Susan Graham
GRAHAM'S GRAND SLAM From Baroque to Modern, American Mezzo Accentuates the Lyrical
When it comes to mezzo-sopranos these days, we've got an embarrassment of riches. But Susan Graham stands out from the crowd. She's won ardent admiration for her recordings of Hector Berlioz and Reynaldo Hahn, and her appearances in the world's opera houses -- above all, as Octavian in Strauss' "Der Rosenkavalier" -- have garnered rave reviews. With fine new recordings in both opera and song, Graham's star seems poised to rise even higher. She debuts in baroque opera with a lavish recording of Handel's ALCINA, conducted by William Christie and costarring Renée Fleming. On SONGS OF NED ROREM, she pays tribute to America's elder statesman of song. The two projects show very different sides of this enterprising artist, but both reveal her bountiful lyric gifts. Stopping briefly at her Manhattan home in the midst of a recital tour, Graham talked with Scott Paulin, bn.com's Associate Editor for Classical Music, about going baroque, operatic camaraderie, and the value of a good tune.
bn.com: Ruggiero in Handel's ALCINA adds another trouser role to your repertory, but it's the first baroque opera you've tackled. What special challenges did this work pose?
Susan Graham: Well, the majority of my work up to this point has been in Mozart, Strauss, Massenet, and pretty much singing what's written on the page. The biggest challenge for me in ALCINA was dealing with the whole concept of ornamentation and embellishment. There was a time when I felt a little bit swamped. I was comforted because I was in a cast of people who had never sung Handel before -- but they had all at least sung bel canto operas before, and I had never even done that. So at one point I thought, "I can't do this!" But I always came back to the fact that this music is so extraordinary, and the musical and emotional message it sends is so deep, that it helped me rediscover the real joy in it.
bn.com: Did you plan out all the ornamentation in the arias, or did you improvise?
SG: Oh no, I'm not really an improviser! Maybe somewhere down the line I'll be able to do that, but for my first production -- and with a recording -- it's not something I wanted to play around with. Also, it made sense that my character would be the least ornamented, because he's a straightforward guy.
bn.com: And not a supernatural being...
SG: Exactly, and in some of those arias we opted for minimalism, which I learned is also an option in Handel! And it keeps with the purity and the integrity of his character.
bn.com: Were any particular singers role models for you in approaching Handel?
SG: Well, {|Janet Baker|}. I mean, my goodness! The color of the voice, the emotion, and the heart is so inherent in everything she ever sang, but particularly in Handel, I think. And also Marilyn Horne; even though vocally her roles were typically a little bit lower, I'm still so inspired by her.
bn.com: You sing opposite Renée Fleming here, and the two of you have been together in many productions, especially of {|"Der Rosenkavalier," which you've recorded excerpts from|}. What's it like to have this kind of ongoing working relationship with another singer?
SG: It's wonderful, because when you know an artist very well, it provides so much freedom. We know how to support each other as well as how to have a good time. I think it keeps it interesting for the audience too, because we're not trapped in that zone where I'm just here for me because I know what I'm going to do, but I don't know what this other person is going to do. Renée and I have a lot of trust in each other, we've been in the trenches together, and we pretty much know that wherever we go, the other one will be there.
bn.com: You've also recently recorded SONGS OF NED ROREM. He's been called one of the greatest American composers of art song, but few singers have recorded his music. When did you discover Rorem's songs, and why do they appeal to you?
SG: I discovered his songs when I was in college in Texas. "Early in the Morning" was the first Ned Rorem song I ever learned -- I think I was 18. It's a reminiscence of a breakfast on a street in Paris, and goodness knows that was about as far away from my experience as it could possibly be! Nevertheless, the song really appealed to me. His writing is very straightforward, but very descriptive and with a sense of fantasy. The poetic images that Ned captures musically -- that's his real gift. It makes you feel the essence of the poem, and you can't ask for more than that.
bn.com: Besides Rorem, are there other American composers you'd like to call our attention to?
SG: I'm really eager to sink my teeth into this whole new generation of composers: Ricky Gordon, Aaron Jay Kernis, Adam Guettel, and going deeper into Jake Heggie's music. I think that the hallmark of our time is a return to lyricism, for which I am very grateful. I mean, it's obvious from my records what my priorities are -- I like a nice tune, and I'm not embarrassed to say so! Discovering Reynaldo Hahn and some of these Rorem songs has been such a joy, because they're beautiful songs that I love, and if I can help someone else love them....
bn.com: What other sorts of music do you listen to?
SG: I always listen to jazz. I'm a huge Ella fan. I love {|James Taylor|}. Michael Bolton is coming out with some interesting new things. I love Frank Sinatra. I grew up with all of that stuff, so that's my comfort food. I'm a big Jobim fan! Jobim is my chill-out music.
bn.com: Besides the names you've already mentioned, what singers have had a major influence on you?
SG: Flicka [Frederica von Stade] remains a huge inspiration to this day. I was very inspired by Tatiana Troyanos. I had the good fortune to work with her a couple of times, and while she was tormented and could be difficult -- what an artist! I learned so much about 110% commitment from her. She would stop at nothing. Christa Ludwig is the first person I ever heard singing Mahler -- she just opened up that whole genre for me. And my contemporaries inspire me on a daily basis: Barbara Bonney and Renée Fleming. Renée produces these seamless outpourings of sound. She's indestructible; she can do anything at any time.
I'm also inspired by my colleagues who have very complicated lives, and children and families, and yet manage to keep it going. I mean, all I have is a dog, and I find that difficult sometimes! This recital tour is too harrowing and hectic to bring her along, so I left her in Amsterdam with friends, but I'm miserable!
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