This is a nearly ideal compilation of some of the finest art songs of all time, sung by three of the greatest lieder singers ever to have committed their work to disc. Yes, there are four singers appearing on the program: the weak link is Jessye Norman, who in her set of six Brahms songs is just too much in love with her voice to submit to the subtleties of music and text–the gentle gestures, the restrained dynamic shadings, the hint of accent–that are essential for true communication between singer and listener. In spite of her reputation, she never sounds vocally at ease or interpretively confident in this repertoire. Unforgivably (in cahoots with accompanist Daniel Barenboim), she makes the beautiful Sapphische Ode sound draggy and dull; and she sounds as if she’s tripping over her own voice as she tries to add expressive force to the jumping lines of Vergebliches Ständchen. It’s certainly not terrible, especially if you don’t listen keenly, but then, what’s the point?
That said, the entire opening 50 minutes of the disc is pure pleasure. The song list–22 selections from Schubert and Schumann–reads like a greatest hits lineup: Erlkönig, Ständchen, An die Musik, Die Forelle, Gretchen am Spinnrade, Der Tod und das Mädchen, Du bist wie eine Blume, Mondnacht, and the list goes on. And for once, someone at DG put together a compilation of performances that really shows the best of these performers’ art, from Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau’s impeccable Geheimes or breathtaking Wandrers Nachtlied to Fritz Wunderlich’s unequalled Ungeduld and delightful leaping, dripping-with-character (and perhaps even a little water!) Die Forelle. Fischer-Dieskau returns for a ravishing set of Schumann, including a charming Marienwürmchen, and an unforgettable Du bist wie eine Blume and Mondnacht; and Wunderlich contributes his own loveliest-of-them-all Im wunderschönen Monat Mai, one minute and thirty-two seconds of blissfully restrained singing (Jessye, take note). Mezzo Christa Ludwig shows how textual meaning and vocal expression come successfully together in a memorable Gretchen am Spinnrade, Der Tod und das Mädchen, Lachen und Weinen, and Frühlingsglaube (again, Jessye take note!).
The recordings, which range from 1959-1982, give agreeable, natural clarity and presence to the voices and are relatively consistent in perspective and balance from session to session. Prospective buyers should note that this release is one of DG’s “CD-pluscore” discs, which means that if you have a multisession CD-ROM drive and the proper software, you can perform some nifty score-reading, editing, and performance functions that seem especially attractive for practicing musicians and students. For me–I think the disc is more than worth it just for the incomparable singing of Fischer-Dieskau, Wunderlich, and Ludwig.
