The Munich audience has apparently already taken a liking to Konstantin Krimmel: the Cuvilliéstheater is sold out, and the young baritone has to give three encores at the end. For his first Festival song recital with pianist Malcolm Martineau, he didn’t choose an overly summery program. But the “Schwanengesang”, Franz Schubert’s last collection of songs, expanded in the middle by a few songs based on texts by Johann Gabriel Seidl, which are usually not attributed to it.
Krimmel is the most important figurehead in director Serge Dorny’s attempt to rebuild an ensemble at the State Opera that not only supports the guest stars in small roles. But regularly covers main roles, as Krimmel did last October with Guglielmo in the new production of Mozart’s “Così fan tutte”. The next step is to entrust him with one of the most prominently cast recitals at the opera festival.
The native of Ulm lives up to expectations: his bright, beautifully timbred baritone speaks effortlessly, the breathing technique also covers longer arcs. In terms of expression, he has a wide spectrum at his disposal between a fine mezzavoce and the great discharge of power, which he uses in the service of interpreting the text. The latter is extremely reflected and rich in detail, but also seems circumscribed and sometimes made up. Which is why, with Martineau, Krimmel didn’t choose a young pianist, but a “safe bank”. One that fans out the piano writing with the finest fingerwork in micro-colours, while remaining fairly detached.
Until at some point you wish that at least the young singer would shed his precocious sovereignty, let himself be carried away by the moment and take a risk. And with rather simple songs like “Die Taubenpost” or “Das Fischermädchen” sail along the melody instead of breaking it down into a thousand details. Or at least choose not three more melancholic retreats as an encore, but something with real fire.