Ian Bostridge - Schumann: Liederkreis Op.24, Dichterliebe Op.48 & 7 Lieder (1998)

The texts used in these 32 songs are all by Heinrich Heine, a miniaturist poet whose unique, characteristic mixture of wistfulness and irony, often tinged with self-pity, was ideal material for the genius of that wistful, ironic musical miniaturist, Robert Schumann. Every lover of Lieder must regret that Franz Schubert did not discover Heine until he was dying and composed only a few Heine songs in his Schwanengesang. But that regret is mitigated by the fact that Schumann gave so much attention to Heine during the brief, intense period when he was focused on songwriting. Dichterliebe is one of the finest song cycles in the German language--surpassed, if at all, only by Schubert's Schoene Muellerin and Winterreise; and the other songs in this collection are comparable in quality. Bostridge's light, expressive voice captures every musical and emotional nuance, and Drake plays masterfully the virtuoso piano part. --Joe McLellan