BaL 9.06.18 - Schubert: Die schöne Müllerin

[Beresford]

Rather than Beethoven quartets or sonatas, I think Lieder should be compared with Opera. They both have silly stories, at least in the 19th century, and for me Lieder (or French Chanson I guess) express more subtle and nuanced emotions than the operatic arias of the period. More George Smiley than Jason Bourne.

[richardfinegold]

Rather than Beethoven quartets or sonatas, I think Lieder should be compared with Opera. They both have silly stories, at least in the 19th century, and for me Lieder (or French Chanson I guess) express more subtle and nuanced emotions than the operatic arias of the period. More George Smiley than Jason Bourne.

Well put. My favorite lieder is when the Piano assumes a protagonist role—Gretchen At The Spinning Wheel, for example

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

For me, Lieder are just too simple - a singer and a piano, and the pianist isn't doing much. No Lieder has anything like the variety and complexity and excitement of Beethoven's sonatas! I like lots of things going on—the many strands of a symphony or tone poem, a seething orchestra; the four voices of a string quartet, joining, parting, joining again in an endless web. Texture, density, multiple lines, and an overwhelming, engulfing sound—that’s what I like.

I'm assuming you've never tried to play the piano part of Schubert's Erlking?

[silvestrione]

I'm assuming you've never tried to play the piano part of Schubert's Erlking?

[verismissimo]

Some recommendations (please). :)

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Some recommendations (please). :)

DF-D/Moore 1962. His voice was still fresh, and the recorded sound is good.

[LMcD]

Schreier/Schiff (now apparently a download only?)
A performance of a new English translation by Jeremy Sams has just started in the Lunchtime Concert.

[BBMmk2]

Well, this will save money, as I am not a fan of lieder.

[ardcarp]

Well, I'm a BIG lieder fan...also a Bostridge fan...so I'm probably swimming against the current here!

Anyway, here's a preview:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9depSfA8AZw

[richardfinegold]

Well, I'm a BIG lieder fan...also a Bostridge fan...so I'm probably swimming against the current here!

Anyway, here's a preview:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9depSfA8AZw

I don’t really like Bostridge voice and don’t understand his appeal...maybe it’s one of thos British things...

[Richard Tarleton]

I don’t really like Bostridge voice and don’t understand his appeal...maybe it’s one of thos British things...

You are not alone, Richard. I tend to bracket his voice in my imagination with that of Mark Padmore (further down Alpie's list, with Paul Lewis - I have been known to confuse the two, when switching on the radio in mid-performance). I've heard Padmore's "Mullerin" in a broadcast performance. Actually I have heard Padmore live in Bach cantatas, with JEG & co, and think in baroque repertoire he's fine. I've seen the voice type described as "English choral scholar". "British" a bit broad brush - you couldn't mistake him for Welsh, for example!

[MickyD]

I like this one very much...

[verismissimo]

I like this one very much...

Now you're talking, Micky.

I've been thinking about this one all week! Saw Pregardien singing Schubert very well at the Holywell in Oxford a couple of years ago, but not with Staier.

Also thinking about Gerhaher with Huber.

[HighlandDougie]

I don’t really like Bostridge voice and don’t understand his appeal...maybe it’s one of thos British things...

Like Marmite and spanking - although hurtling towards its 45th birthday, Ian Partridge/Jennifer Partridge still does it for me. Alas, it seems to have disappeared from the catalogue, although I see that Amazon has a copy for 0.01p:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000025VKY/ianpartriteno-21

[gurnemanz]

Well, I'm a BIG lieder fan...also a Bostridge fan...so I'm probably swimming against the current here!

Anyway, here's a preview:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9depSfA8AZw

Also swimming strongly along. I've been a very big Lieder fan since studying German 50 years ago when FD/Moore in Schöne Müllerin was one of the first classsical LPs I bought (in glorious mono) after spending the early and mid 60s as an obsessive pop fan. I can remember singing Ganymed (under my breath!) in my finals exam to get the text together for quoting in an essay on Goethe's poetry.

I have about twenty Schöne Müllerins and v difficult to single out a favourite. Gerhaher with Huber (superb accompaniment), mentioned above, is excellent. I also like the Prégradien/Staier. The earlier East German Peter Schreier with Norman Shetler, Wunderlich, Kaufmann, Werner Güra (also seen live at Wigmore) Thomas Quasthoff is not far behind FD. Julius Patzak with Michael Raucheisen recorded in 1943 in Berlin. Souzay. I'm not really a Pears fan but love Britten's piano. Matthias Goerne with Christoph Eschenbach should definitely be a BaL contender. Two other historical favourites are tenor Aksel Schiøtz and baritione Gerhard Hüsch.