Schubert

Thomas Guthrie's arrangement of the "Schöne Müllerin" for small ensemble transports the listener back to a world of sound that Schubert knew from the musical evenings in the homes of his friends - those gatherings where the singing was accompanied by guitars, strings and, if available, a piano. Unlike the lieder recital, where the singer stands at the grand piano in a large hall, in this intimate atmosphere the listener is drawn much more into the drama and emotion of Schubert's music. The singer Thomas Guthrie is supported by Bjarte Eike and members of his ensemble Barokksolistene.

'From Janet Baker and Margaret Price to Lucia Popp and Elly Ameling, Felicity Lott and Christine Brewer to Ian Bostridge and Matthias Goerne - all the great modern lieder singers are here. The result is a blissful no-brainer for all Schubertians' (The Observer)

Im Herbst 1827 komponierte Franz Schubert nach Texten von Wilhelm Müller seinen Zyklus »schauerlicher Lieder«. Günther Groissböck, basso cantante aus Überzeugung, interpretiert alle 24 Lieder in der klassischen, handelsüblichen Version für tiefe Stimme.

Matthias Goerne, one of the most high-profile Schubertians of his generation, has recorded a selection of Schubert’s songs not in their original versions with piano but in orchestral arrangements by Alexander Schmalcz, Goerne’s accompanist of many years’ standing. Goerne says about Alexander Schmalcz’s arrangements: “His creativity in adapting these songs for the orchestra is enormous, while his stylistic sensibilities and his subtle approach in deploying the right instruments at the right moment are truly astonishing.” “Schubert’s ability to empathize makes him one of the most important composers in the whole of human history. (…) He created “a perfect balance between intellectuality and the greatest naturalness. With Schubert, even the most complicated melodies and forms sound entirely natural.” (Goerne) And yet what we hear on this album is “pure Schubert”, Alexander Schmalcz insists. “I have added nothing. Sometimes I fill out the voices by doubling the octave, for example. Or I write sustained chords in the orchestra in order to simulate the sound-surfaces that are the result of the use of the sustaining pedal on the piano. But my goal is to be as original as possible.”

With this new b*records disc, the Miroirs Etendus company revisits one of the greatest classics of the Lieder repertoire, questioning the interpretative heritage that has long been associated with it. Pianist and artistic director Romain Louveau, baritone Jean-Christophe Laniece and soprano Victoire Bunel propose a multi-voiced Winterreise that disembodies the overused figure of the Wanderer and favors the autonomy of Wilhelm Muller's poems. Like the Schubertian motifs that seem to appear of their own accord, only to eclipse themselves, the musicians venture a depersonalized interpretation that places the figure of the stranger at the center of this lyrical spectacle.

Benjamin Bruns´ professional journey took him via the Dresden State Opera to the Vienna State Opera, where he remained a member of the ensemble until July 2020.

After A Soprano’s Schubertiade (BIS2343) and Elysium (BIS2573), Carolyn Sampson and Joseph Middleton present a new recital devoted to Schubert’s songs on the theme of the changing seasons.

After A Soprano’s Schubertiade (BIS2343) and Elysium (BIS2573), Carolyn Sampson and Joseph Middleton present a new recital devoted to Schubert’s songs on the theme of the changing seasons.

Franz Peter Schubert (* 31. Jänner 1797 in der Gemeinde Himmelpfortgrund, heute im 9. Bezirk Wiens; † 19. November 1828 in Wieden, jetzt 4. Bezirk) war ein österreichischer Komponist.