Countertenor Scholl Paints Varied, Finely Shaded Pictures

Secular songs of yearning, melancholy and death are the stock in trade of vocalists specializing in the Baroque period, especially such songs in English. Thus, when the admirable German countertenor Andreas Scholl made his North American recital debut Sunday, singing an entire program in English, these sad tunes dominated.

Not to worry--Scholl is an artist of resource, variety, coloration and good humor, and his musical agenda on this occasion made one smile. What could have been lugubrious was instead thoughtful, charming, even. Scholl’s reputation has grown--his discography is already extensive--and a large and partisan audience greeted this afternoon appearance in Founders Hall at the Orange County Performing Arts Center.

A year ago, Founders Hall was still a modest and unprepossessing venue for an important debut. Now, with its interior gussied up and appropriately lit and its entranceway expanded by an imposing, double-aisle concrete stairway (replacing what had been metal stairs), it can vie with larger and more prestigious sites.

It is still small, however, and its intimacy embraced Scholl and his splendid musicalcolleague, lutenist Edin Karamazov, who also played two solo groups.

Songs by John Dowland and Thomas Campion held the listener through the grip of their texts and through the even, pure sound--what one critic has called “the calm beauty”--of Scholl’s gorgeous and unstrained voice, which he uses expertly and without affectation.

He points words but does not underline them; he makes phrases musically and effortlessly. In the program book, the excellent annotations by Kathy Henkel were sensibly supported by all the texts--a wise addition, since even native singers cannot be counted on to over-pronounce.

Nothing arcane or uppity stood between the thoughtful, almost psychic interaction between singer Scholl, lutenist Karamazov and the rapt audience. Another horizon of pleasure was revealed in the second half, when the team offered eight folk songs from the British Isles, including memorable performances of “Waly, Waly,” “Barbara Allen,” “Annie Laurie”and an unaccompanied “King Henry.”

Karamazov’s contributions were strong and subtle. Particularly admirable: his improvisatory air in playing a solo sonata by Giovanni Zamboni Romano.