Customer Reviews

Schumann: Liebesfrühling; Minnespiel; Wilhelm Meister Lieder

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Apart from the popular Op. 37 Lieder these are sadly less commonly recorded works.

Oddly, Naxos has decided to record each cycle incomplete on this CD. One assumes that those by Clara (Schumann's wife) in Op. 37 were dropped as this is part of the "complete Schumann Lieder series". How silly though that they should delete the opening Lied of the important Op. 98a cycle. The notes try to justify this by telling us that it can be heard on another Naxos recording of the Lieder-Album fur die Junend as the final song in that series (using a different soprano). Not good enough. As for why the Op. 101 is incomplete, there is no mention. At around 64 minutes playing time, there should have been room at least to complete the last two cycles.

Regarding the artists, the soprano, Susanne Bernhard (though slightly shrill and edgy at times) does a good job, while the baritone, Thomas E. Bauer is excellent with a warm and expressive voice. Fine playing from the pianist, Uta Hielscher.

The character of the singing is too operatic, too stagey and "projected" for what I want in a Lieder recital. I bought the disc on the recommendation of another Amazon lay reviewer, but am quite disappointed. Perfectly fair. This music is not easy to find (the Wilhelm Meister songs not easy to find all together).