Soprano Anja Strauss
by
Lyn Bronson
Anja Strauss & Daniel Lockert
Every once in awhile we enter a concert hall to hear a
musician previously unknown to us and come away enriched, uplifted and thrilled
by the experience. Friday evening’s concert at Sunset Center in Carmel presented
by the Mozart Society of California and featuring soprano Anja Strauss was such
an event. Assisting pianist during the evening was the ever masterful Daniel
Lockert whose participation was as solid as the Rock of Gibraltar.
Strauss exudes an appealing self confidence. As well she
should, for she performed during this concert with a convincing mastery in her
chosen repertoire and with the appealing charm of a natural and gifted artist.
During this concert we heard her in a broad range of styles, and she proved to
be equally comfortable in lieder, opera and Broadway.
In the group of five Mozart lieder which opened the
program, Strauss treated us a rich sampling of her vocal artistry, and included
in her group two songs I had never heard before. Although Der Frühling,
Das Veilchen and Abendempfindung, are familiar, she blew us away
with “When Luise burned the letters of her unfaithful lover” and Der Zauberer
(the Sorcerer). Strauss was impressive as she so deftly expressed
various states of emotion so naturally, and so convincingly.
In the Rodgrigo songs that followed, suddenly her voice
opened up, becoming operatic and dramatically more powerful. Her ability to
suddenly shift gears and go into overdrive in another style was something we
observed several times during this concert. In addition to her newly projected
dramatic power we also observed an intense intimacy in the second Rodrigo song,
“You have destroyed me,” and its lovely hushed close was one of the most
effective moments in the concert. The closing song, “From the poplars I come,
mother,” had the most Spanish flavor of this group and featured a marvelous
guitar strumming accompaniment in the piano that added to the charm of the song.
Teddy Abrams and Anja Strauss
Guest artist, 17-year-old clarinetist Teddy Abrams joined
the ensemble before intermission to participate in a splendid performance of
Schubert’s “The Shepherd on the Rock.” We were astonished to learn that Abrams
will be performing his graduate recital this coming weekend at the San Francisco
Conservatory, but in piano, rather than in clarinet. His skills were immediately
apparent as his initial entrance came sotto voce, pianissimo from
nowhere and then grew to a solid forte and then diminished once again in a
lovely demonstration of his instrumental control that we were to hear over and
over again in this performance. The lovely duet between Strauss and Abrams in
the closing section of this work was charming and captivating. Abrams is
obviously a musician to be watching out for in the future.
After intermission we heard six fine songs by Gabriel
Fauré, some more familiar than others, but all laced with charm and lovely vocal
style by Ms. Strauss. As always, Fleur jetée (Discarded flower) makes a
powerful effect, and on this occasion it was a tour de force for both artists.
Then came the most surprising repertoire of the evening as we heard four songs
by Erich Korngold, whom we sometimes tend to dismiss as a film score composer.
In this, I fear, we do him an injustice, for these songs whet the appetite to
hear more from his pen. The accompaniments in these songs are not particularly
pianistic or interesting in themselves (the exception being the final song,
“When birds do sing”), yet they are superbly well written in combination with
the vocal part. In any event, these songs were a charming vehicle for Strauss,
and the brilliant and satisfying conclusion of the final song, “When birds do
sing” was a knockout!
Strauss ended the program with six songs based on German
poetry by Edvard Grieg and charmed us with her warmth and grace. Lockert’s
participation was lovely in these songs. The peaceful calm of the second song,
“One day, my thought,” projected a lovely, intense serenity.
Strauss and Lockert received a warm ovation and rewarded us
with two encores, the Chimney Sweep by Verdi, a virtuoso romp in which Strauss
went over the top with an F over high C (we don’t hear this very often), and a
charming song by Gershwin that is at once a homage and having a little fun at the
expense of Johann Strauss.
Once again after the concert, the Mozart Society provided
us with a beautifully hosted reception where we had an opportunity to meet the
artists.
