Search - Christopher Maltman, Jonathan Lemalu, Robert Schumann :: The Songs of Robert Schumann, Vol. 8

A Unique and Wholly Satisfying Schumann Recital

Grady Harp | Los Angeles, CA United States | 02/07/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It is rare on recordings to have lieder recitals by three individual soloists all under the guidance by one collaborating pianist. But such is the case in this beautifully programmed, performed and engineered CD.



The three gentlemen singers are each well established in their various specialties (except perhaps newcomer Lemalu who seems destined to be well known soon). Tenor Mark Padmore, baritone Christopher Maltman and bass baritone Jonathan Lemalu are each accompanied by the curator of this recital, the exceptional pianist Graham Johnson. Together they present twenty-three songs by Robert Schumann without resorting to cycles. Each song seems to have been selected to suit the gifts of the performers as well as the content of the recital.



Maltman and Padmore are well recorded in many different styles of music while Lemalu is rather new on the scene (his solo albums are worth seeking out as they hold great promise1). The singers are of the type that respects the poetry as well as the music and the level of communication is high. This is a fine installment in Johnson's survey of Schumann's works and stands well on its own as an exceptional recital. Highly recommended. Grady Harp, February 06"

Variable Schumann Works Performed by Three Powerful Voices

Ed Uyeshima | San Francisco, CA USA | 05/29/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Three superb singers, two established and one fast rising, are the chief sources of pleasure on this recording of composer Robert Schumann's works, part eight of an extensive Schumann series pulled together by pianist and musical archivist Graham Johnson. The centerpiece of the program is "Heine Liederkreis" given a polished and thoughtful reading by baritone Christopher Maltman, who is most familiar to me as part of an even more stellar trio on a superb 2002 recording of Benjamin Britten's "Canticles" with countertenor David Daniels and tenor Ian Bostridge. Here, Maltman handles Heine's descriptive poetry with eloquence. He is alternately powerful and plangent depending on the mood of the song, all the while providing just the right emphasis on the animated text while Johnson accompanies expertly.



Tenor Mark Padmore, whom I just saw perform the title role in a concert version of Handel's "Samson", dominates the early pieces that precede the Liederkreis song cycle. He displays fine technique and clear German diction in his performances, though Schumann's juvenilia are not nearly as resonant as his later work. To my ears, the high points of this portion are "Der Fischer", a somewhat melodramatic duet between Padmore and Maltman based on a poem by Goethe, and "Erinnerung", which flows masterfully over the slight lyrics provided by Jacobi's memory poem. The third section of songs is made up of Schumann rarities beginning with bass-baritone Jonathan Lemalu's touching performance of "Dem rotten Röslein gleicht mein Lieb" based on Robert Burns' "My love's like a red, red rose". His voice has a booming quality tempered by a genuine feel for the songs from the energetic "Der frohe Wandersmann" to the choral pieces, "Die rote Hanne" and Der deutcher Rhein". He especially shines on "Trost im Gesang", a stately ballad for a traveling knight. With his stentorian, bell-like tones, this rising New Zealand-born Samoan singer sounds even more like a native German than the comparatively experienced Maltman and Padmore. The comprehensive booklet written by Johnson tends to meander quite a bit about the history of the songs, though it is worth reviewing as you listen."