Composer: Franz Peter Schubert
Performer: Michael Gees, Christoph Prégardien
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Challenge Classics
Catalogue: CC72596
Release: 2013
Size: 0.98 GB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes
Winterreise D911
01. Gute Nacht
02. Die Wetterfahne
03. Gefrorne Tränen
04. Erstarrung
05. Der Lindenbaum
06. Wasserflut
07. Auf dem Flusse
08. Rückblick
09. Irrlicht
10. Rast
11. Frühlingstraum
12. Einsamkeit
13. Die Post
14. Der greise Kopf
15. Die Krähe
16. Letzte Hoffnung
17. Im Dorfe
18. Der stürmische Morgen
19. Täuschung
20. Der Wegweiser
21. Das Wirtshaus
22. Mut
23. Die Nebensonnen
24. Der Leiermann
World-famous tenor Christoph Prégardien continues his series of recordings for Challenge Classics of Schubert song-cycles, with what many consider to be the composer’s greatest work in the genre “Winterreise”. As with the previous critically acclaimed release of “Die Schone Mullerin” the pianist on this hybrid SACD is Michael Gees.
Christoph Prégardien has made almost 200 recordings for all the major labels, amongst which are several for Challenge Classics. These include recordings released in 2008 of Schubert’s “Die Schone Mullerin” with Michael Gees, (CC72292), which was a Gramophone Editor’s Choice, and the same composer’s “Schwanengesang” with Andreas Staier (CC72302). Prégardien and Gees also released the award winning ‘Between Life and Death’ in 2009, which featured songs and arias by composers including Mahler, Schubert, Schumann, Wolf, Brahms, and Mozart.
This recording of Winterreise is also available on DVD and Blu-ray, featuring a studio performance of the cycle, and a documentary with artist interviews and behind-the-scenes footage of the studio recording process.
Franz Schubert’s song cycle Winterreise was composed in 1827, the year before his premature death. The tones of depression and desolation that dominate this setting of 24 poems by Wilhelm Müller might seem to be a reflection of Schubert’s own gloomy state of mind as he faced mortality, though the depiction of a lonely wanderer who cuts himself off from the world was a commonplace of Romantic literature and was not necessarily a projection of the composer’s emotional state. Even so, Winterreise is not a cheerful work, and performances of it often emphasize a brooding tone, as well as dark sonorities. The way Winterreise is presented by tenor Christoph Prégardien and pianist Michael Gees on this 2013 Challenge Classics release prevents an easy analysis, for much of the music’s darkness is alleviated by the singer’s lyrical tone and the accompanist’s light touch. Indeed, the sound of the performance and the transparent quality of the super audio recording make this one of the brighter sounding Winterreise performances available, so much so that listeners should sample it to see if it meets their expectations. With that caveat in mind, this is a sensitive interpretation that conveys tenderness and gentleness, and Prégardien’s presentation is a refreshing, if unexpected, change of pace.