I collected the entire
37-volume Hyperion Schubert Song Edition
as the discs were issued between 1988
and 2000. Whilst this gave me immense
pleasure at the time one wholly unexpected
consequence was that I have had to wait
a little while before enjoying this
present set. This was because when Hyperion
re-issued the whole Schubert Edition
in a boxed set they included this three-disc
appendix in the collection of 40 CDs.
There was then a short delay before
the present set could be purchased separately.
Now it is available as a delightful
and very instructive, not to say substantial
appendix to the main collection.
It may seem odd to
discuss the presentation of the set
before commenting on the music itself
but the original series of Schubert
discs set new standards in terms of
documentation. Collectors will be reassured
to learn that these extremely high standards
have been maintained. This set comes
with three separate booklets, one for
each disc. The booklets, written by
Graham Johnson, contain a track-by-track
commentary on the songs along with the
texts and translations. Each composer
– and there are forty of them – is accorded
a brief biographical note, some of which
are very necessary indeed since the
composers concerned are obscure, to
say the least. Johnson’s notes combine
his usual perspicacity with valuable
factual information, some of it significant,
some of it more arcane. In truth, each
booklet is a work of scholarship in
its own right. Most valuably, in cases
where Schubert himself set the same
poem, Johnson provides a cross-reference,
giving not only the Deutsch number but
also indicating on which of the thirty-seven
original CDs Schubert’s own setting(s)
may be found. My only quibble with the
documentation is that these cross-references
are in minuscule type, which I found
very challenging to read.
The three CDs contain
eighty-one songs, the great majority
of which will be new to most collectors;
they certainly were to me. With such
a vast array of music it’s impossible
to comment on each song so what follows
are some notes on a mere selection of
them.
Volume 1
The set opens with
a vocal quartet by Haydn, which is pretty
but rather slight. Not for the last
time in the collection will we find
that the music by the Big Name composers
is of rather less interest than some
of the items by long-forgotten peers.
Johann Friedrich Reichardt is one such.
Incredibly, he wrote over 1500 songs,
including some 150 to words by Goethe,
four of which are included here. I liked
the first of these, Sehnsucht.
Also of interest is Rastlose Liebe,
which proves to be a strong, strenuous
setting, which tests the singer. The
same text crops up later on this same
CD in an ardent setting by Carl Friedrich
Zelter
In fact there are a
good number of instances in this set
where one can compare settings by different
composers – and by Schubert, of course
– of the same text. Rastlose Liebe
is a case in point and there’s yet another
version of it, by Maximilian Eberwein,
in Volume Two. Perhaps most intriguing
of all are the various responses to
Erlkönig. Schubert’s setting
is well-nigh unsurpassable and that
impression is reinforced by the various
offerings by other hands in this collection.
Reichardt’s version is quite good. It
can’t stand too close a comparison with
that by Schubert but Gerald Finley makes
a good case for it, investing it with
a good deal of drama. Reichardt shows
a particular turn of individuality in
the way he sets the Erl King’s words;
the singer sings these in a monotone
while the piano continues the melodic
burden underneath By comparison the
setting by Zelter is pretty weak – I
think he handicaps himself by choosing
a major key – though Finley gives it
his best shot, notably in the penultimate
stanza. Further versions of Erlkönig
await us later on in the anthology.
There’s a setting by Louis Spohr in
Volume Two, which is interesting chiefly
by virtue of the inclusion of a virtuoso
violin obbligato part, which is used,
in Graham Johnson’s words, "to
represent the beguilingly sweet and
unearthly voice of the Erlkönig".
Most famous of all is the setting by
Carl Loewe (Vol. 3), which, by pretty
common consent, is the only one that
presents a serious challenge to Schubert’s
hegemony. Once again this setting is
allotted to Finley, who invests it with
proper grip and dramatic atmosphere.
He’s especially electrifying in Loewe’s
last two stanzas. What’s particularly
revealing, comparing all these settings,
is that no-one succeeded in delivering
the pay-off of the final line – ‘In
seinen Armen das Kind war tot’ – with
anything like the dramatic skill shown
by Schubert.
