"Even for those who are not professed fans of Lieder, this is a must-have release. Kathleen Battle gives a fine performance, justifying her reputation as one of the great sopranos of recent times. James Levine, ever the consummate accompanist, provides a wonderfully well matched performance, and never lets his ego overpower Ms. Battle. Technically, this is a recording to die for. The quality of the sound is without flaws when listened to on even a very high-end audio system. The piano sounds very natural, and Ms. Battle's voice is captured without harshness or distortion. Overall, this recording captures a tremendous amount of reproducable 3-dimensional imaging information (horizontal, vertical, depth). However, the latter seems to be evident only on better performing audio systems."
Just Lovely
M. C. Passarella | Lawrenceville, GA | 08/19/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The songs that Kathleen Battle chooses for her recital mostly eschew deep drama for sheer lyricism. If you want an album that explores the lyric impulse in Schubert songs, then, this is certainly for you. Battle sings these pieces with unfailingly beautiful vocal production, plus a winning charm and insouciance that border on the--well, girlish, one wants to say, if that isn't entirely politically incorrect. Her voice is a beautiful instrument, no doubt about it.
In the couple of songs clouded by darker emotions, such as "Die junge Nonne" and "Rastlose liebe," she is quite convincing as well, so I don't want to discount her ability to meet Schubert's dramatic challenges. But the overall impression she leaves as a Schubert interpreter is one of subtlety and grace. My favorites are "Liebhaber in allen Gestalten"; "Alinde," with its charming echo effects; "Was bedeutet die Bewegung" (Suleika I); "Ständchen"; and "Die junge Nonne," but it's hard to play favorites when there is so much wonderful music on review.
Throughout, Levine proves an able accompanist, and DG's sound is appropriately fresh and intimate. Highly recommended.
"
The best Schubert lieder record ever made by Americans
Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 12/31/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This 1988 Schubert program was a follow-up to an acclaimed Salzburg recital also released by DG, in which Battle and Levine (how did Cincinnati produce both of them?) proved to be effortless musical partners. Lieder is scarce in the U.S., and on records the dominance of Schwazkopf, Baker, Janowitz, Ferrier, Della Casa, Seefried, Popp, and Ludwig in the standard lieder repertoire for female voice barely left room for any American singers. But Kathleen Battle and Jessye Norman were famous enough to break through, and each had something genuine to say. Battle specialized in breathless intimacy, Norman in the commanding platform manner.
Here, Battle is meltingly spontaneous and musical. Her voice is light, of course, but amazingly communicative, which isn't always true of high coloraturas (a piccolo is not as expressive as a flute). She sensibly avoids Schubert's darker side; only a few songs touch the melancholy. But Schubert in his joyful and rhapsodic mode is divine enough, and Battle does more than justice to every lied. The late, rarely heard Alinde D. 904 is a touchstone: Battle sings it with gossamer lightness, a total absence of coyness, and snesitive variations that strophic songs demand. But every song is equal, really, and Levine plays the accompaniments so well that only a Britten or Richter surpasses him."
A Freshness Of Approach Makes This Delightful To Hear!
Raymond Vacchino | Toronto, ON. Canada | 02/14/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Kathleen Battle's overall fleetness and light-hearted approach results in singing that is refreshing and exciting. She reminds me of the great Dutch Lieder specialist Elly Ameling in the earlier part of her career.
Battle sings with a characterised lack of weightiness and the innate clarity she projects every note with has an angelic quality. We often hear performances of "Standchen", that are generally well done, but Battle brings on a most unique approach that is amazingly special. You cannot miss how beautifully and lyrically she shapes the delicate phrases, and keeps the underlying rhythmic character going so that it sounds integral to the motion. The comprehension between Battle and Levine is so solidly established that every Lied is conveyed with thoughtful, vivid and finely detailed projections of the text. The one performance that I feel touches the soul is "Nacht und Traume". Battle and Levine convey such immense balance, tonal warmth, and clarity that does such poetic justice to its heart-tugging mood. The entire recording culminates with the performance of "Der Hirt auf dem Felsen", highlighting both incisive and refined musicianship in every department. Battle, Levine and Leister provide a finale that is enthusiastically appreciative of the score, virtually as exciting and at times even more atmospheric, generating a level of combined drama that helped intensify the mood. The entire recording is filled with such personality allied to excellent taste!
Author: Raymond Vacchino M.Mus. A.Mus. L.R.S.M. Licentiate (honorary)"