An encore from baritone William Sharp
The last Baltimore Symphony program showcased American music, including Aaron Copland's nostalgic "Old American Songs" with soloist William Sharp. I heard (and read) grumblings after the performance I attended about difficulty hearing the baritone in Meyerhoff Hall.
I heard grumblings after Renee Fleming sang there, too, one more reason why I chalk it up to the acoustics, not the vocalists. I don't think Meyerhoff is so great for solo violin, either, by the way. That said, I had no trouble getting the impact of Sharp's performance, even if a few words were swallowed up by the accompanying orchestral fabric.
I have always been impressed with his interpretive vibrancy, his ability to connect deeply with both words and music. I'd say his students at Peabody are damn lucky.
I thought a little encore from the baritone would be in order, especially for the benefit of anyone who didn't hear the BSO program -- or didn't hear him well enough at one of the performances. Here's a song by ...
Paul Bowles, an unjustly neglected composer, with a text by Tennessee Williams: "Heavenly Grass." This recording easily captures the many qualities that make Sharp such an admirable artist:
Comments
Absolutely exquisite. Thanks, Tim, for posting this.
So glad you liked it. That song was new to me, one of those thanks-to-YouTube discoveries. It grabbed me right away, especially, of course, being so fabulously sung. TIM
Posted by: Mleinda O'Neal | November 18, 2011 2:35 PM
One of my college roommates linked me to William Sharp's "Heavenly Grass" above. It is wonderful to hear his voice again. My roommate (Kathleen Vandekieft, at the time) and Bill were among students of Mari Taniguchi at Lawrence University. "Miss T" passed away last week. I was a French major, not a vocal student. Even so, I enjoyed participation in music studies with Lawrence Conservatory students, like Bill, Kathy and so many others. Now and then, too rarely, the airwaves bring their talents to inspire me anew. Thank you, Tim, for this one.
And thank you for the most welcome comments. TIM
Posted by: Alice Ralph | February 22, 2012 2:59 PM