Vesselina Kasarova - Schubert, Brahms, Schumann Lieder

Franz Schubert (Artist), Johannes Brahms (Artist), Robert Schumann (Artist), Vesselina Kasarova (Artist), Friedrich Haider (Artist), Dr. Stefan Mikorey (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 9, 1999)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: RCA
• ASIN: B00002JXEE
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #195,017 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Thrillingly individual, July 4, 2000

By 

[e-mail] (Kampen, The Netherlands) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Vesselina Kasarova - Schubert, Brahms, Schumann Lieder (Audio CD)

Having followed Kasarova's meteoric rise in the world of opera with keen interest I was torn asunder by this release: could this glorious mezzo really adapt her art to the intimate realm of Lieder, especially this particular repertoire which is, after all, already overpopulated by the full spectrum of the sublime to the horribly bad? The answer for me is a resounding "yes", although I can understand any misgivings others might have. I do not find her approach too operatic. It is one of the dichotomies of the disc: the voice is huge, but the approach is intimate to the point where, as the editorial review points out, she seems to almost over-interpret the words. A handy comparison would be to listen to Jessye Norman in similar repertoire - now that is an operatic approach! What differentiates this disc from so many others is that Kasarova and Haider deliver the songs as if they have no knowledge of what has been done before. Their delivery is sometimes quirky and almost uniformly unusual. Is this good? Once again: I think so. Standards like Schubert's "Im Fruhling" and "Auf dem Wasser zu singen" suddenly sound fresh and new. The mood darkens considerably for the Brahms section of the programme, the sublime "Von ewiger Liebe" being given a marvelously calculated performance. The Schumann section is again slightly lighter, but equally satisfying.

Kasarova's timbre is really a miracle. She can shade the basic coppery character into a veritable pallet of colours. Her diction is close to perfect, although her German is sometimes idiosyncratic, to say the least. Haider's accompaniment is very satisfying indeed. The artists seem to truly share a common vision and it works wonders. Years of working together in recital (often with Haider's wife Edita Gruberova) have obviously paid off.

I have only one quibble about this disc, which is why it receives four and not five stars from me: Kasarova is recorded too closely. Although it is good to hear the singer breathing the close recording unfortunately overaccentuates the way in which she chops up phrases for interpretive purposes as well as her tendency to lisp.

In summary: if you are the kind of Lieder connoisseur who believes that the Elly Ameling approach is the begin-all and end-all of Lieder singing, this one is not for you. If, on the other hand, you are more adventurous and tend to believe that traditions are there to flirt with, you might just love it, as I do.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unusual but stunning, April 13, 2002

By 

Benjamin Rous (The Netherlands) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Vesselina Kasarova - Schubert, Brahms, Schumann Lieder (Audio CD)

It's true, this is not the typical lieder approach. Indeed, it's often daring, pushing the limits of what a song can bear before it turns operatical. And yet, Vesselina kasarova manages to pull it off marvelously. She has such a variety in tonal colour that she brings something new and fresh to every song she sings. The Schubert selections are great, and the Schumann as well, but she is simply magnificent in the Brahms lieder. I wonder if there will ever be such a perfect, touching, almost heart-rending rendition of "Feldeinsamkeit". Listen to the emotional build-up in "Von ewiger Liebe". This is simply a beautiful disc, giving immense pleasure every time you put it on. Minor quibbles about imperfect German or a too close recording fall into nothing besides the sheer qualities of this disc. A desert island one, no question about it...

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a truly great singer, November 24, 1999

By 

Bas Heyne (Amsterdam) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Vesselina Kasarova - Schubert, Brahms, Schumann Lieder (Audio CD)

Vessalina Kasarova is not only one of the most exciting operasingers of today, but with this wonderful and moving collection of Lieder she proves she is truly a great singer all-round.