Schubert: Schwanengesang

Michael Volle (Artist), Franz [Vienna] Schubert (Composer), Ulrich Eisenlohr (Performer), Sjon Scott (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Ulrich Eisenlohr, Sjon Scott
• Composer: Franz [Vienna] Schubert
• Audio CD (January 25, 2000)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Naxos
• ASIN: B000031WH9
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #635,535 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Volle has the vocal and interpretative resources needed., July 19, 2001

By 

John Austin "[e-mail]" (Kangaroo Ground, Australia) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Schubert: Schwanengesang (Audio CD)

Website shoppers who baulk at paying top price for the complete survey of Schubert's songs on 37 Hyperion CDs, might like to investigate an alternative "budget" survey now being issued on the budget Naxos label. Planning, policy, and performers differ. The Hyperion series grouped songs according to a text theme, and matched them with a singer. In the Naxos series, the plan seems to be to group songs according to the authors of their text. Singers of various nationalities participated in the Hyperion survey; the singers in the Naxos edition are all performers whose first language is German. The provider of all the accompaniments, the research and the fascinating program notes in the Hyperion survey was Graham Johnson. All these roles are assigned to more than one person in the Naxos survey. An additional feature of the Naxos series is the provision of footnotes, showing changes that Schubert made to the original texts.

To sample the Naxos issue, try this CD, Number Two in the series. Baritone Michael Volle has the vocal and interpretative resources needed. He has a beautiful voice, and I hope to hear more of his work. Pianist Ulrich Eisenlohr does something strange with the familiar Ständchen. He pauses slightly at the end of every bar and uses the sustaining pedal to keep the sound going into the next bar, suggesting he's temporarily lost the use of his right hand. The sound quality is excellent, with the piano well forward.

In addition to the 17 songs conventionally grouped together under the title "Schwanengesang", three more settings Schubert made by Ludwig Rellstab poems are here also, one lengthy one with a horn obligato. Schubert composed them at about the same time as the others, but for a reason unknown they have never been included in the cycle.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Schubert's Schwanengesang, December 22, 2003

By 

Robin Friedman (Washington, D.C. United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Schubert: Schwanengesang (Audio CD)

"Schwanengesang" (swan-song) is a collection of the last songs of Franz Schubert (1797 - 1828), the greatest master of the art song. The collection is not a song-cycle -- a collection of songs arranged around a particular poet or story -- in the sense that Schubert's "Winterreise" or "Die Schone Mullerin" constitutes a song-cycle Rather the collection was put together from Schubert's final manuscripts after his death by an enterprising publisher, who gave the collection its title in the hope of increasing sales.

The set consists of settings of 14 poems. The first seven are by Ludwig Rellstab (1799-1860); the next six are by the great German poet Heinrich Heine (1797-1856); and the final poem is by Johann Seidl (1804-1875).

The songs cover a wide range of emotions and of song forms. They bear eloquent testimony to how Schubert's great gifts were cut short by his untimely death at the age of 31. The songs range from the simple strophic setting of "The Fishermaiden" by Heine to the complexities in thought and in composition of the thorough-composed "The Double" ("Der Doppelganger) also by Heine. Many regard the latter as Schubert's greatest song. But there are many other possible candidates, including some from "Schwanengesang" itself.

Even though it is a mixed collection, the best way to approach "Schwanengesang" is to listen to it through several times. (This recording includes texts of the songs together with translations.) Each listener will find favorities. Because the work does not constitute an integrated song-cycle, every listener will want to pick and choose among the songs after gaining some familiarity with the set. The songs I return to from "Schwanengesang" most frequently are "The Carrier Pigeon" ("Taubenpost") by Seidl, the famous "Serenade" ("Standchen") by Rellstab and the "Farewell" ("Abschied") also by Rellstab. Many other choices are possible.

To me the final song in the collection, "Die Taubenpost" is the masterpiece of the set and a great work of music. This was Schubert's last song and it was simply added to the collection at the end. It is melodic and wistful with beautiful piano interludes, a prelude and a postlude. It is Schubert at the top of his lyrical form and a fitting end to the collection.

This disc also includes three earlier songs with texts by Rellstab including a long piece, written for public perfomrance, "Auf dem Strom" featuring an obligato part for French Horn.

This CD is part of a planned collection of Schubert's entire song output on Naxos, a budget-priced label. The collection is a worthy rival to a complete Schubert set on Hyperion and costs much less. The performers on this disc are Michael Volle, baritone, Ulrich Eisenlohr, piano, with Sjon Schott playing horn on "Auf dem Storm." Volle and Eisnelohr collaborate masterfully on the collection. I tend to pay close attention to the piano part in these songs, and Eisenlohr's playing in "Standchen" "Taubenpost" "Doppelganger" and elsewhere is outstanding. Volle has a rich full voice but seems to me to sing in a slurred way at times. Tempos are slightly on the slow side.

This is outstanding music. Even though it is a late work, the "Schwanengesang" is a good place to start with Schubert's songs for the new listener. This disc makes an excellent introduction to Naxos' planned edition of the Schubert songs.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a brief description, February 3, 2006

By 

Simon Mauer "portraitist" (Bucks County, PA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Schubert: Schwanengesang (Audio CD)

as a non-expert on music i can offer no great analysis of this recording nor can i compare it to other interpretations - since this is the only one i've heard. i could try describing it, but describing art is describing the indescribable.
oh, what the heck-i'll give it a try:
i found the performance and the songs thoughtful, high-minded and deeply beautiful. you may too.