Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) presents Rachel Eve Holmes in Review
Rachel Eve Holmes, Soprano
Pedro Carreras, Tenor; Catherine Giel, Piano
Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY
February 12th, 2020
This was a delightful evening of music from opera and American musical theater with three splendid artists.
Rachel Eve Holmes has performed over thirty leading operatic and musical theater roles with many companies and orchestras all over the country. A few of the competitions she has won are the 2019 Utah Philharmonic Orchestra Concerto Competition, the 2018 Concert Artists International Virtuoso Competition, the 2016 Atlanta Musical Clubs Competition, the 2015 Schubert Club Competition, and the 2011 Weill Hall Carnegie Hall Young Musicians Concert Competition. Her voice radiates power and confidence.
Pedro Carreras, a native of Miami, is particularly active, professionally, in the Atlanta area. He performs in opera, classical and music theater genres, and is an Adjunct Professor of Voice at Reinhardt University in Waleska, Georgia. There is real lyricism and sensitivity in his singing. Pianist Catherine Giel was the ideal collaborative artist in this program. She was perfectly in step with the singers at all times in terms of ensemble and balance, and her playing always matched the character of what was being sung. She is Music Director of the Capitol City Opera, and has served as accompanist, stage manager and Outreach Coordinator to the Florida State Opera. She has also been a Staff Accompanist for the Metropolitan Opera National Council auditions.
Bizet’s “Parle-moi da mere” (from Carmen) started off the evening with great energy and some delightful duo singing. The blending of voices in Mascagni’s “Cherry Duet” (L’amico Fritz) was lovely, and the languid, slow responsive section quite beautiful. The comedy in the recitativo sections of Donizetti’s “Caro elisir…Esulti pur la barbara”( L’elisir d’amore) was wonderful. One enjoyed how the singers teased, and tormented each other virtuosically! Puccini’s very individual idiom has a particular harmonic sophistication and ethos. In “Bimba dagli occhi pieni di malia” (Madama Butterfly) there was tenderness, and also an extended section of high notes which Ms. Holmes sang with ease. Verdi’s “Parigi, o cara” (La Traviata)had a joyous beginning. Later, the slow section was strong but delicate, with perfect ensemble, Ms. Giel matching the character of the vocal lines in her chords. Puccini’s “O soave fanciulla” (La bohème) concluded the first half of the program with two famous arias, the singers then walking together offstage, from where their sustained high notes could still be heard!
The second half of the program consisted of songs from Jason Robert Brown’s musical The Bridges of Madison County. This work, so different from the operatic first half, showed off other strengths of the singers. The music itself is very alert, appealing, and engaging. Some of the songs featured just Ms. Holmes or Mr. Carreras. Others included both of them. “To Build A Home,” the first song, is a travelogue across America. I was immediately impressed by Ms. Holmes’ superb English diction.”Temporarily Lost” was nostalgic, with jazzy harmonies. “What Do You Call A Man Like That?” was troubled, turbulent and, questioning. “Wondering” was searching, with a wounded, emotional quality. “The World Inside a Frame” was passionate, and had a sudden and unexpected quiet end. “Falling Into You,” with both singers, had a dreamy nature. Ms. Holmes sang “Almost Real” operatically, with both delicacy and bitterness. There was tenderness and intimacy in “Before and After You.” There is a section which Mr. Carreras sang without piano accompaniment after which Ms. Holmes sang more dramatically with the piano. This led directly into the next song, “One Second and A Million Miles,” which included some elaborate right hand figurations for the piano. “It All Fades Away,” about remembering a love, was filled with longing and passion. “Always Better,” the concluding song, sounded warm and contented. “Love Is Always Better” was followed by reprises of some of what we heard earlier: “You and I Are Just One Second and a Million Miles” and part of the theme from the first song.
Only after the concert did I read the synopsis of this show (an adaptation of the Robert James Waller novel, which was also the source for the 1995 Clint Eastwood/Meryl Streep movie) and learned that it is the story about a married woman’s brief affair with a man whom she meets while her family is away. She decides not to continue the relationship, but never forgets it, holding a warm remembrance of it. Did I miss out on anything, having not known the story beforehand? Perhaps just a little. But that didn’t keep me from appreciating a fine evening of wonderful, emotional and sometimes virtuosic singing.
