Was Ist Musik

Was Ist Musik

Track Listings

1. Lucienne

2. Was Ist Musik

3. Übertragungen

4. Der Augenblick

5. Jet

6. Bist Nicht Allein

7. 2 After 909

8. Illusion

9. Weil du Mich Verstehst - Justus Köhncke, Dirk Von Lowtzow

10. So Weit Wie Noche Nie

Tracks:

Christmas Oratorio: Bereite Dich, Zion
Messiah: He Was Despised
Elijah: O Rest In The Lord
Alto Rhapsody
Ich Bin Der Welt Abhanden Gekommen
L'Invitation Au Voyage
Pie Jesu (From The Requieum Op.9)
Sea Pictures Op.37: I. Sea Slumber-Song
Sea Pictures Op.37: II. In Haven
Sea Pictures Op.37: III. Sabbath Morning At Sea
Sea Pictures Op.37: IV. Where Corals Lie
Sea Pictures Op.37: V. The Swimmer
The Angel's Farewell - Ambrosian Singers

Tracks:

Linden Lea
A Boy Was Born, Op.3: Corpus Christi Carol
Pretty Ring Time
Prison
Soir
Clair De Lune
Ave Maria (Ellens Gesang III)
Gretchen Am Spinnrade
Wiegenlied (Schlafe, Schlafe)
Die Forelle
Auf Dem Wasser Zu Singen
An Die Musik
An Sylvia
Nacht Und Traume
Heidenroslein
Du Bist Die Ruh'
Auf Flugeln Des Gesanges
Liederkreis, Op.39: Mondnacht
Frauenliebe Und -Leben Op.42: Du Ring An Meinem Finger
Geistliches Wiegenlied
Befreit
Morgen!

Amazon.com

While it is impossible to really squeeze The Very Best of Janet Baker onto just two CDs, this two and a half hour anthology is a fine portrait of the British mezzo-soprano. Central to CD 1 is Elgar's Sea Pictures, a definitive account with the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir John Barbirolli. While other British music is represented by Vaughan Williams's "Linden Lea," Britten's "Corpus Christie Carol," and Warlock's "Pretty Ring Time," CD 2 balances the program with 10 Schubert songs accompanied at the piano by either Gerald Moore or Geoffrey Parsons, which range from "Ave Maria" to Shakespeare. The set lends equal weight to orchestral and more intimate song, as well as to works in English--a very moving reading of Handel's "He was despised" from Messiah--and European landmarks, including Mendelssohn's On Wings of Song and Brahms's Alto Rhapsody, the latter with a superlative London Philharmonic Orchestra under Sir Adrian Boult. In an age of technically dazzling but sometimes bland singers, this release is a reminder of emotionally intense musicianship that retains vocal clarity and commitment to the composer's intentions over superstar ego. The word great is often used all too easily, but it could not be more appropriate for this outstanding collection of a great singer. --Gary S. Dalkin

Customer Reviews:

The Very Best of Janet Baker is simply the very best!.......2005-02-09

This cd and this amazing musician are an absolute must have for any music lover or music snob alike! Her voice is amazing!

Grace Incarnate.......2002-09-02

If there is one singer who has ever truly been able to master the singer's art of interpretation, this is her. She is a gift to music, I truly believe this. A few words, or glowing adjectives could not accurately describe the singing of a woman who epitomizes art. And music. Grace and beauty.
Each track on this cd is a perfect union of poetry, melody and technicality. Dame Janet Baker fully immerses herself into each piece, and delivers highly commited, intelligent & emotional performances.

A Rare & Glorious Singer.......2002-06-10

This is a pretty good cross-section of Dame Janet's output from the prime of her career. There are few if any singers like her around today. There are many mezzos who can sing beautifully, with great articulation and finesse, but they lack the moral and musical integrity Dame Janet always brought to her singing. The voice is ardent, seeking, yearning, finding, exulting. Listen to the excerpt from "Dream of Gerontius" or the third of the "Sea Pictures" to see what I mean.
She does not sing to show off. She sings to enlighten, to illuminate, to reveal, to enter into. Her voice carries us off, near to Heaven.
Dame Janet has been neglected of late. This recording shows us why, in these perilous times, we need her more than ever.

Average customer rating:

A "Regular People" Review
Epitome of Lieder singing
This elevates my mood!

Schubert: 24 Lieder
Franz Schubert , Elisabeth Schwarzkopf , Geoffrey Parsons , Gerald Moore , and Edwin Fischer
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B0001O3YCQ
Release Date: 2004-04-06

Tracks:

Die Vogel
Liebhaber In Allen Gestalten
An Die Musik
Im Fruhling
Wehmut
Ganymed
Dans Lied Im Grunen
Gretchen Am Spinnrade
Nahe Des Geliebten
Die Junge Nonne
An Silvia
Auf Dem Wasser Zu Singen
Nachtviolen
Der Musensohn
Litanei
Ungeduld
Heidenroslein
Der Jungling And Der Quelle
Der Einsame
Die Forelle
Liebe Schwarmt Auf Allen Wegen
Seligkeit
An Mein Klavier
Erlkonig

Customer Reviews:

A "Regular People" Review.......2007-02-17

In my opinion this is the most solid disc of Lieder I have heard. The music and the performance are great. I would definitely go for this if your new to Lieder and want to get your feet wet. And maybe next you'll want to try Brahms' Deutche Volkslieder, which I think takes a little more effort to get into, but is great none the less.

Epitome of Lieder singing.......2006-07-26

It really amazed me to learn from the booklet that Elisabeth Schwarzkopf was never totally confident in taking on the songs of Schubert, mostly due to the fact that a lot of them are simply based on poems with a man being the character. With her wonderful tone, fastidious attention to detail and the true German spirit, she would have been able to perform them much more extensively. Whatever the case, the 24 songs featured on this disc are a true delight from start to finish. The CD starts with the joyful atmosphere of the songs "Die Vogel" and "Liebhaber in allen Gestalten " which obviously were recorded very early on in Schwarzkopf's career, showcasing her in carefree, simple and amazingly fresh mood. Then comes the core of the CD-the classic recital with Edwin Fischer at the piano. Nothing really needs to be said here. Schwarzkopf shines throughout with beautiful tone, flawless diction. She may be mannered, yes, but she also does justice to the poetry like I never heard from anyone before, of course with the exception of Fischer-Dieskau. Edwin Fischer plays with taste, bringing out all the demanded atmosphere: from the serenity of Im Fruhling to the intensity of Die Junge Nonne. The sound is pretty old but the balance is perfect and both Schwarzkopf and Fischer are caught in a great day. The other items on the disc are recorded later on in Schwarzkopf's career, when her tone has darkened, thinned down a bit but always radiant and the fastidiousness and artistry even more significant; and Gerald Moore and Geoffrey Parsons are delightful pianists. The remaining songs include a high-spirited Die Forelle and Seligkeit, a wonderfully introspective Der Einsame and a moving and gorgeous An mein klavier (although she seems to miss a breath for a tiny fraction of a second at the beginning of the 2nd verse). The final "Erlkonig", one of her most favorite recordings, is a track that will knock you off your seat with its intensity. Parsons's playing is adequately intense, and Schwarzkopf's "mannerisms" which the Schwarzkopf bashers love to hate, are deadly powerful in pointing out all the 4 characters of the demanding lied. Be warned, the cry of "gewalt" by the end of the lied will cause your heart to miss one beat! Sound recording gets better throughout the CD, from acceptable mono of the first 2 songs to the crystal-clear stereo of the final items.
Highly recommended. Masterful singing from the queen of German lieder.

