Jennifer Larmore: In Performance

Rating:
Summary: Fun to watch and listen to
Review: I have been a fan of Jennifer Larmore ever since her early, spectacular recording of Handel's "Julius Caesar," but have unfortunately never seen her sing. This video, then, fills an important gap in my collection, and I cannot praise it highly enough. Larmore is both a fine artist and an entertaining singer: though some of her acting seems a little contrived when compared to, say, Janet Baker, she is never overly silly or annoying. The way she "acts out" the three Rossini songs that comprise "The Venetian Regatta," for instance, is amusing without being irksome, and to see her settle into the crook of the piano to deliver Kurt Weill's French cabaret songs is simply delightful.

In addition to all this, Larmore is in excellent voice and the program is well-chosen, except for the two songs by Jake Heggie which are drivel. It is also interesting to watch the way Larmore positions herself and manages her vocal equipment: you can tell that this is a singer who works very hard to appear "effortless" in both sound and motion. She surprises one with her sensitive renditions of Purcell and Debussy, then launches into more popular material like "Brazil" and "Art is Calling Me" with no suggestion of preciousness. In short, Larmore leaves a good taste in the ear...she is always worth hearing and, on this wonderful video, definitely worth watching.

Rating:
Summary: Fun to watch and listen to
Review: I have been a fan of Jennifer Larmore ever since her early, spectacular recording of Handel's "Julius Caesar," but have unfortunately never seen her sing. This video, then, fills an important gap in my collection, and I cannot praise it highly enough. Larmore is both a fine artist and an entertaining singer: though some of her acting seems a little contrived when compared to, say, Janet Baker, she is never overly silly or annoying. The way she "acts out" the three Rossini songs that comprise "The Venetian Regatta," for instance, is amusing without being irksome, and to see her settle into the crook of the piano to deliver Kurt Weill's French cabaret songs is simply delightful.

In addition to all this, Larmore is in excellent voice and the program is well-chosen, except for the two songs by Jake Heggie which are drivel. It is also interesting to watch the way Larmore positions herself and manages her vocal equipment: you can tell that this is a singer who works very hard to appear "effortless" in both sound and motion. She surprises one with her sensitive renditions of Purcell and Debussy, then launches into more popular material like "Brazil" and "Art is Calling Me" with no suggestion of preciousness. In short, Larmore leaves a good taste in the ear...she is always worth hearing and, on this wonderful video, definitely worth watching.