Opera Stars Prove their Mettle on Arkell Stage

16 Aug Opera Stars Prove their Mettle on Arkell Stage

Four singers: Wendy Bryn Harmer, soprano; Tamara Mumford, mezzo-soprano; Russell Thomas, tenor; Mark Uhlemann, bass; and Ms. Levine gave us an evening of fine singing an incredible pianism. One extraordinary asset they did have was a superb pianist conjuring up the context usually provided by and large orchestra: a pianist who breaths and sang with them, who lives each role with the singer. Last year we had program notes that told of Caren Levine’s impressive associations in the top performance circles of our time. Here, her compositional gifts have been demonstrated each year in a solo early in the second half of the evening. She is so self-effacing in and after performance, I fear her remarkable skills and primary contribution to the evening success may not be fully appreciated. Shirley if anyone deserves a solo bow at the end, it was she. I felt fortunate to be there for such an evening.

Original Source: Manchester Journal | Date: August 26, 2005 | By: Joseph Schaaf