The air-conditioned comfort of the Melbourne Savage Club was a welcome respite from the Melbourne heat, and made even more desirable by a relaxed convivial atmosphere as audience members chatted before the concert, drinks in hand and food in fingers. Formed in 1894 and named after the English poet Richard Savage (1697 – 1743), it is one of Melbourne’s more remarkable clubs for gentlemen, and is noted for sharing “a passion for music, art drama, literature and science … unified by a bohemian spirit”.
As a venue for a work based on another Englishman’s ground-breaking poetry, it was a good fit for the premiere of Noel Fidge’s new work, The Browning Song Cycle, despite some acoustic shortcomings – heavy curtains and carpet do not furnish the kind of resonance favoured by singers. Nevertheless, mezzo-soprano Sally-Anne Russell and baritone Kiran Rajasingam were undeterred, performing with technical assurance and great artistry. Seated at the grand piano on the stage, Elyane Laussade provided sensitive support to the singers throughout as she conveyed the expressive dimensions of Fidge’s music with fluid musicality.
As a polymath with impressive credentials spanning Science and the Arts – Professor of Biochemistry at Monash University and studies in composition at Juilliard are just the start – Noel Fidge himself also fits neatly into the Savage Club ethos. His Browning Song Cycle comprises 16 songs, all but the first using stanzas from Browning’s poems. An engaging way to begin the song cycle, A Meeting with Browning is an account of a conversation in which the composer asks permission of the poet to “borrow your words” – only some given “stanzas so many for music too long”. As master of the dramatic monologue, Browning’s narratives are powerful, unique and often contain a subtle, darker undercurrent of meaning. Along with poignant moments, his poetry also incorporates humour (often wry), a quality that Fidge and the two singers fully exploited, especially in this light-hearted introduction.
Along with a rich velvety voice, Kirin Rajasingam’s ability to tell a story in a focused and detailed way was instantly apparent. In this and all the songs that followed, he drew the audience in so that we listened not only to the words but also to what the piano had to say even when he was not singing. He has a particularly expressive face and he used his eyes and gestures in a way that always enhanced meaning without ever distracting from it.
After each singer had finished a song or a group of songs – most came in pairs – he or she introduced what was to follow with a brief explanation. It was an unusual device that provided a strong sense of continuity; the poems might have been Browning’s but he did not always write from the point of view of a man. As Fidge pointed out in his introductory remarks, these are poems about human interactions, about Browning’s relationship with Elizabeth Barrett Browning, of love found, love lost and the loss of love endured.
Before Sally-Anne Russell began with the Browning poems, Elyane Laussade read a description of the relationship between Browning and his wife and Browning’s use of the feminine voice in his poems. A Woman’s Last Word was a gentle, relaxed setting of the poem. Much of Fidge’s music is predominantly in a style of light classical infused with a nineteenth century melodic romanticism, often taken at a moderate tempo. This is not to say that the music was bland; there were dramatically vivid passages, and the music also reflected much of the edge and poignancy of the poetry. Russell’s ability to create a suitable atmosphere was remarkable in its immediacy and expressive range, her warm mezzo voice unforced but powerful in climactic moments. Both she and Rajasingam have good diction – a critical asset for this song cycle.
There was a great deal of contrast within and between the songs, Fidge’s choice of poems providing an excellent insight into the breadth of Browning’s idiosyncratic genius. There were many highlights, but Russell’s final bracket of three songs: On Deck, On the Cliff, and Along the Beach, and Rajasingam’s final song Meeting at Night; Parting at Morning were particularly impressive in their emotional impact and long-breathed word-painting respectively.
A promised recording of these songs will be a welcome addition to Art Song repertoire; the verses of the dead poet deserve the continued life that Fidge’s music and the performances of three outstanding soloists have given them. Whether the commentary should be included is another matter, but it certainly added to the enjoyment of this presentation.
Photo supplied.
________________________________________________________________________________________
Heather Leviston reviewed “The Browning Song Cycle” composed by Noel Fidge and presented by The Cope-Williams Arts Foundation at the Melbourne Savage Club on February 28, 2024.