Reichelt’s daughter,
Louise, also gets a brief look-in with
her Aus Novalis Hymnen an die Nacht,
which proves to be a fluent, graceful
song and a gift to Gerald Finley’s lyrical
side. One of the longest items in the
whole anthology is Johann Rudolf Zumsteeg’s
Die Erwartung. Mark Padmore’s
light, easy delivery of this song is
a delight as far as it goes. However,
at over ten minutes it’s a long listen
and by the end I’d come to wonder if
both the setting and, perhaps, Padmore’s
singing of it were not just a bit too
restrained.
There’s a group of
five songs by Zelter, all of them settings
of Goethe, who was a longstanding and
close friend. As I’ve already commented,
his Erlkönig is a somewhat
pallid affair. However, Erster Verlust
is a graceful and charming little song
and Susan Gritton spins out its rather
lovely phrases delightfully. It’s followed
by Um Mitternacht, which Graham
Johnson rightly describes as a "gravely
beautiful" song. Apparently, of
all the settings of his poetry that
Goethe ever heard this was his favourite
and one can understand why. Zelter catches
the mood of the verses very aptly and
he produced a most attractive song,
which Ann Murray does quite beautifully.
It’s mildly interesting
to hear a song by Schubert’s namesake
from Dresden. In the notes Graham Johnson
relates that in April 1817 the Dresden
Schubert wrote an intemperate letter
to a music publisher who had inadvertently
returned the manuscript of Erlkönig
D328 to the Dresden Schubert instead
of to the song’s actual composer. Schubert
of Dresden wrote: "I beg to state
the cantata [sic] was never composed
by me. I shall retain the same in my
possession in order to learn, if possible,
who sent you that sort of trash in such
an impolite manner, and also to discover
the fellow who has thus misused my name."
Listen to his rather tame offering here,
Die Lebensgefährten,
and you may share my reaction: how dare
he!
Beethoven is represented
by his celebrated cycle, An die ferne
Geliebte, which was revolutionary
in its day on account of the linkage
of all the songs. The singer on this
occasion is Mark Padmore and, for me,
he does well. I relished the lovely,
easy delivery. His voice is quite light,
and I welcome that, but when it’s required
he has a touch of steel in his timbre.
I especially appreciated the way in
which he spins a long, satisfying line
in the first and last songs. Johnson
is ever a perceptive partner, and pianist
and singer between them ensure that
the third song, Leichte Segler
in den Höhen, trips along very
nicely. Before the cycle Gerald Finley
sings another Beethoven song, Abendlied
untern gestirnten Himmel. I can’t
recall previously hearing this late
Beethoven song – it was published in
1820 – but it’s very impressive. As
Johnson remarks, it’s music of "unaccountable
majesty" and in Gerald Finley it
finds just the right interpreter.
Volume 2
Yet another unfamiliar
composer opens Volume Two in the shape
of the Bohemian, Václav
Jan Křtitel Tomašek. He was another
significant composer of Goethe settings
– 41 in all – and the first of the two
selected for inclusion here, Meeres
Stille, is rather impressive. It’s
a dark-toned setting even if it appears
calm on the surface. This volume also
includes two settings of Goethe’s Kennst
du das Land. The setting by Nikolaus
von Krufft is attractive but the version
by Spohr is more inventive, especially
as Spohr rather cunningly disguises
the strophic nature of his song.
No less than seven
songs constitute a group by Ludwig Berger
and these are particularly interesting
as they form, in effect, something of
a forerunner of Die schöne Müllerin.
In brief, Berger was part of an artistic
circle in Berlin, the members of which
decided to devise a Liederspiel on the
subject of the Maid of the Mill. Some
contributed poems and Berger composed
all the music. Wilhelm Müller was
a member of this group and he penned
several poems. Berger wrote ten songs
in all, of which five were to texts
by Müller; all of the Müller
settings, plus two others, are recorded
here. All this took place in 1816. It
was not until five years later that
Müller included these poems and
many new ones within his full cycle,
which was eventually set by Schubert.
Berger’s songs, which are mostly strophic,
are straightforward, attractive pieces.
