Matthias Goerne & David Fray in late Schubert

Not like an artist like Mark Padmore, Goerne made no try to create a story via Schwanengesang, these songs had been merely a sequence of states of thoughts. But Goerne’s protagonist was clearly an intense man, feeling every thing deeply. ‘Liebesbotschaft’ started with each singer and pianist presenting us with gently flowing music, although there was little that was relaxed about Goerne’s bodily presence. But he gave us a superb legato line together with superb phrases. ‘Kriegers Ahnung’ had a powerful sense of interior drama as Goerne moved between robust, darkish, emphatic supply (mirrored by Fray’s piano) and one thing lighter and extra legato to spotlight the moments when the warrior goals of his beloved. It nearly turned an interior dialogue.

‘Frühlingssehnsucht’ started with Fray’s frivolously characterful piano and Goerne’s keen and fascinating but nonetheless critical method. Goerne certainly took a critical strategy to the tune, utilizing his vocal timbre and color to form the drama. ‘Ständchen’ was very current with an depth to the vocal line, actually right here Goerne was excited about extra than simply vocal magnificence and there was an interior melancholy to each his and Fray’s efficiency.

Within the storms of ‘Aufenthalt’, Fray’s piano was robust however not overly so and Goerne’s efficiency had a trenchant high quality. His method of compacting prime strains to make them extra intense did typically really feel mannered right here, and the ultimate verses had been darkish and stressed. We had been promised an additional tune, the late Rellstab setting Herbst which is expounded, however this didn’t appear to occur. Fray’s piano in ‘In der Ferne’ was stark and concentrated matching Goerne’s deep, darkish melancholy. As Goerne screwed up the strain within the tune, his consideration to the standard of line didn’t stop and the ultimate verse had some magically mild moments. The ultimate Rellstab setting, ‘Abschied’ noticed Fray bringing robust accents to his characterful piano enjoying, and there was a vivid character to Goerne’s efficiency, critical but with typically a way of marvel because the poet bids farewell to every thing round him.

‘Der Atlas’, the primary Heine setting, noticed an actual change of temper. Goerne and Fray started the tune so strongly it was nearly overwhelming. They relaxed within the center, however this overwhelming energy returned on the finish. ‘Ihr Bild’ was quietly intense with Goerne’s lengthy, drawn-out strains supported by Fray’s troubled piano. The sound world right here was very distinctive and after the second verse the 2 appeared nearly suspended in time. But on the finish, the piano postlude offered a powerful response. Fray’s mild piano in ‘Das Fischermädchen’ with its sprung rhythms was not matched by Goerne’s extra critical strategy with every phrase and phrase fastidiously formed and colored.

Fray set the scene splendidly in ‘Die Stadt’ along with his piano contributions originally and after every verse being beautifully eerie. Goerne’s poet was deep and darkish. For all his innate lyricism right here, Goerne made the tune a distinctly uncomfortable farewell. ‘Am Meer’ moved between the darkish, intense and the lighter legato moments, nearly delineating current and previous. There was a really expressionist really feel to ‘Der Doppelgänger’, concentrated and darkish in its depth at first, however then Goerne made particular person notes extra distinct till the ending which appeared pushed proper to the sting.

As offered within the programme, the efficiency omitted Die Taubenpost whose textual content is by Seidl and should or might not be associated to the opposite songs. [Discuss!] However Goerne and Fray gave it to us as an encore. As is likely to be anticipated there was a energy to this efficiency but at instances Goerne nearly appeared to bounce to the music.

After the interval we turned to one among Schubert’s three late piano sonatas. Works whose distinctiveness (and sheer size) didn’t at all times endear them to admirers. Fray’s strategy was once more deceptively relaxed, but his means to conjure poised magic contrasted with the moments of vivid depth and energy. There was an interior restlessness right here, past the floor magnificence and wonderful fluidity of his enjoying. Within the first motion, Fray’s magical, quietly flowing interpretation of the primary theme meant that its returns felt nearly like a motto, particularly as our ears detected a hyperlink to the sooner songs. But the limpid high quality contrasted with placing temper modifications, although the finger tremolo appeared an nearly fixed.

There was a managed environment to the sluggish motion too, its sense of time suspended interrupted by moments of depth together with a sooner, hotter center part. The third motion was mild and busy, participating but filled with distinction with a center part the place Fray’s off beat accents heightened the disturbance. The finale was pressing and febrile, but there was an uncompromising high quality to Fray’s efficiency, this wasn’t sheer enjoyable. There have been thrives of fantasy and powerfully vibrant moments.

General, this didn’t really feel just like the final testomony that some performances might be. As a substitute we encountered a stressed poet whose floor poise hid darkish depths.