Notes and Editorial Reviews
SCHUMANN
Romances and Ballads: i,
op. 67;
ii,
op. 75;
iii,
op. 145;
iv,
op. 146.
Romances: i,
op. 69;
ii,
op. 91
•
Marc Michael De Smet, cond; AQUARIUS
•
NAXOS 8.570456 (72:46)
All 32
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of the pieces presented on this release date from 1849—one of the often-troubled composer’s most productive periods—and were composed for the Dresden choirs that Schumann took over from Hiller on the latter’s departure for Düsseldorf in 1847. A fair number of them appear individually in various compilations available on the current market; but this disc appears to be the first and only presentation of the entire corpus.
On the whole, the results are well up to the best current choral standards. The ensemble blends quite well and displays considerable agility in the jauntier pieces. The echo effects in “Im Walde” are especially well brought off, as are the solo-quartet sections featured in several numbers. The recording acoustic has a touch of satisfying reverberation, but far from so much as to spoil the ensemble’s excellent diction.
The programming order presents a touch of welcome imagination too. The mixed-choir works are organized into four sets, the women’s choir numbers into two; and the latter are interspersed among the former, creating a more varied listening experience than would be the case otherwise. As with some other recent Naxos releases, texts and translations are eschewed in favor of a reference to these materials on the label’s Web site. One (at least this one) would of course prefer to have them directly at hand; but Keith Anderson’s typically generous annotations do include brief summaries of each text.
FANFARE: James Carson
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Works on This Recording
1.
Romanzen und Balladen i, Op. 67 by Robert Schumann
Conductor:
Marc Michael De Smet
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Aquarius
Period: Romantic
Written: 1849; Germany
Length: 11 Minutes 29 Secs.
Language: German
Notes: O. L. V. Presentatiekerk, Sint-Niklaas, Belgium (07/01/2004 - 07/03/2004); O. L. V. Presentatiekerk, Sint-Niklaas, Belgium (02/26/2006)
2.
Romanzen und Balladen ii, Op. 75 by Robert Schumann
Conductor:
Marc Michael De Smet
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Aquarius
Period: Romantic
Written: 1849; Germany
Length: 12 Minutes 5 Secs.
Language: German
Notes: O. L. V. Presentatiekerk, Sint-Niklaas, Belgium (07/01/2004 - 07/03/2004); O. L. V. Presentatiekerk, Sint-Niklaas, Belgium (02/26/2006)
3.
Romances i, Op. 69 by Robert Schumann
Conductor:
Marc Michael De Smet
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Aquarius
Period: Romantic
Written: 1849; Germany
Length: 13 Minutes 2 Secs.
Language: German
Notes: O. L. V. Presentatiekerk, Sint-Niklaas, Belgium (07/01/2004 - 07/03/2004); O. L. V. Presentatiekerk, Sint-Niklaas, Belgium (02/26/2006)
4.
Romanzen und Balladen iii, Op. 145 by Robert Schumann
Conductor:
Marc Michael De Smet
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Aquarius
Period: Romantic
Written: 1849-1851; Germany
Length: 10 Minutes 4 Secs.
Language: German
Notes: O. L. V. Presentatiekerk, Sint-Niklaas, Belgium (07/01/2004 - 07/03/2004); O. L. V. Presentatiekerk, Sint-Niklaas, Belgium (02/26/2006)
5.
Romanzen und Balladen iv, Op. 146 by Robert Schumann
Performer:
Marc Legros (Flute),
Pieter Martens (French Horn)
Conductor:
Marc Michael De Smet
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Aquarius
Period: Romantic
Written: 1849-1851; Germany
Length: 11 Minutes 9 Secs.
Language: German
Notes: O. L. V. Presentatiekerk, Sint-Niklaas, Belgium (07/01/2004 - 07/03/2004); O. L. V. Presentatiekerk, Sint-Niklaas, Belgium (02/26/2006)
6.
Romances ii, Op. 91 by Robert Schumann
Conductor:
Marc Michael De Smet
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Aquarius
Period: Romantic
Written: 1849; Germany
Length: 14 Minutes 17 Secs.
Language: German
Notes: O. L. V. Presentatiekerk, Sint-Niklaas, Belgium (07/01/2004 - 07/03/2004); O. L. V. Presentatiekerk, Sint-Niklaas, Belgium (02/26/2006)
Sound Samples
Romanzen und Balladen, Book 1, Op. 67: No. 1. Der Konig von Thule
Romanzen und Balladen, Book 1, Op. 67: No. 2. Schon-Rohtraut
Romanzen und Balladen, Book 1, Op. 67: No. 3. Heidenroslein
Romanzen und Balladen, Book 1, Op. 67: No. 4. Ungewitter
Romanzen und Balladen, Book 1, Op. 67: No. 5. John Anderson
Romanzen und Balladen, Book 2, Op. 75: No. 1. Schnitter Tod
Romanzen und Balladen, Book 2, Op. 75: No. 2. Im Walde
Romanzen und Balladen, Book 2, Op. 75: No. 3. Der traurige Jager
Romanzen und Balladen, Book 2, Op. 75: No. 4. Der Rekrut
Romanzen und Balladen, Book 2, Op. 75: No. 5. Vom verwundeten Knaben
Romanzen, Book 1, Op. 69: No. 1. Tamburinschlagerin
Romanzen, Book 1, Op. 69: No. 2. Waldmadchen
Romanzen, Book 1, Op. 69: No. 3. Klosterfraulein
Romanzen, Book 1, Op. 69: No. 4. Soldatenbraut
Romanzen, Book 1, Op. 69: No. 5. Meerfey
Romanzen, Book 1, Op. 69: No. 6. Die Kapelle
Romanzen und Balladen, Book 3, Op. 145: No. 1. Der Schmid
Romanzen und Balladen, Book 3, Op. 145: No. 2. Die Nonne
Romanzen und Balladen, Book 3, Op. 145: No. 3. Der Sanger
Romanzen und Balladen, Book 3, Op. 145: No. 4. John Anderson
Romanzen und Balladen, Book 3, Op. 145: No. 5. Romanze vom Gansebuben
Romanzen und Balladen, Book 4, Op. 146: No. 1. Brautgesang
Romanzen und Balladen, Book 4, Op. 146: No. 2. Der Bankelsanger Willi
Romanzen und Balladen, Book 4, Op. 146: No. 3. Der Traum
Romanzen und Balladen, Book 4, Op. 146: No. 4. Sommerlied
Romanzen und Balladen, Book 4, Op. 146: No. 5. Das Schifflein
Romanzen, Book 2, Op. 91: No. 1. Rosmarin
Romanzen, Book 2, Op. 91: No. 2. Jager Wohlgemuth
Romanzen, Book 2, Op. 91: No. 3. Der Wassermann
Romanzen, Book 2, Op. 91: No. 4. Das verlassene Magdlein
Romanzen, Book 2, Op. 91: No. 5. Der Bleicherin Nachtlied
Romanzen, Book 2, Op. 91: No. 6. In Meeres Mitten
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