Search - Haydn, Ameling, Demus :: F.J. Haydn: Complete Songs [SACD]

Peerless

Terry Serres | Minneapolis, MN United States | 07/01/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The amazon editorial review offered by my friend David Hurwitz is spot on. This is certainly the reference recording for these works, and not just for its completeness -- the performances are idiomatic, charming, and sensitive. If the music oft carries the whiff of the drawing room, keep in mind that some of these songs were anthologized by Jane Austen.



In my opinion, the best of Haydn's song output were his late sets of Canzonettas in English, many of these setting texts by his friend Anne Hunter. "She Never Told Her Love", adapting Viola's verses from Twelfth Night, is among the greatest masterpieces in the song literature -- almost declamatory and wholly involving in the arc of its through-composition. Another favorite is "Eine sehr gewöhnliche Geschichte," one of the best comic Lieder before Schubert's "Die Männer sind méchant."



Originally issued in 1982 for the sesquibicentennial of Haydn's birth, a one-disk selection was released in the early years of the CD era. This reissue of the intégral has been a long time coming and is very much appreciated. The sound was always immediate and radiant and loses nothing of its sheen in this transfer.



Ameling's English is perfectly nuanced and illuminating in this repertory. Demus is an attentive and sympathetic partner in the piano accompaniments, his touch beautifully articulated and, in the many strophic songs, astutely varied.



For Lieder aficionados, Ameling fans, and Haydn enthusiasts this disk should be self-recommending. But, ultimately, it's just plain good music in exemplary performances that perfectly capture Haydn's considerable contributions in this intimate form of vocal chamber music."