New York Concert Review
May 2001by Daniel Thompson
It should be stated from the outset that Mark Uhlemann has an extraordinarily beautiful voice. From the moment he sang his first note, it is not an exaggeration to say that for three for four minutes I was absolutely transfixed…. His timbre at all points of his range is generally superb, and he proved throughout the recital to be in absolute command of the material. He was accompanied by the extremely capable Howard Watkins, whose sensitivity to the material and to Mr. Uhlemann’s phrasing and pacing proved an exemplary complement to the vocalist’s own musicality.
…Beside the name of the first song… I simply wrote "stunning", and it was: phrasing, vocal quality, dynamics, pitch, rhythm, tempo – Mr., Uhlemann proved he "had it all together."….
Mr. Uhlemann’s stage persona is very pleasant, and this was especially noticeable during his rendition of the Schumann songs, in which the naturalness of his facial expressions was complemented by tasteful, minimal gestures. Mr. Uhlemann’s audience was enthusiastic throughout the evening – they burst into unexpected applause after the first two Schumann songs….
Mr. Uhlemann’s performance of ("Come Away, Come Away, Death" by Gerald Finzi) could not have been improved upon – his unaffected, modest, and heartfelt delivery was note-perfect. The other songs… were all effectively delivered….
Mr. Uhlemann closed the program with four songs from Rachmaninoff…. It was nice to hear a language other than German, French, English, or Italian being sung from the stage at Merkin Hall and since so many other young voice soloists focus only on those four, it would appear that Mr. Uhlemann’s linguistic capability places yet another card up his capacious sleeve…. The recital ended very strongly, and it was here – with the impressively performed piano octaves, that the audience was again reminded of the skills of the accompanist, Mr. Watkins. It was a rousing close for both singer and keyboardists, and the audience shouted its approval.
It is not common to find a singer who has an exceptionally pleasant sounding voice in the lower reaches of the male register; still less is it likely that those who do have an extraordinary sound have command of extremely impressive technique. Mark Uhlemann is one of the few who are gifted with supremely beautiful timbre and who have mastered technique. This evening’s performance proved to be a truly impressive New York debut from this young bass-baritone.