MUSIC & DANCE REVIEWS : Neblett Celebrates Hall’s 25th Anniversary

Call Carol Neblett the bold soprano. Also call her a performer nonpareil. But don’t confuse the Southern California golden girl with one of those who prizes the art of singing above all else.

When she appeared in recital Sunday at Marsee Auditorium, celebrating the 25th anniversary of the South Bay Center for the Arts hall at El Camino College, the statuesque blonde let it be known that nothing would have stopped her. Certainly not a miserable cold or its serious remnants.

What’s more, as she explained in that show-must-go-on tradition, marking the milestone meant much to her since she was on hand for the hall’s 1967 opening.

But then, Neblett has never been a stickler for the refinement required in Lieder--her temperament is best suited to the opera stage, where she has recently sung in performances at both the Metropolitan and Los Angeles Music Center Operas.

Nevertheless she set out on a basic program of Brahms, Strauss, Ravel and Obradors, studded with a few arias and lightened by a group of folk songs in English.

An extended Haydn cantata, though offering her dramatic options, proved unwise as a curtain-raiser--grievously exposing register breaks, quavery tone and wild high notes.

After thoughtfully telling the audience to move back--”if you want to hear my voice instead of being under my chin and watching me sweat”--she settled in to singing of somewhat greater control.

But none of it came to a high level of excellence, so dogged was she by the above-noted problems. Still, the personable Neblett is nothing if not a communicator.

So her charming chat, delivered with the utmost naturalness and enjoyment, helped to offset the vocal liabilities.

As she has done in the past, the singer regaled the audience with biographical anecdotes-- mentioning family members, celebrated colleagues, famous mentors (“When Roger Wagner first heard me, he described bells--tonight I hear phlegm.”).

And she also distracted the crowd visually by playing the glamorous diva; after intermission she changed from a gown of brilliant turquoise to a bright red strapless number.

To be sure, Neblett had redeeming moments here and there, abetted by a gallant Daniel Shulman at the piano--the sensuality in a Ravel melodie, the heroic resignation in Strauss’ “Befreit” the characterful optimism of Irish songs.

But not consistently.