Robert SCHUMANN (1810-1856)
Liederkreis, Op 24 (1840) [20:38]
Liederkreis, Op 39 (1840) [25:04]
Dichterliebe, Op. 48 (1840) [30:36]
James Gilchrist (tenor), Anna Tilbrook (piano)
rec. 5-7 March, 2014, Wyastone Concert Hall, Monmouthshire
German texts and English translations included
LINN RECORDS CKD474 [76:18]
I’ve long admired James Gilchrist in English Song but
I’ve always found him equally persuasive in Lieder. Partially
that’s because I think the timbre of his voice is so well suited to
Lieder but I also think that his ease and intelligence in putting
over German texts has a lot to do with it. An important factor here, I suspect,
is that his mother is German; she emigrated to Britain shortly after World
War II. I didn’t know that until Gilchrist mentioned it in a note he
contributed to Sir John Eliot Gardiner’s Bach
Cantata Pilgrimage Vol 7. One of the concerts in that volume was given
in Bremen and a number of members of Gilchrist’s extended family live
near that city. I’ve already enjoyed two of his recordings of the Schubert
song cycles on another label (review
~ review)
though his account of Winterreise has not come my way. I was delighted
to find that he has now turned his attention to Schubert.
For these three great Schumann cycles he’s joined, as he was in the
Schubert cycles, by his regular pianist, Anna Tilbrook. They’ve been
working together almost since the start of Gilchrist’s professional
career twenty years ago and it shows. In these performances singer and pianist
display a clear rapport and while, inevitably, the singer tends to be in the
spotlight Miss Tilbrook’s playing is a consistent source of pleasure.
Though she supports her singer very well she provides much more than “mere”
support.
The Heine Liederkreis, Op 24 goes very well indeed. The very first
song, ‘Morgens steh’ ich auf’ promises much, the singing
and playing light and supple. In ‘Ich wandelte unter den Baümen’
I relished the plangent tone in which Gilchrist voices the aching melancholy
of the words and music. Nowhere is his expert control displayed than in the
wonderful placing of the soft high notes. To ‘Schöne Wiege meine Leiden’,
the most complex song so far, he brings a fine degree and range of expression.
Then there’s palpable urgency in his delivery of ‘Warte, warte,
wilder Schiffmann’ followed by a lovely rendition of ‘Berg’
und Burgen schau’n herunter’. The latter is an easeful, expressive
strophic song and Gilchrist’s way with it is admirable. In the last
song, ‘Mit Myrthen und Rosen’ Gilchrist once again displays an
excellent range of expression.
For the second Liederkreis Schumann turned to the poetry of Joseph
von Eichendorff. Gilchrist’s plangent tone immediately establishes the
sadness in ‘In der Fremde’ and Tilbrook’s touch is lovely.
Their account of ‘Mondnacht’ is a highlight of the disc. Gilchrist’s
head voice opening is wonderfully soft. Thereafter he wafts the vocal line
with great sensitivity while Anna Tilbrook’s playing is perfectly weighted.
A fine sense of stillness is achieved in ‘Auf einer Burg’ while
‘Zwielicht’ has a sense of suspense and foreboding. However, after
all the preceding soul searching Schumann ends the cycle on a positive note
in ‘Frühlingsnacht’ and Gilchrist rises to the change of mood
very successfully.
Schumann reverted to Heinrich Heine for Dichterliebe, the longest
of the three cycles. ‘Im wunderschönen Monat Mai’ is distinguished
by some lovely piano playing from Anna Tilbrook and Gilchrist matches his
partner’s delicacy. The hasty, youthful eagerness of ‘Die Rose,
die Lilie’ comes over very well indeed. In ‘Wenn ich in deine
Augen seh’’ I love the melancholy tenderness with which, near
the end, Gilchrist invests the words “Ich liebe dich!” Later,
in that great song, ‘Ich grolle nicht’ he brings out the bitterness
of the rejected lover. There’s an appropriate sense of desolation in
‘Hör’ich das Liedchen klingen’. In ‘Am leuchtenden
Sommermorgen’ the way that Gilchrist floats the last two lines is most
affecting. This song, too, brings yet another sensitive contribution from
Anna Tilbrook. ‘Die alten, bösen Lieder’ is suitably dramatic
until the last stanza when Gilchrest is, once again, very expressive. The
extended sad and delicate piano postlude to that closing song is played with
great refinement and feeling by Anna Tilbrook.
All three of these Schumann cycles fare very well here. James Gilchrist is
a very fine exponent of these songs and Anna Tilbrook offers distinguished
playing. I enjoyed their performances very much and, more than that, there
were many passages that I found moving.
The recordings have been engineered by Philip Hobbs and he’s achieved
excellent results. Some may be concerned that James Gilchrist can often be
heard taking in breath but that didn’t bother me; it’s part and
parcel of listening to a singer, I think and in any event the breathing is
not so pronounced as to distract. What really matters is that his voice has
been nicely and truthfully recorded and the same is true of the piano. The
recording is fully up to the high standards we’ve come to expect from
this label. The booklet is well laid out and benefits from well-informed notes
by Nicholas Marston
John
Quinn
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