Wolf: Lieder

Editorial Reviews
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This disc commemorates, enshrines (though that is too mortal-sounding a word) a unique and extraordinary occasion: as Walter Legge points out in his shrewd notes, the Salzburg Festival had no regular tradition of Lieder recitals when this one was planned. Wolf was perhaps closer to his and Schwarzkopf's hearts than any other Lieder composer, so they decided on the recital without having chosen an accompanist. At dinner in Turin in December 1952 (Legge wrongly places it early in 1953) Furtwangler asked Schwarzkopf if he could accompany her, and she incredulously accepted. They rehearsed prodigiously, and the Furtwangler-determined results are plain for all to hear. He accompanied her with the lid of his Steinway open (to Gerald Moore's rage), and the piano is at least on an equal footing throughout the recital. That, it seems to me, is as it should be, above all in Wolf. And this is the only Wolf-playing we have from Furtwangler, indeed the only piano playing apart from the keyboard role in the Fifth Brandenburg Concerto, also from Salzburg (but in far less good sound) which EMI released last year (reviewed on page 38 of the October 2000 issue). The performances are controversial: the songs are often taken at unusual tempos, but I find them invariably illuminating, and in several songs, such as the great 'Anakreons Grab', quite magical. At times Schwarzkopf has almost to scream to hold her own, and there are places where her characteristic later archness is just beginning to creep in. Yet the ease and conviction with which she adopts to the mood of a fresh song just after closing an intense account of a quite different one is amazing; Furtwangler admittedly sets the tone instantly, with wonderfully judged characterization of the Stimmung, but it must have been a harder job for the singer to, as it were, wipe the smile off her face and adopt a grand tragic posture, or even more, vice versa. The 22 Lieder range widely, and perhaps the funny ones (which I don't ever find all that funny) have received more scintillating treatment elsewhere. The case against most of these readings has been strongly put by Robin Holloway in Song on Record, Volume 1 (edited by Alan Blyth: Cambridge University Press; 1986), where he especially criticizes the slow tempo for the opening song, 'Im Fruhling', as being lumpy. Listen and see what you think – this recital is, at the very least, an educational experience, though I would claim that it is far more than that. Michael Tanner

Tracks:

Ach War Ich Schon (Fidelio)
Non So Piu (Le Nozze Di Figaro)
Porgi, Amor (Le Nozze Di Figaro)
E Susanna Non Vien!...Dove Sono (Le Nozze Di Figaro)
Mi Tradi Quell'Alma Ingrata (Don Giovanni)
Come Scoglio (Cosi Fan Tutti)
Leise, Leise, Fromme Weise (Der Freischutz)
Dich, Teure Halle (Tannhauser)
Einsam In Truben Tagen (Lohengrin)
Wie Fremd Und Tot (Die Verkaufte Braut)
Bruderchen, Komm, Tanz Mit Mir (Hansel Und Gretel)
Da Geht Er Hin (Der Rosenkavalier)
Es Gibt Ein Reich (Ariadne Auf Naxos) - Richard Strauss
Das War Sehr Gut (Arabella)

Tracks:

Jauchzet Gott In Allen Landen
Bist Du Bei Mir
Ridente La Calma
An Die Musik
Der Musensohn
Nachtviolen
Der Musensohn
Auch Kleine Dinge
Mein Liebster Ist So Klein
Verschling' Der Abgrund
Ich Hab' In Penna
Wiegenlied Im Sommer
Mausfallenspruchlein
In Dem Schatten Meiner Locken
Mignon (Kennst Du Das Land?)
Gsatzli (Swiss Folksong)
Fruhling
Im Abendrot
Muttertandelei
Zueignung
Klange Der Heimat (Die Fledermaus)
Es Lebt'Eine Vilja (Die Lustige Witwe)
Im Chambre Separee (Der Opemball)
Wien, Du Stadt Meiner Traume

Amazon.com

Elisabeth Schwarzkopf was certainly one of the greatest singers of her own, or indeed any other time. An obsessive perfectionist, her flawless technique and intonation over a huge range, vocal flexibility, breath control, phrasing, stylistic versatility, and above all her focused, radiantly beautiful sound were matchless and incomparable. All these are on full display on this generous 2-CD set, which features over a dozen arias, songs by Schubert, Wolf and Richard Strauss, and some lighter fare. The recordings were made between 1950 and 1967, and the singing becomes better and better, the voice richer and more varied, the expression deeper and more immediate. Not surprisingly, the peaks come in the arias from her signature roles in Mozart's Figaro, Don Giovanni, and Cosi fan tutte; Richard Strauss' Ariadne, Rosenkavalier, and Arabella, which rise to real ecstasy; and arias from Weber's Freischütz and Smetana's Bartered Bride, which are wonderfully intimate and touching. She is less convincing in roles she never sang on stage, and the "childish" voice she cultivated especially for Hänsel and Gretel is unnatural and contrived. The same is true of the last two "popular" numbers, which sound condescending and artificial. The songs, however, have all her customary finesse and inwardness; the Wolf group, perhaps chosen for its gentle humor, is charming, while Strauss' "Four Last Songs" (represented by two) shimmer and soar. Schwarzkopf's singing had instantly recognizable characteristics: a tendency to hold back both vocally and emotionally, giving a sense of noble restraint, but also of cool detachment; excessive use of color and nuance, creating a fussy, calculated and somewhat artificial air. Only rarely does she "let go" with full voice and spontaneous feeling. However, as these recordings show, she invariably inspires admiration and captures ear and heart through the inimitable, glorious beauty of her voice. --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews:

Fine anthology but still prefer her "Four Last Songs" recording.......2006-11-06

The engineering and audio quality of these 1960's performances are surprisingly good. The songs are wonderfully peformed and cover a range of periods and styles, but I find myself returning to her recording (also re-released on CD) of Strauss' "Four Last Songs", which I would give 6 stars -- my favorite recording of all time.

RIP DAME ELIZABETH (1915-2006).......2006-08-04

This set is a fine tribute to this extraordinary singer and musician. I was saddened to read about her passing. She had a long life (90 years) and inspired a whole generation of singers and music lovers throughout the world.