Although designed for performance by
amateurs there’s nothing amateurish
or condescending about the music and
Der Müller is quite ardent.
In general those settings which would
later come into "competition"
with Schubert’s pale by comparison with
the subsequent masterpieces. Berger’s
songs nevertheless sound grateful to
sing and afford genuine pleasure to
the listener. I was especially impressed
with Müllers trockne Blumen,
which Schubert, of course, entitled
Trockne Blumen in his own cycle.
Berger’s version is a dark setting and
it’s on a deeper level than the other
pieces of his that are included here.
The song features a restless, troubled
piano accompaniment over which the singer
has an anxious line. Ann Murray sings
it expressively.
Mention must also be
made of Sigismund Neukomm, who is represented
by three of his Sechs Gesänge,
Op. 10. These songs all possess grace,
poise and melodic felicity. They sound
to lie easily and naturally on the voice,
especially as performed by Stella Doufexis.
Sehnsucht could easily be taken
for a song by Schubert himself. Just
as Berger set poems later used by Schubert
in Die schöne Müllerin,
so Conradin Kreutzer used poems that
Schubert included in Winterreise
and it’s unclear which composer
got to the poems first. Three
of the poems in question are included
here in Kreutzer’s versions, all sung
by Mark Padmore. I particularly liked
Der Lindenbaum, which
has a most appealing long vocal line
against a rippling piano part. There’s
a pleasing lilt to Frühlingstraum,
while in Die Post great play
is made of a suggestion of a posthorn
call in the accompaniment.
The Weber setting is
something of a curiosity. It features
a fiendish piano part, which presumably
suggests the din of the battlefield.
Unfortunately, even if that was Weber’s
intention, the piano writing draws far
too much attention to itself. Some may
find the song operatically dramatic.
I’m afraid I found it hectoring. As
a fascinating aside, Graham Johnson
tells us that his copy of this song
was once owned by Robert Schumann.
Volume 3
Schumann is himself
represented on this disc but the chosen
song, Lied für XXX is not
one of his more notable inspirations,
I feel. Fittingly, it’s preceded by
single offerings from Fanny and Felix
Mendelssohn. Felix’s song is a typically
beautiful little thing but I was even
more taken with his sister’s composition.
Die frühen Gräber is
quite touching – "gravely beautiful",
as Johnson avers. The poise and dignity
in the music are delightful.
This particular disc
opens with a song by Meyerbeer but the
same text is set, as Das Fischermädchen,
by the much more obscure Franz Paul
Lachner and, frankly, I greatly prefer
the setting by the less famous composer,
which I find more inventive. The Meyerbeer
song is followed by one by Rossini and
this is, to my mind, another example
in this collection of the more exalted
names shining less brightly than their
less famous fellow composers. The Rossini
piece is almost an operatic parody of
the worst kind. Rossini simply overwhelms
a fairly modest piece of verse with
absurdly ornate music.
Carl Loewe features
on this disc. As well as his Erlkönig,
already mentioned, there’s a setting
for four voices, Gesang der Geister,
which is an interesting listen. The
piece opens and closes with all four
voices singing together. In between
the soprano, tenor and bass have solo
stanzas. This is rather an impressive
piece. Benedict Randhartinger composed
over two thousand works, it seems, of
which some 400 were songs. Graham Johnson
describes his Suleika as "sumptuous",
and it is certainly an ambitious setting.
Randhartinger’s other offering here
is Rastloses Wanderern,
which is, in Johnson’s view, "one
of the best Schubertian imitations ever
penned." I know what he means.
Gerald Finley sings it splendidly.
Karoline Unger-Sabatier
merits a footnote in history as the
mezzo soloist in the first performance
of the Beethoven Ninth Symphony. She
retired from singing when she married
and she then took up composition. Her
Frülingsglaube is a slight
piece but Johnson is right to refer
to its "simple but amiably fluent
style".
Franz Paul Lachner
was quite close to Schubert. His Ständchen
is a fine, dignified song and I’ve already
drawn attention to Das Fischermädchen.
