Accompanied with flair and sensitivity by pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Angelika Kirchschlager's Wigmore programme suffered from recurring intonation problems that undermined the Austrian mezzo's expressive strategies – which were nevertheless generally sound and often imaginative. While her tendency to sing just below the note occasionally affected entire songs, it was most evident at the ends of phrases, where her tone regularly tailed off below pitch – a fault all the more disquieting for being so prevalent. Even so, her interpretative powers frequently rose above technical problems to bring her a measure of artistic success.

Kirchschlager's first half consisted of a wide-ranging Brahms selection. Her frank extraversion of manner brought open-air character to his Four German Folksongs of 1894. Later, she explored the troubled interior of the restless Über die Heide, bringing a vivid attack to Versunken and a flirty ambiguity to Therese, while the grand-scale drama of Von ewiger Liebe found in her a doughty exponent.

The Liszt songs in the second half generally showed her voice flowing more freely. O Lieb, So Lang du Lieben Kannst (which the composer later transformed into the famous piano piece Liebestraum No 3) was spacious and impassioned, and Vergiftet Sind Meine Lieder vehemently angry, while Über allen Gipfeln ist Ruh' possessed a keen sense of direction. By now heading towards the end of the programme, Kirchschlager seemed to throw caution to the winds in the theatrical Die Drei Zigeuner, relishing its colour and brilliance.

Thibaudet, too, revelled in its virtuoso piano writing, delivering it with a sweep and panache that the earlier songs had not required. He also offered two immaculate solos: Brahms's Intermezzo Op 118, No 2, and Liszt's Consolation No 3, which with his richly textured accompaniments comprised a genuinely distinguished contribution to the evening.

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