SCHWARZKOPF ----- ONE OF THE GREATS OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY.......2006-01-29

Elisabeth Schwarzkopf's career is what legends are made of. She is every bit as fundamental to classical singing in the twentieth century as is Maria Callas. Schwarzkopf sang with refinement, polish, beauty of voice, and meticulous articulation. She was the greatest Mozart and Strauss soprano of her day; her ability to sing the operetta music of Lehar, Suppe', and Johann Strauss has not been equalled; she performed with distinction orchestral compositions of Mahler, Brahms, Bach, and Handel; her Schubert, Schumann, Wolf, and Mahler lieder were exemplary. She sang many operatic roles, far more than many people realize, and was certainly the definitive Marshallin in "Rosenkavalier" throughout the 1950's and 1960'. I saw her many times in recital in Chicago, and even at the time of her farewell (which I was fortunate enough to see), she was sublime. All of the superlative qualities of Schwarzkopf are generously demonstrated throughout these two wonder CD's. Virtually every item is magnificent (though obviously some will prefer some to others) and has the detailed Schwarzkopf imprint stamped right into the music. This CD, great as it is, represents only a very small part of the greatness of Schwarzkopf. I already own tons of her operas and recitals, from which many of the items here come from. But for the sake of completeness, I will probably add it. A person who loves great singing can never have too much of the art of Elisabeth Schwarzkopf. She's a vocal icon.

¡PERFECT!.......2005-02-10

I only want to say that you can hear, in this double cd, one of the great singers of all time. Elisabeth Schwarzkopf. Why? Because she sings all the arias and lieder with pure of tone, brilliance, perfect inflexion, modulation, excellent control breath, measured vibrato, and, all above, great emision of colours. She is master in this art.

PERFECTA INTERPRETACIÓN.......2005-02-09

La mejor recopilación de la discografía de Elisabeth Schwarzkopf. Su belleza de voz, la impecable hilación de frases, y, sobre todo, su expresiva interpretación son algunas de las sorpresas que se podrán escuchar en estos dos discos. Sin duda, UNA DE LAS MEJORES SOPRANOS DEL SIGLO XX.

Average customer rating:

My favourite collection of sacred music
Battle at her glorious best
The music soars
Heavenly
Goddess in decline

Grace

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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A Christmas Celebration: Kathleen Battle
Classic Battle: A Portrait
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Kathleen Battle & Christopher Parkening ~ Pleasures of Their Company

ASIN: B0000029OC
Release Date: 1997-03-18

Tracks:

Rejoice Greatly - Handel
Schlafendes Jesuskind
Laudate Dominum - Mozart
O Had I Jubal's Lyre - Handel
Seufzer, Tranen, Kummer, Not - Bach
Schafe Konnen - Bach
Ave Maria
Laudamus Te - Rossini
Bist Du Bei Mir
Mein Glaubiges Herze - Bach
Pie Jesu
Were You There When They Crucified My Lord?
Flobt, Mein Heiland
Ave Maria

Customer Reviews:

My favourite collection of sacred music.......2006-03-31

For anyone who loves Kathleen Battle's voice, this is a real treasure, she never sounded better and more radiant.
This is a selection of well known sacred songs but they sound fresh and lovely when sung by Kathleen. She performs two Ave Marias, one very famous, by Bach, and another which is rarely performed, written by Mascagni, and this one is really stunning. Mozart's Laudate Dominum and Pie Jesu from Faure's Requiem are also oustanding. The spiritual "Were you there when they crucified my Lord?" is another highlight. There are several movements from Bach cantatas, including the famous Bist du bei mir, and Handel's "O Had I Jubal's Lyre" and "Rejoice greatly", they will remind you of how incredible Battle is when she sings virtuosic Baroque music.
And isn't the cover just beautiful? But get this album for the music, and you will rejoice greatly.

Battle at her glorious best.......2005-03-14

While I agree with an earlier reviewer who recommends her Levine disk, I must disagree with the claim that this "Rejoice Greatly" is inferior to her two other recordings of it. Her conception is identical in all three performances, but to my ear this is by far the best. In her full Messiah with Andrew Davis, the recording has her so recessed there is no feeling of intimacy. In her Handel recital disk, she is better placed and in better voice, but her rhythm is insecure in the sixteenth-notes; she seems to be nervously pushing ahead of the beat. But on "Grace" she gets it just right. For whatever it may be worth, a fellow fan once had the chance to ask Battle herself about this, and as I understand it her response was, "Yeah, I don't know why, but I haven't been able to do Rejoice before or since as well as it went on Grace."

The music soars.......2004-07-23

Kathleen Battle's voice is exquisite and is suited for most of the pieces on the CD. Her rendition of Mascagni's Ave Maria is perhaps the best track, with the Schafe Konnen from Bach's Cantata No. 208 coming in a close second. Another highlight is the Laudate Dominum, delivered with so much skill and feeling.

Less successful was Rossini's Laudamus Te. Battle has a flexible, clear and delicate voice, but not one that's full-bodied enough to accommodate the style of music found in a piece as grand and strident as the Laudamus Te. There is a sense of strain when she sings it, though it is by no means entirely unsuccessful.

Heavenly.......2004-07-13

Kathleen Battle is one of the people whose lovely voice first turned me on to opera, a rather unaccessible art to the common American. It is true that you can hear her breathe, and that she tempers her notes so they are sometimes gentle, sometimes strong, but that is not a weakness. The racks are rife with stereotypical fat ladies with fat voices, bellowing with nothing but technique, but there records languish while Kathleen's sell.

The songs are all fairly main stream and include a dramatic range from happy to sad. Nothing outlandish here.

Ms. Battle has been called the most beautiful soprano voice and I would heartily agree. The clarity, the roundness, the beauty of her sound is pure femininity and grace. I studied opera and no one in school or anywhere else, has ever been on her level. Some are close, but she is magnificent. I recommend this to anyone, opera snob or first timer. You will be moved!

Goddess in decline.......2004-01-24

In her late forties when this CD was recorded, Kathleen Battle can't be expected to emit the meltingly beautiful sounds she made during her rise to international stardom in the 1980s. Yet, she still sometimes does. Her final ringing note in Mascagni's "Ave Maria" is nothing short of sublime, and her "Were You There..." is emotionally sung, particularly the repeat of the phrase, "Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?"

