Wigmore Hall, London
21 September 2010
Christopher Maltman (baritone)
James Gilchrist (tenor)
Julius Drake (piano)
Robert Schumann. The Complete Songs of 1840 – Eichendorff, Kerner and Anderson
Programme
Robert Schumann
Der frohe Wandersmann
Der Schatzgräber
Frühlingsfahrt
Sängers Trost
Trost im Gesang
Liederkreis Op. 39
Interval
Hans Christian Anderson Lieder op 40
Märzveilchen
Muttertraum
Der Soldat
Der Spielmann
Kerner Lieder op 35
Christopher Maltman, James Gilchrist and Julius Drake continue our Schumann Bicentenary Series with a selection of Lieder from 1840. Schumann’s remarkable ‘year of song’, including the second set of Liederkreis – ‘my most Romantic music ever’, said the composer – which features the supernatural forest scene of Waldesgespräch (‘A forest dialogue’) and the rapturous moonlit half-lights of Mondnacht (‘Moonlit night’).
What the critics say
Sam Smith, MusicOMH.com, 28.9.2010
4 Stars
As part of the composer’s bicentenary celebrations, all the songs that Schumann penned in his annus mirabilis can be heard at the Wigmore Hall this season. This recital was devoted to those written to texts by Joseph von Eichendorff, Justinus Kerner and Hans Christian Andersen, and it would have been hard to find a better pair to tackle them than James Gilchrist and Christopher Maltman.
Naturally, their voices produce quite different sounds, but in terms of underlying vocal technique they are remarkably similar. With both, every alteration in dynamic remains thoroughly grounded in the principles of voice control. The most earth shattering crescendos find the voice expanding without ever becoming raucous, while the tiniest whispers remain entirely musical. With Julius Drake providing strong support on the piano, this recital was always set to be memorable.
Maltman sang the twelve songs that make up the Liederkreis Op. 39, all with texts by Eichendorff. The opening ‘In der Fremde’ saw him produce the richest, most secure sound; in the following ‘Intermezzo’ a splendidly rounded tone conveyed all of the joy and sadness inherent in the words, while in ‘Waldesgespräch’ Maltman’s voice frequently snapped between bold assertiveness and quieter tones in an instant.
’Mondnacht’ felt like an ethereal meditation in which the sound seemed to come less from the diaphragm than the heart, while ‘Wehmut’ saw Maltman find dignity amidst the sadness of the title. In ‘Im Walde’ he generated the most intense sound before switching to his bass voice with staggering ease. The best was saved until last, however, as in ‘Frühlingsnacht’ his cry rang out across the hall, growing more and more passionate by the second.
Gilchrist opened the evening with five songs to texts by Eichendorff and Kerner. In ‘Trost im Gesang’ he really conveyed the sense of contentment that the title refers to, and showed a deep instinct for knowing when to drive phrases home and when to let them ‘disappear’ into nothing. In ‘Der Schatzgräber’ his voice shimmered with all the determination and intrigue associated with searching for treasure. In ‘Frühlingsfahrt’ there was a spring in his voice as his hands appeared to caress and draw out the intricacies of every note, while ‘Sängers Trost’ revealed the most dreamy head voice.
In the second half, Maltman sang four songs to texts by Hans Christian Andersen before Gilchrist launched into the Kerner Lieder Op. 35. In this breathtaking performance, highlights included the ‘Wanderlied’ in which the jovial song was imbued with a touch of gravitas by virtue of the resonance in Gilchrist’s light voice, and the final ‘Alte Laute’, which was filled with melancholy and rapt contemplation.
Over the evening there were just a few tiny mistakes but, in the face of such wondrous singing, these became easy to forget and in no way marred anyone’s enjoyment of the music. Maltman, Gilchrist and Drake are a formidable combination.
There are two further concerts in the Schumann Bicentenary Series, Annus Mirabilis: the complete Songs of 1840 – Gerald Finlay sings on Friday 29 October, and Kate Royal and Ian Bostridge on Saturday 13 November. Julius Drake plays on both occasions.