Von Stade Charms Us!
by
Lyn Bronson
Pianist Jake Heggie & Mezzo-Soprano Frederica von Stade
Yesterday afternoon I was reminded of what Lincoln Steffens
said in 1931, “I have seen the future, and it works.” Of course, he was
referring to the great Socialist experiment in the Soviet Union fourteen years
after the Revolution of 1917 (and we all know how
that turned out). What we were
witnessing yesterday, however, was the Carmel Music Society’s 2007-2008 opening
event, mezzo soprano Frederica von Stade appearing in recital with pianist Jake
Heggie. This was a “crossover” concert of a decidedly light and popular nature,
rather than a more conventional and serious vocal program containing Lieder and
art songs, with a few arias thrown in.
Would Ms. Von Stade’s present program been likely to take
place on the stage of Carnegie Hall in 1957? Most probably not, for fifty years
ago the audience for vocal recitals was dominated by an elitist group of vocal
and opera buffs. Additionally, fifty years ago we witnessed the emergence of a
new reverence for Urtext editions and
an increasing awareness of historically informed performance. Such a program as
we heard Sunday afternoon would have been deemed more appropriate in an informal
venue, perhaps as a benefit for some worthy cause before an audience of
potential donors. However, in recent years we have begun to accept this type of
lighter programming as predicting the future of classical music, since it
represents a possible solution to the problem of shrinking audiences by
broadening music’s appeal to a larger and younger audience. By any standard the
present concert was a great success, and members of the audience cheered
enthusiastically with a rousing standing ovation at the end of the concert.
This program was divided into four sections: Roses, Paris,
Religion, Children, Shady Ladies and a final Broadway section called “Moi,” with
each section containing brief songs on related themes. It was a clever
arrangement, and, as an additional bonus, the audience was provided with
translations for all foreign language texts. It is pleasing to report that the
house lights were deliberately left on so that we were actually able to read
them (this may sound like a no brainer, but we all have been in situations where
the hall was too dark to read translations of texts).
Incidentally, the printed texts were cleverly arranged by David Gordon so that
no page turns were needed in any song. Also there was included an admonition at
the bottom of several pages, “Please wait until the end of the song before
turning the page.” Without this warning, we could easily have been subjected to
the unwanted simultaneous sound of five hundred pages being swished over
prematurely. That was good thinking.
Although there were on the program a few very well known
songs, such as La Vie en Rose,
Schubert’s Heidenrőslein, Bizet’s
Habanera from Carmen and the three
Broadway selections, most of the rest of what we heard was less familiar. Songs
by Rorem, Copland, Poulenc, Bolcom, Virgil Thomson, Ginastera, Ravel and
Debussy were performed with an easy natural grace and a fine feeling for the
perfect marriage between text and voice. Ms. Von Stade’s performance was a
marvel of lovely phrasing, mastery of many styles and languages, plus very clear
diction and a beautiful stage presence.
Among the most interesting surprises on the program were
two songs from Les Jardins de Paris
by Marc Berthomieu, and perhaps the most profoundly moving song on the program,
“Don’t Say a Word” from the opera “Dead Man Walking” by Jake Heggie.
In “Don’t Say a Word,” the anguish of a mother saying a final goodbye to
her condemned son a few hours before his execution where the mother is smiling
through her tears, was so movingly rendered by Ms. Von Stade that it brought a
lump to the throat and tears to the eyes.
The Broadway selections included songs by Sondheim, Oscar
Hammerstein and Bernstein, and these were done with great flair. We were offered one
encore, a drinking song from Offenbach’s
La Perichole, in which Ms. Von Stade gave a humorous and charming impression
of a tipsy lady. It was a hoot!
Pianist Jake Heggie was a marvelous collaborator in this
recital and added so much to its success, and his presence as a composer also
made a powerful impression − one that we will never forget. So, this was a
charming afternoon with a great personality, Frederica von Stade, who delivered
way in excess of what we had even expected.
