Robin Tritschler/Iain Burnside recital

[Guest]

Anyone else hear this? What a lovely voice. A clear, unforced open tenor, a bit of a ring to it, entirely lacking the self-conscious, strangulated tones (in this very repertoire) of a Bostridge or a Padmore. I had not noticed Robin Tritschler before but shall listen out for him. And. of course, lovely accompaniment from IB.

The last group contained one of my favourite Britten settings (of Thomas Moore's Oft in the stilly night, which I find deeply affecting) and my most un-favourite, that of Last Rose of Summer. The announcer (was it Fiona T?) quoted Vaughan Williams on Britten, and said something about Britten remaining faithful to the melody while doing interesting stuff in the piano accompaniment, or words to that effect. In LR of S, of course, he abandons or subverts the melody almost from the start, to unpleasant effect. Robin T is the first singer of this arrangement who has ever sounded entirely in tune to me, especially in those little runs at the verse ends....

Anyway, that apart, lovely stuff.

[Nick Armstrong]

I caught the Britten settings, and I agree - an unusually-appealing tenor voice and a performer to look out for

[DracoM]

How many of the decorations this tenor indulged in are the composer's, the performer's?

[french frank]

He was a very good principal at the WNO a couple of seasons ago (I keep calling him Robin Ticciati ): I saw him as Benedict in Beatrice and Benedict; also Jaquino in Fidelio.

[Mary Chambers]

i enjoyed it very much, especially the Sechs Hölderlin Fragmente, which we don't hear as often as some Britten cycles, and where his affinity with Schubert is so clear. Good programming, and I felt Robin Tritschler had an instinctive understanding of the poetry, absolutely essential in both Schubert and Britten.

Tritschler is Irish, and the Irish folk song settings were an appropriate choice, beautifully played and sung. I love Britten's games with the piano, even The Last Rose of Summer. I admit he got a bit carried away in that, but I don't find it unpleasant at all. (Nor do I find Bostridge or Padmore 'strangulated'!)

[Richard Tarleton]

I love Britten's games with the piano, even The Last Rose of Summer. I admit he got a bit carried away in that, but I don't find it unpleasant at all. (Nor do I find Bostridge or Padmore 'strangulated'!)

For me it works most of the time - the blackbird who goes wildly off the rails in The Ash Grove.....Perhaps it's mainly my deep attachment to the original song, not to mention the Flotow version. I have the Pears version of course - I've heard lots of people not quite carry it off, even Dame F Lott (IMHO)....

Yes "strangulated" the wrong word - I wish I could describe exactly what it is I hear when I listen to Bostridge or Padmore (different voices but with the same problem, to my ears). It's a sort of intelligent over-production, as if to compensate for a lack of a natural ease in the voice - very evident in IB's recent disastrous Dowland outing. I can best describe it by comparing to tenors who have it, and this guy is one of them.

[Mary Chambers]

Yes "strangulated" the wrong word - I wish I could describe exactly what it is I hear when I listen to Bostridge or Padmore (different voices but with the same problem, to my ears). It's a sort of intelligent over-production, as if to compensate for a lack of a natural ease in the voice - very evident in IB's recent disastrous Dowland outing. I can best describe it by comparing to tenors who have it, and this guy is one of them.

I think I do know what you mean. There is something somewhat over-intellectual and under-instinctive in their reaction to words as well. DFD was the same, in my opinion. Pears got it just right, a balance between intellectual and instinctive, and I also like James Gilchrist's approach to words. Perhaps Tristschler will be their successor.

[Stillhomewardbound]

I did enjoy this recital but I wasn't too keen on the slightly percussive arrangement of 'Oft In the Stilly Night' which was closer to the bagpipes rendition that accompanied the departure of the Queen Mother's coffin from Westminster Abbey at here funeral, rather than the legato McCormack version which is rather inured in me, ie, a song performed by my grandfather and my father before me.

As for The Last Rose of Summer, always gives me butterflies in my tummy.