EIF: Golda Schultz and Jonathan Ware: ‘This Be Her Verse’

Queen’s Hall - 17/08/22

‘This Be Her Verse’ – the intriguing subtitle for the lunchtime programme of art songs by women composers presented by South African soprano Golda Schultz and her American accompanist Jonathan Ware in the Queen’s Hall on 17th August, but also the title of the final work in the programme, a commission by Schultz and Ware from the South African-born composer Kathleen Tagg and the Anglo-American poet and librettist Lila Palmer. 

The recital opened with two of Clara Schumann’s Op.12 Rückert settings: ‘Liebst du um Schönheit’ and ‘Warum willst du and’re fragen?’, followed by her setting of Gerhard’s translation of Burns’ ‘Musing on the Roaring Ocean’, ‘Am Strande’.  Clara’s gift for melody shines as brightly as that of her husband Robert, whilst the harmonies in the warmly flowing piano part, sensitively played by Jonathan, are expressively nuanced to the emotions of the text.  I was immediately struck by the excellence of Golda’s German diction – every word was clearly enunciated. 

Clara Schumann’s near-contemporary Emilie Mayer’s settings of fellow-Prussian Helmina von Chézy’s ‘Wenn der Abendstern die Rosen’ and Heinrich Heine’s ‘Du bist wie eine Blume’ were equally melodic, but more operatic in style with much coloratura writing, delivered mellifluously, yet also very Schubertian.  In the Heine, receiving its first performance in modern times, Golda’s top end allied limpid clarity with power, while the ends of phrases were held for just the right duration to maximise impact without impeding the flow. 

The English-American violist and composer Rebecca Clarke, perhaps better known for her chamber works featuring viola, was then revealed to us as a songwriter in four marvellous settings.  Yeats’ ‘Down by the Salley Gardens’ is hauntingly impressionistic, with a hint of Vaughan Williams’ sound world, performed with the delicious use of pauses.  It was followed by two contrasting settings of Blake: ‘The Tiger’, fearsome and menacing with growls in the piano left hand, and ‘Cradle Song’, tender but with a strange unease about the fragility of innocence.  Masefield’s ‘The Seal Man’, a gender-reversed retelling of the selkie legend, rounded off the set with a matter-of-fact melancholy, showcasing the singer as gifted storyteller with flawless timing.   

The darkness lingered with two melodramatic pieces, Clara Schumann’s setting of Heine’s ‘Lorelei’ led without a break into Mayer’s second setting of Goethe’s ‘Erlkönig’, the latter revealing an equally rich and powerful bottom end to Golda’s voice. 

During the interval, I found myself pondering that I had not been aware of Golda’s use of vibrato.  I resolved to pay closer attention after the interval and, of course, she absolutely does, but never obtrusively and only to aid expression and the production of rich tone.  What a glorious voice! 

After the interval, there was a rare chance to hear four songs of the great Parisian composition teacher, Nadia Boulanger.  Unmistakably French, with hints of the sound worlds of Chausson, Fauré, Debussy and Canteloube, these are beautifully crafted and deserve to be heard more.  Verlaine’s ‘La mer est plus belle’ features waves rolling vividly in the piano part.  Bataille’s ‘Prière’ is sweet and expressive with fluid key changes.  Samain’s ‘Élégie’, with bittersweet dreamy harmonies and a very Ravel-like conclusion made the listener marvel even more at Jonathan’s sensitive pianism and the perfect fit of the artistic partnership on stage.  Maeterlinck’s ‘Cantique’ paired a devout melodic line with soft steady chords in the piano to round off the set. 

As the piano was ‘prepared’ for the performance of the Tagg/Palmer commission, Golda introduced the work, as indeed she had genially done for each previous set. The three poems deal with some dilemmas and contradictions of a woman’s life experience. The first, entitled ‘After Philip Larkin’ (first line: Woman’s no island (would that she were)), featured rhythmic emulation of a plucked double bass in the left hand of the prepared piano while the right hand strummed the strings – an extraordinary effect.  The second, ‘Wedding’, had a tango rhythm with elements of Sondheim and Alma Mahler in the sardonic mix.  Finally, ‘Single Bed’ concluded with a sweet melody against chords and bell-like countermelody in the piano.  Quite magical. 

As an encore, we heard Amy Beach’s ‘I send my heart out to thee’, dedicated to her husband, H. H. A. Beach. 

This was a superb concert and I regret to report that it was woefully underattended. 

Cover photo: Ryan Buchanan