This was a concert in two halves in more than one dimension. Before the intermission, the programme – consisting of Janácek and Dvorák – could have been perceived as somewhat boring, while in the second half there was no shortage of excitement and beauty in performances of Musorgsky and Bartók.
The recital opened with six songs from Janácek's fifty-three Moravian Folk Poetry Songs. If I did not follow the song texts in the programme notes, I would have not known that the songs – Love, Promise, Uneasy, Carnation, Tears of Comfort and Musicians – expressed a variety of feelings. Magdalena Kožená delivered all songs more or less similarly, that is with a beautiful big Slavonic voice but without dynamics or shades of tones. Fortunately, András Schiff provided word painting and diction at the piano throughout. His accompaniment of the words 'Come play for me on the cimbalom' in the last song was particularly appropriate (for which, of course, credit is due to Janácek too, whose knowledge of folk music was immense).
Kožená did not fare better in Dvorák's beautiful Op. 99 Biblical Songs. For this cycle of ten songs, Dvorák used verses from the Czech version of David's Book of Psalms. Again, Kožená sang with a beautiful and steady voice throughout, but without score in my hand I wouldn’t have known that we switched from Janácek’s folk song settings to Dvorák's imaginative rendering of the ancient Hebrew prayers. An argument could be made that dynamic marks don't always indicate volume (but suggest expression). However; witnessing piano and pianissimo markings ignored almost all way through was an irritant for these pair of ears. Again, Schiff provided the various emotions, such as joy in the last song ('Sing ye a joyful song unto the Lord'). Whether intentional as an interpretative device or not, Kožená's pitching was very slightly flat on several occasions in this set of songs. This was actually effective.
Between the Janácek and Dvorák song cycles, Schiff delivered a somewhat odd performance of Janácek's 1912 piano sonata Vmlhách (In the Mists). Over several decades of attending Schiff's concerts, this was the first time that I saw him perform a piano sonata from music. Unless I have a very different edition of the score, Schiff ignored many of Janácek's markings. I was particularly surprised by his repeatedly held pedal notes when Janácek specified rests. Perhaps this was Schiff’s way of expressing the mists?
The second half of the concert seemed on a different planet. Kožená seemed very much at home in Musorgsky's Nursery. She gave charming performances of the seven songs, which seemed like mini operas with their powerful librettos. This was a very different singer from the first half of the recital. Maybe it was a question of nerves or lack of familiarity with her compatriots Janácek and Dvorák, but I would love to hear Kožená in operas by Musorgsky and other Russian composers.
The five songs constituting Bartók's Village Scenes were electrifying mostly on account of Schiff’s playing but it was also nice to hear these Slovak folk song arrangements in the vernacular. Bartók revised three of these songs for chorus: I must admit that I have heard many choral performances of the Lullaby sung much quieter than in Kožená’s solo rendering.
Kožená seems to be an artist with integrity, and – at least on stage – without prima donna attitudes. The question is whether she has reached such fame, that only praise will come into her way or whether she will continue to receive guidance to allow her talent to genuinely flourish.
By Agnes Kory
Photo: Magdalena Kožená
Related articles:
CD Review: Magdalena Kožená's Vivaldi recital (Archiv Produktion 477 8096)
CD Review: Kožená's disc of Handel Arias (Archiv 477 6547)
Opera Review: Kožená and Toby Spence star in ROH's La Cenerentola
Concert Review: Andras Schiff and Robert Holl in Schubert Lieder at the QEH