BaL 29.04.17 - Schumann: Liederkreis (Op.24)

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

0930
Building a Library with Natasha Loges on Schumann’s song cycle ‘Liederkreis’, Op.24, composed in 1840, the year he almost exclusively devoted to song composition immediately after his marriage to Clara.

Available versions:

Olaf Bär, Geoffrey Parsons (download)
Thomas Bauer, Uta Hielscher
Florian Boesch, Malcolm Martineau
Ian Bostridge, Julius Drake
Jan DeGaetani, Lee Luvisi
Brigitte Fassbaender, Irwin Gage
Gerald Finley, Julius Drake
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Jörg Demus
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Hartmut Höll (download)
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Hartmut Höll (DVD)
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Hertha Klust
James Gilchrist, Anna Tilbrook
Matthias Goerne, Vladimir Ashkenazy (download)
Walton Grönroos, Ralf Gothóni
Werner Güra, Christoph Berner
Wolfgang Holzmair, Imogen Cooper
Christian Immler, Georges Starobinski
Jochen Kupfer, Reinild Mees
Sebastian Noack, Manuel Lange
Mark Padmore, Kristian Bezuidenhout
José Pizarro, David Aijón
Christoph Prégardien, Michael Gees (download)
Andreas Schmidt, Rudolf Jansen
Maximilian Schmidt, Gerold Huber
Peter Schreier Christoph Eschenbach
Peter Schreier, András Schiff
Peter Schreier, Norman Shetler
André Schuen, Daniel Heide
Gerard Souzay, Dalton Baldwin
Toby Spence, Ian Brown
Nathalie Stutzmann, Inger Södergren
Roman Trekel, Oliver Pohl
Per Vollestad, Sigmund Hjelset

[Beef Oven!]

Bostridge/Drake here. C/W Dichterliebe et al.

I’m not in the market for another recording.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I have the Partridge family, and Fassbaender/Gage - I don't intend buying any others, but look forward to eating my words and ordering half-a-dozen others after the broadcast. Many thanks again for the list, Alpie

[Richard Tarleton]

I have the Partridge family, and Fassbaender/Gage - I don't intend buying any others, but look forward to eating my words and ordering half-a-dozen others after the broadcast. Many thanks again for the list, Alpie

This looks a pretty strong field! I'd be interested in hearing Fassbaender's rendition, because I love her voice, but am otherwise likely to stick with Schreier/Eschenbach. In a CD collection which does not run to multiple versions except in relatively few cases, I often lean towards artists I've heard live.

[visualnickmos]

I'm not crazy about lieder - unless it's Richard Strauss; so I'll wash the car instead!

[verismissimo]

I've had Schreier with Shetler on LP since the 1970s and never really got a grip on this cycle. Time to revisit and maybe reinvest.

[gurnemanz]

Thanks for a great list. Looking forward to this: Schumann/Heine make a great team.

I first got to know this lovely cycle with Fischer-Dieskau and Hertha Klust as a student nearly 50 years ago. For the most part beautifully done by a young F-D but not quite so interestingly accompanied, so for me not a first choice. His later DG version with Christoph Eschenbach seems not to be on the list but is available on a recommendable, well-priced twofer. It could be that the pairing with Jörg Demus on the list above actually refers to this one. Demus accompanies other songs on there. I can't actually find an op 24 with Demus.

Christopher Maltman should probably be on the list. His version with Graham Johnson is part of the Hyperion Complete Schumann Lieder - individual disc seems to be download only but complete set is available on CD. Well reviewed (eg Alan Blyth in Gramophone) but again not an absolute top choice for me.

Of those recordings I have I would go for the Schreier/Shetler version on the list, but I have a soft spot for his late live Dresden recital with Andras Schiff on Orfeo, even though he was aged 67 and admittedly a bit past it (also my age, incidentally!) but I would probably end up picking Wolfgang Holzmair and Imogen Cooper - a superb performance.

[Karafan]

I am always disappointed if Richard Wigmore isn't utilised as the "go to" man for lieder criticism!

[BBMmk2]

Not my scene this, no matter how many times I have tried. I love English song though. Weird?

[EdgeleyRob]

Not my scene this, no matter how many times I have tried. I love English song though. Weird?

Same here.

[LeMartinPecheur]

Mmm, can't rule out a purchase after this one!

I have the Fassbaender/ Gage and two NLAs: Ruud van der Meer/ Rudolf Jansen (probably a rarity in this country) and Wolfgang Holzmair/ Daniel Levy, not I suspect in the same league as EA's listed Holzmair/ Cooper.

PS Just found Schreier/ Schiff in the unplayed recent (or not so recent) purchases stack. Oh dear!

[Barbirollians]

I only have the Bostridge I see . I tend to prefer female voices in Schumann's songs e,g della Casa and Ferrier in Frauenliebe und Leben . I look forward to hearing this though .

[LeMartinPecheur]

I only have the Bostridge I see . I tend to prefer female voices in Schumann's songs e,g della Casa and Ferrier in Frauenliebe und Leben . I look forward to hearing this though .

Not many male recordings of Frauenliebe und -Leben for some reason Barbs! Though Alec Robertson's musical autobiography tells of his attempting a performance shortly after his discovery of Lieder but with no knowledge of German. His tutor at some point asked him if he was feeling all right; he said Yes.

Tutor expressed some surprise, telling him he'd just given birth

[PS Just checked the book (More than Music, Collins 1961): it was his accompanist, not his tutor!]

[gurnemanz]

I only have the Bostridge I see . I tend to prefer female voices in Schumann's songs e,g della Casa and Ferrier in Frauenliebe und Leben . I look forward to hearing this though .

Not many female versions of 0p 24. I don't know Brigitte Fassbaender but I'm sure she makes a good job of it. I'm a big fan of the French contralto Nathalie Stutzmann who sings the only female recording I have of Op 24. I have had a lot of enjoyment from her good value 5CD Schumann box. I also like her Schubert cycles - great versions and well-priced.

[Nick Armstrong]

I am always disappointed if Richard Wigmore isn't utilised as the "go to" man for lieder criticism!

But Natasha Loges is one of the very best people to be heard on R3, I'll certainly be listening to this one!