But several of the tracks on this CD have been recorded by Kathleen Battle before, and to much better effect. The opening track, "Rejoice Greatly," is impressive, but not compared to Battle's performance on her Handel album with John Nelson in which she sounds much fresher, or to her performance on the complete Messiah recording with Andrew Davis. On Grace, Battle uses the exact same ornamentation she's used on every other one of her renditions of "Rejoice," but without the accuracy and jubilation of past performances. I wonder what the point of recording a third version was, when it has nothing new to offer. The tempo feels rushed, yet the singer drags the ends of phrases ("O daughter of Zion." There's also an "h" in the first occurance of the word "Zion" - it comes out "Zi-huh-yon"). And there are some splat notes that could have been easily fixed with a bit of editing: the word "and" is dreadfully flat in the phrase, "And shout, shout!"

"Jubal's Lyre" was stunning on Kathleen's 1985 recording, "Saltzburg Recital." Grace's rendition again sounds too fast, too thin, and, dare I say, too cutesy (the ornamentation is a bit much). And the word "tuneful" is incomprehensible. Is she saying "Shhteeyoonful" or "tuneful?"

"Bist du bei mir" begins under pitch.

Battle races through Mozart's "Laudate Dominum" and annoyingly scoops many phrases. I wish you would linger, Kathleen! Let us hear you caress that ascending "Amen" instead of carelessly flitting up the scale.

There's also the issue of her gaspy, nearly shrieking breaths, which other reviewers have mentioned. Oddly, it sounds as though the microphone is pressed to her mouth when she breathes, yet that it is miles away when she sings: there is an oddly distant quality to the recording.

I love Kathleen Battle and own more than 50 of her recordings. This is a beautifully packaged disc (ignore the idiotic comment in the liner notes by the pastor at the Riverside Church: "When Kathleen Battle releases a grace note into the air, it lingers over your head..." Grace notes aren't released into air, they lead into other notes. The ridiculous assertion is printed in large type in a laughable attempt to highlight the "Grace" theme) and has some wonderful photos of the diva. As far as I'm concerned, anything Battle records is worth owning. This CD, though, does not do the singer justice. For a more satisfying (indeed, spellbinding) representation of her gorgeous voice, I recommend "Kathleen Battle Sings Mozart" with Previn, "Kathleen Battle in Concert" with Levine, or the stunning "Baroque Duet" with Wynton Marsalis.

Wolf: Lieder (Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Gerald Moore)
Average customer rating:

Beautiful Music Making!

A flood of great art from Schwarzkopf at her best

Wolf: Lieder (Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Gerald Moore)

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Prokofiev: Sinfonia Concertante; Miaskovsky: Cello Concerto

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Wagner: Die Walküre, Act 3

Wolf: Spanish Songbook

ASIN: B000MX7SVO
Release Date: 2007-03-06

Tracks:

5 Mignon I
6 Mignon II
7 Mignon III
8 Philine
9 Mignon ('Kennst Du Das Land?')
19 Epiphanias
20 Sankt Nepomuks Vorabend
22 Der Schafer
24 Blumengruss
25 Gleich Und Gleich
26 Die Sprode
27 Die Bekehrte
28 Fruhling Ubers Jahr
29 Anakreons Grab
40 Als Ich Auf Dem Euphrat Schiffte
41 Als Ich Auf Dem Euphrat Schiffte
48 Nimmer Will Ich Dich Verlieren
50 Ganymed
1 Morgentau
2 Das Voglein
3 Die Spinnerin
4 Wiegenlied Im Sommer
5 Wiegenlied Im Winter
6 Mausfallenspruchlein
Die Zigeunerin

Tracks:

13 Im Fruhling
16 Elfenlied
20 Auf Eine Christblume
12 In Dem Schatten Meiner Locken
16 Wenn Du Zu Den Blumen Gehst
1 Tretet Ein, Hoher Krieger
2 Mir Ward Gesagt, Du Reisest In Die Ferne
3 Du Milchjunger Knabe
4 Wandl' Ich In Dem Morgentau
5 Das Kohlerweb Ist Trunken
6 Wie Glanzt Der Helle Mond
1 Auch Kleine Dinge
2 Mir Ward Gesagt, Du Reisest In Die Ferne
6 Wer Rief Dich Denn?
8 Nun Lass Uns Frieden Schliessen
10 Du Denkst Mit Einem Fadchen
11 Wie Lange Schon War Immer Mein Verlangen
12 Nein, Junger Herr
15 Mein Liebster Ist So Klein
16 Ihr Jungen Leute
19 Wir Haben Beide
20 Mein Liebster Singt
21 Man Sagt Mir, Deine Mutter Woll' Es Nicht
24 Ich Esse Nun Mein Brot Nicht Trocken Mehr
25 Mein Liebster Hat Zu Tische Mich Geladen
26 Ich Liess Mir Sagen
28 Du Sagst Mir, Dass Ich Keine Furstin Sei
29 Wohl Kenn' Ich Euren Stand
31 Wie Soll Ich Frohlich Sein
32 Was Soll Der Zorn
36 Wenn Du, Mein Liebster, Steigst Zum Himmel Auf
39 Gesegnet Sei Das Grun
40 O War' Dein Haus Durchsichtig Wie Ein Glas
43 Schweig Einmal Still
45 Verschling' Der Abgrund
46 Ich Hab' In Penna Einen Liebsten Wohnen
3 Sonne Der Schlummerlosen

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful Music Making!.......2007-04-20

I have listened to recordings of Schwarzkopf since I was a child. (I am 59). She was possessed of a beautiful, clear, warm soprano voice that was capable of astounding subtlety of utterance. In opera, her Marschallin was marvelous and unforgettable, but in Lieder- OH, MY! That beautiful shimmery sound wrapped itself around the texts and we understood every word, every emotion, and her dynamic range was amazing. She could reach from soaring Straussian phrases to whispered, almost string like sounds in the pianissimo level. I remember at University, being impressed with Wolf's songs and thinking that Schwarzkopf would be an ideal voice to sing his music and this album is living proof. I am also a professional accompanist, and Gerald Moore was always my role model. His contribution to this partnership (for he is far more than accompanist) is quite simply amazing to me. He could have easily been a concert pianist, but chose to spend his career as quite possibly the greatest accompanist ever. This album is to be savoured and lingered over, with a cup of Viennese coffee, if possible!

