Composer: Franz Peter Schubert
Performer: Julian Prégardien, Kristian Bezuidenhout
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Harmonia Mundi
Catalogue: HMM902739
Release: 2024
Size: 612 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes
Die schöne Müllerin, D. 795
01. No. 1, Das Wandern
02. No. 2, Wohin?
03. No. 3, Halt!
04. No. 4, Danksagung an den Bach
05. No. 5, Am Feierabend
06. No. 6, Der Neugierige
07. No. 7, Ungeduld
08. No. 8, Morgengruß
09. No. 9, Des Müllers Blumen
10. No. 10, Tränenregen
11. No. 11, Mein!
12. No. 12, Pause
13. No. 13, Mit dem grünen Lautenbande
14. No. 14, Der Jäger
15. No. 15, Eifersucht und Stolz
16. No. 16, Die liebe Farbe
17. No. 17, Die böse Farbe
18. No. 18, Trockne Blumen
19. No. 19, Der Müller und der Bach
20. No. 20, Des Baches Wiegenlied
This first release in an exclusive recital collaboration with harmonia mundi presents Julian Prégardien’s reading of a cycle that explores quintessentially Schubertian themes: nature, love, solitude, death. Taking full advantage of the unique timbres of a Graf-style fortepiano, the young German tenor and Kristian Bezuidenhout create an expressive palette of exceptional variety, full of striking contrasts.
Tenor Julian Prégardien certainly has plenty of competition with this recording of Schubert’s song cycle Die schöne Müllerin, D. 795. However, his entry into the field is distinctive in several ways and can stand with any of the other recent ones. Lieder buffs will remember that the singer’s father, Christoph Prégardien, not only recorded this cycle but did so with a historically oriented pianist, Andreas Staier, at a time (1992) when historical performances of Schubert were not so common. Julian’s second-generation recording certainly has a “family resemblance,” but it is no knockoff, and it has several key attractions. One is accompanist Kristian Bezuidenhout’s fortepiano, a copy of an 1825 Graf instrument from Vienna that is a clear, precise improvement on Staier’s fortepiano and a good candidate for what Schubert might have imagined as an ideal piano sound. Another draw is the engineering from Harmonia Mundi at the SWR Funkstudio in Stuttgart, which fits beautifully with Prégardien’s overall concept of the cycle. It is worth remembering that Schubert never hit the big time, and most of his works were written for small audiences of friends and connoisseurs. Prégardien reproduces that intimate atmosphere, getting quieter as the courtship of the beautiful miller’s daughter goes seriously south, and the last few songs have a really touching and intense atmosphere. There is much more to hear in what is definitely one of the major lieder releases of 2024.