FRANZITA Whelan's recital last night was the first time I had heard this soprano, and a pleasing experience it was. Whelan was born in Ireland in 1971, has studied in London since 1992, and has accumulated an impressive clutch of prizes, including representation in the 1996-7 season by the Young Concert, Artists Trust.
Her recital at the RDS was not given in the main concert hall, but in the library. In both intimacy and acoustic, this is the better venue for small scale chamber music.
The programme was short - barely an hour of music, including encores; I also found it a little on the light side. Certainly, I would have welcomed; a bit more meat, especially as Whelan gave absorbing performances of Schubert's Seligkejt and Gretchen am Spjnnrade. Nevertheless, she is one of those artists who can hold one's attention through a pot pourri which included arias by Mozart, Verdi and Puccini, and folk song arrangements from France and Ireland.
Her strong stage presence was epitomised in the informal yet authoritative way she introduced each song. She also has natural body language, her own ideas about the music, and a consistently pleasing voice throughout her wide range; though I wondered whether an equally consistent - though slight - edge to her sound was due to over projection. In the best sense, she is a natural entertainer.
Pianist Andrew West was Whelan's equal in showing the stylistic awareness required by such a programme. Theirs was a rewarding partnership throughout the recital.
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