Tears Flow On Quasthoff's Schubert Liederbuch

By Paul Hertelend
From artssf.com, the independent observer of San Francisco Bay Area music

EUGENE, OR.---A predictable highlight of the Oregon Bach Festival is the return of the German lieder maestro, bass-baritone Thomas Quasthoff, here July 6 and 13. 
But I can’t review it.

The all-romantic lieder recital he gave Saturday night defied all my abilities to critique it, as I dissolved in tears more than once---an experience I can recall with one earlier bass-baritone, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, now long since retired. How can any one write rationally when the emotions run so far out of control?

It was not just the seamless glow of Quasthoff's alternating lyrical and chest voices, nor just the poignant lost-love themes of Schubert’s “Swan Song” cycle. It was also the supremely sensitive pianism of Jeffrey Kahane, pressed into service with only one and a half days of preparation. Quasthoff’s regular cohort Justus Zeyen tore up his knee and was forced to return to Germany on the double.

Kahane has two orchestras he conducts regularly in Santa Rosa and Los Angeles, rarely having the time to put down the baton except for a concerto or two. Though he started out as a pianist, he has not done a lieder recital in many years, least of all with Quasthoff.

When weeping sets in, defining what specifically in Quasthoff’s great artistry is at play eludes the critic. On this masterful evening of Schubert and Strauss lieder, plus Wolf's "Moerike" songs, I pass reluctantly!

The Oregon Bach Festival, which runs June 29-July 14 under founder Helmuth Rilling’s musical direction, presents choral-orchestral evenings of Bach, Penderecki, Tan and others, plus recitals and chamber. Ticket info: (541) 682-5000 or (800) 457-1486, or on line.

Paul Hertelendy has been covering the dance and modern-music scene in the San Francisco Bay Area with relish -- and a certain amount of salsa -- for years.

These critiques appearing weekly (or sometimes semi-weekly, but never weakly) will focus on dance and new musical creativity in performance, with forays into recordings by local artists, books (by authors of the region) and theater as well.

© Paul Hertelendy 2002