San Francisco Classical Voice

She began with and old Italian standby, Gluck's “O del mio dolce ardor,” with the piano accompaniment joined by the strings. Her dark vocal tone allowed for little of the diction to come through, but there were rich colors in the sound. Next came a group of three Italian semi-classics that are close cousins of the Neapolitan canzona. (Focile used the score for these, as well as for various other light and popular offerings, suggesting they aren't necessarily staples of her repertoire.) Francesco Tosti's “L'ultima canzone” was meant for a man to sing to a sweetheart who is betrothed to someone else. Still, it was rendered artfully, with admirable flexibility and delicately spun shadings, despite a rather studious approach for this heart-on-the-sleeve fare. Respighi's “Nebbie” (Clouds) was sung with Verismo potency and energetic thrust, and Stanislas Gastaldon's “Musica proibita” was full-throated and appealing

Not surprisingly, some of Focile's most subtle work came in two French songs by Gabriel Fauré. “L'automne” was heartfelt and moving, and “Après un R've” had a brooding loveliness. Ravel's sultry gypsy-style vocalise entitled “Pièce en forme de Habanera” explored the singer's ample lower voice, and showcased her agility in neatly nuanced turns and trills. Ravel's simulated Spain was followed by three genuine Spanish songs by Fernando Obradors. In the spirited “El Vito,” pianist Surgenor showed firm command in the insistently hammering accompaniment. “Coplas de Curro Dulce” gave Focile a chance to dash off plenty of hot-blooded flamenco-style vocal flourishes, with a show-biz touch that would have done well in the encore section.

Focile included only two operatic numbers, both by Puccini. Liu's aria “Tu che di gel sei cinta” from Turandot was first-rate, exemplary in its unmannered yet stirring emotion. One can readily imagine how effective she must be in the role. By contrast Musetta's waltz-song from La Bohème seemed a bit labored and forced, suggesting that her onstage Musetta would be a fearsome spitfire indeed.

A set of four Gershwin songs, nicely underpinned by Michael Burr on double bass, mostly came across as stiff and overly precious, but in “My Man's Gone Now” from Porgy and Bess Focile unleashed a vocal force thoroughly committed and convincing in its power.

Next came operetta, in the form of the “Vilja” song from The Merry Widow (sung in the original German though curiously titled in Italian in the printed program). Focile seemed nicely at home in this schmaltzy Viennese vein, with stylish phrasing and only a smidgen of tension on the top notes.

In a creative programming move, she included three songs by the rarely heard Welsh-born composer Ivor Novello (1893-15951), famous for his World War I standard “Keep the Home Fires Burning” and creator of various West End musicals in the 1930's. With just the right dash of sentiment, she made these middle-brow, sugary parlor songs seem almost inspired, with top honors going to “Waltz of My Heart.”

Emboldened even further in her flirtation with slightly déclassé repertoire, Focile gamely tackled Rossini's glitzy showpiece “La Danza,” joined by the NCCO's strings to provide a corny if flashy finish. For a redeeming encore she turned again to Porgy and Bess for a creamy and delicious rendition of “Summertime.”

The only purely instrumental selection offered by the chamber orchestra was a rather rough and bass-heavy treatment of Mozart's Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, whose classic refinement seemed a bit out place in what was otherwise an evening laden with bonbons.