Yvonne Kenny, soprano
Simon Tedeschi, pianoforte
Ms Kenny has been singing at
the highest levels in the world’s opera houses for
decades. She has now wisely moved her repertoire to lieder and light
song, both of which she is still eminently capable. Yet there was no hint
that she was taking it easy as she pushed herself to the vocal limits, filling
the hall with glorious vocalism. Furthermore, she sang nothing that was
not ‘in the voice’. From serious high notes to an almost baritonal
chest register, she put meaning, energy and beauty into every phrase. Her
breath control was superior while her delicate pianissimi studied, effective
and accurate.
Mr Tedeschi has an
incomparable keyboard facility as well as being a sympathetic
accompanist. Ms Kenny said he was “the Rolls Royce of
accompanists”. One might be amused by
his youthful, casual and almost goofy stage presence, ill fitting tuxedo and
all. But nobody laughed when he started playing. One of Mr Tedeschi’s strengths was his terminal soft note, often taken
after a long but tasteful pause. It is easier to play the piano loudly
than otherwise.
Following an initial bracket
of Schubert lieder by Ms Kenny, expertly sung, we heard Mr Tedeschi in Schubert’s Impromptu Op. 90 No. 4 and Debussy ‘En Bateau’. The latter
were both taxing show-pieces for the keyboard, brilliantly executed.
Before interval there were
songs of Faure, Debussy and three by Hahn. British folk songs started the
second half, followed by three Gershwin preludes and ‘In Dahomey’ (‘Cakewalk Smasher’) piano variations
by Percy Grainger (1909). The latter has a dramatic keyboard ruckus in which
Mr Tedeschi might have damaged both his own fingers and the Bechstein grand
piano but for his dexterity (I was later informed that the piano was a Asian
model ‘re-branded’ as a Bechstein).
Some lovely ‘modern’ songs ended the
jam-packed concert (Gershwin, Kern and Ivor Novello). One encore was (I
think Irish): “Sing it yourself!”
I spoke to both the artists
briefly afterwards … they were generous
in mingling briefly with the crowds spilling out of the over-full church.
I hope these reflections are
of interest to readers … more about Don
Pasquale and La Traviata in due course on my blog. Also Carmen on the
harbour was an unexpected pleasure. The Sydney opera season ends on
Saturday 31st August and “rush” tickets have been aplenty, even with this short
season.
Written by Andrew Byrne ..
