Franz SCHUBERT (1797-1828)
Lieder Orchestrated by Max Reger and Anton Webern
Christian Elsner (tenor)
Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin/Marek Janowski
rec. September 2014, Haus des Rundfunks, RBB, Berlin, Germany
Full German texts with English translations
PENTATONE CLASSICS SACD PTC5186394 [63.04]
In March this year (2015) I had the good fortune to see
the German-born Christian Elsner perform as one of the four soloists
in the Dvořák Stabat mater with Bavarian Radio forces under Mariss
Jansons at the Herkulessaal, Munich. The present disc comprises seventeen
Schubert Lieder of which thirteen are orchestrations by Reger
and four are Webern orchestrations.
Schubert’s Lieder amount to over six hundred works and
their overall quality and wealth of ideas have greatly appealed to other
composers who began preparing arrangements not long after Schubert’s
death in 1828. Brahms who venerated Schubert wrote five orchestrations
of his Lied stating “There is no song by Schubert that cannot
teach us something.” Those composers attracted to arranging Schubert
Lied include such renowned orchestrators such as Hector Berlioz,
Franz Liszt, Max Reger, Johannes Brahms, Jacques Offenbach, Anton Webern
and Benjamin Britten although I rarely see these editions included on
concert programmes. In the Pentatone booklet notes Franz Steiger suggests
this seeming lack of interest reflects the arrangements not being valued
to the same degree as Schubert’s original work.
Evidently Reger made a careful selection of the Schubert Lied,
a period that centred around 1913/14 when he was music director of the
Meininger Hofkapelle and which presented opportunities to perform these
works. The Bavarian composer wrote to his publisher explaining that
he had ensured the scoring of his orchestrations would not “muffle”
the vocal soloists. These are well chosen examples of Reger’s
expertise for orchestration and there are several that I particularly
enjoyed. Sung most effectively the agitated quality of the enduringly
popular Erlkönig a setting of the Goethe poem translates well
in Reger’s astute orchestration with a flute part representing
the “sweet temptations.” There's a tender charm and
real sensitivity in Elsner's rendition of the Rückert verse Greisengesang.
In Prometheus, to a Goethe text the tenor is bold and unwavering
in this splendid test of his lower register. In the Schiller setting
Gruppe aus dem Tartarus Elsner excels amid Reger’s Wagnerian
murmurings and a mysterious rather chilling character. With the final
work Im Abendrot again to a Lappe text the tenor is clearly
at ease in a setting that explores deep introspection and intense pining.
Webern undertook his Schubert Lieder orchestrations mainly
around 1903 predominantly as student exercises at the time of his musicology
studies at Vienna University. In these highly successful settings Du
bist die Ruh' (Rückert) especially notable with a flowing
accompaniment to which Elsner gives delightful expression. Exceptional
also is Der Wegweiser number 20 in the celebrated song cycle
Die Winterreise. This orchestration underlines the song's
deeply illusive quality. Here Elsner maintains his high level of sensitivity
avoiding any need for over-sentimentality.
Throughout this collection Elsner is steadfast and impressive in vocal
colouring and clarity. With near effortless delivery he holds his phases
unfailingly and alters tension and mood reflecting sensitivity to the
words.
Under the guiding hand of its experienced chief conductor Marek Janowski
the playing of the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin is always eminently
musical with a finely judged feel for the orchestrations. Using my standard
player this hybrid SACD, engineered to a high standard, is pleasingly
clear and well balanced. Thanks to Pentatone for providing full German
texts with English translations in the booklet and I found the accompanying
essay ‘Work of art? Craftsmanship?’ by Franz Steiger informative
and highly readable.
In addition to this desirable album there are three albums of Schubert
Lieder orchestrations all splendidly performed and recorded
that I can wholeheartedly recommend. The programme on each is shared
by a male and female singer. This contrast of voice type and vocal character
fend off any possibility of tedium. Probably the best known is a 2002
collection of twenty-one Lied orchestrated by eight different
composers sung by Anne Sophie von Otter and Thomas Quasthoff with the
Mahler Chamber Orchestra conducted by Claudio Abbado on Deutsche Grammophon.
Camilla Nylund and Klaus Mertens sing fifteen of Reger’s Lieder
orchestrations with the NDR Radiophilharmonie under Werner Andreas Albert
recorded in 1997 on CPO. Finally fifteen of Reger’s Lieder
orchestrations sung by Ina Stachelhaus and Dietrich Henschel were recorded
in 1997 with the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra under Dennis Russell Davies
on MDG Gold.
In excellent form Elsner makes a splendid case for these inexplicably
neglected arrangements.
Michael Cookson
Track list
1. An die Musik (Du holde Kunst), D 547 (orch. Reger) [2.07]
2. Erlkönig, D 328 (orch. Reger) [3.49]
3. Du bist die Ruh', D 776 (orch. Webern) [3.09]
4. Greisengesang (Der Frost hat mir bereifet), D 778 (orch. Reger) [6.02]
5. An den Mond, D 296 (orch. Reger) [3.54]
6. Prometheus, D 674 (orch. Reger) [5.09]
7. Nacht und Träume (Heil'ge Nacht, du sinkest nieder), D 827
(orch. Reger) [2.38]
Gesänge des Harfners, D 478 (orch. Reger)
8. No. 1: Wer sich der Einsamkeit ergibt, [3.52]
9. No. 2: Wer nie sein Brot mit Tränen aß, [4.11]
10. No. 3: An die Türen will ich schleichen, [2.06]
11. Gruppe aus dem Tartarus, D 583 [3.01] (orch. Reger)
12. Tränenregen from Die schöne Müllerin, D 795, No. 10 (orch. Webern)
[5.35]
13. Der Wegweiser from Die Winterreise, D 911, No. 20 (orch. Webern)
[4.06]
14. Memnon (Den Tag hindurch nur einmal mag ich sprechen), D 541 [3.38]
(orch. Reger)
15. Ihr Bild from Schwanengesang, D 957, No. 9 (orch. Webern) [2.42]
16. Litaney auf das Fest Aller Seelen, D 343 (orch. Reger) [2.41]
17. Im Abendrot (O wie schön ist deine Welt), D 799 (orch. Reger) [3.36]
Christian Elsner (tenor)
