Customer Reviews

Schubert: Die Winterreise

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

When I first started listening to this recording I was amazed by the overall slow tempi, but after three selections I was completely entranced by the Zen-like focus of Vickers' interpretation. He has obviously studied the words of the poetry intensely, and gives the listener a rapturous "Winter's Journey" indeed. In fact, one realizes that he and his pianist (Peter Schaaf) have purposely de-emphasized the steady rhythm of the music--even in the usually galloping "Die Post"--in order to greater highlight the intensity of the traveler's suffering.

The only complaint I have of this performance is that Schaaf is not really "with" Vickers emotionally: he just sort of tags along for the ride. If you want to hear a performance where the pianist provides half the drama, you must get the Peter Pears-Benjamin Britten recording on London. But Pears, for all his intelligence and intensity, simply did not have the vocal resources or inward-looking angst of Vickers. As a result, if I were to recommend only one "Winterreise," it would be this Vickers recording. This is truly a desert-island disc.

In truth for classic lieder singing you should buy performances by Fischer-Dieskau or Schreier. But anyone who has heard Jon Vickers as Tristan, Florestan, Grimes or Otello will know that the mighty voice & ability to seem possessed by the role, will bring something different.

And so it is. I have recordings of both the above, but again and again it's the Vickers voice that remains in my head - the voice held back, full of emotion, just occasionally exploding with a firepower beyond any other lieder singer I can think of.

A very remarkable achievement & some phrase, somewhere will catch you & stay with you for a very long time!

But it isn't 'classic'!

All his questionable habits are clearly in evidence. Lots of scooping, on syllable after syllable. Redeemed (usually) by increase in volume during the approach to the pitch from below.

His schwa ( "such-ahhhh", "weis-ehhhh") sounds consistantly un-German. It's something he does to make it audible over the orchestra in Wagner, especially when the pitch drops an octave at the end of the word, as in "Waels-e! Wae----------ls-ehhh! Wo ist dien Schwert!" Lots of Wagner singers do it. But it doesn't work in lieder, especially for Vickers. It makes him sound as if he were singing in French.

However, his interpretation stays sincere and respectful, and he gets plenty of Sigmund-like moments of great power and suffering.

You'll love it or hate it. Or both.

This is a most gripping performace indeed. At this stage of his career Vickers' voice was not traditionally "beautiful" but all the way through his performance you can feel his very great experience and above all his great love for Schubert's masterpiece. Excellent sound. Highly recommended.

This is probably the slowest performance currently on CD, but once you hear it you never forget it. For years my personal favorite was the Pears/Britten, but it lacked feeling in interpretation of the words. If listening to a poetic experience in music is what you are after, definetly get this CD.

I am utterly baffled by "Sussex Pond Pudding"'s dismissal of this performance as virtually unlistenable. "Vickers clearly cares little about the work and simply wants to let everyone hear his voice"?!!! I own a large number of Jon Vicker's performances and caring little about the work is something of which he is utterly incapable. Are you sure you aren't confusing him with Pavarotti?

Jon Vickers was clearly the greatest Wagnerian tenor - and one of the greatest tenors of any type - of the latter half of the 20th century. In some ways I feel that he is the greatest Wagnerian tenor of the entire 20th century (including Melchior) due to his ability to illuminate text. His incredible musical and human insight into each piece of music that he sings make his performances revelatory in ways that no other singer that I know of can. In the case of this performance, he brings his troubador-like capability of tonal poetic word painting TO one of the greatest pieces of music in history. His singing can range from a floating messa da voce to rafter-vibrating fortes. The point of all of this is not to show off his voice and technique, but to bring out the inner truth of each piece that he is performing - an approach that he brings with full intensity to this recording. While maybe not the traditional Fischer-Dieskau approach to Schubert (or Hans Hotter's, both of whose recording I also own), I find that this recording takes me deep inside the troubled world of the protagonist of this cycle and makes me to feel viscerally what he feels. This my friends is a great recording!!

In truth for classic lieder singing you should buy performances by Fischer-Dieskau or Schreier. But anyone who has heard Jon Vickers as Tristan, Florestan, Grimes or Otello will know that the mighty voice & ability to seem possessed by the role, will bring something different.

And so it is. I have recordings of both the above, but again and again it's the Vickers voice that remains in my head - the voice held back, full of emotion, just occasionally exploding with a firepower beyond any other lieder singer I can think of.

A very remarkable achievement & some phrase, somewhere will catch you & stay with you for a very long time!

But it isn't 'classic'!

This is virtually unlistenable. This is a self-indulgent 2 CD (!) version of one of the greatest pieces of music in history with no respect for tradition or the composer. This is an example of the drawbacks of style over substance. Vickers clearly cares little about the work and simply wants to let everyone hear his voice. This recording is all about him with Schubert as the vehicle. Egotistical, boring, sluggish, and poorly sung. The only reason I am giving it two stars instead of one is because at least he is not a woman trying to sing it. That is when I really get mean! With so many wonderful versions out there this is one of the last ones you should have in your collection. I only own it because of its shock value and the fact that I try to collect every recording of this piece no matter who does it because I have that horrible collector's gene that has cost me so much money over the years. Check out my list of the top five if you are curious as to my favorites.

I was very interested in this recording of "Winterreise" and just now listened to the 5 choices you offer on amazon. I have to admit, I don`t know the whole recording - but I dont think it`s o.k. that out of five songs three were a whole step down, one ("Gefrorne Tränen") a half step and only "Lindenbaum" in original key (it only goes up to an E of course). Additionally the tempo of "Gute Nacht" is ridiculously slow. I was very interested in the CD of this truly great singer, but now I don`t think, I will buy it!