Simone Kermes Brings Baroque, Pop, and a Dash of Punk to Sóller

An Unusual Debut in Sóller

On Sunday evening the small church of Sant Bartomeu in Sóller filled not only with music but with stories. Simone Kermes, internationally known for her sparkling style and bold interpretations, stood in the spotlight on Mallorcan soil for the first time. Those who thought a classical soprano evening would be tame were proven wrong.

Program: wild, varied, surprising

The concert bore the title ¡Viva! and stylistically jumped across the repertoire: Monteverdi meets Vivaldi, Purcell calls for Handel, then a jump to Mendelssohn, Strauss, Rossini – and suddenly Gershwin and a few pop gems. Kermes even has her own version of the piece she calls Dress of Light: a text that nods to Tchaikovsky's The Seasons and carries the motif to the sea, to raspberry ice and freckles (!) Sounds quirky? It was. And beautiful.

Between the pieces Kermes told anecdotes: about a spontaneous encore at the Elbphilharmonie, when she linked Baroque with a modern headline, and about the idea of letting pop and Baroque flow into each other. It quickly becomes clear: the woman likes borders – and to cross them.

Roots, teachers and a bit of punk

Her milestones are also interesting. Kermes spoke openly about the time when, as a young singer, she wore a punk haircut and how she persisted despite conventions. Lessons from luminaries such as Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau opened her eyes to interpretation; other encounters were tougher, instructive in doubt. All of it belongs, she says, and shapes her stage presence.

Things grew touching when she spoke of the mission: not only to show brilliant technique but to move people. In the Corona era she experienced that music can heal – sometimes a voice is all words can replace.

Logistics

The duo with pianist Suzanne Bradbury functioned like a good beach walk: sometimes stormy, sometimes shallow. Tickets were available via ticketib.com, admission 30 euros (reduced 15). Those who were there took away more than notes: an artist who works with humor, courage and great openness.

I'm not a classical fan through and through, but after this evening I resolved to listen more closely. Sóller has certainly not been overestimated, but enriched.