By one of those co-incidences,
this disc from ABC arrived for review
at the same time as Opera Rara’s ‘The
Young Donizetti’ featuring a younger
Yvonne Kenny in solo and ensemble .
Born in Sydney, Yvonne made her professional
debut in London in 1975 in a concert
performance of Donizetti’s Rosmondo
d’Inghilterra. After winning the
renowned Kathleen Ferrier Competition
she joined the Royal Opera, Covent Garden,
singing the light lyric roles of Pamina,
Susanna, Adina and Liu among others.
In the field of opera she has appeared
at the Vienna State Opera, La Scala,
Paris Opera as well as in America and
at the major international festivals.
She has a distinguished list of opera
recordings to her name for a variety
of labels including her Italian bel-canto
portrayals for Opera Rara. She has made
several recordings for ABC. This disc
follows closely on her second volume
of ‘Great Operatic Arias’ recently released
on the Chandos label.
This issue of English
Songs is particularly welcome not only
for Ms Kenny’s participation but because
this repertoire is now so infrequently
recorded. Hyperion have given us two
volumes sung by the internationally
renowned English baritone (Sir) Thomas
Allen and titled ‘Songs My Father Taught
Me’. (Vol.
1 Vol.
2 ). Operatic singers face significant
challenges in fining their big voices
for the intimate sense of a recital
whilst maintaining their legato and
conveying the mood and expression of
the song. Seeing the title and noting
the number of traditional songs arranged
by Benjamin Britten will simulate those
with long memories to recall the composer’s
accompanying of his partner Peter Pears
in this repertoire. Pear’s lean tenor
and biting enunciation of the texts
of songs appealed to many, although
his voice could not be called beautiful
in the way Yvonne Kenny’s can be described.
In bringing beauty of tone to their
song repertoire sopranos also have the
challenge, much discussed recently,
of the consonants. If there is any criticism
to be made in this wide-ranging collection
it is that her softening of the consonants
obscures comprehension of the words.
These words are provided in full in
the accompanying leaflet. Following
them through with the singer I was forcefully
struck by how her vocal nuance, tonal
variation and expressiveness convey
the various sentiments and moods of
the songs whilst maintaining her admirable
legato. In all of this she is well supported
and helped by the playing of her pianist
and compatriot Caroline Almonte.
The recording was made
in a warm rather resonant acoustic and
the balance between singer and accompanist
is nicely judged. I recommend this disc
to all lovers of English song and of
this singer’s art in particular.
Robert J Farr
Yvonne Kenny (soprano) 