A flood of great art from Schwarzkopf at her best.......2007-03-10

Let me say without hesitation that I consider Schwarzkopf an incomparable artist, so this review holds no reservations about her vocal style, which is ultra-detailed, sophisticated, and impeccable. She was at her best in the demanding lieder of Hugo Wolf, which extracted every ounce of her musical intelligence, and these 62 songs, a veritable flood of genius, are almost smothering in their intensity. Wolf (and we) is fortunate that Schwarzkopf's silvery soprano allows his fervent, ambiguous expression to be uttered with such beauty.

The dedicated lider collector will already know that Schwarzkopf made many Wolf recordings, and the material here comes from scattered sources. The most immediately apapealing are the Goethe songs on CD 1, which date from the early to mid-Sixties. The hardest to listen to are the intense vignettes extracted from her complete Italian Songbook with Fischer-Dieskau--they glitter like diamonds but are piercingly emotional. I am less sure what to say to anyone who doesn't yet know Wolf's lieder, except to assure them that this 2-CD set constitutes some of the greatest lieder singing ever recorded. A must-listen in any case.

Wolf: Lieder - Ian Bostridge with Antonio Pappano

Average customer rating:

Wolf is a rare commodity--Bostridge fans will be impressed
De~lovely
A Remarkable Double Achievement

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Binding: Audio CD

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Tracks:

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Amazon.com

This disc should dispel the popular illusion that Hugo Wolf (1860-1903) is a cerebral, "difficult" composer. Perhaps, in melding words and music, he pays more attention to prosody than most of his predecessors, but his melodies can be as simple and lyrical as Schubert's, as ardently romantic as Schumann's, and his harmonies are innovative and luxurious. Choosing his texts with fastidious care, often drawing on a single poet for an entire songbook, he creates "tone-paintings of the soul," evoking love's joys and sorrows, devout supplication, enjoyment of nature, and ironic, even ribald humor. The performances on this disc, which features poems by Eichendorff, Mörike, and Goethe, give vibrant life to the drama, tragedy, serenity, and lightheartedness of words and music. Bostridge, a famously individualistic interpreter at home in many styles and languages, brings to Wolf an approach that is both intellectually probing and emotionally fearless. He uses his bright, variable voice and idiosyncratic vocalism, with its delayed vibrato and swells on long notes, for utmost contrast of dynamics, inflection, character, and expression, frequently sending shivers down the spine. Pappano, better known as a conductor, is a superb pianist and partner; his introductions and postludes are models of poise and balance, and he handles his demanding, often virtuosic parts with just the right blend of leadership and support. The program contains 24 songs, some well-known, some unfamiliar, all so beautiful that listeners will have to select their own favorites. This recording should help secure Hugo Wolf's rightful place among the great German songwriters. --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews:

Wolf is a rare commodity--Bostridge fans will be impressed.......2007-03-10

I'd like to agree with the Amazon reviewer that Wolf wrote melodies as simple as Schubert's, but that's like saying that Rimbaud is as simple as Edgar Allen Poe. This is difficult music for most listeners--ambiguous in emotion and harmony, often feverish and always intense. It takes a singer sympathetic to Wolf's fin de siecle sensibility to do justice to his music, and I must say that Bostridge, sensitive to a fault, half persuades me. That half has to do with his attention to every nuance of the poetry, which is what the composer asks for, to the point of micro-composing by the syllable.

Yet this listener can't get beyond Bostridge's androgynous choir-boy timbre, his hollow nasality, the mannered swells, the almost disembodied head voice, the self-conscious underlining--in a word, he's not remotely to my taste in singers. But I bow to his integirty, and Antonio Pappano provides accompaniments that singers can only dream of. I think many fans of Bostridge and some Wolf fanciers will enthuse over this CD. I wanted to--God knows that new Wolf recitals are scarce--but I found that one listen was more than enough.

De~lovely.......2007-01-04

Wolf leider is superlative.
Bostridge is pretty stellar.
Pappano is a wonderful foil.
simply, a sweet trifecta.
I enjoy Fischer-Diskau's interprations as well. Bostridge's tone brings another depth to this music for me.

A Remarkable Double Achievement.......2006-11-10

Ever since Ian Bostridge's first Schumann's recordings, followed by his Schubert's interpretations, we were expecting him to approach Hugo Wolf's intricate lieder. Now, with the exceptional partnership of Maestro Antonio Pappano those expections are doubly rewarded. The interpretation is meticolous, both vocally - Bostridge at his best with maturity of his expressive voice and inner grasp of Wolf's unique voice in this genre, and musically - Pappano renders the piano part with the same, oer rather matching artistry, his hands caress the notes. Together they create the dramas, light the fire and and comfort with a touch of humor. Listen to the Eichendorf's group, followed by the Morike Lieder, and finally to the two Goethe-Lieder, and you will surely repeat it immediately, wondering at these two artists partnership and achievement.

Average customer rating:

This is a great lieder recital.

Hans Hotter Wolf Lieder Recital

Manufacturer: Testament UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00004YU8M
Release Date: 2000-12-12

Tracks:

Morike-Lieder: No.5 Der Tambour
Goethe-Lieder: No.34 Ob Der Koran Von Ewigkeit Sei?
Goethe-Lieder: No.36 So Lang Man Nuchtern Ist
Italienisches-Liederbuch: No.27 Schon Streckt' Ich Aus Im Bett
Italienisches-Liederbuch: No.22 Ein Standchen Euch Zu Bringen
Goethe-Lieder: No.22 Anakreons Grab
Drei Gedichte Von Michelangelo: No.1 Wohl Denk' Ich Oft
Drei Gedichte Von Michelangelo: No.2 Alles Endet
Drei Gedichte Von Michelangelo: No.3 Fuhlt Meine Seele
Goethe-Lieder: No.14 Cophtisches Lied I
Goethe-Lieder: No.15 Cophtisches Lied II
Goethe-Lieder: No.51 Grenzen Der Menscheit
Goethe-Lieder: No.49 Prometheus
Harfenspieler I, Goethe-Lieder: No.1 Wer Sich Der Einsamkeit
Harfenspieler II, Goethe-Lieder: No.2 An Die Turen
Harfenspieler III, Goethe-Lieder: No.3 Wer Nie Sein Brot
Italienisches-Liederbuch: No.14 Geselle, Woll'n Wir Uns In Kutten Hullen
Morike-Lieder: No.12 Verborgenheit
Eichendorff-Lieder: No.2 Der Musikant
Morike-Lieder: No.10 Fubreise
Morike-Lieder: No.9 Nimmersatte
Goethe-Lieder: No.29 Anakreons Grab

