Les  Six In Recital

BROOKLYN ART SONG SOCIETY

"Soprano Amy Owens and pianist Miori Sugiyama captured the songs' varying moods, ranging from whimsy to profound sorrow set to dance-like music, with elan. In addition to her chrystalline soprano, Owens is quite the actress. A gesture as quick and as fleeting as the tilt of her head, coupled with a grin, expressed to perfection the mock serious tale of a dancer who died while standing in her point shoes in “B-ateau.” 

Owens and Sugiyama returned for a brilliant account of Darius Milhaud’s Chansons de Ronsard….Brofman described Milhaud’s setting of the words of the great French Renaissance poet as being more extreme for the soprano voice than the Queen of the Night’s arias in Mozart’s The Magic Flute and indeed they are. This, however, is a vocal realm in which Owens reigns supreme. She dispatched ear drum-splitting notes in the stratosphere with ease, aplomb, and beauty. Her wit and theatricality were always on display, as was her ability to switch emotional and musical gears in a heartbeat."

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NEW YORK CLASSICAL REVIEW

"Soprano Amy Owens and pianist Miori Sugiyama opened the evening’s performances with Auric’s “Alphabet” with impressive gusto. Owens’ voice in song one, “A-lbum,” sounded light and buoyant. The particular phrase, “Ayez grand soin de cet album né du plus funeste délire,” “be very careful with this album born of disastrous delirium,” came across as uncontrived, which reassured listeners of Owens’ particular level of awareness towards this song cycle. 

Owens joyfully delivered wit with purpose. This being said, starting the evening of performances in this way was crucial. Les Six was an exclusive group of very accomplished artists. What came from each of them, however, especially during this time in history, greatly impacted a very broad interpretation of wit’s power in the creative period between the First and Second World Wars. The ability to still think for oneself, and create from this place of insatiable wit, was a cherished gift among most artists. This purpose remained at the forefront of works to come, especially from members of Les Six.

Song two, “B-ateau,” “A Boat,” was performed with precision and care, especially in Sugiyama’s piano playing. Song three, “D-omino,” “Dominoes,” felt like a blossoming moment where Owens’ voice fully came to life. The phrase, “Le domino, jeu des ménages,” “Dominoes, a household game,” sounded rich and colorful in her soprano. The remaining songs of the cycle, “F-ilet à papillons,” “M-allarmé,” “H-irondelle,” and “E-scarpin,” were also enjoyable and entertaining. Owens’ voice and Sugiyama’s piano were a special combination of energetic flair. 

Soprano Amy Owens and pianist Miori Sugiyama performed Milhaud’s “Chansons de Ronsard Op. 223” together in stride. The high A’s that Owens’ soprano was expected to repeat throughout this piece sounded easy, but only because of Owens’ very disciplined vocal technique. Her throat remained open and her larynx relaxed, as the notes would jump into her highest registers at the drop of a hat. Owens also showed excellent stage presence and this made Milhaud’s challenging melodies appear much lighter and brighter. In the pre-lecture before this series’ performances began, Brofman mentioned how the Queen of the Night would be jealous of all these high notes.

The most striking parts of this song cycle were revealed when reading the text, written by French poet Pierre de Ronsard, while listening. This gave a better understanding of how masterful Milhaud was at narrating emotions and landscapes of the imagination. This song cycle highlights his gift for illustrating, through his compositions, the dream-world of his own mind. This was definitely a highlight in the series to behold and the audience applauded enthusiastically because of it. Amy Owens sounded incredible!"

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OPERAWIRE