Lynn Spurgat and Jason Wirth in Review
Lynn Spurgat, soprano; Jason Wirth, piano
Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY
November 15, 2022
The soprano Lynn Spurgat is a storyteller, and lest we forget that singing is essentially storytelling, she reminded us of that in the most charming and affecting way in her recent recital at Zankel Hall. Her collaborator, the gifted pianist Jason Wirth, created landscapes of color and dynamics to bring their interpretations to vivid life.
Perhaps this is not fair, but I feel that the program would have been near perfect if the opener, Mendelssohn’s concert aria Infelice, had been jettisoned in favor of something less weighty and imposing, something, in fact, more Mendelssohnian. The back story for this work is fascinating, but the aria itself is not distinguished enough to merit its inclusion. I give Ms. Spurgat credit for having the guts to start off firing on all cylinders. However, it was only after this that her true talents as a singer became apparent.
Francis Poulenc’s monologue for soprano and orchestra, La Dame de Monte Carlo, was written for Denise Duval, Poulenc’s muse in the final years of his life. By reputation, she was a superb singing actress. In her own rendering, Ms. Spurgat, alternately comic and tragic, gave a rich account of this very special work. Though she stopped once because of a memory slip, no one, least of all me, seemed to care. Her voice, now relaxed and expansive, had a beautiful spin to it in the upper register, and her low notes were expressive and secure. She has a big sound that can fill a room easily, without having to push. This was a witty, nuanced performance from both soprano and pianist.
It was a treat to hear the Brahms Zigeunerlieder again, in an impassioned, strongly rhythmic reading that built steadily from its first song to the last, an uninhibited outpouring of ardent love, with Ms. Spurgat’s voice off the leash and in full bloom.
I’ll take a moment here to mention the excellent program notes, which managed to provide both introductory information for the uninitiated and esoterica for the seasoned concertgoer. Speaking of esoterica, am I the only one who didn’t know that the celebrated writer Anais Nin was the daughter of the composer Joaquin Nin, the Cuban expatriate who was a contemporary of Granados and Albeniz? In a brilliant stroke of programming, Ms. Spurgat launched the second half of her recital with the Diez Villancicos de Noel, a cycle of Christmas carols from diverse regions of Spain. Each one was a gem, a microcosm of the rhythms and folk song traditions of those provinces, Mr. Wirth shone here in his voicing and sensitive pedaling, and the soprano held the audience in rapt attention with her melismatic, earthy singing of Jesus de Nazareth, the penultimate piece of this work.
The selection of Kurt Weill songs that brought this evening to a close confirmed for me his status as one of the great theater composers of the 20th century. Here was a perfect meeting of artist and songwriter. Ms. Spurgat is adept at conveying the quicksilver changes of mood and the pathos just below the surface of Weill’s creations. Actors like to say that comedy is harder than tragedy, but what is harder than both is the juxtaposition of the two, and Ms. Spurgat excels at this.
The enthusiastic audience demanded two encores, and Ms. Spurgat generously complied. Once again, I can’t stress enough the contributions of Jason Wirth, one of the finest collaborative pianists I have heard, and a rock-solid support and inspiration for Lynn Spurgat. Finally, compliments also to Laura Lutzke, the excellent violinist in the Mendelssohn concert aria.
Lynn Spurgat’s warm presence and talent for connecting with her audience made this evening a success. My admiration for Poulenc and Weill was renewed and I discovered Joaquin Nin, all through her committed performances of their compositions. Who could ask for anything more?
