Schubert: Chor der Engel, D440

Two distinguished soloists – soprano Suzanne Danco and tenor Robert Tear – contribute to this disc of Schubert songs. Both of the composer’s ‘obbligato’ songs (Der Hirt auf dem Felsen and Auf dem Strom) are included, as are five of Schubert’s most popular Lieder in recordings by Danco previously unreleased on CD. But at the centre of this recital is a selection of Schubert’s Partsongs. Their origins lie in the vital demand for this kind of music in the context of the social life of Vienna during the composer’s lifetime. The male-voice quartet was a staple feature in the city’s concert halls, but even more so in the homes of the cultured middle-classes. Much of Schubert’s writing for this medium is in an ‘unbuttoned’ mood, providing material for friendly gatherings. Even so, we find among these partsongs for men’s or mixed voices, many which carry the unmistakable stamp of his genius – the gorgeous Ständchen, or the tranquil, other-worldly Nachthelle.

This new release is a collection of songs, piano pieces, organ pieces and choral works, all taken from volumes 1-16 of Robert Schumann’s Neue Zeitschrift für Musik. In 1834 Schumann founded the Neue Zeitschrift für Musik (NZfM) and four times a year published a ‘Collection of Compositions from Old and New Times’. It resulted in sixteen volumes of music with a total of sixty-nine compositions by thirty-nine male and female composers, and today offers us a unique glimpse at Schumann’s circle of musical friends.