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| Winter Landscape by Caspar David Friedrich Source: Wikimedia Commons |
Schubert's song cycle Winterreise, performed by tenor Jonas Kaufmann and Helmut Deutsch at the piano.
An Experience with a capital E. Overwhelming. Extremely beautiful. Out of this world exquisite. Unforgettable.
Never heard anything quite so moving. So delicate yet powerful, enchanting, exciting, chilling.. completely mesmerizing. Such wealth of expression, nuances, the pauses, the varying tempi, his gestures, facial expressions, the colours, the emotions.. all there, not just audible (which with Kaufmann is invariably more than enough!) but for your eyes to behold. Makes the story all the more poignant to be able to watch it unfolding in the masterful fingertips, the whole beings, really, of these two wonderful artists. For it was in the greatest possible sense of the word a collaboration, the exquisite artistry of the two gentlemen brought together there and then before our eyes and ears, to make the truest, most gripping picture of the protagonist's desolate journey. Here is a young man suffering from unrequited love who leaves his sweetheart's house and goes on a-wandering through the chilling and stark wintry landscape, determined to put some mileage between him and his cold-hearted love. That's the surface. At the same time, however, the young lover's journey is directed inward. You feel his pain, his frustration, his heartache, his false hope, his weariness, his heart-wrenching loneliness and ultimately his quest for death.. 75 (or so) minutes of pure drama. Not playacted, no costumes, no fancy sets, no props, no big orchestra.. just two men, the piano and the voice. And what a voice. Delicate, soft, strong and booming where need be. Questioning, disbelieving, defiant, raging, snarling, soothing, loving, indescribably sad, even dead and empty. Kaufmann is an extremely perceptive artist and his capacity and willingness to plunge into the young lover's skin and soul truly remarkable. It's a wonderful privilege to witness that. Makes you grateful and humble at the same time. And most certainly leaves a lasting impression.
Why include a Lied cycle here, on a blog about opera? (yes, now comes the explaining bit.. ;) ) Because I'd venture to say Winterreise is operatic in nature. The big feelings, the capacity to move, the gripping story.. Sure the fact that on stage performing is undoubtedly one of the greatest tenors of our time, famous for his veristic characterizations, doesn't hurt either. It's thoroughly plausible, profoundly moving and doesn't let you off the hook easily. All marks of True Art. And all attributes many an opera composer would have been envious of.
The cycle of all cycles. The crown jewel. Hear it, and your world will never be the same.
Here the three last songs; Mut, Die Nebensonnen, and Der Leiermann.. *sniff*
