TrulyGrace

Happy Couples--Joanne Sydney Lessner and Joshua Rosenblum

Tonight I spent an enjoyable evening listening to Joanne Lessner and Joshua Rosenblum perform the last concert in Rodef Shalom's 2005-2006 season. The concert was called Happy Couples. The happy couples referred not only to collaborations and performers, but also to the pairing of songs in couples.

There were songs and art songs from "all over the map," as the performers stated, with music including

Le Papillon et la Fleur (Faure) paired with
The Monk and his Cat (Barber), in which you can hear the cat's influence on the composition;

various poems set to music, including
a couple of poems by Emily Dickinson and D.H.Lawrence;

a march and scherzo by Prokofieff paired with
Always Prokofieff by Joshua Rosenblum, written while preparing for an all-Prokofieff concert;

and two musical versions ofWho is Sylvia? from Shakespeare's Two Gentleman of Verona, set to music by the composer of Hair and by Schubert.

The space was the Levy auditorium with its intimate seating. Josh and Joanne performed well together--they evoked the moods and emotions of each piece. Each of them individually emoted the text and music; but when both performed together, produced a powerhouse combination. Joanne Lessner's soprano voice was rich and full, ranging from a sotto voce to high notes which soared to the rafters. Josh Rosenblum's piano accompanying and his solo performance's phrasing were masterful. They performed an encore for the audience.

It was pleasant to sit with my neighbor, Anna G. and to meet Josh and Joanne's two children, as well as to see Josh's parents and his brother Charles again.

posted by Grace @ 4/17/2006 10:40:00 PM