Composer: Ferencz Liszt
Performer: Jonas Kaufmann, Helmut Deutsch
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Sony
Catalogue: 19439892602
Release: 2021
Size: 1.22 GB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes
01. Vergiftet sind meine Lieder, S.289
02. Freudvoll und leidvoll, S.280
03. Freudvoll und leidvoll (1st Setting, 2nd Version), S280 / 2
04. Es war ein König in Thule (2nd version), S278 / 2
05. Im Rhein, im schönen Strome (2nd version), S272 / 2
06. Die Lorelei
07. Ihr Glocken von Marling, S.328
08. Die drei Zigeuner, S.320
Sonetti di Petrarca for voice & piano, S270
09. Benedetto sia ‘l giorno (Sonetto 47)
10. Pace non trovo (Sonetto 104)
11. I’ vidi in terra angelici costumi (Sonetto 123)
12. Es muss ein Wunderbares sein, S. 314
13. O Lieb so lang du lieben kannst (2nd version), S298 / 2
14. Die stille Wasserrose, S321
15. Ein Fichtenbaum steht einsam, S309
16. Es rauschen die Winde, S294
17. Ich möchte hingehn, S.296
18. Der du von dem Himmel bist (Goethe), S279
19. Der du von dem Himmel bist, S279 (3rd version)
20. Über allen Gipfeln ist Ruh (Wandrers Nachtlied II), S.306
After their album Selige Stunde, Jonas Kaufmann and Helmut Deutsch used the lockdown necessitated by the coronavirus pandemic, to make a further series of recordings. Their second album of songs is devoted to Franz Liszt, a composer for whom both feel a special affinity and whose music has long featured in their shared concert career.
Together with a group of six other songs including Vergiftet sind meine Lieder, Der König von Thule and Ihr Glocken von Marling, the demanding Petrarch Sonnets have been a part of Jonas Kaufmann’s repertory for many years, while Loreley, O lieb, solang du lieben kannst and Es muss ein Wunderbares sein are among his regular encores. As he himself explains, the process of studying lesser-known “jewels” such as Goethe’s eponymous Freudvoll und leidvoll, two versions of which are heard here, has been a period of intense discovery, during which time he has learnt to value these songs more than ever:
‘I’m very pleased that our enforced rest made this album possible – under normal circumstances it would probably not have come into existence quite so quickly. As a result we were able to record not only those Liszt songs that we had already tried out in the concert hall but also a number of others that until now have been overshadowed by Liszt’s “great hits”. Among them, pride of place goes to Die stille Wasserrose, which I find more beautiful the more often I hear it. I’m very grateful to Helmut for introducing me to these songs, and I think there will be many listeners who share my delight in these discoveries.’
For Helmut Deutsch Liszt was one of the great idols of his youth, alongside Elizabeth Taylor and Herbert von Karajan:
‘Thanks to these jewels, Liszt deserves to occupy a leading place in the history of the art song, and yet even today he is denied this status. It is a source of tremendous pleasure for me that I have been able to share my enthusiasm with Jonas Kaufmann and persuade him to record an entire album with me.’