Winterreise - your favourite recording

[Pianorak]

I have gradually changed my view after listening to various female renditions.

Since at my age I'm bound to bump into the Leiermann sooner rather than later, I suppose I should try and make the effort.

[aeolium]

I used to think like that and can remember being astonished when Christine Schäfer was BaL recomendation in 2009. I have gradually changed my view after listening to various female renditions. We had the very moving experience of sitting only a few feet away as Alice Coote delivered a compelling performance at the Wigmore several years ago.

Thanks for that, gurnemanz, and I agree. I have heard many moving performances by singers with different types of voices and increasingly (as with many other works of great ambiguity and richness) find myself valuing diversity of interpretation rather than seeking the one, perfect, ideal rendering as I used to do ages ago. Not so much building a library as browsing a library.

One soprano rendition I especially like is that by Margaret Price with Thomas Dewey as acccompanist. Her German pronunciation is at times flawed but her purity of tone and quality of musical phrasing are wonderful, even at this late stage in her career. She is expressive without being emotionally indulgent, and she has an excellent accompanist in Dewey. The quality of the piano accompaniment - as with all the great lieder cycles - is as important as that of the singing, and I generally prefer professional accompanists to pianists more usually known for their solo work.

[Mary Chambers]

On Radio 3 this morning I heard a version of Der Greise Kopf. I had no idea who it was, but I didn't like it at all. The voice sounded too heavy for the music, the interpretation sounded sentimental. I didn't really notice the piano, I'm ashamed to say, and still don't know who was playing. The singer turned out to be Jonas Kaufmann, much to my surprise. Although I've never heard him myself, reports are usually good - but this recording would definitely not be on my list (if I had such a list).

[gurnemanz]

On Radio 3 this morning I heard a version of Der Greise Kopf. I had no idea who it was, but I didn't like it at all. The voice sounded too heavy for the music, the interpretation sounded sentimental. I didn't really notice the piano, I'm ashamed to say, and still don't know who was playing. The singer turned out to be Jonas Kaufmann, much to my surprise. Although I've never heard him myself, reports are usually good - but this recording would definitely not be on my list (if I had such a list).

I read a review in the paper of his recital at Wigmore on Monday. Generally very positive, but "occasionally too loud".

[silvestrione]

The quality of the piano accompaniment - as with all the great lieder cycles - is as important as that of the singing, and I generally prefer professional accompanists to pianists more usually known for their solo work.

Why is that, then, Aeolium? I'm the opposite, but I'm not really an enthusiast for lieder, though I am for pianists! I'm unsure why the best pianists should not be also the best accompanists (given that, say, they play some chamber music and take a 'partnership' approach to concertos, i.e. lets leave Horowitz out of this!)

[aeolium]

Why is that, then, Aeolium? I'm the opposite, but I'm not really an enthusiast for lieder, though I am for pianists! I'm unsure why the best pianists should not be also the best accompanists (given that, say, they play some chamber music and take a 'partnership' approach to concertos, i.e. lets leave Horowitz out of this!)

I'm not exactly sure, silvestrione, though it has been my experience to have been disappointed by recordings where star pianists have accompanied in Winterreise, for instance the Goerne/Brendel version or the Schreier/Richter. Perhaps it's a tendency to overemphasise, to draw attention to the accompaniment which affects the all-important balance; perhaps it's just that, playing the works much less frequently than the professional accompanists like Graham Johnson or Julius Drake, they simply don't know it as well.

[gurnemanz]

Why is that, then, Aeolium? I'm the opposite, but I'm not really an enthusiast for lieder, though I am for pianists! I'm unsure why the best pianists should not be also the best accompanists (given that, say, they play some chamber music and take a 'partnership' approach to concertos, i.e. lets leave Horowitz out of this!)

... or emulate Sir George Henschel and play it yourself - aged 78!

[Pianorak]

... or emulate Sir George Henschel and play it yourself - aged 78!

