MusicWeb International One of the most grown-up review sites around 2024
60,000 reviews
... and still writing ...

Search MusicWeb Here Acte Prealable Polish CDs
 

Presto Music CD retailer
 
Founder: Len Mullenger                                    Editor in Chief:John Quinn             

CD REVIEW



Some items
to consider

new MWI
Current reviews

old MWI
pre-2023 reviews

paid for
advertisements

Acte Prealable Polish recordings

Forgotten Recordings
Forgotten Recordings
All Forgotten Records Reviews

TROUBADISC
Troubadisc Weinberg- TROCD01450

All Troubadisc reviews


FOGHORN Classics

Alexandra-Quartet
Brahms String Quartets

All Foghorn Reviews


All HDTT reviews


Songs to Harp from
the Old and New World


all Nimbus reviews



all tudor reviews


Follow us on Twitter


Editorial Board
MusicWeb International
Founding Editor
   
Rob Barnett
Editor in Chief
John Quinn
Contributing Editor
Ralph Moore
Webmaster
   David Barker
Postmaster
Jonathan Woolf
MusicWeb Founder
   Len Mullenger

alternatively AmazonUK   AmazonUS


 

 

Richard STRAUSS (1864-1949)
Songs of Love and Death
Heimliche Aufforderung, Op. 27, No. 3 (1894) [3:39]
O wärst du mein, Op. 26, No. 2 (1891) [2:58]
Geduld, Op. 10, No. 5 (1885) [5:08]
Hoffen und wieder verzagen, Op. 19, No. 5 [3:12]
Zueignung, Op. 10, No. 1 (1885) [1:54]
Begegnung, TrV 98 (1880) [1:48]
Rote Rosen, TrV 119 (1883) [2:23]
Die Verschwiegenen, Op. 10, No. 6 (1885) [1:06]
Wie sollten wir geheim sie halten, Op. 19, No. 4 (1888) [2:02]
Die Georgine, Op. 10, No. 4 (1885) [3:58]
Die Zeitlose, Op.10, No. 7 (1885) [1:41]
Nichts, Op.10, No.2 (1885) [1:41]
Ich liebe dich, Op. 37, No. 2 (1898) [2:15]
Nachtgang, Op. 29, No. 3 (1895) [3:01]
Ach Lieb, ich muss nun scheiden, Op. 21, No. 3 (1888) [1:44]
Befreit, Op. 39, No. 4 (1898) [5:24]
Aus den Liedern der Trauer, Op. 15, No. 4 (1886) [1:59]
Lob des Leidens, Op. 15, No. 3 (1886) [2:35]
Mein Herz ist stumm, mein Herz ist kalt, Op. 19, No. 6 (1888) [3:07]
Nebel, TrV 65 (1878) [2:22]
Allerseelen, Op. 10, No. 8 (1885) [3:19]
Ruhe, meine Seele, Op. 27, No. 1 (1894) [4:15]
Hedwig Fassbender (mezzo), Hilko Dumno (piano)
rec. 25-27 July 2006, Tonstudio Teije van Geest, Sandhausen, Germany
Online texts available in German and English*
NAXOS 8.570297 [61:33]

Strauss’s Alpine climb must seem a gentle stroll compared with the heights singers must scale in these songs. Elisabeth Schwarzkopf is just one of a select few to reach the top, although lieder lovers are divided about the methods she uses to get there. And there are others – Brigitte Fassbaender, Soile Isokoski, Dame Felicity Lott, Renée Fleming and Jessye Norman spring to mind. As for the men there’s always Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau with the incomparable Gerald Moore.

To even get through the foothills mezzo Hedwig Fassbender needs to be very accomplished indeed. Even though she started out as a pianist as a singer she has sung many operatic roles in Europe, among them Marguerite (Faust), Judith (Bluebeard), Marie (Wozzeck) and the Marschallin (Rosenkavalier), not to mention heavyweight Wagner (Fricka and Isolde). Her partner on this particular outing is pianist and teacher Hilko Dumno.

This collection is framed by two Op. 27 songs, Heimliche Aufforderung (‘Secret Invitation’) and Ruhe, meine Seele (‘Rest my soul’) the first longing for a night-time tryst, the second for inner peace. Fassbender’s voice simply lacks colour and tonal shading in the Mackay setting, with little sign of real eagerness or anticipation in ‘du wunderbare, ersehnte Nacht’. In Ruhe, meine Seele, though, her quieter, more inward singing sounds rather better, although her tone is not particularly attractive under pressure. That said her diction is clear enough and Dumno proves a suitably sympathetic accompanist.

