The chamber music programme of the 53rd Moravian Autumn International Festival on Thursday featured songs by Franz Schubert arranged for guitar and voice by the duo María Cristina Kiehr (soprano) and Pablo Márquez (romantic guitar). The evening, entitled Longing, took place in Brno’s Besední dům.
In the imagination of many music lovers there is a widespread notion that Franz Schubert (1797–1828) played the guitar and made prolific use of it when composing songs, as he did not always have a piano to hand. Although a guitar was found among his effects and it is therefore possible, he used it from time to time, historical evidence suggests he composed more “at his desk” – that is, without the aid of any instrument, including the piano. And although he owned a guitar, the only pieces he wrote for the instrument are the Cantata zur Namensfeier des Vaters for three male voices and guitar – one of his early works – and the first version of Das Dörfchen for four male voices and guitar. Originally, a similar idea was considered for the Quartet for flute, viola, guitar and cello, but it turned out to be an unfinished arrangement of the Nocturne for flute, viola and guitar by Czech composer Václav Matějka. Especially in the first half of the 19th century, guitars were very popular in Vienna and it was common practice to publish melodies with an alternative accompaniment of the instrument. During Schubert's lifetime, thirty-four of his songs were published in this manner, and eighteen more after his death. During Thursday's concert, María Cristina Kiehr and Pablo Márquez offered a selection from these, complemented by arrangements of Schubert’s works for solo guitar.
Thursday's programme opened in a darkened hall with Lied eines Schiffers an die Dioskuren (A Boatman’s Song to the Dioscuri), which flowed seamlessly into Nachtstück (Nocturne). María Cristina Kiehr played delightfully with the emphasis at the start of verses, supported by Pablo Márquez’s sensitive handling of dynamics. Right at the outset the excellent balance between voice and guitar was particularly commendable, as was the perfect clarity of the text. Before Ständchen (Serenade), Pablo Márquez spoke briefly to introduce his instrument - a romantic guitar from the 1930s. He told the audience that in the Romantic era it was common for guitarists not to sit, but to play standing with the instrument on a strap. He then performed the piece solo, Ständchen, with no issues whatsoever, taking great care with phrasing, and pleasantly separating, in both dynamics and expression, the likes of antecedent and consequent phrases. Differences in expression were clearly audible in the following Der Alpenjäger (The Alpine Hunter), especially in the lines “Mutter, mutter…”, where the overall affect of the delivery changed strikingly. The song itself is full of contrasts and the duo highlighted them beautifully.
The second half of the evening continued in a similar vein. In addition to the originally announced programme, two more songs were performed: Aus Heliopolis I and Wehmut. In the solo guitar piece Lob der Tränen Márquez neatly brought out the important notes of the melody against the plucked accompaniment,
while Aufenthalt and Die Post were similarly successful. The remaining numbers in the second half were excellent, with the artists once again capturing to perfection the differing moods between songs and within them – for instance in the final song, Sehnsucht, where with the line “Yet the river’s raging bars my way…” the delivery moved into a marked expressiveness.
Thursday's concert created a very pleasant and intimate atmosphere, supported by some superb musical performances. The duo was perfectly attuned, playing deftly with both dynamic and expressive contrasts. Guitarist Pablo Márquez handled technically demanding passages without difficulty and, with his very sensitive accompaniment, prepared the ground for María Cristina Kiehr’s singing. In her delivery, beyond the aspects already mentioned, the cultivated quality of her voice is especially worthy of praise. Kiehr avoided unnecessary vibrato and her voice had a very youthful character that suited the songs perfectly. Both musicians treated the audience to a wonderful evening of music, revealing the beauty of Schubert’s songs and showing how effective arrangements for voice and guitar can be.
Franz Schubert (songs published in alternative versions with guitar in Vienna during the composer’s lifetime or preserved in the manuscript of Franz von Schlechta):
Lied eines Schiffers an die Dioskuren (A Boatman’s Song to the Dioscuri) op. 65 No. 1, D 360 (1816)
Nachtstück (Nocturne) op. 36 No. 2, D 672 (1819)
Die Sterne (The Stars) op. 96 No. 1, D 939 (1828)
The Wanderer (Tulák) op. 4 No. 1, D 489 (1816)
Ständchen (Serenade) D 957 No. 4 (1828, arranged for solo guitar by Johann Kaspar Mertz in 1845)
Der Alpenjäger (The Mountain Hunter) op. 37 No. 2, D 588 (1817)
Häflings Liebeswerbung (The Shy Lover) op. 25 No. 3, D 741 (1817)
Suleika II D 717 (1821)
Meeres Stille (Calm at Sea) op. 3 No. 2, D 216 (1815)
Der Zwerg (The Dwarf) op. 22 No. 1, D 771 (1822)
Lob der Tränen (In Praise of Tears) D 711 (1818, arranged by Johann Kaspar Mertz for solo guitar in 1845)
Aus Heliopolis I (Z Heliopolis I) op. 65 No. 3 (1822)
Wehmut (Melancholy) op. 22 No. 2 (1822)
Aufenthalt (Resting-Place) D 957 No. 5 (1828, arranged for solo guitar by Johann Kaspar Mertz in 1845)
Die Post (The Post) D 911 No. 13 (1828, arranged by Johann Kaspar Mertz for solo guitar in 1845)
Harfenspieler I (The Harpist I) op. 12 No. 1, D 478 (1816)
Sehnsucht (Longing) op. 39, D 636 (1821?)
María Cristina Kiehr - soprano
Pablo Márquez - romantic guitar
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