Music Review: ‘Songs for Soprano’

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Posted: Tuesday, October 8, 2013 12:00 am ‘SONGS FOR SOPRANO’ BY GENE HARRIS Special correspondent

Music review Ever been to a chamber concert that Who: Paul Neubauer, viola; Anne-Marie began with a performer whistling “It’s a McDermott, piano; Susanna Phillips, Long Way to Tipperary”? Well, neither soprano had I until violist Paul Neubauer, pianist Where: University of Richmond Modlin Anne-Marie McDermott and soprano Center for the Arts Susanna Phillips strode onstage Sunday evening at the University of Richmond’s MOST POPULAR IN A&E Camp Concert Hall. Neubauer, with a smile, pursed his lips and launched into that popular World War I tune. It set the Richmond ranked as the 5th 'sweatiest tone perfectly for a lighthearted and charming, yet often dramatic, evening of city' in the U.S. world-class music making. Got bacon? Richmond Bacon Festival The program was titled “Songs for Soprano,” but it was really a performance that returns this weekend showcased the talents of all three of these fine musicians. Although they’re all highly acclaimed solo performers who’ve appeared on stages throughout the Top five weekend events: Bacon world, they’ve also performed this repertoire of salon-style songs together on Festival, Lucy Dacus, Family Fest & more numerous occasions — and it showed in their refined sense of ensemble and unity Miss USA calls her time at VSU 'the best of artistic vision. ... years of my life' ...... ADVERTISEMENT ...... They started with a set of well-known songs from the British Isles circa 1902- 1916. Through this set and throughout MUSIC EVENTS the evening, Phillips exhibited a strong yet flexible and warm lyric soprano, June 2016 Neubauer showed expressive and effortless obbligato playing, and SU MO TU WE TH FR SA McDermott demonstrated the ultimate 1 2 3 4 accompanist’s sensibility in controlling her dynamics, never overpowering the 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 others even with the lid of the Steinway grand fully open. 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

A particular high spot in the ﬁrst half was 19 20 21 22 23 24 25

McDermott’s and Neubauer’s rendition of 26 27 28 29 30 Robert Schumann’s “Märchenbilder” (“Pictures from a Fairy Land”) for piano Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival Noon and viola. Although ostensibly written to Chamber Music Series be performed by amateurs at home, this Tue, Jun 14, 12:00 pm EDT four-movement piece, sometimes First Presbyterian Church, Harrisonburg sonorously sad, sometimes frenetic and extroverted, is technically formidable. It Scotland's Inﬂuence on America's Music takes players of the caliber of McDermott Tue, Jun 14, 4:30 pm EDT and Neubauer to bring it oﬀ, which they Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg, did masterfully. Williamsburg

Phillips then rejoined the other two for a set of songs from Russia, three by Sergei Dirty River Boys w/ Radio Birds Live @ The Rachmaninoﬀ — the melancholy “Oh, Cease Thy Singing, Maiden Fair,” the short Broadberry gem “How Fair This Spot!” and the turbulent “Spring Waters” — and one by Anton Tue, Jun 14, 9:00 pm EDT Arensky, the sweet “Das Maiglöckchen” (“Lily of the Valley”). The Broadberry, Richmond

The second half began with the “Ave Maria” by J.S. Bach/Charles Gounod. Sticky Rice Karaoke Unfortunately, this was the weakest showing for Phillips, whose middle register Tue, Jun 14, 10:30 pm EDT tended to be a shade under the pitch in some passages. She can be forgiven, Sticky Rice, Richmond however, having sung the role of Fiordiligi in Mozart’s “Cosi fan tutte” at the Metropolitan Opera the night before. And she acquitted herself nicely in two other songs by Gounod, especially showing oﬀ her coloratura skills in “Sing, Smile and Slumber.” COMICS Get your daily dose of The evening highlight was “Widmung” (“Dedication”) for voice and piano by Robert funny in our comics section! Read Ziggy, For Schumann, coupled with Franz Liszt’s transcription of the same piece for solo Better or For Worse, Calvin and Hobbes, Opus, piano. Phillip’s passionate rendering of the text by Friederich Rückert was splendid, Doonesbury, Cathy and and McDermott had her own shining moment as her stunning virtuosity exploded 150+ more of your favorites. in the all-too-brief Liszt transcription.

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