But is mere competence enough in this repertoire? Vocally Fassbender does not have the ease and amplitude of, say, Jessye Norman, or the line, light and shade of Schwarzkopf. Whatever your preferences these singers bring something indefinably special to this music, illuminating the texts in a way Fassbender can’t quite manage. And although a large voice is not a prerequisite it would help here, as the piano is rather too prominent at times.

The Lenau settings of Op. 26 are of roughly the same vintage, and O wärst du Mein!  (‘O if you were mine!’) has a real sense of longing. Fassbender’s habit of lingering over certain words as if to emphasise their meaning could become tedious over time, but then we’re still in the undergrowth here, the summit a very long way off.

The early Op. 10 settings are probably the most Schubertian of Strauss’s songs, with some lovely, limpid piano writing in Geduld (‘Patience’). What troubles me most about Fassbender’s light mezzo is that it can sound strained even under mild pressure, although she manages the relatively short Verschwiegenen (‘The Confidantes’) easily enough. There are a few problems in Zueignung (‘Dedication’) as well, notably a strange ‘gear change’ at 1:18, while the phrasing of Nichts (‘Nothing’) is just too generalised for my tastes. And in Die Georgine Dumno makes the delightful accompaniment sound curiously lumpen. As always, though, I wanted rather more character from the voice which, to be fair, Fassbender does deliver in Die Zeitlose (‘The Meadow Saffron’). And in Allerseelen (‘All Souls’) Dumno makes amends with some particularly mellifluous playing; for her part Fassbender manages to distil something of  the song’s strange, melancholic mood.

Of the very early songs, Nebel (‘Mist’) was written when Strauss was just 14. It’s a remarkably assured piece of juvenilia, whose more subdued, reflective nature plays to Fassbender’s vocal strengths. Written two years later Begegnung (‘Meeting’) is altogether brighter and more animated and both singer and pianist readily respond to its naïve charm. These qualities are also reflected in Rote Rosen (‘Red Roses’), dedicated to Strauss’s girlfriend of the moment. Once again Dumno and Fassbender seem to have the measure of this beguiling music.

The Friedrich settings of Op. 15 – Lob des Leidens (‘Praise of Suffering’) and Aus den Liedern der Trauer (‘From Songs of the Mourner’) – are more harmonically assured and demand more from the singer in terms of vocal and emotional range. Predictably Fassbender’s voice hardens in the more exposed writing but elsewhere she is generally sensitive to the nuances of the text.

Schack’s Lotosblatter (‘Lotus Leaves’) form the basis of Op. 19. The range of Wie sollten wir geheim sie halten (‘How should we keep it secret’) gives the singer something of a workout, but Fassbender seems much more comfortable with Hoffen und wieder verzagen (‘Hoping and despairing again’). She tackles the taxing passages rather well and her diction is beautifully clear in the sombre Mein Herz ist stumm, mein Herz ist kalt (‘My heart is silent, my heart is cold’).

Overall, the Op. 19 songs and the single Op. 21 – Ach Lieb, ich muss nun scheiden (‘Ah, love, I must leave you now’) – are among the most satisfying on the disc. True, the summit may still be some way off but at least we’re out of the troublesome thickets and advancing towards the snowline, The Felix Dahn setting O wärst du mein (‘O if you were mine’) is most interesting for its strange, dark harmonies; unfortunately Fassbender has another of those awkward ‘gear changes’ at 1:50, which rather spoilt the song for me.

As so often Strauss can’t resist a little night music. The Op. 29 Nachtgang (‘Night walk’) has a magical piano part and I found myself focusing on that rather than the vocal line, as I am wont to do when listening to Gerald Moore playing Schubert. But in Ich liebe dich (‘I love you’), Strauss’s pledge of love and loyalty to his wife Pauline, it is the voice that demands all one’s attention. Fassbender sings with commendable spirit and projects her voice very well, so much so that I was even willing to forgive her that hint of squall at the end.

