Simon Keenlyside sings Schumann, Wolf, and Schubert at Alice Tully
Lincoln Center Great Performers
Starr Theater, Alice Tully Hall
Sunday Afternoon, February 28, 2010, at 5:00
Simon Keenlyside, Baritone
Pedja Muzijevic, Piano
Schumann, Dichterliebe, Op. 48
Wolf, Four Lieder on poems by Mörike
Gesang Weylas
Heimweh
Auf eine Christblume II
Lied vom Winde
Schubert, Nine Lieder
An Silvia
Die Einsiedelei
Verklärung
Freiwilliges Versinken
Gruppe aus dem Tartarus
Himmelsfunken
Ständchen
Die Sterne
Auf der Bruck
There could not have been a more extreme contrast between Renée Fleming's approach to Strauss' Four Last Songs, recently reviewed in these pages, and Simon Keenlyside's in this recital. For Fleming, the texts of Strauss' songs are cushioned in her gorgeous production and phrasing, while for Keenlyside the text is the beginning and end of a performance which is essentially dramatic, no matter what beautiful moments his extremely varied—and variable—voice may produce along the way, and of course these moments are entirely expressive in purpose. Acting is second nature to him. In most of his selections he created a character before he uttered a phrase.
His absorption in the text begins with his highly personal selection of his material. Among the great songs familiar to every Lied enthusiast, he has sought out relative rarities of special interest to himself. In this recital it was Schubert who furnished the opportunity. So many treasures lie hidden among his extensive vocal oeuvre that digging through his less-known songs in recital is always an exciting and fruitful endeavor.
