Over the last few seasons, the Met Opera has treated its audiences to voice recitals with such top artists as Jonas Kaufmann and Vittorio Grigolo. On Sunday, Sept. 28, German bass Rene Pape got his opportunity to shine in the intimate setting.

He selected a program that included works of Ludwig van Beethoven, Antonin Dvorak, Roger Quilter and Modest Mussorgsky.

Pape is a regal artist. From the moment he came onstage until right before his final encore, there was a no nonsense attitude about him. His presence was stoic and he remained rooted to his area in front of the piano. It certainly suited the atmosphere and program, which was filled with doom, gloom and God.

The program's first half was filled with religious fare. Beethoven's "Six Songs after Poetry by Gellert, Op. 48" are filled with praises and pleas to God. Pape's singing throughout was contained, firm and measured. During the opening song "Bitten," his voice made a gradual crescendo throughout the phrases "Herr! Meine Burg, mein Fels... merk auf mein Wort!" before settling into a rather muted quality for the final phrase "Denn ich will vor dir beten (Then I will say my prayers)." The overall gesture of the piece came off as an increasingly intense plea that eventually moved into a place of peace.

The third piece of the set "Vom Tode (On Death)" was arguably one of the defining moments of the recital. Pape's voice hushed throughout and filled with mystery, only rising to a fearful forte on the phrase "Und was ist's, das ich vielleicht?" Then he sang the final phrase of the piece "Saume nicht, den eins ist Not (Delay not, that is vital)" with a hushed and cautious quality that emphasized that fear of death. All the while, pianist Camilo Radicke played with a snakelike accompaniment as if the piano were death itself creeping behind the singer.

The final piece of the set, "Busslied," was also wondrous to behold. Pape started off delicately, his singing hinting at a subtle desperation. There was tremendous melancholy in his singing, as the voice would hint at gradual crescendos only to fall back into its quieter qualities. It gave this opening an introspective feel that drew in the listener ever more. But in the second section, "Fruh wollst du mich mit deiner Gnade fullen," Pape's singing gradually grew in strength. There was a gradual crescendo throughout the passage that eventually settled into a relaxed final statement, similar to the ending of the cycle's opening "Bitten."

The second set of pieces in the first half were Dvorak's "Biblical Songs." Again, there was a restraint and introspective quality to the singing throughout, drawing the listener in. Pape's attention to detail was terrific, especially in the third selection "Her, O hear my prayer, Lord." During this song, his singing had a mourning quality, his phrasing of the word "Boze" ever so delicate and reverential. There was an increased agitation in the phrasing as the text referred to the "voice of my mourning" and "Pained sore is in my heart within."

In the ensuing song "God is my Shepard," Pape enraptured with the thinnest of sounds, almost as if he were speaking. It was glorious in its vulnerability and tranquility and Radicke's quiet accompany transported the listener to a place of sublimity.

The second half of the program delved into more dramatic realms with three Shakespeare Songs from Quilter and the potent "Songs and Dances of Death" by Mussorgsky.

The Quilter pieces featured two selections from "Twelfth Night" and one from "As You Like It." "Come away, Death" from Act II, Scene 4 in "Twelfth Night" was full of melancholy and dread. There was pain in Pape's singing of "A thousand, thousand sighs to save" and a powerful crescendo on the word "weep" that drew an unexpected applause from someone in the audience.

The ensuing song was "O Mistress mine" from Act II, scene 3 of "Twelfth Night." There was a hopeful sense to Pape's singing. Every sound gleamed with brightness. However, the final utterance of "O mistress mine, where are you roaming?" was gentle with a tinge of melancholy, suggesting the ambiguity of the text.

The final "Blow, blow, thou winter wind" from "As You Like It" Act II, Scene 7, was far more desperate, with Pape using his full vocal resources on the words "because thou art not seen" and "Thy sting is not so sharp." His utterance of "Heigh ho," had a breathy accent that infused the word with swift lightness. The singing throughout the repeated "This life is most jolly" was filled with tremendous energy that was unmatched anywhere else in the recital. The final utterance of the piece was delivered with power, brilliance and heroic assertion.

And despite these phenomenal renditions, nothing matched the dramatic power of the Mussorgsky. The opening Lullaby was haunting in its execution. There was a shortness and expressive trepidation throughout the phrasing of the piece, making this a rather foreboding lullaby. The singing would oscillate between quiet and delicate to frightened and potent. It was this kind of dramatic weight that kept the listener at the edge of his seat. But most chilling of all was each reprisal of "Hush-a-by, hush-a-by," which got softer and softer until the final one was cut off short, with death completely taking over. Radicke's accompaniment was measured and crept along with mystery.

The ensuing Serenade was mournful from the get-go, with a sudden cry of desperation arriving on the words "Sleep will not come to her eyes, bright with fever." Then, the singing quieted with a sense of resignation. But when "Death" spoke, there was an ironic injection of energy. Every phrased seemed to gain in strength (the piano added some rhythmic variation to the march-like accompaniment) until it burst out in full flourish as death declared "I, your knight, bring the greatest gift to you:" Now comes the hour of your bliss!" But then it diminuendoed throughout the final phrases until it became sotto voce on "My love song shall bring you slumber. Be still..." The final "You are mine" was sung with fortissimo with starling and violent effect.

The Trepak had a schizophrenic effect as it jumped between its morbid tones and more frantic energy. Pape's vocals oscillated between hushed tones and a more rhythmic approach in the middle sections. Radicke's coda emphasized this unstable nature tremendously with lengthy pauses between phrases. There was almost a sense of endlessness and ongoing suspense as the piece reached its conclusion.

The final piece in the set "The Field Marshall" was filled with tremendous energy and violence from the start. Pape placed particular emphasis on every consonant and his fortissimo bellowed through the hall. On "Now falls the night upon the carnage," the voice was delicate, almost speaking. His "s" sounds at the end of phrases echoing with tremendous relish. And then when Death again speaks to the soldiers in this piece, the voice rose to a thunderous forte. There was strength, there was menace, there was true power resonating throughout. And every phrase seemed to rise to ever-great height. It was a powerful ending to the program.

But that was not all. The audience thundered with applause and Pape seemed more than willing to give them more. Pape treated the audience to two German songs that he treated with utmost delicate and finesse. And he finished the program with a rendition of "If Ever I Would Leave You" which was filled with increasing tenderness and nostalgia. There was a continuous crescendo throughout and he capped the night with a wondrously emphatic high F.

Radicke matched Pape throughout the entire night with deliberate piano playing that never turned into mere accompaniment. There was always constant dialogue and Radicke, as noted at the end of the Trepak, never shied away from taking the spotlight when the music called for it.

It was a triumphant night for this terrific pair of artists. As with other such recitals, Pape continued to make an argument for more of these performances at the Met in coming seasons. And by more, it doesn't mean just one but multiple throughout the year.