Anne Sofie von Otter ~ Schubert: Lieder (Ave Maria, Im Abendrot, Ständchen, etc.)

Anne Sofie von Otter (Artist), Franz Schubert (Composer), Bengt Forsberg (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Bengt Forsberg
• Composer: Franz Schubert
• Audio CD (November 11, 1997)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Deutsche Grammophon
• ASIN: B000001GYZ
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #186,236 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #42 in Music > Classical > Opera & Vocal > Divas > Otter, Anne Sophie von

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com essential recording

Forget the horrible cover photo, which features Anne Sofie von Otter in a blue bathrobe, looking as though she just woke up and needs to take a shower. This is a great Schubert song collection. It contains many Schubert essentials, including "Ave Maria," "An Silvia," "Suleika 1," "Viola," "Ständchen," and "Im Abendrot." Von Otter is an extraordinary singer, able to invest each song with an abundance of character and textual insight--but she knows the difference between the recital hall and the opera house, and she never becomes irritatingly histrionic, as so often happens when experienced opera singers take on song programs. She's also very ably accompanied by Bengt Forsberg, her usual partner, and his response to each song is as keenly individual as that of von Otter. A great introduction to the deeply absorbing world of Schubert's songs. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great singer falling just shy of her best, December 31, 2005

By 

Santa Fe Listener (Santa Fe, NM USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Anne Sofie von Otter ~ Schubert: Lieder (Ave Maria, Im Abendrot, Ständchen, etc.) (Audio CD)

Lovers of Schubert lieder are as hard to please as grocery store cats. I can see someone agreeing with the Amazon reviewer's rave over Von Otter's Schubert, but I don't think Schubert is one of this singer's strong composers, compared to Brahms, Schumann, Mahler, and Richard Strauss. Von Otter has a tendency to apply the same phrasing time and again, swelling for expression and pressing hard on the fast beat in her voice.

It's a beautiful, flexible voice, of course, and she is a first-rate artist. But if you compare any of these famous songs to versions by Schwarzkopf, Janet Baker, or Kathleen Ferrier, their emotional dedication and poetic senssitivity is not quite matched. I don't feel that these songs matter enough to Von Otter. Her long-time accompanist, Bengt Forsberg, tends to be forward and aggressive too often. There's not a single song where I felt he was playing anything but an accompaniment, and that's not good enough in Schubert.

These reservations may stirke other listeners as asking for caviar. But why not? Schubert deserves sublime interpreters. Here we get an excellent one falling just short of the peak.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Never judge a CD by its cover, November 20, 2000

By 

"nedster1999" (UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Anne Sofie von Otter ~ Schubert: Lieder (Ave Maria, Im Abendrot, Ständchen, etc.) (Audio CD)

I am told this CD was included in an online magazine's top 10 lousiest CD covers. I would urge any aesthete to venture beyond the (admittedly) drab cover.

There is something about a truly great mezzo that is at the same time uplifting and extremely relaxing. As in previous recordings von Otter's vocal agility and evenness of tone make for a truly beautiful sound.

"Standchen" exemplifies this artist's ability to forge dynamic contrast, and "Im Fruhling" contains some delicious pianissimi. I think though, that the disk owes much to an excellent choice of material - this is a beautifully evenly-paced recital.

Shame about the cover...

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good but not her best, September 22, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Anne Sofie von Otter ~ Schubert: Lieder (Ave Maria, Im Abendrot, Ständchen, etc.) (Audio CD)

After her wonderful Grieg and Schumann recitals, I must have unrealistic expectations. Here, her voice is not at her best, with some hardness and wear showing and sometimes her intepretation tends to be hurried. Why a four star raing then? Becuase she still knows what to do with her voice and to evoke emotions perfectly. Lieder is more than abou pretty voices, it's about revealing the soul of the poem. Still, you will find her voice in better conditions in the unbeatable Swedish songs collection.