Brahms’ affinity for and particular sensitivity to the “alto” in all its incarnations–especially voice and viola–is shown to memorable effect in these songs, sung by mezzo-soprano Brigitte Fassbaender. Yes, Fassbaender is technically a mezzo, but her dark, rich tone is at home roaming the lush midrange territory that may not be as flashy as that run by sopranos, but it’s every bit as fertile. In fact, this revered and vastly experienced singer–who was 42 when this recording was made in 1982–is most convincing in the more deeply thoughtful, moodier selections rather than in the lighter, more animated ones. Compare her shapely, colorful, and subtly controlled “Auf dem Kirchhofe”, “O kühler Wald” and “Die Mainacht” with her almost carelessly tossed ending to “Liebestreu” and similarly uneven “Wehe, so willst du mich wieder”. She paints lovely, sensual pictures in “Es hing der Reif” and “In stiller Nacht”, and through each song she gets full support from the very fine pianist Irwin Gage. The gorgeous songs with viola (which need to be done more often) get equally superior treatment (the “Geistliches Wiegenlied”, based on the tune “Joseph, lieber Joseph mein”, is one of the disc’s highlights), although the viola, very nicely performed by Thomas Riebl, is oddly balanced, as if it’s in its own separate acoustic space. Otherwise, the sound is acceptable although not free of some harshness in louder passages and a trebly glaze that gives a cooler-than-ideal cast to the voice and piano. There are surprisingly few pure Brahms recital discs by mezzos or altos–an old Jard van Nes disc seems to be out of print–and unfortunately singers like Catherine Robbin offer only a tantalizing few selections on their recordings. This makes a welcome offering and an excellent library standard for collectors.
