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Recital

Schwarzenberg Schubertiade

5 September 2001

Simon Keenlyside, baritone

Graham Johnson, piano

Franz Schubert :

·        An die Leier (To the lyre)

·        Stimme der Liebe (Voice of love)

·        Fischerlied, D 351 (Fisherman’s song) 

·        Fischerweise (Fisherman’s song) 

·        Vom Mitleiden Mariae (Mary’s compassion)

·        Der Jüngling und der Tod

·        Das Lied eines Schiffers an die Dioskuren

Gustav Mahler

·        Ich atmet' einen linder Duft

·        Des Antonius von Padua Fischpredigt

·        Ich ging mit Lust durch einen grünen Wald

·        Frühlingsmorgen

·        Scheiden und Meiden

·        Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen

Encores

Franz Schubert :

L’incanto degli occhi

Die Sterne

Der Jüngling am Bach

What the critics say

Anna Mika for the Neue Vorarlberger Tageszeitung, 7 September 2001

Translated by Ursula Turecek

Keenlyside: Splendid voice in a fidgety body:

The British baritone Simon Keenlyside interpreted songs by Schubert and Mahler at the Schubertiade in Schwarzenberg on Wednesday afternoon.

There are always top class singers whose body language is not as aesthetic as, say Angelika Kirchschlager’s. A current example is Robert Holl, whose very particular stereotypical gesture is said to have been described recently by a London critic as “cracking of lice”.

Simon Keenlyside is another singer who does not make happy when watched. He even nervously changes the position of his hand several times during Schubert’s spiritual song “Vom Mitleiden Mariae”, he still wipes the sweat from his forehead during the prelude of the same composer’s “Fischerweise” and manages to scratch his finger just during the song “Der Jüngling und der Tod”. But all this and even more is not the endearing tic of an established artist, it seems to be a basic bad habit of which he should get rid as soon as possible. For in the ideal case – which should be self-evident on this prominent podium – singing and accordingly the contents of the song seizes the whole body, from the first sound of the piano to its fading. His compatriot Ian Bostridge has made this certainly inimitable on the same evening. (Note: This concert is one of those for which the Schubertiade did not provide tickets of the Neue.)

Keenlyside, a Don Giovanni in demand on many great stages, seemingly needs the scene to be able to develop. This became clear in the scene “Herr Josef Spaun, Assessor in Linz”, facetiously arranged by Schubert in the vein of great opera. Here he becomes a live wire, here he whirls the coloraturas, here he throws the word “Barbar” terrifyingly into the hall. Generally Keenlyside’s voice is worth listening to, it has a velvety mellowness, it has warmth, brilliance and eroticism and a considerable spectrum of expression, a fact that he made clear right at the beginning with Schubert’s “An die Leier”.

As much drama as poetry:

After the interval he succeeded in a particularly beautiful interpretation of songs by Gustav Mahler where we finally must mention the sensitive and reliable Graham Johnson at the piano too. He made us forget that he was only playing the piano reduction of an orchestral part. Voice and piano sparkled and laughed in “Des Antonius von Padua Fischpredigt”, the “Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen” were as full of drama as of poetry. “Die zwei blauen Augen von meinem Schatz” cannot be sung more tenderly and forgivingly.

Keenlyside succeeded in definitely being more relaxed with the three Schubert songs as encores: Once again magical eyes, in Italian this time with “L’incanto degli occhi”, afterwards “Die Sterne” and “Der Jüngling am Bach”.

Simon Keenlyside: Listening to him makes me happy, watching him rather less so.

Vorarlberger Nachrichten, 7 September 2001

Translated by Ursula Turecek

Existential statements?

Simon Keenlyside, the well-known English baritone, interpreted together with his experienced countryman Graham Johnson at the piano a recital with works by Schubert and Mahler. For all his brilliant vocal material and a delicately aesthetic colouring the singer leaves many wishes unfulfilled.

Friedrich Gulda said once: „When you are making music, you must feel that with every note your life is at stake!” How much more does this remark apply to the emotional language of early Romanticism in lieder singing. I do not want to put into question the keen commitment of singer at all, but arguably his intellectual insight or a emotionally compelling reasoning of an exemplifying mental attitude.

This was not to be discovered in the first song, „An die Leier“, where Keenlyside impressed by forming vehement contrasts. But the following song, “Stimme der Liebe”, which after all does feature the line “Denn mir tönt die himmlische Stimme” came across as a bit too superficial, a little too laboured.

It would be unfair to contrast the up to now unique talent, the singer of the recital which followed, Ian Bostridge in some songs he sang too with Simon Keenlyside’s interpretations.

But we may address the value-free assimilated emotional content that is also connected closely with its stilistic realisation. Thus the effortlessness of “Fischerlied” was not convincing, while in “Fischerweise” Graham Johnson confused pianistic activity with bulkiness, a question of technique and not the singer’s fault at all.

„Vom Mitleiden Mariae“ however short in the lines, „Der Wanderer“ after Schlegel beautiful in atmosphere but technically coming apart. Das “Lied eines Schiffers an die Dioskuren” simply showed Keenlyside’s stilistic flaws, a lack of [finishing the phrases], etc.

After the interval, Mahler’s songs turned out well characterised and more convincing. The brilliant “Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen” however are still purest Romanticism and need deeper credibility.