Dame Janet Baker presented an appealingly varied programme for this 1971 Aldeburgh Festival concert, balancing some familiar recital hall fare with obscure but worthy rarities. She was at the height of her powers and her fame at the time, so it is refreshing to find that she had nevertheless taken the trouble to experiment with repertoire that will be new to many listeners.
The whole first half of the recital is comprised of 17th Century music from Italy and England, and is accompanied by Raymond Leppard on harpsichord and Joy Hall on 'cello, who together form a sprightly, stylish yet unobtrusive continuo group. Dame Janet opens with Monteverdi's 'Quel sguardo sdegnosetto' from his Scherzi muslicali in blazingly authoritative form, letting rip with impressive dramatic coloratura, albeit within the parameters of the slightly cerebral, intellectual approach which prevails throughout. She continues with two further Monteverdi pieces which demonstrate the range that exists within this composer's output for solo voice, and leaves one wondering why more singers do not explore this rich field of directly expressive music.
Her grasp of the 17th Century style is extremely impressive, and is a testament to this artist's unerring musicianship and taste. It is gratifying to hear a singer lavish as much rich voice on early music as she does on 19th Century repertoire, not feeling any need to rein things in, or leave it to lighter, specialist voices. She effortlessly achieves a freedom in her phrases which do not feel constrained by the relatively recent advents in music of bar-lines and time signatures, and yet she manages to afford such phrases a clear shape and sense of direction. This applies especially to the Gratiani cantata which follows the Monteverdi, where the opening of the piece has a beautiful breadth and limpidity. Although the faster sections of this cantata contain some slightly disappointing singing, the whole hangs together in her interpretation. Lesser performers could make it seem disjointed and incoherent, given the number of different sections the piece has.
The Gratiani and two subsequent pieces by English composers Barringcloe and Humfrey, also completely unknown to me, prove themselves worthy and rewarding inclusions in the programme. It is, however, immensely frustrating that the accompanying CD booklet lacks any texts or translations. In music which is so intricately bound up with the language and which can vary in tempo and expressive palette with each new sentence, a large dimension of the listener's enjoyment is lost through not being able to follow the argument. This applies as much to the English pieces as the Italian, where Baker's diction, though generally good, is not absolutely clear.
The Henry Purcell group which closes the first half of the concert is very pleasing. 'O lead me to some peaceful gloom' builds thrillingly, with Baker managing to convey the conflict in Bonduca's predicament to great effect. Although she fails to capture the eroticism in the character's mind during the closing fast section - this kind of sentiment appears to be absent from her artistic make-up - the central part of this great song has real interpretative depth and the overall result stands comparison with any of her celebrated Lieder performances. 'Pursuing Beauty' and 'Ah! Cruel, bloody fate' offer fine contrast and, although they seem a little arch coming through the speakers, are clearly and strongly communicated; both succeed in raising laughs from the Aldeburgh audience.
The recital continues on more familiar territory with a group of five Schubert songs, Leppard having switched to the piano. 'Schwestergrüß' receives an immensely masterful performance from both performers. The hushed, dramatic tension created by their partnership brilliantly paints the atmosphere of this stunning and ethereal poem, and results in one of the finest performances of this song I've heard. Rather heavy weather is made of the two ariette which follow, 'Liebe schwärmt auf allen Wegen' and 'Hin und wieder fliegen Pfeile', but 'An die untergehende Sonne' is as wonderful as 'Schwestergrüß'. The interplay between the artists who understand each other's rubato and phrasing so perfectly results in music-making of extraordinary quality. The stillness that exists in Leppard's playing of the postlude is breathtaking.
'Epistel: Hern Josef Spaun, Assessor in Linz' is less successful. Conceived by Schubert as a parody of an Italian recitative and aria, the joke is rather laboured in Dame Janet's hands. Given that she sang very little in the way of 19th Century Italian bel canto, her celebrated Maria Stuarda notwithstanding, it is an odd and ill-advised choice of song for inclusion in her repertoire. Apart from anything else, certain corners of it are a little beyond the reach of her technique, for instance the dramatic chromatic descent from a top note at the end of the recitative, which calls for a little more in the way of élan if the parody is to be successful.
The recital closes with a group of four well known Fauré songs. Unfortunately, Baker's general approach to this section of the programme is rather disengaged, with the tone somewhat vapid, colourless and, at times, downright unpleasant. Some fine playing from Leppard in 'Soir' fails to inspire her to give any more and she persists with what one assumes is her attempt at Gallic languor. This is the only unsuccessful part of the programmed recital, in which most of her fine qualities are absent. The two encores which follow, by Gounod and Handel also fail to come up to the standard of earlier parts of the concert.
The disc closes with a 9 minute interview with Dame Janet, conducted by Marjorie Anderson. This will be of absolutely no interest to any but the singer's most ardent fans, unless it is news to you that the partnership of singer and pianist is helped if the two of them get along. She reveals that she likes to spend her spare time 'being at home and walking about', and the rest of the conversation is about as engaging.
One knows what to expect from a Dame Janet Baker recital in terms of artistic approach, and if her somewhat restrained, intellectual attitude to her art does not appeal, this disc will not change anyone's mind. For those who are susceptible to her extraordinary musicianship, there is a great deal to recommend, in particular two of her very finest Schubert performances, and the 17th Century repertoire which conveys some of the magic which Baker and Leppard were creating at Glyndebourne in the early 1970s.
By John Woods