Franz Vienna Schubert Claudio Abbado Anne Sofie von Otter - Schubert Lieder with Orchestra (21 tracks) +Album Reviews

A miracle indeed!

Axel | USA | 05/09/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"At last a serious vocal project with orchestra from DG! I can't find enough praise. These Schubert songs orchestrated by various composers are not easy to come by and it was a stroke of genius to put them together on one disc and have them sung by two great Lieder singers. I only knew Berlioz's orchestration of the Erlkoenig (sung in French by Charles Panzera), here we get two: Berlioz's (sung by von Otter) and Reger's (sung by Quasthoff). All the orchestrations are little gems and it would be hard to single out the "greatest hits". I was quite impressed with Liszt's orchestration of "Die junge Nonne" which sounded to me very Berliozian (maybe even more than Berlioz's Erlkoenig).
Throughout the disc, von Otter sings with decidedly more operatic tone (often extremely dramatic) than Quasthoff. I won't pretend that I know what style is more appropriate for singing Lieder with orchestra but both von Otter's operatic approach and Quasthoff's more subdued one work very well here. Abbado's conducting must not be overlooked - it is beautifully nuanced and adds to the pleasure of listening to these miniatures. It is a live concert from Paris, no applause is recorded even after the concert, before the two encores that end the disc, so they come 'unannounced' (although they are listed in the booklet on a separate page) and somehow break the structure of the recital which is divided into two parts, the first belonging to ASvO, the second to TQ. I found it a bit distracting but I am sure others would complain if the applause was recorded so this only proves how tricky it is to transfer live concerts and preserve the concert's structure and atmosphere on disc. But this is a minor problem here. This disc is a real gem and I wish DG made more recordings of this kind, using these two great artists instead of spending money on the useless and repetitive opera arias recitals from young and inexperienced singers that seem to be their priority nowadays."

Not a mere experiment.

Osvaldo Colarusso | Curitiba, Paraná Brazil | 03/23/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This recording isn't a mere experiment. It's the result of a very profound research. The first track is the beginning of this fascinating path: One orchestral lied by Schubert himself. And after this Lied from the "Rosamunde" the discoveries : Schubert orchestrated by Britten , Brahms , Reger, Berlioz, Liszt, Webern and Offenbach. The most interesting orchestrations are undoubtedly : Ellens Zweiter Gesang , that Brahms scored for Four Horns and Three bassoons, Erlkönig , that Berlioz transformed in a symphonic storm, and the four delicates orchestrations conceived by the 20 years old Anton Webern .
Not only the research is fascinating. The realization is also outstanding. Anne Sophie von Otter , one of the most important Lieder singer in the world. Her recordings of Strauss, Grieg, Berg, Brahms and Schubert with the excellent pianist Bengt Forsberg are among the most interesting lieder recording of the last 20 years .She sings these orchestral versions with the same sense of intimacy of a original (piano) version , with some interesting "orchestral" affinities in her emission, specially in Die Junge Nonne ( orchestrated by Liszt) and in Die Forelle ( orchestrated by Britten). Thomas Quasthoff has a more Symphonic approach . But he is capable of wonderful intimate sonorities in the four Webern Orchestrations. The Chamber Orchestra of Europe conducted by Claudio Abbado are more than mere support for the voices. The intelligence of the conductor lead this fascinating research to a very high level of intensity , always with a flawless sense of musicality."

A miracle!

Jean-Yves Malmasson | Villebon-sur-Yvette, Essonne (91) France | 04/19/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was present to this concert in Paris where this CD has been recorded live. It was really breathtaking! A great moment of pure music, of pure emotion. Very interesting on the musicologic point of view too, it is amazing to hear Schubert's Lieder adorned with orchestral colours. Do not hesitate, get it right away! This is two of the most magnificent woices of our time and this is... the great ABBADO."

An indispensible album for people wanting music for voice wi

Tom Brody | Berkeley, CA | 04/14/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This compilation contains 21 songs, all from about 2 1/2 minutes to about five minutes. The first half is performed by Anne Sofie von Otter, while the second half by Thomas Quasthoff. Of these, I most liked song #4 (GRETCHEN), #4 (SILVIA), #9 (ERLKONIG), #16 (MEMNON), #17 (SCHWAGER), #19 (another ERLKONIG), and #21 (STANDCHEN). There are two renditions of Erlkonig. They are the same pieces, except orchestrated by different composers, and the first is sung by Ms.von Otter, while the second by Mr.Quasthoff.

