Schubert: Lied des Florio, D857 No. 2

'A wondrous addition to this unique venture, it is hard to know where to begin in its praise' (Gramophone)

“It's hard to know where to begin in praise of this disc. It has several centres of excellence, the first being Schäfer's beseeching, urgent account of the Mignon settings from Goethe's WilhelmMeister that make plain her pre-eminence today among sopranos in Lieder. Next comes Ainsley's winningly fresh account of An Silvia. You may be surprised at how wholly new-minted Ainsley's ardent tones and Johnson's elating piano manage to make of such a hackneyed song. Schäfer and Johnson do the same service for Horch,horch! die Lerch'. Then comes the extraordinary discovery of this volume. As a rule, Johnson has excluded unaccompanied vocal pieces from his project; happily, he has made an exception in the case of the astonishingly original Seidl setting Grab und Mond, which touches on eternal matters, or rather the permanence of death, a message starkly expressed in typically daring harmony. The London Schubert Chorale gives it a spellbinding interpretation and also contributes positively to a performance of another Seidl setting, the better-known Nachthelle, where the high-lying tenor lead provides no problems for Ainsley. There have to be reservations over the work of Richard Jackson; his tone is inadequate to the demands of Der Einsame, the unjustly neglected Totengräberweise and Der Wanderer anden Mond, which call for a richer sound-palette.
Throughout, Johnson's playing is a source of pleasure and enlightenment. The recording is well-nigh faultless.” Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010

“Above all, Tilling is versatile and protean...Her soprano sounds peachier than ever, her diction is clear and her musical instincts are immaculate. This lovely singing is underpinned by Paul Rivinius’s outstanding playing of the equally important piano parts. A must for Schubertians.” Sunday Times, 8th April 2012

“Tilling is a Swedish singer whose enchanting soprano voice and acute musical intelligence are both admirably deployed in this well-chosen selection...The opening song of the recital is the lively, exhilarating 'Bei dir allein!'...Tilling negotiates it without strain and sings it with delightful spontaneity...This is a lovely disc, a treat for all lovers of Schubert's songs.” International Record Review, May 2012

“The al fresco exuberance of 'Bei dir allein' gets this recital off to a delectable start: Camilla Tilling's vernal tone is fresh and smiling, her phrasing both shapely and feurig, as Schubert demands, her response to mood and harmony vivid...Tilling's tonal radiance and free-soaring top notes are priceless assets...a Schubert recital of rare pedigree.” Gramophone Magazine, July 2012

“As I have already intimated there is a lot to admire in this programme and readers who have been following this series should acquire this disc too…There is so much sensitive phrasing and [the] soft singing is truly beautiful and expressive. The recording can’t be faulted” MusicWeb International