Recital - Winterreise

Simon and Malcolm Martineau will perform Winterreise at the Konzerthaus in Vienna on Saturday 08 November 2025.

Programme

Franz Schubert - Winterreise D911

SOUNDBITES

Der Standard, 10.11.2025, Ljubiša Tošić

Translation of the German text by Google Translate:

"The death journey of the wandering melancholic in Franz Schubert's Winterreise cycle leaves no room for doubt: the protagonist is treading paths from which there is no return. However, as could be heard at the Vienna Konzerthaus, musical tragedies, even in their final stages, can encompass a wealth of facets and emotional nuances, in which memories of happiness and hopeful dreams about failed relationships briefly illuminate the darkness with flashes of brighter tonalities.

Although the reliable, unpretentious, and motivating pianist Malcolm Martineau often moves almost seamlessly from one song to the next, thus intensifying the restlessness, urgency, and inner turmoil of the character, baritone Simon Keenlyside, despite the impulsiveness of his performance, which was spiced with occasional theatrical gestures, succeeds in portraying the character's inner drama with nuance.

Strong Contrasts

Despite all his expressive devotion, Keenlyside relies on strong contrasts: In "Auf dem Flusse" (On the River), the despair is rendered impressively by his clear and vibrantly captivating voice. The scenes of suffering and anger in "Frühlingstraum" (Spring Dream) culminate in a scene that oscillates between dream and reality and also demonstrates Keenlyside's capacity for the poetic. In "Rast" (Rest), the British baritone goes all out with an extroverted approach. His performance, however, never sounds operatic; the intimacy of the song is never disrupted.

There were even more shades of expression: bitterness characterizes "Im Dorfe" (In the Village), fragility "Der Wegweiser" (The Signpost). Simple, melancholic melodic lines finalize the cycle in the Mozart Hall with "Der Leiermann" (The Organ Grinder), whose expressive content derives its effect, paradoxically, from its very lack of overt expression. While there may have been moments of uncertainty, as in "Irrlicht" (Will-o'-the-wisp), this was a captivating psychological portrait in the realm of melancholy."

Die Presse, 10.11.2025, Jens F Laurson (subscription required)

Translation by Google Translate

"......he didn't take advantage of the intimacy of the Mozart Hall, but rather exerted more force than necessary.  "The cold winds blew / Right in his face" – and Keenlyside countered, successfully fighting against them with determination, pacing up and down the stage like a Rilkean tiger. "The post brings no letter for you..." was, however, almost spoken, gently phrased. A single croak did creep in, but it came, appropriately, in "The Crow." In "The Signpost" – the song in which the very last hope vanishes – Keenlyside initially maintained an even tone, only to then darken the final stanza.

Here, he was accompanied, in wonderfully monochrome monotony, by the veteran lied pianist Malcolm Martineau, who, throughout, was in robust, dramatic interplay with the singer: sometimes laconic, sometimes with nervous energy, but always without false restraint and with a rounded, noble touch. One cannot attribute interpretive authority over the text to Keenlyside – too many passages were unclear. But there are hundreds of ways to interpret this song cycle – and this strong, somewhat rough version was undoubtedly successful in its own way."