There is little doubt that if you need a Rachmaninov or Tchaikovksy concerto these days, near the top of anyone’s list would be Daniil Trifonov. But for Schubert Lieder? Pianists who spend their days full time in the world of song bristle at the notion of titanic soloists pairing with a celebrity singer to present one of the great song cycles. They would argue it’s impossible to walk into this world and have the understanding and nuance of the genre that requires a lifetime of dedication. Indeed, there is a long history of these types of collaborations with vastly disparate results.
Perhaps this stood more chance of success given Goerne’s absolute mastery of the style and a long career steeped in the poetry and music from which to guide his younger colleague. There were indeed moments of great beauty. Ultimately though, this was not a Winterreise for the ages.
Trifonov played Schubert as if he were a late romantic. His approach to pedal, articulation and his core tone was frequently overdone and lacked the refinement of the great Schubert interpreters. He would have rendered a fortepiano from the time a pile of dust. Seated a little further back in the Balcony, it also led to balance issues and even with the acoustic baffles all the way down compromised clarity.
There is much argument about which voice type suits the cycle best. But it is indisputable that Schubert wrote it for a tenor, and while a lower voice suits the darkness of the music, it places much of the piano writing in a muddier part of the instrument and both artists have to work harder to pull it off. All of this, combined with the fact that the bottom end of Goerne’s voice is not what it once was, meant that much of the performance lacked definition and he struggled for projection.
Some highlights? Goerne’s treatment of the dream sections of Frühlingstraum was magical and phrased with breathtaking control. He captured the exhausted courage perfectly in the final moments of the devastating Das Wirtshaus and throughout had a relaxed openness that was endearing.
But it was also perplexing how much of the time he sang directly to the ground in front of him or at right angles to the stage, almost directing his performance to a lucky page turner. It was as if the audience wasn’t present and we were watching a rehearsal. There is something to that idea that is appealing for such introspective music but unfortunately it only further hampered clarity.
The bottom line: it was an evening of masterful interpretation from a singer who knows the music intimately but whose voice is not quite what it was. He was joined by a pianist of no doubt astonishing ability who is perhaps still more at home in front of a symphony orchestra than alongside a singer, and who is more naturally aligned with Rachmaninov than Schubert.
An evening with this extraordinary music is never wasted and it was heartening to see a near full Elisabeth Murdoch Hall for the timeless art of Lieder and the timeless messages of Müller’s poems.
Photo supplied.
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Stewart Kelly reviewed the recital, “ Matthias Goerne Sings Winterreise with Daniil Trifonov”, presented at the Melbourne Recital Centre, Elisabeth Murdoch Hall, on Monday April1, 2025.
