Clara Schumann - Songs (Susan Gritton; Stephan Loges)

Information

Composer: Clara Schumann

1. Zwölf Gedichte aus F. Rückerts 'Liebesfrühling', Op. 12: Er ist gekommen in Sturm und Regen
2. Zwölf Gedichte aus F. Rückerts 'Liebesfrühling', Op. 12: Liebst du um Schönheit
3. Zwölf Gedichte aus F. Rückerts 'Liebesfrühling', Op. 12: Warum willst du andre fragen?
4. Sechs Lieder, Op. 13: Ich stand in dunklen Träumen
5. Sechs Lieder, Op. 13: Sie liebten sich beide
6. Sechs Lieder, Op. 13: Liebeszauber
7. Sechs Lieder, Op. 13: Der Mond kommt still gegangen
8. Sechs Lieder, Op. 13: Ich hab' in deinem Auge
9. Sechs Lieder, Op. 13: Die stille Lotosblume
10. Sechs Lieder aus 'Jucunde', Op. 23: Was weinst du, Blümlein
11. Sechs Lieder aus 'Jucunde', Op. 23: An einem lichten Morgen
12. Sechs Lieder aus 'Jucunde', Op. 23: Geheimes Flüstern hier und dort
13. Sechs Lieder aus 'Jucunde', Op. 23: Auf einem grünen Hügel
14. Sechs Lieder aus 'Jucunde', Op. 23: Das ist ein Tag, der klingen mag
15. Sechs Lieder aus 'Jucunde', Op. 23: O Lust, o Lust
16. Walzer
17. Der Abendstern
18. Am Strande
19. Sie liebten sich beide
20. Volkslied
21. Ihr Bildnis
22. Mein Stern
23. Oh Weh des Scheidens, das er tat
24. Die gute Nacht, die ich der sage
25. Loreley
26. Das Veilchen
27. Der Wanderer
28. Der Wanderer in der Sägemühle
29. Beim Abschied

Susan Gritton, soprano
Stephan Loges, baritone
Eugene Asti, piano

Date: 2000
Label: Hyperion
http://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/dc.asp?dc=D_CDH55275

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Review

ARTISTIC QUALITY: 10 / SOUND QUALITY: 10

If by chance you already own the formerly “complete” songs of Clara Schumann on a Bayer recording from 1991, with soprano Isabel Lippitz and pianist Deborah Richards, it’s time for an update. In the early 1990s, more of Clara’s songs were discovered (a process that’s ongoing), and this excellent new “complete” collection adds to the canon two previously unpublished pieces and two alternate versions of existing songs. Anyone who cares about lieder singing and repertoire must have this disc. Susan Gritton (who also is featured on Hyperion’s excellent set of Fanny Mendelssohn songs) has a richer and heftier voice than both Lippitz and Geraldine McGreevy, who appears in Hyperion’s newly released Vol. 6 of its complete songs of Robert Schumann, where she performs Clara’s Six “Jucunde” Lieder (type Q4920 in Search Reviews). She uses her voice’s strong presence and characterful, colorful timbre to great expressive effect, and her delivery is so commanding and “right” for the texts and Schumann’s uniformly well-conceived musical settings that you can’t help but fall in love with this music–and wonder why more world-class singers don’t adopt these songs into their repertoire. There’s no question of quality: Schumann could write a song as well as anyone–including her husband, or Schubert, or Brahms–and again, in hearing these performances (or any of those by the abovementioned Lippitz or McGreevy–or Christina Högman on BIS) you realize once more how (until relatively recently) factors of gender and custom conspired to deprive the general music world of some really fine works.

Wisely, Hyperion has chosen to divide the 29 songs between Gritton and baritone Stephan Loges (who performs elsewhere in the label’s Robert Schumann series). Loges is a master interpreter whose warm yet spicy and resonant quality is perfectly suited to these romantic, introspective, thoughtful pieces to texts by poets such as Rückert, Goethe, and Heine. Equally important, he brings yet another level of interpretive artistry along with a rare male perspective to these songs (until now almost exclusively sung by women). How can you not immediately fall under the spell of the gentle “Liebst du um Schönheit” (If you love for beauty) or be entranced by the exquisitely lovely melody of “Warum willst du and’re fragen?”, a song with all the grace and memorable beauty of Schubert’s most heartfelt efforts? And I defy anyone to find a more touching song than “Ich stand in dunklen Träumen” (with text by Heinrich Heine)–another of Loges’ perfectly gauged expressions. Gritton adds her own considerable skills to the following “Sie liebten sich beide”–and so it goes, from the lighthearted, lilting “Liebeszauber” (Love’s magic) to “Ich hab’ in deinem Auge” (sung by Loges) to the six “Jucunde” lieder, all of which are performed by Gritton.

It’s here that we notice significant differences between these and other interpretations–these songs are the most often heard and recorded. For the most part, Gritton has the edge over her competitors–she’s more fully engaged emotionally and does far more with inflection and phrasing. Nevertheless, both McGreevy and Lippitz more properly judge the weight and pacing of “An einem lichten Morgen”: Gritton’s version is just too matter of fact, as she and her accompanist fail to indulge the melodic and harmonic lushness to full effect. Also, her “Geheimes Flüstern hier und dort” misses the crucial contrast of melodic rhythm against the accompaniment. Gritton seems to be trying to make her line “fit” when in fact it should just flow easily against the piano triplet figures. The result is a choppy rather than smooth vocal melody. But these are relatively minor points in an overall program that makes the most convincing case yet for Clara Schumann’s deserved place among the best composers in the world of lieder. The sound is warm, clear, and ideally balanced between piano and voice. Eugene Asti must be highly commended for his consistently artful, sensitive, attentive, technically assured performances–absolutely first rate. Song fans–don’t delay. Singers, what are you waiting for? [4/15/2002]

-- David Vernier, ClassicsToday

More reviews:
BBC Music Magazine  PERFORMANCE: ***** / SOUND: *****
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2002/jan/25/shopping.artsfeatures2
http://www.classical.net/music/recs/reviews/h/hyp67249a.php

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Clara Schumann (née Clara Josephine Wieck; 13 September 1819 – 20 May 1896) was a German musician and composer, considered one of the most distinguished pianists of the Romantic era. She exerted her influence over a 61-year concert career, changing the format and repertoire of the piano recital and the tastes of the listening public. Her husband was the composer Robert Schumann, and ogether they encouraged Johannes Brahms. She was the first to perform publicly any work by Brahms and later premiered some other pieces by him.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clara_Schumann

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Susan Gritton (born 31 August 1965 in Reigate, Surrey) is an English operatic soprano. She was educated at the University of Oxford and the University of London, where she studied Botany. She was the 1994 winner of the Kathleen Ferrier Award and has sung leading roles in a wide ranging repertoire from Handel and Mozart to Britten, Janáček and Strauss. A Grammy nominated artist, she has recorded prolifically for Chandos, Hyperion, Deutsche Grammophon, EMI, Decca, Philips and Collins Classics among others.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_Gritton

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Stephen Loges (born 1972 in Dresden, Germany) is a German bass-baritone who came to international attention after winning a number of prestigious prizes in the last five years of the 1990s. He was a member of the Dresden Kreuzchor before studying at the Hochschule der Künste, Berlin and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. As a recital singer, some of the world's leading accompanists have agreed to partner him, including Alexander Schmalcz, Roger Vignoles, Eugene Asti, and Graham Johnson.

http://www.allmusic.com/artist/stephan-loges-mn0001657623/biography

http://www.stephanloges.com/biography.html

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