Herbst is notable for the addition
of a cello obbligato and this instrument
and the piano are used inventively to
suggest the gusts of the autumn winds.
Johann Vesque von Püttlingen seems
to have been a most remarkable man in
all sorts of ways. Three very good songs
by him have been included here. Johnson
points out that in his day von Püttlingen’s
music was highly regarded in Vienna
and on the evidence of what we hear
in this collection then I’d agree his
music merits re-evaluation.
To end the set we hear
Der Leiermann by Carl Banck,
a setting of the selfsame poem that
Schubert had set so unforgettably in
Winterreise. This song by Banck
dates from 1838/9 and it’s worth quoting
what Johnson has to say about it. "Banck
sets Müller’s text again
with an unashamed bow to the original….This
shows how Schubert’s music was perceived
by those composers who were neither
his friends, nor true contemporaries
– it was now a fact of life, an imperishable
given, a classic. The image of the frozen
hurdy-gurdy player from Winterreise
was one that now belonged safely, if
disturbingly, to the history of song;
as such it is an appropriate emblem
with which to end this set of discs."
That, if I may say so, sums up the care,
scholarship and discernment that have
clearly gone into this entire project.
******************
How to sum up such
an enterprise? Well, as you’ll probably
have gathered from the preceding comments
all the singers distinguish themselves
and their efforts are all the more praiseworthy
since I imagine that each of them had
to learn virtually every one of their
allotted songs specially. It may be
invidious to do so but I feel I must
single out Gerald Finley for special
praise. His singing is consistently
on the highest level of technical and
interpretative accomplishment and all
his performances here serve to boost
still further his reputation as one
of the most exciting and rewarding singers
of his generation. But let me hasten
to add that all the singers here will
give enormous pleasure.
The presiding genius
is, of course, Graham Johnson and this
set is yet another instance of his ability
to be the defining presence in a collection
of song performances without ever upstaging
his singers. His seemingly unrivalled
knowledge of the repertoire and his
great artistry provide the foundations
for this whole enterprise. His accompaniments
are always just right, though he never
draws attention away from the vocal
line – unless that was the composer’s
intention. But his contribution goes
far deeper than that. I’ve already commented
on his magnificent booklet notes. The
great scholarship and boundless enthusiasm
for the song repertoire that are displayed
in his writing are the starting points
for an enterprise such as this. How
does one man come to know so
much about repertoire, much of it obscure
to say the least? It’s evident from
some of the comments in the notes that
it’s been a challenge in itself simply
to track down copies of quite a few
of the songs included here. It would
have been so easy to have sat back after
completing the Schubert Edition itself,
but that’s clearly not Johnson’s way.
He has greatly enhanced the value of
that Edition by giving us this fascinating
appendix. Only Johnson – and Hyperion
– one feels, would have had the vision
and the enterprise to undertake a project
such as this.
It would be idle to
pretend that this set gives us a whole
stream of rediscovered masterpieces.
That’s not the intention. What the set
does do, however, is to set Schubert
and his achievement in context. With
the exception of An die ferne Geliebte
there’s not really anything in this
set that matches Schubert at his greatest.
But, then, one must remember that although
the original 37 CDs revealed to us many
songs by Schubert that deserved to be
better known than they are, they also
included songs that showed that even
his inspiration could be uneven.
This new set contains many very enjoyable
songs and more than a few that are fine
pieces of music. What the set also does,
however, is make us realise yet again
the scale of Schubert’s genius as compared
with most of his contemporaries and
the scale of his achievement as a composer
of lieder.
This is an absolutely
first class set. It’s most rewarding
and stimulating to listen to and I recommend
it urgently to all lovers of lieder
as a truly indispensable purchase.
Bravo, Graham Johnson! Bravo, Hyperion!
