Unlimited Streaming
Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps
Start my trial period and start listening to this albumEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
SubscribeEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
Download not available
The performer's age matters less in Schubert's Schwanengesang than in his Die Schöne Müllerin. That's because while Müllerin is a quintessentially youthful work by a composer who'd had his first brush with death, Schwanengesang is the essentially timeless work of a composer who'd already faced death and embraced eternity. And so a performer of mature years like Dutch baritone Max van Egmond need not fear that the inevitable wear and tear on his voice will make him ineligible to record Schwanengesang: he's home-safe as long as his technique holds up and his interpretations touch the eternal. Thus while Egmond sounds arguably too old in his contemporary 2001 recording of Die Schöne Müllerin, in this recording of Schwanengesang he sounds less old than seasoned, and his interpretations have the mellow wisdom of true maturity. So for example, while his Der Atlas sounds less strong than strained and his Ständchen sounds less passionate than playful, his Am Meer is unbearably creepy, his Der Doppelgänger is overwhelmingly scary, and his Abschied, while frayed at the edges, is deeply affecting.
The performer's age matters a lot in Schumann's Dichterliebe. The songs ask for too much technically to be performed by any singer not at the peak of his powers and, unfortunately, Egmond is clearly past his peak. It's not that he lacks the technique -- he knows exactly what his voice can do and he does it with consummate skill -- and it's not that he lacks understanding -- he knows the tone of Heine's poems is balanced between ironic and lovesick and he communicates that tone with compelling eloquence. It's that Egmond can't quite sustain the long lines, can't quite nail the high notes, and can't quite deliver the fortissimo climaxes with the kind of power they need to succeed. So while there is much for the listener to enjoy and admire in Egmond's performance, it was perhaps unwise to record at this point in his career. Kenneth Slowik, the artistic director of the Smithsonian Chamber Music Society, is a faultless accompanist on the fortepiano -- supporting Egmond in Schwanengesang and sometimes covering for him in Dichterliebe -- and Peter Watchorn and Joel Gordon provide them with a warm and close acoustic to perform in.
© TiVo
You are currently listening to samples.
Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.
Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.
From 12,49€/month
Schwanengesang, D. 957 (Franz Schubert)
Max van Egmond, Performer - Kenneth Slowik, Performer - Ludwig Rellstab, Lyricist - Heinrich Heine, Lyricist - Johann Gabriel Seidl, Lyricist - Franz Schubert, Composer
2014 Musica Omnia 2014 Musica Omnia
Max van Egmond, Performer - Kenneth Slowik, Performer - Ludwig Rellstab, Lyricist - Heinrich Heine, Lyricist - Johann Gabriel Seidl, Lyricist - Franz Schubert, Composer
2014 Musica Omnia 2014 Musica Omnia
Max van Egmond, Performer - Kenneth Slowik, Performer - Ludwig Rellstab, Lyricist - Heinrich Heine, Lyricist - Johann Gabriel Seidl, Lyricist - Franz Schubert, Composer
2014 Musica Omnia 2014 Musica Omnia
Max van Egmond, Performer - Kenneth Slowik, Performer - Ludwig Rellstab, Lyricist - Heinrich Heine, Lyricist - Johann Gabriel Seidl, Lyricist - Franz Schubert, Composer
2014 Musica Omnia 2014 Musica Omnia
Max van Egmond, Performer - Kenneth Slowik, Performer - Ludwig Rellstab, Lyricist - Heinrich Heine, Lyricist - Johann Gabriel Seidl, Lyricist - Franz Schubert, Composer
