MUSIC REVIEW : Soprano Leona Mitchell in Recital at Royce Hall

In a musical career, one of the curses of versatility is that its bearer, however gifted, accomplished and expert, may never achieve a deserved recognition for individuality. Leona Mitchell, who returned to Los Angeles Saturday night to sing a most satisfying and warmly received recital in Royce Hall at UCLA, seems to suffer from that syndrome.

The soprano from Oklahoma, who regularly appears in many of the major opera houses of the world--in a repertory now encompassing the heavier Verdian challenges--appears to possess most of the vocal and technical resources with which to express her musical personality. And, at least as heard this weekend, that personality comprises more facets than the casual opera-goer may have hitherto suspected.

Saturday, Mitchell offered Beethoven’s extended scena, “Ah, perfido!” followed by songs by Hugo Wolf, Henri Duparc, Obradors and Turina, a group of spirituals, and arias by Verdi and Puccini.

This eclectic agenda--including as many gleaming high notes as most audiences could ever want--confirmed again the soprano’s complete credentials. But, aside from the arias--”Tacea la notte” from “Il Trovatore,” “Vissi, d’arte” from “Tosca” and “Pace, pace” from “La Forza del Destino”--her exact area of expertise remains a mystery.

As cannily and tellingly performed as they were, the spirituals, which can sometimes become the high point of a singer’s recital appearance, did not achieve that plateau.

The intelligently and sometimes poignantly delivered Wolf group--beginning with “Verborgenheit” and ending with “Er ist’s”--inspired admiration but required no handkerchiefs. Gorgeous tone, limpid legato and a clear respect for textual identity marked the French and Spanish songs, yet complete illumination eluded these performances.

What Mitchell produced best, aside, again, from an undeniable rightness in her excerpts from the two Leonoras and Tosca, was Beethoven’s setting of Metastasio. Here was a performance of nobility, restraint, articulated warmth and vocal splendor. What these qualities point the way toward is a question still to be answered.

At the Steinway, Lawrence James Wong was again Mitchell’s partner--authoritative, accomplished, sympathetic. Appropriately and generously, she shared her bows with him.