This elevates my mood! .......2005-09-08

Although i do not understand each word it sings, i m just happy to hear it till the last song finishes. I feel content.

Average customer rating:

Elly Ameling now more available
Delight in every note
While they last...
Treasures From a Treasure
More than fully earned praise for an exceptional singer.

Artistry of Elly Ameling (Coll)
Elly Ameling
Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00007KMSJ
Release Date: 2003-10-14

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Weihnachts-Oratorium
Juditha Triumphans
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Customer Reviews:

Elly Ameling now more available .......2007-03-07

I had a 33 rpm album of Elly Ameling singing Schubert lieder accompanied by piano and clarinet at times. It was one of my all time favorite albums so I have been disappointed that I have not been able to find it anywhere on CD.

Now I can just buy this excellent collection. So much music in one place! Since I confess that I am far from an expert on the rest of her records, I look forward to hearing her sing many other styles and composers.

I think it is silly to criticize her for not singing Wagner, for example, since her version of many songs, especially lieder, are nothing short of sublime. I would like to hear how many Wagnerians sing Schubert or Mozart.

I doubt if they could approach the skill and soul with which Elly Ameling sings lieder.

Delight in every note.......2006-03-10

To speak as briefly as possible about this superb collection from an equally superb singer, what can I say but that Ms Ameling possessed a voice that shone with radiant warmth and star-like shimmer? And unlike many another light lyric soprano, Elly Ameling was possessed of a very high standard of musicianship, considerable intelligence, and a sort of immediate charm that captivates the listener.

So many of her recordings have still to be released on CD, but this 5CD-set goes some way towards remedying the situation. The repertoire spans a wide variety - French mèlodies, Lieder, light-hearted "sentimental" songs, Bach, etc. - and in each piece, Ms Ameling shows that quality of pearl-like beauty. It is a beauty which is also extremely pretty - a beauty of voice that is never overbearing and over-ripe, but perfectly blossoming upon the tree of inspiration.

I recommend this set unequivocally. It truly is sheer delight.

While they last..........2005-05-17

Elly Ameling held the quiet stage for recitals of great artistry and dignity for several decades and sadly most of the enormously successful CDs of her long career output are now unavailable. For those who have little access to the documentation of this very special artist, this box set is a must. It is a compilation of many of her recordings with differing accompanists, conductors, orchestras and composers. And while not all of the choices for inclusion here would be considered her greatest moments, there are enough works that sustain the warm memories of the little Dutch hausfrau who quietly and simply paid homage to composers with her clear and intelligent musicianship and radiant voice.

Ameling was known to schedule recitals of Schubert cycles and songs and in the afterglow of her performance answer the demand for curtain calls with additional Schubert melodies: she gifted her audience with the dignity of honoring a composer's works by maintaining the focus on that composer rather than milk the audience with the usual encore applause-getting favorites. And special moments such as quietly and pensively strolling through the orchestra during the Mahler 4th symphony to arrive at front stage, unapplauded, just in time for the opening line of her singing - those simple homage to composers and collaborators made her selfless manner endearing to audiences.

Despite the fact that Ameling's voice was on the small side she was always able to muster the projection to carry her message solidly in context with an orchestra. Yes, other more famous singers have recorded Ravel's quintessentially French SHEHERAZADE, but few have the perfection of diction and aura of mystery that Ameling maintained. Whether singing with piano or orchestra, or interpreting Bach, Mozart, Handel, and Vivaldi with the same degree of involvement as Brahms and Schumann and Schubert, Elly Ameling spanned a career that engendered passionate commitment from her fans. And this boxed set is a pocket full of memories to be treasured. Buy it before this too becomes unavailable. Grady Harp, May 05

Treasures From a Treasure.......2004-09-25

Treasures from a Treasure.

Ameling, one of the world's most beloved recitalists is captured here in a 5 CD collection offering some of her most beautiful recordings of song. While we are used to her perfection in songs of Bach, Mozart, Schubert, Schumann, Faure and Hahn, an added joy is her "pop" side, tackling - without a whiff of pretension, Porter, Kern, Gershwin, Ellington, et al.

What an absolute joy it is listening to this amazing artist sing these songs with an almost uncanny natural ease. There is no resorting to a "pop" voice and yet most of these pop standards songs sound as though they could have been written for her. Clean attacks, sometimes a bit of the pop technique of hanging on to a consonant longer than a classical artist normally would shows an appreciation and understanding of the style. Still, there is never once a compromise of her vocal beauty.

I like the way the songs have been arranged for her voice in that she sort of sings them clean, unaffected in the first half and then lets loose and kinda "swings" with it adding embellishments but never really changing her voice (Price, von Stade and other favorite singers of mine seem to have always added a breathy quality to much of their crossover material.)

Ameling doesn't resort to trying to "let her hair down" or get down and dirty, but rather the honest with which she approaches every one of these songs shows how much she enjoys singing them and her style is as refreshing as stumbling onto a cool spring on a sweltering summer's afternoon. A wonderful surprise.

More than fully earned praise for an exceptional singer........2003-07-15

As I had the privilige of hearing this outstanding Lied-singer during her long career in Holland and being the proud possessor of almost all her recordings, I cannot but fully agree with the professional and joyful review of Mr. Robert Holliston from Victoria, B.C. Canada.
Yes, it is unbelievable that of about the 150 recordings Mrs. Ameling made during her long career (for the greater part of course on the 'oldfashioned' LP's, as well as the innumerable Dutch live-recorded radio-concerts), so few CD's have been released.
Speaking of tradition: it was the page-turner of the Wigmore Hall in London who told Mrs. Ameling after her first recital in this hall, that she reminded him of Elisabeth Schumann. (And he certainly didn't mean her looks only!)
For those who are eager to hear her singing Ravel's Shéhérazade (just one example of stirring imagination combined with her Art of Singing) I can tell you that Philips released a 2-box CD of this work in 1999, combined with Debussy's La Damoiselle élue and a compilation of French mélodies, i.e. Debussy, Fauré, Duparc, Satie. One of the gems is Caplet's Le Corbeau et le Renard which even make children, who know the fables of La Fontaine, revel in the singing of the quarrelsome birds....
Her brilliant accompanyist is Rudolf Jansen. Let us cherish great artists in their art!

Average customer rating:

An interesting recording with rare repertoire: Lieder with orchestra
Not a mere experiment.
lieder, not as it was mean to be...
An Intresting But Unsatisfying Experiment
A miracle indeed!

