San Francisco Opera Center and the Merola Opera Program presented the 34th season opener of the Schwabacher Debut Recitals in the Taube Atrium Theater last month. Mezzo-soprano Taylor Raven and bass-baritone Cody Quattlebaum were the impressive starters, and current SFOC Director of Musical Studies Mark Morash accompanied them at the piano. It was a relaxed and intimate late-afternoon Sunday recital that offered renewed hope for the future of the art song, and faith in the potential of young talent.
The Merola Program trains fresh operatic voices and follows through devotedly with plenty of opportunities for public performance. The experience yields remarkable results for the participants, and gives observers an exciting chance to spot promising new careers. The Schwabacher Debut Recitals are permanently endowed by the late James Schwabacher and sponsored by the Jack H. Lund Charitable Trust. Bay Area singer and teacher James Schwabacher was a co-founder of the Merola Opera Program. The recitals have introduced many important international artists to San Francisco audiences, including Deborah Voigt, Susan Graham, and late, lamented countertenor Brian Asawa.
Mezzo-soprano Taylor Raven from Fayetteville, NC, has already shown her impressive dramatic range and unique vocalism as a Merola participant. We recall her stunning turns as Mere Marie (Poulenc's Dialogues des Carmelites), Arsamene (Handel's Serse ) and Giovanna Seymour (Donizetti's Anna Bolena). Her distinctive sound has a strong core and pleasing edge, given personality with a resonant and tightly controlled vibrato.
Her best contributions to the recital, the Cinco canciones negros by Xavier Montsalvatge, showed her vocal allure to full advantage, and her Spanish pronunciation was delightfully idiomatic. She is no slouch in the French repertoire, either, and Debussy's Chansons de Bilitis also stood out, interesting to contrast with Anna Caterina Antonacci's recent rendition at the same venue. Raven added the lush Romantic and dramatic chromaticism of Erich Korngold's Unverganglichkeit (Eternity) to set the seal on her ambitious presentation.
Bass-baritone Cody Quattlebaum (Ellicott City, MD) exploded with macho nerve in "There's a Law" from Leonard Bernstein's Trouble in Tahiti during the Merola Grand Finale at the War Memorial Opera House in 2016. Literally letting his mane of long hair down and shaking it like a lion made quite an impression and a show-stopping moment.
More subdued for his Schwabacher Debut Recital, Quattlebaum still displayed reserves of restless energy. Tackling the enormously challenging Vier Lieder, op. 2 (Four Songs) of Alban Berg to open his appearance proved his confidence. A real test of a singer's pitch and control, the melancholy Berg Songs also demand a mature interpretive understanding. Quattlebaum aced the assignment, and the rich and glowing depth of his voice added necessary warmth.
Jacques Ibert's Chansons de Don Quichotte (Songs of Don Quixote ) was also notably effective. Quattlebaum added vocal characterization, though he hardly looks like a deranged old knight. It was yet another instance of the opportunities for exploration offered to participants in the series.
The engaging pair of artists united for the afternoon's final selection, Marc Blitzstein's charming Stay in My Arms . Finding "a peaceful, pretty spot where noise is not" is a timely concern for all of us, and it sums up the pleasures to be found in the recitals. An elevator ride up from the rush of Van Ness Avenue, the cozy ambience of the Taube Atrium offers a welcome retreat.
The second Debut Recital, featuring baritone Sol Jin, a winner of the 2016 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, and pianist Kirill Kuzmin, has passed, but mezzo-soprano Ren�e Rapier, 2017 Adler Fellow bass Anthony Reed, and pianist John Churchwell will appear on Sunday, April 9, in An American Pastiche, a sort of Rom-Com narrative created with songs by American composers. On April 30, pianist Warren Jones will be joined by 2017 Adler Fellows Amina Edris, Amitai Pati, and Andrew Manea for a romantic recital of songs and duets in Italian and French.