The programme had particular significance for Wilson, as he was repeating the exact recital he first performed in Marama Hall, in March 1976, also the day he first met Dennis, then a third-year performance student.
Wilson’s wife, Gillian Bibby (also a New Zealand musician and composer), who accompanied the original recital, was in the audience yesterday.
Opening with three songs in German (text by Michelangelo Buonarroti) published by Hugo Wolf in 1897, the poetry seemed particularly pertinent to the occasion as Wilson sang of looking back on life and love, and how things must inevitably end and disappear — Alles endet, was entstehet.
The programme continued in a different mood, with French lieder.
Towards the end of his life Maurice Ravel (1875-1937) was commissioned to compose music for an early movie, Don Quixote, but they were not used due to his death in 1937.
Three songs to poems by Paul Morand survive, all with Spanish character — Chanson romanesque — Romantic song with its bright rhythmic accompaniment, a more prayerful Chanson epique — Epic Song and Chanson a boire — Drinking Song, which Wilson interpreted with hearty robust timbre, especially the repeating line "I drink to joy!"
The final cycle Songs and Dances of Death by Russian composer Modeste Mussorgsky was written in the mid-1870s, also towards the end of the composer’s life.
Dramatic and depressing — even the Lullaby told of a mother cradling her sick child, pleading with Death.
Russian text was accorded magnificent delivery by this bass-baritone, who despite maturing years, still maintains steady timbre, depth of tone and an impressive palate across the register.
Lunchtime Concert
Marama Hall, Wednesday, September 14