Customer Reviews:

This is a great lieder recital........2001-04-03

Lieder recitals are rarely commercially viable. Even at Salzburg in the 1930s, they were rarely sold out. To hear settings by Schubert, Schumann, Brahms and Wolf of texts by Goethe, Heine, and other of the great German poets, for solo voice with piano accompaniment, music lovers nowadays can rely more and more on CD issues such as this. I reckon the situation is not one to complain about. Lieder CDs of singers of the present and past can offer good value: clear vocal reproduction, texts in German and translation, and the option of rearranging or repeating items.

Testament have collected the Wolf lieder recorded by Hans Hotter and Gerald Moore during the 1950s. More than 20 lieder were recorded - one twice - and the producer was Walter Legge. Whether as Prometheus fulminating at the gods, or a phoney monk asking to be left alone by the bedside of a sick young woman, whether as an anguished mendicant harper or as a visitor to a beautiful garden who discovers that it contains the grave of Anacreon - Hotter's interpretations are masterly. Gerald Moore accompanies in his usual skilled, robust way.

I detect no technical or performance faults during this 70 minute CD. Some of the later items appear in stereo for the first time. This is a great lieder recital.

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Lieder

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Hugo Wolf Society - The Complete Edition 1931-1938

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The Hugo Wolf Society Recordings
"Even little things can delight us."
"Even little things can delight us."
Wolf sung by various Lieder singers

The Hugo Wolf Society - The Complete Edition 1931-1938

Manufacturer: Angel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Wolf: Italienisches Liederbuch
Poulenc - Melodies / Ameling · Gedda · W. Parker · Sénéchal · Souzay · Baldwin
Wolf: Lieder (Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Gerald Moore)
Mussorgsky: Kovanshchina - Abbado
Great Recordings Of The Century - Schubert: Winterreise / Hotter, Moore

ASIN: B000009OQC
Release Date: 2002-11-05

Tracks:

Moerike-Lieder: 8. Begegnung
Moerike-Lieder: 38. Lied vom Winde
Moerike-Lieder: 15. Auf einer Wanderung
Moerike-Lieder: 41. Rat einer Alten
Spanisches Liederbuch: 12. In dem Schatten meiner Locken
Moerike-Lieder: 37. Heimweh (Anders wird die Welt)
Spanisches Liederbuch: 4. Die ihr schwebet um diese Palmen
Spanisches Liederbuch: 6. Ach, des Knaben Augen
Spanisches Liederbuch: Nun wandre, Maria
Moerike-Lieder: 46. Gesang Weylas
Spanisches Liederbuch: 9. Herr, was traegt der Boden hier
Italiensches Liederbuch: 1. Auch kleine Dinge
Moerike-Lieder: 7. Das verlassene Maegdlein
Eichendorff-Lieder: 4. Das Staendchen
Spanisches Liederbuch: Wenn du zu den Blumen gehst
Italiensches Liederbuch: 34. Und steht Ihr frueh am Morgen auf
Italiensches Liederbuch: 16. Ihr jungen Leute
Italiensches Liederbuch: 10. Du denkst mit einem Faedchen
Italiensches Liederbuch: 12. Nein, junger Herr
Goethe-Lieder: 1-3 Drei Harfenspieler: 1: Wer sich der Einsamkeit ergibt
Goethe-Lieder: 1-3 Drei Harfenspieler: 2: An die Tueren will ich schleichen
Goethe-Lieder: 1-3 Drei Harfenspieler: 3: Wer nie sein Brot
Goethe-Lieder: 1-3 Drei Harfenspieler: 29. Anakreons Grab
Goethe-Lieder: 1-3 Drei Harfenspieler: 15. Cophtisches Lied 2 (Geh! Gehorche)
Goethe-Lieder: 1-3 Drei Harfenspieler: 21. Genialisch Treiben
Goethe-Lieder: 1-3 Drei Harfenspieler: 11. Der Rattenfenger
Goethe-Lieder: 1-3 Drei Harfenspieler: 19. Epiphanias
Goethe-Lieder: 1-3 Drei Harfenspieler: 26. Die Sproede
Goethe-Lieder: 1-3 Drei Harfenspieler: 27. Die Bekehrte
Goethe-Lieder: 1-3 Drei Harfenspieler: 24. Blumengruss
Goethe-Lieder: 1-3 Drei Harfenspieler: 25. Gleich und gleich
Goethe-Lieder: 1-3 Drei Harfenspieler: 28. Fruehling uebers Jahr

Tracks:

