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 Winterreise, D9.11

28, 30 April 2004

Musikverein (Brahms-Saal), Vienna

 

Simon Keenlyside, baritone

Graham Johnson, piano

 

 

These two concerts should have taken place on the 26th and 29th March 2004 with Malcolm Martineau on the piano but as SK was ill at that time they had to be postponed.

 

 

What the critics say

 

Die Presse, 30. 4. 2004 (Walter Weidringer)

Translated by Ursula Turecek

Musikverein: Psychogram of a sick soul

..

Simon Keenlyside and Graham Johnson on the tracks of deep depression in Franz Schubert’s "Winterreise“

..

No, Simon Keenlyside did not seem to be totally fit for this alternate date either when his “Winterreise” took place now in Musikverein one month later and with another accompanist at the piano (Graham Johnson instead of Malcolm Martineau): His baritone did not flow totally freely between a lyrically light top and a virile low core and one or the other huskiness was to be heard too.

..

But this could hardly interfere with the exciting, personal interpretation that Keenlyside presented as work in progress. Vividly and accurately he drew the sometimes unsettlingly precise psychogram not only of a simply suffering but of a deeply sick soul. Following the literal sense of Müller’s texts in the phrasing in every single detail, a naive child’s tone, seemingly indifferent reporting, sallow and internalized resignation and expressively blazing drama collided with each other in deliberately set fidgetiness and with abrupt changes of colour.

..

Thus emphasizing the modernity of Schubert’s oppressive emotional portrait, his perception did not seem to be over-calculated though, but borne by spontaneous emotion – and its effects were even stronger as the technically competent, expressive Graham Johnson at the piano also did not stress the disparate but always the coherent, both melodically and formally.

..

Sure enough, even this concept did not come out ’even’ with no ’remainder’, it did not succeed in dealing with Schubert’s cosmos completely. But a promise for the future is given.