With Op. 39 and Strauss’s setting of Dehmel’s Befreit (‘Free’) we are as close to the summit as we’re going to get. At more than five minutes it is one of the longest songs on the disc. It has a wonderful, rippling accompaniment and Fassbender certainly relishes the long vocal lines. Even the occasional unsteadiness – and yes, a distracting ‘gear change’ at 4:24 – can’t spoil what is one of Strauss’s most haunting songs. Indeed, it seems to inhabit the same serene, valedictory world of the Four Last Songs.

Regrettably this recital doesn’t reach that elusive summit, which is a pity as there are moments when Fassbender and Dumno give a hint of what might have been. However you like your Strauss there are some compelling interpretations on record that will always be hard to beat. On its own terms and at budget price this disc might just be worth acquiring, but for depth of insight, characterisation and glorious, impassioned singing you must look elsewhere. 

Dan Morgan

see also Review by Göran Forsling December BARGAIN OF THE MONTH

*The texts can be downloaded from here as a PDF file (nine pages in all). The translations are workmanlike but not always accurate. Still, they should suffice as an introduction to these songs. 

 

 

 

 


Advertising on
Musicweb


Donate and keep us afloat

 

New Releases

Naxos Classical
All Naxos reviews

Chandos recordings
All Chandos reviews

Hyperion recordings
All Hyperion reviews

Foghorn recordings
All Foghorn reviews

Troubadisc recordings
All Troubadisc reviews



all Bridge reviews


all cpo reviews

Divine Art recordings
Click to see New Releases
Get 10% off using code musicweb10
All Divine Art reviews


All Eloquence reviews

Lyrita recordings
All Lyrita Reviews

 

Wyastone New Releases
Obtain 10% discount

Subscribe to our free weekly review listing

 

 


EXPLORE MUSICWEB INTERNATIONAL

Making a Donation to MusicWeb

Writing CD reviews for MWI

About MWI
Who we are, where we have come from and how we do it.

Site Map

How to find a review

How to find articles on MusicWeb
Listed in date order

Review Indexes
   By Label
      Select a label and all reviews are listed in Catalogue order
   By Masterwork
            Links from composer names (eg Sibelius) are to resource pages with links to the review indexes for the individual works as well as other resources.

Themed Review pages

Jazz reviews

 

Discographies
   Composer
      Composer surveys
   National
      Unique to MusicWeb -
a comprehensive listing of all LP and CD recordings of given works
.
Prepared by Michael Herman

The Collector’s Guide to Gramophone Company Record Labels 1898 - 1925
Howard Friedman

Book Reviews

Complete Books
We have a number of out of print complete books on-line

Interviews
With Composers, Conductors, Singers, Instumentalists and others
Includes those on the Seen and Heard site

Nostalgia

Nostalgia CD reviews

Records Of The Year
Each reviewer is given the opportunity to select the best of the releases

Monthly Best Buys
Recordings of the Month and Bargains of the Month

Comment
Arthur Butterworth Writes

An occasional column

Phil Scowcroft's Garlands
British Light Music articles

Classical blogs
A listing of Classical Music Blogs external to MusicWeb International

Reviewers Logs
What they have been listening to for pleasure

Announcements

 

Community
Bulletin Board

Give your opinions or seek answers

Reviewers
Past and present

Helpers invited!

Resources
How Did I Miss That?

Currently suspended but there are a lot there with sound clips


Composer Resources

British Composers

British Light Music Composers

Other composers

Film Music (Archive)
Film Music on the Web (Closed in December 2006)

Programme Notes
For concert organizers

External sites
British Music Society
The BBC Proms
Orchestra Sites
Recording Companies & Retailers
Online Music
Agents & Marketing
Publishers
Other links
Newsgroups
Web News sites etc

PotPourri
A pot-pourri of articles

MW Listening Room
MW Office

Advice to Windows Vista users  
Questionnaire    
Site History  
What they say about us
What we say about us!
Where to get help on the Internet
CD orders By Special Request
Graphics archive
Currency Converter
Dictionary
Magazines
Newsfeed  
Web Ring
Translation Service

Rules for potential reviewers :-)
Do Not Go Here!
April Fools




Return to Review Index

Untitled Document


Reviews from previous months
Join the mailing list and receive a hyperlinked weekly update on the discs reviewed. details
We welcome feedback on our reviews. Please use the Bulletin Board
Please paste in the first line of your comments the URL of the review to which you refer.