William Shakespeare Johann Anton Friedrich Reil - Franz Schubert Lieder Bonney Parsons (17 tracks) +Album Reviews

Pure Schubert!

Izolda | North Haven, CT United States | 03/06/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I must admit that for long time Schubert singing was to me a domain of male voices. This is no longer true and it was this recital by Barbara Bonney that helped me discover the beauty of the female voice in Lieder. Today I have many recordings with women singing Schubert and enjoy them immensely, but I listen to this one most often. Why? Because a successful Lieder recital sung by a woman must be, to me, subtle and devoid of any operatic gestures, and this record by Barbara Bonney is 100% so. Hers is a voice of most subtle beauty, freshness and girlishness, which makes her singing so appaealing and touching. It is also the purest voice you can imagine! If you are looking for an introduction to Schubert's Lieder, this record is my first recommendation (then you can try E.Amelling, J.Baker, B.Fassbaender and some of the old, old masters). If you want a male voice, start with Olaf Baer's EMI 4 CD (mid-price) set with all three song cycles and selected Lieder. And a word to the Lieder addicts - if you have not heard Bonney's disc (what, I think, is rather impossible), try it now. You'll hear Schubert in its purest form!"

Simply Beautiful

Christopher A. Lanter | Mesa, AZ United States | 03/16/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I dont't think any review of mine will adequately describe how wonderful this CD is - you'll just have to believe me. Barbara's voice was made for lieder, and Schubert's are treated here with grace, sweetness, and immaculate artistry.The selection of lieder for this disc is nice and broad, from the ubiquitous "Ellen's Gesang: Ave Maria" to the playful "Die Forelle" to the two dramatic songs set for Gretchen from Faust -
"Gretchen am Spinnrade" and "Gretchen's Bitte". Every song is listenable and melodic (a characteristic feature of Schubert songs). The accompanist, Geoffrey Parsons, is also very good, with nice tempi and always supporting Barbara's vocal line, never overpowering it.Even though these songs are wonderful enough just to listen to, to get the full effect you must read the lyrics from the liner notes. Unless you happen to understand German, reading the words and the translations will only enhance your appreciation of these songs, which are really the musical settings of poems by German poets like Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Friedrich Rückert. You may realize that the high A she sings is the climax of "Gretchen am Spinnrade" (and believe me, it'll send shivers down your spine), but it becomes that much more dramatic when you know that the line is "An seinen küssen vergehen sollt!" - "And to perish in his kisses!"Also, I've noticed that her voice breaks on the "O" in the line "O wärst du da!" ("Oh, that you were here!") in the song "Nähe des Geliebten". I'm pretty sure it was unintentional, but I find it very attractive, and I think it enhances the feeling of longing which the song describes. I think it must have been deliberately included, and I'm glad they did.I think everyone will be able to take away something from this album. Parents out there with small children might even consider playing some of the softer songs like "Im Abendrot","Du Bist die Ruh", or "Ave Maria" at bedtime to calm your children - they would make great lullabies! :)Chris"

A wonderful Schubert recital

J. Buxton | Waltham, MA United States | 05/18/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is the kind of cd you can sit and listen to and be absolutely transported. It is just gorgeous singing and Bonney has such a crystal clear voice. She has chosen songs that are more upbeat in tone. The "Ave Maria" is sensitively done, as is the familiar "Die Forelle". Bonney doesn't get in the way of the music, but lets Schubert speak through her. This is an ideal disc if you want a good introduction to Schubert lieder or if you just love beautiful singing. If you are a Bonney follower, this disc is a must."

Bonney's best Lieder recording, a triumph for an American

Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 12/31/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Barbara Bonney was 38 when she made this breakthrough Schubert recording in 1994. That's worth mentioning because high, light voices age quickly, and in her later Decca recordings, made in her forties, she doesn't sound as full-toned and in control as here. The voice is impeccable for Schubert, richer than Battle's in the lyric-colortura range and therefore capable of reaching deeper than a soubrette emotionally.

Bonney is also that rare American singer who seems to know what German means and can immerse herself in Romantic style, making her the equal of Dawn Upsahw among her generation. Both are fresh interpreters with a respect for lieder tradition. Bonney is also gifted with one of those voices, again like Upshaw's, which sound alluring and lustrous. Her selections here include only Schubert chestnuts; one is grateful that room was found on this generous (72 min.) CD for the Shepherd on the Rock with clarinet accompaniment. Bonney sings it exquisitely, in a class with Benita Valente and Kathleen Battle, my other favorites in this achingly sublime work. A total success."

A proficient singer with little to communicate

Kathleen McSharry | Riverside, RI United States | 01/16/2010

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Bonney's singing on this Schubert album is competent but boring. The strongest cuts are those with quick tempos that please the ear even when the singer does little interpretive work, such as Heidenroslein, Die Forelle, and Auf dem Wasser zu singen. "Horch, Horch" is the best cut on the album. Songs that require any real communication or range of feeling, on the other hand, come across as a series of well-sung notes without any phrasing or even interpretation. It's as if Bonney has nothing to say. Her accompanist is similarly competent but sometimes leaden-handed and generally uninspired. A skilled accompanist who knows how to integrate his or her interpretation into the vocal line is essential with Schubert lieder.

To get a sense of how flat Bonney and Parson's interpretations are, listen to Bryn Terfel's CD "An Die Music." Compare his Die Forelle, Ganymed, Heidenroslein, and Du bist die Ruh to Bonney's. Even if you're not a fan of baritones, you will be won over by Terfel's full voice and his ability to communicate meaning through song, even when the listener may not understand German. Superior lieder recordings are almost always sung by native German speakers, but Terfel's German is nearly perfect and completely unforced. His accompanist, Malcolm Martineau, is my favorite living leider accompanist.

A soprano whose Schubert interpretations cast a LONG shadow over Bonney's is Gundula Janowitz. I have listened to her Schubert lieder double CD with Irwin Gage hundreds of times and continue to benefit from repeated listenings. Gage is widely considered to be the best lieder accompanist of the twentieth century, and Janowitz's pure soprano communicates a depth of feeling that Bonney never achieves. Janowitz's Gretchen am Spinnrade, Mignon Lieder, and Ellens Gesang convince the listener that Janowitz IS Gretchen, Mignon, and Ellen. Bonney's Der Hirt auf dem Felsen is technically superior to Janowitz, who should never have allowed her recording of the song to be published, but the rest of Janowitz's double CD offers endless listening pleasure. It includes many of Schubert's best-known lieder as well as some little-known gems. You won't regret buying it.

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