"If ever there was a pure voice! Cut from the same mold - since
broken - that gave us Hilde Gueden and Margaret Price. Here,
Janowitz offers polished examples of the art of the Lied, live!
Her floating phrases are truly breathtaking, astonishing.
Some free advice: if you seek ethereal singing, get the
Janowitz/Karajan version of Strauss' 4 last songs, you'll thank me . ."
A great issue
Gabriel Pedreira | 10/28/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This recording contains the best version of a well-known german Lied: I mean Strauss' "Morgen"... Gundula Janowitz sings a great repertoire with absolute technic and the nicest voice, ever heard... Her interpretations are so great, that in some Schubert's Lieder, she even surpasses her studio Recordings... A CD really to have..."
Excellent interpretation of lieder
Gabriel Pedreira | 01/10/2003
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Janowitz's renditions of many of these famous songs is superb but subtle. 'Dei Lorelei' is one of my favorite Germen poems and songs, and the version here is one of the best I've ever heard. Every song on here is a masterwork, both in selection and vocal interpretation. Yet, I had to dock one star for the somewhat poor sound quality, as there is faint hissing throughout the recording. Still a great musical disc."
Poor sound quality and Gundula not at her best
Kathleen McSharry | Riverside, RI United States | 07/05/2009
(2 out of 5 stars)
"When I read the glowing reviews others have given this disc, I wonder if we're listening to the same recording. Gundula Janowitz is far and away my favorite singer of lieder. Her voice is remarkable for its clear and even tone; although she doesn't have the power of Te Kanawa, say, she makes up for it with the beauty of her interpretation and sound. But this disc is terrible. It sounds like someone's niece's recital. The piano is lugubrious (very unusual for Irwin Gage, who is normally a sensitive accompanist for Janowitz), and Janowitz's voice is too far back. Rather than this disc, buy Janowitz's rendition of Strauss' Four Last Songs with Karajan; Tod and Verklarung on the same disc is also divine. Or you can buy the two CD set of Janowitz singing Schubert, on which you'll hear how beautifully Janowitz sings lieder and how well Gage accompanies her."