Press
Interview | Rochester City Newspaper
Rochester City Newspaper
By Daniel J. Kushner
American mezzo-soprano Susan Graham has enjoyed a rich and successful operatic career, interpreting everything from French-language roles like Iphigénie in Gluck’s Iphigénie en Tauride and Didon in Berlioz’s Les Troyens to 20th century characters like the title role in Marc Blitzstein’s Regina and Sister Helen Prejean in the premiere of Jake Heggie’s Dead Man Walking.
On February 10 at Eastman’s Kilbourn Hall, Graham and pianist Bradley Moore turn to the world of art song, performing a program that prominently features the music of French composers Fauré, Debussy, Ravel, and Poulenc. Thematically, the recital revolves around the subject of love, as articulated in the Robert Schumann song cycle Frauenliebe und leben.
In a recent phone interview, Graham talked about her attraction to French music, her vocal style, and highlights from the upcoming concert. What follows is an edited version of that discussion.
