MUSIC REVIEW : Young Soprano Lives Up to Her Reputation in ‘Mozart Plus’ Concert

Every so often the word circulates that some new performer is a “must see.” Recently, the Chinese soprano Sylvia Wen has been the subject of such rumors. She appeared Friday night at the Lyceum Theatre as one of the soloists in the International Orchestra of USIU’s opening concert in its “Mozart Plus” series.

Wen, who has recently finished two years of study at La Scala, proved to be a young singer of exceptional ability. For the Lyceum audience she sang five selections from Joseph Canteloube’s accessible “Songs of the Auvergne” and “Song to the Moon,” the frequently sung aria from Dvorak’s rarely performed opera “Rusalka.” While she projected a bright and unusually well-focused lyric soprano quality, it was the maturity of her interpretation that impressed this listener.

The Canteloube pieces practically sell themselves, but Wen infused each song with a lively, engaging presence. She carried every phrase to a graceful conclusion, and her elegant, seamless vocal technique was a touch of luxury on a program that reeked of frugality. In the Dvorak aria, which she sang in the original Czech, Wen was positively radiant, projecting the aria’s passionate longing with poignant vulnerability.

Zoltan Rozsnyai, the International Orchestra’s music director, chose to open the concert with Respighi’s “The Birds.” This was an unlikely choice, since the work’s deft orchestration, which calls for exquisite solos and suave transitions, exposed every weakness in this unsophisticated orchestra. These birds didn’t soar and coo--they limped and warbled weakly.

While the International Orchestra rehearses daily and claims professional caliber, it did not sound much better than the typical university orchestra that is lucky to rehearse one night a week. Nor did this group sound much better than it did a year ago. The orchestra was at its best in Zoltan Kodaly’s brilliant “Dances of Galanta,” exuding a kind of crude energy that seemed not entirely inappropriate to either the character of the piece or Rozsnyai’s blustery, overblown direction.

Had the soprano not stolen the show, its star would have been Giselle Lautenbach, soloist in Richard Strauss’ Oboe Concerto. Lautenbach handled every musical challenge with aplomb, giving her sinuous solo a warm, mellifluous lyricism. This was a laudable feat, considering the uninspired level of the orchestral accompaniment.

Presenting a series or chamber orchestra concerts at the Lyceum, a convenient and intimate downtown venue, is a fine idea, even if the room’s acoustics are a shade on the dry side. Why Rozsnyai chose to call this series “Mozart Plus” is a mystery, however, since, like this concert, half the programs on the series feature no Mozart at all. From the prospectus, it appears that Respighi will be played as frequently as Mozart.

But this is a minor complaint. The main challenge is for the orchestra to play on a more competent, professional level. If they do that, Rozsnyai can call his series anything his inventive mind should decide.