The Opera Tattler

* Notes * 
Last night Lieder Alive! presented a recital featuring soprano Heidi Melton and tenor Eleazar Rodríguez accompanied by John Parr at SFCM. Rodríguez started the evening with Beethoven’s Adelaide, which he sang with great enthusiasm. This was followed by a technically clean and very sweet rendition of Schumann’s Dichterliebe. He only had the slightest bit of strain singing one top note and a couple of low notes that did not project as well as the middle of his voice. Otherwise, his voice is lovely and his breathing very much under control.

Heidi Melton sang Wie Melodien zieht es mir, Nicht mehr zu dir zu gehen, and An die Nachtigall from Brahms. These were quite pretty, but the Wagner’s Wesendonck-Lieder that followed were incredible. Melton’s creamy but powerful voice suits Wagner and one cannot help but look forward to hearing her as Sieglinde in a few years. The emotional content of each song was perfectly apparent, and she never sounded constricted anywhere in her range.

* Tattling * 
There was some coughing, but almost no talking, and no electronic noise.