Winberg, Stevens, and Brody Charm the Boston Wagner Society

From left to right: pianist Jeffrey Brody, soprano Annalisa Winberg, and heldentenor Roy Stevens beaming after the May 23 recital.

On May 23, the First and Second Church on Marlborough Street in Boston resonated with the glorious sounds of Wagner’s operas. Singing extended excerpts from Parsifal, Tannhäuser, Tristan und Isolde, Die Walküre, Götterdämmerung, and Siegfried, soprano Annalisa Winberg, heldentenor Roy Stevens, and pianist Jeffrey Brody could easily have filled a room the size of Symphony Hall with their outstanding music making.

Beginning with “Nur eine Waffe taugt” (Act 3 of Parsifal) and ending with the entire last scene of Act 3 of Siegfried, Stevens, with his powerful and luminous singing, never faltered despite a challenging program. And in an extended passage from Act 3 of Tristan und Isolde, where subtlety and nuance were required, he had no trouble reining in his vocal powers to evoke the mortally wounded Tristan in his delirium.

Winberg began with “Du bist der Lenz” (Act 1 of Die Walküre), a perennial favorite of Wagner lovers. Her powerful voice and stage presence were just as impressive as Stevens’s. Later on she was joined by Stevens in an extended excerpt starting with “Deines Auges Gluth,” continuing with “Siegmund heiss ich,” until the ecstatic conclusion of the act (in real life they are also husband and wife). Winberg then went on to sing “Dich teure Halle (Act 2 of Tannhäuser). Here her solid intonation and voluminous voice gave us an affecting portrayal of Elisabeth, though some of the nuances got lost in this grand interpretation. The couple also sang “Zu neun Thaten” (Prologue of Götterdämmerung) with great zest and thrilling crescendos. Throughout, these Wagnerian singers also acted their roles quite charmingly. In Act 3, Scene 3 of Siegfried, Winberg, as Brünnhilde, sat in a chair with her eyes closed until Stevens, as Siegfried, woke her up with a kiss. Winberg sang both Sieglinde and Brünnhilde equally well, though her womanly gestures may be more suitable for Sieglinde.

Jeffrey Brody’s accompaniment matched the singers’ zest with brilliantly played notes that flew off the piano like sparks off the forging scene in Siegfried. Maestro Brody, who is the music director of Longwood Opera and has extensive experience in Wagnerian playing, followed the twists and turns of Wagner’s complicated music with great ease and concentration.

This was a concert to remember. The audience sat with rapt attention, awash in the glorious music making. We are fortunate that the Boston Wagner Society began its musical forays so auspiciously, with such high-caliber performers.

N.B. Annalisa Winberg and Roy Stevens can be heard on a CD called “Operatic Selections,” which includes Stevens’s Parsifal excerpt and Winberg’s Tannhäuser excerpt sung in the recital, as well as Stevens as Alberich and Beckmesser (Stevens began his career as a baritone) and his debut as Siegfried in the Tiroler Festspiele of 2003. The CD also includes excerpts from Jenufa, Un ballo in maschera, Aïda, Outis, Die Frau ohne Schatten, and Rigoletto. Winberg and Stevens also have a CD of show tunes. If you are interested in purchasing one or both of these CDs, please contact the Boston Wagner Society.

–Dalia Geffen