Jean Lunn

Jean Lunn took on an ambitious task in three recitals of baroque vocal music at Paine Hall Wednesday. In such Italian works as those of Carissimi, Caccini, and Monteverdi, she presented some of the earliest samples of the "new music," a dramatic vocal style evolving during the latter 16th century. In works by Bach, Buxtehude, Couperin, Rameau, A. Scarlatti, and Maurice Greene she traced some of the greatest developments of this style during the following century and a half. The programs were discriminately chosen and revived much music of historical interest and great beauty.

The program featured two Bach contatas, Nos. 51 and 202, for soprano and chamber orchestra. It was a taxing assignment for the soloist and Miss Lunn showed signs of strain near the end of the program. Her voice is by no means powerful and her approach to the music is restrained and undramatic. The opening of the secular cantata Weichet ner, betrubte Schatten, for example, dragged on quite feebly and missed altogether the suggestion of mysterious forces of nature at work during the changing of the seasons.

These objections, however, are far outweighed by the accuracy and excellent musical taste of her performance. Her rendition of Phoebus eilt (Phoebus speeds) did indeed speed, but with an assurance based on sound technical ability. There were many other moments in this work, written for performance at a wedding feast, in which Miss Lunn admirably communicated the tenderness and gaiety of the text.