WEXFORD - There are lyric baritones, heroic ones, Verdi baritones and
Wagner specialists, so on and so forth.  Jesus Suaste, who gave a memorable
recital here today - as part of the Wexford Festival Opera activities -
doesn't fit into a standard category.

A shorthand description may be "noble-gentle-lyric-intelligent-sincere
baritone." But to hell with pigeonholes; just listen to the man.

Already making a deep impression in the central role of Pencho in the
Wexford production of Granados' "Maria del Carmen," the baritone from
Mexico City captured the tightly-packed audience in the recital hall so
completely that the attentive, deep silence became a vital component of
the concert in the acoustic heaven of the beautifully simple St.  Iberius
Church.

(I don't know much about the Church of Ireland, except that it seems
to build spaces visually and acoustically ready-made for recitals.  By
eschewing excessively tall structures and columns, by rounding corners,
using wood and plaster walls (painted cream and pale blue), and a round
wooden balcony, these churches are perfect for music, and they provide
a bright, cheerful environment.)

Squeezing a great deal of music - varied and satisfying - into the
hour-long format, Suaste and his accompanist, the American repetiteur
Eric Malson, started with an aria from Bach's "Christmas Oratorio" (the
baritone has 45 operas and 46 oratorios in his repertoire), continued
with de Falla's "Seven Popular Songs," Liszt's "Petrarca Songs" and
concluded with contemporary Argentine songs (composers and titles
impossible to make out).

The Bach, unfortunately, turned into a warm-up exercise, especially
for Malson.  The accompanist performed better and better as the concert
continued, but he merely banged away for most of the Bach.  Suaste, who
sang the rest of the program without a score, read the music for the
Bach only...  and it showed.

Once free of the music stand, Suaste sang with eyes closed, standing
next to the piano, in line with the first row of the audience.  In a
small, uncalculating, and yet significant gesture, the singer did not
stand up step higher, on the platform for the altar, used instinctively
as the "stage" by other singers.  Suesta stayed among his listeners, not
separated.

The passion and sadness of the de Falla songs came through directly
and powerfully.  Suaste doesn't have a huge voice, but it's big enough;
it's not the warmest or most beautiful in the genre, but more than
satisfactory in both regards.  It's the "package" that's stunning, the
overall presentation, with perfect vibrato and diction, sincere, believable,
affecting phrasing.

With the entire cast of "Maria del Carmen" cheering him on from the
balcony, the whole audience joining in, Suaste looked surprised at first,
just opening his eyes, when the great outburst of applause washed over
him, then broke out in a smile of utter delight that could not be faked.
He is a singer who loves the music, and still finds it a surprising extra
that he would be acclaimed for something that "comes naturally."

Suaste sang Liszt's "Pace non trovo" and "Benedetto sia 'l giorno" with
passion and dignity, but abandoning restraint in "I' vidi in terra,"
power, rather than volume, bursting forth.

The Argentine songs, quiet, simple and beautiful, were both glorious
sequels to and fitting decrescendi from the great sweep of de Falla's
and Liszt's music.

The concert's only disappointment: Suaste's countryman and fellow cast
member, Dante Alcala, being in the audience, instead of singing with
him.  The tenor - in his 20s, more than a decade younger than Suaste -
is certain to win over audiences in the coming years just as Suaste did
today, in a very big way.  It's too bad it didn't happen this time.

Janos Gereben/SF
www.sfcv.org
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