There’s a reason why some musical styles endure while others slide towards the periphery. A transfixing combination of emotive connectivity and supreme talent have enshrined opera and classical music throughout its existence and allowed it to permeate nearly every corner of the civilized world. The relevance of these musical genres and those who pursue them is as strong as ever, as evidenced by the San Francisco Opera’s Merola Series most recent offering. Last Thursday’s performance featured daring and thrilling new compositions including those by Anahita Abbasi, Grammy–nominated composer Clarice Assad, and Barbara Strozzi. Personally curated by SFO Artistic Director Carrie-Ann Matheson (whose album, Stranger: Works for Tenor by Nico Muhly, was nominated for the 2022, Grammy Award for Best Classical Solo Vocal Album) these songs notably featured the extraordinarily talented Mario Tsz-Chun To on guitar and theorbo. The chamber style setting of this music manifested a transcendent experience as the audience bore witness to greatness of present day which channeled influences of the ages. The lesson was obvious, great music and profound talent will always attract an appreciative audience.
The creative theatrical approach of the concert was evident early on in Anahita Abbasi’s “Ahou” which featured pan flute (Tod Brody), harp (Jieyun Wu), and guitar (Mario To). An unusual combination of instruments, “Ahou” featured whimsical interplay which led to the singer entering in the middle of the piece rather than at the beginning. Soprano Alexa Frankian’s haunting melody shrouded the entire presentation in mystery to establish a truly unique moment. Brazilian composer Clarice Assad’s “Enquanto a noite durar” shows the influence of his father, a noted guitarist and composer. A beautiful melody with numerous twists and turns, the presentation relied on voice and guitar alone to emote a powerful message. “L’Eraclito amoroso” by Barbara Strozzi leaned into a historical influence, utilizing the mastery of Mr. To on theorbo – a very distant relative of the classical guitar. The theorbo is a large, long-necked lute with an extended neck and additional bass strings, known as diapasons or “off-the-fingerboard” strings. Developed in the late 16th century during the Baroque period, it was primarily used to accompany vocal music and provide basso continuo. It is what is known as a historical plucked string instrument which is not widely used nowadays for modern repertoire. “L’Eraclito amoroso” is written with a descending bassline known as a ground bass or ostinato bass, which is perfect suited for the theorbo with its additional bass strings. Soprano Alexa Frankian has a powerful and moving voice which was complemented greatly by this powerful instrument.
His presence on so many of the musical compositions at the San Francisco Opera’s Merola Series is no surprise to those in the musical community as Mario To has gained immense respect with his astonishing skill. The alure of the challenges and opportunities in the U.S. is what enticed Mario to leave Hong Kong and immerse himself among the elite musicians in America. Though already established as a leading talent in the world of classical guitar, opportunities to perform on other instruments like the theorbo peak Mr. To’s interest. He remarks, “It is challenging for a classical guitarist to learn and be proficient on the theorbo because of its additional strings. The one that I played had fourteen strings instead of the six found on a classical guitar. Additionally, the length of a theorbo is more than twice that of a guitar. It requires a lot of awareness to play effortlessly on this instrument and there are only a handful of theorbo players available around the Bay Area. I studied theorbo for three years with the virtuosic historical plucked string expert Richard Savino. I have always been fascinated by this instrument. I was initially intrigued because of the looks of it. It simply looks majestic! Once I got to know the instrument, I began to greatly admire its versatility as a basso continuo instrument, which allows me to accompany singers and soloists with a large degree of freedom. It is also a test to my musical ability to create with my own harmony voicing on the spots, which is a challenging and exciting thing to do. The timber of the instrument is clear and resonating, which I fell in love with right away.”
Writer : Basil Thomson