Werner Güra

“There are treasures here...Marlis Petersen’s bright soprano in Delphine; Werner Güra, a peerless Schubertian tenor, in the cantata-like Der Sänger. The less well-known Anke Vondung (mezzo) and Konrad Jarnot (bass) are no less compelling in their solos, while Berner’s period fortepiano contributes perkily to the domestic ambience of the recital.” Sunday Times, 14th April 2013

“This is a high-quality disc for collectors of Schubert's less famous vocal pieces.” International Record Review, May 2013

“This disc is for the real Schubert connoisseur. It's a recreation of a Schubertiade...The recital is a delight from start to finish, warmly recorded, accompanied by Christoph Berner on a gentle-toned Roenisch fortepiano and with the delectable articulation you'd expect from four native German speakers.” BBC Music Magazine, June 2013 ****

“Solemn, saucy or blithe, this is essentially convivial music, to be enjoyed in company, with a glass at hand...Berner and his regular vocal team are well-nigh ideal advocates. The four singers muster an impressive body of tone...The solo songs come off equally well.” Gramophone Magazine, June 2013

“Harmonia Mundi's budget series typically provides no songtexts; but Werner Gura's uniquely elqouent tenor makes these settings flower so that literal translations are barely necessary.” BBC Music Magazine, March 2013 ****

“[Güra] has a fairly light voice, a typical Mozart voice if you like. It is beautiful, slightly reedy in tone, rhythmically alert, excellent when it comes to enunciation, tasteful and expressive.” MusicWeb International, 21st May 2013

“It comprises 19 songs, all stylishly and beautifully sung by the tenor Werner Güra. The six Goethe settings include such familiar contrasts as Heidenröslein and Ganymed, while Willkommen und Abschied itself, more of a rarity, is heroically sung. The strength of Güra’s tone without any loss of quality has always been his strong point.” Sunday Telegraph, 29th January 2012

“His fresh lyric tenor combines well with Berner’s bright yet warm-toned fortepiano — he twinkles at Goethe’s ironic description of a water nymph as “eine feuchtes Weib”, literally a “damp woman” — while Berner brings drama to the piano parts of Auf der Bruck, Willkommen und Abschied and the haunting, yearning Herbst.” Sunday Times, 12th February 2012

“Berner, playing an 1872 Rönisch fortepiano, shows keen attention to every detail. Güra, outstanding in his unfussy, intense delivery, is a formidable, rousing guide.” The Observer, 26th February 2012

“Gura's strong, unaffected tenor voice is a pleasure to listen to, and Berner, who has an impressive keyboard freedom grounded in reliable technical skill, is a responsive accompanist: they perform as one, although too often their approach to a song somehow misses an essential quality of that particular piece of music.” International Record Review, March 2012 ****

“Gura and his fortepianist, Christoph Berner, have mapped out a trajectory of the Romantic view of human emotional life...At each stage, both musicians show perfect sympathy with Schubert's own engagement, ideal empathy with each other, and a shrewd sensitivity to musical and expressive scale.” BBC Music Magazine, May 2012 *****

“Gura is never dull. 'Der Wanderer' is intensely 'lived', the opening bleak and desiccated...One of the most eloquent performances of all is the last song, 'Nachtstuck'...Here, singer and pianist show an acute sensitivity to harmonic colour that characterises this whole rewarding recital.” Gramophone Magazine, May 2012