Winterreise

Franz Schubert’s masterpiece, his song cycle Winterreise, was written shortly before his death in 1828, at the age of only 31. On his winter journey, the singer wanders as a lost soul in harsh terrain, wracked by conflicting emotions, but consoled by his memories of kinder times. Benjamin Appl commented: "Every time I perform it, Winterreise feels like a new and different journey, depending on my own mood, the atmosphere in the hall, and of course the shared creativity with the all-important pianist. For singers, Schubert’s wanderer is a lifetime companion, yet a daunting one as we confront all the great recordings and performances that are already out there. The challenge for every singer is not to be inhibited, but to find fresh ways of understanding and transmitting both words and music to their own generation". Somehow, in Winterreise, Schubert has made space for that potential. As Benjamin Britten said: “Every time I come back to it, I am amazed not only by the extraordinary mastery of it, but by the renewal of the magic. Each time, the mystery remains”.Winterreise is Benjamin Appl’s first release for Alpha Classics as part of a multi-album deal. In this recording he is joined by long-time collaborator and pianist James Baillieu.

David Greco and Erin Helyard present the first Australian recording of Schubert’s masterpiece on period instruments.

A singer, a pianist and 24 poems by Wilhelm Müller, set to music by Franz Schubert - Winterreise creates a combination of musical extraordinaryness and emotional roller coaster in a minimalistic way. Baritone Martin Achrainer interprets the famous cycle in a staged adaptation by Hermann Schneider. Franz Schubert as a misunderstood, happy and unsuccessful, financially always vicious loner is a fan of the romance. Winterreise therefore a too premature masterpiece of a young deceased, which opened in the lifetime of his creator only initiated, far-sighted ghosts in all his strength. These readings are common, almost ritualized and internalized. They are true and they are not. Of course, Franz Schubert is one of the early representatives of Romanticism, just as Winterreise has become the almost sacrosanct colossus of the genus Lied.

It is February 2021 and Berlin is unreally quiet. Snow covers the streets and muffles the sound of the few cars braving the streets of a metropolis in lockdown. Our recording location, the Staatsoper Unter der Linden, is in an equally unreal state: the hectic daily rhythm of the opera house is on hiatus, with only one opera in rehearsal, and for only one performance. And this single performance will be for an empty hall, with only cameras for audience. In the midst of this unusually quiet setting are a singer, a pianist, and a special work, Schubert’s Winterreise.

A fresh theatrical take on Schubert’s final masterpiece - 24 songs based on poems by Wilhelm Müller that recount the tale of a lonely traveller who ventures on a winter journey in the snow to rid himself of his lost love. Philippe Sly’s version is dramatically staged and lit, and includes an on-stage ensemble with all musicians playing from memory. French-Canadian bass-baritone Philippe Sly has gained international acclaim for his “beautiful, blooming tone and magnetic stage presence” (San Francisco Chronicle). Mr. Sly was the first prize winner of the prestigious Concours Musical International de Montréal and a grand prize winner Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions singing the varied repertoire of Mozart, Bach, Handel, Stravinsky, and Wagner. Recently, he was awarded Concert of the Year in Romantic, Post-Romantic, and Impressionist Music at the 16th annual ceremony of the Prix Opus in Québec.

Xavier Sabata has long since established himself as an exponent of the great roles for countertenor and he is a welcome guest on the stages of opera houses worldwide. His discography to date illustrates his voice-motivated focus on music from 1600 to 1800 while also presenting the portrait of an artist who engages with intellectual concepts across the world and throughout the ages. His debut album on Berlin Classics marks his departure from Baroque terrain and makes him a wanderer, in more senses than one, facing the emotional and vocal challenges of Schubert’s “Winter Journey”. His approach to the work is prompted by the same challenge that confronts every singer who tackles Winterreise.

A 13-time Grammy nominee, one of the world’s leading tenors and an unparalleled recitalist, Ian Bostridge stands at the peak of his powers. Bostridge is also the author of Schubert’s Winter Journey, Anatomy of an Obsession, an insightful and gracefully written work on Winterreise that positions Bostridge as a leading authority on the work. Pianist Thomas Adès is renowned for his brilliant compositions as much as his stellar performances. The New York Times called Adès, “the most complete musician of his generation.” The pairing of these two remarkable musical partners has drawn raves across the world.