Schubert: Lieder with Orchestra

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00008MLUR
Release Date: 2003-04-08

Tracks:

Romanze, D 797 No.3b - Anne Sofie Von Otter
Die Forelle, D 550 - Anne Sofie Von Otter
Ellens Zweiter Gesang, D 838 - Anne Sofie Von Otter
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An Silvia, D 891 - Anne Sofie Von Otter
Im Abendrot, D 799 - Anne Sofie Von Otter
Nacht Un Traume, D 827 - Anne Sofie Von Otter
Gruppe Aus Dem Tartarus, D 583 - Anne Sofie Von Otter
Erlkonig, D 328 - Anne Sofie Von Otter
Die Junge Nonne, D 828 - Anne Sofie Von Otter
Tranenregen, D 795 No.10 - Thomas Quasthoff
Der Wegweiser, D 911 No.20 - Thomas Quasthoff
Du Bist Die Ruh, D 776 - Thomas Quasthoff
Ihr Bild, D 957 No.9 - Thomas Quasthoff
Prometheus, D 674 - Thomas Quasthoff
Memnon, D 541 - Thomas Quasthoff
An Schwager Kronos, D 369 - Thomas Quasthoff
An Die Musik, D 547 - Thomas Quasthoff
Erlkonig, D 328 - Thomas Quasthoff
Geheimes, D 719 - Anne Sofie Von Otter
Standchen, D 957 No.4 - Thomas Quasthoff

Customer Reviews:

An interesting recording with rare repertoire: Lieder with orchestra.......2005-11-12

This is an excellent recording, and it is interesting with rare repertoire: Schubert lieder with orchestra instead of the usual piano part. There are lieder here sung by Anne Sofie von Otter (about 1/2 the program) and Thomas Quasthoff (the 2nd 1/2) with Claudio Abbado/Chamber Orchestra of Europe. Among the songs are orchestrations by Brahms, Reger, Britten, and other famous composers.

The orchestrations stand up very well, and highlight the text and vocal line of the music, as a good pianist would. Abbado is excellent here: responsive to every nuance and dynamic shading of the singer he is accompanying. These are live recordings from a Paris concert, but the audience is so quiet, I never hear them.

This was one of my favorite recordings in 2003, and still is today. I especially like "An Schwager Kronos" and "Erlking" in orchestral form. And, if you're not sure about Abbado's Schubert: his DG cycle of the Schubert Symphonies has not been well received in AMERICAN RECORD GUIDE and other publications, but have no fear in this release. Abbado is top notch here, and conducts with sensitivity and grace. Highest recommendation!

Not a mere experiment........2004-03-23

This recording isn't a mere experiment. It's the result of a very profound research. The first track is the beginning of this fascinating path: One orchestral lied by Schubert himself. And after this Lied from the "Rosamunde" the discoveries : Schubert orchestrated by Britten , Brahms , Reger, Berlioz, Liszt, Webern and Offenbach. The most interesting orchestrations are undoubtedly : Ellens Zweiter Gesang , that Brahms scored for Four Horns and Three bassoons, Erlkönig , that Berlioz transformed in a symphonic storm, and the four delicates orchestrations conceived by the 20 years old Anton Webern .
Not only the research is fascinating. The realization is also outstanding. Anne Sophie von Otter , one of the most important Lieder singer in the world. Her recordings of Strauss, Grieg, Berg, Brahms and Schubert with the excellent pianist Bengt Forsberg are among the most interesting lieder recording of the last 20 years .She sings these orchestral versions with the same sense of intimacy of a original (piano) version , with some interesting "orchestral" affinities in her emission, specially in Die Junge Nonne ( orchestrated by Liszt) and in Die Forelle ( orchestrated by Britten). Thomas Quasthoff has a more Symphonic approach . But he is capable of wonderful intimate sonorities in the four Webern Orchestrations. The Chamber Orchestra of Europe conducted by Claudio Abbado are more than mere support for the voices. The intelligence of the conductor lead this fascinating research to a very high level of intensity , always with a flawless sense of musicality.

lieder, not as it was mean to be..........2003-12-19

Von Otter and Quasthoff are two of my favorite singers, and there is nothing to fault with their singing here. But the idea of taking lieder - songs that were meant for the parlor, for the intimate gathering, and to orchestrate them - I don't think it works. The songs lose some of their character, and become as it were, different music. An interesting experiment, but I'll take the piano..

An Intresting But Unsatisfying Experiment.......2003-05-13

I bought this CD because it was different. Having had recordings of Janet Baker singing most of these songs with Gerald Moore on piano, I thought an orchestrated version of these songs would seem novel. But after repeated listenings, I decided to sell it off to the used CD store.

Why? It's because I believe the orchestrations are bland and repetitive. Listening to this CD gave me insight into Schubert's lieder: these songs, I have come to realize, are INTIMATE interactions between singer and pianist. To expand them orchestrally, without structural revisions to the melody and the accompaniment, declares to the listener how truly petite Schubert's song material is.

The annotations on the CD mention that the lieder were orchestrated in the late 19th-early 20th century to meet the (then current) demand for orchestral songs (the form made popular by composers ranging from Brahms, to R. Strauss). That explains the existence of the orchestrations. But, in adapting Schubert's work, the orchestators (Brahms, Reger, Britten et al.) have very little material to colorate and expand. In the end, the results often sound, well...small and unconvincing. Even unsatisfying and unnecessary IMHO.

For ratings, I give this recording three stars for the musicians' performance and for Schubert's gift of melody and accompaniment. Take two stars off for the weak orchestrations and for the decision to record them.

Here's a thought: what if you reworked the songs themselves, enlarging them and entrusting them to the likes of John Harbison, John Adams, or even John Berry (or Hermann, Copland or Stravinsky, four--or Berlioz, Busoni, or Ravel, five--generations ago)? Now there's a novel thought...!

A miracle indeed!.......2003-05-10

At last a serious vocal project with orchestra from DG! I can't find enough praise. These Schubert songs orchestrated by various composers are not easy to come by and it was a stroke of genius to put them together on one disc and have them sung by two great Lieder singers. I only knew Berlioz's orchestration of the Erlkoenig (sung in French by Charles Panzera), here we get two: Berlioz's (sung by von Otter) and Reger's (sung by Quasthoff). All the orchestrations are little gems and it would be hard to single out the "greatest hits". I was quite impressed with Liszt's orchestration of "Die junge Nonne" which sounded to me very Berliozian (maybe even more than Berlioz's Erlkoenig).
Throughout the disc, von Otter sings with decidedly more operatic tone (often extremely dramatic) than Quasthoff. I won't pretend that I know what style is more appropriate for singing Lieder with orchestra but both von Otter's operatic approach and Quasthoff's more subdued one work very well here. Abbado's conducting must not be overlooked - it is beautifully nuanced and adds to the pleasure of listening to these miniatures.

Tracks:

Deutschland Uber Alles
Jagersburger March
Heimatland Pfalzland
Komm und Tanz
Benelux March
Chiemgau Lander
Gruss Aus Passau
Sag Was Kann Schoner Sein
Heute Is Schall
Schone Pfalz
Hir Mal Zu
Kufstein Polka
Trompettengruss
Musik das Ist Mein Leben
Freunde Hente Gehn Wir Aus
Alles Klar
Wir Pfalzer, Wir Halten Zusammen
Aug Einmat
Gartenfest
Lustige Witwe
Jagersburger March With Chorus

Customer Reviews:

Great Variety.......2007-01-10

This CD is a good example of German martial music. It has great variety.Hopefully it will lead to reoleases of more albums of marches, from the mid 1850's thru the early twentieth century and would include Austian offerings as well. The Imperial Band would be wonderful.

Title is a bit misleading.......2006-09-24

I was very pleased with the original volume of German Military Marches. There were some differing opinions, in regards to the sound quality of that cd, but nothing that took away from the selections.

As the name of this title "More German Military Marches & Polkas Vol.II" suggests, this cd would be a addendum to the previous volume. This is not the case for this cd, as it is a completely different selection of tracks and genre.

I am not a military marches expert, but I do have a collection and an idea of what I expect from a cd entitled Military Marches & Polkas. This recent volume is primarily a collection of bland polkas. Maybe a Polka fan would like this volume, but if you are looking for good military marches, as found on the original cd, look elsewhere.

