The Schubert-Mahler connection was much in the air on Sunday afternoon when British mezzo-soprano Alice Coote presented a recital at Alice Tully Hall. Mahler grew up within the Central European vocal tradition, and his early works for voice and orchestra are reminiscent of two great men of lieder, Franz Schubert and Carl Loewe. His first song cycle, “Lieder Eines Fahrenden Gesellen” (“Songs of a Wayfarer”) is dramatic, like Loewe, and touched with poignant Schubertian sadness. This is Mahler’s “Winterreise,” full of youthfully ardent emotions of loving and losing, with all the words written by the composer.

Ms. Coote possesses a deep, manly sort of voice, almost a pure contralto. Since these songs have more of a masculine tinge, her tessitura was desirable. But her emotional stance was decidedly detached in the opening song, “Wenn mein Schatz Hochzeit macht” (“On my love’s wedding day”), a sad song of rejection.

The second song, “Ging heut’ Morgen ueber’s Feld” (“Through the fields I took my way”), is a gay song about walking in the countryside and waking to the beauties of nature. (Its theme is used as one of the main subjects in the first movement of Mahler’s First Symphony.) The song ends sadly, however, as the wayfarer sings that his happiness will never return.

Surprisingly, Ms. Coote missed her entrance in this second song. She tried desperately to catch up with her accompaniment, but mixed up the words in the process. Snakebit, her previously cozy voice became shrill and strained, her rhythmic coordination choppy.

The third song, “Ich hab’ ein gluehend Messer” (“I have a glowing dagger”), is a wild, dramatic whirlwind reminiscent of Loewe’s heroic ballades. In this song, the wayfarer is tormented by the pain of his lost love. Here Ms. Coote sang very well, employing that resonantly polished instrument of hers in a dramatic manner. This tantalizing performance showed that this artist can indeed communicate the necessary depths of emotion. Oddly, however, she chose not to in the rest of this recital.

The fourth and last,”Die zwei blauen Augen” (“Your sweet eyes of blue”), is another sad song of hauntingly lost love. (Its theme is the second subject of the third movement of Mahler’s First Symphony.) But there is reconciliation at the end, as the hero sleeps under a lime tree and awakens to a new world of peace. Ms. Coote was noticeably flat in the “lindenbaum” section, probably the highest notes of her afternoon. A mixed realization at best.

Ms. Coote also performed some of Mahler’s “Wunderhorn” songs as a prelude to the cycle; they, too, were all over the map. The deeper, darker evocations of “Das Irdische Leben” were well-enunciated, but in more delicate and normally nimble efforts like “Selbstgefuehl,” Ms. Coote’s heavy voice could not get out of its own way. Dexterity may simply not be her strong point.Also, pianist Julius Drake was uncharacteristically sloppy.

After intermission, the duo recovered somewhat for a vocally secure, if dramatically flat, assortment of Schubert lieder.The famous “Death and the Maiden” proved a natural showcase for this distinctive lower voice, and the “Nacht und Traeume” was suitably expansive. Even the pianist settled down and supported the efforts nicely.

But I wished for two elements from Ms. Coote that were simply not forthcoming. First, when she was in the emotional center of a work, for example in her Janet Baker-inspired rendition of “Gretchen am Spinnrade,” I would have preferred for her to give even more, to lose both herself and her audience in the characterization. Second, a little variety would have been nice. There were 13 Schubert songs on the program, and the only variation was that some were sung much better than others.To be fair, Ms. Coote ended with a lovely “Wanderer’s Nachtlied II.”

This recital began more than 20 minutes late. When the duo first emerged from the wings, Mr. Drake begged our indulgence, explaining that because they were English, they were not aware of the change to daylight-saving time. Although this was only a minor irritation for the audience members, who were rhythmically and impatiently clapping by this time, the fact that the performers rushed their entrance probably cut into the singer’s warm-up period. Since the second half of the program was the superior, perhaps by then the paying customers had already sat through those preparatory vocal calisthenics.