There is no shortage of complete editions of various
composers’ songs which, in their own way are often invaluable. However, an
exciting new project from Vivat Music www.vivatmusic.com/catalogue/a-century-of-song entitled Decades
- A Century of Song brings a completely new approach. This major new
recording series will feature world-renowned singers who will draw listeners,
decade by decade, through a century of song from 1810 to 1910. Each volume will
present a well-planned, varied programme, performed by household names; but
overall the series also has a wider aim, building a comprehensive survey of
song right through the nineteenth century and, in doing so, creating an
invaluable teaching asset.
Vivat have just released Volume 1 in this new series that
covers the period 1810-1820, including songs from Austria, Bohemia, France,
Germany, Italy and Spain, with works by Franz Schubert, Fernando Sor, Ludwig
van Beethoven, Joseph Fabry-Garat, Sophie Gail, Václav Tomášek, Giovanni
Battista Viotti, and Carl Maria von Weber. Part of the attraction of the series
is the mix of the familiar with the rare: as well as presenting music by the
great Austrian-German composers, the repertoire also ventures further afield.
Future volumes will also add music from middle Europe, Russia and Scandinavia.
The singers for this
first volume include the distinguished Canadian tenor Michael Schade www.michael-schade.pro ,
sopranos Lorna Anderson www.rwcmd.ac.uk/other/biography/vocal_and_opera_studies/lorna_anderson.aspx
and
the young Spaniard Sylvia Schwartz www.askonasholt.co.uk/artists/singers/soprano/sylvia-schwartz
, mezzo Dame Ann Murray www.askonasholt.co.uk/artists/singers/mezzo-soprano/ann-murray-dbe
and bass
Florian Boesch www.machreich-artists.com/kuenstlerinnen_biografie.php?id=114
, accompanied by the series’ creator,
pianist Malcolm Martineau http://martineau.info
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| VIVAT 112 |
This new disc opens with songs by Franz Schubert (1797-1828). Malcolm Martineau brings a lovely
rhythmic skip to the opening of Der
Blumenbrief, D622 with tenor, Michael Schade bringing a finely controlled,
wonderfully mellifluous tone. Schade is wonderful in his finely nuanced
performance of Die Sommernacht, D289,
exquisitely shaped, finding all of Schubert’s poetry. Täglich zu singen, D533 has a suitable earnest quality, Schade and Martineau
finely moulding the text. There is a rich fluent opening to An den Mond, D193 from Martineau before Schade
brings the most beautifully shaped phrases, fairly caressing the text before
rising through a faster section bringing a greater passion. Exquisitely done.
Soprano, Sylvia Schwartz brings a youthful exuberance to Freude der Kinderjahre, D455, wonderfully
characterised. She draws some fine phrases in the lovely Wiegenlied, D304 with Martineau finding a wonderful restraint and
poetry, magically done. Michael Schade returns for Das Heimweh, D456 where he is
impressive in this lovely setting, bringing wonderful control and shaping of
the text. There is a fine rhythmic flow to Seligkeit,
D433 with Schade showing just how wonderfully he adjusts to each text, here
with lovely buoyancy.
Moving to rarer repertoire, Sylvia Schwartz brings us three
songs by Fernando Sor (1778-1839). Malcolm Martineau opens De amor en las prisiones with a lovely,
rhythmic, lightness of touch, Schwartz bringing a youthful vitality to this
attractive song. She brings a particularly fine performance of Las mujeres y cuerdas negotiating every
little twist and turn, using her bright tone to full effect. There is a lovely
opening for piano in Mis descuidados ojos
before Schwartz brings the most lovely tone to what is arguably the finest
song of these three, superbly controlled in the quieter moments.
Michael Schade returns for Ludwig van Beethoven’s (1770-1827)
Three Songs Op.83, all Goethe settings. Both he and Malcolm Martineau bring
a wonderfully nuanced Wonne der Wehmut,
Op. 83, No. 1 full of the most lovely poetic feeling with moments of
intense passion. Schade brings a terrific agility to the more upbeat Sehnsucht, Op. 83, No. 2 with some quite
lovely playing from Martineau, both revealing moments of subtle poetry. Mit einem gemalten Band, Op. 83, No. 3
has a wonderfully phrased, rhythmic piano line over which this tenor brings a fine
dynamic control with many subtleties. This is a lovely trio of songs from this
wonderful tenor.