#1. ROMANZE. This piece is slow with little flute embellishments, and a sighing motif provided by the orchestra.

#2. FORELLE. This piece was written in 1817. The same tune can be found in the fourth movement of Schubert's Quintet in A Major, which was written two years later (1819), when Schubert was 22 years old. The clarinet part of FORELLE sounds like honking geese. The honking-goose tune has a sing-song quality. There are other pieces on this compilation that I much more prefer. Halfway through this piece is a dramatic orchestral shivver.

#3. ELLEN. The entire piece features a mellow cluster of French horns.

#4. GRETCHEN. The orchestral accompaniment is like from the middle of a symphony, sounding like a Mahleresque maelstrom. This is a 3 minute and 27 second symphony. Love it. I'd call this piece, "Mahler's Lost Symphony No. 11."

#5. SILVIA. The accompaniment features percussive thrusts of cellos, with continual sawing motifs from the violins. The tune is a catchy one, reminding me for some reason, of the actions of twisting or folding, or of tying one's shoe laces.

#6. ABENDROT. Moderate paced with a variety of instruments.

#7. NACHT. The voice stands out in this calm piece, and the orchestra -- mostly strings -- remains totally in the background.

#8. GRUPPE. An approaching hurricane is provided by the orchestra, then the voice joins in. Half-way through, the bombastic hurricane approaches again. Sounds a little like Mahler's Des Klagenlied.

#9. ERLKONIG. This has a distinctive, "Dah-dah-dah-dah-dah, BUM-BUM-BUM" motif, that is provided by the stringed bass section. The motif is like an arch or a bridge, when it goes, "Dah-dah-dah-dah-dah, BUM-BUM-BUM."

#10. NONNE. The singing is dramatic and loud, but the tunes and motif are not as distinguished as the others on this compilation.

#11. TRANENREGEN. This gentle piece has strings and clarinets in the background. Not a really distinctive piece.

#12. WEGWEISER. This is from Schubert's WINTERREISE.

#13. RUH. This piece is quiet and slow. But there are episodes where the singing picks up in a sudden crescendo.

#14. SCHWANENGESANG. Another slow piece. The piece starts out sad, but in the final 20 seconds, gets happy and loud.

#15. PROMETHEUS. This piece is melodramatic, like an opera. The piece starts and stops and starts, like different characters taking turns bellowing to each other in a typical opera.

#16. MEMNON. This lively piece has plenty of variety in the singing -- low notes, high notes, fast, slow. (Please pardon my excessively academic and obscure analysis of the music. It is easy to get overly pedantic when writing opinions about music.)

#17. SCHWAGER. This tune is better than average for this compilation. The orchestra provides a continual, driving motif of triplets.

#18. MUSIK. The tune is pretty and the orchestra provides a gentle and restrained accompaniment.

#19. ERLKONIG. This is exactly the same piece as set forth in track #9. But here, Mr. Quashoff sings, whereas in track #9, Ms.von Otter sings. Actually, there is another difference. One ERLKONIG is orchestrated by Berlioz, while the other is orchestrated by Reger.

#20. GEHEIMES. The orchestra provides little sucking sounds, reminding me of a vacuum cleaner being touched on various parts of a cloth chair. Ms.von Otter's singing also takes the form of little spurts.

#21. STANDCHEN. Mr. Quasthoff sings to a varied accompaniment of pizzicato strings, then horns, then winds. The tune is a great one, and much of it can be sung by a layperson. The tune has excellent pop-sensibilities, and could easily be arranged for a contemporary crooner.

CONCLUSION. This is an ideal album for people who like melodies and tunes. Any layperson who likes classical music might have acquired the notion that tunes and melodies in classical music went out of style, with the onset of serial composing techniques and minimalism. Any person who likes rock'n'roll will be struck with the cold, harsh reality, that tunes in pop music went out of style in the late 1970s. This album of Schubert compositions is the ideal remedy for people disappointed with the dearth of tuneful or melodious music in both the classical realm, and in pop music. For people who prefer that their music actually have tunes or melodies, I also recommend this other stunning album, possibly overlooked by many: J.S. Bach 6 Favourite Cantatas BWV 147, 80, 140, 8, 51, 78, with The Bach Ensemble, and directed by Joshua Rifkin."

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