“The art of music here
entombed a rich possession, but even far fairer hopes. Franz Schubert lies
here.”
Thus wrote poet Grillparzer, words that are on the
composer’s grave. Beautiful, yes, but hardly fair, I think.
Even fairer hopes? What was Grillparzer expecting? A
composer who wrote over 600 songs, piano sonatas, dances and other shorter
piano works, other instrumental sonatas, 9 symphonies, endless chamber music,
and even a few operas, all these within a life that spanned 31 years. What
“fairer hopes” was he hoping for?
What a week it had been! We were privileged to have heard some
of the incredible music Schubert wrote within about a year, the final year of
his life.
The final concert of the Vancouver Recital Society’s Schubertiade ended last evening with
pianist Jonathan Biss and baritone Randall Scarlata. The concert began with the
composer’s Sonata in A major, D. 959,
arguably one of the most difficult of all the sonatas, technically. Biss’
playing of the first movement reminded me of Rudolf Serkin, that high priest of
German classicism. It was not so much a performance that lingered on the poetry
of the music, but one that had a keen sense of the music’s architecture. Other
than opening chords that felt a little ponderous, Biss acquitted himself
admirably in this challenging and problematic movement. I liked very much the
lightness with which he played the right hand arpeggios at mm. 7 to 12, and
even more so at mm. 22 to 27. He was very successful in bringing out the
lyricism of the songful G major (briefly) theme at m. 65.
The highlight of the performance of the sonata was Biss’
playing of the Andantino movement. In
that hauntingly beautiful opening theme, Biss played with an infinite variety
of colours, sounds and textures. In the left hand, with a staccato eighth note
followed by a two eighth-note slur, the artist gave the impression of a
sleepwalker roaming through the forest. In the dramatic middle section, Biss
successfully brought out the hallucinatory mood of the music. When the theme
eventually returns, he plays it almost like a benediction, and beautifully
executed the repeated C-sharps in the right hand.
After the intensity of the second movement, I felt that the
Scherzo could have had a bit more
lightness and playfulness. The trio,
(Un poco piu lento), however, was
very successfully done. I agreed with his tempo choice in the songful fourth
movement. When the theme reappears in its many guises, Biss manages to give it
a slightly different character. The many passages of triplet “accompaniment” in
both hands were also beautifully played and shaped. He was in complete control
throughout this very extended movement. In the coda, where, within the duration of 8 bars, the composer brings back
many aspects the entire work, Biss was, for lack of a better word, fantastic.
As much as I admired Biss’ playing of the sonata, I liked
him as a lieder partner even more,
when he and baritone Randall Scarlata performed Schwanengesang, D. 957, the composer’s final collection of songs.
In these final songs, the composer’s creativity and genius in capturing the
essence of each poem is simply astounding. I really appreciated the fact that
the lid of the piano was fully opened, making the pianist an absolute equal
partner in this act of chamber music. Scarlata sang each song like a master
storyteller, changing the character and timbre of his voice to suit the
character of each song. In Kriegers
Ahnung, Scarlata sang the words, “Von Sehnsucht mir so heiss” almost like a
sigh. At the end of the lied, with
the phrase, “Herzliebste – gute Nacht”, he sang it pleadingly, and charged the
words with meaning. Biss played the opening chords of this same lied with a range of colours in the low
register of the piano, effectively and immediately setting the mood. In In der Ferne, pianist and singer
masterfully navigated through the many moods of the poem. Particularly
memorable were Scarlata’s held long note at the words “Wegen nach!” and the
dramatic crescendo to the end with
the word “ziehenden”.
I adored the artists’ utterly charming interpretation of
the utterly charming Abschied. Biss
was particularly effective in his playing of the prancing hoof-steps of the
horse. The decrescendo towards the
end of the song was particularly evocative in conveying the image of the poet
travelling farther and farther away from his origin. Scarlata’s declamatory
tone perfectly suited the character of Atlas.
I enjoyed Biss’ simplicity in his playing of the folk-like Das Fischermädchen, the solemnity of the opening chords in Am Meer, and the ghostly arpeggios in Die Stadt.
In Der Doppelgänger,
Scarlata’s voice took on a dark hue, which effectively highlighted the
frightening intensity and desperation of this, one of the composer’s darkness
and scariest lieder. Pianist and
singer ended the evening’s music with a congenial performance of Die Taubenpost, done with just the right
amount of gemütlichkeit.
Franz Schubert was not of this earth. Like Mozart, Schubert
was given to us by God, for a short time, to grace us with and to remind us of
the beauty of His creation. Like the lives of Schubert and Mozart, this week’s
concerts were over far too quickly. But unlike Grillparzer, let us be grateful
for what had been given to us by the composer, and by this group of talented
artists that graced us with their gifts these past few days.
With music such as what we had heard this week, the world
didn’t seem like such a terrible place after all.
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