Customer Reviews

Shura Gehrman - Schubert

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4 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(2)

 

 

This man cannot sing. He never seems to have heard about mixing the registers or singing legato. He makes all the mistakes you would expect from a beginner or a bad amateur, like pushing up the chest voice in the high registers or sitting on the low notes. The shapes of his vowels are inconsistent and completely lacking in taste, sometimes reminding of noises from the digestive system.

His command of the German language is practically non-existent, his pronunciation is atrocious and painful to listen to. What I found surprising was that he managed to get so many grammatical mistakes into a printed text that he was merely to memorize and repeat (During the recording he probably would have had the score including the text in front of him). That obviously shows the amount of care that went into his preparation.

This man apparently has made it a publicity stunt to criticize singers of traditional background, infering that his is the natural and better way to go. To that I can only answer with the German saying:

"Kunst kommt von können nicht von wollen, sonst hieße es ja Wunst." (Art involves mastering certain skills, not just the whim of wanting to express something. Without the skill you get only a mess.)

He could NOT sing! nuf said -

That being said he was a very nice, yet tortured man.

Shura Gehrman was somewhat of an outsider in the classical world when his label, Nimbus, released these interpretations of Schubert classic lieder and song cycles. He remained so after several critics attacked his vocal artistry, calling it "chaotic and antiquated". Shura admited it may be archaic, but never chaotic. Further examination showed he was singing in a technique popular in Schuberts' time, and in a form Schubert would have most likely preferred: emotional, heavy and dramatic. Centuries since then have nearly watered down the feelings Schubert wanted to express with his songs, making them exercises rather than expressions. Shura brings an emotional intensity unheard of in the past century to these works. Matched only by Nina Walker's outstanding piano work, this is the ultimate collection of Schubert lieder. Beautiful and amazing. An excellent recording makes you feel you are attending a private concert. Cinematic beyond words.