Here’s the second of guest blogger Sam Sfirri’s posts.
Though the long walk in Charleston’s late spring heat on Wednesday afternoon was quite a sweaty drag, joining a near-packed St. Matthew’s Church filled with smiling faces and open ears made it worth Weill. For there we experienced a most enjoyable program of Kurt Weill’s smaller-scale vocal works.
To begin, soprano Tammy Hensrud – from the festival run of Weill’s Mahagonny – approached the piano with accompanist Michael Baitzer. She was greeted with anticipatory applause, as many in the audience had no doubt seen her in that production. But those of us who didn’t know her quickly discovered her charismatic voice and elegant gestures for ourselves. In her opening “Nanna’s Lied,” one couldn’t help but notice her flawless German accent. Then she showed off her confident French in Weill’s 1934 song, “Je ne t’aime pas.”
As the applause died down après-ca, she tagged out as young baritone Jonathan Michie entered. With his boyish looks and playful demeanor, you could hardly imagine the sheer power of his voice, let alone his impressive range. But he proved he had all this and more in Four Whitman Songs (in English). He also demonstrated the confidence needed to pull off such turbulent and emotional pieces as “Oh Captain! My Captain!” – and “Come up from the Fields, Father,” with its mother’s reaction to the death of her son.
Hensrud returned for another delight, “Surabaya Johnny” – and then we got a surprise visit from our Music-in-Time friend, accordionist Guy Klucevsek, in a gypsy-inspired piece called “Youkali.” The show ended with a wonderful serenade by the two vocal talents in tandem in a piece named “You’re Far Too Near Me” from The Firebrand of Florence, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin.
It was a wonderful end to a poignant and exciting recital of songs involving love and death. Much of its appeal was in the contrast between the two singers: one a seasoned veteran, and the other a fresh young talent (who was greeted afterward by his sister, parents and grandparents). With that said, this concert was no less relaxing and refreshing than a tall, late-afternoon glass of iced tea in Charleston’s near-summer heat.
