Deborah Voigt (soprano) with Brian Zeger (piano) at Koerner Hall. Nov. 11
A highly anticipated event of the fall classical music season was the recital by American soprano Deborah Voigt at Koerner Hall, on November 11. A celebrated Brunnhilde, Sieglinde, Isolde, and Senta, Voigt bade farewell to her Wagnerian heroines a few seasons ago and has since transitioned to that of an author, adjudicator, teacher, as well as a recitalist of standard repertoire, not to mention her one-woman show, Voigt Lessons. Her tell-all autobiography, Call Me Debbie, came out in early 2015, and it created a lot of buzz. A paperback edition is due out this fall. She has been appointed as a full-time voice faculty member at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music this fall.
Her Canadian appearances over the years have been rare — I only recall one joint concert with tenor Ben Heppner in Ottawa about ten years ago. Her announced Marschallin in Der Rosenkavalier, a role debut to take place at the Vancouver Opera in 2005 didn’t happen. The closest Toronto audiences got to hear her in opera was on the Met Live in HD Ring Cycle a few seasons back. There was a real sense of anticipation before the concert on Thursday. Koerner Hall was lamentably only half full, perhaps given that both the Toronto Symphony and National Ballet were happening at the same time, not to mention other classical events.
She began with three songs by American composer Amy Beach (1867-1944), set to text by Robert Browning. Of the hundred-plus art songs Beach composed, mostly in Late-Romantic style, these three Browning songs are her most popular. To my ears, Voigt’s soprano sounded surprisingly light and lyrical in these pieces, with little of the dark-hued “body” to the middle voice that one usually encounters in a dramatic soprano. These three songs were sort of “warm-up pieces” for her, and she sang them nicely, a few minor intonation and pitch issues notwithstanding.
This was followed by two familiar Tchaikovsky songs, typical melancholic pieces, depressing if beautiful. It was here that Voigt ventured for the first time above the stave, like a high B in “Ya li v pole da ne travushka byla.” By now, she was warmed up, and the top rang out with confidence, albeit requiring a bit more effort and preparation than in the past. The four Strauss songs also brought out more of her personality, such as in ”Schlechtes Wetter,” which brought a few laughs from the audience. “Lob des Leidens” was a bit of a miscalculation, as it sits uncomfortably low for her and she had to struggle with the register break, starting with the first note. The first half ended with the beloved “Zueignung” which went much better, and brought her the first genuine ovation. The first half lasted just under 30 minutes, short as recitals go.
The second half was all American songs — Ben Moore, William Bolcom, and Leonard Bernstein. These are a cross between “true” art songs and cabaret numbers. If Voigt seemed restrained in the first half, she came to life in the second, more relaxed and more involved with the material. Having read her autobiography, one can’t help but feel these songs, mostly about life, love and love lost, likely hold special meaning for her. It’s in these pieces that one gets a real glimpse into Deborah Voigt, the Artist and the Woman. She sang all of them affectingly, poignantly. One senses that beneath the regal and rather imposing exterior is a vulnerable woman who has had her ups and downs. If her interpretations of these songs appeal to you, you’ll do well to catch her in her one-woman show, Voigt Lessons.
Technically speaking, the Voigt instrument isn’t what it used to be, even a few short years ago. If truth be told, who can turn back the clock? She has been in front of the public for thirty years, singing a heavy and punishing repertoire. We go to hear her for other reasons. Her disarming stage persona as much as her artistry. She threw herself into the material, never mind if it wasn’t note-perfect. The audience loved her. Her heartfelt delivery of “Somewhere” from West Side Story, the last song on the program, brought huge ovations. She sang two encores — “I Love A Piano” which Barbara Cook used to sing so wonderfully. Voigt did Cook one better, by accompanying herself – together with her ever-supportive pianist Brian Zeger – on the piano! It brought the house down. It was followed by “Can’t Help Loving That Man” from Showboat, wringing every drop of emotion from this old standard. The audience went home happy.
#LUDWIGVAN
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