Brahms \u2013 <\/strong>Dein blaues Auge<\/em>, Op.59 No.8; Von ewiger Liebe<\/em>, Op.43 No.1, Feldeinsamkeit<\/em>, Op.86 No.2; Wie rafft\u2019 ich mich auf in der Nacht<\/em>, Op.32 No.1; Auf dem Kirchhofe<\/em>, Op.105 No.4<\/p>\n Mahler \u2013 <\/strong>Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen <\/em><\/p>\n Schubert \u2013 <\/strong>Auf Der Bruck\u2019<\/em>, D853; Im Abendrot<\/em>, D799; Rastlose Liebe<\/em>, D138; Lied des gefangenen J\u00e4gers<\/em>, D843; An die T\u00fcren will ich schleichen<\/em>, D478c; Der Wanderer<\/em>, D649; Der Wanderer an den Mond<\/em>, D870; Der Einsame<\/em>, D800; Der Schiffer<\/em>, D536; An Schwager Kronos<\/em>, D369; Der Doppelg\u00e4nger,<\/em> D957 No. 13; Nacht und Tr\u00e4ume<\/em>, D827<\/p>\n Christoph Pr\u00e9gardien was because of be joined by his son, Julian, for this recital, including a familial dimension to the Oxford Lieder Festival\u2019s theme of \u2018friendship in song\u2019 this yr. As the latter was unwell, that left Pr\u00e9gardien p\u00e8re<\/em> alone on the platform, with Michael Gees \u2013 nonetheless hardly a prospect to be sniffed at! The programme was thematically nicely devised in that includes songs by three composers, largely about love \u2013 sometimes\u00a0fulfilled, however primarily aggravated, thwarted or betrayed \u2013 and a few of them aptly set towards a backdrop of darkish, stormy climate, appropriately chosen for this late October night time.<\/p>\n Perhaps probably the most conspicuous achievement on this recital, fairly apart from any particular person felicities particularly\u00a0songs or phrases, was Pr\u00e9gardien\u2019s constantly assured projection and actual diction, sustained throughout the entire programme in order that it was related by a deeply musical unity,\u00a0regardless of the various repertoire from the stylistically assorted composers. A number of barely strained excessive notes within the first few songs hardly mattered and ceased in a while in any case (as demonstrated within the ringing readability tellingly held on \u2018Sonnenschein\u2019 in Mahler\u2019s \u2018Ging heut\u2019 morgen \u00fcber\u2019s Feld\u2019). Otherwise there was a reliable solidity in tone all through, which blended particularly nicely with the wealthy center register of the Steinway piano when voice and instrument hovered across the similar tessitura,\u00a0not least in order to grasp in sound the nice and cozy glow of night eulogised in Schubert\u2019s \u2018Im Abendrot\u2019. Pr\u00e9gardien\u2019s\u00a0exact intonation additionally made an arresting impact the place the melody took an sudden flip as within the flattened sevenths which happen in the direction of the tip of Brahms\u2019s \u2018Von ewiger Liebe\u2019, or once more within the center part of Mahler\u2019s \u2018Die zwei blauen Augen von meinem Schatz\u2019 because the vocal line performs round exquisitely with the tonal ambiguity of the piano half which shifts backwards and forwards from main to minor.<\/p>\n Gees\u2019s taking part in was all the time considerate, setting an apt environment and tempo for each track, and so making of every one, alongside Pr\u00e9gardien, a enormously involving drama. The Brahms songs all emerged darkly, however warmly, instilling a temper of concentrated introversion usually; and notably a spellbound stillness for \u2018Feldeinsamkeit\u2019, or an indefatigable tread like a funeral march for the singer\u2019s survey of a graveyard for \u2018Auf dem Kirchhofe\u2019. The latter was made all of the extra compelling by Pr\u00e9gardien\u2019s solemn supply of its last two strains (observing how the useless are launched from the world\u2019s travails) like a chorale or as if looking forward to the religious earnestness of the identical composer\u2019s Four Serious Songs<\/em>.<\/p>\n Both performers introduced a special vary of colors to Mahler\u2019s cycle, evoking one thing of the broader expressive prospects of the composer\u2019s later model for orchestra, such because the pressing opening of \u2018Wenn mein Schatz Hochzeit macht\u2019 giving method to an ironic little waltz within the center, or the nonetheless extra pained desperation of \u2018Ich\u2019 hab ein gluhend Messer\u2019, ending in strains from Pr\u00e9gardien which had been as a lot shouted or declaimed as sung, in agonised frustration. \u2018Die zwei blauen Augen\u2019 was delivered as if a lethal solemn march.