Lovely Singing By Kerstin Meyer

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30259, 11 October 1963, Page 17

Lovely Singing By Kerstin Meyer

A recital given in the Civic Theatre last evening by the Swedish mezzo-soprano. Kerstin Meyer, was a revelation of lovely singing both in technique and in interpretation.

Miss Meyer, an operatic singer of international renown. has a voice whose power would be equal to any demand in this repertory. In this programme it was not necessary for her to call upon her full resources of power, but in everything she did there was always the feeling of tremendous reserves. Her voice production is based upon very powerful muscular security, directing the breath to a seemingly perfect line of vowels. There is no break in quality at any part of her wide range; everything comes right forward and is held unmistakeably on line. It would be hard to imagine a voice which more perfectly illustrates the balance between tension and relaxation, which is the foundakion of the art of singing. Because of her complete security she has a voice whose many warm timbres carries the listener right into the heart of the music. Allied to her purely vocal powers is an impeccable sense of musical style which gives her a mastery of the music of all periods and of differing national cultures; and she also obviously has, what is of even greater importance, the warm sympathy of the human heart which responds to the inner message of poets and composers. In the songs by Scarlatti and Pergolesi *vith which she began her programme we heard a voice which is a wonderful musical instrument in is vibrancy, range, and colour. Beautiful control of subtle changes of nuance, exquisite shaping of phrases at any part of the voice, and a compelling sense of rhythm were all united in these performances.

Miss Meyer then turned to Schumann’s song cycle, "A Woman’s Lite and Love." which demanded intense emotion. It was obvious from hte first few bars that her interpretation was gomg to be something quite wonderful, and so indeed it was. She chose the hardest way of all to express the happiness of a young girl deeply in love, for she preferred to convey that deep feeling

which glows from within rather than continually bursts forth into peals of joy. There were quite electrifying outpourings of joy, but throughout the first seven songs the prevailing mood was that of spiritual wonderment and personal fulfilment. The change to intense grief in the last song was heart -renaingly conveyed, without any straining for effect. The work ended so beautifully with the atmosphere created by Miss Meyer’s last notes, and it was continued so perfectly by Mr Maurice Till in the accompaniment, that it seemed that this was one of those rare moments when applause was quite out of place.

In three songs by Mahler, Miss Meyer produced lovely 'cello sounds in the first and bright control of the top of the voice in the second. There was serenity in both, and deep grief in the third. Three songs by Debussy showed stylistic understanding as well as revealing the great beauty of the tower part of Miss Meyer’s voice. The new atmosphere brought forth new techniques but showed the same mastery of putting the most delicate patina upon each interpretation.

The programme ended with seven Spanish songs by de Falla- There was magic again here in the fire, the tenderness, the swirling triumph, the pathos, and the smouldering and revengeful passton which Miss Meyer drew from this music. Her great powers as an operatic singer were shown in three encore items from “The Barber of Seville,” the “Habanera" from "Carmen," and "Voi che Sapete” from the “Marriage of Figaro.” It was refreshing to note that Miss Meyer did not make the prevalent mistake of trying to mix opera and Heder within the programme itself. Mr Till played the accompaniments with sensitive refinement and sympathy. He matched Miss Meyer’s every mood, every graceful and subtle phrase. He gave a highly artistic and refined performance, and it seemed that the singer appreciated it. —C.F.B.