Thomas Quasthoff at Wigmore Hall

Thomas Quasthoff /Justus Zeyen - Wigmore Hall, 21 November 2008

 

Schubert Der Sänger; Auf dem See; Wandrers Nachtlied II; An Schwager Kronos
Musorgsky Lieder und Tänze des Todes
Schumann Liederkreis Op. 39

Encores Schumann Widmung; Schubert Der Musensohn; Seligkeit

Is Thomas Quasthoff planning a new career in chat? He certainly gave us plenty of it at the Wigmore Hall. His introductory speech made a (quite unnecessary) apology for tackling Musorgsky in German rather than Russian, on the eminently reasonable grounds that he doesn't think he should try to sing in a language he doesn't speak. Later he managed a lengthy introduction for each of his encores (without actually mentioning what he was about to sing, it should be added). Not that he's bad at it. I can't think of another singer so able to entertain and hold an audience's attention with this sort of thing. But it disturbs some sort of indefinable equilibrium, turning a recital into a show of a quite different type.

And did it alter his own focus? Intensity was lacking at key moments; there was a hint of going through the motions, or perhaps just tiredness. Quasthoff is blessed with a fine natural instrument. In the lower-lying An Schwager Kronos and particularly the rumbling Musorgsky death songs he used it with devastating power. These were truly terrifying, showing a startling flipside to the jovial bonhomie of his introduction.

Perhaps sustaining this level of intensity throughout a recital is too much to ask of any performer.  Wandrers Nachtlied was by contrast rather half-hearted, as were many parts of the Eichendorff Liederkreis, particularly the higher or quieter passages where Quasthoff is least at ease technically. Justus Zeyen's unobtrusive excellence was some compensation.

Comments

[Doundou Tchil]

Any Lieder singer can and should maintain intensity throughout a recital, that is the nature of Lieder. And this was a basic repertoire programme most singers can do on auto pilot. Which is what TQ was doing. He really wasn't singing well, tho' his fans (like me) can forgive. But to disguise it with chat ! And meaningless chat at that! That's "personality" instead of song.