Review: BBC PROMS: GOLDA SCHULTZ SINGS GERSHWIN AND BERNSTEIN, Royal Albert Hall

South African soprano Golda Schultz is always a treat to hear; with honeyed tones, rich storytelling and nimble versatility, the programme at Saturday's prom was an excellent vehicle to show off her considerable skills.

Partnered by the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, conducted by a wildly energetic Robin Ticciati, Schultz gave a varied and highly engaging performance. This was her sixth Prom appearance. She started with George Gershwin’s "By Strauss", a fun opener that served as a something of a warm-up as the orchesta seems to overwhelm Schultz at points.

Kurt Weill’s lovely tango-habanera "Youkali" suited Schultz's tone, but it was when we arrived at "Summertime" from Gershwin's Porgy and Bess that things went up a gear. Schultz's sultry vocals were delicate, precise and brimming with emotion. Ticciati's conducting meant the orchestra melted into the vocals in the most exquisite manner. "Lost in the Stars", the opening number from Kurt Weill’s final Broadway musical, had extra resonance from its South African setting.

After the interval, “No word from Tom”, taken from Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress, gave Schultz the opportunity to really flex her operatic muscles. Her vocals were silky smooth and the tingling final top C was flawless. Korngold's emotional "Glück das mir verblieb" followed, showing more deft co-ordination between orchestra and singer. 

Schultz's final number was "Somewhere" from Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story. A crowd-pleaser of course, but it sounded less imbued with emotion than Schultz's previous vocals of the night. To really tug at the the heart strings, there must be quiet melancholy and a sense of real yearning. Schultz was note-perfect, but perhaps this song suited her voice the least.

The evening was book-ended by Franz Schreker's "Chamber Symphony (1916)" and Igor Stravinsky's "The Firebird"; both fairly chunky pieces which meant less time for Schultz, who seemed to have limited time on stage. Those who expected more of her, (not unreasonable from the title of this Prom) might have felt short-changed. 

Schreker's "Chamber Symphony" sounded a little bare in the vastness of the Royal Albert Hall, but there was an enchanting freshness to the sound of orchestra.  Stravinsky's "The Firebird", based on a Russian folk tale about a magical glowing bird, was texturally much more successful, as Ticciati revelled in the layering of instruments after the lovely bassoon solo. The playing revealed all Stravinsky's dramatic intent and vivid clarity of vision. It is a piece that never gets tired and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe with Ticciati in full flow, was a marvellous finale.

The BBC Proms continues at the Royal Albert Hall until 13 September