Christopher Reynolds‘ final pick of the week for August 14.
If there’s anything Jessye Norman is known for, it’s taking things slow. The breath control this woman has could probably supply power to a small village for a week. While sometimes it can be overbearing, at can also elevate trivial moments in music to something profound. Take this cabaret song by Poulenc – usually nothing more than a sweet fleeting moment in time, elevated to something mystical and profound. Jessye milks every phrase, scoops and swoops to no end, and takes every advantage of the French language’s sensuous qualities. This is something that if done by anyone else would be bizarre, but somehow in the hands of this artist is incredible.
Next week: Steven Blier is back with his behind the scenes blog from the NYFOS@North Fork residency.
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