United Kingdom Thaxted Competition 2024 – Liszt, Corridor, Verdi, Puccini: Nadine Benjamin (soprano), Jan Karl Rautio (piano). Thaxted Parish Church, Essex, 22.6.2024. (CC)

Liszt – Enfant, j’étais roi, S 283; Oh, quand je dors. S 282
George Corridor – Settings of d’Annunzio: L’ora e tarda; O falce di Lunacalante
Verdi – In solitaria stanza; Chi i bei m’adduce ancora; Stornello; Waltz in F
Puccini – Extracts from La bohème, Madama Butterfly, Tosca, Manon Lescaut, Gianni Schicchi

It’s good to be returning to Thaxted Competition for a sequence of vocal and operatic treats unfold over a number of weekends, beginning with this beautiful recital by Nadine Benjamin and the excellent pianist Jan Karl Rautio.

My first expertise of soprano Nadine Benjamin was as Ermyntrude within the UK premiere of Mascagni’s Isabeau at Opera Holland Park (assessment right here): on the time, I wrote that on ‘the energy of the great thing about her voice this night [she] has a high-quality profession forward’.

So it could appear. She was an actual main gentle as ‘The Mom’ in Tesori’s Blue at English Nationwide Opera, the place I discovered that ‘Benjamin … actually supplied the lifeblood of the efficiency … Benjamin’s voice has all of it: vary (beautiful decrease register, actually sturdy, energy up high), expressivity and nuance’. It was her efficiency as Mimì in ENO’s Bohème in 2022 that’s most related to this Thaxted Competition – and her Mimi again then was notably highly effective.

However first, songs. The true draw for me on this programme was two Liszt songs. For some cause this facet of Liszt’s output is woefully under-recognised, so it was nice to see Benjamin together with these. Written whereas Liszt was based mostly in Paris (and involved with Victor Hugo, the chosen poet), the 2 songs right here each characteristic a pining for an unobtainable different. First, Enfant, j’étais roi, a work-out for each vocalist and pianist. The tune is just brief however encompasses a variety of emotional plateaux (together with some good virtuoso writing for piano, with thunderous bass cut up octaves). Benjamin and Rautio have been in full command, Benjamin’s voice not solely sturdy but additionally full. The complementary tune was Oh, quand je dors, opening with one other echt-Lisztian trope – excessive, virtually seraphic strains and chords – earlier than a heavenly melody unfolds. That melody was spun like gold by Benjamin, whose legato was wonderful all through, however significantly entrancing in the direction of the tune’s radiant shut.

Two songs by George Corridor adopted (not as marketed, two songs by Tosti; they have been, nonetheless, to texts that Tosti had set in 1887 and1911). We really heard two of Corridor’s Three Poems of Gabriele D’Annunzio (2020), music of nice creativeness, and definitely extra superior harmonically than Tosti. Corridor’s music is refined, and exquisite however not indulgent: Banjamin and Rautio carried out it as if they’d identified the rating for many years. A stunning shock.

As within the case of Puccini, Giuseppe Verdi’s songs are massively overshadowed by his operas. And but each composers’ songs include gems. We heard three of Verdi’s together with the composer’s slip of a Waltz for piano (which appeared reprogrammed in a distinct place than marketed). The third of six Romanze, ‘In solitaria stanza’ itself has waltz-like traits implied by way of triples in a 4/4-time signature, As one would possibly anticipate with this composer, there are lovely melodic inflections (and an actual kinship with ‘Tacea la notte’ from his Il trovatore). Once more, Benjamin’s legato was the first issue within the efficiency’s success; however Rautio’s means of doubling the vocal melody was most affecting, too, properly refined. The slower ‘Chi i bei m’adduce ancora’ the textual content an Italian translation of Goethe’s Erster Verlust (First Loss) introduced notably safe tuning from Benjamin within the tough sluggish descents. The tune Stornello (Tu dici che non m’ami’). though written within the wake of the dying of Verdi’s collaborator Piave, is jaunty (‘All day and evening I play and sing’ is the ultimate line); it was a part of a set printed for Piave’s household’s profit. In idea a good way to (virtually) end the primary half; it was really adopted by Verdi’s slip of a Waltz in F main, teasingly, pleasingly performed by Rautio.

Within the spirit of the sudden, we additionally had an additional aria: Leonore’s ‘Vanne, lasciami … D’amor sull’ali rosee’ from the fourth act of Trovatore.  Good to incorporate the accompanied recitative, superbly delivered right here with crystal diction by Benjamin; however it’s the purity of her vocal line that’s most spectacular.

Over to Puccini opera for the second half, every excerpt superbly ready by way of a spoken introduction from Benjamin. She formed Mimì’s ‘Sì, mi chiamano Mimì’ (Bohème) to perfection, and supplied a prolongation of interiorisation within the third act, ‘Donde lieta usci’, the music now imbued with disappointment, the road ‘Addio, senza rancor!’ actually heartbreaking.

Benjamin acted the Butterfly excerpts splendidly, each in bodily gesture and in her voice. All credit score to Rautio, who is sort of a grasp colourist in terms of orchestral reductions on the piano; the mixture of the 2 artists led to a memorable ‘Un bel dì’. And significantly with ‘Tu? Tu? Piccolo iddio!’, one obtained an actual sense not solely of the id of the aria, however of the general environment of the opera; notably completely different from these round it. An all-Puccini second half, for certain, however a massively variegated one.

Manoi Lescaut subsequent (despite the programme’s insistence it was to be Tosca, which adopted). It’s fascinating to listen to the Intermezzi on piano, and, I repeat, Rautio is an absolute grasp of color; utilizing the pedal within the Tosca Act III Intermezzo (that line with unison horns) resulted in one thing of a carillon. From Manon Lescaut, a strong third act Intermezzo. The 2 arias following have been ‘In quelle trine morbide’ from Manon Lescaut (delicate piano in opposition to Benjamin’s lengthy strains) and, from Tosca, the miracle that’s ‘Visse d’arte’, superbly sustained and completely hypnotic.

A ultimate quantity: Musetta’s waltz (‘Quando m’en vo’), which in a nod to Benjamin’s ENO actions was sung in English. Benjamin has one thing of a cheeky manner to her; as does Musetta. A match made in heaven, due to this fact, and we actually believed Benjamin, when she sang ‘I find it irresistible’. Fabulous – as was your complete night. Nadine Benjamin and Jan Karl Rautio make good musical companions.

Colin Clarke