Judd Serotta '94 , tenor, gave a strong senior vocal recital with Bill Guerin '96 yesterday in Faulkner Auditorium.
The program ranged from Handel and Beethoven to English folk songs, arranged by the country's pre-emminent 20th century composers.
In "Ammarili, mia bella", Serotta and Guerin revised the heavily romanticised rendition available to them with something more appropriate for the 20th century.
Serotta sang the pieces with immaculate diction although he could have rolled his 'R's more effectively, especially when singing Italian.
While his interpretation at times contradicted the style, Serotta was very relaxed and exhibited a high degree of musicality.
Serotta's nerves caused him to begin a bit tentatively in the Handel and consequently he did not fully capture the interpretive flavor of the piece. But Serotta knew the music well and the tone quality was always secure.
It was in "Amarrilli" and the Mozart lieder "Abendemp-findung" that Serotta became considerably more confidant and allowed his voice to sing freely.
The second half of the concert featured the Beethoven six-part song-cycle "An die Ferne geliebte."
The piano accompaniment and the voice were at their most intricate in this work and occasionally the combination of loud dynamic from the piano and a lower register passage from the tenor resulted in Serotta's being drowned out.
However, this was the only departure from a relatively flawless accompaniment on Guerin's part during the entire concert. He followed the singer comfortably and kept good control over the piano's tone and dynamic.
Serotta also performed the difficult task of keeping each song of the six-part cycle unique, even though they are all based on similar harmonic and melodic material.
Of the English works he sang, "Ca' the Yowes," arranged by Benjamin Britten, was the most enchanting. The relaxed legato line and meandering pace matched well with Serotta's interpretational inclinations, although he could have been even more deliberate.
Notwithstanding this, Serotta was quite engaging in the harmonic sequences and still created a compelling sense of line.
