Frederick Delius - American Masterworks - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

Honegger / Soloist Of St. Petersburg Phil Orch / L - Sym 2-Metamorphosen [COMPACT DISCS] date 09/30/2014

If you take stock of all the lieder composed by Schumann, Brahms, Wolf, Mahler, Strauss, Debussy, and of course, Schubert, you will note that the majority are slow, meditative, contemplative. Virtuosity is not an essential part of the equation in the lied genre, at least not in the sense of rapid vocal coloraturas or thundering piano passages. The song automatically comes with a text included, and this opens up another world entirely. This has musical implications as well. In Schubert's case, a great poem whose verses convey a striking message is provided with a magnificently sensual musical frame that allows the text to exude a powerful influence on the listener. InchWandering,Inch or, better yet, InchstrollingInch through nature is part of the very essence of the Romantic poet, with all his loneliness and longing. He contemplates nature, he listens to the silence, he describes inner emotional states. InchWanderingInch could also imply a sort of movement, but in Schubert's lieder we are actually dealing with an individual subject who is moving, InchwanderingInch through the time allotted to him on this earth. We are confronted with a series of snapshots, doubts, and fears. Whenever Schubert depicts the inner emotional state of the soul, he is always honest and truthful. This is Andre Schuen's third album. His first two have been rave-reviewed all over the globe. Schuen counts as one of the young stars in the world of vocalists, and not only participates in the highest level of festivals, but also in the world's biggest opera houses. Album Tracks 1. Der Wanderer D 493 (3. Fassung / 3rd Version) 2. Der Wanderer An Den Mond D 870 3. Fahrt Zum Hades D 526 4. Der Schiffer D 536 5. An Den Mond D 259 6. Des Fischers Liebesglück D 933 7. Der Musensohn D 764 8. Auf Der Bruck D 853 9. Totengräbers Heimweh D 842 10. Im Abendrot D 799 11. Abendstern D 8

The title of the record emphasizes the role of the flute in the repertoire, while at the same time makes references to the brillante style, which developed in piano music in the first half of the 19th century. It's distinguishable features can be found in the works presented on this record. The brillante style grew out of the tradition of the keyboard music of C. Ph. E. Bach and W. A. Mozart, and it's main representatives were J. N. Hummel, C. M. von Weber, J. Field, F. Kalkbrenner, Z. Thalberg and F. R. Ries. A significant factor which enabled it's development were the improvements in the construction of the grand piano, which allowed for the performing of masterly figurations and passages. The rise of the brillante was described by J. Chominski and K. Wilkowska-Chominska in the following way As the name itself suggests, it was characterized by the brilliance of play with bringing to the fore the difficulties regarding performance and technique. It was created by virtuosos of the grand piano, who wished to show off with their play. The style was developing in the early decades of the 19th century, which was the time when the affluent bourgeoisie extended the group of eager viewers and listeners. Many a time did the performances of the competing virtuosos resemble modern sports competitions. The play of the artists was evaluated from two points of view the technical skilfulness and the ability to conduct cantilena. The basic features of the brillante style were therefore the presence of brilliant figurations and cantilena sections. The style also brought about some changes to the formal conception of the works. The typical phenomenon was, for example, the reversal of the classical characteristics of the themes of the sonata form in the brillante, the first theme was often characterized by cantilena and the second by figuration. The second theme could have been just