Golden Label Nomination – Schubert, albeit Franz Schubert, you fine man with the never resting, oversensitive soul, yes 'der Einsame' from that compellingly beautiful song, the Lonely One, you were yourself. Ilker Arcayürek has understood it. This young tenor with Turkish roots, raised and living in Austria, has understood, better than most ever could, who you were, who you are.
It is with great emotion, yes tears come to my eyes, that I listen to the recording, Arcayürek's first CD. A performance of 23 Schubert songs that each in their own way convey loneliness. Very beautiful texts by often also searching poets set to music by the father of The Lied, Franz Schubert (1797-1828). 31 years old, it is heartbreaking that young talents who should become 120 years old are sometimes taken from the world so incredibly young. And yet, they live on. Schubert (31) lives, Pergolesi (26) lives, Mozart (35) lives, Chopin (39) lives, De Arriaga (19) lives!
And yes, classical music lives! Beauty in its purest forms lives thanks to the creations of, for example, Schubert, brought to listening by a talented young singer, musician, artist as in this case Ilker Arcayürek. Although, he does not do it alone, he is accompanied in perfect form, kindred spirit, equal musical insight by pianist Simon Lepper. Lepper, Arcayürek and Schubert, a three-in-one.
I must weigh my words carefully, because I would dare to say that Arcayürek is the Schubert tenor of the coming 25 years or more. How I discovered the cd, this debut cd!, because you have to discover it because the label is barely or not to be found in our country, is beyond words. Just past midnight, 29 December 2017, I am driving through Austria on my way home. "Oh, Schubert, hello that's beautifully sung. When they say his name, I must remember him." The speaker repeats his name several times but I don't understand a word, Austrian accent, that is not always easy anyway and then an incomprehensible name. Phew, end of programme – well, too bad actually – but phew and why? A more understandable male voice pronounces the name quite understandably. Ilker Akarjur or so. Well, I keep driving... Quickly park where I can, look up that name on my mobile.
THERE I have it, Ilker Arcayürek. That's quite different from what I understood. But he is it and that is what matters. Immediately I send via my mobile with its sensitive little keyboard, an e-mail typed with my somewhat too thick fingers. That I just heard the cd now, in the middle of the night, on my way home and would like to review the cd. Half an hour later already a response. Good thing I stayed a bit longer in the parking lot, among other things to recover from the beauty I heard. I immediately see a flood of mistakes in my e-mail, why hadn't I seen them earlier before sending, right? I suddenly become very embarrassed, the man answers immediately and my thing is full of mistakes!...
And yes, the CD ended up in the letterbox of Klassiek Centraal, then in the cd player. Just as the Schubert cd by Bryn Terfel touched me deeply in the early '90s and meant the definitive international breakthrough for the baritone, so I am sure that this very moving performance can only open all doors, worldwide, for this singer and his accompanist. He learned among other things from Thomas Quasthoff, another perfect interpreter for decades of Schubert, how it should be done. Arcayürek is also an admirer of the much too early deceased Fritz Wunderlich. One of the best German tenors in history. I think Arcayürek can become a new Wunderlich in his own way. It is not a copy, but he is inspired and that is allowed. It is also normal because what person in the entire history of mankind has not been inspired, in whatever field, by a 'father' or 'mother' for one thing or another? If only to prepare something very simple for a midday meal or so?
23 Songs, so pure, so incredibly beautiful and sometimes so deeply moving, you really should have them in your home. As I after all these years still listen to Terfel's Schubert interpretation, so I now have a new cd that gets a different place. The place of the cds that I put on to just listen without reviewing. Absolutely.
- WHAT: Der Einsame, 23 songs by Franz Schubert
- WHO: Ilker Arcayürek (tenor) and Simon Lepper (piano)
- LABEL: Champs Hill Records – CHRCD133
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-Fy9XHTmKU[/embed]
