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RECITAL REVIEW
April 6, 2003
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By William Wellborn
It is not often that one can attend a vocal recital where every item on the program is equally captivating, every song is delivered with total conviction, and every note is sung with an alluring beauty of tone. When you combine these attributes with a superb musician and a beautiful woman who possesses a high degree of warmth and personal charm you get Susan Graham — and a first-rate evening of vocal art. The mezzo's recital Sunday night at Davies Hall was quite simply one of the best vocal concerts I have heard in a long time, and surely one of the highlights of this year's season.
Graham and her pianist, the ever-sensitive Malcolm Martineau, chose an especially well-balanced program of songs by Brahms, Debussy, Berg, and Poulenc, and rounded it off with music from the French operetta and 'comédies musicales' by Messager and Simons. It was a program tailored perfectly to display Graham's wide-ranging vocal and interpretive abilities. Beginning with the Brahms Gypsy Songs op. 103, the mezzo displayed deep musical feeling, richness of voice, and excellent diction. From the youthful ardor of the third song (“Hochgetürmte Rimaflut”) to the beguiling lyricism of the seventh song (“Kommt dir manchmal”), both singer and pianist captured the changing moods of the eight songs in a masterly fashion. One could have wished for a bit more solidity from the pianist at times, but his almost delicate playing complemented Graham's lyrical and refined approach to this music.
The Proses lyriques of Claude Debussy are not often encountered in the concert hall. They live in a rarified world and require true artistry to illuminate their subtleties. Both pianist and singer were more than equal to the demands of this music and delivered a performance that will remain in this listener's memory for some time. Martineau showed himself to be a superb colorist, coaxing lovely and ethereal sounds from the instrument. Graham's affinity for French song is well-established (if you haven't hear her disc of songs by Reynaldo Hahn I would urge you to do so), and the depth of her musicality in this repertoire provided the most satisfying Debussy singing I have encountered in years. Graham's exquisite attention to detail and nuance, along with her superb vocal technique allowed her to move from the most ravishing pianissimo to a full-throated ringing climax with ease and control. What a delight it is to hear a singer whose voice is so beautifully placed that she does not have to resort to vocal gimmicks in the name of expressivity. I hope Graham and Martineau have plans to record this cycle — I would be first in line to acquire a copy of this disc.
After intermission, singer and pianist offered another uncommon cycle: Alban Berg's Seven Early Songs. Those who know only the Berg of his operas Wozzeck and Lulu may have been surprised, for these youthful songs are lush and romantic in style. Graham's voice coped easily with the soprano tessitura and the third song, “Die Nachtigall” (Nightingale) must be singled out for its rapturous treatment. Also noteworthy was the final song, “Traumgekrönt” (Crowned in a dream). The song was crowned with a shimmering high G which floated off in the distance — truly a dream of a note and musical moment. In view of the overall excellence of the performance, it seems almost churlish to wish that Martineau might have on occasion provided stronger playing in what was otherwise an exemplary contribution. As Graham returned for the final French segment of the program, the mezzo donned a red boa, stepped into character as a French chanteuse, and proceeded to deliver the Poulenc Four Songs on Texts of Guillaume Apollinaire with delightful aplomb and abandon. Then there followed two snippets from operettas by André Messager. First was the charming "Vois-tu, je m'en veux" from Les p'tites Michu, along with the very funny "J'ai deux amants" (I have two lovers) from L'Amour masqué. Graham's delightful mugging and acting had the audiences laughing out loud, but at no point did she slip into vulgarity. She proved once again, that it is possible to do this repertoire with class and voice as the first consideration. A third selection, “C'est ça la vie, c'est ça l'amour” from the 'comédie musicale' Toi c'est moi by Moïses Simons brought down the house and much of the audience to its feet. The first encore was the lovely “À Chloris” of Hahn, which was sung with touching simplicity and the purest legato imaginable. Then came another beautifully delivered Debussy song, “Fantoches,” the second of the three songs from the cycle F'tes Galantes I. Graham's final encore was a delightful pastiche written especially for her by Ben Moore, in which she laments having to sing all those "trouser roles." With fleeting snippets of melodies from her famous roles such as Cheubino in The Marriage of Figaro and Octavian in Der Rosenkavalier, and even a wishful moment as Tosca (!), Graham kept the audience in stitches. As she bemoaned the fate of the lyric mezzo, the hilarity mounted until she finally exclaimed "with wonderful countertenors like David Daniels we might as well be cocker spaniels." It was a delightful ending to a delightful concert. If you missed this recital by Susan Graham, don't miss the next one; if it is anything like this one, it will be a special evening.
(Pianist William Wellborn performs and lectures in the United States and Europe, and from 1995-97 was host of the program "Piano Legacy" on San Francisco station KDFC. Wellborn is on the faculty of the San Francisco Conservatory, where he teaches courses in piano, piano history, and opera.)
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Susan Graham