Oeuvre: Myrthen: Jemand, Op.25 no.4

With Malcolm Martineau, the Latvian mezzo delivered poise and polish and transcendent Rückert Lieder. 

The tone was set for a shrewdly programmed hour of contrasts.

Elina Garanča can always be counted on for a coolly polished performance. Her silvery mezzo is beautiful, even throughout her range, and impeccably on pitch. She is musically tasteful, and her sound has grown in recent years. But something often seems to be missing. While she’s too accomplished to call bland, her performances rarely show evidence of a beating heart.