Ameling's Farewell to Schubert -- Mastery of the Form
Terry Serres | Minneapolis, MN United States | 03/04/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is Ameling's last Schubert record, and possibly her best. (Her previous one for Philips, with Rudolf Jansen, currently available as the last CD in a set of 4, is also magisterial.) Do NOT be deterred by not seeing any of the chestnuts on this record. ("Kennst Du das Land?" and the "An den Mond," to Holty's not Goethe's text, come closest.) Ameling is so good, with such experience in the art of the Lied and with such affinity for the composer, that she brings off a program that might leave many another "diva" starved for inspiration or even interest. She starts out with "Minona, oder die Kunde der Dogge" ("Minona, or the Mastiff's Tidings"), an 11-minute epic ballad that she has no trouble whatsoever bringing to life with expert pacing and vocal shading, and the result is utterly convincing and moving -- despite the clunkiness of the drama. After this album came out, Ameling started programming this daunting work in her recitals! The moody strophic song "Des Mädchens Klage" hasn't suffered total neglect in the catalogue, and she does sound a tad effortful in it, but it does put the intensity across in a way reminiscent of the more popular "Die Junge Nonne."This is an album that I give as a gift to people I care about. It is full of gems that make you marvel at Ameling's artistry, Schubert's subtlety, and the songs' rarety in performance. The overall program is so consistent that even the less attractive items fit in. Highlights are "Stimme der Liebe" with its delightful whiff of Spring; "Die Sterbende," a hymn for a dying maiden that takes one of those magical Schubertian turns and becomes a lullaby; "An den Mond," lovely and haunting even if Johnson's gentleness in the bass subtracts some of the atmosphere in which Ameling's slight huskiness of tone wraps the song; an alternative setting of "Meeres Stille" whose difference from the usual version is minute but decisive. "Wer Kauft Liebesgotter?" ("Who will Buy These Cupids?") will delight afficianos of Mozart's Magic Flute -- it is a ditty for the birdcatcher Papageno written by Goethe for a proposed "sequel" to that opera; the sweet simplicity of "Das Rosenband" is almost a relief compared to the more elaborate Strauss setting; and "Liane" paints a scene of perfect serenity. "Luisens Antwort" is an overdrawn (on the part of the poem) response to "Trennungslied" ("Song of Parting") by Mozart, but Schubert's setting is perfectly evocative of the original song without being imitative.In short, if you want to hear Lieder rareties performed persuasively and authoritatively, investigating this CD will reward your efforts and expand your horizons."
A Loss in the Hyperion Edition
Benjamin Bates | San Francisco | 12/13/2000
(2 out of 5 stars)
"This recording can't possibly compete with Ameling's earlier performance with Dalton Baldwin on Phillips Classics. It totally lacks the luster that Ameling grasped in earlier years. The Hyperion version of her is not among the great gems of the Collection."
Track Listings (24) - Disc #1