Review
[…] Heartbreak, farewell, loneliness, longing for death - this is the stuff great music dramas, poignant lamentations and immortal pop ballads are made of. The Lamento Project has all varieties of melancholy in its repertoire. With her clear, bright soprano, Dorota Szczepanska proves that dark emotional clouds can bring the greatest listening pleasure.[…]
[…] No cough. No scratching. Banished silence. The audience listens as if they don't want to miss any nuances. The balance of transparency and smooth conciseness is stirring. Here are three artists at work whose individual virtuosity meshes perfectly.[…]
[…] Dorota Szczepanska's clear soprano voice suits the role of passionate lovers and those disappointed by love perfectly. Without exaggerated theatrical vibrato, free from loud showmanship, it enchants with anuanced sound. She is assisted by the world-renowned mandolinist, lutenist and conductor Alon Sariel. His fingers dance over the archlute with sometimes breathtaking speed and precision. In contrast, Peter Schwebs manages to skilfully jump the strings: the jazz bassist, who commutes between New York and Hanover, grounds the lyrically light sound with pointed accents and smooth bass lines.[…]
[…] The concert ends in minutes of applause and cheers.[…]”
[…] There was a lot of Baroque music, late Renaissance, tango, Jewish music, contemporary Polish compositions, Mexican folk song, soundtracks, as well as songs by Sting and Adele. Does that even go together? Absolutely. The three musicians took the audience on a journey to the beautiful heart of melancholy.[…]
[…] From the original works of famous composers like Monteverdi, Händel, Purcell, Biber, and others, they crafted lively and diverse interpretations. Each performer demonstrated a superior mastery of their craft in their own way.[…]
[…] Peter Schwebs brought the "walking bass" to life in both its original form and with a jazzy twist, adding crucial sound elements with bowed ostinatos and plucked harmonics. Alon Sariel proved himself a solid virtuoso, dedicating his astounding skills solely to the artful musical performance. Dorota Szczepanska performed at the same high level, showcasing the many facets of her voice and enhancing her performance with precise and restrained gestures.[…]
[…] The phenomenal concert concluded with thunderous standing ovations and a hard-earned encore. […]
Dorota Szczepańska proved that she could find her place in various musical genres, employing a stylish Baroque manner but also effortlessly transitioning, with balanced register, to “less serious” music, becoming a jazz and pop vocalist. Sometimes, her improvisations also evoked associations with gospel music. The soprano showed not only different shades of lament; there was not just despair but also nostalgia, longing for a loved one, and motivation to fight. […]
The musicians accompanying her were organically integrated into her performance. Their instruments also sang in several presented instrumental fragments. It was like a battle between an angel and a demon for the soul of a lost vocalist. Alon Sariel improvised heavenly and fiercely on the lute, while Peter Schwebs ominously wielded the hellish sounds of his double bass. In my memory remains the extraordinary, original variation of Bach's "Air on the G String" or Robert de Visée's "Chaconne." […]
During the concert, there was a poignant silence in the hall; the audience listened intently to every gesture of the artists. The pieces were presented in blocks, with compositions naturally and unexpectedly transitioning from one to another, making it an evening of many musical surprises and deep reflection.
Szczepańska operates with a bright, light, and pure soprano and has a perfect grasp of the Baroque era. The performance of the famous "Lament of the Nymph" was stunning, earning her well-deserved thunderous applause for her masterful conveyance of the emotional depth of this wonderful music. […]
Szczepańska showcased her best and most coherent expression, temperament, and stage presence in Spanish-language pieces, especially in tango, where her vocal bravura combined with her classical Slavic beauty made a great impression. […]
A significant achievement of Szczepańska was inviting top-class musicians to collaborate on this project. Alon Sariel is simply a master – a virtuoso, creator of atmosphere and mood, an absolute musician. He plays with the convention, steps beyond it, and feels every type of music he plays; he caresses and torments his lute. He exudes humble confidence or confident humility, stemming from complete mastery of his instrument – he is united with it in service to the art, touching its ideal and conveying it to the awestruck audience. Peter Schwebs is an acclaimed jazz bassist, multiple award-winner, and performer in the best jazz clubs in the USA. Besides his excellent double bass playing, he brought a huge dose of warmth and genuine kindness to the stage. […]
The entire concert was a great success, rewarded with resounding applause.