Mahler: Rheinlegendchen (Des Knaben Wunderhorn)

“Schwanewilms's voice is an acquired taste; those who crave full-bodied Italianate lushness of tone will not 'get' the singing of this gifted German jugendlich dramatisch soprano...The words invariably come across in a refreshingly direct, unfussy manner...this is a highly pleasurable programme that can be warmly welcomed by those who crave beautifully vocalized, unusually thoughtful Lieder performances.” International Record Review, February 2013

“Evidence of her artistry is everywhere apparent. Her phrasing is seamless, with none of the audible words-versus-music negotiations noticeable even in fine singers. Her vocal quality is not merely pure but powerful, though in her case that powers stays mostly in reserve until summoned by the music...Schwanewilms coaxes the listener into her realm with the subtlety of a whisper.” Gramophone Magazine, March 2013

“Schwanewilms's interpretations are regularly imaginative, her singing musicianly, though not all of her vocalism matches her good intentions. There's sometimes...an edge to her tone that combines with a lack of vocal substance higher up...Elsewhere her wide-ranging instrument is used with artistic insight...she brings depth and command to Mahler's 'Das himmlische Leben', nicely capturing its blend of innocence and sophistication.” BBC Music Magazine, May 2013 ***

“this is a unique sequence, showing that most of the earliest settings which sit alongside the more familiar numbers, usually linked by theme, are just as finely-wrought and no less typical of Mahler's most haunting preoccupations.” BBC Music Magazine, Christmas 2012 ****

“His word-painting is superb, replacing sheer vocal firepower wityh more Lieder-friendly qualities of agility , precision and nuance. Poetic narrative is everywhere apparent...Holzmair seems to make the case for Mahler inheriting the Lieder mantle from Schumann...for nearly 80 minutes you can listen to Mahler's melodies and barely recall that they exist in an orchestral version” Gramophone Magazine, December 2012

“Sarah Connolly, with her glowing, supple mezzo and unaffected directness, is well-nigh ideal” Daily Telegraph

“there is the superlative singing of Dietrich Henschel, who seems to go from strength to strength in Lieder.” Gramophone Magazine, November 2006

“Christian Gerhaher has always seemed an exceptionally profound and understanding singer and he proves that with this remarkable exploration of Mahler's songs...never over-emoting but keeping a beautiful, even line afloat often on the tiniest wisps of sound.” The Observer, 13th December 2009

“Gerhaher is today’s Lieder interpreter par excellence. The German baritone’s range of colour, velvet timbre and natural intelligence recall a golden age of artistry.” Financial Times, 12th December 2009 ****

“Christian Gerhaher has always seemed an exceptionally profound and understanding singer and he proves that with this remarkable exploration of Mahler's songs...never over-emoting but keeping a beautiful, even line afloat…” The Guardian, 13th December 2009

“With every disc he makes, the German baritone Christian Gerhaher emerges more and more clearly as the true heir to the Lieder-singing legacy of Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau...Every song is explored with a perfect mixture of musical tact and illumination” The Guardian, 14th January 2010 *****

“[Gerhaher's] finest achievement to date — indeed, one of the greatest programmes of this composer’s lieder ever committed to disc...Gerold Huber is an equal partner, painting the piano parts in a rich palette of instrumental colours. For once, one hardly misses Mahler’s orchestrations. Utterly memorable.” Sunday Times, 31st January 2010 *****

“…outstandingly imaginative piano playing of Gerold Huber. He counterpoints voice and piano with the subtext within the settings, often with revelatory results. Both Gerhaher and Huber pace the Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen perfectly, balancing the songs' emotional lights and deep shadows, their sense of wonder and of yearning. A glinting and newly honed knife-blade pierces the soul in the third song, colouring it with an Expressionist angst.” BBC Music Magazine, March 2010 *****

“Gerhaher and Huber immerse you so successfully in their interior world that you barely register the orchestra’s absence...Huber achieves pianistic miracles of colour and timing, and to call this a mature partnership barely begins to address the depth of their mutual understanding...might I humbly suggest that this could be the finest Mahler you’ll hear all year? Absolutely essential.” Andrew McGregor, bbc.co.uk, 25th March 2010

“Smart, sophisticated and opinionated, Anne Sofie von Otter has become a star by doing exactly what she wants” Opera News

“Both "Dras irdische Leben" and "Der Tambourg'sell" - two starkly different songs - have a gentle lyricism that's deeply affecting. Genz is partnered by Roger Vignoles, whose playing is so sharply characterised and finely weighted that I hardly missed the better-known orchestral version.” Gramophone Magazine, July 2008

“Stephan Genz's light, warm and cultured baritone is especially fine in reflecting the ghost voices and moonlight serenades of Mahler's folk-inspired anthology. Yet more attack is surely needed for the prisoner in the tower and the what should be the increasingly desperate pleas of the starving child is 'Das irdische Leben'.” BBC Music Magazine, February 2008 ***

“astonishing sophistication” BBC Music Magazine *****

“One of my recordings of the year” Michael Kennedy, Sunday Telegraph