Schumann: Mondnacht (No. 5 from Liederkreis, Op. 39)

Compelling for her intensity and integrity as much as for her unmistakeable voice, Dame Janet Baker struck a distinctive path as a performer, primarily on the concert and recital stage. Among her most celebrated recordings are her interpretations of Elgar with Sir John Barbirolli, here complemented by songs and oratorio arias by composers such as Bach, Handel, Schubert, Schumann, Brahms, Mahler, Strauss, Fauré, Vaughan Williams and Britten.

One of this country’s finest and most popular singers, Dame Janet Baker has a special place in the hearts of music-lovers throughout the land. Since making her Covent Garden and New York debuts in 1966 she has become synonymous with a wide range of much-loved baroque and romantic repertoire. Janet Baker was made a Dame 25 years ago. Here, for the first time, EMI have gathered together some of her most memorable performances on one double CD.

This collection is a well conceived tribute to the romantic lied of the 19th century.

Included are lieder and duets by Mendelssohn, Schumann and Brahms.

The collection demonstrates the mastery which Alois Mühlbacher and the St. Florian Boys’ Choir have gained in this field.

Pia Heise - a rare talent nurtured by world leading accompanist, Roger Vignoles, has her first CD released featuring a beautiful selection of music which has a theme of the night running through it.

Ensemble Kontraste has taken Schoenberg’s arrangement of Mahler’s Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen as the starting point for a musical collaboration with the tenor Christoph Prégardien called ‘Wanderer’. The disc also includes 16 lieder by Robert Schumann, arranged for this project by Marcus Reißenberger, and four lieder by contemporary composer Wilhelm Killmayer, written by the composer with instrumentation to fit in with that used in the Mahler and Schumann pieces.

Christoph Prégardien started a new long-term collaboration with Challenge Classics in 2008 with the release of Schubert’s Die schöne Müllerin (CC72292). The pianist on this disc is Michael Gees. It was soon followed by Schwanengesang (CC72302) with Andreas Staier as accompanist. Die schöne Müllerin was awarded the Midem ‘Record of the Year’ 2009 at Cannes, and the duo Christoph Prégardien and Michael Gees also received the MIDEM ‘Vocal Recitals’ Award 2009. Throughout 2008 the recording received critical acclaim from many national and international magazines (Gramophone Editor’s Choice & ‘Best of 2008’ accolades among others). Since then he has recorded Between Life and Death, a collection of songs and arias with Michael Gees, and the Italienische Liederbuch of Wolf with Julia Kleiter and Hilko Dumo which has been shortlisted for a 2011 Gramophone award.