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It's been a long time since I've heard two great artists share a recital stage, but Saturday night the Harriman-Jewell Series with assistance from Mrs. Beth Ingram, brought three of Canada's finest musicians together.  Tenor Michael Schade, baritone Russell Braun and his wife, pianist Carolyn Maule presented a program full of poetry, prayer and pent up passion. 

Normally, an accompanist wouldn't get lead billing, but Ms. Maule isn't just a mere accompanist.  When presenting German Lieder, the accompaniment often has just as important a role in fleshing out the story as the main characters.  The singer may narrate the action or even be an actor in the drama, but the accompaniment is the set, the lights and the sound effects.  The pianist becomes Nature herself and Maule played the role well.

The Mendelssohn duets, "Ich Wollt, meine Lieb ergosse sich" and "Herbstlied" or Autumn Song led the audience to that highly idealized world of Romantic love and regret.  Schade and Braun have completely compatible timbres for these pieces.  They both sang with a flexible and emotion-filled delivery reminiscent of the late tenor Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, but with just a bit more weight.  My only regret was that I wasn't a fluent German speaker so that I could tear myself away from the translation.  Every syllable of the poetry is infused with layered meaning.  One listen just isn't enough.

Russell Braun performed the next set of pieces by Mendelssohn which were filled with moonlit mystique.  A gondolier wafts through the lagoons of Venice, a long distance romance is fraught with angst, the moon rises and calms the tumultuous heart; white horses and golden stags of a fickle queen signal death.  Each piece was set to the words of a different poet, but all were sung with chilling sensitivity.

Schade followed with a set by Schumann.   The natural and supernatural worlds intermingled and collided. He cast a spell over the audience with "Dein Angesicht" from Funf Lieder und Gesange.  His pronounced German consonants brought the text into full relief.   In the creepy "Waldesgeprach" from Liederkreis, he wove the tale of an unsuspecting prince lured away by a beautiful witch.  Only once or twice was I able to discern a little vocal fatigue but he used it to his advantage and I accepted the weakness as a treatment of the text. 

It wasn't until the second half of the program that the audience was made aware of the health condition of Mr. Schade.  He had just flown to KC from Tokyo where he had to cancel his recital due to a very bad respiratory infection.  He rallied through the demanding first half with complete professionalism, but was going to rest through his next set. 

Sad as that was, Russell Braun filled the void with his virtuosity.  Singing from the back of the floor, he made his way down the aisle and hopped onto the stage as Figaro, singing the extraordinarily challenging and entertaining "Largo al factotum" from The Barber of Seville.  At times Maule had a little trouble keeping up with him as she navigated the orchestral reduction, but his delivery was strong and sure as he played to the women in the front row.  He even played with Maules hair, flirting with her as she bore a hole through her music with laser-like focus.  

Schade joined him on stage for more delightful opera action and sang, "Se il mio nome saper voi bramate."  They admired the hourglass shape of the women in the balcony and at one point; Braun played the lower register of the piano as Schade sang.  Next came "All'idea di quell metallo" and it wasn't long before the singers made the obligatory Kansas City connection with a Royals pennant.  It was like seeing a mini opera with two singers and it was difficult to control the urge to give them a standing ovation.  This set proved that when singers interpret and choreograph their own scenes - sans directors - wonderful things can happen.  

Russell Braun followed continued telling the stories of Figaro with "Hai gia vinta la causa...Vedro mentr'io sospiro," from the Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro. As Count Almaviva this time, he plots against Figaro.  If Braun was tender and sensitive in the first half of the concert, he was powerful and determined in the second. 

Invoking the power of prayer and hope, he masterfully rendered "O, du mein holder Abenstern" from Tannhauser by Wagner and "Avant de Quitter" from Faust by Gounod.  Being from Quebec, Braun's French is impeccable and his glorious fortissimo showed off the sheer power of his impressive instrument.  He was consistent and confident and seemed to enjoy each and every musical moment.  He added the drinking song from Don Giovanni and a sentimental song by Ivor Novello called "We'll Gather Lilacs" to fill out the program.

Schade joined Braun to conclude the performance with the tear-jerking duet from Bizet's The Pearl Fishers called "Au fond du temple saint."  If he was holding back the high notes, he wasn't holding back the emotional impact of each phrase.  His technique is brilliant and his voice sounded gloriously full even though he was working around an ailment.  I hope to have the opportunity to hear him again.  I wasn't disappointed. 

The ovation resulted in a lovely little Quebecois lullaby performed sensitively by three parents who had been on the road a long time and longed to see their children.


REVIEW
The Harriman-Jewell Series
Michael Schade and Russel Braun with Carolyn Maule, piano
Saturday, April 10, 2010
The Folly Theater
12^th and Central Streets, Downtown Kansas City, MO
For more information call 816-415-5025 or online at www. harriman-jewell.org

By Megan Browne Helm

Classical, Vocal and Theatre Contributor

Megan Browne Helm grew up singing, dancing and acting.  Inspired by Emma Kirkby as a high school student in St. Louis she went on to study voice and sing with the Collegium Musicum at the Oberlin Conservatory in Ohio where she also had a radio show of contemporary classical music on WOBC.  At the University of Kansas she had the pleasure of working with former Kings’ Singer, Simon Carrington in his Collegium Musicum and Oread consort. Years later, she was a choral fellow at the Yale School of Music’s  Norfolk Chamber Music Festival.  She is currently singing with the Kansas City Symphony Chorus under the direction of Charles Bruffy. 

 As a freelance music and culture writer her work can be found on KCMetropolis.org, presentmagazine.com, the Lawrence Journal World, Shawnee Magazine, Leawood Lifestyle Magazine and KC Parent.  She was one of 26 journalists in the country chosen as a NEA Institute Fellow for Classical Music and Opera at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. 

Her current interest is how classical music remains relevant through active collaborations with artists in different fields, including science.  She also sees a connection between classical music, travel and food as a way to engage all of the senses in a 360 degree cultural experience.  She blogs at raworganum.wordpress.com.