Acht Lieder aus Letzte Blätter,
Op 10 (1885)
No.
2: Nichts 'Nennen soll ich, sagt
ihr, meine' [1:33]
No.
7: Die Zeitlose 'Auf frisch gemähtem
Weideplatz' [1:39]
No.
6: Die Verschwiegenen 'Ich habe
wohl, es sei hier laut' [1:10]
Sechs Lieder, Op 17 (1885-1888)
No. 1: Seit dem dein Aug' in meines
schaute [1:56]
No. 2: Ständchen 'Mach auf,
mach auf! doch leise, mein Kind' [2:30]
No. 3: Das Geheimnis 'Du fragst
mich, Mädchen, was flüsternd
der West' [2:13]
No. 4: Aus den Liedern der Trauer 'Von
dunklem Schleier umsponnen' [1:54]
No. 5: Nur Mut! 'Laß das
Zagen, trage mutig' [3:21]
No. 6: Barkarole 'Um der fallenden
Ruder Spitzen' [2:28]
Sechs Lieder aus Lotusblättern,
Op 19 (1888)
No. 1: Wozu noch, Mädchen, soll
es frommen [1:57]
No. 3: Schön sind, doch kalt
die Himmelssterne [2:17]
No. 5: Hoffen und wieder verzagen
[2:53]
Schlichte Weisen, Op 21 (1889)
No. 4: Ach weh mir unglückhaftem
Mann [2:13]
No. 5: Die Frauen sind oft fromm und
still [2:37]
Vier Lieder, Op 27 (1894)
No. 3: Heimliche Aufforderung 'Auf,
hebe die funkelnde Schale' [3:17]
Fünf Lieder, Op 32 (1896)
No. 1: Ich trage meine Minne [2:15]
No. 2: Sehnsucht 'Ich ging den
Weg entlang, der einsam lag' [3:25]
No. 3: Liebeshymnus 'Heil jenem
Tag, der dich geboren' [2:24]
No. 4: O süßer Mai! [1:35]
No. 5: Himmelsboten 'Der Mondschein,
der ist schon verblichen' [3:28]
Vier Lieder, Op 36 (1897)
No. 2: Für funfzehn Pfennige 'Das
Mägdlein will ein' Freier haben'
[2:22]
No. 4: Anbetung 'Die Liebste
steht mir vor den Gedanken, wie schön,
o wie schön!' [4:43]
Fünf Lieder, Op 48 (1900)
No. 4: Winterweihe 'In diesen
Wintertagen' [2:36]
No. 5: Winterliebe 'Der Sonne
entgegen' [1:48]
No. 1: Freundliche Vision 'Nicht
im Schlafe hab ich das geträumt'
[2:38]
The first two recitals
in this series have been entrusted
to sopranos. The first volume featured
Christine Brewer (see review)
and after her we heard Anne Schwanewilms
(see review).
This third release is also given
to a high voice but this time it’s
a tenor. Hitherto I’d been accustomed
to hearing Andrew Kennedy mainly
in English repertoire so I was most
interested to audition him in lieder.
Roger Vignoles,
who is masterminding this Strauss
project, has once again assembled
the programme shrewdly. This shrewdness
operates in a number of ways: not
only does he choose songs which
suit his singer but also he has
mixed less familiar items with a
decent leavening of favourites.
One such, of course,
is Ständchen, which
crops up frequently in recitals
but as Vignoles observes in his
excellent notes, many recital programmes
"relegate [Strauss] to the
status of dessert – the Sachertorte
and Schlag, so to speak –
designed to send the audience home
replete and happy." By placing
Ständchen in its proper
context within the six songs that
comprise Op. 17, Kennedy and Vignoles
avoid that trap and we appreciate
the familiar bon bon all
the more. Mind you, its not hard
to see how that song has achieved
its popular status with its delectable
rippling piano part, winningly played
by Vignoles, and the lovely vocal
line, which Kennedy delivers in
a light, eager fashion that’s most
appealing. But its companions are
well worth hearing also. I particularly
enjoyed Nur Mut! which is
a fine, Brahmsian song that Kennedy
sings with an intelligent combination
of strength and sensitivity. No
less interesting is Barkarole,
which is distinguished by what Vignoles
rightly terms " a mood of rapt
enchantment." It’s a lovely
song, deserving of a wider audience,
and it finds a worthy champion in
Andrew Kennedy.
Another famous
song is Heimliche Aufforderung.
This is an often-ardent song. Kennedy
rises to the challenges it poses
and his ringing tone at the end
is especially noteworthy. Just as
notable is the surging accompaniment
provided by Vignoles. But a little
earlier in the programme another,
less well-known offering that caught
my ear was Wozu noch, Mädchen,
soll es frommen. This is a lovely,
lyrical song that sounds like Schubert
six decades on.
The Op 32 set is
dedicated to Pauline Strauss, like
so many other songs by her husband.
Ich trage meine Minne suits
Andrew Kennedy’s voice well. He
delivers its gentle passages very
nicely but he has sufficient vocal
heft to do justice to the more passionate
music in the second stanza. Sehnsucht
is a strange, rather unquiet song,
especially it’s bare opening. The
music has something of an experimental
feel to it, especially in the piano
writing. By contrast the well-known
Liebeshymnus is much more
outgoing. Indeed it’s almost operatic
in scale, with a demanding tessitura.
I like the expressive way in which
Kennedy sings it and I also appreciated
the power he brings to the third
stanza.
Another expansive
song is Anbetung, which Vignoles
describes as "Wagnerian in
scale". Andrew Kennedy encompasses
successfully its varied and significant
demands. Operating in a more reflective
vein, I enjoyed very much his winning
reading of Winterweihe. It’s
a gorgeous song and it’s a delight
to hear it as well done as it is
here. Equally gorgeous is Freundliche
Vision. The warm long phrases
receive full value here and Kennedy
and Vignoles make it a wonderfully
easeful end to their programme.
This Hyperion Strauss
series is fast becoming an important
one for connoisseurs of lieder and
this latest volume is another worthy
addition to it. Andrew Kennedy does
very well in some taxing repertoire
and his open, ringing tones, to
say nothing of the more gentle lyrical
side of his singing, give great
pleasure. Just as delightful is
the pianism of Roger Vignoles who
makes a predictably excellent and
perceptive contribution to every
song, supporting and complementing
his singer at every turn. His notes
are excellent too. He may not write
at the same length as his colleague
Graham Johnson but his comments
are full of perception and insight
and, just as much as his playing,
they bespeak an intimate knowledge
of and love for the songs in question.
Excellent, clear
sound sets the seal on another very
successful issue in this fine series.
John Quinn
Andrew Kennedy (tenor)/Roger Vignoles
(piano) 
