Phillips has a captivating, creamy, clear lyric voice. She is currently singinga leading role in Donizetti's L'elisird'amore at Lyric Opera of Chicago. A highlight was Schubert's Der Hirt auf dem Felsen (Shepherd on theRock) with Todd Levy on clarinet and Jeffrey Peterson on piano. This wasthe best performance I've encountered in 30 years of hearing this standardchamber work. Levy and Phillips gracefully and playfully passing phrases to oneanother was high pleasure. Earlier in the program Phillips' tender, gleamingvocal tone was heard in an arrangement of a song by Jules Massenet, “AmoursBenis.” Originally for voice, piano and cello, this new arrangement featured GregoryFlint on horn (a transcription of the cello part).
It was not until this season that I discovered the rich talents of RenéIzquierdo, who accompanied Phillips in four songs transcribed for voice andguitar. The most successful was the sensual lyricism of Bellini's “Ma rendi purcontento.” Dowland's “Come again, sweet love” and Martini's “Plaisir d'amour”were lovely, even if the keys seemed a little low for this soprano. Mozart's“Komm, liebe Zither” had great charm.
I had never before heard Judit Jaimes perform with her daughter, Elena Abend.Schubert's Fantasie in F minor is one of the few masterpieces for four-handpiano. The two pianists seemed to speak with one voice in this grand statementof melancholy, playing with refined touch and elegant restraint.
The new violist of the Fine Arts Quartet, Nicolò Eugelmi, joined Levy andJaimes in Schumann's Märchenerzählungen(Fairy Tales). Phrasing was paramount, which would not surprise anyonefamiliar with performances by Jaimes and Levy. Eugelmi phrased just asbeautifully but played with a light tone, sometimes a little pale in responseto the statements handed to him by the other two musicians. The soulful violaand clarinet duet writing of the third movement best captured the romantic spiritof the evening.
Chamber Music Beautifully Phrased
Classical Review