An Excellent Presentation.......2006-03-17

As manager of "The Oktoberfest Webring," I am always on the lookout for good CD's of music suitable for Oktoberfest celebrations. This CD definitely fills the bill. The musicians and their conductor are thoroughly professional and do an outstanding job--which, to be sure, is what one would expect from the German Air Force Band. The blend and balance between instruments is excellent. With the exception of "Deutschland Ueber Alles," the songs are mostly light-hearted, breezy arrangements that are executed with military precision. At the same time, they are very much in the traditional Oktoberfest oom-pah band mood and spirit. An interesting and pleasing combination! With the exception of "Deutschland Ueber Alles," which sounds slightly distorted, the sound quality is superb. I highly recommend this CD!

German Band Music --- "Beer Garden" Style.......2004-07-11

If you're looking for heavy full-range German march music, this is probably not the album for you. Also, the recording quality is a bit tinny here and there, especially in the recording of the "Deutschland Lied." As my heading implies, the perfomance style is much lighter and is more like what you'd hear at a local Oktoberfest beer garden. The music is, on the whole, still enjoyable and the vocals are also on the light side. Back in the late 1950s through the early 1990s, the radio station KTYM broadcast German music programs on Saturdays and Sundays hosted by Fred Schell and Peter Teichmann. On their programs, they played music that sounded much like what you'll hear on this CD. While I don't think of this music as something you'd march to, it is the kind you'd relax to while sipping from your bierkrug and enjoying a Thueringer bratwurst or Muenchner wiesswurst and a side of sauerkraut with friends. On Sundays when I was a kid, my dad would barbeque on the porch. We kids would play in the yard while his German friends would sit in the shade enjoying their beer and listening to this music played on the portable stereo set my dad brought outside on a LONG extension cord. I'm still in the habit of listening to this music on weekends. It still brings back some nice memories.

While the recording quality is wanting here and there, I think you'll find this collection of traditional German music relaxing and pleasing. You would do well to puchase this album used on Amazon, as I did. And, for those of you who understand German: "In der Not schmeckt das Wurst gut ohne Brot!"

Ian Bostridge - Schubert Lieder, Volume I
Average customer rating:

Refined singing, but the voice is an acquired taste

A promise of things to come

Fresh, shining, young. I envy that, really.

Refined artistry

Erlkonig note

Ian Bostridge - Schubert Lieder, Volume I
Franz Schubert , Ian Bostridge , and Julius Drake
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

All Works by Schubert | Schubert, Franz | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
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Die Schone Mullerin

Ian Bostridge - Songs of Faure, Debussy & Poulenc

ASIN: B000007TK1
Release Date: 1998-07-14

Tracks:

Die Forelle, D.550
Ganymed, D.544
Im Fr, D.882
An den Mond, D.196
Heidenrin, D.257
Wandrers Nachtlied II, D.768
Erster Verlust, D.226
Der Fischer, D.225
Fischerweise, D.881
Nacht und Tre, D.827
Der Zwerg, D.771
An die Musik, D.547
Du bist die Ruh, D.776
Auf dem Wasser zu singen, D.774
An Silvia, D.891
Litanei auf das Fest Allerseelen, D.343
Frsglaube, D.686
Im Haine, D.764
Der Musensohn, D.764
Wandrers Nachtlied I, D.224
Seligkeit, D.433
Erlk, D.328

Amazon.com

Ian Bostridge has chosen a kaleidoscopic variety of songs by the greatest of all songwriters. The attractions and challenges of these songs are poetic and dramatic as well as musical, and Bostridge and Drake mobilize a wide range of expressive skills to reinforce their pure musicianship. They are intensely involved in storytelling in the playfully serious "Die Forelle" (The Trout) and "Heidenroeslein" (Wild Rose), in the grotesque "Der Zwerg" (The Dwarf) and the spooky "Erlkonig," which gallops through a story of a fruitless race against death. Tranquility reigns in the "Wandrers Nachtlied" (Wanderer's Night Song) I and II; hushed awe in "An die Musik" (To Music--a performance that brings tears to my eyes) and "Du bist die Ruh" (You are Peace); and idealistic love in the Shakespearean "An Sylvia" ("To Sylvia"). Each song creates a world of its own, superbly embodied in these performances. --Joe McLellan

Customer Reviews:

Refined singing, but the voice is an acquired taste.......2005-09-18

Ian Bostridge is a phenomenon, the darling of British critics and one of the few lieder recitalists today who can fill arnegie Hall. I've heard him there and on CD, and I don't get his enormous appeal. Usually when you dislike an artist revered by almost everyone else, it's best to keep quiet, but I must say this hooty, small voice with its limited range, along with Bostridge's precious underlining of every word, is so off the mark that I have to register a complaint. There is much refinement in his singing, and an admirable dramatic commitment, but none of that seems like adequate compensation. Now everyone can go on enjoying themselves, apparently.

A promise of things to come.......2005-08-30

I must be entirely honest and say that this was a disappointment to me. That comes, I promise, from probably the one person in the world most obsessed with Ian Bostridge's voice.
The reason is that I had heard so much of his subsequent work. The depth, color, agility, and timbre of his voice is simply spell-binding, but all of it is acquired, added to his natural melodic talent. So this, an earlier recording, holds less of that acquired beauty than later albums, particularly the Debussy, Faure, & Poulenc and Schubert Lieder, Vol II.
If you're looking for Schubert sung in a subtly emotional and petulent way, this is for you. I cannot say that his execution is particularly fulfilling, nor his German as good as it is now, nor his voice as rich -- he almost sounds tired in much of it -- but what you will hear is a promise of better things to come as he grows musically.
Personally, I think we should form a petition to get him to record another Lieder disc including a better version of Du Bist Die Ruh.

Fresh, shining, young. I envy that, really........2004-10-15

Just listen to the track 19, Der Musensohn. Only after that will you really understand the title "Der Musensohn", the son of the muse. I really wonder there would any singer surpass this. What a beautiful song, what an amazing fresh interpretation. The whole disc is almost too beautiful, clean and elaborated.

And, Ian is such an intelligent and gifted singer that I envy him so much.

I, with my own selfish anticipation, hope that in the future he will become more and even more mature, and just like Schubert, from a pure gifted intelligent voice into a deep and great immortal one.

Refined artistry.......2004-02-18

Ian Bostridge is a rarity in today's classical music world--a singer who is making his way mostly as an exponent of the intimate world of art song and the song recital.

The present volume contains many of Schubert's greatest and best-known songs. Bostridge's voice is a light tenor of extreme refinement--one suspects the voice in live performance is on the smallish side (I have not heard him live). On recording, however, without the urgency of filling a hall with sound, the artist can use his considerable skills to maximum interpretive effect. His liquid legato, clear diction and dynamic control give considerable pleasure--listen to the way he handles the taxing rising lines of "Du bist die Ruh," for example. Occasionally, as in the pianissimo conclusion of "Erlkonig," he goes for melodrama where a straightforward rendering would have been more effective. Pianist Julius Drake is a superb musical collaborator throughout. On balance, then, this is a beautifully performed and recorded disc.

