Schubert: Bei dir allein, D866/2

“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

“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

“…an outstanding performance. …deeply engaged robustly expressive singing whose rhythmic rigour and details of phrasing and articulation reveal an exciting commitment to this great cycle. …with Staier's fortepiano providing a wonderful mixing and misting of the tonal palette in songs like 'Die Stadt', the performances are also graced with an exceptionally lively and well-balanced recording.” BBC Music Magazine, January 2009 *****

“Prégardien's dulcet tenor, subtly and gracefully deployed, is heard to advantage both in these Seidl songs and in Schwanengesang. Where so many singers seem to "think" the whole collection in the minor key, as it were, Prégardien is eagerly expectant in "Liebesbotschaft" and sings a smiling, seductive "Fischermädchen". ..."Abschied" is blithely insouciant, the wistfulness of the final verse lightly touched - and how well the delicate, slightly veiled sonorities of Staier's fortepiano complement the voice, here and elsewhere. While it is absurd to speak of an outright "winner" in such a crowded field, Prégardien and the ever-illuminating Staier join Schreier, Hotter, (EMI, 10/94) Fischer-Dieskau, 1962 vintage (EMI) and Brigitte Fassbaender (DG) on my roster of indispensable Schwanengesang recordings.” Gramophone Magazine, April 2009

“Planning a CD programme around Schwanengesang is always tricky. The vastly experienced duo of Christoph Prégardien and Andreas Staier here come up with a solution as satisfying as any.
They preface the quasi-cycle with the bleak, windswept Rellstab setting Herbst, which Schubert unaccountably omitted from the Rellstab sequence that opens Schwanengesang. Then, at they end, they follow Die Taubenpost – always in danger of jarring after the Weltschmerz of the Heine group – with other, complementary, Seidl settings, ending with the blissful nocturnal homecoming of Im Freien.
Prégardien's dulcet tenor, subtly and gracefully deployed, is heard to advantage both in these Seidl songs and in Schwanengesang. Where so many singers seem to 'think' the whole collection in the minor key, as it were, Prégardien is eagerly expectant in 'Liebesbotschaft' and sings a smiling, seductive 'Fischermädchen'. His 'Ständchen', taken at an easy, mobile tempo, is likewise all caressing charm, while 'Abschied' is blithely insouciant, the wistfulness of the final verse lightly touched – and how well the delicate, slightly veiled sonorities of Staier's fortepiano complement the voice, here and elsewhere.
In the anguished Heine songs Prégardien's less extreme style than, say, Peter Schreier, is scarcely less moving, whether in the rhythmically incisive 'Der Atlas' (where the fortepiano's percussive resonance brings uncommon clarity to Schubert's quasi-orchestral textures), or an 'Am Meer' of aching tenderness, the final stab of pain all the more affecting for being understated.
'Die Stadt', taken at an unusually urgent tempo, emerges in a single grim sweep, with the fortepiano's sustaining pedal creating a mysterious haze impossible to replicate on a modern grand.
Prégardien occasionally adds discreet, graceful embellishments to his lines, especially apt in 'Ständchen'. While it is absurd to speak of an outright 'winner' in such a crowded field, Prégardien and the ever-illuminating Staier join the roster of indispensable Schwanenengesang recordings.” Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010