Joseph Dominique
Fabry Garat was a brilliant tenor who was born in Bordeaux in 1774. The year of his death is not known. His Plainte à Hortence is sung by Lorna
Anderson with her very lovely vibrant soprano tone, finely shaped and
controlled, finding so much of the text’s feeling. Wonderfully done.
Sophie Gail (1775-1819)
was also a French singer as well as pianist and composer, writing a number
of opéras comique as well as songs. Malcolm Martineau gives a vibrant rhythmic
lift to the opening of her song, Bolleros
with Lorna Anderson delivering the most wonderful vocal line, full of
flexibility and passion.
The Czech composer Václav
Jan Tomášek (1774-1850) gives us
four Goethe settings of which Nähe des
Geliebten is particularly lovely, Michael Schade finding a variety of
emotion with a fine piano accompaniment that subtly rises centrally. Malcolm
Martineau provides a wonderful opening to An
die Entfernte, beautifully phrased with such lovely vocal shaping and
agility from this tenor, finding every nuance of the text. There is a lovely
rippling piano opening to Schäfers Klagelied
to which Schade brings a finely controlled phrasing and dynamics, so
subtle, rising wonderfully in passion before a beautifully shaped coda. Rastlose Liebe is strongly characterised
by this tenor, full of energy and feeling.
Giovanni Battista Viotti
(1755-1824) was an Italian violinist and composer whose songs it is good to
hear. Ann Murray is in fine voice in the lovely Stanco di pascolar, WVII-10 a rather fine setting of a traditional
Breschian text, beautifully realised here. Privez
l’amour de sa flèche cruelle, WVII-4, a setting of a text by Louis-Philippe
de Ségur is equally finely done.
Michael Schade brings a beautifully dark hued Abendlied unterm gestirnten Himmel, WoO 150 a
setting of Heinrich Goebleby Beethoven that
rises through moments of great power, with Malcolm Martineau providing a finely
judged accompaniment in this excellent performance.
Schade is again wonderfully impressive in Carl Maria von Weber’s (1786-1826) Abschied vom Leben, Op. 41, Heft 1, No. 2,
finding strength, power, emotion and fine poetry, as does Martineau in his
quite wonderfully evocative and poetic accompaniment.
We return to Schubert
for the concluding eight songs on this disc, a composer who rightly occupies
an important position in this volume. Baritone, Florian Boesch brings a
fabulously dark atmosphere to Das Grab,
D569, a setting of a text by Johann Gaudenz von Salis-Seewis, beautifully
controlled with a glorious tone.
Michael Schade takes the next six songs, all Goethe settings,
raising the spirits in the lively, buoyant Der
Fischer, D225, bringing some quite lovely phrases, wonderfully
characterised and illuminating so many little details in the text. Erster Verlust, D226 has some beautifully
shaped vocal lines with both soloist and pianist gently rising and falling as
they bringing great expression to this song. There is a lovely flow to An den Mond, D259; a gentle, beautifully
wrought performance. Wanderers Nachtlied
I, D224, Op. 4, No. 3 is perfectly paced and phrased, beautifully
controlled and shaped; quite exquisite.
Rastlose Liebe, D138
sets the same Goethe text as did Tomášek earlier on this disc. Schade and Martineau
bring terrific agility in this fast and furious song. Malcolm Martineau
introduces Ganymed, D554, Op. 19, No. 3 with
a lovely light rhythmic touch with this tenor bringing his own little dynamic emphases,
rising in passion later with a finely shaped conclusion.
Soprano, Sylvia Schwartz brings a really lovely, bright and
spirited Wer kauft Liebesgötter, D261, another Goethe setting, to conclude
this collection with a real sense of joy.
There are some wonderful performances here from this
terrific line up of soloists all wonderfully accompanied by Malcolm Martineau
whose playing is a joy.
The recording and presentation are up to Vivat’s usual high
standard with a generous 72 page booklet with authoritative booklet notes in
three languages by renowned song expert and series consultant Prof Susan Youen,
together with full texts and translations and artist and session photographs.
This first volume of Decades
- A Century of Song is an impressive
start to what looks likely to be an exciting series.
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