Recital by Rosemary Turnbull, contralto

Press, 20 November 1989, Page 7

Recital by Rosemary Turnbull, contralto

Rosemary Turnbull (contralto), in the Herbert William King Music Room, November 18, at 8 p.m. Reviewed by Paul Goodson.

The opening items in this recital — Richard Strauss's “Zueignung” and “Morgen” — immediately established Rosemary Turnbull’s credentials as a singer of expressive power and delicate control. Her full contralto coloured the ecstatic, ringing lines of the first song with assurance, though the tempo was rather too stately. The exquisite cantilena of “Morgen” was sustained with simplicity and smoothness of line. Schumann’s “Frauen Liebe und Leben” is among his most personalized vocal works. The singer has to enter an

interior world of fluctuating emotions — hesitancy, assurance, ecstasy and muted «despair. /■ ' jp “ Rosemary voice was always

well placed, but she could allow herself a greater range of tonal and expressive inflexions. At one end of the scale is the heroic impetuosity of “Er, der Herrlichste von alien," and at the other the tenderness of “Susser Freund,” which can drop to a mere whisper at key points. <

But an excellnet command of German and a deeply felt “Nun hast du mir” left an impression of a thoroughly wellprepared score, matched by some finely gauged vocalism. - > If the Schumann cycle is emotionally concentrated, more so • Wolfs highly imaginative, psychologically complex settings. Rosemary Turnbull’s clarity in ennunciation, flexibility of phrase and excellent tone production all impressed. The rhythmic nuances and lilting, ambiguous melodicism of “In dem schatten” will continue to elude many a seas<ti|ed lieder singer \ Fwn. the . second half of the pro-.

gramme, Finzi’s delightful Shakespeare songs were aired with confidence and infectious delight. Finzi’s harmonic conservatism and straightforward melodic .contours need a “plain” and correspondingly open delivery, which they got. I particularly enjoyed the singer’s treat-, ment of the arching lines of “Fear no more,” and the bounciness of “O' Mistress Mine.” ’ ■

Apart from clipping the phrase ends in “O Waly, Waiy,” four of Britten’s superb English folksong arrangements were sung with pathos (“The Salley Gardens”), breeziness (“Come you not?”) and throw-away comic verve (“Oliver Cromwell") as the various settings required. j , In two expansive Brahms songs for contralto and viola, Rosemary Turnbull was joined by the violist,'Rachel Thompson, whose sensitive treatment of the obligato parts enriched the singer’s attractive delivery.

The pianist, Veronica van der Knaap, gave a fluent account of three Rachmaninoff Preludes and the Barcarole Op. 10 No. 3. The inner accompaniment figures in Op. 32 No. 7 and the barcarole needed more delicate differentiation from the melodies. . A,

Veronica van der Knaap’s accompaniments regretfully showed at times insufficent sensitivity, lightness - ’and variety and ease of keyboard touch. Though her playing was dogged, it. was "reliable. But lieder accompaniment is;, an art for which reliability is, only the starting point. Una Corde pedalling is (or should be) almost completely unnecessary. I won’t labour a point’made in a previous review, except to say that the real worth of this . venue ;as a- concert chamber is severely compromised by a hard and glaring acoustic; which should as ’a matter? - 'of - some uqjpncy. -v .