Goerne/Aimard

Matthias Goerne's Wigmore Hall recitals are becoming increasingly exasperating experiences. For a start, what people buy a ticket for is not necessarily what Goerne decides to sing; this time he telescoped the announced repertoire of a pair of Schumann recitals into a single, repeated programme.

Then there is his choice of pianists, which never seem to include anyone more experienced in the lieder repertoire than Goerne himself is, nor indeed anyone who will force him outside his comfort zone. Goerne seems to treat these performances as chamber collaborations, but they don't appear to involve the kind of plain speaking that longstanding chamber partnerships thrive on.

If this one had done so, then Goerne would have told his pianist, Pierre-Laurent Aimard, that he seemed stylistically uncertain in Schumann. Aimard would have retorted that Goerne was spending most of his time ignoring the audience and singing to a point on the left wall somewhere above Aimard's head.

None of this would really matter, were it not for the fact that Goerne has the voice and seriousness to be one of the great lieder singers. Once again, there were ample reminders, as he poured that seamless, molten-chocolate voice into the Op. 39 Liederkreis and the Op. 35 Kernerlieder. And, at some glorious moments, there were signs that he might be loosening up and placing more emphasis on communication; for example in Waldesgespräch, which brought a hint of gruffness then ferocity. But for the most part it was all smooth intensity, fabulously controlled and maddeningly dull.

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