Hugo Wolf (1860-1903)
Italienisches Liederbuch, IHW 15 (1890-96)
Texts: Paul Heyse, after Italian folk songs
Carolyn Sampson (soprano), Allan Clayton (tenor)
Joseph Middleton (piano)
rec. 2020/21, Potton Hall, Saxmundham, UK
Sung texts and English translations enclosed
Reviewed as download from press preview
BIS BIS-2553 SACD [79]
The Italian Songbook consists of two groups of songs. The first group, consisting of 22 songs, was set in 1890 – 1891 and the second group with 24 songs in 1896. Strictly speaking it isn’t a cycle, and in some recordings the interpreters have opted for their personal order of the songs, but many stick to the order in which Wolf published them, and this is also the case with the present issue. The two singers are well-matched. Carolyn Sampson has been an avid advocate for baroque music for many years, but she has also ventured into art songs and I was enamoured by her A Verlaine Songbook (review) some years ago. Tenor Allan Clayton‘s career has focused on opera – his Peter Grimes at Covent Garden recently was a resounding triumph – but he has also frequently given song recitals, and some years ago I reviewed a Liszt recital very favourably (review). So, I had high expectations when I set to work with this disc.
The first thing I observed was the sensitive playing of Joseph Middleton, pliable and perceptive. Secondly I noted Carolyn Sampson’s girlish tone in Auch kleine Dinge, and her soft and inward reading. This was a recurrent feature throughout the programme. In Mir ward gesagt I noted something less agreeable: her vibrato could sometimes be too prominent. By and large it wasn’t very disturbing, and considering her many positive features it was practically negligible. Once or twice I regretted it, in Wie lange schon for instance, but this is easily forgotten in view of her many insights.
When Allan Clayton made his entrance, he at once convinced me: here he displayed his armoury of nuances that had enthralled me on the Liszt disc, his beautiful pianissimo – listen to the end of Gesegnet sei (tr. 4) or the mastery half-voice in Der Mond hat eine schwere Klag’ erhoben – but on the reverse side of the coin his dramatic capacity was just as telling: Wenn du mich mit den Augen streifst und lachst (tr. 38) is just one instance. And Carolyn Sampson has the same sense for drama: so agitated and energetic in Wer rief dich denn? (tr. 6). Looking back on my notes, I see that the pad is littered with positive remarks and exclamation marks, but printing them here would surely be rather tiresome reading – and I rather leave it to those who buy the disc to find all the felicities these two well-endowed Liedersänger indulge in. The prestige word for all singing of Lieder is nuances, and from the above I believe that readers have understood that Carolyn Sampson and Allan Clayton are masterly in that respect.
How do they stand up against the competition from other recordings? Very well, I would say. And competition is keen. Older collectors will probably cling to the old DG-set from the 1950s with the young Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau and Irmgard Seefried, both admirably fresh and youthful. Somewhat younger collectors – but still veterans – may prefer the more mature Fischer-Dieskau in company with Elisabeth Schwarzkopf on EMI (today Warner), more sophisticated but arguably too artful. Both are readily available on CD. There is even a third set, which I haven’t heard, with F-D and Seefried on Orfeo, recorded live at the Salzburg Festival. My personal favourite is an old Philips recording with Elly Ameling and Gerard Souzay, but it doesn’t seem to be available at the moment. But there are dozens of other sets, and one that I gave a Recording of the Month garland to nine years ago is a live recording from the Aldeburgh Festival 1977 with Janet Baker and John Shirley-Quirk (review). It presents the songs in a quite different order – as do Ameling and Souzay as well – but it is a quite exceptional reading. Those recordings mentioned here are of course historical, but among more recent offerings, Sampson and Clayton are certainly among the top contenders.
Göran Forsling
Contents
1. Auch kleine Dinge können uns entzücken, soprano 2'13
2. Mir ward gesagt, du reisest in die Ferne, soprano 2'00
3. Ihr seid die Allerschönste weit und breit, tenor 1'33
4. Gesegnet sei, durch den die Welt entstund, tenor 1'31
5. Selig ihr Blinden, die ihr nicht zu schauen, tenor 1'45
6. Wer rief dich denn? Wer hat dich herbestellt, soprano 1'01
7. Der Mond hat eine schwere Klag’ erhoben, tenor 2'19
8. Nun laß uns Frieden schließen, liebstes Leben, tenor 1'36
9. Daß doch gemalt all deine Reize wären, tenor 1'54
10. Du denkst mit einem Fädchen mich zu fangen, soprano 1'09
11. Wie lange schon war immer mein Verlangen, soprano 2'32
12. Nein, junger Herr, so treibt man’s nicht, fürwahr, soprano 0'42
13. Hoffärtig seid Ihr, schönes Kind, und geht, tenor 0'39
14. Geselle, woll’n wir uns in Kutten hüllen, tenor 2'26
15. Mein Liebster ist so klein, daß ohne Bücken, soprano 1'31
16. Ihr jungen Leute, die ihr zieht ins Feld, soprano 1'09
17. Und willst du deinen Liebsten sterben sehen, tenor 2'04
18. Heb’ auf dein blondes Haupt und schlafe nicht, tenor 1'33
19. Wir haben beide lange Zeit geschwiegen, tenor 2'20
20. Mein Liebster singt am Haus im Mondenscheine, soprano 1'20
21. Man sagt mir, deine Mutter woll’ es nicht, soprano 1'00
22. Ein Ständchen Euch zu bringen kam ich her, tenor 1'10
23. Was für ein Lied soll dir gesungen warden, tenor 1'48
24. Ich esse nun mein Brot nicht trocken mehr, soprano 1'34
25. Mein Liebster hat zu Tische mich geladen, soprano 0'56
26. Ich ließ mir sagen und mir ward erzählt, soprano 2'21
27. Schon streckt’ ich aus im Bett die müden Glieder, tenor 1'38
28. Du sagst mir, daß ich keine Fürstin sei soprano 1'16
29. Wohl kenn’ ich Euren Stand, der nicht gering, soprano 1'46
30. Laß sie nur gehn, die so die Stolze spielt, tenor 1'20
31. Wie soll ich fröhlich sein und lachen gar, soprano 1'27
32. Was soll der Zorn, mein Schatz, der dich erhitzt, soprano 1'37
33. Sterb’ ich, so hüllt in Blumen meine Glieder, tenor 2'36
34. Und steht Ihr früh am Morgen auf vom Bette, tenor 3'00
35. Benedeit die sel’ge Mutter, tenor 3'52
36. Wenn du, mein Liebster, steigst zum Himmel auf, soprano 1'28
37. Wie viele Zeit verlor ich, dich zu lieben, tenor 1'18
38. Wenn du mich mit den Augen streifst und lachst, tenor 1'37
39. Gesegnet sei das Grün und wer es trägt, soprano 1'29
40. O wär’ dein Haus durchsichtig wie ein Glas, soprano 1'22
41. Heut Nacht erhob ich mich um Mitternacht, tenor 1'35
42. Nicht länger kann ich singen, denn der Wind, tenor 0'53
43. Schweig’ einmal still, du garst’ger Schwätzer dort, soprano 1'01
44. O wüßtest du, wie viel ich deinetwegen, tenor 1'23
45. Verschling’ der Abgrund meines Liebsten Hütte, soprano 1'14
46. Ich hab’ in Penna einen Liebsten wohnen, soprano 0'54
