Joyce DiDonato

Sun., March 30, 3 p.m., $8-$22.50, with David Zobel, piano, Independence Seaport Museum, 211 S. Columbus Blvd., 215-569-8080, philadelphiachambermusic.org.

by David Shengold

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Published: Mar 26, 2008

classical

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Joyce DiDonato has come a long way from lunching on pretzels in Rittenhouse Square between classes at the Academy of Vocal Arts. The charismatic singer returns for a Chamber Music Society recital trailing sensational reviews from the world's greatest opera houses and concert stages. You could call her the classical music world's "mezzo of the moment" — except that her winning, incisive artistry, in person and on recordings, is not of the flash-in-the pan variety but instead proves a lasting contribution. Her singing offers utter vocal security: spectacular agility, generous breath control, a wide range — she's comfortable up to high D, higher than many sopranos dare to rove — and a stunning command of musical and verbal phrasing. Unlike many younger singers, cushioned by opera audiences' reliance on projected titles, DiDonato really cares about words — she's also one of the coolest operatic bloggers (yankeediva.blogspot.com) — and puts text across with idiomatic diction plus fervor, humor or whatever's needed, making her a natural for the recital format. Sunday's program includes Vivaldi, Chausson, Turina, Copland and Gershwin. Kudos to PCMS: If you lived in New York, you'd be paying up to $60 to hear this concert.

Sun., March 30, 3 p.m., $8-$22.50, with David Zobel, piano, Independence Seaport Museum, 211 S. Columbus Blvd., 215-569-8080, philadelphiachambermusic.org.

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