Erlkonig note.......2002-10-21

I'd like to mention that the reason I bought this CD was because the Erlkonig that is contained on it in sang and played in G minor. This is the original key for the piece. Most (I'd say at least 9 out of 10) recordings of the song (including Fischer-Deskau) are in F minor. A good amount are sung by women. However, it is a VERY rare find indeed to hear Erlkonig in G minor. Also, Liszt transcribed this work for piano solo, and that's in G minor. Of course, most people don't care about the right key of the piece, but for those who do, like myself, this CD is the one you want. It's also a very good recording, as his voice is less harsh than most male singers, and thus more enjoyable to those not already into classical vocal works.

Schumann: Dichterliebe / Wunderlich, Giesen

Average customer rating:

the best endorsement possible
Great recording
Wunderlich was stupendous!
One of the greatest
Schumann: Dichterliebe / Wunderlich, Giesen

Schumann: Dichterliebe / Wunderlich, Giesen

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Schubert: Die Schöne Müllerin, 3 Lieder / Fritz Wunderlich
Very Best of
Fritz Wunderlich: Great German Tenor
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Great Recordings Of The Century - Schubert: Die Schone Mullerin / Fischer-Dieskau, Moore

ASIN: B000001GXG
Release Date: 1997-08-12

Tracks:

Dichterliebe op. 48: Im wundersch Monat Mai (In the marvellous month of May)
Dichterliebe op. 48: Aus meinen Trn spriessen (From my tears there spring)
Dichterliebe op. 48: Die Rose, die Lilie, die Taube, die Sonne (The rose, the lily, the dove, the sun)
Dichterliebe op. 48: Wenn ich in deine Augen seh' (When I gaze into your eyes)
Dichterliebe op. 48: Ich will meine Seele tauchen (I long to sink my soul)
Dichterliebe op. 48: Im Rhein, im heiligen Strome (The Rhine, the holy river)
Dichterliebe op. 48: Ich grolle nicht (I do not complain)
Dichterliebe op. 48: Und w's die Blumen, die kleinen (If only the flowers could know)
Dichterliebe op. 48: Das ist ein Fl und Geigen (There is fluting and fiddling)
Dichterliebe op. 48: Hich das Liedchen klingen (When I hear the sound of the song)
Dichterliebe op. 48: Ein Jg liebt ein Mhen (A lad loves a girl)
Dichterliebe op. 48: Am leuchtenden Sommermorgen (On a gleaming morning in summer)
Dichterliebe op. 48: Ich hab' im Traum geweinet (I wept in my dreams)
Dichterliebe op. 48: Allntlich im Traume seh' ich dich (All night in dreams I see you)
Dichterliebe op. 48: Aus alten Mhen winkt es (From old tales someone waves)
Dichterliebe op. 48: Die alten, b Lieder (The old and evil songs)
WoO 123: Zartliche Liebe (Gentle Love)
op. 46: Adelaide
WoO 149: Resignation
op. 128: Der Kuss (The Kiss)
D 891: An Silvia (Who is Silvia?)
D 360: Lied eines Schiffers an die Dioskuren ( Sailor's Song to the Dioscuri)
Liebhaber in allen Gestalten (A Lover in Any Guise)
D 800: Der Einsame (The Solitary)
D 799: Im Abendrot (In the Evening Glow)
D 957 no. 4: Stchen (Serenade)
D 905: An die Laute (To his Lute)
D 764: Der Musensohn (Son of the Muses)
D 547: An die Musik (To Music)

Customer Reviews:

the best endorsement possible.......2007-03-26

The best endorsement possible for this performance is that it is apparently what Juan Diego Florez has on his ipod to listen to during long plane trips. If it is that appreciated by Florez, it has to be marvelous.

Great recording.......2006-11-10

Hardly anyone I talk to has even heard of Fritz Wunderlich, and that's sad. His interpretation of these wonderful Lieder by Schumann, Schubert, and Beethoven is simply one of the best out there - right up there with Fischer-Dieskau and Ameling. His range of expression is as impressive as his technique, bringing something unique to each of the songs on this recording and on his recording of "Die Schoene Muellerin." To quote the music history professor who introduced me to his work, "I think Fritz Wunderlich really 'got it.'" Anyone who can make "Adelaide" seem profound even after countless recordings is someone worth listening to.

Buy this CD.

Wunderlich was stupendous!.......2004-12-28

Fritz Wunderlich gives as moving a performance of these lieder as you will ever hear. Wunderlich's voice is powerful, yet supple and at times melancholy. It's hard to pick out highlights, because everything is so good, but Die Rose, die Lilie, die Taube, die Sonne, brief as it is, is simply marvelous. When he sings Ich grolle nicht it is infused with a pathos and yearning that is peerless. This is a must have disc if you love Schumann, Tenors, Lieder, or Music...

One of the greatest.......2004-07-19

Fritz Wunderlich sings with a truly marvelous voice and an impeccable diction. His short life (he died at age 36, however, certainly did not allow him to reach full musical maturity in some of his interpretations. His youthful voice suits the Beethoven songs the best-`Adelaide' stands among the best I have ever heard in recording. His version of Dichterliebe, although also extremely musical and equally moving, lacks of a bit of the detail and subtlety we find in, for example, the Fischer-Dieskau recordings-arguably among the best. We must consider that Wunderlich, contrary to Fischer Dieskau for instance, sings most of these pieces in its original key, which also makes the experience of listening to this CD one of the best ever. This recording gives me the impression that Wunderlich's voice would surpass any other Beethoven, Schubert or Schumann could have ever dreamt of!

Schumann: Dichterliebe / Wunderlich, Giesen.......2002-03-17

The cycle of the Poet's love is most probably the greatest and most difficult one to interpret. Each melody is asking from the singer and the pianist equal amount of musical imagination (as later on with Hugo wolf cycles.) Here, Wunderlich sings with such subtleties that it seems as natural as he would speak or read out loud. The words are integrated into the music and the accents help the listener to follow the music and the poems as a whole story instead of considering each melody as a seperate entity. These accents are not cold but beautifully musical sustained by H. Giesen at the piano. His warm voice is an enormous plus in this version and each sound is in place, like breathing is a necessity.

Bryn Terfel - An die Musik (Favorite Schubert Songs) / Martineau

Average customer rating:

Operatic Schubert that works, for once
My first recording with Bryn Terfel and I love it!
Terfel's all-encompassing Schubert recital
Die Forelle und ErlKoenig
A superb performance

Bryn Terfel - An die Musik (Favorite Schubert Songs) / Martineau
Franz Schubert , Bryn Terfel , and Malcolm Martineau
Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Cecilia & Bryn ~ Cecilia Bartoli duets Bryn Terfel

ASIN: B000001GMM
Release Date: 1994-09-20

Tracks:

An Die Musik: Gruppe aus dem Tartarus D 583
An Die Musik: Litanei auf das Fest Allerseelen D343
An Die Musik: Die Forelle D 550
An Die Musik: An die Leier D 737
An Die Musik: Lachen und Weinen D 777
An Die Musik: Standchen D 957 No. 4 - 'Leise flehen meine Lieder'
An Die Musik: Das Fischermadchen D 957 No. 10
An Die Musik: Die Taubenpost D 957 No. 14
An Die Musik: Meeres Stille D 216
An Die Musik: Der Wanderer D 493
An Die Musik: Erlkonig
An Die Musik: Der Tod und das Madchen D 531
An Die Musik: Heidenroslein D 257
An Die Musik: Wandrers Nachtlied II D 547
An Die Musik: An die Musik D 547
An Die Musik: Auf der Bruck D 853
An Die Musik: Schafers Klagelied D 121
An Die Musik: An Silvia D 891
An Die Musik: Du bis die Ruh' D 776
An Die Musik: An die Laute D 905
An Die Musik: Rastlose Liebe D 138
An Die Musik: Ganymed D 544
An Die Musik: Der Musensohn D 764

Customer Reviews:

Operatic Schubert that works, for once.......2006-01-09

Bryn Terfel issn't the first heroic bass-baritone to try lieder singing, but for every Hans Hotter who succeeds there's a George London who doesn't. In opera a singer who expresses an inward emotion msut still fill the house with sound. Terfel knows how to scale his voice to a whisper, but that would just be a trick if he didn't go inside personally. He can do that very well while singing strongly--a rare gift--and he dares to employ the high dramatics of oprea, flooding the listener with gorgeous vocalism while maintaining contact with Schubert's intent.