<\/p>\n The sequence of Schubert songs opened with a agency jolt from the piano, sweeping up each instrumental and vocal components and driving them powerfully by way of Schubert\u2019s galloping setting of verse which recounts a lover briskly driving to his beloved on a horse, with components of \u2018Erlk\u00f6nig\u2019\u00a0concerning the music, however with out the tragedy. A equally vigorous pressure continued by way of the subsequent few songs, till the primary Wanderer\u2019s imaginative and prescient of the moon was met with a quiet, nonetheless solemnity, somewhat than unduly portentous, and \u2018Der Wanderer an den Mond\u2019 had an attractively\u00a0wry briskness to it. \u2018Der Einsame\u2019 captured each a way of humour, and the thoughtfulness of the speaker as he kind of holds a dialog with himself concerning the pleasures of his solitary state of affairs. \u2018An Schwager Kronos\u2019 was a stern deal with by Pr\u00e9gardien, with uncompromising help from the piano, earlier than a devastatingly\u00a0nonetheless however horrified depth got here from each for \u2018Der Doppelg\u00e4nger\u2019, from Schwanengesang<\/em>, certainly one of the crucial dramatic of all Schubert\u2019s 600 and extra songs.<\/p>\n Concluding the recital formally, a rapt, broad efficiency of \u2018Nacht und Tr\u00e4ume\u2019 (its opening chord following on kind of immediately from \u2018Der Doppelg\u00e4nger\u2019) continued the nocturnal theme, however now providing relaxation and catharsis, with Gees\u2019s\u00a0gently rocking accompaniment and Pr\u00e9gardien\u2019s completely\u00a0safe line. As an encore they gave a fairly strenuous rendition of\u00a0Schubert\u2019s \u2018An mein Herz\u2019, D860, nervously\u00a0clipped at first, however growing with implacable stride by way of its verses to the tip. That set the seal on a exceptional recital, inciting this reviewer to a few glasses of wine within the nearest public home instantly afterwards to come back again right down to earth!<\/p>\n Curtis Rogers<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n [ad_2]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" [ad_1] United Kingdom Oxford Lieder Festival 2022 [8] \u2013 Brahms, Schumann, Schubert: Christoph Pr\u00e9gardien (tenor), Michael Gees (piano). St John the Evangelist Church, Oxford, 26.10.2022. (CR) Brahms \u2013 Dein blaues Auge, Op.59 No.8; Von ewiger Liebe, Op.43 No.1, Feldeinsamkeit, Op.86 No.2; Wie rafft\u2019 ich mich auf in der Nacht, Op.32 No.1; Auf dem Kirchhofe, Op.105 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8788,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-8786","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-theatre"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/showbizztoday.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8786","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/showbizztoday.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/showbizztoday.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/showbizztoday.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/showbizztoday.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8786"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/showbizztoday.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8786\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/showbizztoday.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8788"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/showbizztoday.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8786"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/showbizztoday.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8786"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/showbizztoday.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8786"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"United](\"https:\/\/seenandheard-international.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/world-flags\/images\/flags\/24\/gb.png\" "\\"United")
United Kingdom<\/span><\/span><\/span> Oxford Lieder Festival 2022 [8] \u2013 Brahms, Schumann, Schubert: <\/span><\/strong>Christoph Pr\u00e9gardien (tenor), Michael Gees (piano). St John the Evangelist Church, Oxford, 26.10.2022. (CR)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/seenandheard-international.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Get-2-250x250.jpg\")
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