Soprano Marielle Murphy and pianist Alden Gatt presented a significant and fascinating recital yesterday afternoon at All Saints’ Church in Carmel. Both Murphy & Gatt are recent graduates of the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, and are pursuing careers in New York City.
Murphy, originally from Carmel, where her early vocal training was with distinguished Monterey soprano and teacher Linda Purdy, has already gained a lot of professional experience in regional opera companies and in competitive auditions.
A great deal of thought went into the program we heard during the afternoon, for interspersed between important piano solos by Gatt, we heard Murphy in a wide range of arias and songs by Mozart, Liszt, Rachmaninoff, Gershwin and Richard Strauss. The most unusual repertoire items for most in the audience were the songs by Liszt and Rachmaninoff, and these were startling for their freshness and vitality. Also making quite an impact were Murphy’s opening aria, Ruhe sanft, mein holdes Leben, from Mozart’s unfinished two-act opera Zaide, and the aria from Ariadne auf Naxos, Groβmächtige Prinzessin, by Richard Strauss. But there were some popular hits as well as Murphy & Gatt presented two Gershwin favorites, “Someone to watch over me” and “Summertime,” plus, as an encore, the brilliant aria, Cara Nome, from Verdi’s Rigoletto.
Murphy has a big, powerful voice that was almost overwhelming in the confines of the brilliant acoustics of All Saints’ Church (capacity less than 300), although obviously her voice is eminently suitable for larger opera stages anywhere. Nevertheless, in these small, intimate surroundings she still managed to project a wide variety of emotion and expression.
Pianist Gatt revealed himself to be a charming, sensitive and vital pianist. In addition to his fine and expressive playing in his Mozart D Minor Fantasie, Liszt Sonetto del Petrarca 104, and Preludes by Rachmaninoff and Gershwin, his playing of the piano accompaniments in the Liszt and Rachmaninoff songs was impressive, for these piano parts are very difficult indeed.
Murphy, in opening remarks, greeted the audience and gave special thanks to All Saints’ Church and Carmel pianist Barbara Ruzicka who helped with the details of presenting this concert. Since Father Rick Matters became Rector of All Saints’ Episcopal Church in Carmel, he has been very supportive of anyone wishing to present concerts in the Church. Additionally, the purchase of the lovely Steinway concert grand a few years ago has made this church a primo venue for intimate concerts.
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