A Rare Beethoven Musicale
Robin Friedman | Washington, D.C. United States | 09/09/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Beethoven (1770-1827) is revered for his large-scale works, such as his symphonies, string quartets and piano sonatas. His songs remain little-known. Yet Beethoven composed songs throughout his life. He turned to song at critical moments, with the best of his songs having an intimate, self-revealing character.This album by baritone Dietrich Henschel and pianist Michael Shaeffer is beautiful music-making on little explored Beethoven songs and short piano works. The album consists of 16 songs including much of Beethoven's best work in this form. The album includes excellent program notes and backround on Beethoven as a composer of lieder together with text and translations of the songs. The album runs over 78 minutes, making for a joyous evening of listening.Beethoven's great song cycle "An die ferne Geliebte" (to the distant beloved), op 98 is featured on this disc. This short cycle consists of six interconncected songs with the theme of the first song coming back in the final moments of the last. This is intimate, romantic music full of longing, sung to a beloved who is irretreviably far away. Beethoven wrote this music at the time of his "Immortal Beloved letter". It is difficult to hear this music as anything other than highly personal. The poet was an individual named Alois Jeteles, who may have written these lyrics at Beethoven's request.The other major song collection on this album is Beethoven's opus 48, six songs set to poems by Christian Geller (1715-1769). These songs were written at the time of Beethoven's "Heligenstadt Testament," in which Beethoven writes of his impending deafness, his loneliness, and his determination to carry on. Geller's poetry is on religious themes, and Beethoven's music for most of these songs is highly reflective and intimate. (Beethoven's song "The Heavens Resound" is part of this set. I remember singing an arrangement of this music in a high school choir many years ago.) There are many other beautiful songs on this album, including the almost operatic "An die Hofnung" (to hope), op. 94, Beethoven's early song "Adelaide", opus 46, and a sentimental early song, sometimes titled "I love you",WoO 123.The album also features three of Beethoven's rarely heard short solo piano pieces. The selections include the Polonaise op. 89 and the improvisatory Fantasie, op. 77. These works date from a time in Beethoven's life that was rather fallow. But the are elegant, formalized pieces beautifully performed. In addition, the album includes Beethovens "Andante favori" WoO57. Bethoven planned this work as the slow movement of the Waldstein sonata. When friends advised him it was too long, he wisely removed it and wrote the meditative, highly unusual "Introductione" as the slow movement of that great work. Beethoven published the original slow movement separately. It is a long, florid piece and more than worth hearing in its own right.On this album, the piano solos punctuate the lieder recital at just the right moments to compliment and set off the songs. This is a glorious CD. Its effect is that of being present at an evening musicale, with the listener participating in the performance of Beethoven in an intimate and rare way."
Track Listings (19) - Disc #1