Review Gregory Mutch recital

Press, 2 December 1989, Page 10

Review Gregory Mutch recital

Gregory Mutch (tenor) with Louise Clark (piano), Great Hall, December 1, at 1.10 p.m. Re* viewed by Paul Goodson. On an occasion like this, I would consult “The Music Critic’s Etiquette Guide,” if such an unlikely. publication were in existence. The last time I reviewed a recital by Gregory Mutch, I suggested that dramatic character songs and operatic arias were unsuited to his particular vocal and expressive capabilities; The programme for this recital seemed to have fled to the other extreme. What was presented — metaphorically speaking — was a neatly packaged box of glace fruit; basically encore items: the sort of thing that enterprising recbrd producers 30 years ago gathered together for a particular singer and released as “The Art; of —”, or Sings BestLoved Melodies.”

A;-little recapitulation — improperly preceding the development — seems in order. The strengths of Gregory Mutch’s vocal armoury are still very much in evidence: a light, lyrical tone; unforced, cantabile delivery, registral smoothness — eminent

iistenability, in other words. His stage manner is still fairly rudimentary. With greater relaxation and openness, his interpretations would undoubtedly gain added colour and animation. He might well experiment with repositioning himself within the curve of the piano with his right hand placed on the instrument Gregory Mutch’s chosen items were a blend of traditional ballads, light operetta, lied and Italian art songs, all sung commendably from memory. Most displayed those arching melodic lines and polished phrasal contours so well suited to the singer’s Asti Spumante and strawberries timbre. His ability to float high registral pianissimo phrases in Lehar’s “Oh Maiden,” the lovely ending to Toselli’s celebrated “Serenata,” his developing expansiveness in Leoncavallo’s “Mattinata” and Geehl’s “For You Alone,” the effortless upward leaps of a sixth in “Danny Boy”: these were all recital high points. On the minus side, low registral tone and diction were shadowy (Cardißps “Catari Catari” and Lehars' “Serenade”);.

and there was some difficulty in mustering the sheer stamina and breath control necessary to sustain long, bel canto phrases, as in Schubert’s “Ave Maria.” Where does all this lead to? Basically to Vaughan Williams’s folk songs, and to the glorious twentieth-century resurgence of English song, represented by composers such as Delius, Finzi, Holst, Ireland, Quilter, Warlock and Michael Head. Mutch could also expand his repertoire to Mozart — and perhaps in time to Mendelssohn — lieder, to Brahms Volkslieder, and most certainly to French chanson: Franck, Faure, Debussy, Milhaud afad a host of others. Mutch's voice has natural grace and great charm. How far it lies in him to become a true platform artist remains to be seen. It was a pity that the Great Hail lighting left him in semidarkness.

Piano accompaniments in this recital were hardly technically challenging. But scaling downward to match the singer is also an art, and Louise Clark would have little cause to. echo .Gerald Moore's Jhmous catchphrase, “Am I tooHoud?”