Brahms Songs

Although the profound soul-stirring that sits at the very core of the Sapphische Ode only partially translates to a solo cello, Brahms’s skill as the mellowest of melodists and Mischa Maisky’s warming sound palette still manage to convey some of its poetic essence. My main problem here is not with the transcriptions – most of them work rather well – or, indeed, with Maisky’s tone, but with a manner of phrasing that is too ‘clean’ for what should be a soaring top line.

The last private pupil of Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Benjamin Appl has already been hailed as ‘Lieder royalty’ (The Spectator). Further proof comes with this distinguished Hyperion debut: volume 7 of our complete Brahms songs.

Volume 8 of our complete Brahms songs proves the ideal platform for Harriet Burns in her debut album. As usual, Graham Johnson’s scholarly booklet notes are an indispensable companion.

Following their acclaimed recording of songs by Robert Schumann, the baritone and piano duo Simon Wallfisch and Edward Rushton return to Resonus Classics with an evocative selection of songs by Johannes Brahms. Entitled Songs of Loss and Betrayal, this intoxicating programme sees Brahms using his settings of poetry as a powerful channel for his own feelings, recalling his own personal memories of unrequited love, loss and betrayal.

On her third PENTATONE album Nostalgia, Magdalena Kožená presents Bartók’s Village Scenes, Mussorgsky’s The Nursery and a selection of Brahms songs, together with acclaimed pianist Yefim Bronfman. Sung in Slovak, Russian and German, these songs on love, longing and innocence show three master composers transforming folk traditions into their unique musical styles. Kožená demonstrates her vocal mastery once more, and this recording with Bronfman is the result of a two-decades-spanning congenial artistic partnership.

Taken from Jessye Norman’s contribution to the Lieder volume of Deutsche Grammophon’s complete Brahms Edition (alongside Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau), this CD presents many favourite Brahms songs including the gypsy-influenced Zigeunerlieder. The singer is caught in her absolute vocal prime. Sung texts and translations are included.

This release by Norwegian cellist Jonathan Aasgaard (the principal cellist of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra) and British pianist Martin Roscoe purports to be a complete recording of Brahms' music for cello and piano. In fact it's padded with quite a few other things that have little or nothing to do with Brahms other than the fact that he composed the original music.