Frankl proves sparkling substitute
[...]
The dramatic voice in the program's opening work came from the
pen of Anne Frank, whose diary served as a testament to a girl's courage and
compassion while hiding from the Nazis during World War II. Czech-born Canadian
composer Oskar Morawetz's "From the Diary of Anne Frank" employs an excerpt in
which Anne set down her thoughts about a school friend she believes might be
dead or doomed in a concentration camp.
Morawetz sets a somber atmosphere, and the soloist declaims
fervent and harrowing lines against an orchestra that evokes shadows and dark
images. The piece is affecting in conveying the girl's boldness in the face of
tragedy, and Morawetz's skill in creating harmonic tension gives the narrative a
forceful profile that is as uncompromising as it is sympathetic.
Sandra Graham, a Canadian mezzo-soprano, made the text come
alive through crisp enunication and expressive involvement, though her vibrato
sometimes was too wide for pitches to be discernible. Ashkenazy led the piece
with care, and Morawetz appeared touched when he came onstage.
[...]
