Brahms Lieder
Schumann Dichterliebe
Keenlyside; Martineau
Sony 86975 66892
Release date September 2009

Simon Keenlyside is one of Britain’s most sought-after singers. His many opera recordings include Adès’ The Tempest (conducted by Adès) and a DVD of Mozart’s Don Giovanni (with Mackerras at the helm), both released this year. Lieder recitals are one of his specialities, yet his recorded lieder output is relatively small, consisting of discs of Richard Strauss and Schubert with Malcolm Martineau for EMI’s Classics for Pleasure label and a volume of Schumann for Hyperion, all dating from the 1990s. So it is good to see him back together with Martineau in this brand new disc of Schumann and Brahms, recorded at Potton Hall in Suffolk over four days in April this year. The lieder of Schubert and Schumann may receive the lion’s share of attention from recitalists, but the sixteen songs by Brahms presented here show him to have been unfairly neglected - perhaps understandably, as his writing frequently leaves the singer very exposed, and demands high quality throughout a wide vocal range. Familiar songs include Von ewiger Liebe, which receives a gripping interpretation, and the chromatic Feldeinsamkeit, where Keenlyside’s poise and vocal stamina enrich the song’s sustained lines. But the selection also includes many rarities: the early Nachtigallen schwingen composed in 1853, for example, with its restless piano part portraying fluttering nightingales, and the gentle Abenddämmerung that closes the set. The selection ranges widely across Brahms’ output, with the texts provided by an equally wide range of Romantic poets, Brentano and Heine among them. The dream world evoked by Brahms in Nachtwandler (Sleepwalker) is particularly striking, inspiring beautifully controlled singing from Keenlyside. It was to Heine that Schumann turned for his Dichterliebe song-cycle (helpfully put into context by the booklet essay, albeit in slightly academic fashion). In a moving performance, Keenlyside’s interpretation of Ich grolle nicht stands out – noble, searing, but not overblown or hectoring in nature. If you’d like to hear (and see) more of Keenlyside singing Schumann, I can recommend the DVD Twin Spirits. It is a portrayal of the love of Robert and Clara Schumann in words and music, featuring a chamber ensemble of well-known actors and musicians (including cellist Natalie Clein) led by Derek Jacobi. Lasting about 80 minutes, it is a fascinating and deeply moving piece of theatre, and has just been released on the Opus Arte label.

Reviewed by Anne McAlister