Franz SCHUBERT (1797-1828) and Wilhelm MÜLLER (1794-1827)
Winterreise D911 - Version for narrator, cello, and piano
Xaver Hutter (narrator)
Martin Rummel (cello)
Norman Shetler (piano)
ec. live, 30 July 2008, Oberneukirchen, Austria.
PALADINO PMR0018 [45:56 + 37:22]
Paladino’s 2012 release “Müller/Schubert Winterreise”
consists
of a reading of the poetry of Wilhelm Müller. Each poem is followed by
the
song in a straightforward transcription for piano and cello. It’s not
a
re-imagining like Hans Zender’s love-it-or-hate-it - amazingly
awesome,
if you ask me - “composed interpretation” of Die
Winterreise.
Obviously, it’s certainly not a traditional performance of it either.
As
such it has the potential to displease those looking for the real deal for
mucking
with the original and disappoint those whose Schubert-bending
willingness
knows no bounds for not going far enough.
I’m not enthusiastic about Xaver Hutter’s inflection or
rhythm but then I’m picky and easily vicariously embarrassed. Even if
you didn’t like his narration and assuming familiarity with the text,
and some grasp of the German, you would still likely hear new nuances in the
text, new interpretative angles you might not have thought about. We hear,
in short, the text afresh, and we hear the music - through Martin
Rummel’s forcefully singing cello - in an unheard-of, splendid
isolation. I’m not sure how much of a selling argument a fabulous and
gutsy cello-performance of the Winterreise could possibly be, but
Rummel is making about as good a case for it as can be made. The veteran
accompanist, pianist (and part-time puppeteer) Norman Shetler adds his still
very much audible musical gifts to the project.
For all kinds of reasons not a natural choice for your third or even
fourth recording of Schubert’s song-cycle but another curiosity-trophy
happily added to my Winterreise collection. Of unintentionally comic
value are the liner notes’ embarrassingly bad translations:
“Impersonation” is not synonymous with “epitome”.
Jens F. Laurson
Masterwork Index: Winterreise
Another curiosity-trophy happily added to my Winterreise collection.
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