Notes and Editorial Reviews
To celebrate the 150th birthday of Richard Strauss, TwoPianists Records is proud to introduce a new, authoritative, 9-disc set of the complete works for voice and piano by Strauss—a seminal collection that is set to become the reference standard for these vocal masterpieces, not least because of the inclusion of the first ever recordings of two Strauss songs: “Aus der Kindheit” and “Herbstabend,” TrV226.
Under the artistic guidance of renowned mezzo-soprano, Strauss expert and stage director Brigitte Fassbaender, the project brings together 13 singers, handpicked by Fassbaender, to record the 179 extant songs and two melodramas that comprise Strauss’s oeuvre for voice and piano. Praised for their performances on the opera
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stage and in the concert hall, these German speaking singers, the majority of whom are notable Strauss interpreters, have more than done justice to the varying interpretive styles required by the songs.
Presented in chronological order, the collection makes for a fascinating aural experience and listeners will be intrigued by Strauss’ musical development: from his first song, composed at the age of 6 with his mother’s help in writing in the text, to the final song, “Malven,” composed at the age of 84 during the last year of his life. A further distinguishing factor of the present recording is that every effort has been made to remain true to Strauss’ original intentions, with each song (in its original key) being matched to the correct voice type.
Five distinguished pianists and three solo instrumentalists (violin, horn and trumpet), bring to life the thick orchestral textures of Strauss’ accompaniments, which comprise arguably some of the most fiendishly difficult piano writing in the late-Romantic song literature.
Strauss’ works for voice and piano exhibit the very best qualities that we have come to know from this composer: an innate gift for lyricism, a richness of harmonic colors and unmatched vocal allure. And yet, despite the popularity of a dozen or so of these songs, barely thirty of them, rather surprisingly, are regularly programmed in song recitals. This set therefore provides an invaluable source of authentic performances, captured in pristine sound and matched by scholarly musicianship – a noted contribution to Strauss’s recorded legacy that is sure to attract the attention of listeners, critics, performers and scholars worldwide.
This set contains 2 booklets:
• Facts & Figures. The Artists (German and English translation)
• Songs texts (German and English translation) Read less
Works on This Recording
1.
Lied(er) by Richard Strauss
Performer:
Christoph Berner (Piano),
Andreas Mattersberger (Bass Baritone),
Lucian Vondung (Tenor),
Christiane Libor (Soprano),
Jeongkon Choi (Tenor),
Juliane Banse (Soprano),
Christian Elsner (Tenor),
Markus Eiche (Baritone),
Martin Mitterrutzner (Tenor),
Michelle Breedt (Mezzo Soprano),
Brigitte Fassbaender (Mezzo Soprano),
Anja-Nina Bahrmann (Soprano),
Anke Vondung (Mezzo Soprano),
Manuel Walser (Baritone),
Brenden Gunnell (Tenor),
Burkhard Kehring (Piano),
Malcolm Martineau (Piano),
Wolfram Rieger (Piano),
Nina Schumann (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: Germany
2.
Einkehr, TrV 3 by Richard Strauss
Performer:
Michelle Breedt (Mezzo Soprano),
Nina Schumann (Piano)
3.
Winterreise, TrV 4 by Richard Strauss
Performer:
Manuel Walser (Baritone),
Nina Schumann (Piano)
4.
Der müde Wanderer, AV 13 by Richard Strauss
Performer:
Michelle Breedt (Mezzo Soprano),
Nina Schumann (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: circa 1873; Germany
5.
Wer hat's gethan?, AV 84a by Richard Strauss
Performer:
Anke Vondung (Mezzo Soprano),
Christoph Berner (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1885; Germany
6.
Husarenlied by Richard Strauss
Performer:
Manuel Walser (Baritone),
Nina Schumann (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: ?1873; Germany
7.
Weinachtslied, AV 2 by Richard Strauss
Performer:
Michelle Breedt (Mezzo Soprano),
Nina Schumann (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1870; Germany
8.
Der Fischer, TrV 48 by Richard Strauss
Performer:
Lucian Krasznec (Tenor),
Nina Schumann (Piano)
Period: Romantic
9.
Rote Rosen, AV 76 by Richard Strauss
Performer:
Christiane Libor (Soprano),
Nina Schumann (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1883; Germany
10.
Die Drossel, AV 34 by Richard Strauss
Performer:
Michelle Breedt (Mezzo Soprano),
Nina Schumann (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1877; Germany
11.
Lass ruhn die Toten, AV 35 by Richard Strauss
Performer:
Michelle Breedt (Mezzo Soprano),
Nina Schumann (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1877; Germany
12.
Lust und Qual, TrV 51 by Richard Strauss
Performer:
Manuel Walser (Baritone),
Nina Schumann (Piano)
Period: Romantic
14.
Wiegenlied, AV 41 by Richard Strauss
Performer:
Christiane Libor (Soprano),
Nina Schumann (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1878; Germany
15.
Lieder (8), Op. 10 by Richard Strauss
Performer:
Anke Vondung (Mezzo Soprano),
Christoph Berner (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1885; Germany
17.
Abend- und Morgenrot, AV 42 by Richard Strauss
Performer:
Christiane Libor (Soprano),
Nina Schumann (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1878; Germany
19.
Im Walde, TRV 62 by Richard Strauss
Performer:
Christiane Libor (Soprano),
Nina Schumann (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1878; Germany
21.
Alphorn, AV 29 by Richard Strauss
Performer:
E. Christoph (French Horn),
Michelle Breedt (Mezzo Soprano),
Nina Schumann (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1876; Germany
22.
Nebel, AV 47 by Richard Strauss
Performer:
Christiane Libor (Soprano),
Nina Schumann (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: ?1878; Germany
32.
Die erwachte Rose, AV 66 by Richard Strauss
Performer:
Michelle Breedt (Mezzo Soprano),
Nina Schumann (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1880; Germany
33.
Begegnung, AV 72 by Richard Strauss
Performer:
Michelle Breedt (Mezzo Soprano),
Nina Schumann (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1880; Germany
66.
Malven, AV 304 by Richard Strauss
Period: Romantic
Written: 1948; Germany
130.
Soldatenlied, TrV 66 by Richard Strauss
Performer:
Andreas Mattersberger (Bass Baritone),
Malcolm Martineau (Piano)
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