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Oh to have that kind of genius which allows the creation of works of massive complexity. Or works which plumb profound emotional depths. Or works which strike out in a whole new direction, changing the very path of musical history. And then to be able to sit back and still write perfect miniatures which reflect that art in a similarly grand way.
 
That is precisely what this pair of discs does. They say they are the Mozart’s Complete Songs for Voice and Piano. In some ways, it’s not a good – albeit accurate – title. For, when we think of Mozart’s vocal works, we instantly think of the operas, or sublime works like the Requiem. Then, we might unfairly compare him to Schubert and Schumann whose lieder output would occupy far more than a couple of CDs: a couple of shelves of CDs more likely.
 
But this is a fine collection of works which reflect the genius of Mozart.
 
Interestingly, the first work on the disc, the little German Cantata comes from the last year of his life and bears the hallmarks of his Masonic connections. Then there are the quite delightful Hermes songs, written about the same time as he was working on Idomeneo.
 
There are a couple of unusual works: two French ariettas, dating from comparatively early in his composing career.
 
In fact, there is little on this disc to offend and much to commend, more particularly because the works cover almost all of Mozart’s compositional career and it is highly interesting to hear how his voice develops.
 
Soprano Sophie Karthauser has a supremely flexible, colourful voice which she uses to great effect throughout. Stephen Loges is quite a light baritone, while the whole examination of this often overlooked output is underpinned with some extremely sensitive accompaniment by pianist Eugene Asti.
 
Certainly something well worth a look.
 
Glyn Mon Hughes

see also review by Göran Forsling

Track listing
Cantata: die ihr unermeisslichen Weltalls (Ziegenhagen) (K619) (1791) [7:28]
Das Traumbild (K530) (1787) [4:14]
Die Zufriedenheit (K349) (1780/1) [1:30]
An die Freude (K53) (1768) [2:42]
Drei Lieder aus ‘Sophiens Reise’ (Johann Timotheus Hermes) (1781/2) – Ich wurd’ auf meinem Pfad (An die Hoffnung) (K390) [2:10]
Sei du mein Trost (An die Einsamkeit) (K391) [2:42]
Verdankt sei es dem Glanz (An die Beschieidenheit) (K392) [2:16]
Komm, liebe Zither (K351) (1780/1) [1:39]
Die Alte (K517) (1787) [3:32]
An die Freundschaft (K148) (1772) [2:29]
Vier Lieder nach Texten von Chritain Felix Weisse: Die Verscheigung (K518) (1787) [2:20]
Der Zaubener (K472) (1785) [2:02]
Die Zufriedenheit (K473) (1785) [3:09]
Die betrogene Welt (K474) (1785) [2:51]
Das Veilchen (K476) (1785) [2:16]
Als Luise die Briefe ihres ungetreuen Liebhabers verbrannte (K520) (1787) [1:41]
Das Lied der Trennung (K519) (1787) [4:46]
Des kleinen Friedrichs Geburtstag (K529) (1787) [2:30]
Lied der Freiheit (K506) (1785) [1:40]
Lied zur Gesellenreise (K468) (1785) [2:44]
Deux ariettes (1777/8) – Oiseaux, si tous les ans (K307) [1:25]
Dans un bois solitaire (K308) [2:36]
Ridente la calma (K152) (1772-5) [3:16]
An Chloe (K524) (1787) [2:34]
Die kliene Spinnerin (K531) (1787) [1:49]
Wie unglucklich bin ich nit (K147) (1772) [1:00)]
Leid beim Auszag in das Feld (K552) (1788) [2:11]
Sehnsucht nach dem Fruhlinge (K596) (1791) [1:41]
Der Fruhling (K597) (1791) [1:42]
Das Kinderspiel (K598) (1791) [1:29]
Abendempfindung an Laura (K523) (1787) [5.37]

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