Lynn Spurgat,soprano; Jason Wirth, piano
Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY
November 5, 2019
I can’t remember a concert that provided as much sheer fun as did the recital performed by Lynn Spurgat and Jason Wirth on November 5 in Zankel Hall. Ms. Spurgat loves nothing better than to have a good time and will spare no effort to assure that her listeners do too. No wonder she draws such large audiences! (See her review from last year in this publication-Lynn Spurgat in Review May 2, 2018) Along with the merriment was fine music-making and tonal beauty. Lynn Spurgat possesses a voice lined with velvet and a charming stage presence.
The program presented five sets of songs, each in a different language. We heard Italian, Russian, French, Spanish, and German. Four selections from Rossini’s Soirees Musicales began the program. Singers often like to begin a recital singing in Italian, as its vowel sounds are highly compatible with vocal production and get the voice into its “groove.” Probably due to nerves, a few of the pitches in the fast arpeggiated passages of the first song “La Pastorella dell’Alpi” were slightly off. Soon, however, Ms. Spurgat’s voice settled in. By the last song, “La Danza” the good times were rolling. This well-known song is a tarantella, whose words exhort people to dance. As the tempo accelerates it becomes increasingly excited. At the end are the words frinche, frinche, (faster, faster) and finally Mamma mia, si saltera (saltera means “will jump”). Ms. Spurgat milked it for all it was worth, raising her arms above her head at the end. The audience laughed and cheered. I hate to throw a wet blanket on such happiness, but I feel I must. After every song in the concert (with one exception – more about that later) the audience applauded. I understand this impulse, of course, but it really should be thwarted. We don’t pay money to listen to sound of clapping. The majority of concert-goers know to wait until the end of the set, but in this matter the minority wins out every time. Let’s start a movement to print the words “Please hold your applause until the end of each set of songs” in a prominent position on the program. Thomas Quasthoff used to make this request from the stage, to my delight.
The rest of the first half was devoted to six songs by Rachmaninoff. What a treat to hear these beautiful works. In this country conservatories make sure that singers are well versed in Italian, French, German, Latin, and sometimes Spanish. Even English diction must be studied. In addition a singer must acquire acting and presentation skills – movement and gesture. Most important, of course, are vocal and general musical skills. Performing the music of Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, and Prokofiev, et al. is no problem for instrumentalists, but for a singer it is a entirely different matter. There just isn’t time to do everything and learning Russian is no easy task. For this reason, the great Russian song repertoire is unjustly neglected by American singers. Her sumptuous voice sounded beautiful and her phrasing was just right for these passionate melodies.
I couldn’t wait for intermission to end to find out what new surprises lay in store. They weren’t long in coming. The audience gasped and applauded when Ms. Spurgat swept onto the stage in a different (and equally beautiful) gown, from the one she wore for the first half. This is common practice among divas, and I applaud it. The visual aspect of a concert is extremely important and having a new beauty upon which to rest the eyes is a joy. But this wasn’t all! Behind Ms. Spurgat came Mr. Wirth, looking dapper in a pink shirt and, as I recall, a vest and bow tie. Hurrah for sartorial equality! As they bowed together, the audience and performers shared a moment of happy laughter at this latest surprise.
Poulenc’s popular and frequently performed Banalités began the second half. Ms. Spurgat made the most of the rather broad Dada comedy of these pieces without crossing the line into over-acting. The fifth song of the set, “Sanglot,” (Sobs) is entirely different. It is full of genuine pathos and tragedy. The contrast with the silliness which precede it made it all the more heart-rending.
After the Poulenc we traveled to Argentina for Cinco Canciones Populares Argentinas by Ginastera. These songs, composed in the midst of political unrest in 1943, make wide use of folk elements and simple melodies, with dance, so often an element in the music of Latin America often stepping to the fore.
For the last set Ms. Spurgat and Mr. Wirth were joined by a chamber ensemble consisting of viola, flute (doubling on piccolo,) trumpet and percussion. Schoenberg’s Cabaret Songs were written in 1901, before his embrace of serialism. Unlike his later works, they are completely tonal and immediately accessible. They were arranged for this ensemble by Colin Britt. Mr. Wirth conducted from the piano. These songs gave Ms. Spurgat opportunities to make use of her well-managed chest voice. During “Bum, bum” of Langsamer Waltzer, she almost levitated. The audience began to applaud, but was shushed by a drum roll which segued into the last song. As soon as it ended, they sprang to their feet, clapping and whooping. I was the one lonely soul shouting the antiquated bravi.
I have spoken a great deal about Ms. Spurgat and now I must say some words about Jason Wirth. I have heard Mr. Wirth on several occasions and have always been highly impressed. He is a first-rate pianist, a musician of depth and knowledge, and a generous collaborator. A lively encore brought this entertaining evening to a happy close.
