Elly Ameling

But how does she sing Gershwin? And what about Ellington? Those were the questions skeptics had to ask when Elly Ameling returned Saturday to Royce Hall, UCLA. For instead of the usual recital of Lied specialties for which she is justly adored, the Dutch soprano promised a cabaret program--everything from the Piaf signature "Les Feuilles mortes" to "The Girl From Ipanema."

Sometime, and probably sooner rather than later, when Internet radio becomes a practical reality, the classical music universe could expand with a very big bang. To understand why, just hop onto your browser and check the listings of the great national European radio networks. From http://www.bbc.co.

Elly Ameling said goodby to a thousand of her nearest and dearest friends Sunday afternoon. It was--and wasn't--a sentimental occasion. The locale was Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center. The occasion was a recital commemorating the beloved Dutch soprano's farewell to New York. Other valedictories are to follow in other cities this year, but, for reasons unfathomable, Los Angeles will not be among them. If all had gone as planned, the New York concert would have been a singular event.

To cap a career that lasted more than four decades, beloved Dutch soprano Elly Ameling gave a series of farewell recitals last year and then retired. Or so she thought. "I thought, after singing for 40 years, I would be reading the books I have at home [in Holland] and tending my roses," Ameling said by phone from San Diego recently. "But I'm as busy as ever. And I feel it's my duty to pass on what I know."

Wondrous things still happen when Elly Ameling sings. The internationally celebrated, much beloved and exhaustively recorded Dutch soprano remains, at 55, a model recitalist and a most resourceful purveyor of the song literature. But time does not stand still. At the singer's latest local appearance Sunday night in deep Orange County and under auspices of UC Irvine, Ameling showed that she, too, can be human and imperfect.

Years of international touring have convinced Dutch soprano Elly Ameling that the American way of supporting art is superior. The dark-haired singer, currently on a three-month tour that takes her from London through the United States and on to the Orient, says she doesn't believe in "helping artists who turn out only one work a year," a reference to those grant-receiving artists in the Netherlands who produce the minimum to keep their grants.

The art-song singer is a different breed from the opera singer. Whereas the opera singer makes big emotional gestures in order to fill an opera house, the art singer is a miniaturist, alert to nuance, sophistication, understatement, detail. Among the few true art singers of our time must be counted Dutch soprano Elly Ameling, who will give a recital Sunday at 7 p.m. at South Coast Community Church in Irvine.

To cap a career that lasted more than four decades, beloved Dutch soprano Elly Ameling gave a series of farewell recitals last year and then retired. Or so she thought. "I thought, after singing for 40 years, I would be reading the books I have at home [in Holland] and tending my roses," Ameling said by phone from San Diego recently. "But I'm as busy as ever. And I feel it's my duty to pass on what I know."

Gracious lady that she is, Elly Ameling begged the audience's indulgence at Ambassador Auditorium for veering off the lied path and singing two arias (one by Gluck, the other by Mozart), "because paintings on their themes hang in the museum (the Norton Simon) across the street and I could not resist." But what the beloved Dutch soprano effectively did Tuesday with this little speech was apologize for the obvious difficulty "Ch'io mi scordi di te" caused her.

Elly Ameling said goodby to a thousand of her nearest and dearest friends Sunday afternoon. It was--and wasn't--a sentimental occasion. The locale was Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center. The occasion was a recital commemorating the beloved Dutch soprano's farewell to New York. Other valedictories are to follow in other cities this year, but, for reasons unfathomable, Los Angeles will not be among them. If all had gone as planned, the New York concert would have been a singular event.

Wondrous things still happen when Elly Ameling sings. The internationally celebrated, much beloved and exhaustively recorded Dutch soprano remains, at 55, a model recitalist and a most resourceful purveyor of the song literature. But time does not stand still. At the singer's latest local appearance Sunday night in deep Orange County and under auspices of UC Irvine, Ameling showed that she, too, can be human and imperfect.

The art-song singer is a different breed from the opera singer. Whereas the opera singer makes big emotional gestures in order to fill an opera house, the art singer is a miniaturist, alert to nuance, sophistication, understatement, detail. Among the few true art singers of our time must be counted Dutch soprano Elly Ameling, who will give a recital Sunday at 7 p.m. at South Coast Community Church in Irvine.

But how does she sing Gershwin? And what about Ellington? Those were the questions skeptics had to ask when Elly Ameling returned Saturday to Royce Hall, UCLA. For instead of the usual recital of Lied specialties for which she is justly adored, the Dutch soprano promised a cabaret program--everything from the Piaf signature "Les Feuilles mortes" to "The Girl From Ipanema."

Gracious lady that she is, Elly Ameling begged the audience's indulgence at Ambassador Auditorium for veering off the lied path and singing two arias (one by Gluck, the other by Mozart), "because paintings on their themes hang in the museum (the Norton Simon) across the street and I could not resist." But what the beloved Dutch soprano effectively did Tuesday with this little speech was apologize for the obvious difficulty "Ch'io mi scordi di te" caused her.

Sometime, and probably sooner rather than later, when Internet radio becomes a practical reality, the classical music universe could expand with a very big bang. To understand why, just hop onto your browser and check the listings of the great national European radio networks. From http://www.bbc.co.

Years of international touring have convinced Dutch soprano Elly Ameling that the American way of supporting art is superior. The dark-haired singer, currently on a three-month tour that takes her from London through the United States and on to the Orient, says she doesn't believe in "helping artists who turn out only one work a year," a reference to those grant-receiving artists in the Netherlands who produce the minimum to keep their grants.