Goethe-Lieder: 49. Prometheus
Goethe-Lieder: 50. Ganymed
Goethe-Lieder: 18. Beherzigung
1-3 Drei Gedichte von Michelangelo: 1: Wohl denk' ich oft
1-3 Drei Gedichte von Michelangelo: 2: Alles endet, was entstehet
1-3 Drei Gedichte von Michelangelo: 3: Fuehlt meine Seele
Moerike-Lieder: 19. Um Mitternacht
Moerike-Lieder: 42. Erstes Liebeslied eines Maedchens
Moerike-Lieder: 45. Nixe Binsefuss
Spanisches Liederbuch: Moegen alle boesen Zungen
Spanisches Liederbuch: 24. Koepfchen, Koepfchen, nicht gewimmert
Spanisches Liederbuch: 11. Klinge, klinge, mein Pandero
Spanisches Liederbuch: 26. Bitt ihn, o Mutter
Italiensches Liederbuch: 6. Wer rief dich denn?
Italiensches Liederbuch: 25. Mein Liebster hat zu Tische mich geladen
Italiensches Liederbuch: 43. Schweig einmal still
Italiensches Liederbuch: 35. Benedeit die sel'ge Mutter
Italiensches Liederbuch: 7. Der Mond hat eine schwere Klag' erhoben
Italiensches Liederbuch: 27. Schon streckt' ich aus im Bett die mueden Glieder
Goethe-Lieder: 51. Grenzen der Menschheit
Italiensches Liederbuch: 32. Was soll der Zorn, mein Schatz
Italiensches Liederbuch: 24. Ich esse nun mein Brot nicht trocken mehr
Italiensches Liederbuch: 31. Wie soll ich froehlich sein
Italiensches Liederbuch: 11. Wie lange schon war immer mein Verlangen
Italiensches Liederbuch: 28. Du sagst mir, dass ich keine Fuerstin sei
Italiensches Liederbuch: 26. Ich liess mir sagen
Italiensches Liederbuch: 29. Wohl kenn' ich Euren Stand
Italiensches Liederbuch: 21. Man sagt mir, deine Mutter woll' es nicht
Italiensches Liederbuch: 36. Wenn du, mein Liebster, steigst zum Himmel auf

Tracks:

Italiensches Liederbuch: 20. Mein Liebster singt am Haus im Mondenscheine
Italiensches Liederbuch: 40. O waer' dein Haus durchsichtig wie ein Glas
Italiensches Liederbuch: 39. Gesegnet sei das Gruen
Italiensches Liederbuch: 2. Mir ward gesagt, du reisest in die Ferne
Italiensches Liederbuch: 15. Mein Liebster ist so klein
Italiensches Liederbuch: 46. Ich hab' in Penna einen Liebster wohnen
Italiensches Liederbuch: 4. Gesegnet sei, durch den die Welt entstund
Italiensches Liederbuch: 3. Ihr seid die Allerschoenste
Italiensches Liederbuch: 13. Hoffaertig seid Ihr, schoenes Kind
Italiensches Liederbuch: 9. Dass doch gemalt all deine Reize waeren
Italiensches Liederbuch: 17. Und willst du deinen Liebsten sterben sehen
Italiensches Liederbuch: 38. Wenn du mich mit den Augen streifst
Italiensches Liederbuch: 41. Heut Nacht erhob ich mich, um Mitternacht
Italiensches Liederbuch: 22. Ein Staendchen Euch zu bringen
Italiensches Liederbuch: 8. Nun lass uns Frieden schliessen
Italiensches Liederbuch: 19. Wir haben beide lange Zeit geschwiegen
Italiensches Liederbuch: 14. Geselle, woll'n wir uns in Kutten huellen
Italiensches Liederbuch: 18. Heb auf dein blondes Haupt
Italiensches Liederbuch: 33. Sterb' ich, so huellt in Blumen meine Glieder
Italiensches Liederbuch: 37. Wie viele Zeit verlor ich
Italiensches Liederbuch: 23. Was fuer ein Lied soll dir gesungen werden
Spanisches Liederbuch: 7. Muehvoll komm' ich und beladen
Spanisches Liederbuch: 15. Auf dem gruenen Balkon
Spanisches Liederbuch: 14. Treibe nur mit Lieben Spott
Spanisches Liederbuch: 29. Trau nicht der Liebe
Spanisches Liederbuch: 38. Sie blasen zum Abmarsch
Sechs Gedichte: 3. Biterolf (Im Lager von Akkon 1190)
Moerike-Lieder: 22. Seufzer
Moerike-Lieder: 28. Gebet
Moerike-Lieder: 23. Auf ein altes Bild
Moerike-Lieder: 32. An die Geliebte
Moerike-Lieder: 12. Verborgenheit
Moerike-Lieder: 39. Denk es, o Seele!
Moerike-Lieder: 51. Bei einer Trauung
3. Ein Stuendlein wohl vor Tag
Moerike-Lieder: 16. Elfenlied

Tracks:

Sechs Alte Weisen: 6. Wie glaenzt der helle Mond
Goethe-Lieder: 14. Cophtisches Lied 1
Eichendorff-Lieder: 2. Der Musikant
Eichendorff-Lieder: 5. Der Soldat
Eichendorff-Lieder: 9. Der Schreckenberger
Moerike-Lieder: 44. Der Feuerreiter
Drei Gedichte von Robert Reinick: 1. Gesellenlied (Kein Meister faellt)
Goethe-Lieder: 5. Mignon 1 (Heiss mich nicht reden)
Goethe-Lieder: 7. Mignon 3 (So lasst mich scheinen)
Moerike-Lieder: 29. An den Schlaf
Moerike-Lieder: 36. Liebe wohl
Spanisches Liederbuch: 30. Ach, im Maien war's
Spanisches Liederbuch: 21. Herz, verzage nicht geschwind
Moerike-Lieder: 30. Neue Liebe
Moerike-Lieder: 48. Storchenbotschaft
Spanisches Liederbuch: 32. Dereinst, dereinst, Gedanke mein
Spanisches Liederbuch: 31. Alle gingen, Herz, zur Ruh
Spanisches Liederbuch: 33. Tief im Herzen trag' ich Pein
Sechs Gedichte: 6. Zur Ruh, zur Ruh
Spanisches Liederbuch: 34. Komm, o Tod, von Nacht umgeben
Sechs Lieder fuer eine Frauenstimme: 4. Wiegenlied (Im Sommer)
Sechs Lieder fuer eine Frauenstimme: 5. Wiegenlied (Im Winter)
Moerike-Lieder: 20. Auf eine Christblume I (Tochter des Walds)
Moerike-Lieder: 24. In der Fruehe
Moerike-Lieder: 25. Schlafendes Jesuskind

Tracks:

