“mystical chromaticism, sweeping arpeggios and jagged intervals with a contagious glee”
Attending the London preview of the Guildhall Artists in New York recital was a real pleasure. The programme, which spanned Italian art songs to contemporary commissions, was performed by the talented young musicians: Seohyun Go (soprano), Chloé Dumoulin (piano) and Kosuke Shirai (clarinet). All three soloists were impressive for their musicality and depth of expression, and I have no doubt that the trio will be well-received when they perform at Carnegie Hall later this month.
First on stage was Seohyun Go, opening with an emotionally charged rendition of Wonju Lee’s Longing. A profoundly human understanding of the text was carved on her face and engraved in her tone from the very beginning. It was the first indication of this lyric soprano’s captivating ability to locate and convey the underlying meaning of a piece. Go is an excellent storyteller across the board, but she is primed especially for the poetic nuance of art song. When I read, after the recital, that she had received the Guildhall School’s Franz-Schubert-Institut Lieder Prize in 2024, it came as no surprise. Go’s performance of Joseph Marx’s ‘Hat dich die liebe berührt’ was majestic, as was her performance of Franz Liszt’s ‘Oh! quand je dors’; in both, she demonstrated a remarkable sensitivity, as well as unleashing a powerful head voice.
Kosuke Shirai was next up, diving straight into a spirited performance of Francis Poulenc’s Sonata for clarinet and piano. The clarinettist evidently had a strong grasp of the composer’s style, exploiting his mystical chromaticism, sweeping arpeggios and jagged intervals with a contagious glee. Anyone who has performed any Poulenc knows that it can be difficult to strike the right balance when performing his music, but Shirai succeeded; he luxuriated in the strangeness of it all, and so brought it to life. The atmosphere was ideal, especially in the first two movements. My only criticism would be aimed at the occasional excess of air in the breathy pianissimos, but these passages were often incredibly effective regardless.
The last soloist to perform was Chloé Dumoulin, although she had already made her mark as an attentive accompanist for both Go and Shirai, responding perceptively to every shift in tone and every change in tempo. Even before she played solo, the quality of her musicianship was clear from her ability to maintain a rich dialogue with the other instruments. When it came, at last, to her performance of Franz Liszt’s ‘Les jeux d’eau à la Villa d’Este’, she was alert, focused and driven. She built momentum slowly, with an undeniable rigour and poise, taking time to play with the watery textures of Liszt’s melodies. Doumlin’s performance of Denis Gougeon’s Piano-Soleil was equally strong, although she sometimes lacked the dramatic intensity of a pianist like Grigory Sokolov. Perhaps added weight will come with time, since she is clearly an ambitious performer.
Pedantic nitpicking aside, this was a confident and engaging recital from everyone involved. I would gladly see every single one of these performers again, and I very much hope that I do – minus the somewhat derivative and overly academic compositions of Mary Offer, whose latest work borrows heavily from composers like Arnold Schoenberg without adding anything new to the conversation. Anyhow, to reset the tone, I once again take this opportunity to congratulate the wonderful performers: what a privilege it is to witness the next generation of classical musicians as they emerge.