Mozart’s songs are perhaps his least known works. I am familiar
with a number, as they have sometimes been included in recitals
but I have seldom seen a compilation of the complete songs on
CD. It is interesting that Naxos decided to issue this set in
2008, though it was recorded in 2006 and 2007. Somehow, I would
have expected it to appear during 2006, the year of the composer’s
250th birthday. It would have been unusual and welcome
and a slightly different, more original way of celebrating Mozart’s
genius. Nevertheless, as the celebrations have further increased
the composer’s popularity and the taste to discover some of his
less known compositions continues to grow steadily, this set is
a wonderful invitation to embark on a pleasant journey and experience
a more intimate Mozart.
As stated in the
booklet, Mozart loved song and the human voice, which he used
as the predominant instrument of musical expression throughout
his career. Though his songs do not have the same artistic importance
as his operas or concert arias, they demonstrate the composer’s
interest in all forms of composition and his talented versatility.
While these discs do not offer anything new or terribly original,
they certainly deliver nearly two hours of relaxing and pleasing
musical experience. There is however much more to Mozart’s songs.
They demonstrate the composer’s incredible ability to merge
the music with the sound and rhythm of words. Whether the poems
he chose are in German, French or Italian the text is always
beautifully underlined by the music. Mozart never compromised
his unique melodic gift and always showed a wonderful understanding
of the poetic text. He had a talent for grasping the specific
sound of the various languages, never writing against it and
always subtly stressing the correct part of the text, enhancing
its meaning. He was one of the first composers to give song
a dramatic treatment, paying special attention to any subtle
changes of inflection and to the flow of the words. In so doing,
Mozart created music that is shaped by the text, melts with
it and brings out a harmonious little story, a mini-drama or
a mini-comedy; and so, foretelling the direction that Lieder
composition was to take under the influence of the great Romantics,
such as Schubert, Schumann or Wolf.
This 2-CD set contains
thirty-six songs: thirty-four are by Mozart, one by Schubert
and one attributed to the Czech composer Josef Mysliveček
but arranged by Mozart. This last one, Ridente la calma,
was believed for a long time to have been written by Mozart
but there appears to be evidence that he only arranged it. Whatever
the truth, it is one of the most beautiful works on the CD,
sung in its original Italian, graceful and serene, telling of
a peaceful, fulfilling love. Schubert’s song included here,
Luisens Antwort, uses the poem written by Kosegarten
as a reply to Klamer Schmidt’s poem Das Lied der Trennung,
which Mozart transformed into a remarkable song. Whether Schubert
knew Mozart’s song is arguable but undeniably these two songs
are not only a literary but also a musical pair, forming a dramatically
expressive and unusual dialogue.
Possibly, the most
famous of all the songs here is Das Veilchen and this
is not by chance. It is the only song that Mozart composed to
a poem by Goethe. The text is beautifully written, full of subtle
but tragic irony and Mozart’s music perfectly brings out these
aspects of it, creating a psychological mini-drama that is a
precious, little masterpiece. The song is wonderfully interpreted
by German soprano Ruth Ziesak who gives it a pure and delicate
treatment.
Ziesak performs
approximately half of the pieces on this set and the other half
is sung by German tenor Lothar Odinius. Both singers are accomplished,
critically acclaimed Mozart interpreters and they do full justice
to the beauty of these little gems. Ziesak possesses a clear,
crystalline vocal line, with a beautiful legato, delicate
phrasing and purity of sentiment. She excels particularly in
one of the French songs, Oiseaux, si tous les ans and
in the Italian, Ridente la calma. It is perhaps peculiar
that her rendition of the German songs is less clear in terms
of the language, even though she is a native German speaker,
though no less beautiful or accomplished. Odinius on the other
hand is in his element in all the German songs. His diction
is perfectly clear, giving it the required subtle inflection;
one hears each syllable in wonderful harmony with the music.
He sings with grace, elegantly and emotionally expressive. Odinius
studied with the great bass-baritone Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau
(b. 1925) and had masterclasses with non-other than Alfredo
Kraus (1927-1999). The influence of these two wonderful singers
is audible throughout Odinius’s performances, particularly in
Lied der Freiheit, which he delivers with clarity, style
and vitality; and in version one of Die Zufriedenheit.
This is the one with mandolin accompaniment; to my mind, more
beautiful than the one with piano. Odinius sings it with delicacy
and sensitive sweet tone. The mandolin is wonderfully and effectively
played by Ariane Lorch, not only a talented player but also
a conductor. She provides the accompaniment to only one other
song in the CD, Komm, liebe Zither, komm, also sung by
Odinius. All other pieces are accompanied at the piano by accomplished
musician and scholar Ulrich Eisenlohr. His performance is expressive
and relaxed throughout, demonstrating his versatility and expertise
in Lieder accompaniment, easily moving from vivacious
or passionate to delicate or sensitive, depending on the character
of the song. He perfectly cushions the vocal line, enhancing
and supporting it, without ever attempting to overwhelm the
voices or bring the instrument to the foreground. Eisenlohr
displays an excellent understanding not only of the piano but
also of the intimate phrasing and sentiment present in Mozart’s
music. He also wrote the detailed explanatory notes about the
songs, contained on the CD booklet, which make a really pleasant
and informative reading.
I thoroughly enjoyed
this recital. It was obviously recorded with great care and
lovingly performed by all the artists involved. This set is
pleasant from beginning to end, sometimes absorbing, sometimes
relaxing but always revealing of Mozart’s unique gift: the harmonious
combination of very different emotions in music, which people
can identify with at the many and various moments of their lives.
To finalise, I would like to repeat the words of Classic
FM’s presenter, Simon Bates, which for me defines what
Mozart’s music is all about: “I listen to Mozart when I’m delighted or depressed and at all the
points in between”. I could not agree more!
Margarida
Mota-Bull
see also Review
by Göran Forsling
Ruth Ziesak
(soprano); Lothar Odinius (tenor); Ariane Lorch (mandolin); Ulrich
Eisenlohr (piano) 
