Search - Schubert, Souzay, Baldwin :: Favourite Lieder

A Classic 'Schöne Müllerin' and More by Gérard Souzay and Da

J Scott Morrison | Middlebury VT, USA | 07/31/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I fell in love with Gérard Souzay's 1964 recording of Schubert's 'Die Schöne Müllerin' more than forty years ago but had never gotten it on CD; although I believe it is this same performance long on a Philips CD, coupled with 'Winterreise', 'Schwanengesang' and 20+ lieder. That set, though, is hard to find and when found can be purchased at an exorbitant price. His later Schubert lieder recording on Testament (with 'Winterreise' and 'Schwanengesang'), coming almost ten years afterward, shows Souzay's voice in poor estate. This 2CD set from Newton Classics (at budget price) combines 'Müllerin' with more than twenty of Schubert's familiar lieder, including 'Die Forelle', 'An Sylvia', 'Erkönig', 'Heidenröslein', 'Im Abendrot', 'An die Musik' and others. Souzay's supple and rich baritone voice has, for me, always been one of the best-suited for Schubert lieder and his artistry is perfectly matched to the texts. I had not listened to Souzay's 'Müllerin' in perhaps ten years -- I only had it on LP -- but it remains as beautiful and evocative as I had remembered it. His interpretations clearly limn the changes in the narrator of 'Müllerin'. The boundless joy in 'Ungeduld' is marvelously conveyed. By the time he gets to the numb resignation of 'Die böse Farbe' one has been taken through all the changing moods of young love. This is my favorite 'Müllerin' and I'm delighted to have it now on CD.



As for the familiar and beloved lieder on CD2, I can only say that I loved them all although I had not heard these recordings from the 1960s before. And of course Dalton Baldwin's masterly accompaniments are models of the genre.



I can give this one an enthusiastic recommendation.



Scott Morrison

"