An Enchanting Tribute to Schubert

The local celebration of Schubert’s birth two centuries ago was graciously launched on Sunday afternoon in UCLA’s sumptuously decorated, acoustically welcoming Clark Memorial Library.

The composer was honored by a nourishing program of his works that had as its centerpiece the song cycle “Die schone Mullerin,” skillfully presented by two French artists making their Los Angeles debuts, tenor Gilles Ragon and pianist Jean-Louis Haguenauer.

Ragon’s is not a particularly striking instrument, somewhat tight and effortfully produced at the top, with the vibrato-less tone that is not to all tastes but is in demand today for period performance, a field in which he is highly regarded.

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Ragon, however, compensated for any vocal shortcomings with a lively rhythmic sense, sensitive use of head voice in the gently lyrical numbers--”Der Neugierige” and “Morgengruss” proved particularly lovely in this respect--flawless German diction and a flair for storytelling via the discreet, telling physical gesture.

It was an altogether engaging performance, a few miscalculations aside: Certainly “Ungeduld” was too fast, forcing the singer to peck at high notes and resulting in some garbling of text, “Der Jager” too vehement.

Haguenauer proved a partner of exceptional worth: fluently supportive, commanding when called for, as alert to the urgings of the text as the singer himself.

The pianist subsequently collaborated with cellist Cecilia Tsan in a subtly nuanced reading of the “Arpeggione” Sonata, and the program concluded with all three artists collaborating in that most sweetly wistful song of parting, “Auf dem Strom.”