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Recital
10 December 2007
Brahmssaal of the Musikverein, Vienna
Simon Keenlyside
Malcolm Martineau
This recital will be broadcast live by Austrian radio station OE1 on 20 December 2007
Programme
Robert Schumann:
12 songs of Justinus Kerner, op. 35
· Lust der Sturmnacht
· Stirb, Lieb und Freund!
· Wanderlied
· Erstes Grün
· Sehnsucht nach der Waldgegend
· Auf das Trinkglas eines verstorbenen Freundes
· Wanderung
· Stille Liebe
· Frage
· Stille Tränen
· Wer machte dich so krank?
· Alte Laute
Interval
Franz Schubert:
Der Wanderer an den Mond, D 870
An den Mond in einer Herbstnacht, D 614
An die Leier, D 737
Geheimes, D 719
Blondel zu Marien, D 626
Prometheus, D 674
Der Wanderer
Daß sie hier gewesen, D 775
Die Sterne, D 939
Im Walde, D 708
Encores
Franz Schubert:
Nachtviolen
Das Fischermädchen
Der Jüngling an der Quelle
What the critics say
Der Standard, 11 December 2007 (Peter Vujica)
Translated by Ursula Turecek
Meditations on Schumann and Schubert
Simon Keenlyside as a lieder singer
Actually everyone who attended Simon Keenlyside’s recital at Musikverein’s Brahmssaal on Monday should be paid a prize instead of being charged an entrance fee.
Not as a compensation for experienced adversity. But quite on the contrary, because they appreciate the very thing that constitutes culture in its purest form.
And above all the English star-baritone cannot be given enough credit to be satisfied with a Brahmssaal (even if it was densely crowded) as an impressive interpreter of Schubert- and Schumann-songs that are not too familiar in part, and who does not let himself be celebrated as Almaviva or Posa in one the world’s greatest opera houses – the Vienna State Opera among them
Together with Malcolm Martineau, his sympathetic partner at the piano he prepared a challenging programme that all but does without popular Schumann- and Schubert-hits. Even more: Regarding the texts’ endurable compatibleness for the taste of today’s audiences this programme must even be called daring.
Thus for example even those who are most sympathetic to chastity on God’s orders can cope only with difficulty with the euphuistically described decision of a girl to become a nun in Justinus Kerner’s Stirb, Lieb und Freud!
Unusually articulate
But the simple musical naturalness with which Simon Keenlyside interpreted theses texts in an articulate way that is unusual even among lieder singers lifted these songs into the position of timeless treasuries. In the almost meditative peace that emanated Keenlyside's completely unagitated interpretations (even in dramatically accented works like Schubert's Prometheus) they were evocative in their best moments of Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau.
The audience appreciated this and included also Malcolm Martineau into their applause.
Wiener Zeitung, 12 December 2007 (Daniel Wagner)
Translated by Ursula Turecek
Shaken, not stirred
Actually Brahmssaal is not small. But when all Vienna comes to a recital by Simon Keenlyside and everyone wants to catch a glimpse it may get cramped.
Which could not at all upset the London-based artist in his casual, easy way. Informally the star-baritone in her Majesty’s service leant in tails at Malcolm Martineau’s side and left the repetiteur [sic!] alone.
Keenlyside’s compatriot was gladly responsive to this demand for discretion, but the vocal concept added up all the more. Schumann’s op. 35, “Zwölf Gedichte nach Justinus Kerner” [12 Poems after Justinus Kerner] became an impulsive emotional release. The baritone who filled the room lead with “Wanderlied” in the thick of an outing to see the moved listeners wipe off “Stille Tränen” [Silent Tears] the next morning.
Those who did not have enough with this tragic note sang with Schubertian highlights “An die Leier” (D 737) [To the lyre] or took a walk “Im Walde“ (D 708) [In the forest].
As the melodies became ever more profound with so much epic breadth, Keenlyside’s faultless German declamation delighted even more. No wonder that the audience demanded again and again encores from him.
Perfect balladeers.