I don't mean to sound so clinical. The simple secret of Terfel's success is his ability to communicate. Every song here is familiar, but whether in Die Forelle, Erlkonig, or Der Musensohn, he finds a way to chatacterize the words emotionally--in this his success mirrors Jessye Norman's, who also sang a thrilling Schubert recital early in her career that gloried in her huge sound instead of trying to supress it. With this 1994 CD and his "Vagabond" recital of English art songs Terfel secured his place at the top of the singing world.

My first recording with Bryn Terfel and I love it!.......2004-02-17

If there is a man who can sing his heart out with Schubert, it's Bryn Terfel. His voice is very much like chiaroscuro; light like the morning dawn, loud like the tearing thunder or gathering waves! The welsh baritone sings the songs as if he feels them and is bursting out his soul. As he said when singing a Mozart opera as I read, "I'm going to sing the hell out of this!". But hell sounds too much like heaven. The arist has a gift and he uses it to the extent. And Die Musik is one disc everyone should have in their collection.

Terfel's all-encompassing Schubert recital.......2003-10-23

This Schubert CD is one of the first high notes in Bryn Terfel's solo discography for DG. Although you might find him at home singing Rodgers & Hammerstein musical excerpts, or a popular Welsh song, this recital of Schubert shows Terfel as sympathetic when he interprets the lieder of this Austrian "sunshine composer." Terfel leads us through a good 69 minutes of 23 favourite Schubert songs, ably backed by the authoritative piano accompaniments of Malcolm Martineau that create the effect of a magic carpet for Bryn, and engage in a sparkling dialogue with him. And DG has ably capped this winning recital with a natural, ambient and clear recording in Hamburg's Friedrich-Ebert Halle .

Terfel's Schubert recital encompasses a great range of moods and emotions. These range from the joie de vivre of "Die Forelle" to the tender, soft and seductive strains of the overplayed "Standchen." In these two immensely popular songs, Terfel gives the Midas touch until you sense it turning into gold. Terfel is also able to let us face the apocalyptic terror of the first song, "Gruppe aus dem Tartarus" and the smooth-talking malevolance of "Der Tod und das Madtchen." But yet, Terfel also treats us to selections that we know are enjoyable, and where he ably evokes the appropriate mood of each song. In his restless "Der Wanderer," he sings it until he makes us want to cry because he evokes the mood of the narrator's restless sould so vividly. There is also a hair-raising and dramatic "Erlkonig" where Terfel ably creates contrasts between the three characters in the story. But perhaps the best songs are those where he savours every moment and has an honest, winning expression. His rendition of the title track, "An die Musik" has a sincere and simple charm that matches the sentiments of the song, and he is able to convey to us the wonder of "Gaymed" and the charming Shakespearean song, "An Silvia." He caps this winning persona with a delightful "Heidenrslein" and "Die Taubenpost" and a cheerful and outgoing rendition of the last song, "Der Musensohn." The only wuibble I have is that 70 minutes is too short to hear Terfel tackle the all-important Schubert songs from his over-600, and I do hope he'll consider recording a volume 2 in the near future. This album seems to omit some of the other well-loved songs like Der Lindenbaum, Fruhlingsglaube, Gretchen am Spinnrade, Horch, horch die Lerch and the original version of Ave Maria with the German translation of Scott.

On the whole, I find this a wonderful Terfel recital of Schubert lieder, and Terfel seems like he is savouring every moment of it. This is one of the essential purchases for anyone who is getting into Bryn Terfel, and should be well-considered alongside the Rodgers & Hammerstein and Welsh albums. Now I wonder when Terfel will come up with a Volume 2 with more well-known Lieder...

Die Forelle und ErlKoenig.......2001-10-22

This is really a delightful CD. I was amazed by the interpretation of "Der Erlkoenig" und thoroughly enjoyed
"Die Forelle". It feels like a brave and extaordinarily
capable voice was at work in the making of this CD.
Very gifted singer !

A superb performance.......2001-04-21

This recording shows very well what Bryn Terfel can do with lieder. He is more dramatic than many rivals - not afraid to use full voice at times or a faint whisper. His Erlkonig is possibly the finest thing on this recording - the characterizations may be too extreme for some tastes, but shows Terfel's ability to capture the listener. Martineau rises superbly to the challenge of supporting this great voice. The recording is also very realistic.

An die Musik [2 CD & DVD Limited Edition]

Average customer rating:

An excellent overview of Dietrich Fischer Dieskau with Deutsche Grammophon

An die Musik [2 CD & DVD Limited Edition]

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0008064XY
Release Date: 2005-07-12

Customer Reviews:

An excellent overview of Dietrich Fischer Dieskau with Deutsche Grammophon.......2005-11-08

"An die Musik", aptly named after the famous Schubert lied of the same title, is an excellent overview of Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau's recorded output for Deutsche Grammophon over the past 56 years. On the CDs, there are six Schubert lieder from Fischer-Dieskau's 21 disc set with pianist Gerald Moore, (dating from ca. 1970) and other lieder by Wolf, Richard Strauss, Brahms, and Schoeck. Also included are two chansons of Claude Debussy, and arias from Mozart's "Die Zauberflote" and "Don Giovanni", both conducted by Ferenc Fricsay; small part of Fricsay's Orff "Carmina Burana" (rec. 1949), Schubert's "Dichterliebe" cycle with pianist Jorg Demus; and the 4 Ruckert lieder with Karl Bohm/Berlin Philharmonic. Fischer-Dieskau is amazing, with such a wide repertory, and such enthusiasm for singing such varied and different styles of music.

The bonus DVD, lasting about 28 minutes, is very interesting to watch and listen to. Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau and pianist Sviatoslav Richter peform 8 famous Schubert lieder in the great room of a hotel in a remote Bavarian village, in utterly charming and rather informal surroundings. The camera work is minimal, the sound, very fine but a little low level mono: filmed in 1978. Fischer-Dieskau looks alot younger here than more recent photos of him, but a little older and more classy than the photos I'm used to seeing of him, which date from the late 1960s. Fischer-Dieskau and Richter work as one, and their partnership and great working relationship is evident from measure 1. There is no doubt watching this that they had alot of fun performing for the cameras.

I am grateful DG released this set: 2 very full discs at over 70 minutes of music each, + the DVD of a telecast not seen since 1978. The sound is very good, even in the mono tracks, and if you like lieder and opera excerpts, you will be delighted. I mention this as one who's experienced Fischer-Dieskau's recordings for 25 years, and been usually delighted by them.

Average customer rating:

Correction
Fritz Wunderlich can do no wrong....
The Wonder of Wunderlich
I wish I could give this release more than 5 stars: it's terrific!!!

