Something strange and remarkable happened tonight in Herbst Theater when
Wolfgang Holzmair sang two of the "Songs of a Wayfarer." I heard *Mahler*,
not the singer.

Thomas Hampson sang the same songs in the same hall just a few days ago.
During this period, I also heard the recording of a recent Matthias Goerne
Mahler concert.

Both Hampson and Goerne are "bigger" baritones than Holzmair -- in voice,
in fame -- and yet tonight was special, almost a cleansing experience after
over-reaching, overdone performances.  Appearance notwithstanding, I like
both of those "big guys," the Over-Baritone Hvorostovsky as well, and the
biggest ham of them all, the great Bryn Terfel; it's just that from time to
time, it's time for a bit of "pure" music, for a "sincere" singer, of the
Thomas Quasthoff style.

In a rich, varied, unusual concert (with gloriously understated
accompaniment by Stephen Blier), Holzmair presented a double riddle:  he
makes the most of an unspectacular instrument (high and on the thin side),
and yet he sings apparently without any artifice.  The result is thrilling.
"All" he has to offer is simplicity, intelligence, a genuine, demonstrated
love for the music he performs.

The San Francisco Performances concert had an interesting theme
("Whither Must I Wander?") and an engrossing, rewarding program.
"Wayfarer," of course, was a natural, and so were Schubert's "The Wanderer"
and "Wandering," "The Wanderer's Address to the Moon," "The Pilgrim," Hugo
Wolf's "Journey on Foot" and "On the Walk." The offbeat portion included
Ralph Vaughan-Williams' "Songs of Travel" (with Robert Louis Stevenson's
wonderful text in Holzmair's flawless English), and -- especially -- a good
portion of Ernst Krenek's "Memoirs of a Journey Through the Austrian Alps."

Blier spoke briefly about the virtually unknown song cycle "20 songs long,
and I do mean long," of which the composer -- wishing for acceptance in
vain -- created a digest version, and even translated his own bright,
wishful, quirky text into English.  Apparently, Holzmair still "owns"
the Krenek cycle, perhaps the only singer regularly scheduling it.

This love song to Austria (the country did not return Krenek's sentiment)
fits perfectly into the "travel" theme, beginning with "I journey forth/To
discover my homeland," dealing with Alpine weather, the quality of rain in
the mountains, an ode to the white wines of Gumpoldskirchen, Wachau, Baden,
Soos, Pfaffstaetten, the reds of Voeslau and Steiermark; it speaks of the
mountain lakes, the view of Italy ("not my homeland"), and it makes short
shrift of tourists:

"People rush up and down/Like mad things/All suymmer long in these Alps,/As
if hounded by some ancient curse,/ As if someone were behind them firing
starter guns."

The Holzmair enigma came through again, with wonderfully believable
gemuetlichkeit, but without a speck of artificial sweetener.  In another
miracle of restraint and simple artistry, Blier was a flawless, perfect
partner.

Maybe this pair should be bigger, much bigger, in name and recognition.

Janos Gereben/SF
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