Standing room only was the scene at Wigmore Hall on Sunday night as the world's most in-demand opera singer, Lise Davidsen, gave an all-Schubert recital. The Norwegian soprano, known for her powerful instrument, brought a unique blend of warmth and dramatic intensity to the stage, making it a very special evening.
A Night of Celebration
Wigmore Hall is celebrating its 125th anniversary, and director John Gilhooly was granted honorary membership of the Royal Philharmonic Society. Everyone in the audience received a free drink, but the main cause for celebration was Davidsen's performance. With her Rolls-Royce voice capable of filling the Metropolitan Opera, she also showcased her disarming warmth in spoken introductions, putting the audience at ease.
Dramatic Highlights
Davidsen's ability to inhabit characters, as she does on stage, made songs like Gretchen am Spinnrade and Die Junge Nonne dramatic highlights. The former opened with throbbing intensity and built to a volcanic eruption, while her fledgling nun seethed with scared rapture verging on the dangerously corporeal.
The big beasts, such as Ganymed with its sly, priapic crescendo, and a turbulent Erlkönig taken at a brisk pace by supportive pianist James Baillieu, hit their mark. Her voice has extraordinary amplitude and a focused core of steel, though when pressed hard in the upper register, the odd consonant went astray. However, Die Allmacht, Schubert's most Wagnerian utterance, was flawless. Davidsen threw caution to the wind and unleashed her inner Valkyrie.
Intimate Songs Bring Greatest Pleasure
The more intimate songs, several of them welcome rarities, brought the greatest pleasure. Du Bist die Ruh, with an imposing final diminuendo, was a masterclass in breath control. Her unassuming honesty tapped hidden depths in Mignon's So Lasst Mich Scheinen. Baillieu, her rock throughout, brought tender flexibility to Goethe's heart-wrenching Nur Wer die Sehnsucht Kennt.
Saving the best until last, the recital concluded with a spellbinding account of the quasi-religious Am Tage Aller Seelen. Davidsen's seamless soprano barely rose above a whisper as her voice dispensed balm to the broken-hearted, every word and emotion crystal clear.
