October 3, 2021
Candler Concert Series
Emerson Hall, Schwartz Center for Performing Arts, Atlanta, GA
Pretty Yende, soprano; Kamal Khan, piano.
BELLINI: “Vanne o rosa fortunata”
DONAZETTI: “La conocchia” / “L’amor funesto” / “O luce di quest’anima”
ROSSINI: “La promessa” / “Partir o ciel desio”
LISZT: Tre sonetti di Petraca
CHOPIN: Ballade No. 2 in F major, op. 38
BELLINI: “Oh, se una volta sola”/ “Ah! non credea mirarti” / “Ah! non giunge uman pensiero”
Amy Wilson | 5 OCT 2021
On Sunday afternoon South African soprano Pretty Yende and Indian-American pianist Kamal Khan performed at Emory University’s Schwartz Center for Performing Arts. The concert was over two hours long with four encores, and the first note was as beautiful as the last. Yende showed versatility in every piece she sang, and Khan brought his warm presence and musicality to the performance.
Yende makes even the most difficult passages look and sound easy to sing. Her singing and acting are selfless, serving the plot and the drama. One can follow her words and the drama without a translation due to her exceptional acting and expressive face.
Her ability to float super high notes at soft dynamics is particularly impressive. She boasts a wide range from E♭ bottom of the treble staff to E♭ above the staff, each equally beautiful. Her bottom register is full of richness and warmth; her high register is shimmery and brilliant. Yende shows such versatility of color and transitions between light, athletic passages, and a deeper, darker, powerful sound for the slower, dramatic parts depending on the composer’s style and drama.
The concert opened with Bellini’s “Vanne o rosa fortunata,” which showcased her musicality, phrasing, and warm, enveloping sound. Three Donizetti songs followed: “La conocchia” is about a woman spinning at her window who purposefully drops her thread in flirting. Listeners could hear the charming, flirtatious, fun quality in Yende’s voice. In stark contrast, “L’amor funesto” is about a woman rejected by her lover. Yende’s demeanor completely changed, as did the color of her voice to match the drama. The sadness in her voice was palpable. For “O luce di quest’anima” from Linda di Chamounix, the pacing to the climax was thrilling. Her soft high notes floated easily and beautifully; her dynamic control and range were admired and highlighted.
Rounding out the first half were Rossini’s “La promessa” from Les soirées musicales and “Partir o ciel desio” from Il viaggio a Reims, an opera written for the coronation of King Charles X of France. In the aria, a wealthy woman’s clothes are destroyed on a journey to the coronation, but her maid finds a surviving piece, and merry singing commences. The diction was beautiful, and the crying gestures in the slow first part were particularly memorable. The aria featured a quick ending section, with many runs and arpeggios. Yende sang this part with the athletic precision of an instrumentalist; her voice danced.
Opening the second half was Liszt’s “Pace non trovo,” “Benedetto sia ’l giorno,” and “I’ vidi in terra angelici costumi” from Tre sonetti di Petrarca, based on the composer’s travels to Italy and set to poems by Petrarch. These songs were full of tricky harmonies and key changes navigated by Yende, which showcased her versatility in color, dynamics, phrasing, and range.
Khan then played Chopin’s Ballade No. 2 in F major, op. 38, a beautiful solo piano work in arch form with a slow beginning and end and a quick, tumultuous middle section. Khan brought a warm tone to the piano and transitioned between styles beautifully. His technical prowess was on full display during the fast passages. In general, he plays with all the colors of the orchestra, especially in the opera scenes. His phrasing is wonderful, with tasteful ritardandi at the ends as is common in bel canto repertoire. When he is playing, it is as if he is one with the instrument, as if the piano’s voice is his own.
Bringing the program to its conclusion was Bellini’s “Oh, se una volta sola,” “Ah! non credea mirarti,” and “Ah! non giunge uman pensiero” from La Sonnambula. The soft passengers were delicate and featured a silky tone, and the expressive piano playing set up the drama well. Yende’s singing was virtuosic with impressive athleticism and a beautiful high E♭.
Yende and Khan performed four encores: “O mio babbino caro” from Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi, “Si. Mi chiamano Mimi” from Puccini’s La Bohème, “Art is calling for me” from Victor Herbert’s The Enchantress, and “Over the Rainbow” from The Wizard of Oz. “Art is calling me” showed a playful side of Yende’s personality. After two of the encores, she spoke briefly to the audience spreading goodwill.
The entire concert was beautiful and thrilling. Yende and Khan gave themselves to the music and the drama. Yende’s voice and acting are versatile and well suited to the music.
I look forward to following her career and future roles. ■
Amy Wilson is music director of the Atlanta Philharmonic Orchestra, artistic and executive director of the Southeast Stonewall Music Festival, and principal guest conductor of the Atlanta Musicians Orchestra.
RECENT POSTS
.png){kind=logo}