QUICKLY NOW

How's it go? 'Quickly now, for here begins' .. No. It's 'Be quiet now, for here begins'* ..

O mein Gott - not only has the second half of 2015 circled the memory gurgler and all but drained away, but January 2016 is just about done. Let's start with January, and see if I can get back to 2015.

Matthias Goerne swung through on his way to Hong Kong (for Walküre Wotan) and gave us what looks like his fetish piece - Wintereisse - with the William (The Nose, Lulu) Kentridge 'production', I suppose you'd call it, with each song introduced and visualised with WK's animated drawings. Effective if you like that kind of thing. We sat very close which was good in that with Goerne and the piano and pianoman, Marcus Hinterhaüser, in focus the projections were off field and blurring out, so it was a bit win-win. Look at them when you wanted, let them fade away otherwise. Goerne at close quarters is very compelling, facially very animated, with lots of mannerisms and the odd habit of sticking his head into the piano, for sotto resonance maybe, not that it sounded he needed it, or simply getting into it, as you do.

I liked him. He's intense and sings, if a bit sing-songy - although that feeling is probably more to do with the sweetness and warmth of his voice in the upper register (when he does black it's very black) - with endless colours and dynamics, everything shaded and phrased to a well rehearsed perfection. Here's Der Leiermann. Wonderful, The line is broken up, and the effect quite moving. Stained by the past, hesitant, uncertain, hopeful though not yet optimistic.





Here's a review I want to keep a record of.

Woyzeck next post and by the way there's summer rain. Rain!



* Ogden Nash Carnival of the Animals