Festival diary: Magdalena Kožená recital

"Ladies and gentlemen, Magdalena Kožená is suffering from a slight cold. She does not expect this to be of much consequence, she just thought you ought to know."

The problem with this recital was not a cold virus but the singer's posture: Kožená seemed to be hunched forwards a great deal of the time, only drawing herself up for high notes. Not, one would have thought, the best stance for singing. Considering she is a relatively recent arrival on the world stage (compared to, say, von Otter), one could express concern for the longevity of her career.

That aside, it was a very good performance, Malcolm Martineau accompanying her with great subtlety in a programme designed to show her range. Britten's A charm of lullabies and Shostakovich's Satires provided a good contrast to the works of Ravel and Debussy, in addition to bringing forth the odd laugh, but it was the beauty of Strauss' Morgen (op. 27, no. 4) which will linger in the mind for longer.

(20th August 2005)

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