Franz SCHUBERT
(1797-1828)
Schwanengesang, D957. Totengräbers Heimwehe, D842. Nachtstück,
D672. An den Mond,D193. Im Frühling,
D882.
Christian Gerhaler (baritone);
Gerold Huber (piano).
Arte Nova 74321 75075-2
[DDD]
[71'18]
Crotchet
Bargain Price
After the less than inspiring experience of another super-budget Schubert
song-cycle, Christian Elsner's Die schöne Müllerin on Naxos
(8.554664), my heart sank somewhat at the prospect of this
Schwanengesang, the collection of Lieder posthumously published by
Tobias Haslinger. Gerhaler is on an altogether higher plane than Elsner,
however, and if cost is a primary consideration this version looms high on
the list.
Gerhaler has given concerts with the Vienna Philharmonic and the Los Angeles
Philharmonic. He sings with sensitivity, his lightish baritone fully at the
service of the music. He has a nicely-formed high register (listen to the
repetitions of 'Ade!' in the seventh song), a pleasing tone, flexibility
of phrasing and (importantly) clear diction. He obviously places much importance
on the meaning of the words: a pity, then, that Arte Nova continue to reproduce
texts only, with no translations for non-German speakers.
Gerhaler finds a Winterreise-like sense of desolation within some
of the Lieder, most notably in Die Stadt and Der
Doppelgänger, which is fully appropriate. This remains an enjoyable,
carefully thought out reading that will give much pleasure, without however
erasing memories of some of the greater traversals: try Fischer-Dieskau and
Moore's 1972 version on DG 415 188-2 or Fassbaender and Riemann's dark
performance on DG 429 766-2. The fillers on the present disc are two songs
that dwell on a Romantic death-longing (Totengräbers Heimweh
and Nachtstück) and two that mourn the loss of a beloved (An
den Mond and Im Frühling). Gerhaler brings dramatic contrasts
to Totengräbers Heimweh and an easy flow to Im
Frühling. Throughout Gerold Huber is a sympathetic accompanist who
can evoke tranquillity and drama in equal measure.
Reviewer
Colin Clarke
Performance
Recording
