Franz Schubert (1797-1828)
Elysium
Carolyn Sampson (soprano)
Joseph Middleton (piano)
rec. 2020/21, Potton Hall, Saxmundham, Suffolk, UK
German texts & English translations included
BIS BIS-2573 SACD [69]
This is the second Schubert recital disc that Carolyn Sampson and Joseph Middleton have made for BIS. In 2018 they released ‘A Soprano’s Schubertiade’. I bought it a while ago and I very much agree with the warm welcome that my colleague, Michael Wilkinson gave to it in his review. This new disc was recorded in the same venue, Potton Hall.
In her exemplary notes, the Lieder expert, Susan Youens provides a number of mythological definitions of the concept of Elysium. One such is “a state of mind, our capacity to know bliss in life and to expect Death to open up to still more rapture”. I have a suspicion that it’s this particular concept that has guided Carolyn Sampson and Joseph Middleton in their choice of repertoire for this programme.
The programme seems to me to be carefully designed but, at the risk of compromising that design, I want to start in medias res, as it were. The seventh song on the programme is Nacht und Träume. I sometimes think that if Schubert had left us only one single song his reputation would still be secure – provided it was this one. Carolyn Sampson and Joseph Middleton offer us a performance which is as near to perfection as anyone has a right to expect. Middleton immediately distils an atmosphere of restful darkness in the opening bars and throughout the song he weights the piano part most sensitively – the subtlety with which he eases into ‘Die belauschen sie mit Lust’ is a small but infinitely telling musical gesture. As for Ms Sampson’s singing, I think it will melt your heart. She is perfectly poised in her delivery, spinning a gorgeous line and producing wonderfully even tone. The control required from both artists to produce such a rapt performance is not to be underestimated. The first time I played the disc, I immediately went back to hear this song again; then, a little while later my wife came into the room where I was listening, which gave me the perfect excuse to play the track again. In all honesty, it’s worth buying the disc just to hear this performance; it’s very special. However, my advice would be to hit the pause button at the end of the song; one needs a few moments to let both music and performance settle before moving on.
But there’s much more to savour and enjoy here. Schwestergruß concerns a dead sister speaking to her brother from beyond the grave. Joseph Middleton’s pianistic touch contributes significantly to the atmosphere which is created. Sampson’s expressiveness, purity of tone and excellent sense of line do the rest. This is a performance that draws in the listener. I like Susan Youens’ description of Schubert’s response to Goethe’s words in Ganymed as “music that is itself a journey, ending elsewhere than its beginning”. That sums up a song that, in line with the words, undergoes a number of musical evolutions as it proceeds; these performers catch all the changing moods and emphases.
In An den Mond I was especially impressed by the magical way in which the first and last stanzas are performed. I often refer to a sense of flow when talking about performances. That’s particularly relevant, of course, when the music has anything to do with water. Here, I like the nice forward-moving pace that is adopted for Auf dem Wasser zu singen. Middleton’s pianism, notably his stylish, subtle and very natural use of rubato is a particular delight.
I chuckled when I read Susan’s Youens’ phrase about Die junge Nonne; she describes the poem as “a creaky compound of Gothic clichés”. To our twenty-first century eyes, the poem may seem like base metal, but Schubert transmutes it into pure gold. I enjoyed this performance very much.
After the poetic wonder that is Nacht und Träume, intelligent programming means that we next hear the light, joyful Die Sterne. Susan Youens hits another bullseye, describing Schubert’s setting as “a lilting cosmos, with dactyls in dancelike profusion”. The song is extrovert, yet I noted many small details which demonstrate that these performers have delved well below the music’s skin. Goethe wrote the first version of his poem An den Mond in response to the suicide of the daughter of a neighbour. Was Schubert aware of that background when he set the poem, I wonder? The words are touching rather than tragic and Schubert’s music emphasises that. Here, his song is beautifully done. Ms Youens persuasively links Litanei auf das Fest Allerseelen to the death of Schubert’s mother, four years earlier. The strophic music is touching in its simplicity; here it receives a gently eloquent performance.
In another example of intelligent programme planning, Sampson and Middleton then lighten the mood with, firstly, the gentle charm of An die Nachtigall, followed by Der Musensohn. Carolyn Sampson sings the latter with bright-eyed eagerness. If the performance by her and Middleton doesn’t make you smile, I shall be surprised. In Der liebliche Stern we hear singing which positively sparkles. Then the mood changes again; Sampson and Middleton give an easeful account of Wiegenlied, fully bearing out Susan Youens’ description of it as “a leisurely lullaby”. That paves the way for Du bist die Ruh. We’re back in the rapt simplicity of Nacht und Träume. Both artists contribute in equal measure to a beautifully poised account of the song. I love in particular the delivery of the final stanza, especially Ms Sampson’s delectable top notes on the word ‘ganz’, the first one loudly, the second exquisitely soft.
For the most part, Schubert’s setting of Elysium overflows with eager happiness, as does the performance. The composer seemingly can’t help himself, returning to lines of the poem and repeating them, such is his enthusiasm. The present performance is completely engaging. The programme finishes with something of a surprise. Schubert set Abschied von der Erde as a melodrama; so, we hear Carolyn Sampson recite the poem, rather than singing it, against a soothing piano accompaniment. Ms Sampson’s delivery of the spoken word is very expressive, but I can’t help but wonder what might have been had Schubert set the words to music instead.
This is a treasurable disc. You’ll have gathered from my comments that the singing of Carolyn Sampson and the playing of Joseph Middleton is wonderful throughout the programme. They perform as a genuine partnership and though the results that we hear will be the product of significant rehearsal, I’m sure, the performances always sound fresh and spontaneous. I greatly enjoyed their previous Schubert disc but, if anything, I think they have surpassed that achievement here. I’m certain I shall return to this disc often and with great enjoyment.
I’ve quoted from Susan Youens’ notes several times; I hope that demonstrates how valuable I found them. She has the precious gift of being able to sum up each song succinctly in a couple of worthwhile sentences.
The BIS engineering teams are rightly acclaimed for the way in which they produce musically spectacular recordings of large-scale orchestral works. However, as this disc shows, their prowess extends just as successfully to music-making on a smaller, more intimate scale. Carolyn Sampson’s voice is caught perfectly by the microphones, whilst the piano is heard clearly and richly. Crucially, an ideal balance has been achieved between voice and piano. I listened to the stereo layer of this SACD and was as delighted with the audio side of things as I was with the performances.
In 2021 I selected Carolyn Sampson’s BIS recording of Canteloube’s Chants d’Auvergne as one of my Recordings of the Year (review). I’m pretty sure that when we’re asked for our 2023 selections this delightful and rewarding Schubert disc will be very much in the mix.
Previous review: Göran Forsling (May 2023)
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Contents
Schwestergruß, D762
Ganymed, D544, Op19 No 3
An den Mond, D193
Auf dem Wasser zu singen, Op 72 D774
Die junge Nonne, D828, Op 43 No 1
Gott im Frühlinge, D448
Nacht und Träume, D827
Die Sterne, D939
An den Mond, D259
Litanei auf das Fest Allerseelen, D343
An die Nachtigall, D497
Der Musensohn, D764, Op 92 No1
Der liebliche Stern, D861
Wiegenlied, D867
Du bist die Ruh, D776, Op 59 No 3
Elysium, D584
Abschied von der Erde, D829
