Sacred Halls and Wide Rivers

Concert with Daniel Lewis Williams and Judith Williams in the Promotionsaula

Together with his daughter, Judith, world renowned bass, Daniel Lewis Williams, gave a Liederabend in the sold-out Promotionsaula. They offered a bouquet of opera arias, operetta arias and spirituals.

Judith Williams
Judith Williams
With the beginning opera aria "In Diesen Heilgen Hallen" from Mozart's MAGIC FLUTE Daniel Lewis Williams demonstrated impressively his enormous vocal power. His voice is truly well tempered, sonorous and in contrast to many of his bass colleagues never looses its clarity and full-bodied sound even in the extreme lower range. His voice has a solid centered core which gives it a broad, room-filling caring power without becoming unpleasant. In addition to his technical abilities, Williams distinguishes himself chiefly through the unbelievably strong powers of artistic expression of which his voice is capable, giving each role the best possible interpretation.

Even though Williams sang the spirituals in the second half of the program with incomparable American feeling they didn't seem to belong in this program since their childish-naïve form of expression seems to conflict with a cultivated, trained voice.

After melodies from Lehar, Strauss and Stolz followed the duet (unfortunately the only duet) "Tonight, Tonight" from Bernstein's WEST SIDE STORY and the gripping rendition of "Old Man River."

Judith Williams contributed arias from Puccini's LA BOHEME and GIANNI SCHICCI with her beautifully timbered voice. Later she made a wonderful impression with her excellent renditions of Gerschwin's "The Man I Love" and "I Got Rhythm." An evening which one will not forget!

VOLKSFREUND Nr. 136, Wolfgang Valerius, Trier