Music Reviews : Anderson in Local Recital Debut in Pasadena

An air of petulance surrounded June Anderson’s entrance onto the stage at Ambassador Auditorium as the American soprano made her local recital debut Thursday night.

The reason became clear only after intermission: Anderson was suffering from some of the respiratory troubles that can besiege singers who visit Southern California. And she was not liking it one bit.

Apologizing for coughing during her group of Copland songs in the second half, Anderson acknowledged: “I’m having a hard time breathing tonight.”

Later, after more between-songs coughing and before her program-closing “Glitter and Be Gay,” she confided to her audience: “I feel like I should be singing ‘Traviata’ instead.”

Though the soprano may have been discomfited, that large and sympathetic audience seemed to have a grand time at this event. Anderson, who has been likened to Dame Joan Sutherland, whose operatic repertory she emulates, gave a Sutherlandesque solo recital--generous in spirit, admirable technically and just a bit distant emotionally--but without the crutch of a music stand.

The slender soprano from Boston took in stride any number of bel-canto hurdles in her demanding program, delivered enough solid high notes to satisfy even the morbidly curious, made gorgeous sounds--despite what seemed near-indisposition--and sang beautifully most of the time.

How consistent Anderson’s accomplished singing may be under the best of circumstances was not made clear. How reliable she is, as musician and technician, was.

With the sturdy but sensitive support of pianist Michael Fardink--who ought to have raised the Steinway lid a couple of inches for a clarity often missing on this occasion--the soprano sailed first through difficult and exposing items by Handel (“Piangero la sorte mia” and “Let the Bright Seraphim”) and Bellini (four songs from 1827) before making a successful, if not charming, assault on Rossini’s “Bel raggio lusinghier,” from “Semiramide.”

More personal, and more limpid in tone, was her singing of four Debussy songs from the early 1880s, “Pantomime,” “Clair de Lune,” “Pierrot” and “Apparition.” Three of Copland’s Old American Songs netted similar expressiveness.

Anderson closed the program proper with engaging performances of three Bernstein items: Dinah’s “Trouble in Tahiti” aria, “A Little Bit in Love” from “Wonderful Town” and the “Candide” excerpt--wherein her indisposition finally asserted itself.

Then, without stinting herself, Anderson delivered two arias as encores: Musetta’s Waltz from “La Boheme” and Juliet’s Waltz-Song from Gounod’s “Romeo et Juliette.”