Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Lieder (Peter Schreier; András Schiff)

Information

Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

1. Dans un bois solitaire, K. 308
2. Die Zufriedenheit, K. 349
3. Komm, liebe Zither, komm, K. 351
4. An die Hoffnung, K. 390
5. Gesellenreise, K. 468
6. Der Zauberer, K. 472
7. Die Zufriedenheit, K. 473
8. Die betrogene Welt, K. 474
9. Das Veilchen, K. 476
10. Lied der Freiheit, K. 506
11. Die Alte, K. 517
12. Die Verschweigung, K. 518
13. Das Lied der Trennung, K. 519
14. Als Luise die Briefe ihres ungetreuen Liebhabers verbrannte, K. 520
15. Abendempfindung, K. 523
16. An Chloë, K. 524
17. Das Traumbild, K. 530
18. Die kleine Spinnerin, K. 531
19. Sehnsucht nach dem Frühling, K. 596
20. Im Frühlingsanfang, K. 597
21. Kleine deutsche Kantate, K. 619

Peter Schreier, tenor

András Schiff, piano

Date: 1992

Label: Decca

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Review

What is one to say except that this is another triumph for this superb partnership? For years Schreier has been known as a sovereign interpreter of Mozart's tenor roles in opera. Here he devotes all his vast experience, skill and inspiration in that field to the more intimate canvas of that composer's small but significant output of Lieder, and for each finds the ideal interpretation, in terms of tone, line and phrasing, inestimably helped by Schiff's piano, a partnership seemingly made in heaven.

If you look through The Classical Catalogue, you will find that most of the recordings of these songs have been made by sopranos of which my favourites are Seefried (not available at present) and Ameling in the Philips Mozart Edition. Enjoyable and rewarding as many of these may be, the added variety and different colour of a tenor, in several cases, adds another dimension to these pieces—or, at least, Schreier's does. I don't recall quite so many vocal nuances or details of word-painting in other accounts of the great Abendempfindung or of the Little Masonic Cantata that ends the programme. A few songs, such as Der Zauberer and, in its very different way, Als Luise die Briefe, are obviously meant for a female singer, but Schreier overcomes even this drawback and, in Die Alte his deliberately pinched tone suggests the voice of the cynical old crone.

Schreier and Schiff again capture to perfection the mood and character of a particular song. The lightness of approach in Komm, leibe Zither, with Schiff giving a fair imitation of a guitar, is just right. Their combined intensity of expression in the unjustly neglected Ich wurd'auf meinem Pfad, a miniature tragedy, is unforgettably moving. Then they catch precisely Mozart in his elevated, Freemason vein in Lied zur Gesellenreise. In Die betrogene Welt it is the eagerness with which the tale of the three, very different girls portrayed within is told that is so impressive, as is the projection of the Pamina-like sorrow of Das Lied der Trennung and in this song you can hear once more Schreier's ability, always encountered in his Schubert, of giving extra emphasis to a key phrase—here it is ''vergessen Gott und ich''. Both artists can move easily and naturally from the sense of grief in Das Traumbild, to the lilting joy of Sehnsucht nach dem Fruhling.

Once again for this pair, producer Christopher Raeburn has come up with a perfectly balanced, forward yet well-aired recording. What more could one ask? A more sympathetic essay on the genre than that provided by Michael Fend who seems so dismissive of the composer's efforts in this field and of his chosen poetry that one is amazed that he should have been asked to write about them. Most of his judgements on the songs are questionable in the extreme. Don't let that prevent you hearing another compelling addition to the Schreier/Schiff discography.

-- Alan Blyth, Gramophone

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Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 1756 in Salzburg – 5 December 1791 in Vienna) was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. Mozart showed prodigious ability from his earliest childhood. Already competent on keyboard and violin, he composed from the age of five and performed before European royalty. Till his death in Vienna, he composed over 600 works, many acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, operatic, and choral music. Mozart is among the most enduringly popular of classical composers, and his influence is profound on subsequent Western art music.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolfgang_Amadeus_Mozart

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Peter Schreier (29 July 1935 – 25 December 2019) was a German tenor and conductor. Schreier made his professional debut in August 1959. Throughout his career Schreier has been famous as a singer of German Lieder, including the songs of Schubert and Schumann. Instead of having the most beautiful of tenor voice, Schreier is known for his intelligent musical expression. Since 1970, Schreier has also been a conductor with a special interest in the works of Mozart, J.S. Bach, and Haydn. In June 2000, Schreier left the opera stage, with last role as Prince Tamino in Die Zauberflöte. He also ended his singing career in 2005.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Schreier

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András Schiff (born 21 December 1953 in Budapest) is a Hungarian-born classical pianist and conductor. Schiff is one of the most renowned interpreters of Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert and Schumann. He has received numerous major awards and honors, including the Grammy Award, Gramophone Award, Mozart Medal, and Royal Academy of Music Bach Prize, and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in her 2014 Birthday Honours for services to music. Being a outspoken critic of Hungarian government, he stated in 2012 that he would never again set foot in his native country.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/András_Schiff

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