Bumpy love songs from Roderick Williams and Julius Drake at PCMS

By Cameron Kelsall, 13 February 2025

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Reviewed at Kimmel Center, Perelman Theater, Philadelphia on 12 February 2025

Beethoven, An die ferne Geliebte, Op.98

Brahms, Die schöne Magelone, Romances for voice and piano, Op.33

Roderick Williams, Baritone

Julius Drake, Piano

Cristina Garcia Martin, Visual artist

Charlotte Blake Alston, Narrator

Fauré Song Gala a showcase for the composer's mélodies

Mark Valencia, 13th September

Fauré was the finest of French songwriters. Stéphane Degout and Véronique Gens shine in a full-length evening in a packed Wigmore Hall.

****1

Gerald Finley and Julius Drake bring Night and Day to London

Mark Valencia, 24th November

Heinrich Heine settings by Schumann and Schubert are counter-balanced by Duparc and Cole Porter in a Temple Song recital reflecting on night and day.

*****

A scorching Diary of One Who Disappeared at Janáček Brno Festival

Gianmarco Segato, 12th November

Tenor Nicky Spence and mezzo Václava Krejčí Housková thrill with a theatrical take on Janáček's The Diary of One Who Disappeared with pianist Julius Drake.

****1

Alice Coote and Stuart Jackson bring Mahler to Middle Temple Hall

Mark Valencia, 11th November

Pianist Julius Drake and his two singers probe the audience’s collective soul with the depth of their Mahler performances.

*****

An intense Winterreise from Fleur Barron and Julius Drake

Edward Sava-Segal, 27th February

A young mezzo and a seasoned pianist performed a rendition of Winterreise that sounded very fresh indeed.

***11

Ian Bostridge and Dame Sarah Connolly at the Barbican

Edward Sava-Segal, 1st November

Song cycles by Ralph Vaughan Williams and Ernest Chausson are paired at the Barbican.

****1

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Cameron Kelsall

Cameron Kelsall is a classical music critic and cultural reporter. He has written for Bachtrack since 2019, and his byline has appeared in many national and international classical music publications. Based in Philadelphia, he regularly travels around the United States for musical events. In addition to his career in journalism, Cameron also teaches in the Theatre Arts program at the University of Pennsylvania. He is also a certified sommelier and avid home cook. His favorite composer is Mahler. Twitter: @CameronPKelsall.