The Art of Fritz Wunderlich

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Very Best of

ASIN: B0009PLMQW
Release Date: 2005-09-13

Tracks:

Duetto And Chorus: Kommt, Eilet Und Laufet
Aria: Sanfte Soll Mein Todeskummer
Recitative And Chorale: O Schmerz! Hier Zittert Das Gequalte Herz
Aria With Chorus: Ich Will Bei Meinem Jesu Wachen
Recitative: Mein Jesus Schweigt Zu Falschen Lugen Stille
Aria: Geduld!
Duet: Et Misericordia
Aria: Deposuit Potentes
Recitative: So Stehe Denn, Du Gottergeb'ne Seele
Aria: Adam Muss In Uns Verwesen
Chorus: Jauchzet, Frohlocket, Auf, Preiset Die Tage
Recitative: Es Begab Sich Aber Zu Der Zeit
Aria: Frohe Hirten, Eilt, Ach Eilet
Aria: Ich Will Nur Dir Zu Ehren Leben
Recitative: Und Liess Versammeln Alle Hohenpriester
Terzetto: Ach! Wann Wird Die Zeit Erscheinen
Recitative: Und Gott Befahl Ihnen Im Traum-Genug, Mein Schatz Geht Nicht Von Hier
Aria: Nun Mogt Ihr Stolzen Feinde Schrecken

Tracks:

Overture
Aria: Hier Soll Ich Dich Denn Sehen
Recitative And Aria: Konstanze, Dich Wiederzusehen, Dich!/O Wie Angstlich, O Wie Feurig
Aria: Wenn Der Freude Tranen Fliessen
Quartet: Ach! Belmonte! Ach, Mein Leben!
Aria: Ich Baue Ganz Auf Deine Starke
Recitative And Aria: Welch Ein Geschick!/Wie, Du Solltest Fur Mich Sterben!
Aria: Dies Bildnis Ist Bezaubernd Schon
Zum Ziele Fuhrt Dich Diese Bahn
Wie Stark Ist Nicht Dein Zauberton
Der Welcher Wandert Diese Strasse Vol Beschwerden
Tamino Mein! O Welch Ein Gluck!

Tracks:

Duet: Strahlt Auf Mich Der Blitz Des Goldes - Hermann Prey
Duet: Hier Nimm Den Ring Der Treue
Scene And Duet: Ich Denk Ihn Lieber Mir Von Meinem Stande/Liebe Ist Seligkeit, Ist Licht Und Leben
Toast: O Freunde, So Leeret In Vollen Zugen - Chor Des Bayerischen Rundfunks
Duet: Ich Sah Euch Lieblich Und Engelsschon - Chor Des Bayerischen Rundfunks
Duet: O, Lass Uns Fliehen Aus Diesen Mauern - Chor Des Bayerischen Rundfunks
Scene And Duet: er Ist's! Carlos! Mein PRinz!/Gott, Der Entflammte Der Liebe Heisse Glut - Hermann Prey
Duet: Infame Feder! Welch Scheusslicher Pinsel/Ach, Geliebte! Nie Kehrst Du mir Wieder! - Hermann Prey
Aria: Und Es Blitzten Die Sterne
Scene: Nicht An Mich, Geliebter, Denke
Duet: Du Sussester Engel, Wie Herrlich Hast Du Geteufelt!
Leukippos, Du?
Arioso: Ja, Ich Lieb Sie, Olga
Aria: Wohin Seid Ihr Entschwunden

Tracks:

Recitative And Arioso: Holdes Laubgezewig, Du Schones/Schattige Ruh, Nie Gab Natur Sie Mir
Aria: Der Gedanke An Die Flammen Der Liebe
Aria: Bleibt Ihr Treu Dem, Der Euch So Verachtet?
Aria: Finstre Furie, Ihr Geister Der Holle
Aria: Nur Einen wunsch, Nur Ein Verlangen - Hermann Prey
Recitative And Duet: O Unverhofftes Gluck/Das Hore Ich Von Dir, Von Meinem Freunde? - Hermann Prey
Ma Se Il Nostro Gioir/Alcun Non Sia
Perche A Lo Sdegno/Padre Cortese/Si Non Vedro
Aria: Erwacht In Meinem Herzen
Duet: Nur Weinen Lernte Ich/Nur Klagen lernte Ich
Aria: Keine Schlange Lasst Sich Toten
Romance: O Schweige Still, O Lasse Dich Erbitten
Trio: Doch Nun Zu Dir/Trenne Nicht Das Band Der Liebe - Hermann Prey
Aria: Man Wird Ja Einmal Nur Geboren
Song: Lebe Wohl, Mein Flandrisch Madchen - Chor Des Bayerischen Rundfunks
Recitative And Duet: Du Stehst Wirklich Vor Mir/Der tempel Brahmas Strahlt - Hermann Prey

Tracks:

I. Im Wunderschonen Monat Mai
II. Aus Meinen Tranen Spriessen
III. Die Rose, Die Lilie, Die Taube, Die Sonne
IV. Wenn Ich In Deine Augen Seh
V. Ich Will Meine Seele Tauchen
VI. Im Rhein, Im Heiligen Strome
VII. Ich Grolle Nicht
VIII. Und Wussten's Die Blumen, Die Kleinen
IX. Das Ist Ein Floten Und Geigen
X. Hor Ich Das Liedchen Klingen
XI. Ein Jungling Liebt Ein Madchen
XII. Am Leuchtenden Sommermorgen
XIII. Ich Hab Im Traum Geweinet
XIV. Allnachtlich Im Traume Seh Ich Dich
XV. Aus Alten Marchen Winkt Es
XVI. Die Alten Bosen Lieder
Zartliche Liebe: 'Ich Liebe Dich' WoO 123
Adelaide Op.46
Resignation WoO 149
Der Kuss Op.128
Was Ist Silvia, Saget An
Lied Eines Schiffers An Die Dioskuren D 360
Liebhaber In Allen Gestalten D 558
Der Einsame D 800
Im Abendrot Op. Post. D 799
Leise Flehen Meine Lieder
An Die Laute D 905
Der Musensohn D 764
An Die Musik D 547

Tracks:

Granada
Mattinata
Funiculi-Funicula
O Sole Mio
Vergiss Mein Nicht
Ein Lied Geht Um Die Welt
Du Bist Die Welt Fur Mich
Ich Kusse Ihre Hand, Madame
Caro Mio Ben
Ave Maria
Plaisir D'Amour
La Danza
Serenade: Fern Im Weiten Land, Dort Unten Im Suden
Be My Love
Santa Lucia
Tiritomba
Heute Nacht Oder Nie

Tracks:

Wien, Wien, Nur Du Allein
Denk Dir, Die Welt War Ein Blumenstrauss
Ich Kenn Ein Kleines Wegerl Im Helenental
In Wien Gibt's Manch Winziges Gasserl
Draussen In Sievering
Ich Weiss Auf Der Wieden Ein Kleines Hotel
Ich Muss Wieder Einmal In Grinzing Sein
Im Prater Bluhn Wieder Die Baume
Herr Hofrat, Erinnern Sie Sich Noch?
I Hab Die Schonen Maderln Net Erfunden
Es Steht Ein Alter Nussbaum Drausst In Heiligenstadt
Wien Wird Bei Nacht Erst Schon
Wenn Es Abend Wird/Gruss Mir Mein Wien
Ob Blond, Ob Braun, Ich Liebe Alle Frau'n
Weine Nicht, Bricht Eine Schone Frau Dir Das Herz
Mein Herz Ruft Immer Nur Nach Dir, O Marita
Eine Kleine Fruhlingsweise
Schlaf Ein, Mein Blond-Engelein
Annchen Von Tarau
Still Wie Die Nacht