Speechless! Da staunt der Fachmann und der Laie wundert sich!

[silvestrione]

Perhaps it's a tendency to overemphasise, to draw attention to the accompaniment which affects the all-important balance; perhaps it's just that, playing the works much less frequently than the professional accompanists like Graham Johnson or Julius Drake, they simply don't know it as well.

I could certainly not accuse Brendel or Richter of the former, but the latter is no doubt the point: I can see that immense experience in playing it and responding to each singer differently must be crucial. Thanks!

[Karafan]

This Bostridge lecture is a fine appendage, for those who haven't yet caught it....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YuEapI4dEBQ

K.

[LeMartinPecheur]

I'm not exactly sure, silvestrione, though it has been my experience to have been disappointed by recordings where star pianists have accompanied in Winterreise, for instance the Goerne/Brendel version or the Schreier/Richter. Perhaps it's a tendency to overemphasise, to draw attention to the accompaniment which affects the all-important balance; perhaps it's just that, playing the works much less frequently than the professional accompanists like Graham Johnson or Julius Drake, they simply don't know it as well.

Surely there's an awful lot of skill in staying with your singer, supporting them the way they want or need?

One very estimable pianist who seems to have built a real accompanist relationship is Imogen Cooper (with Gerhaher is it?). Haven't yet bought any of their discs since my Lieder shelves are already bulging. Is she an exception to the (supposed) rule?

[aeolium]

Surely there's an awful lot of skill in staying with your singer, supporting them the way they want or need?

One very estimable pianist who seems to have built a real accompanist relationship is Imogen Cooper (with Gerhaher is it?). Haven't yet bought any of their discs since my Lieder shelves are already bulging. Is she an exception to the (supposed) rule?

Yes, I do think it helps when a pianist has worked a lot with one particular singer. That is something that informs the Pears/Britten recording of Winterreise - as well as the fact that Britten was such an incredible pianist.

Imogen Cooper has made a number of discs with Wolfgang Holzmair. I don't have any but I did hear a very good lunchtime recital they did some years back.

[Mary Chambers]

I've said this before, but I did not enjoy Uchida's performance of Die Schöne Müllerin with Ian Bostridge. She was performing too much as a soloist, though I'm sure she tried not to. It was her mouthing of the words all the way through, and her obvious enjoyment (not always appropriate) that was offputting. Accompaniment is a fine art, not one that can just be picked up quickly by any efficient pianist - though I can understand that they want to play Schubert's wonderful piano parts.

I'm not keen on the Paul Lewis/Mark Padmore Winterreise either.

Julius Drake is the one I like best at the moment.

[Richard Tarleton]

She was performing too much as a soloist, though I'm sure she tried not to. It was her mouthing of the words all the way through, and her obvious enjoyment (not always appropriate) that was offputting.

The 1979 film of Brendel/DFD is fascinating - Brendel the epitome of self-effacement and concentration. The DVD includes some footage at the end of them rehearsing - sadly no subtitles for that bit, the notes say it wasn't possible to make out enough of what they were saying (a DGG DVD, so not for want of German speakers!) - but both quite animated, in a good way, outside performance conditions.

[Radio64]

On Radio 3 this morning I heard a version of Der Greise Kopf. I had no idea who it was, but I didn't like it at all. The voice sounded too heavy for the music, the interpretation sounded sentimental. I didn't really notice the piano, I'm ashamed to say, and still don't know who was playing. The singer turned out to be Jonas Kaufmann, much to my surprise. Although I've never heard him myself, reports are usually good - but this recording would definitely not be on my list (if I had such a list).

That would've been Clemmy playing the Kaufmman/Deutsch version on the Specialist Classical Chart.

I'm (even more) confused now because I was going to go for that one (admittedly merely on the strength that it was the latest recording and 'in the charts').
Love reading through everyone's comments, but the 'Which Winterreise?' dilemma continues.