2014 Musica Omnia 2014 Musica Omnia
Max van Egmond, Performer - Kenneth Slowik, Performer - Ludwig Rellstab, Lyricist - Heinrich Heine, Lyricist - Johann Gabriel Seidl, Lyricist - Franz Schubert, Composer
2014 Musica Omnia 2014 Musica Omnia
Max van Egmond, Performer - Kenneth Slowik, Performer - Ludwig Rellstab, Lyricist - Heinrich Heine, Lyricist - Johann Gabriel Seidl, Lyricist - Franz Schubert, Composer
2014 Musica Omnia 2014 Musica Omnia
Max van Egmond, Performer - Kenneth Slowik, Performer - Ludwig Rellstab, Lyricist - Heinrich Heine, Lyricist - Johann Gabriel Seidl, Lyricist - Franz Schubert, Composer
2014 Musica Omnia 2014 Musica Omnia
Max van Egmond, Performer - Kenneth Slowik, Performer - Ludwig Rellstab, Lyricist - Heinrich Heine, Lyricist - Johann Gabriel Seidl, Lyricist - Franz Schubert, Composer
2014 Musica Omnia 2014 Musica Omnia
Max van Egmond, Performer - Kenneth Slowik, Performer - Ludwig Rellstab, Lyricist - Heinrich Heine, Lyricist - Johann Gabriel Seidl, Lyricist - Franz Schubert, Composer
2014 Musica Omnia 2014 Musica Omnia
Max van Egmond, Performer - Kenneth Slowik, Performer - Ludwig Rellstab, Lyricist - Heinrich Heine, Lyricist - Johann Gabriel Seidl, Lyricist - Franz Schubert, Composer
2014 Musica Omnia 2014 Musica Omnia
Max van Egmond, Performer - Kenneth Slowik, Performer - Ludwig Rellstab, Lyricist - Heinrich Heine, Lyricist - Johann Gabriel Seidl, Lyricist - Franz Schubert, Composer
2014 Musica Omnia 2014 Musica Omnia
Max van Egmond, Performer - Kenneth Slowik, Performer - Ludwig Rellstab, Lyricist - Heinrich Heine, Lyricist - Johann Gabriel Seidl, Lyricist - Franz Schubert, Composer
2014 Musica Omnia 2014 Musica Omnia
Max van Egmond, Performer - Kenneth Slowik, Performer - Ludwig Rellstab, Lyricist - Heinrich Heine, Lyricist - Johann Gabriel Seidl, Lyricist - Franz Schubert, Composer
2014 Musica Omnia 2014 Musica Omnia
Dichterliebe, Op. 48 (Robert Schumann)
Max van Egmond, Performer - Kenneth Slowik, Performer - Heinrich Heine, Lyricist - Robert Schumann, Composer
2014 Musica Omnia 2014 Musica Omnia
Max van Egmond, Performer - Kenneth Slowik, Performer - Heinrich Heine, Lyricist - Robert Schumann, Composer
2014 Musica Omnia 2014 Musica Omnia
Max van Egmond, Performer - Kenneth Slowik, Performer - Heinrich Heine, Lyricist - Robert Schumann, Composer
2014 Musica Omnia 2014 Musica Omnia
Max van Egmond, Performer - Kenneth Slowik, Performer - Heinrich Heine, Lyricist - Robert Schumann, Composer
2014 Musica Omnia 2014 Musica Omnia
Max van Egmond, Performer - Kenneth Slowik, Performer - Heinrich Heine, Lyricist - Robert Schumann, Composer
2014 Musica Omnia 2014 Musica Omnia
Max van Egmond, Performer - Kenneth Slowik, Performer - Heinrich Heine, Lyricist - Robert Schumann, Composer
2014 Musica Omnia 2014 Musica Omnia
Max van Egmond, Performer - Kenneth Slowik, Performer - Heinrich Heine, Lyricist - Robert Schumann, Composer
2014 Musica Omnia 2014 Musica Omnia
Max van Egmond, Performer - Kenneth Slowik, Performer - Heinrich Heine, Lyricist - Robert Schumann, Composer
2014 Musica Omnia 2014 Musica Omnia
Max van Egmond, Performer - Kenneth Slowik, Performer - Heinrich Heine, Lyricist - Robert Schumann, Composer
2014 Musica Omnia 2014 Musica Omnia
Max van Egmond, Performer - Kenneth Slowik, Performer - Heinrich Heine, Lyricist - Robert Schumann, Composer
2014 Musica Omnia 2014 Musica Omnia
Max van Egmond, Performer - Kenneth Slowik, Performer - Heinrich Heine, Lyricist - Robert Schumann, Composer
2014 Musica Omnia 2014 Musica Omnia
Max van Egmond, Performer - Kenneth Slowik, Performer - Heinrich Heine, Lyricist - Robert Schumann, Composer
2014 Musica Omnia 2014 Musica Omnia
