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Canberra Today 14°/16° | Friday, March 29, 2024 | Digital Edition | Crossword & Sudoku

Review / Concert of contrasts, clarity and warmth

Baritone Jeremy Tatchell. Photo by Peter Hislop
Baritone Jeremy Tatchell. Photo by Peter Hislop

“FROM Russia (and New Zealand) with Love” was a clever title for this Art Song Canberra concert, given the NZ origins of baritone Jeremy Tatchell and Ukraine’s pianist, Elena Nikulina.

It also gave the pair the opportunity to sing and play very contrasting music from their birth countries.

The first half of the program was devoted to works with a NZ background, showcasing songs by David Farquhar and Douglas Lilburn. “Five Songs of EE Cummings” were charming, uniquely worded poems with music by David Farquhar that was edgy, spare and unique in its own way.

Tatchell sang these with great confidence and skill, especially “O by the by” and “when faces called flowers float out of the ground”. The accompaniment by Nikulina was very well played. “Three Scots Ballads” also set to music by David Farquhar were a complete contrast to the EE Cummings songs and Tatchell and Nikulina gave excellent performances of these stirring and haunting songs.

Pianist Elena Nikulina. Photo by Peter Hislop
Pianist Elena Nikulina. Photo by Peter Hislop

“Sings Harry”, with music by Douglas Lilburn based on poems by Denis Glover, is a work requiring strong character singing with reflective sections contrasting with moments of robust, almost swaggering delivery. Tatchell was able to show the full dimension of his fine voice and acting ability with these songs.

After interval, the focus was on works of the Russians, Mussorgsky and Tchaikovsky.

Singing in Russian, Tatchell performed Mussorgsky’s “Songs and Dances of Death” with great expertise. His strong baritone voice was a perfect match for the Russian sound of this music. Nikulina played the accompaniment with great accuracy and feeling. The “Six Romances” of Tchaikovsky included three poems of Tolstoy and were highly emotional pieces sung with great clarity and warmth by Tatchell accompanied by beautiful, sensitive playing by Nikulina.

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