Erin Morley Recital

* Notes *
Soprano Erin Morley (pictured, photograph by Dario Acosta) sang a garden-inspired recital Cal Performances this afternoon. Accompanied by pianist Malcolm Martineau, we heard a number of unusual pieces by famous composers.

Morley has a lucid toned soprano, she is very clear and precise without being boring. She began the performance with selections from Huit Chansons de Fleurs by Ricky Ian Gordon and then sang pieces by Bizet, Rachmaninoff, Rimsky-Korsakov, Saint-Saëns, and Debussy. I particularly liked her rendition of Rimsky-Korsakov's "The Rose Enslaves the Nightingale," her voice has such beautiful colors in it. Her "Le Rossignol et la rose" by Saint-Saëns was also lovely, she can sound quite bird-like.

The second half of the performance featured songs in German and English. It was good to hear Zemlinsky's "Vöglein Schwermut" and Berg's "Die Nachtigall." Near the end, Morley gave a beautiful version of the traditional Irish song "The Last Rose of Summer." I found it really telling that despite not knowing most of these songs, and not bothering to grab the program with printed lyrics and translations, I was very much engaged. Morley made every word count and I felt I understood her without effort.

* Tattling *
A cell phone rang in the middle of the first set of songs by Ricky Ian Gordon.