Evening star., 1953-10-19
News Of Music
By Alice Eversmon

The first Sunday afternoon
concert this season in ConStitu-
ton Hall brought the glamorous
Rise Stevens, rnezzo-soprano, Of
the Metropolitan Opera in a
song recital under the auspices
of the American University Con-
certs. Her fans were there, al
though not in the number to be
expected, TO welcome everything
she sang with enthusiasm. Miss
Stevens, now golden haired. pre-
sented an attractive picture in
a dark velvet gown lifted as she
walked to show the vivid red
petticoat beneath.
One could have wished that for
this appearance Miss Stevens
had chosen a program of more
novelty. With one or two excep-
tionS the songs were those prac-
ticed in every vocal studio and
present on many programs of
singers far less renowned than
the Metropolitan artist. Perhaps
the selection was intentional,
their appeal. as she sings them,
having already been tested.
Shows Fine Sensitivity.
In her Interpretation Miss
Stevens showed a fine SenSitivity
and a response to the sentiment
of the songs She has a nice le-
cato and a breath support that
permits OF long phrasing. The
dusky quality of her voice and
its changing timbres did not al
ways project the tones or the
effects as clearly as could be
desired, yet her musicianly ap-
proach was apparent constantly,
The most impressive of the
lieder for flnesse and feeling were
Hugo VOLTS 'Und whilst du
deinen Liebsten Sterben Sehen, !"
and "Verborgenheit." Strauss
"HeimKehr." and Schubert's
Gretchen am Spinnrade." Oc-
casionally the lack of tonal focus
in softer passages lost these ef-
fects for those back in the hall
and occasionally also. the high
tones failed by a fraction to
reach perfect pitch.
In fact, the recital showed
two qualities in Miss Stevens
voice. When she sang the Mon
occur s'ouvre a ia voix" from
Saint-SaenS' Samson ct Dalila, -
as encore and notably in the
group of songs in English which
closed the program. the tones
were placed well forward. the
quality becoming brighter and
more brilliant, and the enuncia-
ton in consequence. more
distinct. Dougherty'S "Loveliest
of Trees" "A Ballynure Ballad
in Hughes arrangement, the
folk song, THE Lonesome
Grove" and Bernstein's 1.-The
Indian" proved to be the most
spiritedly projected and the most
buoyant of the recital.
Two Arias Disappointing.
We would like to report a
tremendous thrill at Miss
Stevens presentation of the
Samson ct Dalila" aria. and
of the "Habanera" from Bizet's
Carmen" also sung as encore
but such was not the case. While
given in the accepted manner
neither aria had the senSuous
warmth and the exotic appeal fol
which they are famous. Miss
Stevens did better with the only
aria listed on the program
"Adieu, forets" from TSchaikow'
sky'S Jeanne dare" in making
it's sentiment communicative.
The recital could not be calle'
an exciting one although it hat
musical polish and interpretive
thought. A livelier note was in
jected by James Shomate in
group of piano solos that in
cluded Brahms "Capriccio in !
Minor" Debussy'S Clair de lune
and prelude in A Minor" t
which he added, as encore
Bach's "Jesu, Joy of Mans De
string" Throughout, he pro
vided excellently tempered &C
compartments for Miss Stevens