Klassiek-Centraal reviews Matthias Goerne and Leif Ove Andsnes’ Schubert cycle in Brussels
“The fantastic impression that Matthias Goerne and Leif Ove Andsnes left behind after their rendition of Schubert’s Die schöne Müllerin on Wednesday, February 1st was confirmed in Bozar and possibly even strengthened in the next two concerts with Winterreise and Schwanengesang.
“In Winterreise it is not just the stream which is a symbolic image of nature. Here is the entire icy cold landscape. The “Wandrer” wanders through it, alone and with increasing desperation … Goerne allows flexibility in the service of the substantive nuance of every song, each phrase. His singing is as if driven by an inner drive … Aesthetics is not his goal, but text fidelity and especially the evocation of inner content. The slight vibrato in the deployment of Winterreise points ahead to the hardness and frightening icy journey: the journey to confront itself with eternity …
“Schwanengesang – by the nature of the cycle and the two different poets, Rellstab and Heine – has of course less unity in the course of the cycle. But again you relish how Goerne builds each song, sometimes light-hearted simplicity and lovely arioso parts to intense sehnsucht full of drama … Meanwhile Leif Ove Andsnes surprised with the bold harmony in the piano playing – and so the duo concluded their concert of Schwanengesang’s thirteen songs, an ultimate tribute to Franz Schubert …
“The third recital with Schwanengesang gave Leif Ove Andsnes the opportunity to play as soloist in a part of the program. The Drei Klavierstücke were played movingly with a purity which brought out the nostalgic colors and refined sonority. No wonder his subtle lyrical art makes him an ideal partner for the Schubert Lied.
“These three Schubert concerts with Matthias Goerne and Leif Ove Andsnes we can dare already to define as an absolute highlight of this concert season.”
Source: Klassiek-Centraal