Recital
Elisabeth Kulman
Manoel Theatre

One could predict this early in the Manoel’s season that mezzo-soprano Elisabeth Kulman’s recent recital of Mahler lieder accompanied by German pianist Hansjörg Albrecht will be among its top highlights.

What a pity that the audience was not as numerous as the event merited; yet it was a most appreciative and discerning one who knew the meaning of high-quality music making.

His symphonies and lieder are the mainstay of Mahler’s fame.

The intimacy provided by the Manoel provided the right ambience for a lieder recital to mark the composer’s death centenary.

The problem for those also familiar with the orchestrated versions of the lieder is that one is never so sure whether that influences one’s hearing of the piano version.

Still Mr Albrecht’s job was excellently carried out. His was a masterly, sensitive and very understanding accompaniment, complementing the superb voice of Ms Kulman in an exercise of continuous rapport and support.

His prowess as soloist shone forth in the arrangements for solo piano in a symphonic sketch based on themes from the Second Symphony in the first half.

It continued when he performed the famous Adagietto from the Fifth Symphony which was simply marvellous.

Ms Kulman plays about with her voice any way she wants. Her warmth of personality reflects well in her rich tones, which aided by perfect diction is capable of endowing every phrase with all shades and nuance of feeling. She is capable of flowing smoothly from one contrasting mood to another.

Her opening choice for the evening consisted of two lieder from Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen.

Ging heut’ Mor gen übers Feld was a happy romp, at first marvelling at the beauty of nature but ending with a sad reflection that the loveless wayfarer is not destined to enjoy such beauty indefinitely.

In Die zwei blauen Augen von meinem Schatz the voice dwelt further upon the bitter-sweet reality that the beloved’s blue eyes could not stem the wayfarer’s suffering even when surrounded by such beauty.

The mood became even more morose with the choice of the fifth and last lied from the Kindertotenlieder.

Here the voice reflected the anguish at the loss of children, the piano evoked the stormy weather which carried them off but the singer ended on a note of resignation rather than despair.

The comparatively shorter second half of the recital ended with the five Rückertlieder in which the singer voices to the full the beauty of Rückert’s poetry.

The projection of mood ranged from the almost carefree Ich atmet einen linden Duft to the sophistry of Liebst du um Schönheit and Blicke mir nich in die Lieder. I

It became even more soul-searching in Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen with resignation… “Ich bin gestorben dem Welt gewimmel…,Ich leb’ allein in meinem Himmel/I am lost to the world’s tumult…I live alone in my heaven...”

This group closed with Um Mitternacht, a magic exercise in profound feeling sublimely expressed.

What a pity that owing to an unfortunate oversight, the German and English texts of these lieder were not provided.