Search - Claude Debussy, Richard [1] Strauss, Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky :: None but the Lonely Heart

A lovely recital, with especially good piano accompaniments

Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 10/19/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Onyx is an independent, artist-controlled label that gives an outlet for notable performers who aren't in the tight loop of the few remaining major classical labels. Amanda Roocroft, for example, is an established British soprano, now in mid career, who was droped by EMI, but this recital of mixed songs, with Malcolm Martineau as accompanist, rivals any recent recital on the big label.



Roocroft's style is polished yet emotionally involved; her vocal control is excellent, despite the slightest sign of wear. Here's the complete program of Tchaikovsky, Debussy, and Strauss.

Zakatilos solntse - The sun has set. Kolibel'naya pesnya - Cradle Song. Otchevo? - Why?. Snova kak prezhde - Once again alone. Zabit tak skoro - So soon forgotten. None but the lonely heart (Tchaikovsky). Cinq poemes de Baudelaire : Le Balcon / Harmonie du soir / Le jet d'eau / Receuillement / La mort des amants (Debussy). Standchen op.17 No.2. Allerseelen op.10 No.8. Gluckes genug op.37 No.1. Befreit op.39 No.4. Ruhe meine Seele op.27 No.1. Heimliche Aufforderung op.27 No.3. Cacilie op.27 No.2 (Richard Strauss).



The Tchaikovsky set includes his most famous song, "None But the Lonely Heart," and Roocroft finds a nice balance between lyricism and melancholy. I find her ample voice not quite right for Debussy, being used to more crystalline, precise vocalizing. She gets points, though, for recording these less known Baudelaire settings. For me, the heart of this recital is the seven Strauss lieder, not only because they are great or because Roocroft sings them so freely, with heartfelt warmth, but for Martineau's insightful piano part. I only wish that the singer was a bit more imaginative in her interpretations -- things get a bit too literal now and then.



On the whole, a veyr enjoyable CD that deserves cheers for keeping up the fading tradiiton of solo song recitals"