Wheatly and Hansen’s repertoire was a difficult one and the two singers approached it with due caution. Their facility with the different languages (they sang everything from Fauré to Schumann’s heavy German In der Nacht, Op. 74/4) was complemented by a technical proficiency that was by no means dry or boring. Wheatley’s voice was thick and creamy and Hansen performed with a convincing expressiveness that gave a beautiful view into the sense behind his sound. Sawers on the piano, however, left more to be desired. She played the role more of accompanier than musician, giving the total effect of the performance an immaturity it could have done without.
Her style also lacked the variety that the eclectic assortment of pieces required. During Strauss’ Drei Ophelia lieder Op. 67, for instance, there was a definite need for the piano to be violent in its expression – a need that Sawers didn’t fullfil. Given that Wheatly introduced the piece as something crazy and desperate, it was disappointing to hear the piano merely fulfill its duties without doing much with either dynamics or pace.
A quick word with one of the people involved with the recital revealed that the trio have not practiced together for very long and put together their Edinburgh show in an effort to better integrate classical music with the Fringe festival. Unfortunately, the evening is nothing if not niche, made for people who are there purely to appreciate the soprano and tenor and for whom the piano is background and the location incidental.