Goethe-Lieder: 20. Sankt Nepomuks Vorabend
Goethe-Lieder: 12. Ritter Kurts Brautfahrt
Moerike-Lieder: 47. Die Geister am Mummelsee
Moerike-Lieder: 10. Fussreise
Moerike-Lieder: 43. Lied eines Verliebten
Moerike-Lieder: 25. Schlafendes Jesuskind
Moerike-Lieder: 4. Jaegerlied
Moerike-Lieder: 17. Der Gaertner
Moerike-Lieder: 50. Auftrag
Moerike-Lieder: 9. Nimmersatte Liebe
Spanisches Liederbuch: 44. Geh, Geliebter, geh jetzt!
Goethe-Lieder: 10. Der Saenger
Eichendorff-Lieder: 13. Der Scholar
Eichendorff-Lieder: 14. Der verzweifelte Liebhaber
Eichendorff-Lieder: 15. Unfall
Vier Gedichte: 1. Wo wird einst (Heine)
Vier Gedichte: 3. Sonne der Schlummerlosen
Vier Gedichte: 4. Keine gleicht von allen Schoenen
Eichendorff-Lieder: 1. Der Freund
Eichendorff-Lieder: 2. Der Musikant
Sechs Gedichte: 1. Waechterlied auf der Wartburg
Moerike-Lieder: 40. Der Jaeger
Goethe-Lieder: 32. Phaenomen
Eichendorff-Lieder: 3. Verschwiegene Liebe
Vier Gedichte: 1. Wo wird einst (Heine)
Ueber Nacht (Sturm)

Amazon.com

EMI's "society" subscription editions in the 1930s yielded a wealth of recordings long considered gramophone classics, such as the present collection of roughly half of Hugo Wolf's lieder output. Each song occupies its own specific world, due to Wolf's resourceful word setting and his avoidance of anything generic. In turn, the performers illuminate each song's felicities with effortless authority, and they avoid overpointing or enacting. Full texts and translations are included. Ernest Newman's penetrating annotations for the original 78 albums, reprinted in EMI's 1981 LP reissue, are absent. --Jed Distler

Customer Reviews:

The Hugo Wolf Society Recordings.......2005-12-28

The songs of Hugo Wolf (1860 -- 1903)combine great attention to textual detail with closely intertwined writing for the voice and the piano. In this small form, Wolf was a master and took song in a different direction from that of Schubert, Schumann and Brahms. He wrote most of his songs in bursts of activity in five large collections, devoted to the poetry of Morike, Eichendorff, Goethe, and to collections of Spanish and Italian texts. He also composed a number of songs in shorter sets.

In the early 1930s, a young Walter Legge began a project of recording Wolf songs on a subscribtion basis to be limited to 500 sets. The recording industry was relatively new, and Wolf, then as now, too little appreciated. The result was an extensive series of recordings of issued between 1931 and 1938 consisting of 145 songs, about one-half Wolf's output, performed by fourteen singers. The Hugo Wolf Society recordings remain a high moment in the recording of song. They were remastered on LPs and, in 1998, in this 5 CD collection which includes previously unreleased selections.

The Wolf Society collection offers an unparalleled opportunity to get to know Wolf's songs performed by artists of the past that might otherwise be unfamiliar to many listeners. The performers include mezzo-soprano Elena Gerhardt, who recorded the initial volume for the society, baritones Herbert Janssen, Gerhard Husch, tenors John McCormack, Karl Erb, and Helge Roswaenge, the basses Alexander Kipnis, Frederich Schorr, and Ludwig Weber, and sopranos Alexandra Trianti, Elizabeth Rethberg, Ria Ginster, Marta Fuchs, and Tiana Lemnitz. The pianists include Conrad Bos, Gerald Moore, Michael Raucheisen, Hans Udo Muller, and Ernest Victor Wolff.

The singers perform in a variety of styles from the highly operatic to the quietly lyrical. There is a Wagnerian performance of Goethe's "Prometheus" by Friedrich Schorr with the London Symphony Orchestra -- the only track using an orchestral accompaniment. The Irish tenor John McCormack shows a more lyrical approach in his renowned performance of Goethe's poem "Ganymed". The sopranos, Alexandra Trianti, Ria Ginster, and Tiana Lemitz have light, clear, bell-like voices. I find the singers on this compilation take a much more individualized, idiosyncratic, and romantic approach to song than do their modern counterparts, who sometimes seem restrained and chaste by comparison.

Each of Wolf's great collections of songs is well-represented. Elena Gerhardt performs songs from each of Wolf's five books, with the exception of the Goethe songs. The young Alexander Kipnis gives a powerful reading of Wolf's three songs from Michaelangelo. The third CD in this collection features many songs from the Italian songbook performed by soprano Ginster, baritone Husch, and bass Kipnis together with recordings from the Spanish songbook by sopranos Rethberg and Ginster and baritone Husch. There are lovely performances by soprano Tiana Lemnitz in the previously uncollected supplementary material, which also includes several Eichendorff songs and a performance of the Goethe-song "Phanomen" by Alexander Kipnis.

There is a great amount of material in this collection, with each of the 5 CDs including in excess of 70 minutes of music. Most of Wolf's songs are highly concentrated and intense. They may prove difficult to the listener coming to them knowing only the lyricism of Schubert. I would not recommend trying to rush through this set at one or two hearings. It is best to take this music in small sections and to listen with text in hand. The compilation includes texts and translations for each of the songs together with good notes about the Wolf Society recording project. There is little discussion about Wolf or about the songs themselves.

This is an essential collection for those who love song, historical recordings, and the music of Hugo Wolf.

Robin Friedman

"Even little things can delight us.".......2003-06-02

If these six words give an approximate translation of the song "Auch kleine Dinge", then they might also describe a music lover's reaction as he makes a journey of exploration through the hundreds of little songs composed by Hugo Wolf.

Walter Legge, a very young EMI record producer in the 1930s, first made such a journey possible when he pioneered the Hugo Wolf Society and began releasing the volumes now reissued in this boxed set. Many singers were invited to participate. Legge's choice of singers was sometimes idiosyncratic. You might wonder how an Irish tenor, a Ukrainian bass and a Greek soprano were admitted to the roster. The results, however, especially in the case of the contributions of John McCormack and Alexander Kipnis, prove the sureness of his instincts.

About half Wolf's songs were made available in the original issue, between 1931 and 1938. With this reissue comes unused and hitherto unissued recordings, many by Tiana Lemnitz and Herbert Jannsen. So there is now more to discover and exploration is made easier for us in 2003 than it was in the 1930s. The remastering has improved the sound, Legge's widow Dame Elisabeth Schwarzkopf is able to provide a perceptive introduction in an accompanying booklet, and the texts of the songs are now provided in German and English.

