Schubert – Schwanengesang (APE)

Performer: Antonio Pappano, Ian Bostridge
Composer: Franz Schubert
Audio CD
SPARS Code: DDD
Number of Discs: 1
Format: APE (tracks)
Label: EMI Classics
Size: 202 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes

01. Geheimnis D491
02. An Schwager Kronos D369
03. Wiederschein D949
04. Schwanengesang, D.957: I: Liebesbotschaft (Rellstab)
05. Schwanengesang, D.957: II: Kriegers Ahnung (Rellstab)
06. Schwanengesang, D.957: III: Frühlingssehnsucht (Rellstab)
07. Schwanengesang, D.957: IV: Ständchen (Rellstab)
08. Schwanengesang, D.957: V: Aufenthalt (Rellstab)
09. Schwanengesang, D.957: VI: In Der Ferne (Rellstab)
10. Schwanengesang, D.957: VII: Abschied (Rellstab)
11. Schwanengesang, D.957: VIII: Der Atlas (Heine)
12. Schwanengesang, D.957: IX: Ihr Bild (Heine)
13. Schwanengesang, D.957: X: Das Fischermädchen (Heine)
14. Schwanengesang, D.957: XI: Die Stadt (Heine)
15. Schwanengesang, D.957: XII: Am Meer (Heine)
16. Schwanengesang, D.957: XIII: Der Doppelgänger (Heine)
17. Schwanengesang, D.957: XIV: Die Taubenpost (Seidl)
18. Abschied D475

Atlas is the best

I had the good fortune to hear Bostridge in a perfect room, the concert room at the Esterhazy Palace in Eisenstadt, the city of Haydn’s home during his service to the Prince. The evening, a half-hour’s commute from Vienna, was totally Schubert. I can remember being able to hear Bostridge whisper–praise to both the tenor and the room, because he gave every level of dynamic possible in the performance, knowing that the room would carry the total breath of dynamics! The beauty of the voice live cannot be described. The year before I heard his Don Ottavio at the Staatsoper in Vienna. The “tiny” voice can fill one the largest rooms for singing and still make your hair stand on end in Il mio tesoro. He actually makes the character believable.

Now to the recording here: Der Atlas is the most powerful performance on this wonderful recording, closely followed by Der Doppelgänger. Bostridge makes the 14 Swan songs into a cycle, unbelievable. So folks it ain’t no tiny voice that can sing only light, pretty things. It is an instrument of true beauty in the control of one of the great living artists. We are lucky indeed to have him at the same time as the great Jonas Kaufmann. Two of the best Lieder singers to ever have lived.