Max van Egmond, Performer - Kenneth Slowik, Performer - Heinrich Heine, Lyricist - Robert Schumann, Composer
2014 Musica Omnia 2014 Musica Omnia
Max van Egmond, Performer - Kenneth Slowik, Performer - Heinrich Heine, Lyricist - Robert Schumann, Composer
2014 Musica Omnia 2014 Musica Omnia
Max van Egmond, Performer - Kenneth Slowik, Performer - Heinrich Heine, Lyricist - Robert Schumann, Composer
2014 Musica Omnia 2014 Musica Omnia
Max van Egmond, Performer - Kenneth Slowik, Performer - Heinrich Heine, Lyricist - Robert Schumann, Composer
2014 Musica Omnia 2014 Musica Omnia
Albumbeschreibung
The performer's age matters less in Schubert's Schwanengesang than in his Die Schöne Müllerin. That's because while Müllerin is a quintessentially youthful work by a composer who'd had his first brush with death, Schwanengesang is the essentially timeless work of a composer who'd already faced death and embraced eternity. And so a performer of mature years like Dutch baritone Max van Egmond need not fear that the inevitable wear and tear on his voice will make him ineligible to record Schwanengesang: he's home-safe as long as his technique holds up and his interpretations touch the eternal. Thus while Egmond sounds arguably too old in his contemporary 2001 recording of Die Schöne Müllerin, in this recording of Schwanengesang he sounds less old than seasoned, and his interpretations have the mellow wisdom of true maturity. So for example, while his Der Atlas sounds less strong than strained and his Ständchen sounds less passionate than playful, his Am Meer is unbearably creepy, his Der Doppelgänger is overwhelmingly scary, and his Abschied, while frayed at the edges, is deeply affecting.
The performer's age matters a lot in Schumann's Dichterliebe. The songs ask for too much technically to be performed by any singer not at the peak of his powers and, unfortunately, Egmond is clearly past his peak. It's not that he lacks the technique -- he knows exactly what his voice can do and he does it with consummate skill -- and it's not that he lacks understanding -- he knows the tone of Heine's poems is balanced between ironic and lovesick and he communicates that tone with compelling eloquence. It's that Egmond can't quite sustain the long lines, can't quite nail the high notes, and can't quite deliver the fortissimo climaxes with the kind of power they need to succeed. So while there is much for the listener to enjoy and admire in Egmond's performance, it was perhaps unwise to record at this point in his career. Kenneth Slowik, the artistic director of the Smithsonian Chamber Music Society, is a faultless accompanist on the fortepiano -- supporting Egmond in Schwanengesang and sometimes covering for him in Dichterliebe -- and Peter Watchorn and Joel Gordon provide them with a warm and close acoustic to perform in.
© TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 30 track(s)
- Total length: 01:14:41
- 1 Digital booklet
- Main artists: Max van Egmond
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Musica Omnia
- Genre: Klassiek
2014 Musica Omnia 2014 Musica Omnia
Improve album information
Why buy on Qobuz...
-
Stream or download your music
Buy an album or an individual track. Or listen to our entire catalogue with our high-quality unlimited streaming subscriptions.
-
Zero DRM
The downloaded files belong to you, without any usage limit. You can download them as many times as you like.
-
Choose the format best suited for you
Download your purchases in a wide variety of formats (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF...) depending on your needs.
-
Listen to your purchases on our apps
Download the Qobuz apps for smartphones, tablets and computers, and listen to your purchases wherever you go.