Chung-Whun Chung | Seoul, Republic of Korea | 11/25/2000
(4 out of 5 stars)
"It's a first complete recording sung by tenor. This Liederzyklus(song-cycle) has very desperate and pessimistic atmosphere. Many baritones-Gerhard Husch, Hans Hotter, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau and many more-were recorded and performed frequently because its dark and heavy colors. But in this recording's singer-Peter Anders, sung very 'sighful' and desperate as baritones. This historical recording was made in January & March 1945 by RRG(Reichsrundfunkgesellschaft) Berlin-the year of Third Reich's collapse. Many musicians in German were killed by bombing-Hans Udo Muller who recorded this song-cycle with Gerhard Husch-, refuged other country-Wilhelm Furtwangler-and escaped to the Reich's capital. Philharmonie and Staatsoper were disappered by bombing but RRG's broadcasting station was survived fortunately. Pianist Michael Raucheisen was held the recording cycle 'Lied der Welt(Song of the World)' from 1940 to 1945(He recorded 2000 songs!). Raucheisen was recorded this work with Hans Hotter in 1942/43, too. In this recording, Anders sung so intensive when we heard. But I think it's an one of the Winterreise's unfogettable recording. This recording came to me scorched Berlin's scene and miserable 'common German people' in 1945. It testify tragic times of World War II obviously."