Nothing short of remarkable describes this debut album from baritone Will Liverman and pianist Jonathan King. The title “Whither Must I Wander” is taken from the seventh song of the main work, Ralph Vaughan Williams’ “Songs of Travel”. This song cycle is central to the repertoire of English art songs and the domain of many baritones, including Roderick Williams, Thomas Allen and Simon Keenlyside. For many years, Bryn Terfel’s 1995 rendition with pianist Malcolm Martineau has been the benchmark, but Liverman offers a new perspective, in a superbly balanced and captured recording.
Each singer brings a different take to the “Songs of Travel”. Opening Vaughan Williams’ cycle is “The Vagabond”, which is the most famous of the nine songs comprising the set. The quality of the sound is immediately obvious, allowing the vivid performance to shine through. Liverman takes the tempo striding out, but it doesn’t feel rushed. The shaping of Liverman’s phrases and clarity of articulation are matched by King here and throughout. Liverman communicates his meaning without being over-dramatic or aloof, but with subtle drama, emphasizing the meaning of the text. King’s accompaniment also creates a sense of swaggering and stomping, that never feels heavy-handed.
The contrast between Liverman’s voice and King’s accompaniment in “Roadside Fire” is beautifully executed by both musicians, further revealing the deep musical relationship between the two. Liverman has a remarkable ability to temper his voice without losing tone or color, as exemplified in “Youth and Love”, in which he navigates the different parts of his voice with absolute conviction. “In Dreams” is laden with heavy emotion with a slightly pensive air, and he is able to create an arch of feeling to bridge this song with “Infinite Shining Heaven”. On reaching the closing bars of the final song, “I Have Trod the Upward and the Downward Slope”, one realizes the strength in Liverman’s ability to lead a journey through the song and the cycle. The “Songs of Travel” may not be as profound as Schubert’s Winterreise, but Liverman conjures up the same scope of emotions.
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After a lovely rendition of James Frederich Keel’s more catchy cycle, “Three Salt-Water Ballads”, the final sequence of songs begins with Herbert Howell’s “King David” (track 13). The phrasing in the piano part is exceptional, full of color, evoking the harp at times. Liverman is utterly convincing as the storyteller, every word laden with emotion. The absolute highlight of the album follows with Copland’s “At The River”. The programming seems to lead to this climax. The absolute sincerity in which Liverman delivers the words is endearing and king finds many layers in the almost minimalist accompaniment. Stephen Mark Kohn’s arrangement of the traditional melody “Ten Thousand Miles Away” is lighter, but maintains the atmosphere, bringing us down gently from the reverie of the previous song.
Liverman’s voice is rich, sonorous, rounded and velvety, with a sufficiently wide vibrato to enhance the intensely colored hues, but without blaring the intonation. This, combined with the crystal clear diction, captures all the intricacies of the English language, adding an air of authenticity. Kings’ accompaniment is pristine in its execution and he clearly is a highly proficient and sympathetic accompanist. The balance between the hands is commendable, chords in the low register of the piano are placed with delicacy so as not to thicken the sound, while the notes in the higher echelons of the piano are played with care so as not to overshadow Liverman.
There is a noticeable change in the acoustics between the Vaughan Williams and some of the other songs. The recordings were made in August 2017 and August 2018 in Skillman Music Recording Studio in Brooklyn, New York. The Odradek engineers’ work is commendable for the quality of the recording and the balance, making this not just an exceptional album but also an impressive debut recital. Based on what Liverman and King have achieved here, what could they do with the songs of Finzi, Ireland and Moeran could be equally remarkable.
“Whither Must I Wander”
Vaughan Williams – Songs of Travel, IRV 77
Keel – Three Salt-Water Ballads
With more songs by Howells, Copland, Medtner and Schumann
Odradek Records, CD ODRCD389
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