“It was always this strange mixture of feelings: ‘OK, there’s death somewhere, there’s despair, there’s frustration, it’s there because we’re human.’ The most stupid and fun person,” she said. “That’s why his performances have always been incredibly moving, because you can see all of the human tragedy and the lightness of life.”
Judging by his recordings, Voigt was a cordial soloist, excelling in the lineage of Bach, Schubert and Brahms, but arguably the best chamber musician. Even the tones he picks up from the piano are thoughtful, never domineering, and invite collaboration. Schubert’s album is the latest in an unparalleled series of releases with the Tetzlaffs, testifying not only to the relationship between the three great artists, but to the closeness of their shared fearless commitment to expression. doing.
It’s a bit difficult to fully understand from the outside. Ondine founder and managing director Reijo Kiirunen said of the trio’s recording session that they seemed to speak a “special language” to each other. “You just hear it in their performance.”
Before the brothers Schubert, Voigt and Tetzlaff essay three Brahms trios and two Dvořák trios. Christians alone have had descriptions of sonatas by Mozart, Beethoven, Schumann, and Brahms. In none of those interpretations is there any sense that the instrumentalists are competing for the spotlight or trying to impress anyone, especially the listener. They share music with each other.
One of those recordings has been particularly poignant since it was made in 2015. An impassioned reading of Brahms’ Violin Sonata in G major. It was also the last song Vogt and Christian performed together. About a week ago, nurses gathered to hear them play. Death of a pianist.
The first movement contains a passage that is a moving depiction of their partnership. The violin strums like a guitar and the piano seems to adopt the main theme to search for, but most duos simply play it as a basic question of foreground and background. Yet Vogt’s tone is soft and withdrawn, as if he doesn’t want to draw attention entirely to himself, the support Christian provides, an essential accompaniment to his wistful singing. It’s as if you want to listen to. There is no ego.