John Quinn
Full Tracklisting
CD 1 [78:25]
Der Greis, Hob XXVc:5 Haydn (Gleim)
Susan Gritton, Ann Murray, Mark Padmore,
Gerald Finley [3:13]
Sehnsucht Reichardt (Goethe)
Susan Gritton, Gerald Finley [1:32]
Rastlose Liebe Reichardt (Goethe)
Mark Padmore [1:07]
Erlkönig Reichardt (Goethe)
Gerald Finley [1:31]
Monolog der Iphegenia Reichardt
(Goethe) Susan Gritton [8:50]
Aus Novalis Hymnen an die Nacht
Reichardt (Novalis/Hardenberg) Gerald
Finley [2:14]
Ich denke dein Salieri (Matthisson)
Ann Murray [2:10]
Die Erwartung Zumsteeg (Schiller)
Mark Padmore [10:24]
Thekla „Des Mädchens Klage"
Zumsteeg (Schiller) Susan Gritton [2:32]
Erlkönig Zelter (Goethe)
Gerald Finley [2:20]
Erster Verlust Zelter (Goethe)
Susan Gritton [2:56]
Um Mitternacht Zelter (Goethe)
Ann Murray [3:57]
Klage Harfenspieler III Zelter
(Goethe) Gerald Finley [2:26]
Rastlose Liebe Zelter (Goethe)
Mark Padmore [2:23]
Die Einsame Gyrowetz (Pannasch)
Susan Gritton [3:21]
Wenn sie mich nur von weitem sieht
Weigl (Castelli) Mark Padmore [2:28]
Die Lebensgefährten Schubert
of Dresden (Anonymous) Ann Murray
[1:09]
Lied der Desdemona Vogl (Shakespeare
tr. Anonymous) Ann Murray [1:29]
Abendlied unterm gestirntem Himmel,
WoO150 Beethoven (Goeble) Gerald
Finley [4:33]
An die ferne Geliebte, Op 98 No 1:
Auf dem Hügel sitz: ich, spähend
Beethoven (Jeitteles) Mark Padmore [2:45]
An die ferne Geliebte, Op 98 No 2:
Wo die Berge so blau Beethoven (Jeitteles)
Mark Padmore [1:46]
An die ferne Geliebte, Op 98 No 3:
Leichte Segler in den Höhen
Beethoven (Jeitteles) Mark Padmore [1:50]
An die ferne Geliebte, Op 98 No 4:
Diese Wolken in den Höhen Beethoven
(Jeitteles) Mark Padmore [1:06]
An die ferne Geliebte, Op 98 No 5:
Es kehret der Maien, es blühet
die Au Beethoven (Jeitteles) Mark
Padmore [2:24]
An die ferne Geliebte, Op 98 No 6:
Nimm sie hin denn Diese Lieder Beethoven
(Jeitteles) Mark Padmore [3:56]
Die Nachtigall Unger (Unger)
Susan Gritton [2:15]
CD 2 [77:02]
Meeres Stille, Op 61 No 3 Tomašek
(Goethe) Susan Gritton, Ann Murray,
Gerald Finley [2:45]
Heidenröslein, Op 53 No 1
Tomašek (Goethe) Susan Gritton [2:33]
Rastlose Liebe Eberwein (Goethe)
Gerald Finley [1:31]
Wonne der Wehmut Dietrichstein
(Goethe) Stella Doufexis [1:06]
Lied aus Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre
Krufft (Goethe) Stella Doufexis [3:18]
Des Müllers Wanderlied Berger
(Müller) Mark Padmore [1:55]
Müllers Blumen Berger (Müller)
Mark Padmore [2:32]
Am Maienfeste „Der Jäger an
die Müllerin" Berger (Hensel)
Gerald Finley [1:51]
Der Müller Berger (Müller)
Mark Padmore [1:52]
Rose Die Müllerin Berger
(Hedwig) Susan Gritton [2:15]
Müllers trockne Blumen Berger
(Müller) Mark Padmore [2:41]
Des Baches Lied Berger (Müller)
Ann Murray [4:32]
Zur Logenfeier Hummel (Goethe)
Mark Padmore [2:32]
Trost in Tränen Neukomm
(Goethe) Stella Doufexis [3:41]
