Customer Reviews

Ausgewahlte Lieder

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Here is how I came to know the work of Robert Franz, (1815 --1892), a composer of beautiful songs which, unfortunately, have been relegated to near-oblivion.

My seventh-grade music appreciation class was taught by an eccentric but charismatic gentleman who introduced me to the art song in a way that has stayed with me for life. He played for the class recordings of three songs: Schubert's "Heidenroslein", Schumann's "In the Wonderful Month of May" and a song by Robert Franz, "The Rose Complained." We were each required to go in front of the class, forget our inhibitions, and sing one of the songs (in English) with the teacher accompaning on a spinet piano. I was assigned the Franz song. The work, "The Rose Complained" is a short haunting song which sets a poem by one Mizra-Schaffly. It tells of how a rose was saddened by losing its brief beauty and was comforted by the poet (and composer) who promises to immortalize her in verse and song. I made a "D" in my performance, but I never have forgotten the art song or the work of Robert Franz. I have learned to hear (not to sing) many more songs over the years, but Franz has stayed with me.

This outstanding CD on Capriccio by soprano Mitsuko Shirai and pianist Hartmut Holl includes "The Rose Complained" together with 41 other songs by Robert Franz. (Among the other songs are Franz' setting of "In the wonderful month of May" which,in Schumann's incomparable setting was also one of the three art songs first presented to me.) This CD was recorded in 1996. Shirai and Holl have proceeded to record songs by Mozart, Robert Schumann, Wolf, Schubert, and Alban Berg, among others. I would love to hear these recordings. Their CD of Franz does this neglected composer justice in the performance of both singer and pianist. The CD comes with full liner notes and texts and translations of the song. Alas, this CD now is out -of -print, I belive, and may become as neglected as Franz' music.
I have owned this disc for some years and returned to it upon hearing a new release by tenor Yves Saelens and pianist Jan Vermeulen performing 32 Franz songs. The Saelens-Vermuelen release is an admirable performance and will introduce the interested listener to Franz, (I have reviewed it on this site.) but it does not reach the intensity or warmth of the performance of Shirai and Holl on this disc, and it does not include "The Rose Complained" the song that introduced me to Franz and to lieder.

Robert Franz was almost exclusively a composer of art song and in his day achieved substantial popularity. He became deaf in later years and was dependent upon stipends from friends, including Liszt, to survive. He wrote 250 songs which, unlike the works of some composers, show an excellent judgment of poetry. He set works by Goethe, Heine, Morike, Eichendorff, Ruckert, and Lenau, among others. The songs are short, mostly strophic and feature simple melancholy melody with integrated piano accompaniment. They do not generally include extended piano solos, as do the songs of Schubert, Schumann, and Wolf. Franz does not tone-paint, but his melodies capture beautifully the poetic sense of his texts. Franz accurately wrote of his work that "I do not write music to fit the words but turn words into music". He also wrote that "In my music, the most important thing is the ethic dimension; my songs are not intended to stir the listener but to inspire a sense of peace and reconciliation".

The 42 songs on this CD are arranged by poet. It opens with 17 settings of songs by Heine which show the composer at his best. (Franz set nearly 70 Heine poems in his career.)The Heine songs I most enjoyed are the opening track which begins "Out of my great anguish/ I make my little songs" the lovely "Maiden with your little red mouth;" "The Lotus flower" a small gem of a song, and "Stars with golden feet". Franz' setting of "In the Wonderful Month of May" is here as well. The remaining songs that I want to mention specially include "Entreaty" set to poetry by Lenau, "Good Night" by Eichendorff, "For Music" by Geibel, and "The Joy of Sadness" by Goethe. The CD concludes with "The Rose Complained".

There is a great deal of music to be enjoyed and treasured that lies outside the canon of the handful of great composers. The choice of this music is personal and, as my experience shows, owes something to chance and opportunity. Robert Franz wrote songs that are gems. It is a pity that his work has fallen into obscurity. Those listeners with a passion for the art song will enjoy exploring the work of this composer.

Robin Friedman

In this album the lovely songs of Robert Franz have been performed smoothly by Shirai and Holl who are long-time partners.
Congratulations to Capriccio which has these two artists to record for it.