Customer Reviews

Schubert: Die Schone Mullerin / Winterreise / Schwanengesang

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I was astonished at the amount of songs (66) on this 3 cd album.
Die schone Mullerin, Winterreise and Schanengesang. I mainly bought it because I love Schanengesang, but was delighted with the oter two complete works of Schubert. Peter Schreiers voice surely does it justice. Very enjoyable.

Peter Schreier has earned his place as the dominant German lyric tenor since the death of Fritz Wunderlich four decades ago. Unlike Wunderlich, Schreier doesn't possess an ingratiating voice. There's a hard, shrill edge to the top notes and a lack of warmth throughout. To compensate, Schreier exhibits artistry and integrity in almost everything he does. I find, therefore, that as with Peter Pears, who also had an unattractive voice, my reaction is mixed. These Schubert song cycles are superbly sung, with impeccable control and style. Schreier has excellent instincts and knows how to make these seemingly simple but treacherous lieder sound easy.

He's at the height of his powers in all three cycles, showing no signs of vocal aging. The range of emotion is so wide as we move from one song to another that no singer has been equally convincing i all of them. Schreier is strongest in the straightforward ones, and he can handle any vocal challenge. But he's rarely inside Schubert's sense of tenderness, vulnerability, or despair. At those moments in all three cycles one gets the feeling that Schreier doesn't share those emotions.

But I don't want to exaggerate. If one turns to EMI's trio of song cycles with Olaf Bar, much praised in his day by British critics, there's no comparison with Schreier's firm, eloquent presentation. for me, these are readings to respect but rarely love. Andras Schiff, albeit a notable Schubert pianist, shows little imagination in the accompaniments. He lags behind Benjamin Britten, Mitsuko Uchida, and Alfred Brendel, who have made superb forays into the same repertoire. Yet again one must respect Schiff's abilities; he's as good as Andsnes with Ian Bostridge on EMI. IN fact, despite the fame of Schreier's very early Winterreise with Sviatoslav Richter on Philips, this later one is less grim and not afflicted with a contagion of coughing from a live audience. The Schwanengesang is especially welcome since this cycle-that-isn't-a-cycle is rarely done by tenors.

Despite spells of singing that isn't innocent or spontaneous enough, this is a fine bargain set. No better exists if you want all three song cycles from the same singer. Only the Fischer-Dieskau set from EMI is really competitive.

This is the third release of Schubert Lieder by the remarkable pairing of the contralto Nathalie Stutzmann and the pianist Inger Södergren. This cycle lacks the drama of Winterreise or Schwanengesang, but also offers Stutzmann many opportunities to deliver quiet and delicate performances that are transcendent. Her voice is so dark and lush and yet in quiet passages it becomes translucent. Unfortunately most of this cycle sits in the middle to upper part of Stutzmann's range, and rarely ventures into the lower reaches of her voice, which is where her real strength lies. But the quiet sensitivity of the performance offers some consolation. Stutzmann and Södergren represent one of the most wonderful collaborations between pianist and singer now working together, and I look forward to future recordings from this remarkable pair. This series of recordings certainly rivals her earlier series of Schumann songs.