BaL 9.06.18 - Schubert: Die schöne Müllerin

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

The human voice is very much down to personal taste. Everyone has a different "instrument". Pears, Bostridge, Fischer-Dieskau - all superb singers, but their voices will irritate some.

I'm still with the 1962 DF-D. I gave it a spin yesterday.

[richardfinegold]

I also own the DFD recording that EA has referenced. That and Wunderlich are the two that I purchased outside of having one added gratis to a big collection, such as Brendel/Goerne from the big Brendel Phillips box. I like the FD recording but I always feel like FD is part protagonist and part Arts Professor, occasionally stepping outside the character, Hamlet like, instead of just being the character. Wunderlich just sings, gloriously, and acts enough for me. The way he spits out the last lines of Der Jager, convinces me that if I came across this guy crying in his beer at a pub I’d give him a wide berth

[gurnemanz]

The human voice is very much down to personal taste. Everyone has a different "instrument".

Quite agree. That's why I love the compellingly direct and intimate communication of a live song recital - like a conversation in music with another human being. The performer will sometimes look an individual audience member in the eye. For me the experience is not at all like opera, as suggested somewhere above. In many cases the first performances were part of informal social gatherings in friends' houses or local inns with drinking and dancing till the early hours - often with just a guitar for accompaniment. Not like the "Victorian drawing room" referred to disparagingly above.

[ardcarp]

1962 DF-D

That's why I love the compellingly direct and intimate communication of a live song recital - like a conversation in music with another human being. The performer will sometimes look an individual audience member in the eye. For me the experience is not at all like opera, as suggested somewhere above.

I'm not really a Pears fan but love Britten's piano.

I am a Pears fan in many things, but his lieder (Britten or not) doesn't float my boat.

[Zucchini]

Kaufmann and Bostridge. I've heard both sing this and they're amazing

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Well, that was superb! I'd never heard the expression "liederwurst" before - but it'll be very useful in future; I didn't know about Diabelli's ornamented first edition; and I loved her aside "Lehmann omits some verses in the strophic songs, which some might find a blessing"! And lots and lots of marvellous examples from performances excellent - and otherwise! - all presented in a cool, involved manner that focussed on the Music, not the presenter's own ego. Top notch!

Forumistas who were impressed by this BaL - and those who want to explore the larger subject of "The Song Cycle" - might be interested in Professor Tunbridge's book:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Song-Cycle-Cambridge-Introductions-Music/dp/0521721075

... in which, with just a quick glance at the "Look Inside" facility, I discovered that the origin of the Miller's Daughter was the sister of Fanny Mendelssohn's husband! (Not a lot of people know that.)

[verismissimo]

Between us we got all the shortlist … except the 'winner', Mauro Peter. Who knew?

[Richard Tarleton]

Well, that was superb! I'd never heard the expression "liederwurst" before - but it'll be very useful in future; I didn't know about Diabelli's ornamented first edition; and I loved her aside "Lehmann omits some verses in the strophic songs, which some might find a blessing"! And lots and lots of marvellous examples from performances excellent - and otherwise! - all presented in a cool, involved manner that focussed on the Music, not the presenter's own ego. Top notch!

Top notch BAL indeed, much enjoyed.

For my money, Jonas Kaufmann way too heroic for the wimpish apprentice - he could have seen off the huntsman any day

[aeolium]

Yes, a really good BaL with plenty of illustrations, including an enjoyably eccentric one. I liked the comments about the importance of the accompaniment and the danger of the modern piano drowning the singer, and personally I prefer interpretations with specialist accompanists rather than well-known piano soloists.

From the extracts provided, Wunderlich/Giesen sounded quite superlative to me, and both Prégardien versions sounded very good. I'm still very fond of the Ian/Jennifer Partridge version which I don't think featured.

[zola]

I'm still very fond of the Ian/Jennifer Partridge version which I don't think featured.

I wasn't paying 100% attention but I don't think any non-German native speakers featured ?

[Richard Tarleton]

I wasn't paying 100% attention but I don't think any non-German native speakers featured ?

There was a brief snatch of Bostridge

[HighlandDougie]

There was a brief snatch of Bostridge

And of that rather catchy arrangement, with the words in English, of "Der Jäger"! I've forgotten who the performers were, though. Even if, like BBM, you think of yourself as a lieder-phobe, it was so well done as a BaL that it is well worth listening to on i-player. Loved the winner.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

And of that rather catchy arrangement, with the words in English, of "Der Jäger"! I've forgotten who the performers were, though. Even if, like BBM, you think of yourself as a lieder-phobe, it was so well done as a BaL that it is well worth listening to on i-player. Loved the winner.

- I think that that was aeolie's "enjoyable eccentric". I don't know - but am sufficiently intrigued to explore further - how well this would work for the entire work, but it was great fun in this song.

[Richard Tarleton]

- I think that that was aeolie's "enjoyable eccentric". I don't know - but am sufficiently intrigued to explore further - how well this would work for the entire work, but it was great fun in this song.

I too assumed that was it.

Presumably we have a Roderick Williams version to look forward to, if we haven't already?

[aeolium]

Slightly OT, but a similarly left-field arrangement of Die Winterreise for tenor, wind quintet and accordion is imv well worth hearing, sung and played by the wonderful Prégardien, the wind ensemble Pentaèdre and accordionist Joseph Petric:

https://www.allmusic.com/album/schubert-winterreise-chamber-version-mw0001425606