Matthias Goerne seems to have taken it upon himself
to alter the concept of what a ‘Song Recital’ should be, developing
and heightening the one – composer evening beloved of Fischer – Dieskau,
in itself a style unusual at a time when Lieder recitals were often
pick ‘n mix affairs. Indeed, there are still a few people around who
can’t quite cope with the notion of a recital which is relentlessly
serious from beginning to end, which includes no sigh-inducing favourites
and which always concludes with the scheduled piece rather than a fistful
of lollipops. There are plenty of singers who can provide us with a
bit of this and a bit of that, but Goerne clearly wishes to lead us
in a new direction, one which was discerned on this occasion by four
works which were linked not only in their intensity but their themes.
Schubert’s ‘Leichenfantasie’ was written when the composer
was fourteen, so it is hardly surprising that the vocal part is not
as eloquently shaped as those of his later works; it is rarely performed,
and one can see why, since not only is it very demanding in technical
terms but it also has a text which is, to say the least, gloomy. Goerne
and Schneider’s performance was a small miracle of extracting great
art from seemingly unpromising material, and the singing made you believe
that this work is fascinating all the way through as opposed to having
mere occasional patches of beauty, which is how I had previously heard
it.
Unsurprisingly, Goerne used a score for this and the
other pieces, but he seemed hardly to glance at it, and its presence
did not in any way detract from his vivid, arresting powers of communication.
It’s one thing for a singer to have his head buried in, say, ‘Heidenröslein,’
and quite another to have the music of such a piece as this one, which
he may well sing again only once or twice in his life, in front of him.
Both he and Schneider performed it with tremendous commitment, the singer
raking the auditorium with his blazing eyes during the more tempestuous
lines, and giving real point to such moments as ‘Nein doch, Vater –
Horch!’ as well as the most poignant tenderness to the evocations of
the youth’s earthly and heavenly life: Goerne sang such lines as ‘Deine
Wonne und dein Paradies’ and ‘Wiedersehen – himmlischer Gedanke!’ with
that sense of transfigured rapture at visionary moments which is so
much a hallmark of his art.
Beethoven’s settings of six poems by Gellert followed,
daringly without any break; one felt that a direct link was being made,
and it was an apposite one, since these intensely powerful songs are
meditations upon the lot of suffering Man and his relationship with
his God, especially in ‘Vom Tode,’ which considers mutability and warns
of what may be to come. Goerne sang this with directness and real fervour,
and the ensuing ‘Die Ehre Gottes aus der Natur’ showed his voice at
its most powerful and heroic. The final song in the group, ‘Busslied,’
is a kind of muted scream for help, and is exactly the sort of piece
which calls forth from Goerne his most individual singing; he seems
to have a special feeling for such phrases as ‘meinen Sunden’ and ‘meinen
Jammer,’ and the closing ‘Und nimmt meiner Seelen an’ brought the first
half of the recital to a most involving conclusion.
After the interval we heard Liszt’s adaptation of parts
of ‘Das Rheingold,’ played by Eric Schneider with eloquent grandeur,
and providing an appropriate introduction to the final piece, what might
be called Goerne’s London debut in a Wagner role, albeit on this occasion
‘just’ Wotan’s Farewell from ‘Die Walküre.’ Goerne has said that
he will never sing the role in a full staging, and it’s true that his
voice would be a little on the slender side for the part, but he lacked
nothing in terms of that ideal combination of rueful tenderness, nobility,
paternal and ‘godly’ authority and sheer mastery of the music which
all Wotans must possess. His singing of such lines as the searing ‘Der
freier als ich, der Gott!’ and the heartbreaking ‘Mit des Lebewohles
letztem Kuss!’ reminded some listeners of that of the Wotan who is,
to me, the finest of all singers recorded in this role, the great Ferdinand
Frantz.
It is well known that Goerne has unusual breath control,
but here he excelled even himself, sustaining phrases like ‘So küsst
er die Gottheit von dir!’ with room to spare, and giving majestic emphasis
to his commands that the fire be summoned. It’s possible to say that
this Wotan is loving, tender and paternally regretful as opposed to
the more hectoring characters one so often hears onstage, but that is
perhaps more appropriate to this intimate setting. The central section
beginning with ‘Der Augen leuchtendes Paar’ was some of the most beautiful
singing I have ever heard on any stage, and the whole was redolent of
the most profound commitment to this glorious music. It was accompanied
by Schneider with some of the most empathetic playing I’ve experienced
from him, particularly towards the end where Wotan bids his child a
final farewell.
Yet another wonderfully revelatory evening from this
unique singer, making us hear familiar works in a new light and introducing
us to lesser pieces which are greatly illuminated by being set in such
judicious contexts. Goerne will next sing here in February, when he
will take part in the Wolf Centenary Festival with Schneider and Christine
Schäfer, and then again in May when he will give a recital in honour
of William Lyne and also take part in the final gala concert of the
‘Director’s Festival’. No doubt, whatever the chosen repertoire, it
will send lovers of Song home in as happy a state as they seemed to
be in on this evening.
Melanie Eskenazi
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