DAN'S PAPERS, July 18, 2008 Page 35 www.danshamptons.com
Who’s Here By Patrick Christiano The luminous voice of the Grammy Award-winning soprano Kathleen Battle has been heralded throughout the world. Commenting on the major milestones of her illustrious career, critics have been unified in singing her praises. Words like spellbinding, magical, mesmerizing have been used to describe Battle’s performances from the stages of the world’s leading opera houses and major concert halls. She has scaled the heights of the classical musical world with her unmistakable sound, performing with international orchestras. And now Battle will share her enormous talent with audiences at the Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center (WBPAC) this Saturday night, July 19. In addition to concert halls and opera houses, and now WBPAC, Battle has sung in some extraordinary venues, including the White House. She was the featured soloist for Pope Benedict XVI’s visit there this past April — a long way from her humble beginnings singing in church as a child and hoping for a future as a music teacher. Performing the Lord’s Prayer (a request of Mrs. Bush) in front of the largest gathering ever for such a White House event was a heady experience. Two years earlier Mrs. Bush had heard Battle sing spirituals. Battle believes this is why she got the call for the televised event, which she described as “The most exciting, heaven sent occasion of pageantry in my entire life.” That is no small statement for a woman who also performed Mozart’s Coronation Mass at the Vatican for Pope John Paul II. Conducted by the renowned Herbert von Karajan, the Mass was televised and recorded live (it is still is available on CD and home video). Battle has an enormous discography that includes complete operas and concerts, as well as solo albums featuring diverse material. Last spring, just three days before her televised concert with the President and the Pope, Battle performed at Carnegie Hall. Upon making her entrance, before singing a single phrase, she was greated with a fiveminute standing ovation. Prior to that event, she sang for Sting and Trudie Styler at their Carnegie Hall Rainforest Foundation Benefit. The evening, a tribute to Luciano Pavarotti, was underwritten by billionaire financier Ronald O. Perelman and featured pop royalty
Kathleen Battle Soprano that included Billy Joel, James Taylor, and Brian Wilson. Just this past fall at the Black Ball, Battle was one of “Only two performers capable of matching Alicia Keys’ mettle” according to Rolling Stone. “Battle joined Keys for a haunting rendition of the semi-obscure
East at one in the morning. The area is a stark contrast to the city,” said Battle, who admits that somehow, Quogue reminds her of Ohio. She is a native of Portsmouth, where she grew up the youngest of seven children. “I love Quogue, and my roots to the community make it all the more special,” she said. Battle was introduced to the area more than 20 years ago by her late manager at Columbia Artists, Samuel Neifeld, who had a home there. A short time later, she purchased a spec house from Bill Hautmann, a retired police officer who has since passed away. But Diane, his wife, remains Battle’s house watcher/caretaker. About 10 years ago, her friend Jaye Sears, a volunteer firefighter and prominent architect, created an addition to her home in Quogue. “He is a pillar of the community and it’s the special spirit of people like him that make Quogue such a treasure to me,” she said. To further nurture that spirit, not long ago Battle hosted at her home a Gospel Brunch — and she’d like them to become a tradition. With almost two decades of home ownership in Quogue, somehow Battle missed Westhampton’s jewel, the Performing Arts Center. I had never been there [WBPAC] until recently,” she said, her voice at 58 filled with youthful enthusiasm. “I was walking down the street in shorts and stumbled into the theater. I am excited about the evening.” At the time of this interview, Battle hadn’t finalized the program for Saturday, but promised it will be “high flying and all over the place.” WBPAC staff have made the theater available to her all week for rehearsals. To start, she said, she’ll “sing a few bars” to get the feel for the acoustics. Adept at relying on her instincts and intelligence, she has a vast repertoire that runs the gamut from opera to jazz, spanning three centuries from the Baroque era to contemporary works. Although she promises 40 to 50 percent of the music will come from her Spring Carnegie Hall recital, she is also planning to include folk and contemporary music. She’s considering Harold Arlen’s “Over the Rainbow” and Stevie Wonder’s “Never Dreamed You’d Leave in Summer.” Wonder actually coached Battle over the phone on how to interpret his song. As she interprets a song, Battle has a specific approach that leads to her magical bond between the music and the audience. After
As she interprets a song, Battle has a specific approach that leads to her magical bond between the music and the audience. U2/Pavarotti collaboration, “Miss Sarajevo.” Between performances, Battle takes her breaks at her home on New York’s Upper West Side, and here on the East End. Few people are aware that the singer calls Quogue her second home. “I could get the urge to come out
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