Search - Franz [Vienna] Schubert, Janet Baker, Graham Johnson :: Schubert Lieder

A must-listen for lovers of Schubert and Janet Baker

Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 03/24/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Here's a great Schubert recital that has passed notice at Amazon. There's no disputing Janet Baker's greatness, or her mastery of the German lied, so everything here is self-recommending. The program derives from three live performances from 1970 (two songs), 1977 (six songs), and 1980 (eleven songs). Naturally, Baker isn't in the same vocal health throughout. It's only fair to point out that signs of wear are present in 1977, when the singer was only 44, but the voice isn't frayed to a degree that impedes enjoyment in any way. Even if we don't get the easy vocal production that once made her intensity twice as astonishing, Baker's interpretations have deepend, and to my mind Geoffrey Parsons, who accompanies all but two songs, shows more depth than Gerald Moore, who partnered Baker's major Scchubert recitals for EMI.



The only major drawback is that BBC Legends provides no texts, and more than half of these 19 lieder are unfamiliar. Even experienced Schubertians will be sutmped to identify a handful. (A good online site for texts and translations is http://www.recmusic.org/lieder/)



That aside, here's a wealth of glorious singing that no one on the current scene can match in this repertoiree.



The full program is as follows:



Die junge Nonne, D828



Das Rosenband, D280 (Klopstock)



Auf dem See, D543 (Goethe)



Blumenlied, D431 (Holty)



Gondelfahrer, D808



Strophe aus Die Gotter Greichenlands D677



Der Jungling und der Tod, D545 (Spaun)



Schwestergruss, D762 (Bruchmann)



Amalia, D195 (Schiller)



Der Jüngling am Bache, D30 (Schiller)



Entzuckung an Laura D390



Sehnsucht, D636 (Schiller)



Der Sieg D805 (Mayrhofer)



Abendstern, D806



Atys D585



Augenlied, D297 (Mayrhofer)



Memnon, D541 (Mayrhofer)



Auflösung, D807



Der Musensohn, D764 (Goethe)

"