It was not easy to prepare for Robert Holl and András Schiff's Schubert Lieder recital given at the Queen Elizabeth Hall on 12 December. I had to negotiate five libraries, four mini scores and four thick Schubert volumes, and even then I had no music for two out of the fifteen songs on the programme. The difficulty was evident on the platform too: although Holl sang the whole programme from memory, to keep continuity Schiff had to use carefully pasted photocopies for several of the songs.
I am of the opinion that concerts should entertain, inform, educate and give pleasure. Even if the artists perform beautifully – and musical perfection was constant almost all the way through this concert – communication with the audience (even to the extent of the availability of the music) should also be considered.
The programme notes for the evening were informative but the printed song texts must have confused or lost many of the audience. Both the original German texts and their English translations were provided. However; whenever words, lines or strophes were repeated – with identical or slightly varied or new music – these repeats were not shown in the printed German and English texts. Those who understood German needed no text: Holl's diction was perfect. But, because of the omitted repeats, people reading either the German or the English text kept getting out of synch with the astonishingly expressive performances. Yet words and music form a strong unity in all of Schubert's songs, as, indeed, they did in these performances.
Of the fifteen songs performed – to be precise, of the thirteen songs I had the music for – ten had such textual inaccuracies in the programme notes. Some of the omissions were minor, but several of them were substantial.
Here follows a specific example. In the song 'Nachthymne', D.687 (Hymn to the night) the first four lines of the text return after the eighth line, to conclude the first musical section. So while the programme notes indicated 'Eternal life Will surge powerfully within me, I shall gaze down on you From above', we heard – in the German original – 'I shall pass over, And all pain Will be a stab Of pleasure'. Schiff's heavenly conclusion of this first musical section, therefore, did not make the intended sense.
Holl is described in the programme notes as a baritone but he seems to be better suited to the low register than to the top register. Indeed, his operatic repertoire includes Gurnemanz in Parsifal and more recently Pimen in Boris Godunov. Both parts are for a bass rather than for a baritone.
Holl's musical notes are full of meaning, even when he sings a long slow semibreve. The note starts, diminishes economically and concludes to give space to other notes to follow. For example, such was the closing vocal note in the 'Nachthymne' and the first pause note in 'Freiwilliges Versinken', D. 700 (Voluntary descent). Holl's dynamics are always in the service of the words as well as the music. In 'Abendbilder', D. 650 (Nocturne) Holl did the most astonishing sudden pianissimo when singing the words 'Der Entschlummerten Gebeine' (the bones of the departed). His rhythm is alive, often using expressive rubatos but always within the discipline of the structure.
The songs performed at this concert were advertised as songs of nature, but they were intimate and rather sad songs. Holl was expressing as well as commenting, every word and every note was taken care of. Because of the content of the texts, Holl looked rather sad but he physically jumped when the word 'Freude' (joy) appeared in 'An mein Herz', D.860 (To my heart).
Holl and Schiff manifested perfection in question and answer dialogues, in specified and unspecified echos, in unison and in all other aspects of chamber music. All of Schiff's expressive rubato closures were poetic but disciplined. Like Holl, Schiff used word-painting. In 'Das Abendrot', D.627 (Sunset) he played chords as arpeggios from the bottom up when the text mentions mountain climbing. In the 'Gondelfahrer', D. 808 (The Gondolier) Schiff presented the rocking rhythm during 'wiegt dich des Meeres Schoss' with credibility. In 'Im Abendrot', D.799 (Sunset glow) both artists used poetic agogics (rubato within the bar) at words such as 'gold' and 'glitter'.
For me Schiff is at his most profound when he plays chamber music with great artists. His partnership with Robert Holl appears to consist of total respect for Holl, Schubert and even for his own Bösendorfer piano which he used for the concert. This evening we saw Schiff as the great and humble artist at work. It was a privilege to be present.
By Agnes Kory
Read recent concert reviews, including Andras Schiff's recent Schubert performance with the Philharmonia, here.