Okay, this happened a week ago, but I'm writing about it now. Hoo-rah.
Last Sunday I saw Sharon Sweet sing at Westminster. Ms. Sweet was previously quite large and over this last summer had surgery to reduce the size of her stomach. She lost a considerable amount of weight (I've heard upwards and maybe even beyond 300 pounds) and is now able to walk around, use stairs and (as it were) give full recitals again.
Ms. Sweet is INCREDIBLE. Her voice is amazing; she has command of the repertoire and stage. Here is a woman who has overcome many odds to save her own life. There is a recording of the Verdi Requiem she did. Even in the recording (despite engineering and mixing), her voice still overpowers the orchestra at times.
For this recital, Ms. Sweet invited faculty members and students from her studio to perform alongside her. It seemed as though her peers were just as happy to perform with her - that she was ABLE to perform with them - as the audience (standing room - I'd never seen that in Bristol Chapel before!) was to hear her. I can't be sure, but I think that was the first public performance Ms. Sweet had given in quite some time.
I don't like in the United States that everyone gets a standing ovation. I think one is merited when the performance was not only outstanding (we can see outstanding musicians anywhere, really), but actually fundamentally moving, life-changing. This recital was it. I was surprised at myself (I'm an organist - voice recitals are sometimes difficult for me to sit through), but I was so happy for her and proud of her for making a few decisions in a better direction. Her Met career is probably over, but she is still incredible through and through.
Do you think that knowing about the changes to her body influence your judgment of her? Do audiences attach attributes to performers based on appearance?
ReplyDeleteI'm with you on the standing ovations--one nice thing about concert-going elsewhere is that if one happens, the audience REALLY means it!