Worth more than 5 stars
Larry VanDeSande | Mason, Michigan United States | 04/07/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Rarely does a new talent explode on the lieder world with the momentum of Stephan Genz. This German, trained by Hartmut Holl, Fischer-Dieskau and Schwarzkopf, has the pedigree to become the very best of this genre. On the basis of this CD and his world-wide appearances, he is living up to that label. Genz combines interpretive ability with a liquid chocolate tone, extraordinatry breath control and the combination of finesse and enough power to fill any performing venue. With pianist Vignoles, they swept away almost every Beethoven lieder record ever made with this CD. Gramophone gave him the best lieder performance of the year for this. The magazine should have given him best CD of the decade, for until Lorraine Hunt Lieberson's Bach record came along, he was the talk of the classical singing world. Genz capitalized on acclaim from this record with a world-wide concert tour. I saw him and his CD collaborator, Roger Vignoles, perform Beethoven's "An die ferne Geliebte" along with Haydn, Wolf and Schumann lieder in Ann Arbor in January 2002. The pair put on quite a show in the 535-seat Mendelssohn Theatre on the University of Michigan campus on a mild winter night, wowing the audience with Beethoven and Schubert's "An Schwager Kronos" in the first half, then blowing the lid off the theatre after intermission with Wolf and Schumann Heine lieder including "Tragedy". Unlike his brother, tenor Christoph, Stephan has yet to go into the studio and come out with a Haydn CD. He also has eschewed Schubert through early 2004. The brothers released a CD of Mozart arias conducted by Sigiswald Kuijken to some acclaim (see my review at Amazon). If you haven't heard that, this CD or the Wolf lieder by Stephan Genz, buy this CD and understand what the shouting is about."
A fine young Lieder singer worth hearing more than once.
Celia A. Sgroi | 08/20/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I first heard German baritone Stephan Genz in a live performance of Schubert's "Winterreise" when he was just 24 years old. Now aged 28, he's one of the few promising young singers who seems to be better every time I hear him. This recording of Lieder by Beethoven includes an extremely fine performance of Beethoven's jewel of a song cycle "An die ferne Geliebte," as well as first rate performances of some of the Goethe Lieder (such as "Wonne der Wehmut"). Genz has a light, bright baritone voice, something along the lines of Fischer-Dieskau. His technique is excellent and he is an admirable interpreter, as well. Although he is not as well known as Matthias Goerne or Thomas Quasthoff, I prefer him to both. (He's better looking, too. (-: ) All of his recordings are good, and this one is among the best. And if you can find a copy of his Schumann Heine-Lieder recording on Claves with pianist Claar ter Horst, buy that, too!"
