Mahler's Fourth in chamber form

Klasikaplus, Michal Huska, 22.9.2026

In the closing passage, Barbora de Nunes-Cambraia’s Falcon voice revealed itself to the full: an expressive, precisely articulated recitative in the lower register, and a firm, dark richness in the upper range.

The flautist opened with light, birdsong-like phrases, introducing Czech mezzo-soprano Barbora de Nunes-Cambraia. The church acoustics did little to aid the clarity of the text, but as soon as she moved into the higher register, her voice filled the space impressively while retaining the velvety quality so characteristic of her singing. There was also a challenging moment when one of the instruments — I did not manage to see which — faltered in intonation, momentarily unsettling the singer’s entrance. She nevertheless continued with complete professionalism, as though nothing had happened. Her voice was ideally suited to the character of the song. Free from excessive vibrato, her singing seemed to favour elegance over grandeur.

Barbora de Nunes-Cambraia then revealed another facet of her artistry in two arias from Carmen — the Habanera and the Seguidilla. The rhythmic, fiery quality of the French came to life in an entirely different way from the Mahler song. The musical ornamentation was given ample space, while the words took on greater flexibility and suppleness.