Johannes Brahms - Liebeslieder-Walzer, Opp. 52 & 65 (Various Artists)

Information

Composer: Johannes Brahms

• (01) Liebeslieder-Walzer, Op. 52
• (19) Fünf Lieder, Op. 47: I. Botschaft
• (20) Vier Lieder, Op. 70: II. Lerchengesang
• (21) Sechs Lieder, Op. 86: II. Feldeinsamkeit
• (22) Fünf Lieder, Op. 105: IV. Auf dem Kirchhoffe
• (23) Lieder und Gesänge, Op. 57: VIII. Unbewegte laue Luft
• (24) Fünf Gesänge, Op. 72: I. Alte Liebe
• (25) Vier Gesänge, Op. 43: II. Die Mainacht
• (26) Fünf Lieder, Op. 105: I. Wie Melodien zieht es mir
• (27) Neue Liebeslieder-Walzer, Op. 65

Mary Bevan, soprano

Fleur Barron, mezzo-soprano

Nicky Spence, tenor

William Thomas, bass

Dylan Perez, piano

Joseph Middleton, piano

Date: 2021

Label: Resonus

https://www.resonusclassics.com/brahms-liebeslieder-walzer-Opp-52-65-bevan-barron-spence-thomas-perez-middleton-res10286

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Review

Brahms’s lighter music has long prompted occasional doubts: can such a brandy-and-cream composer excel at ‘love song waltzes’ as well? The answer in his day, when the Liebeslieder-Walzer were immensely successful, was a resounding ‘yes’. Inspired by Schubert’s dances, to say nothing of Johann Strauss, Brahms wrote the two sets in the late 1860s. Scored for three pairs of musicians – four singers and two pianists – they were perfect for salon gatherings. This delectable recording makes a splendid case, if it were needed, for their worth.

These four singers complement one another and blend effortlessly, seeming to share some crucial qualities: enjoyable tone powered by intelligent attention to the text, and wide-ranging emotional capacity encompassing high spirits and heartache alike. They also have relatively similar vibratos and not all of them wield this element with quite enough variety, which is a slight downside. But Joseph Middleton and Dylan Perez at the piano fire things up with bounce and swing, lyricism and occasional glitter, and the waltzes sound every bit as much fun as they should.

Introducing a group of solo songs between the two books provides welcome contrast and effectively breaks a lot of triple meter. Some of the recording’s most memorable moments can be found here: Nicky Spence’s ‘Lerchengesang’ is heavenly and hushed, William Thomas is heartfelt in ‘Feldeinsamkeit’, Fleur Barron brings dusky unsettlement to ‘Alte Liebe’ and Mary Bevan offers a tender, simple ‘Die Mainacht’.

-- Jessica Duchen, BBC Music Magazine

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Johannes Brahms (7 May 1833 – 3 April 1897) was a German composer and pianist. In his lifetime, Brahms's popularity and influence were considerable. Brahms composed for symphony orchestra, chamber ensembles, piano, organ, and voice and chorus. Many of his works have become staples of the modern concert repertoire. An uncompromising perfectionist, Brahms destroyed some of his works and left others unpublished. Brahms is often considered both a traditionalist and an innovator. His music is firmly rooted in the structures and compositional techniques of the Classical masters, with a highly romantic nature embedded within.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Brahms

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