Notable Notes --  February, 2005

By Truman C. Wang
February 28, 2005

	Feb 2  David Daniels, Countertenor; Martin Katz, Piano
PROGRAM: Lieder by Mozart, Faure; arias by Handel, Purcell; American folk songs; James Joyce song cycle by Theodore Morrison
David Daniels is probably unique among today's countertenors in his ability to project high emotions through his singing.  At last night's recital at UCLA, his beefy, dark-hued and sometimes gritty falsetto voice took a while to warm up to and eventually hit its stride in the dramatic arias from Handel's Ariodante and Rodelinda-- probably the finest pieces of singing of the evening.  Despite the limited range of colors inherent in the countertenor voice, Mr. Daniels was able to muster enough contrast in the A-B-A' sections through careful phrasing and accenting the lines to make believable Handel's suffering heroes.  In other works, he was less convincing.  The Mozart and Purcell song all require utter purity of line for which Mr. Daniels' rough-hued voice is ill-suited.  This recital has again re-affirmed my opinion that countertenors should stick to what they do best -- in church music and Baroque operas.

Truman C. Wang is editor-in-chief of Classical Voice, whose articles have appeared in the San Gabriel Valley Tribune, the Pasadena Star-News and other Southern California publications.

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