It is not unusual that professional singers start out as choirboys,
and for Maximilian Schmitt it was the world renowned Regensburger
Domspatzen. After studies in Berlin he became a member of the
Young Ensemble at the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich and during
that time he also made his debut at the Salzburg Landestheater
as Tamino in Die Zauberflöte. At present he is engaged
at the Nationaltheater Mannheim to sing further Mozart roles
as well as David in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
and Lenski in Eugene Onegin. He is also a much sought
after concert singer and gives solo recitals with Gerold Huber.
His recordings include Haydn’s The Creation under
René Jacobs and Bach’s St Matthew Passion under
Riccardo Chailly. The Sunday Times, reviewing The
Creation, thought he was one of the finest Uriels since
Fritz Wunderlich.
To open his debut recital disc with Dichterliebe may
be risky, since collectors and critics will inevitably make
comparisons with all the greats- for instance Fritz Wunderlich
and Peter Schreier and dozens of other famous tenors. Leaving
comparisons aside one can note that Schmitt is a lyrical tenor,
like Wunderlich and Schreier. His is a basically beautiful and
flexible voice but in the long run tends to be rather monotonous.
He is very good at grading nuances from pianissimo up to forte
but the colour of the voice is inflexible. I don’t know
whether the Dichterliebe songs were recorded in the order
they are presented on the disc but it seems that the first few
songs are rather pallid and uninspired, while there is more
life in the second half of the cycle. He is best in the more
dramatic songs and maybe Im Rhein, im heiligen Strome
and Ich grolle nicht (trs. 6 and 7) was a turning-point.
Later on Hör’ ich das Liedchen klingen (tr.
10) and Allnächtlich im Traume (tr. 14) are deeply
felt, and he rounds off the cycle with a full-throated Die
alten, bösen Lieder. Here, though, as in other songs
where he uses his full lung-power, he tends to shout, which
mars the reading as a whole.
Of the three songs by Clara Schumann the dramatic Lorelei
makes the greatest impression.
Liederkreis Op. 24is less often heard than Op.
39 and that’s probably the reason why the individual songs
are not so well known. Mit Myrten und Rosen is, I believe,
performed out of context and it is no doubt one of Schumann’s
very finest songs. Maximilian Schmitt is however inspired throughout
the cycle, in Warte, warte, wilder Schiffmann (tr. 25)
maybe excessively so. Gone is the pallid quality of the opening
songs of Dichterliebe, and the enthusiasm is tangible
without actually seeing the singer’s facial expressions.
That’s promising. I won’t pretend that this disc
will replace Schreier or Fischer-Dieskau or Roman Trekel. Both
Schreier (Orfeo) (review)
and Trekel (also Oehms) (review)
couple Dichterliebe and Liederkreis Op. 24, Schreier
being one step ahead by also including Liederkreis Op
39.
Without being a top contender Maximilian Schmitt makes quite
a good stab at the songs and it is to be hoped he will come
back with something even better.
Göran Forsling
Masterwork Index: Dichterliebe
Track listing
Robert
Dichterliebe Op. 48 (1840)
1. Im wunderschönen Monat Mai [1:39]
2. Aus meinen Tränen spriessen [1:04]
3. Die Rose, die Lilie, die Taube [0:35]
4. Wenn ich in deine Augen seh’ [1:50]
5. Ich will meine Seele tauchen [0:57]
6. Im Rhein, im heiligen Strome [2:05]
7. Ich grolle nicht [1:34]
8. Und wüssten’s die Blumen [1:19]
9. Das ist ein Flöten und Geigen [1:36]
10. Hör’ ich das Liedchen klingen [2:10]
11. Ein Jüngling liebt’ ein Mädchen [1:01]
12. Am leuchtenden Sommermorgen [2:38]
13. Ich hab’ im Traum geweinet [2:36]
14. Allnächtlich im Träume [1:30]
15. Aus alten Märchen winkt es [2:46]
16. Die alten, bösen Lieder [4:25]
Clara
17. Sie liebten sich beide [2:17]
18. Ich stand in dunklen Träumen [2:13]
19. Lorelei [2:17]
Robert
Liederkreis Op. 24 (1840)
20. Morgens steh ich auf und frage [1:09]
21. Es treibt mich hin, es treibt mich her! [1:18]
22. Ich wandelte unter den Bäumen [3:12]
23. Lieb Liebchen, leg’s Händchen aufs Herze mein
[0:54]
24. Schöne Wiege meiner Leiden [3:24]
25. Warte, warte, wilder Schiffmann [1:57]
26. Berg’ und Burgen schau’n herunter [3:12]
27. Anfangs wollt’ ich fast verzagen [0:43]
28. Mit Myrten und Rosen, lieblich und hold [3:53]
Maximilian Schmitt (tenor) Gerold Huber (piano) 