"Even little things can delight us.".......2003-06-02

If these six words give an approximate translation of the song titled "Auch kleine Dinge", then they might also describe a music lover's reaction as he makes a journey of exploration through the hundreds of little songs composed by Hugo Wolf.

Wolf sung by various Lieder singers.......2000-08-15

This is an extraordinary collection of Wolf songs. It is frustrating that the project was not completed, as the quality of what was recorded is so extraordinarily revelatory. My personal favourites are the Michelangelo settings sung by the bass Alexander Kipnis, although he uncharacteristically makes some textual errors. The contributions of Hüsch are numerous and thoughtfully sung, and Karl Erb, Herbert Janssen, Ludwig Weber, Rita Ginster and Marta Fuchs are all caught on extraordinary form, with accompanists of admittedly variable quality, ranging from the sublime Gerald Moore to some very interesting contributions from some accompanists who did not really capture the true essence of Lieder accompanying, which surely cannot permit the piano to be subservient to the voice!

Tracks:

Fruhlingsglaube D 686
Heidenroslein D 257
Die Forelle D 550
Im Fruhling D 882
Auf Der Bruck D 853
Im Abendrot D 799
Ungeduld (Die Schone Mullerin D 795, No.7)
Belsatzar Op.57
1.Widmung
2.Freisinn
24.Du Bist Wie Eine Blume
Fruhlingsglaube (12 Lieder Op.9, No.8)
Auf Flugein Des Gesanges (6 Lieder Op.34, No.2)
Auf Einer Wanderung
Der Genesene An Die Hoffnung
Storchenbotschaft
Odins Meeresritt Op.118
Herr Oluf Op.2, No.2
Tom Der Reimer Op.135a
1.Zueignung
8.Allerseelen
3.Heimliche Aufforderung
4.Morgen!
Danny Boy

Amazon.com

Thomas Quasthoff is unique as singer and artist. His voice, always astonishingly powerful, has over the years acquired an ever-growing warmth, purity, range, and expressiveness, and his extraordinary wealth of dynamics, colors, nuances, and inflections is truly amazing. He uses these for instant changes of mood and atmosphere, while his seemingly unlimited breath control lets him spin endless lines and phrases. In these songs, all these qualities are on full display; indeed, Quasthoff admits choosing them with this in mind. However, the program is beautiful, judiciously varied and contrasted, combining popular favorites like Schubert's "Trout" and "Heidenröslein" with unfamiliar gems by his unjustly forgotten contemporary Carl Loewe, who wrote hundreds of splendid ballads. Of special interest are two very different settings of the same Ludwig Uhland poem, "Frühlingsglaube" ("Faith in Spring"), one by a very young Mendelssohn, the other by a mature Schubert. The former overflows with youthful exuberance, joyousness, and ecstasy; the latter breathes lyrical serenity. In a rather unusual reading, Quasthoff starts it with a sense of tremulously hopeful anticipation, gradually becoming more confident and finally blossoming out into radiant affirmation. Otherwise, the Schubert group is least convincing: always sensitive to the fusion of text and music, Quasthoff, perhaps seduced by the resources of his vocal palette, indulges in fussy, excessive "word-painting" and loses the songs' essential simplicity. However, in the more complex, dramatic, declamatory songs, this works wonderfully. Loewe's ballads, in which he impersonates three distinct characters, and Schumann's "Belsatzar" become veritable operas, and he regains a moving simplicity in the more lyrical songs, like Mendelssohn's "On Wings of Song" and a Strauss group. Justus Zeyden is an exemplary collaborator, but even he is defeated by the long sustained notes in Strauss' "Morgen!" where the violin obbligato is sadly missing. In "Danny Boy," Quasthoff turns himself into a very persuasive American-style crooner. --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews:

Quasthoff at his most inspiring.......2004-05-17

Thomas Quasthoff has set the highest standards for himself in lieder singing, challenging the dominance, on records, of Schwarzkopf and Fischer-Dieskau. Here he seems to soar even above those exalted artists, because of his thrilling range, total commitment, deep insisght, and complete lack of artifical "personality." The arc of his mastery has risen from his fine RCA years to reach this peak, and now he has no one to surpass but himself. It's a humbling experience to hear an artist of this greatness...perhaps the last living exemplar of a great German singing tradition.

Quasthoff's best release to date.......2004-05-13

I may just be a sucker for these songs, but I really think this is the best solo recording Quasthoff has made so far: some of his other recordings suffer from an improper balance between piano and voice (like his WINTERREISE or SCHWANENGESANG), but here, Justus Zeyen's contribution feels an equal partner; each interpretation is fresh and vivacious; and the program is put together well. This is also the first time I've felt a recording comes close to the electric experience of hearing Quasthoff live; the sound quality captures everything very intimately.

Then again, this might be my personal love of these song talking. One review I've read of this recording refers to it condescendingly as a "Lieder's greatest hits" CD with "all dessert and no meat". But who cares: Schubert's "Im Fruehling" and "Ungeduld"; Schumann's "Belsatzar," "Widmung," and "Du bist wie eine Blume"; and Strauss' "Zueignung" and "Morgen!" are at the top of my list of favorite songs of all time, and to have them all sung so beautifully on one CD makes this a great CD for me. Plus, these "greatest hits" are also songs that ideally suit Quasthoff's artistry--so what's wrong with a CD that shows a singer's mastery in this repertoire?

Track Listings:

Track Listings

track listings

Track Listings

One More from the Road [Live]

Rachmaninov: Symphonic Dances; Dances from Aleko; Capriccio bohémien

Shadow of the Blues

Lonely Woman [Limited Edition] [Import]

Noxious Saucy Beast [Explicit Lyrics] [EP]

Talcum Soul V.5 [Import]

Sixties EP Collection [IMPORT] [Import]

Sonatas: Rubinstein/GLinka/Grechaninov

Songs From My Heart

The Art of Dave Brubeck: The Fantasy Years

Sublime Acoustic: Bradley Nowell & Friends

Recordando a los Dos Jefes

Parranda Tequilera a la Mexicana

Lovemaker

Feliz Navidad: Christmas in Cuba