Drawing you in: the young Uruguayan counter-tenor Agustin Pennino in an admirably ballsy programme as part of London Transport Museum’s Transported by Culture

Music in the Museum – Agustin Pennino – London Transport Museum

Music in the Museum: Handel, Mendelssohn, Michael Head, Rossini; Agustin Pennino; London Transport Museum
Reviewed 21 March 2025

A young Uruguayan counter-tenor braves the hubbub caused by lively young Museum visitors to give an engaging recital, by turns bravura and intimate, as part of the London Transport Museum’s Transported by Culture programme

The central atrium of the London Transport Museum, with its veteran buses and trams, and an early Tube train along with the attendant families with young children, does not seem the most obvious place for a concert but the Museum’s Transported by Culture programme is dedicated this type of cross-fertilisation and there is now a regular Friday lunchtime slot Music in the Museum, when classical and jazz musicians perform for an hour. 

On Friday 21 March it was the turn of Uruguayan countertenor Agustín Pennino and a pianist (whose name I embarrassingly failed to catch) in the first of what are three planned appearances in the series Pennino will be back on 13 June and 26 September. Their approach to programming was admirably ballsy, giving us a selection of what Pennino does best, opera arias by Handel and Rossini, along with songs by Mendelssohn, Michael Head and Elgar. The whole had a nice emotional arc, and before each number Pennino introduced things, explaining the emotional impact of the song.

Given the lively hubbub, the sound and sight of lively young boys exploring the Museum, the performers used amplification which is not idea but was understandable. Pennino’s voice, whilst not large, has a sweetness and focus to it that, I imagine, would give it carrying power and under normal recital conditions he would not need a microphone in this venue. His performance was not a showy one, but it was strong and contained, drawing us in.

We began with Handel, ‘Cara sposa’ from Rinaldo, with Pennino’s fine messa di voce beginning from nothing and almost reeling us into Handel’s world, pulling us into this opera seria bubble amidst the vintage transport. If the mike made the middle section sound a trifle aggressive there were compensations in the stylish yet elaborate ornamentations in the Da Capo.

In complete contrast, there followed a pair of songs by Mendelssohn. The first, Nachtlied (an Eichendorff setting from the Opus 71 songs) was dark and concentrated, creating a strong atmosphere yet with quite a punch in the climaxes. The second, Scheidend (‘Parting’ from his Opus 9 songs, some of which are by Fanny Mendelssohn) was melancholy and rather interior, yet with a nice flowing sense of line. In both of these, Pennino’s remarkable concentration tended to draw you into Mendelssohn’s world.

Two English songs followed. First, Michael Head’s Sweet Chance (a setting of W.H. Davies from 1928), lyrical pastoral and rather touching, sung in very creditable English. Then, by complete contrast, ‘Where corals lie’ from Elgar’s Sea Pictures. Whilst the cycle is best known in the version for voice and orchestra, Elgar himself used to perform it with piano and the intimacy that this brings is very rewarding. Here Pennino and his accompanist gave us an English song, with Pennino providing a rather seductive line along with some lovely rubato in the phrasing.

We returned to opera and to Handel with Cesare’s ‘Empio Diro tu Sei’ from Act One of Giulio Cesare. The two gave a compelling performance, rising above the gentle hubbub, along with the odd shout, from curious and overactive young boys. This was a real bravura performance, serious but vivid and definitely the singer imposing himself on his surroundings. More opera with ‘Di tanti palpiti’ from Rossini’s Tancredi along with its recitative given with impressive drama and control. In the main aria, Pennino’s enjoyment of the music was palpable, and the more Romantic style seemed to suit him, and I loved the way the elaborate ornamentation was folded into the vocal line.

We ended with a bit of Handelian bravura, ‘Or la tromba’ from Rinaldo, confident bravura and power bringing things to an impressive conclusion.

Agustin Pennino is currently studying at the Royal Academy of Music, so keep your eyes and ears peeled for further appearances, and his upcoming engagements include performing Ottone in Monteverdi’s L’Incoronazione di Poppea at Teatro Mayor Bogotá in May 2025, marking his Colombian opera debut.

London Transport Museum – Music in the Museum

The full programme for Music in the Museum is available from the London Transport Museum’s website.