Songs by Manuel de Falla, Joaquín Turina, Gonzalo Roig, Monsita Ferrer, Rafael Hernandez Marín, Ernesto Lecuona, Xavier Montsalvatge, Manuel Ponce, María Grever, Daniel Catán, Rosario de Alba, and Carlos Gardel. Ana María Martínez, soprano; Craig Terry, piano. Walter Hall, July 10, 2023.
For fans of the month-long Toronto Summer Music festival, an early highlight every July is the recital given by its Art of the Song mentors. This year it featured the renowned American soprano Ana María Martínez in an All-Spanish program, together with her fellow mentor, the fine collaborative pianist Craig Terry. The recital took place at Walter Hall at the Faculty of Music, University of Toronto. At an intimate 490 seats and good acoustics, it is an ideal space for recitals. On Monday, the large audience was treated to an evening of superlative music making.
Toronto audiences may not be very familiar with Martínez, whose appearances in Canada are infrequent. The last time she sang here was 15 years ago, in 2009 to be exact, at the Air Canada Centre, when she was part of the tour of easy listening, crossover icon Andrea Bocelli. Martínez is by no means a classical music lightweight. Now well into her third decade of a major international career, she has sung in many great opera houses, the likes of the Met, Covent Garden, Paris Opera, Bavarian State Opera, and Vienna State Opera. She’s also a recipient of the 2015 Opera News Award for her lifetime achievement.
I had the good fortune of experiencing her lovely Fiordiligi, Mimi and Cio Cio San at the Santa Fe Opera over the years. Just this past April, Martínez was a superb Donna Elvira at the Met Live in HD Don Giovanni, seen at select Cineplex Cinemas across Canada. A native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, Martínez is proud of her Hispanic cultural heritage. When I interviewed her recently and asked her about the All-Spanish program, her answer was unequivocal: “I greatly enjoy programming music I am passionate about, and which is part of my cultural heritage and upbringing. I have always made this a priority since my days as a student at The Juilliard School. Sharing music I adore is a privilege I cherish.”
And did she ever share her music! She poured her heart and soul into the program, in addition to the requisite dramatic acuity and beauty of tone. There was some juggling of the announced program. In the first half, the Rodrigo’s song cycle Cuatro madrigals amatorios that was supposed to open the recital was cut. The fourth song of the cycle was later sung as an encore. The recital began with the well known de Falla cycle, Siete canciones populares españolas, followed by a Turina cycle. In the second half, Rafael Hernandez Marin’s Lamento Borincano was replaced by Cuban composer Gonzalo Roig’s Salida de Cecilia.
The moment she started to sing, I was struck by the gleam of her tone — this, after a 29-year professional career! (She made her debut as Micaela in Carmen, as a member of the Houston Grand Opera Studio in 1994-95) We heard a full dynamic range, from honeyed pianissimos to impressive fil de voce to full-throat fortissimos, always under control, with no hint of unsteadiness or slow vibrato that can creep into a voice after a long career. Only in the extreme top would the tone occasionally sounding a bit edgy, but it adds to the drama. Her voice is a testament to her firm technique.
Highlights? There were plenty. I particularly loved the second half, when she gave a veritable masterclass on the many Hispanic composers — Mexican, Cuban, Puerto Rican, Spanish, Argentinean, with women composers (de Alba, Grever, Ferrer) well represented. I was sitting too much on the side to catch everything she said, but what I did was illuminating. I have no idea if the recital was videotaped, but it would be great to experience it again. The songs, whether happy or sad, gentle or forceful, are never less than beautiful, and delivered idiomatically by Martínez. Who could resist the exquisite Estrellita, surely one of the most beautiful songs in existence? Or the Romanza from Maria La O by Ernesto Lecuona? I also find the two songs by the Mexican composer Maria Grever irresistible.
The nearly full house was most enthusiastic, applauding at every turn — one might argue overly so, as some didn’t wait until the end of each song cycle. The ever-supportive Craig Terry showed a bit of his impatience by resuming without waiting for the clapping to stop. That said, it was clear the two artists were enjoying the energy from the audience, with a most lively second half. The audience was rewarded with an encore, Rodrigo’s De Los Álamos Vengo, Madre.
All in all, it was a recital that will stay in the memory bank. Let’s hope Ana Maria Martínez won’t wait another 15 years to return.
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