Ever since I heard
his Winterreise in the Naxos
Schubert cycle some years ago I have
felt that Roman Trekel is among the
best of present day Lieder singers.
This Schumann recital only confirms
that impression. He has a bright, flexible
high baritone, brilliant on the top
and with an enviable gift for soft and
mellifluous singing. It is not surprising
to note that Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau
was one of his teachers; he has clearly
learnt a thing or two from the older
master. That said, he has a distinct
style of his own and avoids the over-emphatic
dynamic and verbal pointing that could
sometimes disfigure some of DF-D’s readings.
When it comes to Dichterliebe
it was Fischer-Dieskau’s early recording
with Jörg Demus that was my introduction
to the cycle, or rather half of it in
the shape of eight songs on an EP. I
eventually wore it out and bought an
LP with Gérard Souzay that I
still treasure. Later several others
have accompanied me home from the record
store. My two favourites today, among
baritones, are Fischer-Dieskau’s version
with Christoph Eschenbach and Tom Krause’s
possibly not so well-known Finlandia
recording. Trekel differs from both
in several respects but his reading
is equally valid.
Dichterliebe
requires a singer with two different
voices: the majority of the songs need
a light tenoral tone, sometimes mercurial
(Die Rose, die Lilie), sometimes
dreamily romantic (Wenn ich in deine
Augen she) or with the manner of
the carefree nature lover (Im wunderschönen
Monat Mai). Others need a marrow-deep
low register with power and authority
(Im Rhein, im heiligen Strome, Ich
grolle nicht, Die alten, bösen
Lieder) and the ability to move
easily between the two extremes.
Trekel’s primarily
light voice has all the required heft
and a song like Ich grolle Nicht
reminds us that he also is an important
opera singer. I saw him as a more or
less ideal Pelleas in Berlin a few years
ago, a role that hovers between tenor
and baritone and is close to Lieder
singing in expression. Just as in that
role he has penetrated the songs and
the texts and found the right mode for
each. Und wüssten’s die Blumen
is light and swift, Das ist ein Flöten
und Geigen brilliant, Hört
ich das Liedchen klingen is soft
and inward with the pain withheld but
shining through in a slightly fluttery
pianissimo. Ein Jüngling liebt
ein Mädchen is full of vitality,
even joy, but the final line again reveals
that hidden pain. When we reach the
final songs there are surprises. Allnächtlich
im Traume is sung almost staccato,
as if he is searching for words, while
the final song, Die alten bösen
Lieder is swift and bright. The
whole cycle feels fresh and youthful.
The five Heine songs
are also well characterised. Dein
Angesicht is sung with lyrical beauty,
Die beiden Grenadiere is relatively
restrained but emotional, something
that also permeates its companion piece
Die feindlichen Brüder while
Belsatzar with its stormy accompaniment
is deeply felt.
Liederkreis
Op. 24, which was Schumann’s first essay
at a song cycle, shows Trekel again
responsive to the nuances and there
is nothing mechanical or metronomic
about the performances. Every phrase
is alive, Schöne Wiege is
as good an example as any. Berg und
Burgen schaun herunter which depicts
a sailing tour on the Rhine, is full
of restrained joy. Even though he sings
of "internal death and night"
the song ends with a "mild smile",
which becomes the overriding experience
of the song.
Generally speaking
Trekel chooses relatively moderate tempos
but timings are not always a measure
of the feeling a reading conveys to
the listener. To me the whole disc felt
organically thought through and there
are no quirky eccentricities. The booklet
has all the texts but no translations.
The sound is on a par with the performances.
Among the plethora
of recordings of these popular song
cycles it is not easy to pick a clear
winner. Fischer-Dieskau’s are central
readings. Tom Krause’s Dichterliebe
is perhaps the warmest and most beautiful
of all. If one prefers a tenor in these
songs Peter Schreier’s Orfeo disc, recorded
only four years ago, is so fresh and
insightful (review).
The Liederkreis also exists in
a fine recording with Brigitte Fassbaender
at budget price (review).
All the above discs
will for ever be on my, and I would
think many a Lieder lover’s, ranking
list but Roman Trekel also belongs there.
Someone buying this music for the first
time could do much worse than starting
here and the person in question will
be richly rewarded.
Göran Forsling
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