Miss Otis Regrets

Sir Thomas Allen delivers polished recital at Toronto Summer Music

Allen is now 66 – an age when many singers cede the stage to younger vocalists. As with so many athletic activities (and singing is very much an athletic activity), young singers have built-in advantages. They have strength, stamina and agility on their side.

Inevitably, these qualities fade with age – and Allen’s voice hasn’t entirely escaped this law of nature. It was apparent that his comfort zone lies squarely in his mid-range, and that he felt the need to carefully pace his expenditure of energy.

But it was also clear that Allen has many other resources to draw upon. Through decades of experience, his voice has acquired a richly hued patina. As well, he has honed his articulation and cultivated his sense of drama to the point that everything he sings comes vividly to life. It was these qualities – not dazzling vocal pyrotechnics – that made his performance impressive.

The flagship of the evening’s program was Schumann’s 16-song Dichterliebe cycle, which occupied the first half of the recital. Heinrich Heine’s poetry – bursting with the intensity of youthful love – might have come across as ill-suited to the white-haired gent on stage. But Allen seemed to reframe the words as the thoughts of an older man recalling his first romance. There was real emotion in his delivery, but also a sense of distance and reflection.