrakdarian, member of an Armenian family who immigrated to Canada in 1989. She apparently had a nice untrained voice but didn't begin training professionally until 1993; meanwhile she had gotten a degree in biomedical engineering. But only four years later she won the Met Auditions and a couple of years later recorded a CD of seemingly esoteric Armenian songs that became a runaway best-seller in Canada. She made her Metropolitan début in 2002 in the role of Catherine in William Bolcom's 'A View from the Bridge.' This CD is a recording of a program that had been presented on CBC Radio and featuring pianist James Parker, himself a virtuoso with a solo career, and ten Toronto cellists led by cello soloist and Canadian Symphony principal, Bryan Epperson. And all of it in music by Hispanic composers. First, the program is well-constructed, alternating vocal/piano music with vocal/cello ensemble music, with cello ensemble music. Timbres are changed often enough that one's ear does not tire. Second, every bit of the program is superbly performed. Pride of place must be given to Miss Bayrakdarian, whose voice is crystalline and yet imbued with a womanly sensuality that well serves the alternately sultry and kittenish Spanish music present here. She sings Granados's delicious 'Four Tonadillas' with the kind of charm that I thought only a native Spaniard could bring to it. She negotiates the agréments and their subtle alterations of intonation so typical of Spanish singing with complete mastery. Late in the program she performs, with the cello ensemble, the ever-popular Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5 as well as I've ever heard it. She also inhabits the sung version of Granados's 'La Maja y el Ruiseñor' ('The Maiden and the Nightingale') arranged for the opera he made from his piano suite 'Goyescas.'The cello group plays Pablo Casals's arrangement of the Catalan Christmas carol, 'El Cant dels Ocells' ('The Song of the Birds'). And they lend a hand in Joaquin Rodrigo's 'Cuatro madrigales amatorios' ('Four Love Madrigals'), with cello ensemble accompaniment arranged (as in others here recorded) by Peter Tiefenbach. I particularly liked the interplay of teasing soprano and sporty cellos in 'Vos me matásteis' ('I die for love of you'), the second of this set, which is then followed by a bang-up performance of the familiar, catchy 'De los álamos vengo, madre' ('I've been down by the poplars, mother'). Fernando Obradors wrote wonderful songs that occasionally get sung by non-Spanish singers--I remember once being entranced by Elly Ameling singing the set recorded here by Bayrakdarian with superb assistance from pianist Parker, 'Canciones clásicas españolas' ('Classic Spanish Songs'). And I must say that at times I hear a hint of Ameling in Bayrakdarian's voice, something I call 'a smile in the voice.' This set is followed by an expert arrangmement, this time by Claude Kenneson, of Manuel de Falla's 'Suite populaire espagnole' that employs the cello ensemble (with some melting solo work by Epperson, their leader) playing three all-instrumental pieces and then accompanying Bayrakdarian in three of the six songs.The CD is rounded out by Xavier Montsalatge's Lullaby from 'Cinco canciones negras,' the aforementioned Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5, and then the song that gives this album its title, Jayme Ovalle's 'Azulão' ('Bluebird'). The latter uses all the forces available here--soprano, pianist, cellists--in a haunting lament: 'Go bluebird, bluebird, companion of mine, go! Go see my faithless love.'I cannot praise this issue highly enough. Ms Bayradkarian's voice is world-class and she sings with great musicality and feeling. Her accompanists are flawless. The recorded sound is quite good. The unattributed notes are very helpful. There are full translations of all the sung texts.TT=76:14Scott Morrison"

Isabel's voice is enchanting!

Carmela Altieri | Williston Park, NY United States | 10/11/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I had never heard of Isabel Bayrakdarian before. I was looking for a copy of Obradors' "Chiquitita la Novia" and happened to come upon this cd. Am I glad I bought it, in fact, I'm wearing it out. Her voice is like a bright

sunlight. Her interpretations are exquisite. My favorite on the recording is Granados' "La Maja y el Ruisenor".

Brava Isabel!"

A real diamond!

Concert Pianist | Canada | 04/13/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I heard this voice first time on CBC Radio - from a concert in Toronto. It was magical! Soon after, I had a chance to listen to her in recital and this was an EVENT! Over two thousand people in the concert hall were holding their breath for two hours and it seemed that the hall itself became small and cozy. It was indeed a contact soul to soul.

Isabel has a rare talent that combines beautiful tone, clarity and unbelievable fluidity of her voice, intelligent thinking, good sensitive heart and generous nature. You believe every intonation, every nuance. She is always authentic, always noble and her expressivity is never forced, emotions are never overacted.

This CD captures well her magic voice. And God, she is amazing in pianissimos! That's why to me, the Lullaby by Xavier Montsalvatge with its softness and warmth is the highlight of this recording.



"