KEITH CUTLER This contribution to Mundesley festival was the return visit of soprano Suzanne Collini and pianist Jennifer Partridge in a song recital on the subject of love.
KEITH CUTLER
This contribution to Mundesley festival was the return visit of soprano Suzanne Collini and pianist Jennifer Partridge in a song recital on the subject of love.
A recital is perhaps an understatement – as each performer interspersed the music with quotations ranging from Shakespeare and Yates to epigrams by Shaw, Wilde and Dorothy Parker.
Suzanne Collini's expressive voice was heard in far-reaching songs extending from perennial tunes by Cole Porter, Jerome Kern and Richard Rodgers to the cynicism of Auden-Britten's Tell Me The Truth about Love and the humour of Someone is Sending Me Flowers.
A Victorian group included Queen Victoria's diary entry on her first meeting with Prince Albert, the aria I dreamt I Dwelt from Balfe's The Bohemian Girl and Edward Lear's The Owl and the Pussycat. In a Mendelsson duet, the mezzo part was sung by Jennifer Partridge, who followed it later in the famous barcarolle from Offenbach's Tales of Hoffmann.
To her consistently sympathetic piano accompaniment, she added two solos – the first one was Arlequine by Cecilè Shaminade and Elgar's familiar Salut d'Amour.
A highlight was the nine-year-old Daisy Ashford's view on a proposal with each artist providing the dialogue.
This entertaining evening was characterised by immaculate diction, charm and wit.
t That Olde Devil Called Love was presented at the Coronation Hall.
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