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Lieder anyone?

This niche within classical music, largely leaves my cold a defect in my character I'm sure. I suppose it reached a sort of peak in 19th century Germany, becoming an important part of Schubert's output for example. 

But and it's a big but, there is Mahler and Richard Straus, two of my favourite 20th century composers anyway. They both produced achingly beautiful, melancholic song cycles and I never tire of listening to them. If you want to explore them, then anything by Janet Baker or Elizabeth Scwarzkopf are just perfect for Mahler and Leontine Price's 4 Last Songs for Strauss. You can't go wrong with them.

 

David

david12

Showing 3 responses by jim204

jim204
881 posts
 

My favourite lieder recitalist is Dietrich Fischer-Deskau singing Schubert's Wintereisse , so beautiful.

jim204
881 posts
 

I too can see Rvs' point of view and totally concur. I don't listen to much lieder or opera for precisely that point , I usually read the notes or synopsis first and then listen to it for the beauty of sound. It usually is a great bonus as in jim5559's case of a second language and luckily German so you can better understand what is going on. 

jim204
881 posts
 

I agree with you regarding The Four Last Songs in that I love Gundula Janowitz singing them but I also love the great Jessye Norman in them also. I remember one year going to the Usher Hall in Edinburgh for a performance of Mahler's Second Symphony The Resurrection and as the four soloists were coming on to the stage I saw this magnificent presence coming into view and it was The great Jessye  Norman She was first heard in the Uhrlicht and then in the Finale and I thought she was awesome with her voice floating over that huge orchestra effortlessly. Well she is the other soloist I love in The Four Last Songs. She also was magnificent in lots of Strauss's Lieder.

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