Although I attended this concert over two weeks ago, I still seem to be enjoying the afterglow of it; surely, a sign of a great musical evening.
The concert in question was the first of two renditions of the same programme performed at the Wigmore on Friday and Sunday 18 & 20 May last. The music was an uncompromising mixture of art songs by Mahler, Debussy and Messiaen. No pandering here to the easy applause: a selection of music equally challenging for the singer, the pianist and the audience. And yet, the result was a reassuring triumph!
Two Lieder from Mahler's Des Knaben Wunderhorn (Rheinlegendchen and Das irdische Leben) opened the evening, showing Kozena in great voice and Uchida displaying her superb musicianship and sensitivity as an accompanist. The highlight for me was what followed: Debussy's sensuous Chansons de Bilitis: sheer magic... The colours at Uchida's palate made the piano create such an atmospheric setting and Kozena delivered the most delicious and intense singing.
The first half culminated with Mahler's Ruckert Lieder, which Kozena has recorded with the Berliner Philharmoniker under the baton of partner Sir Simon Rattle; and yet, as part of the frisson of a live performance, the mezzo skipped the second verse in the first song, Liebst du um Schonheit! Uchida was able to catch up with her seamlessly and they carried on regardless! This is one of the perils of a song recital at the Wigmore, which not only has arguably one of the most demanding and knowledgeable audiences, but most of whom have opened in front of them a printed programme with the complete text of all the songs in the original language and an English translation. Nevertheless, perhaps the best policy was to carry on with such poise that the applause was as enthusiastic as possible. As the great Welsh soprano Margaret Price said once on a radio interview: "it's always a nightmare to try to remember all those words!" (or words to that effect...). Kozena was able to recover well enough to finish the first half with an astonishingly moving offering of Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen.
The second half consisted of Debussy's Ariettes oubliees. It was a performance that revealed all the languor and exquisite charm of Verlaine's verses. And the concert draw to it's close with the intense religious fervor of Messiaen's Poemes pour Mi, Book II – not the most obvious choice for a recital closer. But the wonderful thing about this concert was that such finish had the desired effect: appreciative applause that extended to three encores! The first of which was the most beautiful rendition I have ever heard of Schumann's Der Nussbaum... bliss.