Klage an den Mond Neukomm (Hölty)
Stella Doufexis [2:17]
Sehnsucht Neukomm (Rochlitz)
Stella Doufexis [3:06]
Neun Wanderlieder von Uhland, Op
34 No 6: Winterreise Kreutzer (Uhland)
Gerald Finley [1:32]
Neun Wanderlieder von Uhland, Op
34 No 7: Abreise Kreutzer (Uhland)
Gerald Finley [1:20]
Neun Wanderlieder von Uhland, Op
34 No 9: Heimkehr Kreutzer (Uhland)
Gerald Finley [1:41]
Ländliche Lieder No 4: Der Lindenbaum
Kreutzer (Müller) Mark Padmore
[3:06]
Ländliche Lieder No 5: Frühlingstraum
Kreutzer (Müller) Mark Padmore
[2:04]
Die Post, Op 76 No 6 Kreutzer
(Müller) Mark Padmore [2:23]
Der Pilgrim Kreutzer (Schiller)
Ann Murray [3:30]
Mignons Lied „Kennst du das Land?",
Op 37 No 1 Spohr (Goethe) Susan
Gritton [2:52]
Erlkönig, Op 154 No 4 Spohr
(Goethe) Gerald Finley, Marianne Thorsen
[3:03]
Abschied nach Wien 1813 Franz
(Körner) Mark Padmore [2:15]
Gebet während der Schlacht,
Op 41 No 1 Weber (Körner) Gerald
Finley [4:00]
Adieu Weyrauch (Anonymous) Susan
Gritton [3:20]
Gute Nacht Sechter (Leonhardt)
Ann Murray [3:05]
CD 3 [78:17]
Komm! Meyerbeer (Heine) Gerald
Finley [1:09]
Beltà crudele :Amori scendete:
Rossini (Santo-Magno) Ann Murray [3:32]
Die Seefahrt Hüttenbrenner
(Schulheim) Mark Padmore [2:46]
Der Hügel Hüttenbrenner
(Hilarius) Susan Gritton [2:33]
Die Sterne Hüttenbrenner
(Leitner) Mark Padmore [2:38]
Lerchenlied Hüttenbrenner
(Anonymous) Susan Gritton [1:47]
Gesang der Geister, Op 88 Loewe
(Goethe) Susan Gritton, Ann Murray,
Mark Padmore, Gerald Finley [6:09]
Erlkönig, Op 1 No 3 Loewe
(Goethe) Gerald Finley [3:21]
Der Berghirt Bürde (Müller)
Stella Doufexis [3:09]
Suleika Randhartinger (Willemer/Goethe)
Susan Gritton [2:46]
Rastloses Wandern Randhartinger
(Schulze) Gerald Finley [4:25]
Frühlingsglaube Unger (Uhland)
Susan Gritton [2:00]
Ständchen Lachner (Rellstab)
Mark Padmore [3:16]
Das Fischermädchen Lachner
(Heine) Mark Padmore [3:00]
Der Schmied Lachner (Uhland)
Stella Doufexis [0:51]
Nachtigall Lachner (Bauernfeld)
Susan Gritton [4:36]
Herbst Lachner (Rellstab) Mark
Padmore, Sebastian Comberti [3:21]
Der Herbstabend, Op 8 No 2 Vesque
von Püttlingen (Salis-Seewis) Stella
Doufexis [3:44]
Der Doppelgänger Vesque
von Püttlingen (Heine) Gerald Finley
[1:55]
Der Fischer Vesque von Püttlingen
(Goethe) Stella Doufexis [4:17]
Die frühen Gräber, Op 9
No 4 Mendelssohn (Klopstock) Ann
Murray [3:18]
Minnelied im Mai, Op 8 No 1 Mendelssohn
(Hölty) Ann Murray [1:33]
Lied für XXX Schumann (Schumann)
Mark Padmore [2:15]
Wandrers Nachtlied, Op 129 No 11
Hiller (Goethe) Susan Gritton [1:57]
Es rauschen die Winde, S294 Liszt
(Rellstab) Mark Padmore [3:18]
Der Leiermann Banck (Müller)
Gerald Finley [2:22]
Susan Gritton (soprano); Stella Doufexis (soprano);
Ann Murray (mezzo); Mark Padmore (tenor); Gerald
Finley (baritone); Graham Johnson (piano) 
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