Search - Christian Gerhaher, Gerold Huber :: Melancholie, Liederkreis op.39

A relentlessly brooding program, magnificently sung

Terry Serres | Minneapolis, MN United States | 10/10/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I can report on the excellence of this disk firsthand, since unlike the prior two reviewers I have actually heard it.



Gerhaher has assembled a challenging program. He has chosen a sequence of song sets (mostly presented intact) that demand a sustained somber mood, with only fleeting glimpses of sunshine and cheer. The very first song, Melancholie, states the recital's theme with stark clarity: a strongly declamatory, through-composed song with acerbic harmonies. This is followed by the Eichendorff Liederkreis in all its chiaroscuro glory. The remaining song sets are less well-known and less immediately accessible. The Hans Christian Andersen songs (op. 40) are haunting, the Liederbuch eines Malers (op. 36) is straightforwardly romantic, the Harfner songs sorrowful and chromatic. The last two songs hearken back to the mystery of the Eichendorff songs.



The integrity of the program and performances make for a very satisfying experience. The performances are so accomplished and authoritative that the listener's attention never flags. Gerhaher's reading of the Liederkreis must be recognized outright as one of the best committed to disk. It is hushed, intimate, and subtle, and slow. It is imbued with an understatement that draws the listener in thanks to beautiful enunciation and attention to rhythm and phrasing. In the hands of Gerhaher and Huber, this well-traversed cycle speaks with renewed immediacy.



Singer and pianist exhibit just about every virtue you could hope for in a Lieder partnership. Gerhaher combines both the refined attention to words that was Fischer-Dieskau's strength; and the ability to create a mood that was the hallmark of singers like Prey and Souzay. He is admirably expressive, his tone attractive. His phrasing is consistently well-judged and nuanced. His verbal acuity seldom calls attention to itself. His collaboration with Huber is a true blending of technique and intent - they perform with a single voice. Gerhaher is probably my favorite Lieder singer to come along since Prégardien.



Drawbacks? Occasional overreliance on microphone technique, and the tendency to emphasize words by hesitating just before. But those hungering for revelatory Lieder performances mustn't hesitate to acquire this beautiful recording.

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