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Susan Platts: Lieder Robert SCHUMANN (1810–1856) Frauenliebe und –leben, Op. 42 (1840) [22:35] 1. Seit ich bin gesehen [2:25] 2. Er, der herrlichste von allen [3:16] 3. Ich kann’s nicht fassen, nicht glauben [1:58] 4. Du Ring an meinem Finger [2:39] 5. Helft mir, ihr Schwestern [2:04] 6. Süßer Freund, du blickest [5:13] 7. An meinem Herzen, an meiner Brust [1:25] 8. Nun hast du mir den ersten Schmerz getan
[3:35] Clara SCHUMANN (1819–1896) Lieder [10:41] 9. Ich stand in dunklen träumen, Op. 13, No.
1 [2:27] 10. Mein Stern [1:47] 11. Was weinst du, Blümlein, Op. 23, No. 1
[2:08] 12. Liebst du um Schönheit, Op. 12, No. 4 [2:10] 13. Die gute Nacht [2:09] Johannes BRAHMS (1833–1897) Lieder [30:29] 14. Dein blaues Auge, Op. 59, No. 8 [2:03] 15. Wir wandelten, Op. 96, No. 2 [3:11] 16. Verzagen, Op. 72, No. 4 [3:05] 17. Es träumte mir, Op. 57, No. 3 [2:51] 18. Der Jäger, Op. 95, No. 4 [1:10] 19. Das Mädchen spricht, Op. 107, No. 3 [1:30] 20. Vergebliches Ständchen, Op. 84, No. 4 [1:56] 21. Geheimnis, Op. 71, No. 3 [2:06] 22. Muss es eine Trennung, Op. 33, No. 12 [3:05] 23. Ruhe Süßliebchen, Op. 39, No. 3 [5:31] 24. Wie Melodien zieht es, Op. 105, No. 1 [2:13] 25. Meine Liebe ist grün, Op. 63, No. 5 [1:48]
Susan Platts
(mezzo)
Rena Sharon (piano)
rec. Salle Françoys-Bernier, Domaine Forget (St-Irénée), Québec,
29-31 October, 1 November 2007.
Texts with French and English translations enclosed ATMA CLASSIQUE
ACD22586 [63:59]
At a time when the prophets of woe predict a fast decline in CD
sales it is interesting to note that the art songs or Lieder are
still blossoming on disc. One can wonder why. Certainly it is
much cheaper to record a singer and a pianist than a singer with
full orchestra. Excellent up and coming singers are thick on the
ground and to become a name for a wider audience one needs a CD
as a calling-card. Lieder have for several generations fascinated
singers with an interest in weaving words and music. The best
Lieder and Mélodies are splendid material for displaying interpretative
intelligence.
I have had several
new, promising or fully-fledged Lieder singers represented in
my pile of review discs lately. Here is yet another, British-born
Canadian mezzo, Susan Platts. Since 2004 she has been a protégée
of Jessye Norman and has an international career on both sides
of the Atlantic. Her biography mentions La Scala and San Carlo
in Naples. When I checked on Operabase I found her listed but
no opera performances scheduled and from the biography one can
also conclude that she primarily appears in concert and recital.
She has recorded some Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde with
Gary Bertini and Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen. There’s
also a CD with ‘dramatic sacred art songs’ with Dalton Baldwin.
For ATMA she has also recorded the two songs with viola with
Steven Dann and Lambert Orkis.
Her voice is characterized
by a quick vibrato. Some would no doubt call it a flutter. It
is however an attractive voice, closer to soprano than contralto
when it comes to darkness. She is also a lyrical singer and
radiates warmth. Occasionally there is some unsteadiness and
once or twice on the highest notes she glares. However, in the
main her singing is very assured and she shows good insight
in the songs she has chosen.
The programme is
cleverly chosen with Schumann and Brahms flanking the woman
that meant so much to them both. Frauenliebe und –leben is
a marvellous song-cycle that I have loved ever since I bought
an LP featuring Irmgard Seefried in the mid-1960s. Hers is still
one of the most penetrative readings with the dark expressionist
version by Brigitte Fassbaender as a natural runner-up. Platts
is basically at the other end of the gamut, more lyrical, more
scaled down but still very much alive. The dark foreboding of
Ich kann’s nicht fassen, nicht glauben is well expressed
and the deep tragedy of the last song Nun hast du mir den
ersten Schmerz getan is depicted without histrionics, rather
a sense of resignation. In between these Du Ring an meinem
Finger is delicious and Süßer Freund is delightfully
sensitive. There is nothing disturbing about this interpretation
– and there quite possibly should be - but it is a penetrating
reading even so.
Clara Schumann,
like her roughly contemporaneous companion in misfortune Fanny
Mendelssohn, wasn’t exactly encouraged in her composing by Robert
but she persisted. The liner-notes tend to belittle her ability;
in my opinion this is rather unfair. Compared to her husband
she may seem inferior but listening to her five songs without
preconceptions one can’t but capitulate to her fresh melodic
invention and her skilfully wrought piano accompaniments. She
knew the piano as well as Robert, and this is revealed by her
own compositions for the instrument. Ich stand in dunklen
Träumen is an extremely beautiful song and I doubt that
her husband could have set it more congenially. Mein Stern
is also a delicious song, while Was weinst du, Blümlein
is more light-hearted. When hearingthe Rückert setting
Liebst du um Schönheit one can’t help comparing it with
Mahler’s famous version but within her own bounds Clara Schumann
is just as agreeable. Die gute Nacht, to another Rückert
text, is a lovely song and it is tenderly sung here. Readers
who are still unacquainted with Clara Schumann’s oeuvre are
recommended to get this disc for her sake alone. For further
listening Christina Högman’s disc with a number of other songs
by Clara, coupled with songs by Fanny Mendelssohn and Alma Mahler
(BIS-CD-738) is a splendid follow-up.
It seems that the
songs of Johannes Brahms are even closer to Susan Platts’ heart.
These twelve examples are from various periods and there is
nothing in particular that unites them. Each and every one of
them is a minor masterpiece. Brahms’ self-criticism was so strong
that he hardly published anything that wasn’t masterly. Wir
wandelten is superbly sung. The relative rarity Es träumte
mir is lovely and Ms Platts sings it inwardly. The wonder
of Vergebliches Ständchen is well depicted and Muss
es eine Trennung is possibly the high point of the whole
disc. Platts manages to retain the suspension throughout the
song. Wie Melodien zieht es has always been one of my
great favourites among Brahms’ songs. It is lovingly executed
here. Platts rounds off the recital with a dramatic reading
of Meine Liebe ist grün.
I am sure Susan
Platts will develop further within the near future but even
at this stage she is a singer to be reckoned with. I hope to
hear more of her. Her pianist is excellent but I feel she is
over-using the sustaining pedal at times. I have no objections
to the recording but the track-list would have prospered from
some proof-reading. As it is capital letters on nouns are missing
while they sometimes appear on verbs. Nitpicking? Of course,
but on a quality product one expects even details like these
to be in order.
The warmth and sensitivity
of the singing makes this a highly agreeable disc even though
it fails to oust established favourites.
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