This disc from Preiser
presents a selection of Schubert’s less
well-known Schiller settings. The sleeve-notes
elucidate the difficulties Schubert
faced in setting Schiller and explain
that Schubert’s motive was a fellow-feeling
for the poet and the "idealistic
content" he found in the poems.
Certainly, he was not led by an innate
sense of musicality in the rather tortuous,
abstruse, complex construction of the
poems. They are written in a highly
literary style and do not lend themselves
naturally to musical setting.
Unfortunately, the
performance here does not do justice
to Schubert’s results. In the first
song, Der Pilgrim, Schubert paints
a picture of the tramping footsteps
of the pilgrim on his way. Plod, plod,
plod goes the deeply dull, pompous and
grave performance, without any relief.
We hope that the performers are just
being a little over-zealous in their
adherence to Schubert’s clever musical
depiction ... but, alas, this is not
the case. In the second, livelier, song,
Der Alpenjager, the real problem
is clearly demonstrated and illuminated
in the metronomic approach evident from
the piano interludes. The pianist is
playing without any apparent expression,
emotion or understanding. He is literally
just hitting the keys in front of him,
and whilst he keeps perfectly in time
with Robert Holl, he is not accompanying
the singer, just playing alongside him.
There is no response or rapport between
the piano and singer, and Lutz seems
to have no idea why he's playing the
notes that he is. As the disc goes on,
this problem becomes a real hindrance.
There is absolutely no evidence of any
interpretation on the part of the pianist
– his playing completely lacks fluidity,
flexibility, nuances, and even dynamics
– in this he is like an organist without
a swell pedal.
Robert Holl, on the
other hand, does attempt to provide
some contrast in his singing but does
not really succeed. He is inextricably
hampered by the following pianist, and
would probably do far better with a
vaguely sympathetic accompanist. Although
he has a very good voice, it is more
of an operatic voice rather than one
suited to lieder. It is slightly stand-off-ish,
not accessible and friendly, and the
singing comes across as rather dull.
There are some good
songs here – the thoroughly enjoyable
Dithyrambe for example, and the
last couple of songs – Die Götter
Griechenlands and Hoffnung,
which were both more sensitively sung
by Holl. Yet the disc as a whole lacks
insight and finesse and is boring, unemotional,
pedestrian and insouciant. The recording
does not help, with a rather dead and
wooden acoustic, and no resonance. Bear
in mind, further, that these are not
Schubert’s best songs, nor are they
the easiest to sing – they require deep
understanding of the words, and whilst
the pianist lacks comprehension of the
music, Holl also lacks it of the poems,
resulting in rather unnatural singing
and a dead performance. So, the combination
of Schiller, Holl and Lutz does not
bring out the best in Schubert!
There are other recordings
of these songs, including Siegfried
Lorenz and Norman Shetler, who cover
Der Pilgrim, Hoffnung and Die
Bürgschaft on Berlin Classics
and
Christoph Prégardien
and Andreas
Staier on Deutsche Harmonia Mundi,
who include the same three, as well
Der Alpenjäger and Die
Götter Griechenlands.
There is also a two
volume Schiller set from Naxos (Vol
1, Vol
2), part of their Schubert
Lied Edition. Volume 1 includes Der
Alpenjäger, Dithyrambe and Der
Flüchtling with Martin
Bruns, baritone and Ulrich
Eisenlohr, piano, and the second
set has Regina Jakobi accompanied by
the same pianist, in Der Pilgrim,
Hoffnung, and Die Bürgschaft.
Although some of these discs have their
problems, too, I would recommend any
of them above this – which could only
have a market for people who like Schiller
more than Schubert. I have always loved
Schubert’s songs but were I (heaven
forbid!) unfamiliar with them, this
disc would definitely put me off.
Em Marshall
Robert Holl, baritone, David Lutz, piano 
