Tokyo Performances

Anne Sofie von Otter

Another fine mezzo-soprano, Anne Sofie von Otter, gave a recital on April 11 at Suntory Hall. She was accompanied by pianist Bengt Forsberg and Nils-Erik Sparf on viola and violin. Altogether different in repertoire and style from Cecilia Bartolli a few days earlier, she presented an equally satisfying evening of well-chosen and well-sung works.

The program included two songs for alto, viola and piano by Brahms and Schumann’s “Frauenliebe und Leben.” These were elegantly sung but not my cup of tea. More satisfying to me were a series of songs by Korngold and Reynaldo Hahn, whose works were particularly elegant and satisfying.

At that point she had sung in German, English and French. She continued in French with Debussy’s “Trois Chansons de Bilitis” and Berlioz’s “Le roi de Thule”. The Debussy was magnificent; the Berlioz, as always for me, forgettable. Her program ended with a few of Canteloube’s “Songs of the Auvergne”.

Von Otter is a regal woman who sings in an expressive and elegant manner. She is a fine artist and apparently a warm-hearted soul who received the crowd’s adulation with humility touched with good humor. She responded to the usual Japanese demand for multiple encores with a couple Swedish songs. With a final number by Tom Waits, I knew it was time to call it a night.

posted by Larry Wells @ 3:18 PM