BaL 9.06.18 - Schubert: Die schöne Müllerin

[ardcarp]

And of that rather catchy arrangement, with the words in English, of "Der Jäger"! I've forgotten who the performers were, though

Was it this lot?

http://www.theerlkings.com/

There was a brief snatch of Bostridge

Yes, but that aside, English performers got very short shfift...and I don't think Pears/Britten were even mentioned.

I agree wholeheartedly with the reviewer's final thoughts that one version is just not enough. Personally I need a tenor and a baritone version. F-D is virtually unbeatable in the latter. Of the tenors, Kauffman is just too polished...a sort of Berlin Phil of the tenor world. I do like a 'natural' sounding voice, and of the ones we heard Peter Schreier was about the best. Somewhere in bewtween is Wunderlich...a fabulous voice IMO. But I am sorry we didn't hear from some of the great English tenors who have recorded this.

[HighlandDougie]

Was it this lot?

http://www.theerlkings.com/

Indeed it was. How could I have forgotten their Schubertian name - duh!

[teamsaint]

Was there any comment about how non german native speakers deal with the challenges? I didnt catch any, and that does seem something worth discussing. But in most regards a very good edition.
Excellent example of how to enthuse , with professional expertise, while avoiding unnecessary hyperbole.
Give her a series on Lieder I say, tied into the Oxford Lieder Festival perhaps, since it is on her doorstep.

( didn't really hear anything to knock the Bostridge triple set plus dvd off the top of my Lieder wish list,but lots of fine excerpts in any case.)

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Does anyone know the artists performing on the first excerpt? It's unusual for the reviewer not to identify the performers.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Does anyone know the artists performing on the first excerpt? It's unusual for the reviewer not to identify the performers.

Yes - I wonder if it was edited into the programme - Prof Tunbridge's comments seemed to be "self-sufficient", as if she were starting from a presenter's introduction without an excerpt in between?

I think that it was Aksel Schiotz's 1945 recording with Gerald Moore. The voice is similar to the youTube excerpts from Schiotz's earlier, incomplete recording, but with a better voice/piano balance, and less "sobby":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOQaHBWmAVs&list=RDEOQaHBWmAVs&t=384

[ardcarp]

I spent the first 10 mins of the programme hoping she’d tell us!

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I think that it was Aksel Schiotz's 1945 recording with Gerald Moore. The voice is similar to the youTube excerpts from Schiotz's earlier, incomplete recording, but with a better voice/piano balance, and less "sobby":

That would fit with the sound quality.

[gurnemanz]

Out all day and just listened. No argument with presentation and verdict (though no more than 8/10 for her German pronunciation). Many were missed out, as she mentioned without specifying whether eliminated or not listened to. I would hardly expect her to consider every single recording in the very long list but one omission which surprised me was Werner Güra who has been a frequent top recommendation - eg Alan Blyth in Gramophone.
I'm not sure if I will get the winning version but I'm quite tempted by the wacky Erlkings recording.

[Ein Heldenleben]

Toby Spence is currently singing DSM - rather well- in the English translation by Jeremy Sams in a live lunchtime concert. Some of the English is difficult to pick out in the faster songs with denser piano part so it's bit tricky to comment on the quality of the translation. Following it in Peters Edition - with my very rudimentary German - it seems a very free translation but very singable . In fact just hitting a batch of simpler slower love songs I can make out most of the words now....

[verismissimo]

Just got around to listening to Gerhaher/Huber. Exceptionally good singing and playing!

[verismissimo]

Recently acquired Franz Naval with August Pilz from 1909. The first ever recording of a song cycle whole.

Naval is so vibrant and stylish. Well transferred by Symposium. C/W Frauen-Liebe und Leben sung by the divine Julia Culp the following year.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Anthology-Song-Franz-Naval-Julia/dp/B000MM1E74/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1552466999&sr=1-1&keywords=anthology+of+song+culp

[gurnemanz]

Recently acquired Franz Naval with August Pilz from 1909. The first ever recording of a song cycle whole.

Naval is so vibrant and stylish. Well transferred by Symposium. C/W Frauen-Liebe und Leben sung by the divine Julia Culp the following year.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Anthology-S...y+of+song+culp

Thanks for the nudge. There was one Müllerin song on the the EMI Historical Schubert box. Very glad to hear the whole cycle, having just listened on Spotify. Fine singing with some appealing interpretive touches and sprightly tempi - maybe the consequence of recording exigences - and in good sound for the date.

I got to know the Culp Frauenliebe years ago on the the corresponding EMI Schumann/Brahms LP box which unlike the Schubert never appeared on CD. I recently managed to download it as an mp3. Alas, somewhat spoilt by a sub-standard pianist.

My most recently acquired Müllerin, not a new recording (2008), is the excellent Nathalie Stutzmann, now available as a great value threefer with Winterreise and Schwanengesang.

[verismissimo]

Thanks for the nudge. There was one Müllerin song on the the EMI Historical Schubert box. Very glad to hear the whole cycle, having just listened on Spotify. Fine singing with some appealing interpretive touches and sprightly tempi - maybe the consequence of recording exigences - and in good sound for the date.

Geek intervention: The single Schone Mullerin song by Naval in the LP set 'Schubert Lieder on Record 1898-1952' was recorded in 1902 by Sinkler-Darby in Vienna for G&T, whereas the pioneering complete cycle was recorded by Odeon in 1909.

[gurnemanz]

Geek intervention: The single Schone Mullerin song by Naval in the LP set 'Schubert Lieder on Record 1898-1952' was recorded in 1902 by Sinkler-Darby in Vienna for G&T, whereas the pioneering complete cycle was recorded by Odeon in 1909.

Thanks for that. I've just listened again to both versions of Der Neugierige. Quite different. The earlier single track is much more robustly sung and the piano accompaniment sounds securer and more audible. I noticed that he also adds his own super high note on the last Bächlein - at 2.47 here. He sings it as written in 1909.