THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, April 9, 1996 TAG: 9604090290
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B7 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Music Review
SOURCE: BY LEE TEPLY, SPECIAL TO THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
LENGTH: Medium: 69 lines
Having proven himself to Hampton Roads audiences as an oratorio singer in several performances with the Virginia Symphony, most recently in Haydn's ``The Creation,'' bass Mark S. Doss demonstrated an equal ability in solo song music.
As a bonus Monday evening, he was joined by members of Apollo in the F. Ludwig Diehn series at Chandler Recital Hall, on the campus of Old Dominion University.
The program covered a wide-ranging repertoire. But, no matter which century the music came from, or which of four different languages it was sung in, Doss was able to communicate the meaning. Superb diction helped, with pure vowels and clearly audible consonants that were loud and strong or light and quick, always fitting the mood of the text.
To his well-controlled voice he added just the right amount of acting, from subtle facial expressions to dramatic hand and body motion. Every tool of the recitalist was used, all in perfect balance, to help the audience understand the music. No more could be asked of a singer.
In the songs with piano, Doss was more than ably accompanied by Charles Woodward. Every one of the singer's change in dynamics was supported by the piano. Woodward used a crisp touch to bring out sharper rhythms, which contrasted nicely with a smooth line in the instrumental melodies.
Doss explored several sides of ``Don Quichotte'' in songs by Ravel, ranging from expressive intimacy to swaggering drunkenness. In three songs by Tchaikovsky, he showed a natural ability with the Russian language. His pronunciation was nearly equal to that of the many famous Russian basses of recent years.
His comfortably American English diction was appropriate in five familiar arrangements by Aaron Copland. He again was a great story teller and actor. In these songs, he shared his soft and delicate side effectively.
A string quartet joined Doss in Samuel Barber's ``Dover Beach,'' suggesting the ebb and flow of the large body of water. The finely tuned musicians were flexible enough to match Doss' shaping of the melodic lines. The troubling text was sharpened by dissonance and a dramatic approach to dynamics.
The string players were somewhat less effective in supporting Doss in Bach's equally tortured cantata ``Ich habe genug.'' While he carefully shaped each phrase with clear articulation, they played with an unchanging dynamic level and a vibrato that muddied the clarity of the intonation and phrasing. Both singer and musicians chose not to go beyond the cantata's world-weariness to express the joy of the final movement. MEMO: CONCERT REVIEW
Who: Bass Mark S. Doss, with Apollo
Where: Chandler Recital Hall, ODU
When: Monday evening by CNB