The Rosenblatt Recital Series: Nicole Cabell (soprano), Simon Lepper (piano) and Gemma Rosefield (cello). St John’s, Smith Square. London. 21.02.07 (ED)

Mozart Quando avran mai fine... Padre, germani, addio Idomeneo
Puccini Quando me'n vo La Bohème; Ch'il bel sogno di Doretta La Rondine
Liszt Es muss ein wunderbares sein; Die Lorelei; Enfant, si j'étais roi
Gounod Je veux vivre Roméo et Juliette
Bernstein Dream with me (with Gemma Rosefield cello);
Jupiter has seven moons; I hate music; I'm a person too I hate music
Moore Darkling I listen
Bolcom Amor
Weill What good would the moon be? Street Scene
Forrest/Wright And this is my beloved Kismet

 

This recital by Nicole Cabell, the 2005 Winner of the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition, might reasonably have been expected to draw attention to the musical assets that secured Cabell the coveted trophy nearly two years ago. The intervening period has seen her take part in auspicious debuts at the Proms, the Royal Opera and several other international venues. Absolute success was not, however, totally within her grasp on this occasion.

 

Having an image and reputation that seeks to spread the notion of Cabell as a diva in the making, one might have thought that she would have the sultry and seductive method of delivery sewn up by now. With an orchestra perhaps she has – her newly released Decca CD should reveal that – but in recital, where the voice is more exposed against a piano accompaniment, Cabell faced a few obstacles. 

 

Her Mozart opener suffered from shortness of breath and inconsistent passagework in the voice, perhaps a sign that either she had not fully warmed up in preparation or that the hall’s acoustic, never wholly flattering to singers, left her ill at ease. Quando me'n vo displayed a sameness of tonal delivery, needing more variety to really bring it off. At least with Ch'il bel sogno di Doretta there were signs that she looked more at ease, which benefited the delivery too.

 

The trio of Liszt songs I had not expected to be her thing, but they were the most convincing interpretations of the evening. Es muss ein wunderbares sein brought out her lower register and was given with much poise. Die Lorelei was aided by subtle inflective gestures that underlined her vocal word-pointing and if Enfant, si j'étais roi could have ideally done with more care for diction, it nonetheless carried much conviction behind the sentiment.

Gounod’s Je veux vivre closed the first half, but it was not the crowd-pleaser it might have been. Cabell’s shortness of phrasing was exposed by the piano accompaniment, again her diction left much to be desired – why sing in a language if you can’t pronounce it decently? – and her lower register seemed ill-prepared in the haste of her delivery.

 

The Bernstein sequence that opened the second half found her largely in declamatory voice throughout I hate music and I'm a person too. The music however calls for more impetuousness of youth than this glamorous divaette brought to it. Some reasonable attempt at a floated line was made in Dream with me, sung to Gemma Rosefield’s richly toned cello accompaniment.  Moore’s song went for little, seemingly marred again by diction and breathing. Finally in Bolcom’s Amor some acknowledgement and use of the stage space around Cabell was acknowledged. Weill’s Street Scene number proved stilted instead of flowing as it should, but then Simon Lepper’s accompaniment provided scant support for Cabell. And this is my beloved on the other hand did flow and was winningly sung.

 

The two encores, Summertime – a Cabell favourite – and O mio babbino caro, perhaps lacked a little in terms of contrasting moods but were effective crowd-pleasers under Cabell’s now shimmering tones.

 

When she won the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition, Nicole Cabell was touted as “the complete package”. When I review this year’s competitors in June I’ll be looking for more depth and variety than was in evidence here. It could just be, however, that she’s a singer more comfortable with orchestral backing. There is nothing wrong in that of course, but on this showing the recital format does not wholly favour her.

 

Evan Dickerson