Grosser Saal, Mozarteum
Schubert:
Ganymed, D 544; Sehnsucht, D 123; Rastlose
Liebe, D 138; Meeres Stille, D
216; Wandres Nachtlied II, D 768; Der Fischer, D 225; Der König in Thule, D 367; Erlkönig,
D 328; Erster Verlust, D 226; Versunken, D 715; Geheimes, D 719; An die
Entfernte, D 765; Willkommen und
Abschied, D 767
Strauss:
Heimliche
Aufforderung, op.27 no.3; Wozu noch, Mädchen, op.19 no.1; Breit’über mein Haupt, op.19 no.2; Traum durch die Dämmerung, op.29 no.1; Ich liebe dich, op.37 no.2; Mädchenblumen, op.22; Ständchen, op.17 no.2; Liebeshymnus, op.32 no.3; Ich trage meine Minne, op.32 no.1; Freundliche Vision, op.48 no.1; Wie sollten wir geheim sie halten, op.19
no.4
Mauro Peter (tenor)
Helmut Deutsch (piano)
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| Image: Salzburger Festspiele / Marco Borrelli |
To the Mozarteum for a lovely
programme of nineteenth-century song: Schubert and Strauss from Mauro Peter and
Helmut Deutsch. If the latter took a little while to come into his own, more consistently
at home in Strauss than in Schubert, that should not be exaggerated – and a
couple of Schubert encores were just
as impressive as two Strauss additions. Peter shone throughout, fully
justifying and furthering his already high reputation as a thoughtful, musical,
and highly likeable musical performer.
The (programmed) Schubert songs
were all Goethe settings. Ganymed
proved perfect as an opener: expectant as its call of ‘Frühling, Geliebter!’ It
minor-mode shades were just as telling, setting the scene for climax and
subsidence. Sehnsucht offered both emotional turn and progression: fine
programming, fully realised in Peter’s performance. Darker colouring, for
instance, on ‘finster and finstrer’ (‘dark and darker’) was subtle yet
unmistakeable. One might almost have translated the text from that alone.
Deutsch’s piano ripples in ‘Meeres Stille’ were just the thing, finely
complemented by a rapt, deep, Romantic miniature in the second Wandrers Nachtlied. Schubert as
post-Mozartian was captured in fine balance by both artists in Der Fischer, an interesting, convincing
prelude to the captivating storytelling of Der
König in Thule and, of course, a highly dramatic account of Erlkönig. The sadness of Erster Verlust, profound sensitivity of An die Entfernte, and final synthetic twists
of Willkommen und Abschied were
further highlights to this first half.
Heimliche
Aufforderung provided an
exultant opening to the Strauss half: a different variety of expectancy that
yet balanced the first. The opera house was closer, yes, but still distant.
Never did Peter give the impression he would rather be onstage, though the
appetite was whetted for Strauss roles that may well lie in the future. ‘O
komm, du wunderbare, ersehnte Nacht!’ Indeed. Intelligent, meaningful
programming again offered a sound foundation for excellent performances, Wozu noch, Mädchen leading naturally –
whatever the artifice in reality – to Breit’
über mein Haupt, which in turn seemed answered by Traum durch die Dämmerung, and so on. Ich liebe dich strongly suggested Ariadne’s Bacchus: a
fine, tantalising close to the first group. The four Mädchenblumen received performances as loving as they were ardent:
not a bad way at all to approach Strauss. Peter’s command of detail, be it
verbal or musical, was as keen as ever, indeed exemplary. ‘Was je die Romantik
von Elfen geträumt hat.’ A riveting Ständchen,
ecstatic yet far from exaggerated Liebeshymnus,
and confiding Freundliche Vision all
made their mark in a progression to the final, impetuous Wie sollten wir geheim sie halten: spring, then transformed by what
we had heard and felt, Schubert’s Ganymed
recalled, enriched, yet not quite revisited. Morgen would, inevitably, be the final close – and yes, a tear came
to my eye even before the voice had entered.
