Hugo Wolf: Songs to the Poetry of Goethe and Mörike [Import]

Hugo [Composer] Wolf (Composer), Irwin Gage (Performer), Arleen Augér (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Irwin Gage, Arleen Augér
• Composer: Hugo [Composer] Wolf
• Audio CD (September 17, 1993)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Hyperion UK
• ASIN: B000002ZR8
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #283,260 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Songs To The Poetry Of Goethe And Morike: Im Fruhling No. 13

2. Songs To The Poetry Of Goethe And Morike: Lied vom Winde No.38

3. Songs To The Poetry Of Goethe And Morike: Auf ein altes Bild No. 23

4. Songs To The Poetry Of Goethe And Morike: Neue Liebe No.30

5. Songs To The Poetry Of Goethe And Morike: Wo find' ich Trost? No. 31

6. Songs To The Poetry Of Goethe And Morike: Schlafendes Jesukind No. 25

7. Songs To The Poetry Of Goethe And Morike: Er ist's No. 6

8. Songs To The Poetry Of Goethe And Morike: Zitronenfalter im April No. 18

9. Songs To The Poetry Of Goethe And Morike: Erstes Liebeslied eines Madchens No. 42

10. Songs To The Poetry Of Goethe And Morike: Agnes No. 14

11. Songs To The Poetry Of Goethe And Morike: Das verlassene Magdlein No. 7

12. Songs To The Poetry Of Goethe And Morike: In der Fruhe No.24

13. Songs To The Poetry Of Goethe And Morike: An eint Aolsharfe No. 11

14. Songs To The Poetry Of Goethe And Morike: Fruhling Ubers Jahr No. 28

15. Songs To The Poetry Of Goethe And Morike: Ganymed No. 50

16. Songs To The Poetry Of Goethe And Morike: Phanomen No. 32

17. Songs To The Poetry Of Goethe And Morike: Die Sprode No. 26

18. Songs To The Poetry Of Goethe And Morike: Die Bekehrte No. 27

19. Songs To The Poetry Of Goethe And Morike: Heiss mich nicht reden No. 5

20. Songs To The Poetry Of Goethe And Morike: Nur wer die Sehnsucht kennt No. 6

See all 23 tracks on this disc

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Lovely tone, lovely playing - but the centre of interpretation is not there, July 1, 2007

By 

Ingrid Heyn "No man is an Iland, intire of it... (Melbourne, Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hugo Wolf: Songs to the Poetry of Goethe and Mörike (Audio CD)

Arleen Augér was one of the loveliest sopranos of her generation; her voice had a silvery purity and enough warmth to make her an admirable Mozart singer, for instance. But when one is singing Lieder - and in particular, the Lieder of Hugo Wolf - one needs a voice of quality, superb musicality and an ability to find the heart, soul and flesh of meaning in the text and in the music itself.

Ms Augér without question has the first two qualifications. She is admirable as a musican and as a singer. But she is not a deep interpreter, and it's this that speaks so tellingly in the limits of this performance.

One does not hear sighs, smiles, tears, mischief, sensuousness, robustness, innocent wonder, etc., except in the broadest sense. The finer detail is not conveyed, and this stands out in contrast to the Lieder singers who exemplify beauty and meaning with depth, colour and richness. These singers include Schwarzkopf (of course), Elly Ameling, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (again, of course), Olaf Bär, and quite surprisingly, Soile Isokoski (whose recently released recording of the Italian Songbook was utterly enchanting). Barbara Bonney also released a truly beautiful CD of Wolf and Strauss Lieder.

So in contrast to these, I found so much lacking in this recording that it felt anaemic. Lovely in a pallid way, but without the depth I wanted. However, I've heard Ms Augér do some truly gorgeous things (her Aspasia in Mozart's Mitridate, for example). I think she and Wolf are not an ideal pairing - it does not show off her lovely voice to its best advantage, and it does not reveal the intricacies and beauties of Wolf's Lieder.

I can recommend this mainly as an addition to one's existing Wolf Lieder collection, not as the sole representation.