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Robert SCHUMANN (1810-1856) Songs of Love and Loss Mein Schöner Stern! Op.101 No.4 (1849)[2:44] Gedichte der Königin Maria Stuart, Op. 135 (1852)[9:43] Requiem, Op. 90 No. 7
(1850) [4:07] Liederkreis, Op. 39 (1840) [25:29] Frauenliebe und -leben, Op. 42 (1840) [23:54]
Sarah
Connolly (mezzo); Eugene Asti (piano)
rec. 12-14 December 2007, Potton Hall, Suffolk CHANDOS
CHAN10492 [65:58]
In
many respects Schumann is the archetype of the romantic
artist: deeply influenced by literature, committed to powerfully
intense emotions, creatively aware of the virtuosity of
performers. He was himself a fine pianist, and the first
twenty-three of his published compositions were for his
own instrument. He then went on to match this achievement
in the field of solo song, in which regard he became the
true inheritor of Schubert’s mantle.
Another
important aspect of Schumann’s creative nature was his
fondness for creating large-scale compositions out of sequences
of miniatures. He developed this trend in piano works such
as Carnaval and Kreisleriana, and continued
it in the vocal song-cycles, including for example Frauenliebe
und -leben and the two groups of songs under the title Liederkreis (Opp.
24, 39).
All of these issues are germane to this
collection of songs presented by Sarah Connolly with the
expert support of Eugene Asti. Under
the collective title 'Songs of Love and Loss', this Schumann
programme includes two cycles from the great song
yearof
1840, the Liederkreis and Frauenliebe und –Leben. The remaining songs come from later in the composer’s life:
the collection entitled Gedichte
der Königin Maria Stuart Op.135,
the beautiful short 'Requiem' from Op.90 and 'Mein
schöner Stern!' Op.101 No.4. These show no falling-off
in quality, despite the commonly-held view that his encroaching
final illness undermined the quality of the composer’s
later compositions.
There are abundant alternative performances
of Frauenliebe
und –Leben and
the Liederkreis, but Sarah Connolly brings a distinguished
addition to the catalogue. While many great artists have
brought their insights to the former, a personal favourite
is the 1996 Deutsche Grammophon disc by Anne-Sophie von
Otter with Bengt Forsberg (445 881 2), while in the Op.
39 Liederkreis there is always the issue of whether
a man’s voice is better. Among notable interpretations
is that of Bryn Terfel, for instance, with Malcolm Martineau
(again DG, 447 042 2). Therefore
the excellent Sarah Connolly does not become an instant
top recommendation, but she does have both the technique
and the insight to do full justice to these great songs.
In Frauenliebe und –leben Connolly and Asti tend towards slower tempi, perhaps missing
some degree of ardour, though a real highlight of their
performance is 'Du Ring an meinem Finger', in which
there is much intensity. The balance between voice and
piano is nicely achieved by both the artists and the Chandos
engineers, while the recording venue, Potton Hall in Suffolk,
is a tried and tested acoustic well suited to chamber music
and songs.
Although Connolly is not a native German
speaker, her treatment of the language is assured and the
treatment of the text abounds in all the subtleties the
songs have to offer, with a vocal timbre that is rich and
nicely in focus. The collaboration of the artists seems
even better in the lesser-known songs. For instance Requiem moves
to a convincing climax after a beautifully chaste opening
phase, and the somewhat austere songs on poems attributed
to Mary Queen of Scots have an intensity that is all their
own. Perhaps her preference for slower tempi pays its strongest
dividends here.
Terry Barfoot
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