Music Reviews : Carl Halvorson Makes Debut in Gold Medal Series

High promise is usually the most one can expect from the young artists presented annually on the Gold Medal series at the Ambassador Auditorium. Strong achievement sometimes materializes, too, and that is a bonus.

Carl Halvorson, a 28-year-old American tenor, showed both qualities in his debut appearance at the Pasadena hall this week. With deeper concert experience, a bit of loosening up in his stage manner and an infusion of italianita in his vocalism, Halvorson could be a valuable singer.

At the moment, and as assisted most handsomely by pianist Brent McMunn on Monday night, the tall singer makes a strong visual impression and offers accomplished, if not consistently pointed, performances. In a generous anthology-recital encompassing 26 songs and arias by 13 composers, he gathered together a number of pertinent musical and textual details.

Still, Halvorson’s achievement is admirable. If he did not delve into all the many artistic possibilities of every item on his program, he made a few of them special.

At the beginning of the performance, he delineated the longer line and intense lyricism of Purcell’s “Music for a While,” and savored the words in two folk-song arrangements by Benjamin Britten. Later, he caressed the poetry in Rachmaninoff’s “A Passing Breeze” (sung in Russian, of course) and gave Brahms his due in both “Wir wandelten” and “Standchen”.”

And, in his closing group of American songs--by Bolcom and Gershwin, among others--he delivered words, rhythms and humor most pointedly.

What Halvorson’s sizable and attractive voice lacks seems to be a middle with a bite; as an interpreter, the tenor also fails to achieve that consistent legato line which is required in most of the song repertory. Yet, he handles high notes intelligently and successfully, keeps good control of dynamics, and connects thought, word and note conscientiously.

Musically, some of the most effective moments of the evening came from McMunn, who proved a full partner in this sometimes meandering program, articulated complicated passages with ease and produced a beautiful and edgeless sound without underplaying.