Barbara Hendricks

The world famous soprano Barbara Hendricks is still going strong. To night, March 17th 2010, she fascinated a fully seated Theatre des Champs Élysées in Paris with Franz Schubert´s Winter journey, together with a well playing Love Derwinger at the piano, and in a beautiful light design by Ulf Englund, who was giving the different romances different visual atmosphaeres.

Ms Hendricks has not been choosing the most easy repertoar for this evenings concert. Schuberts Winter journey, originally written in 1827

. Most of the known recordings are made with baryton, and for me that is the best idea, but some are too sung by tenors, sopranos and other voices. It needs beauty in the high and middle register, which Ms Hendricks has, but the deepest parts was unfortunately not sounding good. However she has a beauty and intensity in the high and middle level, which is beautiful, and that made it to a fascinating experinence for the audience
. It is too positive that Ms. Hendricks don´t have any irritating and disturbing vibrato. Her power is great and the pianissimo very beautiful. This sounded well. 

For me it became really wonderful when we came to the last 7 songs, starting with: Der stürmische Morgen, and ending with Der Leierman, then the temperature was there, and together with her wonderful pianist Love Derwinger it became beautiful. The extra number Ave Maria was a hit. The audience loved it.

It is great that it is possible to fill up the Theatre with such a special programme,  exspecially in Paris, where world famous names are visiting, nearly every day.