Swiss baritone Äneas Humm explores concepts of freedom in songs by Beethoven, Schubert, Amy Seashore, and Joseph Marx

The following three songs see Beethoven exploring extra inward wanting feelings. Sehnsucht dates from across the identical time as An die Ferne geliebte, right here Humm and Tchakarova make Beethoven’s enticing, strophic setting into one thing slightly touching with Tchakarova giving a suggestion of variation type to the piano half. Der Liebende is earlier, relationship from 1809 and right here we now have one thing participating but trendy but remarkably perky. Lastly on this group with have An die Hoffnung from 1805 with its slightly touching melody that provides Humm loads of alternative to caress the vocal line and seduce us together with his tone.

All 4 of those are firmly within the track vein and comprise nothing as daring as Schubert might need tried or which Beethoven did in his different music. That is music firmly aimed on the proficient novice performer, but throughout the confines we will hear the composer exercising his interior creativeness in some ways, significantly in such finely participating and considerate performances as these.

Their Schubert group begins together with his Mayrhofer setting, Der entsühnte Orest with its intriguing image of Orestes gaining freedom in loss of life. Right here Humm’s agency tone and Tchakarova’s expansive piano deliver out the sober, mythic high quality of Schubert’s writing. An mein Herz begins with Tchakarova’s pressing piano but Humm suggests impulsiveness held beneath management, solely opening up in direction of the top. Sehnsucht, setting a unique poem to Beethoven, this time by Schiller and the track is certainly one of Schubert’s grander items, and right here given in an engagingly trendy efficiency filled with nice element. With Gruppe aus dem Tartarus we return to the grandly mythic Schubert in a setting that for all its compactness is sort of operatic in its daring. Right here, you’re feeling that Humm tries to push his voice just a little too far on the climaxes, although he and Tchakarova seize the grandeur. Lastly, this group finishes with Im Walde, an vigorous romp by out of doors Schubert, that turns into extra intent and severe because the drama develops.

When it got here to composition, Amy Seashore was primarily an autodidact, her predominant coaching being in piano. Which means her music is very influenced by the German romantic custom with out a lot of a nod to later, extra superior composers resembling Liszt or Wagner. Married to a person significantly older than herself, her marital standing prevented her from giving public performances and composition turned key. Her husband appears to have been a giant affect, and after his loss of life (and that of her controlling mom), Seashore not often wrote large-scale orchestral varieties.

These 4 songs all date from this early interval earlier than her husband died. All 4 set German texts. Ich sagte nicht from her Opus 51 (1903) combines tenderness with a strongly romantic but chromaticism with the 2 performers giving the track their full expressive consideration. Wir Drei (additionally from Opus 51) is maybe extra intense, but no much less rigorously crafted with some attention-grabbing harmonic diversions and the steadily suggestion of a waltz.  Nachts from her Opus 35 (1896) is quiet and intimate, the 2 performers creating a young, hushed ambiance. Additionally from Opus 35, Nahe des Geliebten is a setting of Goethe (the one well-known poet within the group) which is splendidly lyrically participating, but remarkably expansive with Seashore making the strophic type right into a kind of gradual construct.

While recognized for different works together with his piano concerto, Austrian composer Joseph Marx wrote round 150 songs, together with a outstanding quantity from his early years when composing. Waldseligkeit, setting Richard Dehmel introduces to Marx’s remarkably wealthy and refulgent type. Completely singable, the track is notable for the richly textured piano half and the sense of Expressionist drama. Gedenkst du noch der Nacht is extra intimate with a conversational strategy to the vocal line, mixed nonetheless with refulgent piano. Vale carissima is extra strophic, the slightly standard vocal line surrounded by extra luxuriant piano which pushes the soundworld nearer to a few of Marx’s extra adventurous contemporaries. Warte noch ein kleines Weilchen is brief, but lyrically participating and slightly conventional, nearly backward wanting. Morgengruss is barely two verses lengthy but remarkably expansive and our two performers give the track their utmost focus, making each be aware depend. Regen does certainly evoke rain within the piano, but Marx permits the concord to wander greater than we would anticipate and the track offers the sense of an inside monologue with some slightly highly effective moments. The textual content by Richard von Schaukal is a translation of Verlaine. To complete, one other translation this time of Sao Han (1788-1857), Ein junger Dichter denkt an die Geliebte, a slightly sober, severe track but with some actually magical piano textures.