When the internationally celebrated Korean soprano Sumi Jo read on the internet that Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts in Katonah, New York was suffering during the current economic crisis, she generously offered to give a special concert during the organization's very first Fall Festival. As a result she had to sing on three continents in a single week.
The New York Philharmonic opened the series with an all-Beethoven program at a gala held on October 2; and jazz great Chick Corea played solo piano the following night under the vast tent in the Venetian Theater. Sumi Jo concluded the festival with a recital, her only New York area appearance this year, in the elegant Italian and more intimate Rosen House Music Room at 4:00 pm on October 4. It was a perfect autumn afternoon. The audience was predominately Koreans, who were both respectful and highly appreciative of her gifts. Miraculously not a single cell phone went off during the entire program.
It was also refreshing to hear a singer who was not overmiked. Sumi Jo appeared in a pink gown like a Disney princess. Although she chose familiar songs from her many albums and other concerts, she did not make it easy for herself. The often challenging numbers demonstrated her wide range and versatility as a singer. "Il faut partir" from her signature role of Marie in Donizetti's La fille au régiment was announced in the program; but her accompanist Will Crutchfield, Caramoor's Director of Opera, said that due to the length of the concert it had to be dropped from the lineup. She felt comfortable enough with the crowd so that when disappointed with her rendering of the concluding verse of Gounod's "Sérénade," she began again and sang it flawlessly.
The recital was one of musical contrasts. Just as she moved effortlessly from Italian to French to German, her repertoire embraced exquisite renditions of Vivaldi's vigorous "Agitata da due venti" with every trill intact and mournful "Sposa son Disprezzata," a soaring "Tornami a vagheggiar" by Handel, a pitch perfect "Villanelle" by Eva Dell'Acqua, Henri Duparc's passionate "Chanson triste," and Edvard Grieg's ardent "Ich liebe dich" from a German translation of a poem by Danish fairy tale author Hans Christian Andersen. It was obvious that both the singer and her accompanist were greatly enjoying themselves with Meyerbeer's lilting but difficult aria "Ombre légère." She was especially playful with obscure lyrics set to Strauss' famous Blue Danube waltz that ended the first act.
After a twenty minute intermission, the diva returned all in maroon and gold. She resumed as Rossini's coquettish shepherdess with "La pastorelle delle Alpi" and followed it immediately with the agony of unrequited love in Rossini's "Mi lagnerò tacendo." She continued with a light and lively rendition of Donizetti's "Me voglio fà 'na casa," then another love song "Depuis le jour" from Gustave Charpentier's Louise, and concluded as Ophelia from Thomas' still controversial French opera based on Hamlet.
Sumi Jo generously returned for four encores including a delicate "O mio babbino caro" that would have made Puccini himself smile in approval. She even tried out one number she had never sung before, relying on the sheet music rather than from memory as in the rest of the concert. She apologized earlier that she had not planned any Korean numbers. But for her last encore she finally sat down at the piano and accompanied herself as she sang a Korean song. It brought down the house.
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