United Kingdom Schubert, Schumann, and Brahms: Matthias Goerne (baritone), Vikingur Ólafsson (piano). Royal Festival Hall, London, 9.12.2022 (MB)
Schubert: Der Wanderer, D 489; Wehmut, D 772; Der Jüngling und der Tod, D 545; Fahrt zum Hades, D 526; Schatzgräbers Begehr, D 761; Grenzen der Menschheit, D 716
Schumann: Meine Rose, Op.90 No.2; Kommen und Scheiden, Op.90 No.3; Die Sennin, Op.90 No.4; Einsamkeit, Op.90 No.5; Der schwere Abend, Op.90 No.6
Schubert: Des Fischers Liebesglück, D 933; Der Winterabend, D 938; Drei Gesänge des Harfners, D 478
Brahms: Vier ernste Gesänge, Op.121
A marvellous music recital from two nice musicians made clear that there’s rather more to musical life—and life basically—in December than Advent, narrowly thought of, though maybe in the end there was a lightweight right here to be discerned, shining within the better darkness of temper and content material. Whilst it could have been fairly a deal with to listen to both Matthias Goerne or Vikingur Ólafsson, to listen to each, in so productive a partnership, was particular certainly. I hope it is going to be the primary of a number of such events.
There was little gentle, at the very least within the sense of hope, within the opening set of six Schubert songs, although there was loads of chiaroscuro, etched, painted, chiselled—for Ólafsson’s piano taking part in, one would possibly say all three, at the very least—to their efficiency. The opening of Der Wanderer had one in little doubt that this was no typical ‘accompanist’; the music started, as if the opening of a sonata: with simply such objective, shaded exquisitely and meaningfully, although removed from in summary. This was, in brief, tone poetry—and the way it elevated nonetheless additional Schubert’s artwork. Goerne, in flip, sang of descending from the mountains, the valley dimming, the ocean roaring, and that’s simply what he appeared to do, a descent as dramatic as if it had been staged, achieved by voice alone. He spoke, or sang, it appeared with the knowledge of ages: a primaeval scene, from which, within the third stanza, an unmistakeable Viennese lilt may but emerge.
That consideration to textual content, not solely from Goerne however from Ólafsson too, marked each side of this recital: not in a pedantic means, however illuminating, alert to what phrases can accomplish, what music can, and what each can collectively (in addition to to what each musicians can do collectively). Der Jüngling und der Tod opens with the sinking of the solar, heard and, crucially, felt from voice and piano alike, the latter’s chords virtually Lisztian (as additionally within the previous Wehmut), but propelled by Schubert’s straightforward, virtually profligate means with melody. The candy fantastic thing about demise, or Death, may chillingly be felt at its shut. The piano line in Fahrt zum Hades was simply as essential to the music’s course because the vocal line, virtually as if this had been a vocal sonata. And the piano’s response to Mayrhofer’s dread phrases ‘dein alter Fluss’ stated as a lot as Goerne’s, finely judged rubato and all. Piano figuration and tone once more labored along with voice in Schatzgräbers Begehr, the Lisztian chordal future (‘Il penseroso’, maybe) returning in Grenzen der Menschheit: a particular partnership with Goerne’s declamatory studying of Goethe.
We turned then to Schumann, to 5 Lenau songs (nos 2-6) from the Sechs Gedichte und Requiem, op.90. ‘Meine Rose’ set the brand new scene completely from the piano: externally fragile, albeit with interior energy and vitality. Vocal delicacy and safety contributed likewise in equal measure. Rankings are inane, but it was tough to not be reminded, nonetheless fleetingly, why typically one feels impelled to raise Schumann even over Schubert as a song-composer. At any charge, right here was a special, later, arguably extra full Romanticism. The magic of the postlude is frequent to each, in fact, although there’s something specific to Schumann’s artistry right here, as we heard within the closing bars of ‘Kommen und Scheiden’. The expectancy of ‘Die Sennin’, the portrait of loneliness as complete situation in ‘Einsamkeit’, and the heaviness, bodily and metaphysical, within the air of ‘Der schwere Abend’ had been all caught to near-perfection.
Returning to Schubert, Des Fischers Liebesglück bore renewed witness to the partnership, seen and audible, onstage. These had been two performances infinitely responsive to 1 one other, with all of the ensuing subtleties that engenders, but in addition the unmistakeable directness of objective. A robbed second in time, a dynamic inflection spoke volumes—as a result of it was acted on, half of a complete for each musicians and certainly for the viewers too. Piano melodies, in whichever voice, in Der Winterabend had the magic of a Schubert impromptu: infinitely touching, and pregnant of a lot poetic promise. The three Harper’s Songs from Wilhelm Meister proved in flip ardent, sorrowful and offended, and one thing near chamber music with phrases, line in each components supremely effectively judged.
And line, if something, proved nonetheless extra the guiding thread to Brahms’s Four Serious Songs, right here sounding as if Schubert and Bach had joined collectively to arrange a path new, but outdated: which, in a means, could be very a lot what that they had. (Not to overlook Schumann both.) The compelling move of the primary music, ‘Dann es gehet dem Menschen wie dem Vieh’ appeared to recall the world of Ein deutsches Requiem, albeit right here the extra finely distilled. Its kind was grasped and communicated completely, third stanza ready by its two predecessors and incorporating their insights and expertise into a real return. ‘Ich wandte mich’ was delivered as if by the Preacher himself, Goerne in his factor. The bell-like high quality to Ólafsson’s closing chord stated simply as a lot. ‘O Tod, wie bitter bist du’ was as darkish because the verses themselves; but, in typical Brahmsian trend, captured to a tee by Goerne and Ólafsson alike, it revealed a myriad of colors as quickly as one really listened. ‘Rousing’ is probably not fairly the suitable phrase for ‘Wenn ich mit Menschen und mit Engelszungen redete’, but it surely was maybe not to date off. It made for a tremendous conclusion in so some ways, seeming to have the total measure of this extraordinary music each in itself and because the final of 4. This was distinguished music-making certainly.
Mark Berry