Franz Schubert (1797-1828)
Lieder
Mathias Hedegaard (tenor)
Tove Lønskov (piano)
rec. 2021, Garnisons Kirke, Copenhagen, Denmark
Danacord DACOCD961 [58]

Although I enjoy Schubert’s Lieder, they not my normal listening. In the early 1970s, my grammar school had LP recordings by Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Gérard Souzay and Elisabeth Schwarzkopf. I borrowed some of them and followed the songs in the vocal score. I have since heard one or two live recitals and listened to the occasional recording. I guess it is one of my regrets that I have not paid enough attention to German Lieder. This remarkable recording, a great account of seventeen (mostly very popular) numbers, made me sit up and really listen.

I am not sure if this recital has a theme; none is mentioned in the liner notes or the blurb. The titles and texts might suggest a journey, love, or maybe nature. There are some very well-known songs here, presented with what to me was new-minted freshness. An Silvia (To Silvia), which may justifiably be Schubert’s best-known song, is a perfect fusion of words and music. I am always captivated by the rippling piano accompaniment of Die Forelle (The Trout), heard here in all its imaginative watery splendour. Im Frühling (In Spring) is suitably contemplative as the protagonist reflects on the loss of his love; the fifth verse is well wrought, with its dramatic musing on the “happiness of love flies past” when only the love and the sorrow remain.

Other highlights for me include the exuberant Der Schiffer (The Boatman), a good metaphor for the turbulent “winds and storms” of life’s journey. Tenor Mathias Hedegaard finds the correct degree of pleading as a supplicant in the Lied eines Schiffers an die Dioskuren (Boatman’s Song to the Dioskuri) who hopes to hand his oar into the Twin’s temple if he should safely reach the shore. It has been suggested that Nachtstück (Nocturne) seems to foretell Chopin’s eponymous works for piano. The song is about death of an old man and his eternal rest in his “grassy tomb”; it is one of the loveliest numbers on this disc. Once again, the vibrant piano part in Auf der Brücke (On the Bridge) underscores the song’s meaning as an everlasting horse ride. I enjoyed the humorous Liebhaber in allen Gestalten (A Lover in Many Shapes) in which Goethe wishes he were a fish, a horse, gold, and – most important of all – just as he is. It is sung here with wit, but also with a touch of wistfulness. The last track is Im Abendrot (At Dusk). It is a lovely idea to close this recital with such a moving, profound song: it is the recognition of the beauty of God’s world, and the poet’s confidence that all will be well in His Heaven for all time.

The liner notes are non-existent, at least as far as a commentary on the songs is concerned. Even the dates of composition are not included. The interested listener can find this information online or in a conventional library, but it would have helped to set the music in context. To be fair, there are the texts in German and in English translation. Included are resumes of the two musicians. There is a scary snapshot of the tenor on the back of the jewel case. Perhaps he ought to have included Schubert’s Erlkönig in this performance.

I enjoyed this recital. Mathias Hedegaard’s well-rounded tenor reaches comfortably down into the baritone range. He can capture the mood of these songs, with all their varied emotions. Tove Lønskov ably assisted him with the sensitive accompaniment.

John France

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Contents
Der Wanderer an den Mond, D.870
Im Frühling, D.882
Der Schiffer, D.536
Lied eines Schiffers an die Dioskuren, D.360
Nachtstück, D.672
Fischerweise, D.881
An Silvia, D.891
An den Mond, D.193
Der Zwerg, D.771
Litanei auf das Fest Allerseelen, D.343
Die Forelle, D.550
Liebhaber in allen Gestalten, D.558
Wandrers Nachtlied, D.224
Ständchen, D.957/4
Auf der Bruck, D.853
Frühlingsglaube, D.686
Im Abendrot, D.799