Customer Reviews:

Correction.......2006-12-13

Now folks, both of what the two other reviewers wrote about the tragical death of Fritz Wunderlich is wrong. Wunderlich died in hospital at September 17 1966. He had broken his skull, when he fell down the stairs in the hunting-house of a friend. Late in the evening of September 16, Wunderlich, as usual when not at home, had phoned his wife in Munich. He was very tired from strolling through the forest the whole day, making out the ideal locations for the hunt, which should start early in the next morning (Wunderlich was a passionate hunter). After he had wished his wife a good night, he went to the staircase in order to go down to his bedroom at the first floor. He still wore his heavy hunting boots - with open shoestrings! As walking downstairs, Wunderlich struggled over the open shoestrings and grabbed for the banisters, which was not more than a rope, fixed to the wall. The banisters teared out, and Wunderlich fell down the whole stairs. Fritz Wunderlich died in hospital the next day. It was only short before his 36'th birthday. An exceptional singing career had come to an untimely end. Some people believe that Wunderlich was drunken at the time of accident. If this is true can't be proven any more. But still this is not what his close friends said, regarding his accident and his death. In my opinion Wunderlich was the last of the really great tenors of the last century. All the tenors which came to fame after him (sorry folks, even such maestros as Pavarotti and Domingo) lack a certain quality in singing. It's the ease of breath flow, or singing on the breath without pushing the voice, it's the overtones, the legato, the mezza voce, the messa di voce and many more things - in short: the overall beauty of the voice through both registers. Wunderlich was the last tenor who had all this. Other examples are Caruso, McCormack, Gigli (despite the sobbing in his later recordings) and of course the wonderful Jussi Björling. But these are only some few names. If you listen for example to the cd's in the box "Famous tenors of the past" you will find that there were many very good and outstanding tenors in the first half of the 20'th century and - as we can only assume - in the time before the invention of the grammophone. Take a close look at todays famous tenors (I know, there are some quite good and promising ones) but what are they in comparison to those tenors (or better to say, to their voices and singing) I just mentioned before?

Please make your own decision.

Fritz Wunderlich can do no wrong...........2006-05-05

... okay, maybe. It's just that I've never heard a recording I didn't love. And I prefer that he sing everything in German even when that means not using original language.

This is a bit strange because I'm most often bugged by Don Carlos and Vepres in Italian (just a personal quirk). Of course, I'm also bugged by dropping the "s" in Don Carlos, which is always incorrect. The man's name IS Carlos whether in Italian or French.

I tried to write Mr. Avila a personal note, but could not, so let me say that Fritz Wunderlich did not die of cancer, but a dreadful accident in Scotland (I'll not go into the whys and wherefores, I just wanted to set PART of the record straight.)

The Wonder of Wunderlich.......2005-11-22

Deutsche Grammophone does it again! This is an extensive 3-cd compilation album featuring the artistry of the great German tenor Fritz Wunderlich in a variety of vocal repertoire - Baroque cantata/oratorio, opera and Lieder. Like the other critic pointed out, I first heard Fritz sinigng a superb Tamino in the Karl Bohm Magic Flute, although I have also heard him sing Lieder opposite the mezzo soprano Christa Ludwig and baritone Dietrich Fischer Dieskau, who were his contemporaries and colleagues. Wunderlich died tragically in 1966 of cancer. He inspired a generation of purely lyric tenors or "tenors di grazie" whose charming voice would never roughen and lack grace. His Germanic style earned him popularity in World War II Europe and he was the leading exponent of Lieder in the 50's. His tenor voice is glorious, as close to a male angel as possible. On this recording, we are treated to sumptuous arias from Bach's Christmas/Easter Oratorios, and movements from 2 cantatas. Also noteworthy are the unsurpassed performances of Mozart tenor heroes- such as Belmonte from "Die Entfuhrung Aus Dem Serail" (Abduction from the Seraglio) and his unbeatable Tamino from Die Zauberflote The Magic Flute. He sings bel canto opera arias fo tenor, from master composers Rossinni, Bellini and Verdi. While I don't much like that he is singing Italian arias in German, one must remember that at this time, in the LP Era of World War II Germany and Austria, German-born opera singers sang Italian opera in German translation/revisions. While many German singers could indeed sing in Italian, they were mostly trained to sing it in German because of excessive national pride and because Germans viewed Italian opera as course and un-melodic. Still, there have been superb German singers who sang in Italian like Wagner diva Birgit Nilsson,baritone Dietrich Fischer Dieskau, tenor Peter Schreier, soprano Edda Moser, baritone Walter Berry, tenor Herman Pretty, all post-Wunderlich sensations. Wunderlich sings Lieder in one CD with great and unrivaled musicianship. Especially impressive are the Viennese pieces. Further to the cd's this album is equipped with photos of Wunderlich and his family and a detailed profile biography.

I wish I could give this release more than 5 stars: it's terrific!!!.......2005-10-28

I knew little about the German tenor Fritz Wunderlich (1930-1966), except reading the accolades given to his recordings and performances by reviewers in "American Record Guide" over the past 13 years. I knew Wunderlich recorded the role of Tamino in the famous DG recording of Mozart's "Die Zauberflote", with Karl Bohm/Berlin Philharmonic (Now on DG Originals CDs), but was not aware of what a wide range of repertoire he had until hearing this release.

This release has a wide variety of Wunderlich's discography, including Bach arias from his Christmas and Easter Oratorios, and movements from 2 cantatas; his Mozart roles in "Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail" (Eugen Jochum/Bavarian Radio Orchestra) and "Die Zauberflote" (Karl Bohm/Berlin Philharmonic); a variety of arias and duets by Rossini, Bellini, Verdi, Richard Strauss, mostly sung in German, and with Hermann Prey, baritone and Erika Koth, soprano in many of the duets; Baroque arias by Handel, from "Xerxes" (including the famous "Ombre mai fu" sung in German) and "Julius Caesar", selections from Monteverdi's "Orfeo" (an early track from 1955 sung in Italian); Schumann's "Dichterliebe", 4 Beethoven Lieder, including "Adelaide" and "Der Kuss"; and 9 Schubert lieder, including "An der Musik," and "Der Musensohn", all with Hubert Giesen, piano; Popular songs such as "Granada" and Viennese songs, with chamber orchestra accompaniment. There are no texts for the songs, but you may have text booklets with other CD releases, so don't really need them when you hear Wunderlich's beautiful voice.

There is a booklet with articles about Wunderlich's career, including a preface by his widow, Eva Wunderlich, photos of Wunderlich as a boy and young man, with his wife Eva in 1965, and children Constanze, Wolfgang, and Barbara. I enjoy reading and looking at the booklet, even apart from listening to the beautiful recordings.

Wunderlich was a genius, and his voice sounds great in every track, mono (some, but not a majority) and stereo (most of the tracks in the 7 discs are stereo) alike. If you love great music, and opera, but like me aren't often of a mind to sit still for 3 hours to listen to one, get this. It's a great release, and reasonably priced to boot. I'm thankful to God for great music, for the ability to hear and feel, and for Fritz Wunderlich and his service to music lovers everywhere.

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