Baritone Micah Schroeder and pianist Stéphane Mayer gave a recital on Saturday night at the Tranzac called Everlastingness.  It was a carefully curated mix of song recital classics, works by contemporary Canadian composers and some Armenian influences.  The balance was such that a two hour plus recital seemed to fly by.  I rather like the Tranzac for this kind of event.  The acoustics are fine and the comparative intimacy of it gives a vibe somewhere between a concert hall and, say, Opera Pub.  It’s certainly difficult to imagine anyone (furries aside) wearing tails there.

And so to the music… Matters kicked off with Danika Lorèn’s setting of Edna St.Vincent Millais’ Recuerdo no. 7 – A Few Figs From The Thistle.  It’s a gentle setting of an appealing text and was a good atmosphere setter.  Next was a foray into Ich bin ein ernsthafter deutscher Bariton territory with Schumann’s Lieder und Gesänge aus Wilhelm Meister.  This was very nicely done with excellent diction, measured singing; balancing the dramatic and the sensitive aptly, and was beautifully accompanied.  Proper Lieder singing in fact. Continue reading →