After No 1 which included instrumental music, No 2 concentrated on song, with the partnership of James Sherlock and Paul Robinson. The idea behind the programme was very clever – the Passing of Time, shown in all sorts of ways. I enjoyed songs I’d sung many times and ones I’d never heard before. After all Schubert wrote about 600!
We started with a seasonal approach – Frühlingsglaube (Belief in Spring), which suited Paul’s soft, caressing tone. We then moved on to a time of day with Die Sterne (The Stars). James danced through the accompaniment at quite a fast speed, and it worked very well. Paul used a lot of mezza voce in this group which led on to Am ersten Maimorgen (The morning of May Day), a delightful discovery, and then to Nähe dew Geliebten (Closeness to the Beloved).
The group finished with one of Schubert’s great charmers Lachen und weinen (Laughter and Tears) where the singer tells how he will wake one morning laughing and be in tears by the evening – and the other way round. Paul’s well-known charm was just right for the song, and James produced a lovely lacy accompaniment.
We then had the chance to see what James can really do as a solo pianist. He is so busy conducting, playing the organ and playing in Chamber groups, that we haven’t had much experience. And what a delight! No 3 of the Impromptus is very well known, but even if wasn’t you’ have known it was Schubert at once. And No 4, equally well-known, is closely related to Schubert\’s \”Water\” songs and it rippled under James’ hands. I told him he and Schubert go together like hot chocolate and Sachertorte! ‘Too much of a good thing?’ he asked. Certainly not! It was a masterly performance.
Another group of Lieder played the Time game again. Schäfers Klagelied (The Shepherd’s Lament) has the shepherd looking back to his lost love (but as a dog-lover, I’m delighted to mention his little sheep-dog is on duty!) and was followed by Am Strom (By the River) and Herbst – which is autumn – and a stormy one it was too. Paul had to contend with James’ chilly wind. Lost love returned for Erster Verlust (The First Loss). Paul is very good at holding the mood in his demeanour when there are long postludes. At least the gentlemen are spared what must be the longest of all in Frauenliebe und Leben! And given it was cold and wet outside the contemplative but not gloomy Winterabend (Winter evening) with more effective soft singing by Paul, closed the group.
After the interval we set out on a Winterreise which, as James very sensibly explained in his notes, originally was a setting of only twelve poems. Much later Wilhelm Müller, the poet, wrote twelve more, and altered the order, which challenged Schubert to compose yet more beautiful songs for which we must be grateful.
So….. setting out……
It struck me how the actual walking the traveller does sets the mood of the songs, and how much it affects his mood. In early 19th century Europe, of course, people travelled on horseback and in carriages, but a remarkable amount of walking went on, specially if you were poor. Stage coaches cost money.
In the first song Gute Nacht (Goodnight) our hero is just setting out, walking away from the home of the girl, and, it must be said, her rather silly mother, who raised his hopes. It’s a good brisk plod of someone who’s walked a lot and Paul brought out his half wistful, half bitter thoughts as he goes. The second song Die Wetterfahne (The Weathervane) has always been my personal favourite. How it creaks to and fro in the icy gusts of wind supplied by James’ accompaniment
. \”But what do they care? Their child is a rich bride!\” he cries – a theme not unusual in Romantic poetry, which turns up in Dichterliebe.
It’s getting colder, he has to slow down, and Gefrorne Tränen (Frozen tears) are forming on his cheeks. By the next song Erstarrung he feels almost completely frozen.
The next song Der Lindenbaum (The Lime Tree) is Schubert’s take on a folk song which was already there, and it was the only one his friends initially liked, because it had a Tune. The winter and cold are not mentioned so much – he’s looking back on happier times and carving sweet messages on the tree. We are back in the cold with Wasserflut – the flow of water being his tears. He can barely get his breath in Rückblick (Backward glance) and is finding it hard to go on. The piano tells you.
Of course he does, leading to one of the creepy songs of the cycle Irrlicht (Will o’ the wisp). Lured by its dancing, he gets a second wind, and Paul and James showed how, as he sings, he’s got used to wandering crazily. Rast (Rest), the next song, causes him to admit “I’ve only just noticed how tired I am, but it\’s too cold to stand still” – on he must go. Several of these songs are very short – the emotion distilled in an icicle.
He allows himself to dream of Spring in Frühlingstraum (which is what it means) but it doesn’t last, and Paul captured the bitterness when he realizes he’s actually walking in an icy, unfriendly world.
And, finally Einsamkeit (Loneliness) where the piano instruction is “Slow”. He’s pushing himself to go on – and for what? And in this version we leave him there.
Paul and James had painted a snow-scene for us. Paul’s encore An die Musik (not, actually, an easy song to sing, technically) was very fitting – where would we be without it?
Schubertiad 2
Suzanne Pinkerton