It’s common in modern music concerts for singers to end up divesting themselves of their clothes, but for Matthew Pike in his new and highly original show, Musique Romantique, currently playing early evenings at Bats Theatre, he does just the opposite.

Starting off half-naked, he ends up fully kitted out, with top hat and gloves, as a 19th French toff, during which he croons and sings his way through 12 songs, with music from well-known composer’s like Debussy, Brahms, Liszt, Strauss and more. [More] 

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Your guide to an hour with the Romantics will be an accomplished tenor singer with a Mephistophelean beard. Step out of the sharp, barely faded light of a Wellington early evening; take shelter from the bullying Nor’westerly. Welcome to Musique Romantique; welcome to the world of Debussy and Verlaine, Pushkin and Tchaikovsky, Liszt and Hugo, and like-minded 19^th-century souls.

Here are songs of roses drooping over graves, elegiac musings at twilight, laments for the fleetingness of Life, trembling hearts dreaming of an elusive Fair One, turbulent feelings struggling to be born. The music matches the themes, is expressive and emotional, sometimes sweet, sometimes taut with passion.

Musique Romantique offers twelve songs in all, linked by short impressionistic sketches of the lyrics (which are mostly sung in the original French or German). Songs and sketches are both delivered by the man with the Mephistophelean beard, Matthew Pike, who designed the show. So it’s a sparse format, with success largely depending on the strength of the lyrics and music, the singer’s performance, and the quality of the accompaniment.

Ever-helpful Google tells us that Matthew Pike is a professional singer, instrumentalist and composer who has done a lot of singing in big-name musicals. Still, a first night is a first night, and it seemed to this reviewer that the performer takes some time to loosen up and connect to his material and to the audience, particularly in the spoken interludes.

By about half way through the performance, however, all the connections are being made. The man on stage is more relaxed, he is opening up and singing from the heart, as well as holding long pauses with confidence and conviction, making space for us to join him in his reflections. Which all tells us that what the introduction in the program says is true; here is someone singing, with skill and feeling, songs that he loves and wants us to love (or at least, enjoy) with him.

Matthew Pike is fortunate to be supported by a band that is steady as a rock, sensitive to the music, delivering with verve without pushing itself to the front.  Kate Marshall on piano, Sam Smith Nakamura on guitar, Jacob Randall on percussion, Blain Fitzpatrick on bass, deserve credit for their contribution.

Back to first night matters: there is the odd technical glitch to be sorted (unless the lighting effect at the very end was deliberate, which seems doubtful). You could argue that the spoken interludes need to be given a bit more space and weight to really work with the songs. Overall, however, this is a skilful, spirited and heartfelt performance that succeeds in bringing these Romantic flowers back to life in the glory of their charm and beauty.

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