Genre Liederabend in creative practice by J. Kauffmann
Authors: Yan Haosyuan 
Published: May 2020

Statement of the problem. Within the frameworks of interpretology, the performing style appears as the relation of two subjects (the performer and the subject of the music itself, recorded in the text), a meeting of the composing and performing thinking. It is every performance by Jonas Kaufmann, a prominent singer of the present, that becomes this meeting. According to the singer’s words, the «chamber form» invented by him and called Liederabend is the favourite form of his expression. Liederabend always demonstrates the singer’s outstanding acting skills, stage presence, strong voice and impeccable technique. Among the outstanding events there are the performances of G. Mahler’s chamber opuses (romances, «Song of the Earth», «Songs of the Dead Children», R. Strauss; Liederabends in Bamberg, Munich and the Metropolitan Opera with F. Liszt’s songs «Three Sonnets of Petrarch», G. Mahler, A. Dupark (including on Heine’s and Goethe’s verses), R. Wagner (Five Songs on Matilda Wesendonk’s verses), B. Britten (Seven Sonnets by Michelangelo). The singer’s attention to the AustrianGerman repertoire is the special trait of such chamber evenings. Analysis of recent publications on the topic. The main material on J. Kaufmann’s creative work is contained in numerous interviews, official site materials, Thomas Voigt’s book called «Meinen die wirklich mich», nonfiction articles and reviews on the performance of, in particular, Liederabends (T. Belova, T. Yelagin, E. Shapinska, Tim Ashley, and Christie Franke). From the studies of chamber and vocal performance (I. Gersamiya, T. Madysheva, T. Lymareva), the classification of dialogue quality (E. Stepanidina) in chamber music is involved. The systematic approach allows (based on G. Tsypin’s research) to identify the phenomenon of J. Kaufmann’s creativity. The purpose of the study is the formulation of the basic parameters of his performing style based on the analysis of J. Kaufmann’s Liederabends. Presentation of the main research material. In «The Winter Way» the singer resorts to such expressive means as a little exaggerated, chanted diction of the initial phrases («Sleep quietly»), radically contrasting dynamics of opera ff and subtle pp («Flood»), extremely slow tempo and filigree breathing («Inn»), «performance on the verge» of sound and silence («Loneliness», «Grey Hair», «Crow», and «Last Hope»). The centre of the performance concept is «Loneliness» (according to the singer himself). K. Frank sees the performance by Kaufmann as a rich spectrum of emotions; many listeners note the introversion of his expression. Concerning the conceptual dimension of J. Kaufmann’s interpretation of “The Winter Way”, the following facts were noted: the integrity and the construction of the performance form; the conscious avoidance of unnecessary expressiveness, monologue quality (the master connects the songs, creating an extended monologue), and artistry. Conclusions of the study. The analysis of Liederabends made it possible to find the components of J. Kaufmann’s performing style that characterize his individuality. 1. Intellectualism, conceptual design and «cyclicality» of the embodiment. For Liederabends the singer always chooses sophisticated programs, dominated by song cycles, or even the evenings devoted to the creative work of one composer. From the point of view of dramaturgy, the singer combines several songs into a kind of a micro-cycle, which enhances the monologue of the expression (dialogue «I-I»); the performance by the singer of any composition or cycle is always integral and intends for the catharsis. 2. The system of vocal expressive means that allow the singer to simulate different facets of images. Liederabends reflect the main features of J. Kaufmann’s style, which can also be noted in terms of opera interpretations: the economy of the performer, the singer’s commitment to conducting the cantilena, the role of the rhythmic component in the vocal score, the ability to tune his voice in different vocal ensembles, brilliant piano and mezzo voce, the brightness of forte, the filigree diminuendo and more. Kaufmann’s outwardly restrained manner of performance allows conveying the shades of poetic and musical text, reaching the heights peculiar to him as the performer of the tragic roles of the opera repertoire. In the chamber performance, some things sound even more pronounced. This applies to timbre (the singer can choose the desired colour of the voice, in particular, a matte or «steel» hue), the dynamic hue of ppp (sometimes a barely audible sound of the voice in the vocal cycle by F. Schubert gave a sense of boundary between the worlds, which is as if crossed by the lyric hero), diction (the singer speaks words clearly, and sometimes even sings in a recitative manner, in particular F. Schubert’s «Warrant»), and rhythm (he has a specific «acuteness» with certain disturbances of a uniform course, which has a powerful influence on the audience). Analysing the method of J. Kaufmann’s work with the author’s musical material, it is noted that he respectfully treats the text of the performed compositions, never exaggerates with “liberties” (agogic deviations, text notes, and fioritures). In terms of behavioural characteristics, J. Kaufmann’s performance always prevails in masculinity; from the point of view of the dialogue of the vocal and piano parties in J. Kaufmann’s Liederabends, the monologue quality is of great importance. All of the above allows us to identify another feature of Kaufmann’s performing style – his artistry. Due to his unstoppable artistic energy, which is felt by the listeners and visitors of Liederabends, the singer creates vivid, conceptual song evenings that are generally distinguished by the thoughtfulness of interpretations and which will surely be included in the collection of the world chamber performance. The prospect of further study of the topic is related to the study of J. Kaufmann’s performing style from the standpoint of interpretology.