Song Recital Series at Wigmore Hall

Sunday 23 October 2005

Toby Spence – tenor / Julian Milford – piano

Beethoven – An die ferne Geliebte Op 98

Brahms – 5 Lieder Op 49

Mahler – 4 Lieder from “Des Knaben Wunderhorn”

Poulenc – Tel jour, telle nuit

Toby Spence was in ebullient form and fine voice following his recent acclaimed performance as Tamino for ENO, and the well chosen programme was the perfect vehicle to show off his range and versatility.

He started off with Beethoven's An die ferne Geliebte , and although there was just one moment of hesitancy, he gave a charming, pictorial account of the hills, mountains, meadows and skies described in this lovely song cycle.

He took a more passionate approach to the Brahms selection, drawing out all the ardour implicit in the poetry and music, but switched moods completely for the beautiful cradle song, delivered quietly and affectionately.

The four songs from Des Knaben Wunderhorn demanded a stronger and sterner tone, which Toby Spence supplied, each piece being characterised as well as it was sung. This group ended with Der Tamboursg'sell and a very plaintive drummer-boy.

In Poulenc's cycle Tel jour, telle nuit the more ethereal quality of Paul Eluard's poetry is harder to grasp, rather like the “meagre blade of grass” one poem describes, but Spence clearly holds these songs in high regard and made a persuasive case for them.

Julian Milford has a wide breadth of experience, put to good account.

Song Recital Series at Wigmore Hall

Sunday 30 October 2005

Kate Royal - soprano / Simon Lepper – piano

Brahms – 4 Lieder from Gesange Op 69

Debussy – Ariettes oubliees

Schumann- From Liefer-Album fur die Jugend OP 79; From Lieder ind Gesange aus Wilhelm Meister Op 98 a

From her ringing opening line Ich rufe vom Ufer Kate Royal gave evidence that her's is a voice of exceptional quality, with great clarity in the upper register. Her interpretation of Vom Strande was full of pent up energy and delivered at breath-taking speed. These Brahms pieces from Op 69 made a well contrasted group, and her frustrated laundry maid in Madchefluch was charmingly characterised with expressive face and hands.

Debussy's cycle Ariettes oubliees was the highpoint of the afternoon, allowing her to demonstrate a more introspective mood, and her polished French. Every ounce of feeling was drawn from Il pleure dons mon coeur , and in this song particularly Simon's Lepper's atmospheric playing was a real bonus. Spleen was delivered with a real sense of agonised venom.

Schumann's two gypsy songs from his Lieder-Album fur die Jugend lightened the mood. In the first, recounting a gypsy boy's encounter with the military, she drove home the words of the last two lines (I grabbed my musket quick, got first shot at them) by miming a lightening quick draw and shot at the audience.

The settings of poems from taken from Goethe's novel The Apprenticeship of Wilhelm Meister provided more opportunity for those ringing top notes to be used to good effect.

At a scant 45 minutes it was noticeably shorter than the earlier recitals in this series, and a second encore would certainly have been in order. However, Kate Royal returns to the Wigmore Hall on 28 February 2006 (with Graham Johnson on this occasion) – book early, tickets are sure to sell out at an early stage.

Serena Fenwick

Serena Fenwick