Frederica Von Stade: Song Recital Edinburgh 1976

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Music reviews of Frederica Von Stade: Song Recital Edinburgh 1976

Music Review: Recitals should always be as thoughtful as this one
Rating: 4 Stars

The Ives set, with its contrasts in color and mood, could be a microcosm for the entire recital. "Memories," with its two contrasting parts, seems to be the audience favorite, judging from the laughter and spontaneous applause. And "Tom Sails Away" quietly quotes a familiar George M. Cohan song with gentle poignancy. The Mahler set is gorgeously done, as well as a colorful Poulenc group. And Benjamin Britten's haunting chord changes put a set of British folk songs in a fresh new context.

The two encores could not be more different: a sly rendition of the "Tipsy Song" from Offenbach's La Périchole, followed by Carol Hall's touching "Jenny Rebecca," which von Stade apparently learned after she heard it sung by Barbra Streisand.

Two small quibbles that keep this from being a five-star recommendation: the piano sound is a bit metallic, in the way that some live recordings can be. This should not deter anyone from purchasing the disc, and is no reflection whatsoever on Martin Isepp, whose outstanding playing and instincts are crucial to this recital's success. Also, the booklet notes are a bit sloppily edited. The track numbers begin with 1 through 7, then skip to 9 - i.e., track 9 should be no. 8, track 10 is no. 9, and so on. And the last paragraph just ends, with an incomplete sentence dangling in the air. But this is minor; just take a nice pen and make the changes in the booklet yourself.

An unusually varied recital by one of the most poised and intelligent singers of our time.

Classical CDs

• Music > Styles
• Folk
• Pop