Jonas Kaufmann - at Wigmore Hall - at last

Jonas Kaufmann / Helmut Deutsch - Die schöne Müllerin - Wigmore Hall, 31 October 2010

 

Jonas Kaufmann hasn't given a London recital for five years or so, part of the reason why this was the hottest Wigmore ticket in living memory. Even many Wigmore 'Friends' were disappointed. A box office assistant told me they could have sold out ten times. The queue of hopefuls waiting for returns stretched down Wigmore Street.

Inside, the lucky ticket holders included the royal presence of the Duke of Kent. Halloween ambience was provided by Angela Gheorghiu, disguised as herself.

And all for just an hour's music. But it was so worth it.

Kaufmann's been singing Die schöne Müllerin for a long time now, and every note seems deeply embedded.  He has no need for the usual theatrics. Time has given him the courage to let the music speak for itself. There was no shouting, no exaggerated sneering, no whispering or generalised emoting. Painting with the finest of brushstrokes, every note is subtly coloured. His diction is exquisite, clear yet natural, and each syllable emerged perfectly shaped and weighted.

Although of course we all came to hear Jonas Kaufmann, he has a gift usually reserved for the greatest of pianists. That's the gift of seeming to disappear from the performance, becoming a mere vessel for the composer. With Helmut Deutsch's easy, unimposing piano behind his voice, I felt I was hearing nothing but Schubert, from the source.

Although his voice has darkened considerably over the years, the effect is still young and fresh. But his lad is not the impulsive teenager of some interpretations. A certain stillness, musical and physical, added a ruminative, poetic dimension. There were no abrupt changes of mood or dynamic. The songs followed one after the other like pages in book. Even the pauses between them were calibrated to perfection. If there was one thing this recital lacked, it would be a sense of spontaneity I suppose - but is that really necessary?

Kaufmann wove his magic with the tiniest of nuances, whether in dark, covered full voice or rock-steady mezza voce or immaculately floated head voice. What recordings don't capture is the physical scale of his sound, the different ways it fills the air. The astonishing range of expressivity though is something recordings can't destroy.

The recital will be broadcast on Radio 3 at 7pm on 10 November. Unmissable.

 
 
 

And below Jonas sings Schubert's Der Jüngling an der Quelle, which he encored with. 

Comments

[S.A.]

Question- Are recitals generally just one hour? Was this just an approximated comment Im reading too much into? Sorry I don't go to recitals because hearing them described usually makes me want to pass out from boredom. But surely it was longer than that/surely they usually are?

[Keithyboy]

I accidentally brushed passed him at Saturday's matinee of Rigoletto, so that made me happy!

[inter mezzo]

@SA Die schöne Müllerin takes most singers just over an hour to perform - it's generally done in one go, without a break. Recitals are more usually two halves of 30-50 minutes each.

@Keithyboy 'accidentally', rite.....

[Brainpack]

Intermezzo! Brava! Again, you are spot on with your comments! But probably due to my innate agitation I did miss a bit of spontaneous outburst of a passionate, simple journeyman lad who's been unlucky in love...

"A certain stillness, musical and physical, added a ruminative, poetic dimension. There were no abrupt changes of mood or dynamic. The songs followed one after the other like pages in book. Even the pauses between them were calibrated to perfection. If there was one thing this recital lacked, it would be a sense of spontaneity I suppose"

[Howard]

'Halloween ambience was provided by Angela Gheorghiu, disguised as herself.' is *so* evil and *so* good!

[Maggy]

'Halloween ambience was provided by Angela Gheorghiu, disguised as herself.'
Yes, I totally agree with Howard, so, I'd love to see a picture of Miss Gheorghiu in this attire...

[Michael]

Totally agree Intermezzo, it was a most glorious occasion and I am so lucky to have been there.

[Chris]

Jessica Duchen on twitter:
'I even had a nice chat with Angela in the Green Room. She had on a wonderful purple fluffy jacket'.
I suppose she didn't look bad!

[Jim]

Lovely. But I think his ability to shift to sweet and soft has its most magical effects in Wagner (Lohengrin) where it is novel and unexpected. Truly a revelation.

[Anne]

Years ago, in the 60s, artists such as Janet Baker, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau would give recitals at the Festival Hall. Surely Jonas Kaufman could be engaged to do the same. And it would give we lesser mortals a chance to see and hear him.