Music Review: 'My Favorite Things'

The Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota did some of “My Favorite Things” at the Historic Asolo over the weekend and the performances, which were both fun and illuminating, did feature some of my favorite things. It was a program filled with some of the best of Rodgers and Hammerstein, from “Oklahoma!” the duo’s first venture back in the 1940s, through “State Fair” and the rarely performed “Me and Juliet.”

Collaboration is the word of the day and the Artist Series, with the concert’s host and pianist, Joseph Holt, incorporated the artistry of the all-professional Gloria Musicae Singers as a very fine back-up group for a quartet of imported soloists: soprano Mara Bonde, mezzo Katherine Pracht, tenor Aaron Blake and baritone Marcus DeLoach.

Although the program, itself, was pure pleasure, the individual performances were mixed with some of the singers coming off above the others.

Holt had a good idea when he switched roles, using a tenor instead of a mezzo, for example, in “Something Wonderful,” from “The King and I.” It’s interesting to hear the difference in color a male voice can bring to a song usually sung by a woman. The same thing happened in the beloved “Climb Every Mountain,” from “The Sound of Music” and it was a refreshing twist to the classic song.

Holt also added color and variety to the program when he played the intricate “Carousel Waltz” on the Steinway, bringing almost as many colors and textures as a full symphony orchestra.

But it was the quartet of soloists, brought in from various parts of the country, who carried this nostalgic program to the audience. Standout among them was baritone Marcus DeLoach, whose fine voice and musicianship have been heard with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, the New York City Opera and, believe it or not, the Trans-Siberian rock group. The most polished and professional of the singers, DeLoach soared across the footlights with dazzling renditions of “Some Enchanted Evening,” “Oh What a Beautiful Morning,” and several other staples of the Rodgers and Hammerstein repertoire.

Mezzo soprano Katherine Pracht used her warm, rich mezzo beautifully in “You’ll Never Walk Alone” and, with DeLoach, in “I Have Dreamed.” And soprano Mara Bonde was charming but somewhat sluggish rhythmically in “Hello Young Lovers,” and “Do-Re-Mi,” while her performance of “A Wonderful Guy” was energetic and filled with fun.

Unfortunately, tenor Aaron Blake didn’t come off quite as well as his musical partners. Although he has a bright, clear voice, he didn’t seem very comfortable in the repertoire, frequently going up on both words and music, and even stopping to look over Holt’s shoulder at the score because he couldn’t remember the words of the landmark “Carefully Taught,” an unforgivable sin in performance conduct.

The Gloria Musicae men offered a frolicsome “There is Nothin’ Like a Dame,” but would have come off even better had they memorized this one song for the occasion. It’s hard to be a swearing sailor while you turn pages of a score.

You can’t lose with Rodgers and Hammerstein, especially when you have winning musicians to pull it off. This was a charming retrospective of American classics and it was good to see some very young faces in the audience, getting their first dose of real American classical music.