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Peter Schreier Sings Beethoven Lieder

Robin Friedman | Washington, D.C. United States | 04/11/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Beethoven composed over 80 art songs throughout his career and took substantial pains with them. Although Beethoven's songs have been overshadowed by his larger compositions and by the songs of his romantic successors, they are treasures in their own right. Many of the songs offer a more intimate view of the composer than do his larger, better-known compositions.



In recent years, there have been several excellent CDs of Beethoven songs, including a Grammophone award-winning performance by Genz and Vignoles on Hyperion. This three-CD set on Brilliant is one of the best ways to get to know Beethoven as a song composer. It is a reissue of recordings that the great German tenor Peter Schreier made during 1968-1970 accompanied by Walter Olbertz on the piano. Schreier has recently retired as a singer but remains active as a conductor. He has a light, expressive voice and sings with beautiful articulation and simplicity and the highest degree of musical sensitivity. This release includes 67 songs, a substantial part of Beethoven's output in the form, and it sells for an irresistably low price. The accompaning booklet includes the texts of the songs but no translation or liner notes. (One of the songs is in English, a small number are in Italian or French, but the large majority are in German.) The extensiveness of the collection, Schreier's singing, and the low price make this set an ideal way to get to know the lyrical side of Beethoven.



This CD opens with Beethoven's most sustained effort in the art song, the cycle "An die Ferne Geliebte", ("To the Distant Beloved") opus 98. Beethoven set six poems by his friend, a young medical student named Alois Jeittles, on the theme of love and loss. Many see this intense, romantic music as autobiographical, referring to Beethoven's own renunciation of his "Immortal Beloved." Schreier sings this cycle deliberately and passionately. Robert Schumann loved this music and used it in his famous C major fantasy for the piano, opus 17. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to hear Schreier sing the work live several years ago. It has become one of my favorite works of Beethoven.



Among the other highlights of Beethoven's song output are the early song, "Adelaide" opus 46, which was highly popular during the composer's life. It has an operatic flavor with an orchestral-sounding piano part. The Gellert lieder, opus 48, consists of six religious poems by an earlier German poet and is a worthy companion to Beethoven's few other expressly religious compositions: the C major mass and the Missa Solemnis as well as the oratorio, "Christ on the Mount of Olives."



Beethoven set many poems by Goethe, and they are among his finest songs. The Goethe settings include "New Love, New Life", opus 75 No.2, the lyrical "May Song" opus 52 no. 4, the playful "Song of the Flea" from Goethe's Faust, opus 75 no 3, and "With this Golden Band", opus 83 No.3.



Schreier sings beautifully Beethoven's two settings of the poem, "Hope", to a text by Christian Tiedge, opus 32 and opus 94. Comparing these two versions, set side-by side on this release, will show how Beethoven's style in writing songs evolved and deepened over the years and paved the way for the further development of the form by Schubert. Schreir's collection includes the rarely-performed Italian songs, opus 82, which were new to me together with a collection of some of Beethoven's earliest efforts in song, which date from his youth. For example, Beethoven's song "The Kiss" opus 128 has a misleadingly high opus number but is a youthful work. The early song "Zartliche Liebe" WoO 123, opens with what would become the classic words of love songs: "I love you".



Beethoven's achievement as a song composer is greatly underestimated. This compilation will bring joy to lovers of the art song and will be a revelation to those who know Beethoven only through his great symphonies, sonatas, concertos, and other large-scale masterpieces.



Robin Friedman"

Beethoven Lieder

David Ashworth | Melbourne Vic Aus | 11/21/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I bought these Cds because I like Peter Schreier and Beethoven's lieder was poorly represented in my collection. I thought 3 disc at this price I couldn't really go wrong. (I actually paid more for the postage) I must say I am very pleased with them. The recordings (1968-70) hold there age well. The digital remastering is very well done and the songs are beautifully sung by Peter Scheier, with sensitive accompaniment on the piano from Walter Olbertz. Any one looking for an introduction to these works need not hesitate. The booklet gives the text of the songs but no translation or any other information, but at this price what more would you want?. I also bought a box set of Tafelmusik by Telemann on the Brilliant Classics label and I would reccomend that also"