San Francisco Classical Voice

She has a dusky, attractive voice; she is a true mezzo, showing intelligence, discipline and integrity as an artist. She presented an unusual, interesting, "serious" program, mostly appropriate to her: Schumann's Eichendorff Liederkreis Op. 39, Ravel's Chansons madécasses (the reason for the "mostly" qualifier), and Elgar's Sea Pictures.

McHardy's sincere artistry in service of the music (rather than the razzle-dazzle of some of her contemporaries) shone through the concert, even through the heavy-handed/footed, plodding, pedestrian, overwhelming accompaniment by John Parr. (Head of the music staff at San Francisco Opera, Parr has worked well with young artists; in the past, I found his accompaniment of Greta Feeney's Schwabacher Recital "exquisite," another, for Brad Alexander, a "true partnership," but those qualities were not to be found at this event.)

The Schumann cycle was a fine introduction to the singer, with McHardy's good German diction (a far cry from her mushy French in the Ravel) and attention to the text. Her phrasing was thoughtful, her projection consistently excellent. Occasionally, there was a near-wavering in the voice ("Mondnacht") and loss of focus in expression ("Auf einer Burg"), rushing through phrases ("In der Fremde"), but most of the cycle came through with quiet dignity and beauty.

Chansons madécasses (Songs of Madagascar) is not for a debut recital. In the event, McHardy could neither get on top of, nor sufficiently inside the music. "Aoua!" was the best; "Il est doux" seemed thrown away.

She came into her own again with Elgar, although — strangely — her diction in English seems less crisp and precise than it was in German. Also, in "Sea Slumber Song" particularly, at times the voice turned "inward," with a corresponding loss in projection. And yet, "In Haven" was to be treasured, a miniature jewel shining brightly, with a glorious sheen in the middle voice, no showing off, just singing the music. McHardy struggled bravely and even successfully with the muddled text of "The Swimmer." Somehow she made the listener believe that Adam Lindsay Gordon's " . . . now the stoutest ship were the frailest shallop in your hollow backs, on your high-arched manes . . . " contained both sense and emotional impact. (A shallop is a boat, although I don't know what it would do on a horse's back.)

Strauss' "Zueignung" was the single encore, well representative of the entire concert: Parr was banging away, McHardy sang beautifully and with restraint, almost — but not quite — moving the listener. However, she has the goods, and may yet deliver, especially when supported better.