Celebrating 200 years of Franz Schubert’s Die Schöne Müllerin (The Beautiful Maid of the Mill), Songmakers Australia deserves our thanks for reminding us just how heart wrenchingly poignant this masterpiece can be. As core members of an ensemble that is a specialist in Lieder, pianist Andrea Katz and tenor Brenton Spiteri are well placed to do justice to Schubert’s remarkable song cycle. Set to poems by Wilhelm Müller, twenty songs depict the story of a young man’s love and loss, accompanied by a flowing stream – one that helps grind the seed and finally brings him a tragic form of peace.
In addition to the high quality of the performance itself, several other elements contributed to the audience’s appreciation of this recital. The intimacy and resonant acoustic of the Primrose Potter Salon are givens, but program notes certainly aren’t. Too often little or no information is provided about the composer, or much of the concert is devoted to talking about the music rather than performing it. In this case, talking was confined to a brief acknowledgement of our Indigenous people; Andrea Katz had provided an A4 page of well-written information that gave an illuminating insight into Schubert’s circumstances at the time. The program notes also included translations of each song – enough to understand Müller’s text without being glued to the page and missing out on the way Spiteri was able to convey meaning via appropriate expressive gestures and facial expressions. A large attractive rug promoted an atmosphere of the Schubertiade – of sharing music in a home with friends. Whether the use of coloured lighting to reflect four phases in the narrative were an asset is a moot point, but most audience members seemed to approve, and the essentially modest, pared back treatment overall gave the work a sharp focus and immediacy.
The opening song, Das Wandern (Wandering), is one of a handful of very familiar songs in Die Schöne Müllerin. It used to be a favourite in schools and continues to be standard repertoire for teachers of classical singing. It bounces along, chugging like the mill wheel, and this is what both artists emphasised, with millstone weight created in piano and the voice buoyant. Following this, Wohin? (Where to?) conjures up a contrasting character as the stream rushes over the rocks. Katz’s mastery of the light fluid touch came to the fore here – part of her technical assurance and musical imagination that gave tremendous colour to her interpretation of all the songs.
Spiteri too displayed admirable command of musical variation, be it in tone colour, dynamic range, tempo or emphasis. As usual, his diction was exemplary, allowing those with a smattering of German to understand the gist of each song. Over the years, his voice has grown to the point where some songs became almost operatic in their intensity. The passion he invested in Mein (Mine), which ended with a rock solid ringing top note of triumph, and in the bitter hurt permeating the songs of jealousy was thrilling. Katz was with him all the way – now serene, now thunderingly turbulent.
Although he held a score (well worn and obviously much loved), Spiteri usually resisted the temptation to look at it too much, and was able to ignore it at crucially dramatic times. At the end of each song, the mood was held even as his hand slowly turned a page. The only time he touched the piano was for the final song, when he briefly leaned against it. After successfully distinguishing between the two voices of the stream and the young miller, singing the latter’s final words with the most beautiful hushed tone, he sang Des Baches Lied (The Stream’s Lullaby) superbly, soft high notes rendered with great control. An exquisite pianissimo ending, as the brook takes the boy’s body, was followed by a long pause. The audience sat stunned, overwhelmed by the sadness of the song and Schubert’s own fate, until with an outburst of cheering and clapping they accorded this wonderful interpretation a standing ovation.
“I’m glad I wasn’t the only one taking out a tissue”, remarked one member of the audience as we made our way out of the Salon. It indicated a common reaction to what was a profoundly moving experience.
Photo supplied.
________________________________________________________________________________________
Heather Leviston reviewed “The Beautiful Miller’s Daughter”, presented by Songmakers Australia at the Melbourne Recital Centre’s Primrose Potter Salon on July 19, 2023.
