Daniil Trifonov, piano; Matthias Goerne, baritone. February 4, 2018.

Matthews Theatre at McCarter Theatre Center, Princeton, NJ.  Orchestra (Seat T17, $51.50).

Program

Vier Lieder, op. 2 by Berg (1885-1935).

Dichterliebe, op. 48 by Schumann (1810-1856).

Drei Lieder nach Gedichten von Michelangelo Buonarroti by Hugo Wolf (1860-1903).

3 Lider aus der Suite op. 145 nach Gedichten von Michelangelo Buonarroti by Shostakovich (1906-1975).

Vier ernste Gesange, op. 121 (1896) by Brahms (1833-1897).

This concert should properly characterized as one of art songs with piano accompaniment.  I believe this is one of the few all-vocal solo performances I have attended; and I am quite sure there had been no blog entry for a concert of this nature.

The songs talk mostly of lost love, futility of life, and death.  Interestingly the last song’s lyrics are based on 1 Corinthians 13, on love.

I enjoyed the concert.  We had heard Goerne before and always appreciated his singing.  I don’t know much about vocal techniques, but that this was a 1 ½-hour concert speaks volumes about his stamina. And he will do it again in Carnegie Hall in a couple of days!  While Trifonov mainly acted as an accompanist, his brilliance would come through every now and then.

Goerne and Trifonov.

During the introduction the emcee asked the audience to hold the applause until the end of each group of songs.  Goerne would have none of that, he waved off all applause until the end of the entire concert.

Here is the listing of the songs:

Alban Berg (1885-1935): Vier Lieder, op. 2.

1.     The pain is right (Text: Friedrich Hebbel).

2.     Sleeping, I am carried (Text: Alfred Mombert).

3.     Now that I have overcome the strongest of the giants (Text: Alfred Mombert).

4.     Warm are the breezes (Text: Alfred Mombert).

Robert Schumann (1810-1856): Dichterliebe op. 48. Text: Heinrich Heine (1797-1856).

1.     In the wonderfully beautiful month of May.

2.     From my tears sprout forth.

3.     The rose, the lily, the dove, the sun.

4.     When I gaze into your eyes.

5.     I want to delve my soul.

6.     In the Rhine, in the holy stream.

7.     I bear no grudge.

8.     And if the blooms – the small ones – knew.

9.     There is a fluting and fiddling.

10.  I hear the dear song sounding.

11.  A young man loved a girl.

12.  On a shining summer morning.

13.  I wept in my dream.

14.  Nightly I see you in my dreams.

15.  From old fairy tales beckons.

16.  The old, angry songs.

Hugo Wolf (1860-1903): Drei Lieder nach Gedichten von Michelangelo Buonarroti.

1.     It is quite often that I think.

2.     Everything ends which comes to be.

3.     Is my soul feeling.

Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975): 3 Lieder aus der Suite op. 145 nach Gedichten von Michelangelo Buonarroti.

1.     Dante.

2.     Di Morte certo.

3.     La Notte.

Johannes Brahms (1833-1897): Vier ernste Gesange, op. 121 (1896).

1.     One thing befalleth the beasts and the sons of men (Ecclesiastes 3:19-22).

2.     So I returned, and considered all the oppressions (Ecclesiastes 4:1-3).

3.     O death, how bitter is the remembrance of thee (Jesus Sirach 41:1-4).

4.     Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels (1 Corinthians 13:1-3, 12, 13).

To call this a Trifonov “recital” would be a great misjustice to Goerne, nonetheless his name was the only one on the ticket.  When I checked the ticketing website on Saturday, there were lots of seats in the balcony.  One wonders how many people would have come had Goerne been the headliner.  Well, I think I belong to this “shallow” group.  I may look more favorably on vocal recitals from now on, though.

Some false advertising here ...

We came back from a trip Saturday evening, and I decided to go to Princeton to buy a ticket after church, arriving about 30 minutes before the start.  If I had looked more closely, I could have gotten a 30% discount off the ticket price, the offer was sitting in my email in-box.