The Carmel Music Society presented Susan Graham, mezzo-soprano on Sunday, November 29, at Sunset Center in Carmel. Ms. Graham presented 19th and 20th century French art songs accompanied by Malcolm Martineau. The recital began with a selection of 19th century art songs by Bizet, Franck, Fauré, Lalo, Gounod, and Saint-Saens. Ms. Graham very quickly established her artistry, beauty of tone, and masterful use of dynamic control throughout her range. Clearly this promised to be an extraordinary afternoon, one of beauty, artistic achievement, and a moment for the public to hear the true gifts of Ms. Graham’s musical phrasing, dramatic interpretation, and sheer beauty of her singing. Her technique was flawless, her musical and dramatic instincts were well coordinated, and her stage presence was lovely. Musical communication was further enhanced by the brilliance and sensitivity of Malcolm Martineau’s participation — each and every note had meaning and support for Ms. Graham’s musical vision. As the first set of songs unfolded, it was quickly apparent why these particular songs were selected. Ms. Graham responded to each composer’s intent and specific communication of melody with great subtlety and artistry. It would seem that these pieces were selected because Ms. Graham was able to interpret the uniqueness of each composer’s concept of a beautiful melodic line. Her dynamic control and interpretation was magnificent with each song.
The second set of songs began to challenge the traditional concepts of melody and harmony. Chabrier, Paladilhe, Debussy, Chausson, Bachelet and Duparc clearly experimented with the traditional concepts of melodic and dramatic line. Rhythm and text were also challenged by these composers and Ms. Graham used her innate artistry to express each composer’s concept of music of the twentieth century. Many of these songs had a tonal ambiguity which allowed Ms. Graham to find original dramatic and musical meaning. The composers of the third, fourth and fifth sections all expanded on the exploration of melody, harmony, text and rhythm. Fauré’s melodic Vocalise without words was in sharp contrast to Debussy’s use of whole tone scales and a text of sadness and reflection in his song Colloque Sentimental. Satie’s short song entitled, “The Hatter” was in contrast to Poulenc’s lengthy dramatic song La Dame de Monte-Carlo. Again, Ms. Graham responded to each composer, each melodic structure, and each rhythmic opportunity with sincere meaning and feeling.
I spoke with Mr. Martineau after the concert, and he confirmed my hunch that the music was selected to show the individuality of each French composer. It also seemed that Mr. Martineau selected these songs to showcase the marvelous musical and dramatic talents of Ms. Graham. I also spoke with Ms. Graham after her concert and I was impressed by her genuine manner and how graciously she accepted the audience’s compliments. It was easy to be inspired, moved and in awe of her abilities.
Kudos to the Carmel Music Society for presenting such a lovely concert. In addition, I would like to give special recognition to Mrs. Horace Wilson, who sponsored this event. Lastly, thank you to Ms. Susan Graham and Malcolm Martineau for coming to Carmel.
Robin McKee Williams, MA, CMVT, is an active musical director and mezzo-soprano soloist in the Monterey Peninsula and San Francisco areas. Her training includes the Royal Conservatory of Music, Stanford University, San Jose State University and the McClosky Institute of Boston. She is presently pursuing a DMA degree from Boston University.
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