Prom 46, Schoenberg - Gurrelieder, Royal Albert Hall, London, review: Thomas Quasthoff almost inevitably stole the show

If Gurrelieder seems as though made for the Albert Hall, this is not merely to accommodate its vast choral and orchestral forces but because its intricacy of texture needs room to breathe. Tonight’s account encompassed the tonal and dynamic extremes of Schoenberg’s ambitious cantata yet without neglecting that human vulnerability, however well concealed, at its core.

Not that the performance was an unreserved success. Simon O’Neill’s often edgy Waldemar lacked sufficient heroism, with Eva-Maria Westbroek’s eloquent Tove hampered by unsteady vibrato. Karen Cargill was a Wood-Dove of real pathos, while there were persuasive cameos from Christopher Purves and Peter Hoare as the affrighted Peasant and battle-wearied Klaus the Fool. Thomas Quasthoff almost inevitably stole the show as the magnetic Speaker in the ‘Wild Hunt’ melodrama, which brings with it the most scintillating and provocative music.

A seasoned exponent, Simon Rattle underlined the work’s potent expressive range without risk to its overall cohesion. Combined choruses from London, Birmingham and Barcelona gave their collective all, while the London Symphony Orchestra responded with an energy though also dexterity that bodes well for when Rattle becomes Music Director next month. Not a flawless highlight of this current Proms season, maybe, but a highlight nevertheless.