Search - Antonin Dvorak, Zoltan Kodaly, Benjamin Britten :: Anne Sofie von Otter - Folksongs (Dvorak, Kodaly, Britten, Grainger, Larsson, Hahn)

Perfect blend of art song and folksong

m.nell@rf.roccadefinance.nl | Kampen, The Netherlands | 08/27/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Don't be too misled by the title of this recital: although the odd nymph and shepherd does crop up and the collection includes Dvorak's "Songs my mother taught me", there is very little "hey nonnie no" or "fa la la" to be had. Most of the songs are not traditional folksongs and even those that are, are given the "art song" treatment by their composers. The songs by Grainger en Kodaly have the most "authentic" and earthy feel to them, whereas the others smack of the concert hall or salon. Even having said that, one can hardly imagine the natives of the countries of origin might intone any of these songs around a campfire of an evening.What we have here is a highly sophisticated collection of songs with their roots somewhere in the nationalist musical movement, which started flourishing in the early nineteenth century. As the enlightening notes suggest, they are the products of a fusion between the folk tradition and the classical. Selected with obvious care by Anne Sofie von Otter and Bengt Forsberg, these songs speak very directly to the listener and often disguise their artistry behind accessibility.The opening cycle of "Gypsy Songs" by Dvorak (op. 55) are immediately beguiling and the famous standard mentioned above is sure to stun most people who, like me, have only heard it in it's syrupy orchestral incarnation. Von Otter weaves her magic web through these songs with such effect that the four Grainger songs that follow are almost a shock: earthy and seemingly simplistic they transport the listener to a completely different world. "The pretty main milkin' her cow" is achingly beautiful and, like so many really good things in life, over far too soon. Four short Swedish songs follow, leading onto five "Venetian" songs by Reynaldo Hahn. To me, these are the greatest revelation on the disc: highly romantic with sensual rippling accompaniment, three of them tell sensuous tales of seduction aboard gondolas. Von Otter makes the most of the ample opportunities to seduce with subtle nuances and shading of words. The effect is masterful. The seven Kodaly songs that follow cannot be further from the romantic Venice envisaged by Hahn, the lyrics often bitingly cynical, with driving rhythms and brilliantly realized accompaniment. Here Von Otter assumes a very different voice and the effect is often strident. The final song, "Beneath the Csitar Hills", however, is tender and intimate, despite some strange sentiments being expressed.The recital ends with eight arrangements of French folksongs by Benjamin Britten and a fitting finale it is. Simple melodic lines are woven into a rich fabric of music, which reaches into the soul. "Il est quelqu'un sur terre" (track 33) is perhaps one of the poignant songs on the whole recital. Von Otter bleeds colour out of her voice to express the desperation of the singer as the wheel, central metaphor to the song, churns away in the accompaniment. The disc is worth buying for this track alone.Anne Sofie von Otter and Bengt Forsberg have long established themselves as one of the most brilliant partnerships in recording history and this recital can do nothing but confirm their status as such. It is an achievement not to be missed."

Artful singing, but 35 folksongs in 6 languages produces ind

Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 07/20/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I was proud of the Gramophone reviewer for dutifully pointing out all the virutes of this CD and then declaring that he got little enjoyment from it. Me, either. Expert as von Otter is at singing in six languages from her native Swedish to English, Italian, and Hungarian, it feels like a stunt. Does she really care about all 35 folk songs, some as diverse as chalk and cheese? We get Dvorak's tamed gypsy songs (in German) meant for the Victorian parlor singer, gentle Swedish melodies as simple as pie (the best thhing here), folky, plain-faced versions of English song from Grainger, and hyper-sophisticated Italina and French songs from Hahn and Britten that barely expose their folk roots.



Von Otter herself, abetted by her longtime accompanist Bengt Forsberg, tries too hard to sell this gallimaufry, applying all manner of odd, sometimes aggressive attack and phrasing. Of course, she is a major artist, so I will leave this CD to fans who might love it. Personally, I fidgeted much of the time."