Franz SCHUBERT (1797 – 1828)
Winterreise, D
911 (1827)
Britta Schwarz (mezzo-soprano)
Christine Schornsheim (fortepiano)
rec. 2018, St Ottilien in Freiburg (Breisgau)
Sung texts with English translations included
RONDEAU PRODUCTION ROP6182 [76:29]
Female singers have not been very keen on tackling Winterreise, seemingly regarding it as male territory. Some have, however, ventured into that territory. The first, as far as I know, was Elena Gerhardt, who sang it from the late 1920s and also recorded eight of the songs, and Lotte Lehmann recorded around 2/3 of the songs in the early 1940s. Others who have successfully made the journey include Christa Ludwig, Brigitte Fassbaender, Natalie Stutzmann and Alice Coote. Now Britta Schwarz joins that company, and what makes her recording stand out is that the accompaniment is played on Hammerklavier (fortepiano) – excellently for sure. The difference isn’t too prominent, compared to a modern grand, even though the instrument is contemporaneous with Schubert, built in Vienna around 1827 by one Joseph Simon who was a pupil of Conrad Graf and probably made in Graf’s workshop. It was restored in 2017 by Christoph Kern and the tone is beautiful and suitably transparent. It also matches the voice of Britta Schwarz, which is rather frail and when she sings softly the tone becomes vibrato-less and white and slightly hooty, like some boy-trebles. The intonation also falters momentarily but by and large it is more than acceptable. When she sings at forte the tone hardens and a vibrato creeps in. It is still an expressive instrument but it lacks warmth, something that is essential in this work.
There is however no lack of understanding of the texts and she is deeply involved and her readings are well-conceived and nuanced. Occasionally I get a feeling that she could show some more temperament, at least in some of the earlier songs where there are signs of blandness. The second half, from Die Post and onwards, is much better in that respect and she obviously identifies herself with the protagonist more readily the closer she approaches the encounter with the hurdy-gurdy-man in the final song. Tempos are generally on the slow side which also contributes to the sense of blandness. The well-known Lindenbaum is curiously faceless as is also Frühlingstraum, but there are many of the early songs that are intense and engaged. Die Wetterfahne and Erstarrung are successful and alive, Rückblick and Einsamkeit likewise. But it is, as I already said, in the second part that the readings catch fire and the darkness that settles upon the doomed wanderer inspires Britta Schwarz to widen her pallet of vocal colours and her expressive use of dynamic nuances. The vocal blemishes I mentioned in the beginning of the review became insignificant when the last handful of songs unfolded with merciless inevitability and made the end just as gripping as it always is. Complete texts with English translations are enclosed and there are bios on Britta Schwarz and her excellent accompanist Christine Schornsheim but no liner notes on the music.
There is a lot to admire here but I am still in two minds about how recommendable this issue is and advise readers to sample before buying.
Göran Forsling
