There’s a lot of prettiness in this release of the first successful large-scale work by Swiss composer Othmar Schoeck (1886-1957)–perhaps too much prettiness. The disc comprises 17 songs and two instrumental numbers Schoeck composed for the “play with song” Erwin und Elmire, written by Goethe in 1774 and set by Johann Friedrich Reichardt as a Singspiel in 1793. Schoeck completed his version in 1916. The story is slender, existing mainly as a vehicle for Goethe to philosophize about love. The title characters, young true-loves, nearly separate due to a spat, but an older philosopher, Bernardo, presents arguments that put them on the right track.
Stylistically, the music dwells in the territory of Richard Strauss and Erich Korngold, without the former’s arresting flair for drama or the latter’s dazzling sonic inventiveness. In short, Erwin und Elmire is a little cloying, even though this performance is a very good one, the four singing roles being well cast. Tino Brütsch has a smooth, light lyric tenor and makes an ardent Erwin. The Elmire, Mareike Schellenberger, a promising soprano who was just finishing her advanced musical training when this recording was made in 2002, has an agile, flowing voice in a role that does not make undue demands on a singer in her stage of development. Hans Christian Begemann’s light baritone has more maturity than either of the singers essaying the parts of the young lovers, which makes him entirely appropriate as Bernardo. Jeanette Fischer is good in a brief appearance as Elmire’s mother. Well played and ably led by Howard Griffiths, the performance is complemented with clean, natural sound. Recommended to committed collectors seeking out unfamiliar repertoire.
