CD Review 'Zing shtil/ yiddish songs'

It's no ordinary performance when a singer is able to surprise us with a collection of Yiddish songs. Soprano singer Lucette van den Berg proves that by using good taste, having a splendid voice and picking a choice orchestra a cd can be made that does, in fact, add something substantial to what is already there. It's a good thing that her repertoire deviates from the usual, and that she chose songs carrying a consistent atmosphere, songs that fit her voice perfectly. The subdued accompaniments are a testimony of her feeling and class. When you hear 'Du shaynst vi di zun' or the intense ' Mayn rue-plats' you will be convinced as well. It's a dream debut!

 

CD Review 'Zing shtil/ yiddish songs'

'The repertoire is of a very good level, especially when one considers that this is a debut...'

'The singer gives these songs a rendition full of respect for the texts, dreamy and skilful.'

'These five men ( musicians ) together draw up a background of marvelous eastern European sounds.This makes every song, not into an art song, but a precious jewel to listen to at one's leisure.'

'Therefore, this debut easily gets the better of many American products.

'The Netherlands now have another fine Yiddish singer at their disposal, one whom, we hope, will let us hear much more.'

Review theatreconcert 'Zing shtil/ yiddish songs'
Papenstraattheater, Zwolle 

'Voice and violin made an alliance wich gives you chicken-skin all over'

'Just by humming, Lucette brings the audience in ecstasy.'

'It must be wonderfull dreaming, when Lucette sings 'Shteyt in feld a beymele' at your bedside'

Program 'Friling'
Synagoge Zwolle 

The image of Yiddish songs in the mind of most music lovers is that of traditionals out of the past. This tradition exists indeed, and it is a very strong tradition. Most people don't know that this tradition is being continued today by those who write songs and thereby extend the repertoire.One of these people is the venerable Beyle Schaechter-Gottesman, Lucettes friend, mentor and teacher. Sunday evening's programme was entirely dedicated to a set of seventeen new songs written by this colourful lady. None of these had ever been performed in public or recorded before.
In keeping with tradition, the songs had been passed on by singing. This means that Lucette heard them sung by Beyle, sung them after her, then wrote them down and finally made sure of a fitting orchestration.Most of the songs show a decidedly wistful character: 'A sheyner tog in grin und blo'and my favourite 'Kranker foygl.'
In this sense it is a very demanding genre since the texts and music are so fragile, tender and intimate. Songs like a budding flower, like the colourful wings of a butterfly. They demand lots of empathy and one can only carry this off by living this small, fragile world with all of one's soul.
Lucette feels that her roots are in the fascinating world of sounds that is Yiddish music and she has, without doubt, the ability to carry away and enchant those who listen. Right from the first song, 'Friling', she put her audience under her musical spell. It's easy to imagine her singing the subtle lullaby of 'A klezmers viglid' to her little son at home. Moreover, her classical training has not been wasted on her and is used to best effect. Her technique, tuning and timing were impeccable. The main strength of her performance, however, was her heartfelt musical interpretation, the intense interaction with the audience and, in some cases, the frank, heart-warming (and sometimes heart-rending, for example in 'A falsher krants' and 'Di simfonye fun gas') aspects. In my opinion the orchestrations in minor scales, including a country song, a real tango (Di royte roys') and a merry tune ('A nay gezets in Nyu-york') were done with good taste and the right sense of tradition and style. The co-operation of the excellent guitarist Reinout Vrijhoef and the singer was above all praise, which is essential, an absolute condition in this kind of repertoire. I eagerly await the cd including these beautiful songs which is to be published. Possibly the sound can be extended using typical klezmer instruments like violin, clarinet and accordion. 

'Zing shtil', A recital of Yiddish songs

Odeon: Manegezaal, Zwolle 
 
'Far from diminishing any of her 'classical' performances I found what I heard last Thursday more astounding, fuller of life and emotion, and straighter from the heart than anything I had hear her sing before.'

'Every song became a personal statement, fragile, full of feeling, breathtaking.'

'...she picked five musician friends to accompany her that were exquisitely able to shape the now extravagant and festive, then again heart-rendingly tragic atmosphere of the music.'

Program with songs of Chopin, Viardot and Schuman
 
'She delivered a fine rendering of the deeply romantic Schumann pieces that are so full of 'Sehnsucht'. The cycle became a heart-rending story of melancholy and longing, with some examples of excellence to satisfy the connoisseur. A marvelous performance!'

'She performed the charming, but nearly unpronounceable Chopin pieces in grand style, like she has done nothing else for years.'

'The title of the encore, 'La soeur du rossignol' was, in my view, a fitting summary of Lucette's performance at this concert: The nightingale's sister...'

Program 'classical Late-Romantic songs
Zwolle, SMZ

'Only a few privileged people are able to express the love lyricism of the Romantic masters in view of its heavy and incisively serious overtones. Lucette van den Berg can do this like no other singer'

'She really believes in what she sings'.

'Moreover she has the kind of voice that's most suited to Works by Gustav Mahler and Richard Strauss. She has a great instinct for avoiding the technical snags in this repertoire..'

'The way Lucette presented it, it did not become hilarious, a risk that often crops up, but instead it all became fascinating and new'