Tenor Brian Thorsett
by
Lyn Bronson
Pianist Charles Worth & Tenor Brian Thorsett
Tenor Brian Thorsett, winner
of last year’s Carmel Music Society Vocal Competition, returned to Sunset Center
last night and impressed us in a fine vocal recital assisted by the
distinguished pianist Charles Worth. Suffering from a cold at the time he won
the competition last year, it was obvious last night that Mr. Thorsett was in
fine voice on this occasion, and he impressed us not only with his vocal
mastery, but also with his excellent skill in programming.
Last night we heard Thorsett
in an aria from Rameau’s Pygmalion (navigating his way through a
melismatic minefield), as an Irish tenor in songs by Benjamin Britten, as an
operatic tenor in a recitative and aria by Mozart, as a German Lieder singer in
four songs by Hugo Wolf, as a master of French art songs by Poulenc, and as a
charmer in the three delightful songs by Paolo Tosti.
Thus, in addition to
mastery, we also observed an impressive versatility. There were times when
Thorsett projected a sweet high tessitura in the Irish Melodies by Britten, and
then there were times when we heard Thorsett in a much lower range, almost a
baritone, in the songs by Hugo Wolf. In the French art songs he achieved the
elegance and refinement we expect, plus lots of charm.
Thorsett exudes confidence,
as well he should, for he has accumulated an impressive track record of opera
and lieder recital engagements, which tends to suggest that everything he does,
he does extremely well. Performing for a
small but enthusiastic audience last night, Thorsett displayed an appealing
stage presence and fine dramatic skills.
There were some especially
impressive moments in Thorsett’s recital last night. Britten’s lovely setting of
“The Last Rose of Summer” made a powerful effect with its bittersweet nostalgic
mood, and Thorsett’s occasional use of falsetto capped off with a great climax
in a dramatic crescendo and a lovely fading away ending was truly impressive.
Also the dramatic intensity and variety of sound he achieved in the Hugo Wolf
songs — all done for musical reasons, and not for effect — was further evidence
of his mastery. The intensity he projected in Fauré’s
Fleur Jetée and in Wolf’s
Der Rattenfänger (The Rat Catcher)
was a knockout.
Much needs to be said about
the pianist Charles Worth, who consistently gave us artistic performances, not
only in his ensemble role, but also in Poulenc’s
Trois Mouvements Perpétuelles for
solo piano. It was instantly obvious that Mr. Worth is a pianist of a very high
order who plays so musically it is a joy to hear. Occasionally the piano part
was slightly too loud and in danger of obscuring the vocal line, but, for the
most part, this was a collaboration made in heaven, for a very fine pianist is
needed to do justice to the subtleties of the works we heard last night by
Britten, Wolf and Fauré.
The enthusiastic audience
gave Thorsett a standing ovation and was treated to one encore. One more would
have been welcome.
